Unfortunately, this one didn’t live up to the first two in the series which were absolute perfection for me.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the chance to review.

I thought this was the best of this series! The suspense was well plotted and neither of the main characters were terrible people, just broken.

I have been looking forward to reading this book since Lush Money. It did not disappoint. Angelina knows how to write high heat romance.

A good story that will keep you entertained. Ronan a former Army Ranger rescued Cinobia when she was younger. Now as she is looking at taking over her country new problems have arisen and she reaches out to him. Ronan who now owns his own security firm does not what to go to meet her because he does not what to be back in the country where he is looked at as a Royal, He does agree after some time, and then the attraction between the two of them really collides. It is here where the story really takes off and you get the twists and turns plus their back and forth with each other, a good story.

4 Stars / 3 Steam Fans

In Serving Sin, we learn more about Ronan, who started as the mysterious Special Forces soldier, secret heir to the kingdom, and brother of the King. Ronan saved Cenobia from kidnapping when she was young, and now she is slated to take over her family empire. She needs Ronan again. Secrets are revealed, corporate espionage twists, and high action.

My only issue is that much Spanish is incorporated into the storyline, and I cannot wait to hear the audiobook to understand better.

Video review available in Week 19: May 9 – May 15, 2021, full weekly book reviews available on Steph's Romance Book Talk Patreon.

For other bookish content, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

Serving Sin is my favorite book of the Filthy Rich series, which is saying something because I really enjoyed the other two books too. But Cenobia is probably one of my favorite characters I've read this year. She's written in a way that feels so nuanced and I just love how she channeled her trauma and her passions into her life. (Because of that trauma though, this book has content warnings associated with kidnapping and sexual assault. And actually, intimate partner violence.) I also really enjoyed her relationship with Roman, who is so stoic and buttoned up, but also falls SO hard for Cen that it's just wonderful. His internal conflict at the end? Marvelous.

I guess I've said a lot without saying much at this point. Oops. Basically Cenobia and Roman know one another because over a decade ago Roman saved Cenobia after she had been kidnapped. They haven't spoken or seen one another since, until Cenobia shows up in the Monte and it's revealed that Cenobia and not her father was the person behind the financial loan and advice that Roman had been receiving on behalf of the kingdom for the past several years. Also, Cen needs help. She's receiving weird, threatening messages and she isn't sure who to turn to, so Roman heads off to Mexico.

There the story really becomes a bit of a romantic suspense/contemporary romance crossover and stays that way in a more intense way than the way Lopez has straddled that line in the past. And between the suspense and the high heat of the will they/won't they between Cen and Roman, the book really became compulsively readable. Both Cen and Roman have done so much work on themselves to overcome a lot of the baggage they carry, but both acknowledge that they'll always have these emotional scars too. Some of the emotional scars are very evident, like Roman's continual uncertainty that he can have and deserves happiness. Roman is a former soldier and a childhood that was... interesting. And the secondary characters in this book are top notch. Everyone has so much character development and I loved it so very much. I would not recommend this being the first book in the series you pick up though because it very much builds on the first two books in the series.

Falling for the bodyguard trope gets me every time.

There's the forbidden aspect of falling for the bodyguard that is just so addicting to read. This story was definitely an interesting one that dealt with issues that surround Mexico as well. There were definitely a couple of tough situations and TWs in this book, so be aware!

The overall love of family was so prevalent in this book, and it warmed my heart. It was done very well and written beautifully even when dealing with tough situations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the earc in return for an honest review.

Angelina Lopez completely captured my attention with her debut Lush Money, and she raised the stakes with Hate Crush🙌🏻 It was such a delight to read the final installment in the Filthy Rich series— Roman and Cen’s romance really delivers on the forced proximity x bodyguard x YEARS of pining premise, and seeing the rest of the Monte Del Vino Real squad gave me allllll the warm fuzzies❤️

Serving Sin’s premise is utterly delicious😍 Cenobia “Can” Trujillo is on the brink of changing the automotive industry forever & stepping up as CEO of her family’s company when a threat from her past puts all of that in jeopardy. There’s just one person she can trust to keep her safe— Roman Sheppard, the army ranger who rescued her from capture thirteen years ago. Now a step-prince and elite personal security specialist, Roman is back at Cen’s side all these years later. But the torch she’s held for him refuses to go out….

