User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
“Snow White waited for the prince. You’ll be the one saving yourself in this story.” This isn’t your typical romance and certainly isn’t a fairy tale. In this story, Cinderella saves the Savage!With Bane, L.J. Shen holds no punches. I’m really afraid she’ll eventually ruin me for other authors!! Her writing is lyrical. It’s poetic. It’s simply beautiful! This book is sexy, flirts with the dark side, and is one of her grittier works. I
COULD NOT get enough of these characters.
“Don’t fuck with me. I fuck harder. Comes with the territory of doing it for a living.” Bane is sexy, rough, and raw. A bad boy in the true sense of the word. Let’s face it, his moral compass is not fully operational. And I love that about him!! Gah, he’s sexy AF.
Jesse’s been to hell and back. I love the different feel of this book. It’s not so much about a sexy guy swooping in and saving a girl. It’s more about each character finding themselves as their relationship progresses. They are both truly effected and made better by the other. Character development and an intricate plot are the shining stars of Bane.
Both main characters are equally intriguing. Neither fits a general mold the reader expects. It feels different from the previous books in the series, but is no less engaging. In fact, it’s my new
FAVORITE. The story packs a
HUGE EMOTIONAL punch. It’s one the most impactful and had me equally sobbing, cursing, and falling in love.
“Maybe that was the difference between Bane and all the others.
I didn’t want him.
I needed him to remind me how to breathe.” Here’s what you really need to know. L.J. Shen pushes boundaries each book is better than the last. It’s one of the main reasons I love her books
SO MUCH! You have to expect the unexpected. The drama is bigger and the characters are larger than life! It’s a fucking emotional, twisted, topsy turvy ride that I want to experience again and again.
Highly Recommended!
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Rating: really liked it
I'm still experiencing a vicious BANE book hangover :D
IF you haven't read any of the Sinners yet -you must at least read Bane - he is the perfect example of a bad boy that will rock your world!!!I honestly did not think this day would ever come.
Ever since reading VICIOUS, I was in love with him. He was a glorified jerk, an asshole extraordinaire, the high school meanie, and just all around dick. And I ADORED him!! I knew from that moment on that I loved LJ Shen’s heroes. She wrote characters that played by their own tune. Unapologetic, unrepentant, and remorseless. Heroes that were original, unique and in your face honest.
Today is the day when my darling VICIOUS is being dethroned. I didn’t think it was possible – I was proven wrong.
BANE was the PERFECT blend of what I love in a fictional hero. He was brash, in your face blunt, confident in his skin, sex on two legs, and too alluring for his own good. But under that self-assured and cocky as all demeanor was a man who loved his mother dearly, and someone who was not too stubborn to acknowledge the ONE person that was meant for him.
A chance encounter on a fateful day started a fascination that lasted years. When Bane and Jesse finally met again, all bets were off. The way Bane spoke to her on a visceral level, challenged her and pushed her by just breathing the same air, was all she needed to fight back and return to the living. His personality didn’t allow a NO, it was his way or the highway, until he met Jesse. I melted every single time he did something out of character just to make Jesse happy. He could be such an asshole, but then he turned around and did something so sweet – I wanted to swoon right away. He was perfection in my eyes. The perfect blend of a jerk and a smidgen of a sweetheart. On top of that he was funny, sarcastic, giving, but also very shrewd and astute. He was everything I love about a guy. Meeting Jesse didn’t change him, she just brought his hidden qualities to the surface.
Jesse was an enigma. She was barely existing, and a shadow of her older self. Her journey was one of revelations, of strength and courage. Just by being around Bane she found the grit to move on, to change the status quo.
I honestly think Jesse and Bane are the author’s best work yet.
They were a couple that understood each other without having to spell everything out. Jesse accepted him for what he was, no sugar coating or attempts to change him. She embraced all his flaws, his past as well as his reputation. I adore women that can accept pasts, as sordid as they may be, and move towards the future. Jesse was a shining beacon. A phoenix, who clawed her way out of hell with a little push from the resident hell-raiser. And the end result was PHENOMENAL!!!
“What’s the antonym of hate?” I blurted, drunk on pleasure.
He collapsed to his couch, cupping the joint with his thumb and forefinger and sucking hard. “Jesse.” BANE was the perfect conclusion to an otherwise already AMAZING series. It’s bittersweet to see this generation of Sinners come to an end. But I’m stoked and excited to read all about the second generation in the All Saints High series.
___________________________________
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
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Rating: really liked it
5 STARS
We weren’t a boy and a girl. We were two lonely, fucked-up souls. It made wanting Bane in my life acceptable. I wanted him to fix me.
