Kait Ballenger delivers another darkly compelling addition to her series with Wicked Believer. At its heart, the novel shines through its unforgettable characters—Charlotte, the resilient and layered heroine, and Azrael, also known as Death, whose quiet strength and stability serve as the perfect counterbalance to Lucifer’s chaos.

Charlotte’s journey is particularly engaging as she wrestles with the question of destiny versus free will—whether her life has been decided for her, or if she has the power to make her own path. This inner conflict adds depth to her character and makes her choices throughout the story resonate on an emotional level. Alongside her, Azrael is a fascinating presence. As the embodiment of Death, he could have been written as harsh or detached, yet Ballenger crafts him as a steadying force—a grounding influence against the volatility of Lucifer’s darkness. Together, their dynamic not only heightens the tension but also enriches the emotional core of the story.

The spice in this installment is especially hot, and Ballenger doesn’t shy away from turning up the intensity. These moments are not only steamy but also tied to the characters’ growth, making the romance as satisfying emotionally as it is physically. As a reader, I was a big fan of how the heat amplified the stakes of the story and the bond between Charlotte and Azrael.

The interplay between order and chaos is masterfully woven into the plot, creating a story that is not only action-packed but also thought-provoking. Readers are left contemplating the balance between destruction and redemption, as well as the power of choice in the face of fate—a theme that lingers long after the final page.

With compelling characters, rich world-building, sizzling chemistry, and an expertly paced narrative, Wicked Believer is a must-read for fans of dark paranormal romance who crave both heat and heart.

This IS NOT A STANDALONE SO THAT IS MY BAD WHEN I REQUESTED AND GOT THE ARC APPLICATION. With that it was a little disorienting for me to read a book with already a established world building. But it was not hard to catch up.

Plotwise, even without the cliffhanger ending, this seems to be a transitional book. In a way that this seems to be a full book chapter on what is going to happen in the next book. The only character arc here is her coming out of her shell to want to be independent first in the end and it took her too long of 50+ chapter to get to that. Suffice to say, i liked the FMC NEAR END OF THE BOOK WHEN AZRAEL WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE STORY, BUT THAT WAS LIKE 65 OR 70% INTO THE STORY. Him coming into the picture (idk of he was already in book1 tho) made this more interesting and something to look forward to since this is leaning into Why choose.

HEED THE TW AND BE SURE YOU ARE OK WITH POWER PLAY BDSM. I was not aware of this when i dived in so that is what made me not like the physical aspect of their relationship. I get that they are ethereal/celestial and all, with angels, goddesses and sin talks. But the human side of the relationship seems to be more of a highlight in this book and I do not like degredation and it has it. I am not into their dynamic bec if u look at it, their like metaphysical relationship is already outbalanced then with the power play or ddlg daddy parts coming into play it seems super leaning. when azrael and openrelationship came into play i was relieved that their dynamic is somewhat a little shaken. Also there are a lot yapping happening here, parts i feel like sentences too redundant that turned into paragraphs of nothing ever happening but the fmc yapping her mind. This did not bode well with the pace of the book for me.

+ since this is arc and i feel uncorrected there are afew typo/grammatical errors i noticed i was not able to take note.

All in all it took me 65% of the book to finally like it hence the low stars.

I'm going to be honest. I couldn't get past what felt like abuse from Lucifer (MMC) toward Charlotte (FMC). I know it is part of a dom/sub trope, but it was just too much for me and was making me feel actually angry. I kept picking up the book because I did enjoy the plotline, but couldn't get past what felt like abuse.

That said, to the right reader I think this would be a fantatic and engaging read. As a standalone or a sequel read, it is well written....likely just a little TOO well written for me.

I am super excited to be back in Charlotte and Lucifer’s world in the Wicked Believer by Kait Ballenger, the sequel to Original Sinner. Let’s do a recap. God brought Lucifer and the seven deadly sins to New York City…and vanished. A celestial war is on the horizon. Charlotte is no longer the good little Christian. Not since Lucifer got his hands on her. She is walking on the dark side, growing and learning to stand on her own. The sex is sizzling hot. He is the dominant and she is the submissive, but…

Queen of my own damned life. Queen of my own goddamn choices.

“Not a fallen angel. Not a demon. Not a human, but something else in between.”

There are a lot of triggers in Charlotte and Lucifer’s erotic world, so be sure you are ready to walk on the dark side. I was lost in it. The darker it got, the more intense it felt. I loved all the changes that Charlotte is going through. I loved being on the sidelines and watching sides being taken as the apocalypse approaches. Charlotte is not going to stand behind Lucifer and let him drive the boat,. She’s going to be front and center. The kink level rises, and Charlotte does not shy away from it. She embraces it. I was reading along, white knuckled, eager to read the next word, the next sentence, the next chapter, and then….it came to an end.

