The Sin Trilogy by Georgia Cates-Series Review

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A NECESSARY SIN
The Sin Trilogy #1
by Georgia Cates
Release Date: December 29, 2014
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romantic suspense

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Bleu MacAllister is consumed. A horrific childhood incident has caused every decision in her life to revolve around bringing a monster to justice. With years spent studying The Fellowship, an organized crime brotherhood of liars, thieves, and killers, Bleu will rely on her skills as a special agent to cut Thane Breckenridge off at the knees. But walking hand in hand with retribution means risking collateral damage, in the form of Breckenridge’s son Sinclair—until Sin becomes so much more than Bleu bargained for. She’s always known this undertaking would place her life in danger—she never imagined her heart would be as well.

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REVIEW: A NECESSARY SIN is the first installment in Georgia Cates’s adult, contemporary The Sin Trilogy erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on twenty five year old, former FBI Special Agent Bleu MacAllister, and heir to the Scottish Fellowship Crime syndicate twenty six year old Sinclair Breckenridge.

Told from alternating first person points of view (Bleu and Sin) the focus of the storyline is two fold: the building relationship between Bleu and Sinclair; and Bleu’s revenge for the murder of her mother. Eighteen years earlier, Bleu’s mother was murdered and a seven year old Bleu was left for dead-asphyxiated by a well dressed man with a Scottish brogue. Fast forward to present day and Bleu’s need to avenge her mother’s death has become all encompassing. In order to get near the man she hopes to kill, Bleu will have to seduce the son and make him believe that she is the woman of his dreams. Falling in love with the enemy was never in the plans. Bleu is ‘obsessed with finding her attacker’ and she will have to infiltrate the world of organized crime.

The relationship between Bleu and Sin is one of immediate attraction but Bleu is in Scotland to complete a job-kill Thane Breckenridge-the man she believes murdered her mother. Sinclair Breckinridge is a sexy, powerful, intelligent and dangerous man-the heir to the Fellowship Crime Syndicate and a man Bleu has been led to believe has no problems killing on demand. His attraction and need for Bleu finds Sinclair claiming Bleu as his own but in order to protect the woman with whom he has fallen in love, Sinclair must risk his own life at the hands of the people he calls family and friends. Both Sin and Bleu face both internal and personal conflicts. The sex scenes are erotic and sensual. There is plenty of sexual tension between our leading couple.

The secondary and supporting characters are an interesting mix of people with questionable pasts including Sinclair’s friends and fellow members of the Brotherhood (Leith, Jamie); former lovers; and Sinclair’s family (his father Thane, Uncle Abram , and mother Isobel) whose connection to Bleu’s mother’s death may not be everything Bleu has been led to believe. Bleu’s adopted father Harry MacAllister is a former FBI agent who has trained Bleu from an early age to protect and kill whenever necessary.

The world building takes the reader behind the scenes of a dark and dangerous crime syndicate where proving your worth means risking your life at the hands of those in charge. Trust must be earned through pain and blood; fidelity must be sworn with your life; no one is safe when betrayal is discovered. Outsiders are definitely not welcome.

There is some graphic violence and imagery but mostly implied behind the scenes. There is plenty of tension as the reader waits for Bleu’s true identity to be discovered. The plot takes an interesting twist when hints and clues are dropped about who may have been responsible for Bleu’s mother’s death. The storyline ends on a cliff hanger so be forewarned-you will want to read what happens next.

A NECESSARY SIN is an enjoyable and fascinating read; an interesting take on the mob; revenge; and betrayal but there is an important detail left out of the equation. It is never revealed (or at least I am unable to find the information) how Bleu knew the identity of the man who murdered her mother and left Bleu for dead. Also, it was too easy for Bleu to get ‘inside the mob’. For a secretive organization, too many people were willing to reveal too much information to a stranger they knew nothing about.

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THE NEXT SIN
The Sin Trilogy #2
by Georgia Cates
Release Date: February 9, 2015

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ABOUT THE BOOK: An epic tale of revenge and love in a new romantic trilogy from the New York Times best-selling author of The Beauty Series.

Bleu MacAllister is in hiding less than three months when Sinclair Breckenridge discovers her whereabouts. Her former lover, the future leader of a criminal organization known as The Fellowship, resists the tug of his heart heartstrings in her direction. Instead, he opts to watch over his beloved from afar. And she has no idea. But Sin’s sacrifice is short-lived. His bonny lass is a hunted traitor. He fears Abram’s assassins are closing in, leaving him with one solution for saving Bleu–make her his wife. Marriage seems an easy fix for their dilemma but wedded bliss is brief when the couple finds trouble lying in wait beyond the realm of the brotherhood. Will the original revenge seeker find herself the object of collateral damage?

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REVIEW: THE NEXT SIN is the second installment in Georgia Cates contemporary, adult The Sin Trilogy erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on former FBI Special Agent Bleu MacAllister, and heir to the Fellowship Crime family Sinclair Breckenridge. Their continuing story commences approximately three months following the events of book one. Because this is a trilogy, the books should be read in order for cohesion, history and understanding.

NOTE: If you have not read the first book in the series, there may be some spoilers in my review.

Told from alternating first person points of view (Sin and Bleu) the storyline follows Sinclair’s need to protect the woman that he loves. After his uncle Abram uncovers the truth about Bleu’s identity, Sinclair’s only option is to send Bleu back to the United States lest she becomes the next victim of the Fellowship’s revenge. For close to three months Sin follows Bleu in order to protect her from his avenging uncle who will not stop until Bleu is dead. Sin’s only recourse is to marry Bleu and present her back to the Fellowship as his wife. Wives and family are off limits within the Brotherhood but they are not off limits to enemy crime families.