The queen of angst has done it once again. She's given me a hero that I have fallen head over ovaries for, and I can't stop thinking about. Bane is so different from the heroes we're used to from LJ Shen, but he's no less potent. He's not the typical alpha-hole that she writes oh-so-well. But he's also not quite a nice guy either. Bane is that somewhere in the middle, that gray zone of sex appeal and criminal. This book was EVERYTHING.
You’re poisoned. Sheltered. Yet, you’re no Snow White. Wanna know why?”
“Why?”
“Snow White waited for the prince. You’ll be the one saving yourself in this story.”
Jesse may have been one of my favorite LJ Shen heroines to date. This girl is so broken, yet her spirit shines through even through her shattered pieces. And I absolutely loved that Bane is one of the few people in her life that sees it. He sees beyond the frumpy clothes she tries to hide behind. He sees the fiery woman behind the disguise; a woman with scars but one that will fight with the ferocity of a tiger if ever cornered. Man but I loved their immediate chemistry and dynamic. This is a slow burn, and boy does Shen make you burn. She makes you crave every stolen look, every secret touch, every forbidden erotic moment. GAH. It was so freaking delicious.
He was cracking my heart with every touch, shattering it with every smile, and it didn’t make any sense, because how could he break something that was already broken?
Bane is not a nice guy, but he's not quite a bad guy either. This is a man with many layers that are full of depth beyond what his bad boy appearance gives off. I was turning the pages well into the night, ravenous for another layer to be revealed. The tumultuous connection that he has to Jesse had me sitting at the edge of my seat just waiting for the other shoe to drop. You experience him unwillingly and unexpectedly fall for a girl that was supposed to be a tool in his arsenal. She was only supposed to be a pawn but soon began to turn into so much more.
I survived many things, but Roman Protsenko was probably not going to be one of them.
Bane was a delicious slow burn full of depth and emotion. It was a story of survival and finding love in the darkest most unexpected corner. It was angsty, sexy, and a page turner from beginning to finish.
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Rating: really liked it
When an L.J. Shen novel hits my kindle I swear it's a holiday because EVERYTHING stops!! This novel was pure MAGIC! Bane and Jesse were perfect together. Just amazing. I laughed, I cried and I honestly never wanted it to end. I loved them so much!
I swear I have been dying for Roman "Bane" Protsenko's story since Scandalous and Jesus Christ this author delivered and then some. When Bane wants something, he will do anything to get it and Jesse Carter has no idea what she's in for. When he makes a deal with her oil tycoon stepfather, she becomes a pawn and a plaything in his path to getting more of his heart's true desire - Power. That is until Jesse digs her claws deep and twists up his whole game like he never saw coming.
GAHHH!!! BANE is my most favorite L.J. hero to date (I'm sorry Trent.) He is wholeheartedly flawed, edgy and conflicted and a lonely damaged soul at heart. He is a con artist, a thief, self-serving and conniving and an anti-hero to a T. But what he found deep down buried inside a withdrawn, damaged girl became his eventual redemption. Jesse Carter probably has a little piece of my soul. Strong yet damaged, broken yet slowly healing but with a ton of scars. But when Bane comes into her life he comes the balm to those scars. They will always remain but he could help lessen them over time and be the cushion for when they hurt.
What I loved about both Bane and Jesse was the fact that she saw past his reputation and track record and he saw past her tragedy. They were very similar in that they were both running away and hiding parts of themselves they weren't ready to face. But they were each other's respective catalyst to move out of the shadows. He was in fact the first person to see her, to want to fix her and heal her. He was her protector and the man that stood in front of her while she faced the world. He became the first deep breath she took after not living for a long time and her compass bringing her back to the land of the living.
Bane was everything and honestly the best novel L.J. has written to date. It was hot, angsty, forbidden, filled with spitfire banter, witty one-liners, kickass metaphors and laugh out loud sarcastic AF humor. Shen pretty much solidified her role as HBIC because this book is FIRE! This novel was equally heartbreaking, uplifting, monumental and dare I say LJ's best work to date without a doubt. Bravo! 6 Amazing stars!! ~Ratula
Rating: really liked it
Sometimes in your life there are books that you come across that take you by surprise. It puts you in a state of shock, not just because you can't imagine reading any other book for the rest of you life, but because you've finally found the one. The one book you will remember forever, the one that will haunt you forever. It's this one. And I'm so obsessively in love with it, I will never get over it. I devoured this in one sitting. And then I had to re-read again just to make sure I didn't dream the whole thing up.
I've been a loyal follower (stalker) of this author since her very first book and was there with her all through the Sinners of Saint. I've watched grow with each new Sinner, watched her dominate the community with her words and her covers. And add to that, she's the humblest person I know, always trying give her readers her best, not knowing even her shopping list would deliver.