I love everything about Wicked Believer and I want to thank Kait Ballenger and Montlake for the opportunity to read and review it. I can hardly wait for the next book, seeing there is war on the horizon.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

The only reason I gave this book four stars instead of five
is it took me a little while to understand what was going on because
I didn’t read the book before this one .
It has a great plot and characters that have a lot of personality.
I also listen to the audiobook .This read was an enjoyable read right from the start.
I found the storyline was well developed and had plenty
going on that it hold my full attention.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book and the audiobook via netgalley.

Wicked Believer is the sequel to Original Sinner. So if you haven't read OS, this review will contain spoilers.

Charlotte is no longer mortal and this sequel follows her as she deals with discovering her power and what it means to be celestial. Between this, paparazzi, and Lucifer's family there might be trouble in paradise for these fated mates. There's also a looming apocalypse/celestial war.

This one continues to be hot and steamy. The spice dives into sexual topics like BDSM and polyamoury. And maybe Charlotte's not as submissive as she thought.

There's a real love hate thing going on with Charlotte and Lucifer in this one and I am curious to see how their relationship progresses in the third book. And yes there will be a third, this one leaves us on a cliffhanger. I really enjoy some of the other Sins so I loved getting to know a few of them better this time around. I've got my eye on you Azrael! Absolutely adore Greed too.

Okay I did not read the first book, but got the gist of what went on fairly quickly here. I listened and read the book and audio is totally the way to go. Excellent narration, the sexiness if hot and gets you every single time.

Regarding the story line, I am not liking Charlotte at all. She seems like a whiny douche. I am not surprised that Lucifer keeps her out of his grand plans. And Lucifer, how sweet that you are letting her choose in the end. Cannot wait to see where the apocalypse and romance ends in the next book. I felt that there was not much progression in the plot line of the apocalypse, its mentioned and the first horseman is revealed but it still felt slow.

Definitely picking up the next just out of pure curiosity and hoping it ends as a trilogy.

#netgalley #WickedBeliever

LOVE the continuation of the Original Sinners! Daddy Death!!! 😱😱😱❤️‍🔥 We follow the romance between Charlotte and Lucifer. We also see the after effects of the ending of the first book Original Sinners! The last book ended in a turmoil and this book picks up right where the other one ended. And we have a new characters! That play a role in both Charlotte and Lucifer’s. To continue their sexy BDSM Dom and Sub dynamic, Charlotte and Lucifer turn things up a knotch with a new addiction to their BDSM exploration and news of their relationship. But can Charlotte be who she’s meant to be?

Original Sinners starts off with Charlotte working as Lucifer’s employee and he takes an interest in her. Lots happen and they can’t hold themselves from their innate physical attraction. In this world Lucifer and his brothers are all in Earth and are treated as shiny rich celebrities. They all have luxurious life and endulce in each of their sins. Charlotte is raised as a strick churchgoer by her father who is intense with her.

You will love this series and especially this second installment if you love:

❤️‍🔥 BDSM Dom/Sub relationship
❤️‍🔥 Paranormal Romance
❤️‍🔥 Polyamorous
❤️‍🔥 Demon Romance

Thank you NetGalley, Montlake, and Kait Ballenger for this amazing Advance Reader Copy of Wicked Believer.

Wicked Believer is the second book in The Original Sinners book by Kait Ballenger. After finishing the first book, I immediately had to read this book, and it didn’t disappoint. This was the perfect continuation of Charlottes and Lucifer’s relationship. This book was full of tension, mystery, banter and spice that kept me hooked. Add in the addition of Azrael, and Im counting down the days until the next book is released. Thanks NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wicked Believer by Kait Ballenger
Original Sinners series #2. Contemporary mythology romantic erotica. Dark romance. Alternating 1st person POV. Can be read as a stand-alone but better in series order. Cliffhanger.
Charlotte and Lucifer may have set up a fake engagement for the paparazzi but their relationship is beyond that now. They need each other. Without limits.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. The narration is performed by Isabelle Turner, Ethan Reid and Troy Duran, the first two the same from the prior book. All do a fantastic job with keeping the reader’s attention and making emotions front and center. The story and playback is dark and sensual and these actors bring their A game.
I did listen at 1.5 and slightly higher so I could read along at the same time.

