I came for Eddie/Chrissy and stayed for James/Becca. This book absolutely drowned me in feels, and I have to tell someone about it. Spoiler free, of course!

Let me start off by saying that this book has those 80s vibes nailed down. I am 100 percent here for it. The first time I saw this cover along with the author’s plea for ARC readers, I was immediately drawn to the characters depicted. If you’ve seen Stranger Things Season 4, then you know why. Eddissy. The ship that never was. L.H. Blake told me that the scene in the woods sparked this need to write what could have and should have been. The best part is that this spark of inspiration gave her a whole new setting, new conflict, new drama, and new possibilities. Where Stranger Things failed us, L.H. Blake delivered what we truly desired in spades.

This is NOT a fan fiction. It’s an original work by a spectacular author who took two characters from a great show and let them inspire her! And holy shit did she run with it in the BEST possible ways.

Not only did she tackle the good girl/bad boy trope, incorporate high school drama, and master the art of the steamy slow burn romance, but she laid framework using religious trauma/abuse as a catalyst for the characters’ transformation. This story still lingers in my mind days after I finished it. It’s definitely a reread and I’ll be purchasing a print copy for sure. That’s a 5 star read for me.

The devil has moved in next door. The devil has seen me naked. The devil has the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. Oh God, please forgive me.

I’m a trope fanatic, as many voracious readers are, and L.H. Blake used this to her advantage, especially in her marketing. These simple memes showcasing the tropes included in the book hooked me! Moodboards and trope memes are my absolute kryptonite by telling me exactly what to expect without giving any of the story. I like to call them spoilers without context. After reading the book, I have to say the list is one hundred percent accurate. I gobbled up every chapter like a starved woman. Bonus points for the titles of each chapter being song titles that perfectly capture the vibe of that particular chapter. Without ever using a single lyric, I sang along to each one. Pure delightful brilliance.

Maybe little miss goody-two-shoes wants to play after all.

Temptation does come knocking on your door. And James? He was kicking the door down.

I promised myself I wouldn’t get involved. But she’s like a whirlpool. A vortex. A magnet. And it seems like the harder I fight against it, she just pulls me back stronger than ever.

He’s a sinner. He’s turning me into a sinner. And I can’t help thinking wildly that if James is going to Hell, maybe we can carpool.

“I broke all my rules for you.”

There were so many things I loved about this book. The Eddissy inspiration. The 1980s vibes. All the musical nods. The conflict and tension of James’ past and Becca’s struggles. The dichotomy between their lives and the similarities that drew them together. I’m not a huge fan of high school/young adult drama, but this book tackled these issues well while interweaving them with the main characters’ personal battles. Those battles were brutal and cruel…forcing both James and Becca to mature quickly. It was a delicate balance, but the author embraced their struggles while speaking truth to very real issues. This added to the conflict, raising the stakes and making me cheer for the main characters even louder.

At first, I was concerned at how the author would tackle the religious trauma/abuse. But as I read, the more I appreciated Becca’s journey in breaking that trauma and learning to advocate for herself. The author doesn’t bash Christianity as a whole but sheds a light on the abuse some religious institutions foster. There’s even a scene later in the book that encapsulates Becca’s growth and realization without having her cast aside her belief in God completely. I appreciated that as someone who is a non-denominational believer and a witness to religious trauma/abuse. The whole conflict is handled beautifully.

There is slow burn…but with fantastic steamy pay off. Both characters are over 18, even though they’re finishing their senior year in high school. But the build up of sexual tension is handled well without being gratuitous and over the top. The first kiss gave me butterflies. Seriously, and that doesn’t happen often for me as a reader. If it does, those are bonus points added. Well done.

“How am I going to graduate if all I can think about is bringing you over to the dark side in the backseat of my van?”

Welcome to the dark side, darlin’.

If you’d like more information about L.H. Blake, here’s her Linktree. A Song of Sin and Salvation is available on Amazon KU and also in print! Check it out for yourself. Let me know what you think.

Give her a follow on Instagram too! https://www.instagram.com/lhblake.author/

God-fearing Rebecca Briar was raised to believe that her community, her parents, and her church know best. That if she follows the rules, one day she’ll be able to choose for herself. Yet after an irresistible stranger moves in next door, she begins to suspect that the rules she’s lived by weren’t there to keep her safe. They were there to control her.

Hardened and lonely James Walton has five rules for a reason—he has promises to keep and ambitions to move to San Francisco to become a rockstar. But when he notices prim and proper Rebecca Briar’s quiet anguish through his window, he is tempted to break every one of his rules to help her, consequences be damned.

Their connection is undeniable, but with God watching her every move and secrets belonging to a past James never got to learn, all they can hope for are a few months of fun before it’s all over.

Except nothing is ever that simple.

A Song of Sin and Salvation is a steamy, slow burn romance that will mercilessly pull on your heartstrings. It’s a story about freedom, choice and first love, all set to a raucous 80s soundtrack. It features two lonely teens who despite their differences, represent each other’s chance at salvation.