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After years of heading an elite Special Forces unit, nothing ever gets past Carter Macmillan…until the night slick-talking reporter, Ally Weaver, gives him the slip. Ally Weaver is used to following the story, but she’s never had a lead blow up on her before…literally. Now one of her confidential sources has been murdered, and she’s determined to find out why. But Ally can’t risk drawing anyone else into this violent mess…no matter how skilled--or gorgeous--he may be. But a girl can’t always get what she wants. And when the pair find themselves thrust into the crosshairs of a corrupt politician who would do anything to stay in power, they must work together to expose a deadly conspiracy before they become the next victims. But while both Ally and Carter are willing to put their lives on the line to discover the truth, neither is prepared for the danger the other poses to their heart. *** Part romantic comedy, part thriller, and filled with plenty of intrigue, CARTER is the first novel in the Sinner Saints contemporary romance series. ***

206 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 27, 2015

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Adrienne Bell

40 books213 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
Profile Image for Lillian ☁ Cloud 9 Books ☁.
574 reviews344 followers
June 16, 2017
****4 STARS****

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This was amazing! Carter can save me any day! I loved the blood pumping action.

Ally is a journalist that is relentless when it comes to finding the truth. It's up to her to put the pieces together and let the world know about the corruption going on. But she can't do it alone. She needs help as powerful people want her silenced permanently.

Carter is caught in the web of lies, and he realizes that he needs to help Ally survive. He not only wants to protect her, but he also wants to comfort her in other ways.

Carter and Ally are wonderful together. In the beginning Ally was a little annoying because she had few tantrums, but her character was funny and ballsy.

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Profile Image for Melody Cox.
1,499 reviews169 followers
September 6, 2019
***4.5 Stars***

This is the first book in the Sinner Saints series. Carter Macmillan is a born leader and he heads Macmillan Security. All of his employees are his military brothers - who were in his elite special unit.

Ally Weaver is a very good reporter. Her specialty; she goes after the corrupt and exposes them...except now she has some assassins on her trail.

That is how these two meet and they quickly fall in love. It is an intriguing story and well written.

I highly recommend this book.

Safety:
Both celibate.
I don't believe he was a man-whore.
Their past is never spoken of.
No cheating.
No O/W or O/M drama.
Profile Image for Lady Heather .
1,304 reviews769 followers
October 6, 2015
A copy of this book has been provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by Adrienne Bell, and it certainly won't be my last. This book had lots of action, a great story-line, and amazing characters.
I really liked Ally and Carter together.
I loved how they worked together as a team and as equals, both contributing to finding the answers to solve their dilemma.

Great start for a new series.

Can't wait to read the next installment in this series!
Profile Image for Anita.
2,379 reviews195 followers
July 3, 2015
ARC provided by the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's a perfect day on the beach in So Cal and I am reading the perfect book to go along with the warm sun and cool breeze. Carter: The Sinner Saints is a wonderful mixture of humor, romance and suspense. All I need is a margarita to make this picture complete. Alas, no alcohol allowed on public beaches, bummer.

Carter is former Special Forces and head of a Security business based in Sacramento, CA. His firm is called in last minute to supplement security for Congressman Fuller's donor gala. His Chief of Staff died that afternoon in a car bomb and he is concerned for everyone's safety.

Ally is a reporter that the dead Chief of Staff was about to spill secrets to that would put the Congressman in prison. She crashes the gala and Carter is on her like white on rice. The story she tells him has him making a quick side change. That they both have an instant attraction is a bonus. Carter vows to protect Ally physically but neither of them can protect their hearts.

Fun quick read that has a hot romance and can't put it down suspense. I love to local for this book, Sacramento, CA. Not enough books set in California for my taste. Adrienne Bell has a wonderful touch and I will definitely read more of her work.
Profile Image for Pamela(AllHoney).
2,631 reviews373 followers
February 7, 2018
The first book in Adrienne Bell's The Sinner Saints series. Carter Macmillan and his security team are hired to supplement the security at a congressman's fundraiser event. Then Ally Weaver comes up to him and before you know it, Carter has his protective skills going full blast. Ally is a reporter trying to the get lowdown on the congressman. His late Chief of Staff contacted her before his death to give her information. Unfortunately he was killed before he got it to her. But the baddies know and are out for her blood and anyone else's that get in the way.

