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new adult romance
Series · romance
Sinners of Saint
The Sinners of Saint series by L.J. Shen has 5 known books (5 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Defy (2016). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Bane.
- Books
- 5 known books (4 novels + 1 novella)
- Published
- 5
- First published
- 2016
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Romance
- Last checked
Start here: Defy (2016) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Defy
Defy is the novella that opens Sinners of Saint, by L. J. Shen, first published in 2016 at 165 pages. It's followed in the reading order by Vicious, in a series of 5 books that ran from 2016 to 2018.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Defy - Book 2:
Vicious
Vicious is the 1st entry in Sinners of Saint, by L. J. Shen, published in 2016 at 339 pages. It follows Defy and precedes Ruckus in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Vicious - Book 3:
Ruckus
Ruckus is the 2nd entry in Sinners of Saint, by L. J. Shen, published in 2017 at 369 pages. It follows Vicious and precedes Scandalous in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Ruckus - Book 4:
Scandalous
Scandalous is the 3rd entry in Sinners of Saint, by L. J. Shen, published in 2017 at 315 pages. It follows Ruckus and precedes Bane in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Scandalous - Book 5:
Bane
Bane is the 4th entry in Sinners of Saint, by L. J. Shen, published in 2018 at 354 pages. It follows Scandalous and closes out the 5-book series, which ran from 2016 to 2018.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bane
About the Sinners of Saint series
Sinners of Saint is L. J. Shen's dark, angsty bully-romance series set among a group of wealthy, morally compromised friends in the fictional town of Todos Santos, California. Each book follows one member of the friend group — a group defined by money, cruelty, and buried trauma — as he collides with a heroine who refuses to be steamrolled by him. Expect grovelling anti-heroes, revenge plots, class-conflict tension, and the enemies-to-lovers/bully-romance tropes that made Shen a staple of dark New Adult romance well before BookTok turned her backlist into a fresh wave of bestsellers.
The books are marketed as "interconnected standalones": each has its own complete romance and can technically be read alone, but the friend group's history and running feuds accumulate across the series, and the darkest reveals land hardest if you've read the earlier books first.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Sinners of Saint series?
Five: the prequel novella Defy, plus Vicious, Ruckus, Scandalous and Bane.
What order should I read Sinners of Saint in?
Defy (prequel novella, optional), then Vicious, Ruckus, Scandalous and Bane in publication order.
Do I need to read Defy before Vicious?
No — Defy is an optional prequel novella. Vicious is the first full-length novel and works fine as a starting point, though Defy adds backstory for the friend group.
Is Sinners of Saint finished?
Yes, it's a complete five-book series with no further installments announced as of August 2026.
Is Sinners of Saint connected to L. J. Shen's other series?
It shares Shen's fictional Todos Santos, California setting with several of her other books (including the Boston Belles and Vicious brothers extended universe), but Sinners of Saint's five books form their own self-contained story about one friend group.
If you like the Sinners of Saint series
Reading order last verified .