I feel this story is a bit more mature and less traumatic. Slightly. Still plenty of triggers to be aware of. Charlotte may not be fully human anymore but nothing has changed in their lust for each other. Now there is an added challenge from his family and Charlotte is right in the middle of it all. Azrael, though not the intended, is Charlotte’s choice for their third.
Major drama, sex, lies and manipulation. And then more consensual kinky sex.
Twisted, and romantic. As long as you’re on the right side of the games. The war is just beginning. Cliffhanger.
4.25

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Brilliance Audio.

I devoured this book (call in Gluttony or Greed if you will)!!

Thank you Kait Ballenger for expanding your world and giving us a tremendous sequel to Original Sinners.

*Note Spoilers for Book 1 Original Sinners*


We pick up in book 2 where we left off at the end of Original Sinners. Charlotte has now become a celestial and is learning what this means, how to navigate the world of the Original Sinners, and how does this change her relationship with Lucifer. Wicked Believer is a fast paced dark romance that will keep you guessing and begging for more as this story and celestial conflict unfolds.

I loved learning more about Charlotte and Lucifer's story and life in NYC.
It was hot and steamy, while also heartwarming to see Charlotte come into her own as a now celestial immortal being! It was so entertaining and I gobbled this up in about 24 hours!!!


Also the narrators of the audio book knocked it out of the park again on this sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake, and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio, and for the Advanced Reader and Listener Copies!

#WickedBeliever #NetGalley

Some relationships can be just Hell..
Charlotte is now an immortal. Lucifer is playing games that could bring the war to end all wars to fruition.. Armageddon.
I’ll start off this review by saying that I was super excited for this sequel. Original sinner was one of my favorite books cause I love any books that take on religion and spin them into sin.
That being said this book was a bit of a step down from book 1. In the sense that it felt repetitive and you just wanted it to get to the point. Also it was pretty uneven in terms of the spice, apocalypse in the back ground and then siblings snipping at each other.
And having Charlotte not believing when the king of hell himself was being bad was annoying cause hello girl he’s a bad boy. Let’s not be surprised when he lives up to his name lol
Not a bad book overall but not a favorite.

4.25stars—-WICKED BELIEVER is the second instalment in Kait Ballenger’s contemporary, adult ORIGINAL SINNERS dark erotic, urban fantasy, romance series focusing on twenty-three year old, preacher’s daughter Charlotte Bellefleur, and the prince of darkness Lucifer Apollyon. WICKED BELIEVER should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events of book one ORIGINAL SINNERS

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers, as well as some expected religious overtones, menage and daddy kink.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Charlotte, Lucifer, Azrael) WICKED BELIEVER picks up after the events of book one ORIGINAL SINNERS in which Charlotte went undercover in an effort to gather information on Lucifer Apollyon, on behalf of her father’s Fundamental religious cult but all does not go according to plan, and Charlotte finds herself going from Lucifer’s PA, to girlfriend to something more than a human female when she is targeted by her father’s followers. As Charlotte battles between head and heart with her attraction to, and fated relationship with the prince of darkness, the Fallen struggle with Lucifer’s interest and love for our story line heroine while preparations for the Apocalypse , the end of the world pit brother against brother both Heavenly, Hell and Earth bound.


The world building follows several intersecting pathways including jealousy and former lovers, brotherly bonds and dysfunctional family dynamics, betrayal and obsession, and the encroaching war when the powers in control are hoping for a proverbial reboot.


The relationship between Charlotte and Lucifer is one of a power dynamic, BDSM, Dom/sub and daddy kink but one in which Charlotte’s new found direction in life will be tested with each encounter with the Fallen, the Angels, and their mother. Lucifer’s need to protect Charlotte is tested as Charlotte refuses to wait on the sidelines involving herself with most of Lucifer’s siblings. The $ex scenes are erotic and passionate.



Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of colorful, powerful and interested secondary and supporting characters including Lucifer’s assistant Imani, Charlotte’s best friend Jax, FAllen Angels and original sinners Astarath, Asmodeus, Mammon, Belphgor, Satan, Leviathan, Beelzebub: Angels Gabriel and Michael, goddess of chaos Lilith, and human Ian. The requisite evil has many faces.


WICKED BELIEVER is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, death and destruction, dysfunctional family dynamics, mayhem and madness ,family and love. The premise is dark, dramatic and captivating; the romance is erotic ; the characters are determined and charismatic. WICKED BELIEVER ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.