Now, this book. Bane. I can't tell you how long I've waited for this baby to land on my kindle. And as soon as I opened up the prologue, my jaw dropped. I started sweating, my eyes were already welling up and I couldn't believe what I was reading. This author starts the book off with a definitive BANG! If you had any doubts on if you could get into this book, get that outta your head now. Because she will literally reach through the screen and hypnotise you with her words. It'll leave you panting for more, devouring each word with every eager breath and that was only the prologue! It's THAT GOOD! This book is ANGST DEFINED! The author warned us it would be, but I wasn't expecting it at that level. It destroyed me, it was on a whole other level & my heart couldn't handle it.
The hero in this situation, Bane, he's an egotistical asshole who has every right to be cocky. He's a "rebel without a cause", criminal mastermind, sex on wheels and goddamn savage. I mean, when you live in Todos Santos, that's kinda what you expect. If you've kept up with the series, our hero is younger then our Hothole's and is seen as Baron "Vicious" Spencer's heir to the asshole throne. He's your typical bad boy with a twist. He actually has no feelings for anything and actually really doesn't care. Until fate makes sure his life crosses path with Jesse Carter. I'm so in love with Bane. Every word, every inhale of smoke, every smirk & scowl, it's like new life being blown into me. He's the perfect asshole. He needs a slap to the head a few times but all the heroes this author writes does. Doesn't mean that every time he's being a dick, I don't wanna mount him like a horse and ride him in the sunset. And it gets even worse when he's being tolerable and nice. Ugh. I sound crazy but he confuses me so much, even though I love him.
Jesse Carter. I've never fallen so in love with a heroine before. I am in absolute awe at her strength, her bravery, her perseverance and her sass. To have been through what that girl went through and still come out swinging, she has earned my respect, admiration and love. My heart ached for her, I cried for her, I loved for her, I fought for her & I died for her. Not only is she a stunner on the outside with her pale white skin and her luscious dark hair, she's just as gorgeous on the inside. It may be a little cracked and broken inside but it's beautiful nonetheless. She is a princess who doesn't need saving, she's no damsel in distress. And while Bane brought her back to life, it doesn't mean she's weak. She's been dealt a shit hand in life but she didn't let it define her and that's what I love. She got her justice, she got her revenge and in the end, she even got the guy.
Hands down, this is the best work ever done by this author and she'll probably go down in history for it. This book will always have a special place in my heart and I'm thankful to the author for giving us her words, for writing Bane and Jesse's story and showing us a love so rich, so strong & sassy, it'll take on anyone who dares to defy it. Definitely a MUST READ!
Rating: really liked it
MY REVIEW can also be found on my blog:
KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS I was the guy everyone knew, and she was a ghost desperate to be forgotten. ‘BANE:’ is book #4 within the Sinners of Saint stand alone novel, New Adult, a spin-off novel by L.J. Shen. Spoken in dual POV’S The Heroine (Jesse) the Hero (Bane).
The ‘Prologue’ is a bit of a wowza, but only hints at what happened, but sets up a terrific storyline of whats to come.
At twenty-five ‘Bane’ aka Roman Protsenko, has no qualms when it comes to admitting what he is or where he’s come from, and what’s he’s done to get to where he is today. A Russian immigrant living in one of the most affluent towns in the States a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The naked surfer, habitual pothead, con, lier, a fraud are the many faces Bane wears.
I was the outsider. The mortal idiot who mixed with the blue-blooded royals of Todos Santos. 
‘Jesse Carter’ aka Snow White. Reading nineteen year old Jesse's story in the 'Prologue' will gut you, bring you to your knees, a cloak of sadness enveloped me as I read her words, the darkness, the loneliness that shrouded her, your heart will break into tiny smithereens. She never leaves her bedroom, she's alone in the real sense of the word, no friends, no loving doting mother, a stepfather with secrets, her only true friend is an elderly lady that has alzheimer's decease.
But we need to go back, back before Jesse even became a business deal struck between Bane and her stepfather Darren, back when Bane didn’t even know who she was, one glimpse and he wanted her even then. The first time Bane sees Jesse, it was her tattoo on her back that caught his eye.
My Whole Life Has Been Pledged to This Meeting with You. - The Pushkin Tattoo She was on the beach with her boyfriend Emery.
It was years ago on the beach, but I remember how carnal the need to conquer her had been. Before her life was turned upside down and her fate rewrote itself with her blood.
I wanted her before.
Before she became business.
Before the truth caged her in.
Before the secrets gushed out. This is like no other book this author has delivered us before, she's gone out all guns blazing to bring us a darker, grittier, heartbreaking book that will slay us to the core. Bane will over ride your senses, he'll obliterate your heart, and our heroine Jesse will steal your breath away. You will bleed alongside her as life throws her curve ball after curveball like a Phoenix rising she'll bring you to your knees with her strength.
