Review: Sexy as Sin

Sexy as Sin by W. Winters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Great setup, but maybe the book was too short for what could have been an excellent execution

Be aware of spoilers in other reviews!

The book has a great setup: a happy MC-Mafia couple, a raid, betrayal, prison sentence and a possible second chance. Cillian takes the fall for the MC while Kat and his best friend wait for him to get out of prison, keeping their own secrets and learning others'.

I would characterise this as a new adult romance as the imprisonment of Cillian happens at 19, and he only serves four years.

This book will disappoint if you expect the typical MC machinations or even mafia traits. Except for a garage where everyone (Cillian, his best friend Reed, his uncle and another) have get-togethers (twice), there is little of the expected MC interactions. They even spend more time in cars than on motorcycles! And except for the mention that Kat's dad was mafia, there is little in that regard. There is thus little of the usual action/suspense associated with the two genres. The two mysteries we have (the secret Kat is keeping and who the traitor is) are rather dull and predictable.

The book has excellent characterisations, and both Cillian and Kat's emotional responses to Cillian's release are well done. This redeeming feature, together with technically flawless writing, elevates the story. There is a twist at the end, one that felt forced given the space. I would have preferred this twist earlier to be more emotionally invested in it. Still a good story and worth reading if you want a short read or are a fan of W Winters.