THE READING CAFE: https://www.thereadingcafe.com/wicked-believer-original-sinners-2-by-kait-ballenger-review/



GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7894098600



BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1135204813


B&N (Sandy_thereadingcafe) https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wicked-believer-kait-ballenger/1146990184?ean=9781662528880&bvnotificationId=466edb02-8cfd-11f0-b0e6-0ea7e11b3eb7&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=hotmail.com#review/356807562

🐍 Content Warning
There are honestly too many to list here. However, the author does offer a comprehensive list in an author’s note at the beginning of the book. Even if you read Original Sinner, I’d still advise reading these, because there are some new ones mentioned.

🍎 Read if you love
-Devils (demons) & angels
-Surviving religious trauma
-Morally gray MMC
-Dark, dark paranormal romance (Dom/Sub, various kinks, etc.)
-Preventing an apocalypse

My thoughts
This is the second book in the Original Sinners series. So, if you haven’t read that, come back here when you’re done if you still want to read book 2.

This book picks up shortly after the events of the first. Charlotte is grappling with the death of her abusive father, coming to terms with her new immortal life, and, of course, navigating her fake-turned-real relationship with Lucifer. Now, if you thought their relationship would be smooth sailing after Charlotte’s resurrection, you’d be wrong. In fact, I was frequently frustrated by Lucifer’s dickish behavior and Charlotte’s subsequent whininess. I read these books, in part, due to curiosity about the darker aspects. By no means am I an expert on how anything is portrayed. But it seems to me that the line between being a dom and an asshole is razor thin for Lucifer. (Yes, I understand that he is a literal devil, but that’s no excuse for not communicating with his partner.)

What drew me to these books the most was Charlotte’s journey escaping from her ultraconservative religious background, and there are a lot of discussions about fate, free will, and choice. Charlotte worries that her new dynamic with Lucifer isn’t that much different than what she left back home, and it’s heartening to see her gain more skills, confidence, and independence. I also liked the addition of Azrael’s character. He seems a lot calmer and kinder than Lucifer, and I hope his continued presence in this…triad? throuple? helps smooth the more toxic aspects of Charlotte and Lucifer’s relationship. Not to mention, they and Lucifer’s six other sinful siblings need to prevent an actual apocalypse. So, that should be fun.

Although I didn’t like this book as much as the first one, I’m still interested to see where the series goes.

I landed straight in middle of this dark, kinky, gut wrenching and heart stopping fantasy sequel by Kait Ballenger and I felt right at home! Wicked Believer got my heart racing and my cheeks blushing and my soul fulfilled in the best way possible. An extraordinary antihero. A fierce heroine. A set of impeccably written complex morally grey characters. The mind games. The celestial power plays. And the angst! Oh my the feelings were raw and beautiful. I am obsessed with the writing.

🖤 sequel to Original Sinners but I read it as standalone
🖤 Fantasy romance
🖤 The fallen angels and the celestial wars
🖤 fake relationship
🖤 dark romance
🖤 romantic suspense
🖤 BDSM themed


Lucifer and his siblings have been ruling earth right in front of humans. They are rich, powerful and strong. He manipulated his human assistant Charlotte into fake dating him and eventually making her fall for him...that ultimately forces him to make her immortal to save her. She is still grappling with all the changes while Michael( the angel) and Lilith ( the mother of all the angels) have their own plans. She has to embrace her celestial powers but she is torn. Can she really give in completely? The situation is complicated by Azrael.'s entry in their lives.

Lucifer just stole my heart and soul. He has ages of power and scars. He is so powerful that he sucks all the light every time he appears. He is so dominating and filthy and explosive..I am not equipped to handle this level of intensity. He doesn't want anyone to make him weak. But for Charlotte, he is. He is obsessed and possessed to a terrifying level. In the process, he might be close to losing her She has been through an abusive over religious life and submitting herself to the Prince of Darkness brings shame and guilt but it satisfied something primal inside her. The celestial games are a bit too much for her. She is having a tough time dealing with the fact that she has always been fated for Lucifer. Her love is unquestionable but the choice was never her. Their dynamics was layered and heartbreaking and exhilarating at the same time. It was scorching hot with the BDSM life style. But I loved the emotional intensity even more. I love when the characters have loads of dialogue and here the delivery was mind-blowing. I feel I can read a whole book of just Lucifer telling Charlotte how much she means to him. The path isn't straight here. The world is in danger. The higher power is shattering. And the person Lucifer brought to their lives to save Charlotte might be the death of their love. I will wait for the next one with bated breath.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

⭐️ 4.25/5 stars 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (4 chili peppers)
Wicked Believer by Kait Ballenger came in hot—literally and figuratively. The beginning felt fueled with a lot of anger, but honestly, that only made me more intrigued. The story pulled me in and didn’t let go.
I loved watching Charlotte continue to step into her voice and power—it gave the story such a strong heartbeat. And can we talk about Azriel?? What a fun, unexpected addition that kept things fresh and exciting.
Of course, Book 2 had to leave us dangling off a cliffhanger (rude but effective 😅). Now I’m impatiently waiting for what’s next in this world.
If you like spice, drama, and a heroine finding her strength, this one’s definitely worth picking up!