Probably more of a 3 and 1/2 stars. It was good but not great. I will probably check out more by this author. I admit to being a bit curious as to the fate of several other members of the Security Group.
Profile Image for Renee.
1,213 reviews24 followers
August 8, 2018
I read this in one day at the beach It was super fast to read. The plot was good. What I liked were the characters being introduced for the rest of the series, explaining their background with relation to the others.
I would say read it. The only downfall was that it was a little short, leaving me feel things were rushed.
1,116 reviews21 followers
July 3, 2015
This was a wonderful start to a new series by the author. Lots of action, plenty of suspense and a nice romance. Carter owns his own security firm and labels his team as the best at what they do. He feels a tad bit uneasy about agreeing to provide protection detail for Congressman Fuller. Something seems off but he's confident his guys can handle it. He's not so sure about the feisty reporter who manages to crash the politician's fundraising gala. When they first meet she offers him money if he'll pose as her partner for a few minutes. She'trying to evade a couple of bodyguards trying to throw her out. Carter finds it amusing that it's his men she's running from. When she gives him the slip as well, he goes after her. He's pretty sure she's no threat to his assignment but he's positive she's trouble and he wants to know why. His suspicions are proved correct when he finds her breaking into one of the Congressman's offices.

Ally warns Carter that the Congressman is up to no good and that he and his team are getting set up to take a fall. He's skeptical until the bullets start flying and they're running for their lives.

I liked Ally' s gumption. She wasn't just out for a story about a dirty politician. A man had died while talking to her, trying to right a wrong. Now she was determined to discover the truth. Her only regret is that Carter and his team are now involved. As they try to keep from being killed, Ally' s feelings for Carter begin to grow.

Carter is a man of integrity, was a member of Special Forces at one time. He's good to his men, runs a top notch firm and doesn't appreciate someone using them as their patsy. He also vows to protect Ally no matter what the cost. He's quickly falling for her and wants a chance to find out where their relationship can go.

Can't wait to read the first full novel in the series. The author started things off with a bang. Hope it continues as the books progress.
Profile Image for ⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm.
2,334 reviews17 followers
September 17, 2017
This is my first time reading this author, so I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I started it. It wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't that great either. It was short, and had some good action in it, but things were just a little too fast paced for my tastes. Characterization wasn't as in depth as I would have liked, and plot details felt skimmed over. The romance also felt lacking because I felt it was adrenaline fueled and not built on anything more solid than that. I doubt I'll continue the series.
Profile Image for Lydia.
491 reviews58 followers
August 27, 2015
Yup, it's official, I'm a military romance junkie, and there's no cure to this! But even so, despite how biased I am when it comes to the genre, this book was still so damn worth it!

Carter Macmillan, boss of a security firm full of ex-military badasses, is requested to help guard an important political person one night. While doing so, he stumbles upon a sneaky reporter, Ally Weaver - or, rather, she marches up to him herself, offering to pay him to act as her date. From there, the pair discovers a secret that cost Ally's lead his life, and all they can do, is run for their lives, all the while trying to let the world know what they had found out. Easy enough as a task - if it wasn't for the attraction between them that burns a little too hot to work it out on friendly terms.

I simply loved this book. I can't even begin to describe the fangirling my online girl buddies had to endure while I was reading it! I even went around trying to convince people to read it already! Why haven't I noticed Adrienne Belle before, and why isn't she on my author list?!?! This stuff is gold!!!



Carter and his band of BAMFs is sure to make the ladies swoon! Not only are they hot, they're also funny - ok, I didn't see all that camaraderie I usually witness in series like this, but I don't think it's bad, I believe it makes the series even more unique.