I have been waiting for Roman’s book since Lush Money came out, and DAMNNNNN that wasn’t the only slow burn👀 the angst, the ✨pining✨ in this novel is immaculate. I loved Cen & Roman so much, their HEA was hard-won but soooo worth it. Lopez continues to deliver on badass competent heroines, wildly compelling (and ~bananas~ lemme tell ya) plots that take you on an emotional rollercoaster, and a ridiculously satisfying romance. This was such a satisfying conclusion to the series, and I cant wait for the next Angelina M Lopez release!!! Many thanks to Netgalley for my review copy🥰

cw: serving sin mentions a past assault, pls check trusted reviewers for comprehensive cws & protect ya neck

4.5 Stars
All I gotta say is Ms. Lopez knows how to end a series on the right note. Cen and Roman have quickly become my favorite couple of the series, and I don't say that lightly. Their UST was fuego, their Firsts combustible (pussy charming runs in the familia!), and the way their individual journeys wrapped up was satisfying. There's some twists and turns were just enough to keep me turning the page, but not so much that it really went into melodrama territory. I truly enjoyed this series, and this book, and I don't hesitate to recommend it.

Angelina was a guest on a recent episode of the Fresh Fiction Podcast: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-r5qku-105e4d7

We also shared an exclusive excerpt from the book on the Fresh Fiction blog: https://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=11305

In the years since, Roman’s risen from his humble Texas roots: He is now the head of an elite security firm and the reluctant half-prince of a glamorous wine-growing Spanish kingdom.And today, Cenobia is finally in the CEO role she’s trained for her whole life. But serious, growing threats against her are derailing a product launch that will change the Mexican industrial landscape forever. When I started reading I couldn't put it down.Angelina is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book.

I like this book a lot, this is a new author for me.
Thirteen years ago, decorated former-Army Ranger Roman Sheppard rescued Mexican heiress Cenobia Trujillo from a shocking kidnapping that riveted the world. He is now the head of an elite security firm and the reluctant half-prince of a glamorous wine-growing Spanish kingdom.
And today, Cenobia--"Cen"--is finally in the CEO role she’s trained for her whole life. But serious, growing threats against her are derailing a product launch that will change the Mexican industrial landscape forever. She’s done the hard work to recover from her kidnapping, but therapy hasn't changed the fact that Roman Sheppard will forever represent safety in her mind. The only one she can trust.
He'll go to Mexico. He'll help Cen. He'll keep her safe. What he won't allow himself to do? Desire Cenobia Trujillo.
This book is well written and the characters deeply developed. Roman is so hot that we kind of fall for him right on the spot. The chemistry between them is of the chart, even though there are not a lot of sex scenes (I have to say, that disappointed me a bit), the sexual tension is almost real. I like the plot a lot and the main and secondary characters, especially Adan. Cen is strong and resilient. My heart is with heart.
This is a standalone love story and quiet enjoyable.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Angelina M. Lopez, who burst onto the romantic fiction landscape in 2019 with her debut novel, the delightfully subversive Lush Money, returns to wrap up her Filthy Rich series with the final book in the trilogy, Serving Sin. Set in the fictional Monte del Vino Real, a tiny Spanish principality, the first book focused on Mateo, the future king of the principality and the second book, Hate Crush, focused on his sister, Sofia. The third and final book focuses on Roman, who, in the first book, was revealed to be their half brother, the result of their father’s weekend fling with a flight attendant from Texas.

The end of the first book actually plays a pretty pivotal role in setting up this final book: the first book focuses on Mateo attempting to save his beloved Monte from financial ruin. Towards the end, Roman, a former soldier turned security expert, brings in a Mexican billionaire by the name of Daniel Trujillo to invest in the principality. Some years prior, he rescued Daniel’s daughter from kidnappers and as a result of that, he forged a friendship with Daniel.

