Charlotte is ready to start the next chapter of her life in the Big Apple. With a new internship to prepare for and a city of possibilities, the sky’s the limit. Only this NYC is ruled by the seven deadly sins. And they enjoy their very high-profile status. Except for Pride, AKA Lucifer. And his company, Apollyon, is Charlotte’s new employer. After Lucifer humiliates her in a meeting, she vents on her private work computer. Her scathing rant is published, however, and now Lucifer’s public image is compromised. Hoping to reframe the story and keep his siblings from overtaking his empire, Lucifer and Charlotte pose as a couple with a fake engagement for good measure. But soon the two find themselves drawn to each other, and can’t ignore their mutual attraction and growing feelings. And when Charlotte’s troublesome past catches up to her, Lucifer is ready to make those responsible for her suffering pay. Original Sinner by Kait Ballenger is a steamy, enemies-to-lovers workplace urban romantasy where a Christian-raised “good girl” entangles with the devil himself – and both get way more than they ever expected.
Book
Charlotte ran to NYC to start a new life away from her religious, controlling, and abusive father and his influence. Determined to regain her independence and reclaim her self-worth, she begins to assert herself both in and out of the workplace. Even purposely defying and taunting Lucifer. Surprisingly, she isn’t afraid of the darkness he brings with him. She enjoys it, even. Soon Charlotte is eager to be tempted by the devil in Original Sinner.
Lucifer, on the other hand, has his own well-known troublesome past. In addition to dealing with his power-hungry siblings and the possibility of total redemption granted by Gabriel. But someone is trying to frame him for the murder of a popular influencer. Not to mention that his new fake fiancé is an enigma – he can’t see her sins. And she seems determined to disobey him. Even so, the chemistry between them is insurmountable. Before he realizes, he’s willing to burn the world down for her.
Review
Ballenger offers a dark, fun, entertaining twist on a well-known story in Original Sinner. The dual POV style allows readers to enter the minds of both Charlotte and Lucifer. The story is well-paced and engaging – not to mention, dark, sexy, and sinful. I loved watching the main characters get to know each other. Their love story, while unconventional and unexpected, was fun and entertaining. They helped each other grow.
Some of Charlotte’s behavior was contradictory, but I sense it is less due to storytelling and more because of her overcoming ingrained behaviors. Some descriptions were redundant, and some plot points are hard to keep track of. Plus, if readers haven’t guessed by now, triggering content and explicit language and scenes unfold throughout the story. Nevertheless, the story has plenty of twists and turns in addition to mystery and steamy moments.
Kait Ballenger joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about adding a dark spin on the well-known tale of creation and plans for the sequel. Keep an ear out for the episode and check out Original Sinner, available now.