I also adored Ally. She wasn't the usual kind of badass, yes, but, even so, she kept moving one foot over the other, despite being scared to death. She was also funny, knew what she wanted and had no problem demanding it, and her interraction with the guys? Priceless!

I can't wait to read Rhys's story, btw. I knew from the moment Carter described him he was gonna be MY kind of Sinner Saint - let's hope I haven't set my expectations too high for him to reach...

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

Read this and other reviews at: http://cupcakesandpopcorn.wordpress.com/
Profile Image for Danielle  Gypsy Soul.
3,127 reviews78 followers
March 19, 2016
I read this book in Romancing the Military Man Book Set and wow was I surprised. I loved it. I haven't read Adrienne Bell prior to this but I will add her to my must read list and the series to my must read!

This book centers around Carter who owns a security firm full of ex-military men. (Yep lots of books with this premise) but Adrienne Bell add's some humor, great characters and an interesting plot. Although you briefly met the rest of the guys the book stayed centered on Carter and Ally a reporter. Ally was beleivable, she wasn't a bad ass I can do anything character (which I liked) but she was still a strong, keep going in spite of all the danger she wasn't used to kind of girl.

I loved the way she and Carter met and their fun relationship. I believed them together even though this book is a little shorter than I typically like. There was plenty of action, suspense, romance and some humor as well.

I was hooked and can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Profile Image for Speed.
974 reviews2 followers
March 19, 2016
OMG!!!! This book needs 10 stars!!!! AMAZING!!! AWESOME!!! I started this book late last night and if it wasn't because my eyes were starting to get cross eyed and tearing at the same time, LOL, I would have finished early in the blink of dawn. However as soon as my eyes cracked open, I was finishing this magnificent, grab you by the pants and never let go, story! I loved every second of this book. I was riveted to Carter and Ally's story. This book is filled with non-stop action and these guys were intense. Damn this was book was so good! I can't believe I've just discovered this author! Brilliant. Just brilliantly written and the love between Carter and Ally was scorching hot! Wow, what a fabulous ride! Now onto the rest of the Sinner Saints Series Book #2 is about Rhys AKA Iceman! I can't wait!
Profile Image for *CJ*.
4,631 reviews552 followers
May 8, 2017
Average at the best.
Suspense filled story between Carter, the incharge of Security and Abby, the reporter.
It is fast paced and has a lot of back and forth as he bad guys try to catch and kill Abby- and how Carter and his team protect her.
I was quite honestly bored by it. Chemistry was average.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood. Will retry someday.
Safe
2.5/5
Profile Image for Ariel Marie.
Author 64 books1,479 followers
June 28, 2015
Yes

I couldn't put it down! Action packed from beginning to end! I can't wait to read the next ones! Great story!
Profile Image for Jen_C.
1,109 reviews57 followers
March 23, 2016
Carter meets Ally -

I will give you fifty dollars to have a drink with me,” she said, tucking herself into the small space between him and the wall.
“As much as I’d love to take you up on that offer, the drinks are complimentary,” he said, playing dumb.
“Yeah, I know.” She flashed him a tight smile before tilting her chin down, hiding her face from the rest of the crowd. “It’s the company I’m interested in.”
“And why’s that?” he asked.
She didn’t lift her head, only her eyes moved to meet his gaze. “Because I’ve got two of the scariest-looking security guards you’ve ever seen on my tail. One is massive and the other one looks like he could freeze water just by looking at it.”
Carter fought back the smile that pulled at his lips. He recognized those descriptions well. His two men at the front door, Jake Thorne and Rhys Vaughn. Her assessment of the pair was dead on.


Chaos ensues -
“That’s the problem.” His voice was close again. His breath caressed the top of her ear. “I rarely do what’s best for me.”

One minute of suck and you’re out of this mess. Oh, but what a sucky minute it was going to be. Still, there was nothing to do but be done with it.

