May 4, 2026

Kindra
When I’m invited to the coveted Sinners Retreat, I want just one man on the attendee list: my brother’s killer, the Abattoir Adonis.

On the flight over, my hot, nerdy seatmate gives layover a whole new meaning. But when he turns up at boarding the next day, I’m left breathless. This means he’s a killer too.

And our one-night stand just turned into a multi-day affair.

Ezra
Never meet your hero—you might realize you killed her brother.

On the plane to the island, I discover that I and the woman I slept with last night share some macabre hobbies. I’m ecstatic—until she explains why she’s attending the retreat: to find me.

Keeping Kindra at arm’s length proves harder than I expected, especially when I catch feelings, but lying to her might be even worse than telling the truth.

Sinners Retreat by Lauren Biel is the first stop in the Slaycation series, and honestly? It’s a chaotic little vacation I didn’t know I needed.

Yes, there are a few moments that might make your stomach do a full “absolutely not,” but overall this book is a wild, spicy, dark rom-com ride that doesn’t take itself too seriously—and that’s exactly why it works. It’s an easy, bingeable read with a mix of swoony, steamy, and straight-up unhinged scenes. Some moments are chef’s kiss hot, some are a little over-the-top, and others just had me grinning because they were pure fun.

I’m calling it 4 peppers for spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ and a solid 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

And can we talk about the audiobook? The narrators absolutely ate. The accents, the character voices, the way they brought the story to life—it added a whole extra layer of entertainment.

If you loved Butcher and Blackbird, this one should already be on your radar. Dark, funny, a little twisted, and a lot of fun—Sinners Retreat definitely earned a spot on my recs list.