Cut to the current book, where, unbeknownst to Roman, it’s actually Cenobia Trujillo, the aforementioned daughter, who approved and oversaw the investment and has been communicating with Roman under the guise of being her father. Make no mistake though, this is not a secret identity trope as this is revealed pretty much within the first chapter of the book. This is your classic bodyguard romance, a trope I do enjoy depending on how the characters are written.

One of the things I really enjoy about Angelina M. Lopez’s writing is how she writes her female characters. They are strong and fierce, smart and savvy, fully aware of what they want in life and how to go about getting it. Cenobia, no longer the trembling, scared 18-year-old Roman rescued from kidnappers 13 years ago, is on the verge of becoming the permanent CEO of her father’s company. I have to say, I really loved her character. I love competence porn in my romance novels, specifically as it relates to the main female characters, and nowhere is this more apparent than with Cenobia. She’s gutsy, she’s not one to suffer fools, and in an industry and culture and country known for its machismo and condescension towards women, she’s well able to hold her own. She’s also got a lot of secrets and I was able to figure out the twist pretty early on in the book – in fact, as soon as a certain character was introduced, I had a strong suspicion about who he would ultimately be revealed to be and I was proven correct. And while I don’t want to give too many of her secrets away, I will say that content warnings need to be given for this book, specifically in regards to rape. It happens before the start of the book but it is something that is talked about in some detail and may trigger people.

If there was a weak link in the book, it has to do with Roman, the strong, stoic hero. Known for being extremely capable and efficient, he spends much of the book proclaiming that he’s got a very specific and limited skill set. This is met with annoyance and disbelief from both his siblings and then also from Cenobia, all of whom see him as someone much more than a former soldier who’s only good at weeding out security threats. However, the truly baffling thing is, in the course of this book, his main job is to protect Cenobia from whoever is sending her threatening messages. And yet, on two separate occasions, he almost fails in his mission and the person who is eventually revealed to be the villain of the story manages to get the drop on him, resulting in two people being seriously injured! I’m not saying that I find him to be not worthy because he didn’t seem very capable of doing his job well but it is kind of weird that a character who proclaims at every turn that he’s only good for one thing turns out to almost fail at the one job he has in this book. Of course, his inability to foresee these turn of events then prompts a whole round of guilt and self-flagellation which then convinces him that Cen would be better off without him.

All in all, it’s a very tropey book and some parts of it work better than others. Aside from my issues with the hero, I did enjoy his family’s involvement and I enjoyed the take charge aspect of the main female character. I definitely thought it was the darkest book of the series just in terms of all that Cen had endured. The series is fairly soapy and over the top so if that’s not something you like in your contemporary romances, this may not be the book for you. But if you like books with lush settings, glamorous characters, over the top plot lines, and really hot sexy times, then this would definitely be your jam. While Lush Money will always be my personal favorite of the series, I did enjoy the way this book wraps up the whole series. It’s not a perfect book by any means but the epilogue is a heartwarming conclusion to a delightful series about strong, powerful women and the men who love them.

CW: kidnapping, rape, attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, assault, memories of war, trauma related to war

Heat Factor: Frequently interrupted, so there’s lots of foreplay, but full penetration doesn’t happen til the very end. It must be noted that Lopez’s sex writing is top-notch.
Character Chemistry: Is there a grade higher than A+?
Plot: I must protect you! / I am a powerful woman, but I accept your protection.
Overall: A satisfying end to the series

A central theme of the Filthy Rich trilogy is the misogynistic bullshit that powerful women face from their underlings and competitors, but Cenobia Trujillo probably “wins” this one. She’s a young, female CEO of a Mexican car company; even her father seems to doubt her, as he continues to encourage her to take a less active role in the family company so she can settle down and have some babies. Cen has some major obstacles in her way as she works to launch a Mexican-made hybrid car, so the last thing she needs is a scary and credible threat against her life.