⭐️4.25
🌶️ 3.5

Holy hellfire! Kait you nailed book 2 👏🏼. The tension, banter, brattiness, spice and new characters left me on the edge of my seat.

I loved how the book picked up where we ended Original Sinner (book 1). Charolette is coming to terms with her immortality and how someone else’s choice has shaped her life. Lucifer is surprisingly more protective, devious and dare I say vulnerable. I really enjoyed getting more time with Az and Mimi and finally getting to meet Lilith!

I was so enthralled with the introduction of the heavenly siblings. They are just as devious, manipulative, and sinful as their hellish ones. Things start to get reallll by the second act and take off like a bat 🦇 outta hell (pun intended).

I enjoyed Charolette stepping into her own and seeking her wants. The introduction of a new (yes, I said NEW) love interest was not on my bingo card, but I am here👏🏼for👏🏼it 👏🏼. I felt that the BDSM and Power Play kinks were beautifully and respectfully represented. 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Daddy death 💀 Azrael can train me anytime. I loved the banter between him and Charolette… and sometime Lucifer. The spicy history between Lucifer and Azrael is alluded to and has left me wanting a novella or more in book 3 (🙏🏼 please KAIT!!). I really hope these three can make it work…. I love me a why choose 🫶❤️‍🔥🫶

🎧 The audiobook was perfection 👌🏼 Isabelle Turner is once again an amazing Charolette. Her range of characters is incredible. I loved how she captured frustration, passion and yearning. Ethan Reid again does a phenomenal job as Lucifer. I thoroughly enjoyed his silky, sultry and hypnotic voice, he made me want to say ‘yes, sir’. Troy Duran brings a smoky, dark and forbidding presence to Azrael that has me weak in the knees for daddy death. These three did such an amazing job!

I really enjoyed this book even with the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers for an ending👀. Book 3 … can you come out tomorrow!?

Thank you author Kait Ballenger, NetGalley, Brilliance Audio and Montlake publishing for this ARC and ALC opportunity.

Charlotte and Lucifer’s story continues!! Not me expecting it to be a different Original’s story and being pleasantly surprised to stick with our Prince of darkness and his future Queen!!

The apocalypse is quickly approaching, and it’s up to Charlotte to save her (formerly) fellow humans by convincing Lucifer’s siblings to be on her side even if he won’t be!! But of course, as this is happening, their power dynamic is still very much in play (seems like a bad time, no? But hey they’re at least finding some enjoyable times in the end times) and a hot new bombshell has entered the villa (a potential why choose situation)!! What’s a girl to do when she has a wedding to plan, an apocalypse to stop, and more than one man invested in keeping her alive and his??

A book that continues to scream of the horrors of religious trauma and takes the blame off Eve, all led by a young woman (not woman really anymore??) coming into her power, both as a celestial and as a female!!


Thanks so much to Kait Ballenger and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Hoooooooo boy this one was a RIDE! Once again, falling into Lucifer and Charlotte's orbit was the easiest thing! Seeing Charlotte work so hard to understand not only her own transformation, but also how the celestials' culture works, was so crazy and chaotic, but in the best way! Her being thrust into this world and these politics, and getting to see her navigate them and learning about it all from her perspective, was really exciting! I loved getting to see her grow in her confidence, her trust, and her autonomy! And watching Lucifer come to terms with his own emotions and learn how to navigate the world with Charlotte in it was so raw and real, despite his being a celestial! His attentiveness toward her and Azrael was so endearing, even if it took a while to understand how/where it was coming from! I cannot wait to see more of these two, and adding Azrael into the mix will be unreasonably hot! And the whole cast of side characters was just the perfect blend in this story! I loved this one, and I will be foaming at the mouth until I can get more of this story from Kait Ballenger! 5 stars; 4.25 chili peppers

Tropes:
- Supernatural Beings
- Politics and Romance
- K!nk Play
- Celebrity Romance
- Christian Deconstruction
- Fighting Against Fate

I absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t put it down and read it in one day.
The story captures your attention from the first chapter and I could not put it down.
If you’re craving a romantasy… pick this up!