A major portion of THE NEXT SIN continues to focus on Bleu and Sin’s relationship from their very quick reconciliation to a newly married and their attempts to start a family. Georgia Cates takes the reader through Bleu and Sin’s struggles to conceive; and Bleu’s hunt for the person who destroyed her family and murdered her mother. As Bleu begins to strike suspects off her list, one very familiar name continues to top her very personal investigation. The sex scenes are frequent, intimate and intense. Sin is a man possessed by the woman that he loves but discovers that the Fellowship is beginning to take up more of his time than his new wife wants.

The secondary characters continue to play an active role throughout the storyline including Sin’s uncle Abram who has targeted Bleu for her initial betrayal and lies to the Fellowship and Sin. Uncle Abram knows more than he is letting on. Sin’s mother Isobel becomes very maternal; his father Thane welcomes his new daughter in law into the family but all is not right with the Brotherhood-Bleu may be protected but that isn’t stopping the attempts to threaten her into submission.

The violence, is once again, limited to behind the scenes where the aftermath plays a role in the Fellowship’s retaliation and revenge. Towards the end of this installment, the drama begins to unfold as we watch Bleu and Sin’s world begin to fall apart. Their newly wedded bliss is short lived and constantly threatened from outside and from within.

There are some issues of character perspective and points of view throughout the storyline. The alternating first person points of view were offset with third person POV, sometimes within the same paragraph or sentence. It was a little disconcerting with the shift between perspectives especially when it was not intentional or part of the set up. The POV issue affected the smooth flow of the storyline. I purchased my copy of THE NEXT SIN; I did not receive an ARC therefore the issues within the novel were not corrected prior to release.

THE NEXT SIN is a storyline that focuses on revenge, betrayal, family and love. There is passion, romance, seduction and breathtaking intimacy. We are witness destruction and death among the Brotherhood, as well as retaliation for a killing that was never meant to be.

Georgia Cates pulls the reader into a suspense filled storyline where we are constantly waiting for the ‘proverbial shoe to fall’. No one is safe; everyone is suspect; and the newest member of the Breckenridge family has become a pawn in a war between crime families, and a battle for control of the Fellowship.

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ONE LAST SIN
The Sin Trilogy 3
by Georgia Cates
Release Date: March 23, 2015

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Bleu MacAllister’s fate lies in the hands of the enemy. Complicated circumstances have rendered her helpless to escape their clutches so she must await rescue by her less than lily-white knight. All is right again when she’s back in the arms of the man she loves until long buried secrets are unearthed. With them, Bleu finally discovers her mother’s killer along with far more than she could possibly imagine. Can she find happiness with a husband who will go to any length to keep her safe, even if it means denying her of the one thing she believes she wants most in this world?

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REVIEW: ONE LAST SIN is the third and final installment in Georgia Cates’s adult, contemporary The Sin Trilogy erotic romance series focusing on former FBI Special Agent Bleu MacAllister (now Bleu Breckenridge), and heir to the Scottish Fellowship Crime syndicate Sinclair Breckenridge. As Bleu continues her search for the person responsible for her mother’s murder, Sinclair takes official control of the crime family he was born to lead. Once again, because this is a trilogy, the books should be read in order. The first two installments end on a cliff hanger.

NOTE: If you have not read the previous installments, there may be some spoilers in my review.

Told from alternating first person points of view (Bleu and Sin) the focus of the storyline follows Sinclair Breckenridge as he searches for his missing wife. As two warring Scottish mob families fight for control, a pregnant Bleu Breckenridge becomes a pawn; imprisoned by The Order while her husband struggles to free himself from jail. Upon Bleu’s rescue, Sin will assert his power and leadership, letting The Order know who is in control. Unbeknownst to Bleu, her younger sister arrives for a long term visit-the sister who is completely oblivious to Bleu’s original plan and her connections to the Scottish mob. As Blue and Sin tread lightly around Bleu’s sister, the ‘family’ makes preparations for an upcoming war.

The relationship between Bleu and Sin continues to be loving and protective. The Order has decried revenge for the death of their heir, and has set their sights on destroying the Scottish Fellowship Crime syndicate by targeting Bleu and Sin. Sin’s uncle Abram continues his plans to destroy Bleu and places his nephew in a position from which there is no return. Someone will die; and a family will mourn.

All of the supporting characters return from the previous installments wherein a number of secondary storylines play out to resolution while one in particular has yet to be resolved. Sin’s former best friend Leith destroys any hope for a happily ever after with the woman that he loves breaking Lorna’s heart and spirit in the process- I suspect a spin off series is on the horizon. There is also a slight cross over connection between Georgia Cates’s BEAUTY series with a reference to the fictional country band Southern Ophelia.

There is one issue I would like to address from ONE LAST SIN and the Sin Trilogy as a whole. A majority of the storyline action and focus from Sinclair’s POV including mob business, revenge, betrayal, violence and retribution takes place ‘behind the scenes’. The reader is excluded and never privy to many details – and in this I felt left out; forgotten; and overlooked. I had a similar issue with the author’s BEAUTY series wherein some of the troubles surfacing for Jack McLaughlin never completely came to the reader’s attention. I understand the romantic focus is on the leading couple, but much of what transpired in the background directly affected the storyline premise and it is the small details that add color and excitement. Most of the violence and graphic imagery is implied and left to the reader’s imagination.

ONE LAST SIN is an entertaining and engaging story; The Sin Trilogy will captivate and delight with its’ charismatic leading hero and the woman that he loves. There are moments of betrayal and revenge; heartbreak and pain; drama and passion wherein family is not always about blood but about the people who love you at the end of the day.

Reviewed by Sandy