It’s easy to read and so much fun. Though it was a lil bit slow at the beginning for my liking. Once you get into it though, you are in for a good time. Steamy, swoony and enjoyable as heck!

The Sinner's Secret by Julie Rowe offers a surprising twist on the well worn vampire/supernatural/romance story. Thanks in large part to its main characters who are a far cry from the standard 'too beautiful to be real' male and the 'tough, but unable to trust female cop'. Julie Rowe avoids the cliches and instead gives us a story where the hero and heroine are full-bodied characters.

Baz is broke, an alcoholic, a loner, and essentially homeless. He's spent centuries trying to forget his blood soaked past by hiding among humans and away from the rest of his kind. His kind aren’t exactly human, a virus called the 'sweating sickness' changed them more than five hundred years ago into the vampires of legend. They never grow old, hold immense power, and need fresh blood to survive. Once upon a time, Baz was at home among them, but now after a gut wrenching betrayal, he just wants to keep his head down, drive his cab, and take the occasional sip from a drunk passenger to stay alive. Everything is going along as planned until he stumbles across a human trafficking ring and the cop, who's trying to take it down. Nika, the cop, is smart, dedicated, and able to take care of herself which is one of the reasons that the relationship between her and Baz feels like a meeting of equals. Their power dynamic is a particular treat for the supernatural romance genre because it is so refreshing to not have to read about the fragile human woman eternally in need of rescue. That's not to say that Nika isn't rescued, it's more that she doesn't wait for it.

The Sinner's Secret is an engaging read with great primary and secondary characters. I definitely want to learn more about Baz, Nika, and the rest of the characters who inhabit their version of New York and the world.. I"ll keep an eye out for the next installment of the series.

I received this book for an honest review through Netgalley, with approval from the Author and independent publisher. March 15, 2023: Pub. date
I received this book for an honest review through Netgalley, with approval from the Author and independent publisher. Publication date is March 15, 2023.

Loved Baz and Nikas story.. Anika is a NYPD undercover cop trying to infiltrate a human trafficking ring. Baz is the cab driver thatq tries to keep her safe. Baz sleeps in the trunk of his yellow cab. He picks up fairs at the bar down the road and takes the home. He’s not an ordinary cab driver.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

I thought I had set vampires aside, but that was so wrong because now Julie Rowe has ventured into vampire fiction! As soon as I read the blurb, the anticipation began to build.

Readers, the anticipation was correct. This book was worth the wait! Baz is a beautifully imagined vampire. There is no bite followed by a dead, cold, hard body. There was an auto-immune disease, and I imagine many can relate to that. Baz is the curmudgeon you love- think Jason Momoa crossed with Clint Eastwood,

Being a Julie Rowe plot, there are plenty of exciting scenes (explosions and violence) as well as the other kind of exciting scenes. Mika was a perfect heroine to go along with Baz’s hero. His cousin and mom promise to be entertaining in a second story.

I cannot wait for book two!

I enjoyed this different take on the vampire mythos. I'm always here for authors to interpret it differently. I'm very selective about my vampiric romances and generally only stick to a couple of authors I'm familiar with. But Julie Rowe is someone I could grow to enjoy reading her books.
I liked Nika a lot. She is fierce and brave. Reading her banter with both intimidating vampire men was great.
Baz is the self-deprecating/self-destructive character in desperate need of a redemption arc and this book is a great starting point for him.
This was funny, action-packed, and a little romantic.
I recommend to anyone who loves a good vampire romance.
I received an arc via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A cab driver that sleeps in his car and is an as*h***, and a waitress that gets saved by that cab driver? Get ready to take a ride (in the cab haha) on this crime family adventure. I haven't read a "traditional" vampire story in a long time. I knew I had to read it, though, after reading the description. I liked that the story went fast. Usually, I do not like a third person POV, but this book made me forget that I was reading a third person POV. The book did draw me in and I finished the book in half a day. I wish there was a little more spice and that got to see more of the character's feelings, but I am ready to read the second book in the series and find out more Baz and Nica and maybe get a book about Yvgeny??

I just read sinners secret by Julie Rowe. I really enjoyed this book. The history behind the sickness that caused the vampirism was interesting. I can’t wait until the next one comes out. I’m looking forward to reading more books from this author.

The hero is atoning for past sins when he unexpectedly steps into an active undercover sting operation where he rescues the heroine, who is masquerading as a victim. The hero agrees to be an informant to the police so that they could leave him alone, but he also felt protective of the heroine. When the heroine is taken, the hero pursues and learns that the bad guys are not what they seem...

This is the first book of the SINNERS NEVER DIE series by Julie Rowe. It's a paranormal romance book featuring a vampire hero and a human heroine. It also introduced a type of vampires that are tough, strong, and flawed in a way that this reader hadn't seen before. The romance felt more secondary in this book, with the focus more on this particular paranormal world and story plot, but this book is still an enjoyable read. There were some intriguing secondary characters that deserves their own books, and I look forward to reading more SINNERS NEVER DIE books in the future.


** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **

Thanks to NetGalley, Julie Rowe Author for this read. It was interesting. I thought it was going to be more of a mystery but it was more of a vampire romance to me. It was funny and a quick read.

I don't typically read novels classified as romances, but the vampire element got me to pick this one up. It's pretty enjoyable and doesn't have a lot of the romance elements (don't worry, there's still some steaminess). The plot is interesting because it's essentially about an undercover police operation involving human trafficking that a local "do gooder" vampire stumbles upon. The combination of the police work and finding out about vampires in this world was engrossing enough to keep me reading.

Sinner's Secret by Julie Rowe is an exceptional tale that had me thoroughly entertained. I am eagerly anticipating the next installment in this series.

Baz is a vampire punishing himself for the death of his family. He has distanced himself from vampire politics, has an alcohol addition, and lives in his car. His life changes for the better when he helps an undercover cop escape a bad situation. He becomes embroiled in her situation, and his life begins to take on new purpose. His cousin Yvegny is hilarious. The book was entertaining and an easy read.

The blurb and the cover had me thinking this would be a paranormal romance.. and it was but it wasn’t. It was more like a cop romance with the main character joining forces with a mysterious cab driver who has some serious skills in a fight. But instead of him being just ex military, he was also a vampire.
It sounds a little crazy, but I actually enjoyed the variation. Nika was a likable heroine and Baz was somehow both depressing and charming at the same time.
I would definitely recommend if you’re into crime/mafia/cop romance. For fans of paranormal romance, it’s a bit lacking in a lot of supernatural aspects other than the vampires and how they make new ones.. they operated like old crime families more than anything else, except they heal quickly.
I would definitely consider continuing the series to see what happens next!

BAZ=Sarcastic, Goodhearted, Hot Vampire who calls himself an asshole!!!!!!!

Ok, Baz is the standard! OMG! I adore this book and everything it is. It was such a page-turner. I enjoyed every moment of it, especially the sarcastic banter between Baz and Yvgeny. I love how protective Baz is of Nika and how he stands up for what’s good regardless of his past.

I could read this book a hundred times. It’s that good.

Decent book with a good plot. Nika, the MFC, is definitely no nonsense and takes no crap off anyone. The backstop for Baz is definitely a non-traditional take on vampires. Overall there were just enough twists and turns to keep you flipping pages.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to review this book.

Highly recommend this paranormal romance filled with action. The characters and world building were well written. Nika and Baz’s journey was action packed that had me guessing throughout the story. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait for the next installment of the series.

Thank you NetGalley, Julie Rowe and Julie Rowe Direct Publishing for the ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Publication date: 3/15/2023

Book: Sinner’s secret by Julie Rowe
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: Mystery suspense, Paranormal
Publication: 15th March 2023

I was hooked from the very beginning. Baz is our main male character who has a “unique” disease that keeps him looking as though he is in his 20-30s, healthy looking and damn near impossible to kill , having being alive of hundreds of years living through pain of losing his wife and child to murder and trying to find justice by, well, kills criminals, Baz has finally had enough and is now stuck to a calm life with a schedule that involves driving a yellow taxi and living a normal life but destiny has more for him and he finds himself dragged back into the world of violence when he tries to save a damsel in distress only discovering that Nika is a wolf in sheep clothing and can handle her own working as an undercover cop trying to discover the truth behind various cold cases of women disappearing randomly and winding up dead.

As a paranormal romance this book was truly engaging and the plot was absolutely amazing.

Thank you NetGalley and Julie Rowe for the ARC copy.

Incredibly fun! Baz and Nica are full of witty comebacks and snark. I adored Yvgeny, his cousin, as well. This book had me laughing throughout while holding the seat as the story evolved. Incredibly fast paced, I couldn’t put it down. A perfect mix of action and romance and the kind of series I will definitely continue to follow. Thanks to NetGallry, the author and publisher for an advanced copy!

Different from what I normally read, but absolutely loved it. Story kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, the paranormal aspect of the story was great and pretty easy to keep up with. It did not distract from the storyline at all. Baz and Nika were great characters. I loved that their connection wasn't the whole point of the book. Looking forward to reading what the author has in store for the next book, especially if it dives deeper into the cousin's storyline, and how the paramedic becomes involved!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

Sinner’s Secret was an interesting read. I found myself being drawn in to the original storyline of vampires. It was refreshing to have a new outlook on the way they were created and how the gene is passed on. It was an original story with some great character development. I’m interested to know more about Yvgeny and his paramedic, so I am hoping for more of that storyline. I absolutely loved that Nika would fight back and could stand her own ground, not always needing a man to defend her. The fact that Baz appreciated that about her was also nice.

There was one thing that confused me, however. Reading the sneak peak to the next book, the main characters were introduced as Bazyli and Yvgeny KOVAC, whereas their last name in this book was Breznik. The spelling of Nika’s name to Nica was also confusing.