“What, did you used to be in a carnival act before getting into the security business?” she asked.
“Not exactly,” he said, his lips quirking up in a devilish smile. “Army Special Forces.”
“That actually explains a lot,” she said.

What the hell was it about this man? One second he had her blushing over his devilish smiles, and in the next instant, she wanted to kick him in the kneecaps. Maybe if he didn’t take such perverse pleasure in making her pry every last answer out of him, she would be able to keep her blood pressure under control. But as it was, she was quickly reaching her boiling point.


And the rest of the team are there to help - I loved Charlie. She rocks!
“What exactly did you do?”
“We protected the good guys. Got rid of the bad ones.” Carter’s smile tilted, and Ally got the feeling that there was far more he couldn’t tell her than he could. “Someone gave us the nickname The Sinner Saints because it seemed like we always did the right thing the wrong way.”
A smile spread across Ally’s face. The Sinner Saints. “An angel’s heart and the devil’s smile,” she said. “The name suits you.” Ally tried not to squirm in her seat as something in Carter’s gaze changed, intensity pushing out the humor.
“That means a lot coming from you,” he said, his voice low.

“Miss Weaver,” she said, her jaw dropping open when she saw Ally. “You look…wow. I take it dinner was a raging success.”
Ally shrugged. “The reviews were mixed.”
“Captain Nemo would have enjoyed it,” Carter said, coming up behind Ally. Ally bit into her lip to keep from laughing, but she couldn’t keep the smile off her face.
“Was that a…joke?” Charlie’s nose crinkled as her eyes narrowed. “I mean, I didn’t get it. But it certainly sounded like a joke.”
“Carter likes to think so,” Ally said. “He says stuff like that all the time.”
“No, he doesn’t.” Charlie looked up at her boss like his body might have been taken over by an alien being. “Back me up on this, Bowie.”

“I’m good,” she said, lifting a hand to smooth back her hair. “I’m good.” Carter didn’t let go.
“Like hell you are,” Charlie said, her eyes wide with something that looked suspiciously like admiration. “You, Miss Weaver, are effing awesome. Nobody ever talks to these guys like that. You’ve given me some ideas.”

“So the only people he would target would be the ones that he could use as leverage against you.”
“And let’s be honest,” Ally said, her gaze sweeping across the room. “Other than Carter, you guys don’t really fit that description. I mean, Ol’ Blue Eyes, here, has been borderline friendly to me on a couple of occasions, but the rest of you don’t exactly act like I’ve made your Christmas card list.” Rhys’ brows pulled together, but there was no hint of a smile on his face.
“Is Ol’ Blue Eyes Mason?”
Ally cocked her head to the side. “Yeah. Mason. You’re Iceman.”
“But we both have blue eyes,” he said, his voice deadpan.
“Yeah, but I need a sweater when I look into yours…so you’re Iceman.”
Jake clapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I heard she calls me Bruiser.”
“She doesn’t have any problem calling me Wall of Meat to my face,” Bowie grumbled. “That was said in anger, and I’m sorry…but you have to admit it’s a very apt description,” Ally admitted.


Things heat up -
“Why did you kiss me?”
“Because I wanted to kiss you,” he said. “I wanted to taste you. I wanted you.”
Ally blinked a few times. She tried to swallow but her mouth had gone suddenly dry. “Oh.” It was the only sound she could manage to make. Words were beyond her.
“So, I’m going to ask you one more time,” Carter said, his fingers falling away from hers. “And if you answer because you had no other choice, that’s fine. I will sleep on the couch tonight.” He eased his body away from hers. “Or,” he went on, “tell me the truth, and I will carry you up those stairs, peel off that dress and spend the rest of the night making love to every inch of you.”
Ally couldn’t breathe. She tried, but nothing happened......
Finally, her mouth opened. “I-I…I wanted to kiss you,” she said. “I can’t remember the last time I wanted to kiss someone so badly.”
A wicked smile spread across Carter’s face. “Good answer,” he said. His breath fell across her lips as his arm snaked around her back.