Enter Roman. Roman owns a security company and is very very good at his job. He also happens to already know Cen, because he rescued her when she was kidnapped thirteen years earlier.

Let me pause here. In another writer’s hands, there is huge potential for some serious ick-factor in Cen and Roman’s relationship. She was kidnapped as a teenager and he rescued her. She therefore has a serious case of hero worship going on. However, Lopez deftly navigates the fraught dynamic of Roman is the only person Cen feels safe with, while also demonstrating that they are developing a new relationship as equals. It helps that Cen is a major boss and that Roman recognizes that fact.

But on with the plot! This is by far the most “suspense-y” of the trilogy, in that the mystery and action is integral to the story. Roman guards Cen, but tries to keep his distance, but then the threat is elevated, which throws them into closer proximity. And, of course, as a classic damaged warrior type, Roman can’t love because of a promise he made and his tragic past. I generally have little patience for brooding alpha heroes who are simultaneously up in their feelings and completely emotionally constipated, but Roman and Cen do have a great dynamic and the mystery of who is targeting her keeps the forward momentum going.

Also of note: there are lots of descriptions of clothing in this book. I could always picture exactly how the characters were put together. Roman’s clothes are perhaps described in even more exquisite detail than Cen’s, which felt like a nice little role reversal.

I will say that I’m not sure that this book entirely stands alone. The final third of the book takes place in the Monte, i.e. the Imaginary Benevolent Monarchy ruled by Roman’s half-brother and half-sister. A lot of the processing he does to get to true love while there relies on him referring back to their journeys, so those who are jumping into the trilogy now may find these bits confusing or not just not that meaningful.

Overall? This was a hot, propulsive read and a satisfying conclusion to the series.

Content note: Cen was raped during her kidnapping, and the characters do discuss her experience.



I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Serving Sin is the third book in the Filthy Rich series by Angelina M. Lopez. A sexy romance that I could not put down and had to finish in one sitting.

The final book in the Filthy Rich series had everything I wanted: romantic suspense, a strong Latina heroine, super hott love scenes, and a happy wrap-up for all of the couples.

(CW: description of sexual assault, PTSD)

Roman Sheppard and Cenobia Trujillo met when he saved her from kidnappers. Thirteen-years later, she’s the CEO of her family’s auto company, and the reason behind a generous loan that helped his kingdom survive.
Now, she needs protection again and only wants Roman as her personal security. Their forced-proximity becomes a push and pull of Roman using all of his self-control to resist Cen, who tempts him with just a look.

These two were hott! Cen completes the trio of badass women in this series, and I could see overlaps with Roxanne’s and Sofia’s characters as well. Roman is an Alpha Roll ™ who is commanding and sweet. I saw glimpses of that in the first and second books, and I’m so glad he got his own story.

There’s so much mutual pining! Both have yearned for each other but don’t know it, and once they give in, it’s the sexiest slow burn of building up trust between them for Cenobia to be comfortable with physical intimacy again.

The end of a series is always bittersweet for me but I look forward to reading more of Angelina’s books in the future. These characters that have become some of my favorites, and she’s an auto-buy author for me now.

💓 forced-proximity
💓slow burn
💓 Latina heroine
🔥high steam
😘 chapter 11

Serving Sin is Angelina M. Lopez's third and final book in her Filthy Rich series. She concludes with the reluctant half sibling to Mateo & Sofia, Roman Shepperd, Army Ranger, security specialist, and rescuer of Mexican heiress, Cenobia Trujillo.
This book takes place 10 years after the events of book 1, and while it took me a minute to wrap my head around the time leap, I thought it added something special to the story since we got to see Mateo & Roxanne with their twins, and Sofia & Aish, completely besotted and hopelessly in love.
Cenobia (Cen) is in danger again. 13 years after her kidnapping, where Roman saved & rescued her. She comes back into his life in the most shocking way. Cen has been hiding a secret - she's been pining for Roman from afar for most of her adult life, and she has no idea... that Roman has been doing the same thing.