The princess sword was bloody. But she refused to tuck it back in. She wanted to leave a trail of their misery behind her, so they could always find her. "Everyone in town heard a version or two of my story.
I was the town’s slut. Jezebel.
The whore of Babylon.
I’d asked for it, so they’d given it to me.
I don’t date.
I don’t do boys.
I’m The Untouchable." What a crazy ride this one was, twists and turns of deceit, heartbreak, a slow burn, that crept up on my out of nowhere. I have never swooned so much over a fictional character than I did over Bane, the man just oozed sexual appeal through the written word. And I don't think we could've gotten a better match for him other than Jesse, she was perfect for him. This book plucked so many emotions out of me, sad, love, laughter, swooning, the feels were endless and just kept coming chapter by chapter.
We're the outliers.
The rejects
We're free. Bane could entice the knickers off a nun he's that hot.!!
Rating: really liked it
Everytime L. J. Shen announces a new novel, I get ridiculously excited. Why? Besides the fact that I know I'm going to love it, I know what awaits me inside each of her books. There's always an incredible story with a beautiful romance, hot sex, and characters that will stay with me forever.
"Don't get me wrong-she was beautiful, but she looked like a dazzling tragedy, specially designed to fuck you up."
Bane was my most anticipated read of 2018. Every since Baron Spencer described him as a "made in China" version of himself, I knew I needed this character in my life. While he didn't dethrone Vicious in my eyes (to be fair, I don't think anyone could), I fell in love with him just like I knew I was going to.
"They'd given me a nickname, and I'd become it, lived it, breathed it."
Perfectly imperfect characters are my favorite, and Roman "Bane" Protsenko fits right into that category. He may have a bad boy reputation, but deep down he is a good person. The heroine, Jesse, recognizes this right away, and it endeared her to me from the beginning. Plenty of people would have been judgemental of Bane, but she just saw him for who he was to her.
Jesse Carter suffered not one but three traumatic events in her young life. To top it off, she was gifted with a horrible mother that cares only about herself to the point where she shamed Jesse for being raped and did her best to sweep it under the rug to avoid gossip. Bane comes into Jesse's life in a fucked up way, but it winds up being the best thing that ever happened to her.
Her slumped shoulders looked like broken wings; her overcast eyes were where your soul went to fucking die."
Bane sparked something in Jesse that that grew until it burned bright enough to drown out the darkness that surrounded her, but what I loved about this story is that Jesse took charge and was largely responsible for her happy ending. Bane supported Jesse, loved her, and helped her, but he didn't save her. She did that herself.
"The princess saves herself in this fairytale."
The same thing goes for Bane. Jesse made him see that he was worth more than a quick fuck for some cash. He wasn't like his father, and he didn't need to pay for his sins. Ultimately though, Bane himself made the decision to change his life and become someone greater than he thought he deserved to be.
"My heart felt like two pieces locking back together into something whole."
Did my most anticipated read of 2018 live up to my expectations? Hell yes! Leigh always does! She's my favorite contemporary romance author for a reason. Her writing is exquisite, and I fall harder for her everytime I read more of it. She manages to captivate me with even the simplest descriptions of ordinary things. The story's she creates give me all the feels, surpass my expectations, and always leave me wanting to read more from her.
If you haven't read an L. J. Shen novel before, do it! She's amazing! If you've read and enjoyed the other books in this series, then don't hesitate to pick up this one. When you're done, we can fangirl together! 🙌 Finally, if you've already read Bane and the rest of the guys, put the All Saints High spin-off series on your tbr! The kids are supposed to be even wilder than their parents. I can't wait to find out!
ARC generously provided by the author for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
I was hesitant for a long while to read this book but then I decided that I needed closure for this series so I read BANE.
My ratings of the books in this series is as follows :Vicious: 5 because I couldn't give 10 or more stars!
Defy: 3 stars
Ruckus: 2,5 stars
Scandalous: 2 stars
Bane: 2,5 stars
As you can see, only VICIOUS did it for me, none of the others were good enough!
Now, let's talk about
BANE.That is one hell of an interesting book that includes a bit of everything…. Every f*cking twisted thing!
The relationships in the book are one hell of a tangle. You have to write down names and keep notes to remember who f*cks who or you can just assume everyone f*cks everyone else…
1. The hero and the heroine end up being related to one another in a weird way. (view spoiler)
[Her father f*cked his mother for a while and he became a kind of step-dad for him. As they were not married, he was not an official dad, but in theory he played the role of the step-dad for a while. So, her father was a step-dad for him for a while. (hide spoiler)]2. The hero’s mother f*cked the guy who her son’s ex-girlfriend was in love with. (Trent in Book 3, Scandalous).