“I’m crap with words,” he said. “I’m going to show you instead.”


Big finish!
“See, I told you it’s only twelve feet.”
She cast him a glare. “That was a long twelve feet.”
He turned his head toward the building as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Next time we’ll have to do thirty.”
“Next time?” she raised her brows.
“What, you have a better idea for date night?” he asked, a smile curling up the corners of his lips. “Fine, next time it can be your pick.”
“Seriously?” Ally asked, as she shook her head. “You can’t talk like this when anyone else is around? You know they all think I’m crazy.”
Carter crooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face. Her eyes locked with his.
“It’s just for you,” he said, and pressed his lips to hers. “Everything, it’s just for you.”
Profile Image for A little birdie told me....
627 reviews31 followers
December 10, 2016
Entertaining story, albeit predictable, but it had under developed characters and a quick ending.

I liked the fast pace of the action. I would have liked for some places to have slowed down so I could get to know the characters enough to like them and want them together more. Instead, it just felt like two people united because an unfortunate event threw them into a dangerous situation.

The romance, therefore, felt forced and not genuine. I'm sure the subsequent books will mention the couple, but I'm not keen on paying for more after trudging through this free one. Third person POV is so impersonal to me, so I have a hard time connecting to the book.

For such a short book, it says a lot that it took me so long to get through it. I like books I don't want to put down, and this one, sadly, wasn't irresistible.
Profile Image for Carrie Garza.
805 reviews2 followers
September 21, 2016
Ally just has to sneak in to this black tie event and access the office of the man who contacted her yesterday, just as he was blown up in his car, and find the information he had for her. She is going to find out why he died and hopefully make his death count for something good.

If she can just stay ahead of the security team that picked her out right away.

Carter and his team of ex-special forces operatives were called in last minute to provide security for this gig. When he walks in on Ally going through the office and she hears how his team came to be there, she knows that they have been set up. Then the bullets start flying.

Live thus book!
Profile Image for Valerie.
437 reviews21 followers
September 9, 2017
I loved everything about this book except the fact it was so short! I wanted more, lol. Everything in this book was great, the characters, the story line and action. It flowed nicely and was written nicely. I am glad I decided to read this book. First book by this author and plan on reading more because my curiosity is peaked on wanting to know more about the rest of the fine men of Sinner Saint series!!!
Profile Image for Jan.
165 reviews5 followers
June 29, 2015
I absolutely loved this book! It has suspense, bad a$$ Alphas and comedy! I couldn't put it down! Adrienne does a great job of capturing your attention and not letting it go! I am definitely going to continue with the rest of The Sinner Saints series. Adrienne Bell was a new author to me prior to me reading Carter. She has gained a new follower and reader in me!
2,509 reviews13 followers
April 17, 2016
Excellent

Really great story and the characters were very well written. I loved all the action and, of course, there had to be a couple of love scenes in it. But, what made the book was the authors ability to tell a story that grabs you from the start and draws you into another world of crime and violence. Very riveting.
1,021 reviews1 follower
June 14, 2016
carter and Ally. she's a reporter trying to get to the bottom of a government conspiracy, Carter has a security firm and is trying to protect her. The premise made sense, Ally didn't do a bunch of stupid stuff and I loved the interaction between them, as well as his friends. Stayed up way past my bedtime to find out what happened in this one!
Profile Image for Devina.
140 reviews4 followers
May 7, 2015
I've read a few books by Adrienne Bell and I've loved them! I wish more people knew about and read her books!!!
Profile Image for Mitch Please.
240 reviews3 followers
October 27, 2019
3 stars for an interesting premise that turned out too dull to finish—it was DNF for me at 50%

I LOVE romances that are also suspense stories (I am fond of the Bad Boy Inc series), but the characters in this were highly unbelievable and hardly developed at all. Carter, who runs some kind of security business and is ex-special forces, falls in Insta-Love when he runs into Allie at an event the journalist has snuck into. He ends up trapped in a plot with her, and he spends most of his time reminiscing about how incredibly brave and strong she’s being (she’s really not being all that brave OR strong). It didn’t jive with the idea of him being this bad ass tough guy ex-soldier who is the best security guy in the country. The plot was okay, but predictable, and I wasn’t too impressed.