To me, this story read as more of a Romantic Suspense then just straight romance because of the hostile takeover of Cen's company (her father's company, where she's interim CEO), the attacks on her eco friendly, affordable new car, the attacks to her family... but make no mistake. There is plenty of romance. Something I've learned to expect from Ms. Lopez, is her strong as HELL female leads, and the men who completely and wholeheartedly admire them without holding them back. Cen knows what she wants. It's taken her a lot of years, a lot of counseling and therapy, and Roman coming back into her life in a big way for her to realize, but she's not willing to give up. Roman grapples with a lot of guilt over the mistakes he made in his life and is convinced that he will be no good for Cen and her little family. Cen makes it her personal mission to show him he's wrong.

I loved seeing Roman's siblings, getting to know the fiercely loyal cast of players in Roman & Cen's camps. I had expected some twists and turns but they didn't take me out of the book at all. And I was exceptionally pleased to learn that who was sabotaging them, wasn't what my fears had been.

As I mentioned before, Cen was kidnapped, prior to any of the stories actually occurring, but it's mentioned a lot in the book, and I need to CW rape. Of course not by the hero, but it is brought up quite a bit. Gunfire, break-ins, happen as well. But I think Ms. Lopez did an amazing job with the way she handled Cen's rape. It doesn't occur on the page but this story is also filled with a lot of pro-therapy, pro-counseling and self awareness from our heroine.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It absolutely was not what I had expected, but I couldn't put it down, the story was so compelling. I love Ms. Lopez's heroines so much, her great heroes are truly an added bonus. I am honestly truly sad to say goodbye to these beautiful characters, and to the Monte <3

Many thanks to the author, Carina Press, and NetGalley for the ARC

Cen and Roman are a couple that feel deeply but somehow I felt that those feelings weren’t translated into their relationship. There was a ton of back story here and perhaps if I read the books prior to this one things would make more sense but I felt like I was missing big pieces of the kingdom?

The backstory had a lot of potential but I felt like the author didnt deliver those feelings they felt back then in the pages. At the end I just didn’t feel the love? The Steam and slow burn was lovely though but the plot is very very slow and I found myself skimming a ton cause I felt lost.

TW: rape, abduction, death of parents, violence, ptsd

I enjoyed the first two books in this series a lot but this one didn't quite hit. The backstory was very confusing and I kept thinking I missed another book somewhere - but it's all explained in a later chapter which is a flashback. It's a slow burn romance where the mcs take forever to acknowledge the relationship - but it's almost lost in the details with all the backstory. It's also obvious who the villain in the story is the moment the character is introduced. I think Angelina M. Lopez is a really great writer and the series started off so strongly - but this third book lacks the spark and the steam of the first two.

Rating 3.5

CW: discussion of past rape, PTSD

Before I dive in I want to point out how the way Cen was described as dark skinned really threw me off because it's not matching up with how she's portrayed on the cover IMO. It was legit giving me pause every time her skin tone was mentioned. She's a brown skinned Mexican woman who next to Roman, who's white, her skin tone is darker but yeah it was a bit disconcerting given the cover???? I don't know if it was just me but that gave me pause no lie.

I did enjoy the overall story. This one is more romantic suspense than the others, given that Roman goes to protect Cen from a looming threat. This really felt like a movie while I was reading because there was a lot going on! But, to me, it never overshadowed the relationship/romance.

The tension / chemistry between Cen and Roman was most present and I was waiting patiently for the sexy times to finally commence. I wasn't disappointed.

Now, I think I got confused by the timeline of this. I think 10 years has passed since the previous book? But i wasn't entirely sure lol. We do get to see the other characters, how their life has been going. Cen and Roman's families are very present and all the complications of those relationships add to both characters' internal conflicts. These two have a lot to deal with and figure out and I appreciated that therapy was treated as a viable option. No one made a fuss about it when it was brought up. Cuz whew they needed to be talking to somebody for reals.

The ending was really sweet and perfect for the characters.