3. (view spoiler)
[In this book, the hero's mum f*cks her son’s best friend and in the end, she marries him (a guy who is a bit younger than her son - not judging, just saying). (hide spoiler)]4. (view spoiler)
[One of the rapists of the heroine sometimes came to their house to f*ck her mother (definitely judging and cursing). (hide spoiler)]Do you see what I mean? So very complicated web of relations!
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Not only the relationships but also the characters are very interesting!
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First of all, our hero
BANE is very colorful. He is a real piece of work!
1. He is a man-whore hero (literally – as he whores himself to women for money. He also had sex with men when he was hard on cash). There were times when he let guys suck his d*ck just to see if he likes it.
2. He is a tattooed bad boy hero, who is a liar, a con, a stoner and a drug dealer.
3. He is a shameless hero who likes public sex and surfing naked.
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Our heroine
JESSE is a victim of rape & assault
1. She was raped when she was a child and a virgin.
2. She was assaulted, beaten and gang-raped.
3. Her rapist boyfriend made a sex tape.
4. She was bullied, degraded and became a cast out at school after “The incident”. Because she wasn’t allowed to sue the rapists, she was known as the town slut who was involved in an orgy.
5. After school, she starts to live like a recluse, she doesn’t allow anyone to touch her, she doesn’t go out of the house much. She has no friends, no job etc.
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One day, Jesse’s step-father Darren makes an arrangement with BANE so that he helps her get out of her shell and it spirals out from then on…
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Things I hated about the book:1. The hero: He was literally an exaggeration of a bad boy. I didn't hate Bane, I just hated how Ms Shen exaggerated the "bad-boy" concept in this book!
As we loved Vicious despite his evil side, the writer must have thought, “The worse the better”… Nope, this was too much!
2. The way sex starts and develops between the hero & the heroineAs a victim of rape, she wanted to stay untouched for a long while. Now she wants Bane and begs for it. And the first time she wants to have it with him, she wants it too hard. She doesn’t want gentle, she doesn’t want mercy and she wants him to maul her. That was weird!
All sex scenes between the hero & the heroine later on were awful in my opinion; they were all devoid of emotions but heavy on pounding!
Oh oh, one more thing: When they start having sex, they do it bare and she doesn’t even ask for a health report, never thinking about the STDs he might have.
3. I also hated the way it was emphasized in the book that Bane & Jesse were a good match because both were tainted.Unlike Ms Shen, I do not think that a girl who has been raped more than once and more than one person deserves a man-whore or someone worse. She still deserves a decent person because what she went through doesn’t taint her, it doesn’t make her any less good. She is not worthless, she is still precious – as precious as her heart goes.
Here, she is matched with a guy who is the worst of the worst: A con, a liar, a stoner, a drug dealer and a man-whore who has sex with women (and men if necessary) for money. I didn’t like this match because of its implication that he was the kind of guy who would accept her.
Well, there are a few things that are good about Bane, of course; he is not a bad person but he has chosen bad ways to survive whereas Jesse went through horrible things that were not by her choice. However, this difference is not emphasized; instead, their being a good match is emphasized!
But Bane didn’t care.
He screwed for a living, for God’s sake.
No wonder he was the only one here to accept me. I would have preferred a hero who was a decent person and who thought Jesse was a precious woman he wanted to be with no matter what she went through because they were all out of her will.
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Well, for your information and for what it is worth, BANE doesn't sleep with anyone else after he falls for Jesse and he quits his job.
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The things I liked in the book:1. I am happy that the evil was punished in one way or the other in the end.
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?
I will fill in the blanks when I can think of any other things I liked about it.
FINAL THOUGHTS:Everything was way too predictable from the very beginning, we just wait for Jesse to remember what we already guess.
The book gets better only in the last quarter. Until then, it is slow and dragging. Maybe because I couldn’t relate to the characters, I felt bored most of the time.
In the last quarter, after she remembers, things get interesting and there is some action.
I was only invested in the story to see if the rapists would get what they deserved or not. Otherwise, I would have dropped the book in the middle.
Well, I would have preferred something harsher like castration or something else for the rapists but well, what we got is better than nothing at least…
There is an epilogue about a year later with a HEA. I also read the extended epilogue that I got by e-mail.
Do I recommend the book?
Although I have given it 3 stars out of 2,5, I would not recommend this book to anyone. I just read it for the silly hope of maybe finding something to like in it because this was something from the writer of Vicious – a book that I adored. However, after trying 6 books of this writer, I now understand that (better late than never), it was a one time deal because no other books of this writer did it for me.
Now I can easily say that I have given this writer more than enough chances for the sake of Vicious and that was the last chance.
