Unhinged. Hilarious. Morally grey in all the right ways.

Dirty-mouthed, protective hero. Banter that had me laughing out loud. Group kills with rom-com energy. And somehow… the pineapple was the most traumatic part. 🍍😩

---

My Review

🔪 I Read This Out of Order (Zero Regrets)

My book club picked Sley Ride (Book 2 in the Staycation series), and I read that one first… and LOVED it. So naturally I had to backtrack and read Sinners Retreat.

They’re interconnected standalones, but let me tell you — I am SO glad I went back for Book 1. The world-building hits different when you see where it all started.

And what a start it is.

---

🏝️The Premise? Unhinged Paradise.

An island where killers go to relax… and hunt for sport.

A literal vacation getaway for morally questionable people with body counts.

A dream for them. A red flag for everyone else. A five-star entertainment experience for us readers.

---

🔥 Meet the Chaos

Kindra is on the hunt for her brother’s killer, piecing together scraps of clues while trying to level up her own skills. Her clingy bestie Cat desperately wants in on the action — and let’s just say… not all plans go according to plan.

Then we have Ezra.

Ezra, who visits this island every year with his brother Bennett. Ezra, who already has a target lined up. Ezra, who absolutely did not plan on falling hard and fast for Kindra.

But he does.

And the push-pull between them? Delicious.

Ezra has a dirty mouth that had me fanning myself more than once. The tension. The protectiveness. The way he falls for her? Swoon-worthy in the most morally grey way possible.

---

😂 Why Was This So Funny?!

I’ll be honest — I’ve always been curious about Lauren Biel, but knowing she leans into horror romance made me hesitate.

This? This is dark rom-com energy with blood splatter.

✔️ The one-liners? Hysterical.
✔️ Ezra and Bennett constantly bickering? Gold.

“You know, if you stopped sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, it wouldn’t get bitten off so regularly.”

“If you stopped sticking your dick where it doesn’t belong, you might find the solutions to your own problems. Fuck off.”

✔️ Kindra being perpetually annoyed with Cat but still keeping her around? Relatable.
✔️ Cat and Bennett clearly “hating” each other? I was cackling.

Even the group kill scenes had this bizarrely comedic timing.

And honestly… you’d think cannibalism would be the strangest thing in this book.

No.

That award goes to the pineapple. 🍍

We need a moment of silence.

---

🖤 The Things I Loved

• The banter (top tier)
• The protective, obsessed energy from Ezra
• The chaotic island setting
• The side character dynamics
• The audiobook narration (so much fun 🎧)
• The unhinged, laugh-out-loud vibes

If you loved Butcher & Blackbird, this gives that same wild, morally bankrupt but weirdly sweet energy.

---

💔 And Mav…

Can we talk about Mav for a second?
That backstory hurt. In the best, heart-squeezing way.

---

💋 Final Thoughts

This book was FUN.

Like, ridiculous, chaotic, laugh-so-hard-you-question-yourself fun.

It’s easy to follow, wildly entertaining, packed with banter and spice, and surprisingly sweet beneath the bloodstains.

Did I expect to adore a vacation-for-killers rom-com?
No.

Did I?
Absolutely.

If you want morally grey chaos with humor, heart, and just enough trauma to keep it interesting — this one’s for you.

Now excuse me while I go reread parts… and continue mourning that pineapple. 🍍😩

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars from this “Good Girl” for the unhinged island gateway I didn’t know I needed.

---