Rating Breakdown

Characters - 2/5
I found the hero, Carter, to be under developed and difficult to believe. His POV is filled with sappy thoughts for Allie, who he just met, and considering he is an ex Special Forces guy running a top security business, I had a hard time believing he would instantly fall in love with some chick and think he SO brave and awesome for not passing out around gunfire. (I’m sure he has met plenty of tougher women!). Allie is really dull and pretty dumb. There are a lot of “you idiot!” moments during the book, where I wanted to slap her in the face for doing things that would obviously risk her life. She is hollow and I had no interest in whether she lived or died. She was also a bit over focused on Carter being attractive when she was running for her life.

Plot -3/5
A decent government conspiracy story, this was nothing special and nothing original. It was enough that it would have kept me interested if the characters had been better. I liked the setup of the security business, though.

Pacing - 3/5
The beginning is great, but through the midway it started to slow. Carter and Allie’s romance is just awkward.

Cover - 3/5
Not terrible, but not that great. I wouldn’t have picked it for the cover.
343 reviews
March 16, 2020
Suspense, Spying and Edginess

Ally and Carter are accidentally forced to spend time on the run while trying to clear Carter's name and keep Ally alive long enough to expose a politician's plot. Their attraction is almost as exciting as their veiled trust issues initially. However, they come to rely and trust each other and ease a lot of sexual tension horizontally. The plot and the characters keep you intrigued and suspenseful throughout the entire book. I am so looking forward to the sequel of these sinner saints.
1,036 reviews23 followers
January 29, 2022
Adrienne Bell is a new author for me and I am looking forward to reading more of her books. This book is full of action and suspense with a love story in the background. Carter, boss of MacMillen Security has been hired as back up security for an event for a Senator. Things go wrong quickly when Allie crosses paths with Carter. What follows is a race to get information before someone ends up killing Allie and Carters crew. Can Allie and Carter figure things out before its to late? Great read
Profile Image for Susan.
530 reviews4 followers
March 4, 2020
Carter is now a member of a security force, but was one in the Special Forces. He and his group are hired to provide security for a political party. When reporter Ally gives him the slip he follows her to find out why she is here. He learns that she is a reporter and that her confidential informant was murdered and she needs information to find out why he died. Ally's life is threatened and it is now Carter's job to help her find the truth and save her life.
Profile Image for Chanel.
1,833 reviews
March 2, 2021
This is an action packed romantic suspense story. It’s a start of a new series, Sinner Saints. I didn’t get a real good feel for the team. The man of this elite security force are very guarded. The backdrop was a crooked politician, which isn’t my favorite theme. It certainly impacted my rating.
The bantering and sexy times between Carter and Ally were well-written. My favorite part was the restaurant scene where Ally orders dinner for Carter. I laughed out loud.
194 reviews2 followers
November 15, 2016
Don't miss this one

My first book by Ms. Bell and I truly enjoyed it. The banter between Carter and Ally is entertaining. I also appreciate a strong heroine and Ally is that in spades. Carter is a strong hero and you will find him entertaining. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
July 4, 2017
Too many missing pages

The plot was good but, pages were blank throughout the book at critical points so you don't know what was said or happened. Almost gave up reading because of this. Lucky the ending was there. Doubt I will read the rest of the series because of the aggravation of the blank pages.
Profile Image for Miss.
48 reviews
December 28, 2017
I love a good action romcom. Carter is the first ok n a series but has its own ending.

Carter comes across Ally at a party and 5 minutes later it's action packed from there. Kinda rolled my eyes at the Pretty Woman part of it but I really enjoyed the book, the characters, the witty conversation between Ally and Carter, his team, all of it.

Recommended.
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