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P.S. In this book, Bane is compared to Vicious and said to be Vicious's heir or something like that. Ha ha, I say "Bullsh*t!" and LMAO!
However, there is something interesting I should say: I liked Bane more than Dean and Trent. Actually, I hated Dean & Trent but I obviously didn't hate Bane. I just didn't like him enough.
Well, just putting that information here if it helps...
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SOME QUOTATIONS FROM THE BOOK:Some impressive moments:
I was quiet.
I was nice.
I was different.
I was evil.
No one knew.
No one suspected.
Still waters run deep.
My only regret is that you drowned in my sins.
***
“You need to leave me with something! ” she called out.
“I am,” I said, yanking the door open. “I’m leaving you with the consequences of your actions.”
***
“Jesse, I am going to ask you for something very important now. Don’t forgive me.”
***
Ever been punched in the face? I had. Plenty of times. The first few seconds, you’re disoriented. Not really sure what time of the day it is. Where you are. That’s what Jesse smelled like. Like a punch in the fucking face.
***
“Dad was right about one thing, Roman. The princess saves herself in this fairytale.”
***
“What’s the antonym of hate?” I blurted, drunk on pleasure.
He collapsed to his couch, cupping the joint with his thumb and forefinger and sucking hard. “Jesse.”Something funny:
“Hmm. Pity party. Thanks for the invite, Jesse, but I’m busy tonight.”
“You’re an asshole.” I sighed.
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Sean Connery wore a toupee in all his James Bond movies,” I said.
Bane laughed. “The fuck?”
“You told me to tell you something you don’t know. I bet you didn’t know that.”***
Something puke-worthy:
(We are told that Bane is a man-whore more than enough times and I thought I was used to the idea till the day he decided to quit but then, I learnt how many women and I felt nauseous!!!)
I walked over to my kitchen nook, took my phone out of my back pocket, and started going over every single client on my contact list. I decided to go for something laconic, firm, and polite. Thing was, I wasn’t much of a diplomat, so after much thinking, I came up with this:
Hi. It’s Bane. I’m writing to let you know that I’m hereby terminating our professional relationship. I’m officially retired and will not be making a comeback anytime soon. If you owe me money, consider it paid. If I owe you dick—I suggest you go look for it somewhere else. So long and thanks for all the fish.
—Bane.
I sent it to all forty-six women I had worked with at once.
Rating: really liked it
Stand-alone.
LIVE! | AMZ US | AMZ UK |Books in Sinner of Saint series are stand-alones:Book 0.5: Defy
Book 1: Vicious
Book 2: Ruckus
Book 3: Scandalous
Book 4: Bane
Rating: really liked it
Live and FREE with Kindle Unlimited. A special $2.99 will be available for a few days only.
Amazon US ➜ https://amzn.to/2FPWOQw
Amazon UK ➜ https://goo.gl/8YSPq6
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Giveaways are posted on my pages:
Author page - https://www.facebook.com/authorljshen/
Reading group - https://goo.gl/F5hPwE
Rating: really liked it
Just when you think you know what to expect, LJ Shen throws you a curve ball that hits you right in the heart. Bane is a heartbreaking, gut wrenching and soul stealing emotional ride that will leave you breathless. Shen writes heroine’s with backbones of steel and heroes you can’t help but fall for. Bane is an absolutely unforgettable love story. Prepare yourself for an epic book hangover.
Rating: really liked it
First things first I am sooo sorry guys I bailed
I was crazy busy 😣😣 This review should have come out almost 2 weeks ago 😐 sorry again !
Real-life decides to kick butt from time to time
and you gotta kick it's a$$ harder !!
Anyways
DO NOT MISS OR FORGET TO READ
THE EXTENDED EPILOGUEyou will find the link at the end of main book's epilogue by signing up L.J Shen's newsletter 🖤
***The Review****
Me before reading the Book: (Actually after reading Scandalous)
Yikes!! Bane ,he is such a manwhore !!!
I am not into that kinda dude 😒
He probably even f*cked every possible hole
Including water bottles 😑
Man !!! he even surfs naked 😭😭
Ewwwww who does that?
"My kinda man" would never....
Why this bitch even has his own book?
I am not touching his book with a ten feet pole !!!
Then something happened !!
I decided to put a leash on the judgemental chick I mean bitch in me and that's how I finally got my head outta my a$$ and read this book.
Me after reading the book:*casually adds Roman to book boyfriend shelf*
Yeah so it happened 😭😭😭
Imma marry
Roman ‘Bane’ ProtsenkoIf he will still take this judgemental bitch 😑
I will do helluva groveling for this guy 😢😢😢 Imma worship him 😢😢 he is one of a kind.
So my whole approach towards Bane had been changed. I haven't even ever considered adding this book to my TBR.
But my trust in L.J won the Battle
Man I have reminded once again why she is my
number one favorite authorShe can make me forget the world
that is WHY.
The story starts by introducing
Jesse CarterShe is a young survivor
We will get to witness how a survivor becomes a fighter 💕
“You’re poisoned. Sheltered. Yet, you’re no Snow White.
Wanna know why?”
“Why?”
“Snow White waited for the prince. You’ll be the one saving yourself in this story.”
So this book is
TabooThere is a lot to process in this story
Some people might find it sensitive.
I was on the verge of an internal meltdown throughout the book.
But trust me or not it is worth the trouble.
Running to exhaust myself, physically and mentally, so I could sleep.
Running so I wouldn’t have to stand still, and ponder, and think, and crumble.
Running from my problems, and my reality, and the emptiness that nibbled at the edges of my gut, like acid.
Burning, eating, destroying.
Can you guys I mean you readers /book lovers relate to this quote⬆️⬆️⬆️?
Isn't it the same reason why we read books?
Isn't book our kind of coping mechanism?
Aren't we taking chapter breaks from reality?
I felt that in my soul!
The world seemed painfully mundane while wrapped up in Roman Protsenko’s exceptional orbit. Like he was bigger than the place he was born in.
You know sometimes we find the light of hope from the most unexpected places in unexpected times?
BUT
Bane didn't come to save the day!
He makes a new day happen!
He is not the light or flicker of hope
HE IS THE HOPE HIMSELF 
So what I like most about Roman is that he didn't become the said bodyguard of Jesse
He helped his snowflake to build a spine on her own.
He pushed her but didn't tarnish or fight her demon for his snowflake.
He let Jesse fight her demons by herself.
And he was right there by her side.
“But I’m here for you, Snowflake. I’ll be sitting on the sidelines cheering for you because you’re the strongest girl I know, but I’ll also be there if you need me. Needing someone wouldn’t make you any less strong, Jesse. It would just make you human.”
Part of me was thinking Bane would be this cocky selfish man child
But No!!
He is a man through and through !!!
So he is-
*compassionate
*Responsible
*Razor Sharp smart
*Passionate
*Career oriented
*Ambitious
*Full of sense of humour and witt
Dude !! how can he not be my
Book boyfriend 😢😢
He has checked all the boxes with star marks and flying colors.
”We were two lonely, fucked-up souls. It made wanting Bane in my life acceptable. I wanted him to fix me.
To cure me.
To hold me.
To make me laugh.
To make the pain go away.
More than anything, I wanted him to lift my shirt, see the scar, kiss it better, and tell me that I was beautiful. I could almost imagine it if I tried real hard—his beard on my marred flesh. His crinkly, soothing eyes on my sore memories.
Soft.
Warm.
Good.
Breathe.
I needed to breathe”
Jesse is such a strong soul.
Yet, she let her man see her vulnerability
She taught ME wanting something and going after it doesn't make you weak!
But Giving up on something you want makes you weak.
Wearing a facade makes you weak. She not only handled and rebuild her life beautifully, she also rebuild the lives of the people around her.
She is such a powerful energy.
But silent.
Giving and caring.
I loved how she is equal to Bane.
“Can you be there for me? Just in case I need someone to hold my sword for me?” I did a little bow with my head. “Why, my princess, I thought you’d never ask.”
Yeah So what I loved about them as a couple is
Bane never treated and taken Jesse for granted
and in return, Jesse never holds back with Bane.
They weren't in a conventional give and take relationship
Their relationship was no hold back , give and give relationship.
They were there for each other when they needed each other and they gave each other space when it was necessary.
I loved they weren't Clingy PDA type of couple.
Both of them are reasonable and perfectly fitted and complimented each other.
In short, one of my most surprisingly top favourite
reads of this year 😍
And
The princess saved herself.
But it was her knight that kept her story aliveHappy Reading y'all xoxo
Rating: really liked it
★4.5★ "Just remember, Snowflake-you fucking begged for it."
Bane is the fourth book in the Sinners of Saint Series. Although the series is best enjoyed if read from the beginning, you can enjoy each book as a stand-alone. In Bane, L.J. Shen is back with another broken bad boy who we find is a perfect match for the sweet, broken, and introverted Jesse Carter.
"He had a take-no-prisoners approach to sex, and missionary wasn't only not on the menu for him, but I doubted it was even in his vocabulary."
Jesse Carter is a girl that is no stranger to physical pain, emotional pain, and abandonment. When her stepfather makes a deal with Roman “Bane” Protsenko, an unexpected romance is ignited. Bane has been hired to spend time with the introverted Jesse and to help her find confidence once again. But it is Bane who is changed by Jesse. As the unique plot unfolds, tensions rise and Bane and Jesse find themselves in the fight of their lives. Can two very different people find long-lasting love together? And after they find that love, can they keep it?
"Where have you been all my life?"
Told in dual POV,
Bane offers a complex plot with raw beauty in every moment. The lyrical writing of Ms. Shen never fails to amaze me. The secondary characters enhance the story greatly as their love and disdain for the main characters infiltrates every fragment of the plot. Both Bane and Jesse are perfectly matched and despite their differences and history, the journey they take together is one that I will never forget.
Overall, I highly recommend
Bane to anyone who enjoys a charming anti-hero who falls in love with the most unlikely heroines. L.J. Shen has and always will be a go-to author for me. Her commitment to her characters and the world in which they live emanates so completely that I feel as though I have been transported to another world. A world in which I never want to leave. When Ms. Shen is writing, my Kindle and I are ready to read!!!!
***Sinners of Saint***
*ARC graciously provided in exchange for an honest review!
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Rating: really liked it
“I was the guy everyone knew and she was the girl desperate to be forgotten”. DAYUM!!
L.J Shen was not playing around with this one! “Bane is by far her best work to date and it showed in every single word that she gave us. There’s a new bad boy in town, and he’s taking panties first and saving the pleasantries for later. I thought for sure that no one could dethroned Vicious, but ladies… I was DEAD.WRONG!
A con artist, liar, habitual pothead, manwhore, you name it, and Roman “Bane” Protsenko has been called it. But he’s also a business man and in this town, reputation is EVERYTHING. When he gets an offer that he literally can’t refuse, making his mark on the town won’t be the only thing that he leaves in his wake. How hard can it be to stay away from the untouchable?
Jesse Carter is over boys. After a rocky two years that turned her life upside down, she’s content with having a very private and lonely life. But her quiet life is about to get really loud when the resident bad boy enters the picture. How far will Bane go to get Jesse back to being normal? What happens when two people who were never meant to be more, becomes more to each other.
“He was cracking my heart with every touch, shattering it with every smile, and it didn’t make any sense because how could he break something that was already broken?” They say that there are certain people who comes into your life for a reason. I think that this was absolutely true in this case for Bane and Jess. There was so much tragedy and heartache that these two went through not only separately, but together. Bane was everything that you could’ve wanted in a friend, a son, and a lover. He was loyal, loving, and protective and it showed in every action he did.
This book broke my expectations on another level. I knew it was going to be good because let’s be real right now: this author can write! What I wasn’t expecting was to fall so deeply and madly in love with these characters. They’ve imprinted their lives into my soul and I’m so happy I got the chance to witness the love, sacrifices and hurt in order for them to reach their true destination. HAPPINESS.
I will never forget this book or these characters and that is something I don’t say lightly.
Rating: really liked it
snow white waited for the prince. you'll be the one saving yourself in this story.wow, not to be dramatic but this book was
fucking incredible. and i shouldn't be surprised, because this series is probably my favorite NA series out there. this one follows bane & jesse. bane is unlike any of the other rich douchebags in this series, and has a pretty different history. but then again so does jesse.
i think everyone up front should know that this book deals with sexual assault and rape in a very head on way. i was not expecting that going into this book. not to say that the others in this series have been sweet, but this one had a decidedly different tone.
bane essentially is tasked with getting jesse out of her shell after she's been raped. and once i read that, i was really skeptical of how that would go... i'm
extremely cautious of books that deal with sexual assault in romance because they typically imply that love can fix anything. and that just isn't true. thankfully this book didn't fall into that trap.
for example, after the first time jesse has sex with bane she says:
"I'd enjoyed our morning together, but I also enjoyed being my own person."additionally, bane is one of the best heroes in NA i've read in a while. he loves his mom, he treats his woman with respect. he is so respectful of jesse and what she's been through and doesn't do any of that dubious consent shit like other NA heroes. which was great. and in general, i was just really rooting for him to succeed. he was a sweetheart, but like a surfing, motorcycle riding, tattoo having, one.
all of that being saidthere were a couple of plot points that rubbed me the wrong one. the biggest was regarding lost memory. i don't claim to be a psychologist, but suppressed memories are some of the most controversial things... as in most doctors believe that they don't exist. and i kind of felt like in this case that entire sub plot could have been excluded and the story would have been more believable.
i don't think it will bother everyone, but having done research on that in the past i wasn't excited that it was included.
seriously, if you're looking for a unique romance & you like the other books in this series, you should give this one a go. it didn't disappoint.
PS IF YOU ARE A SUCKER FOR PROPOSALS... read this series.************************
Only my most favorite ~sort of~ reformed surfer pothead. I need this like I need my next breathe. COME TO MAMA!
