Sin Bin (Denver Rebels #3) by Maureen Smith

Sin Bin (Denver Rebels #3) Reviews

• 
  eli ♡

  Disclaimer: If you enjoyed this book, that's fine. I respect your opinion, I'm just sharing my opinion on the novel. And there are some spoilers in this review. I put a 🔮 emoji in front of them. Also, there is some cursing because I was very mad in this rant.
  
  *turns on
  "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye for some composure*
  *inhales deeply*
  Lord give me strength for this one 'cause it's going to be a doozy.
  
  So look, I was in a reading slump. I barely checked goodreads and I didn't even touch the books I have borrowed. And I decided, "Let me find a shitty book to get me back into the swing of things". Now don't ask me why I made this decision because I don't know why and I wish I never read this.
  
  There are just so many problems with "Sin Bin" ; the lack of a plot, the annoying and cringy writing, and the frustrating characters. I refuse to believe this book was actually 831 pages. I can't believe I made myself read 831 pages of hot mess express.
  
  Let's start with the lack of plot. There was no plot to be seen in this book. This novel was just a book about a "troubled" boy who met this girl Meadow during foster care and they have this "deep connection". And can you believe that after 15 years of missing each other, they automatically recognize each other? It's crazy. And then, through 2 months of sexcapades, arguments, and stupid shit, they stay together in the end. But don't forget, they have a ~traumatic~ past, so Maureen Smith uses that as a plot device to push the story forward.
  
  This got on my nerves. Instead of dealing with their problems, they get sad and make bad decisions, and then they get back together and fuck. Every. Single. Time. How many times do I need to read about them "making love"? Clearly I need to read about this throughout the whole book as Smith showed me. This whole plot was fucked up, and I hate it.
  
  And then the annoying and cringy writing. This was one of the main things that made "Sin Bin" unbearable. Everything Logan does is romanticized through the writing, and I couldn't stand it. Even when Logan was doing some messed up shit, it's excused because he had a ~traumatic~ past. And whenever Meadow realizes this, Smith always writes how "her heart ached for him" and "her heart swelled for him".
  
  (Chapter 4)"The pain in his eyes, the raw hurt, made her heart ache for him"
  
  (Chapter 13)"Her heart got all melty at his words"
  
  These aren't the best examples, but trust and believe, these phrases are repeated in this novel so many times and it gets annoying. I don't know why, but when some dudes from the hockey team were showing their "appreciation" for Black women, it felt a little weird.
  
  (Chapter 29) ""And I can say with absolute conviction that no one-- and I mean no one -- has sexier curves than a Black woman"
  
  A hearty chorus of "Hell yeah" and "Amen" erupted around the table. When Viggo whimpered "Have mercy" and bit his knuckles, the group burst into uproarious laughter that shook the room"
  
  I get that this is supposed to be "appreciation" for Black women, but it feels more like you appreciate our bodies more than our accomplishments. And not all of us have large curves. There are so many different body types Black women have. I just had to point this out because I didn't like this moment in the novel and it made me very uncomfortable.
  
  And the characters, these freaking characters. I don't really have much to say about whom they actually are. I guess I'll just talk about my problems with them. The two main characters weren't very interesting at all, but their ~traumatic~ experiences are supposed to give them "depth" and "meaning".
  
  🔮Some Spoiler Section🔮
  
  But those experiences didn't do that at all. I didn't feel bad for Meadow or Logan for what they went through because I didn't care about them. Logan had these "moments" where he talks about his past and he gets all sad, then Meadow comforts him even after he fucks up "because of his past". Am I supposed to feel sorry for him? What does he want, a cookie? An award? *claps* He can get an award for his acting because he's such a great actor and had me fooled.
  
  Meadow always falls for this fool's apologies every time, and I couldn't stand it. Even when he kissed his stepmother because he wanted REvEngE on his father, Meadow still went back to him. And guess what? Not even a week after they make up, they get engaged. yep, engaged. This is when I lost my shit and I was done with this book.
  
  🔮Some Spoiler Section Over🔮
  
  Other than Meadow and Logan, all the other characters were forgettable, except for this guy Ephraim. I wanted to beat his ass so bad because he has some "preference" for white women. And yet, he starts hitting on Meadow while also telling her why he doesn't "prefer" to date Black women.
  
  (Chapter 47) "During our last conversation, I told you that I'm not normally attracted to Black women, and with good reason. Far too many of them are overweight and unladylike. I'm not fond of the unflattering weaves they wear, and their out-of-wedlock birth rates are a scourge on society. I cringe every time I see them stomping around with their bastard children fathered by ten different lowlifes. Their loud and uncouth, always making spectacles of themselves-"
  
  See, I need this fool to shut the fuck up. All this character does is look at Black women as a stereotype instead of humans. I have a deep hatred for this character. But then I thought, why was he even in the book? To be problematic? I know that some people may think this way, but I hope Smith wasn't trying to "educate" them through this character. If they think of Black women that way, then fine. But you shouldn't have to take it upon yourself to "teach them" about the values of Black women. Oh my Bob, I just couldn't stand him or that part.
  
  Overall, I did not enjoy "Sin Bin" at all. I didn't like most of the characters, and I plan the demise of one of them. There was no plot in this novel, and as a filler, Maureen Smith used the two main characters bad experiences to push the plot forward. And I never want to read this again because it makes me want to rip the coils off of my damn head.
• 
  Rosie

  I loved the premise of a childhood connection that foretold their future! When the hero shares his feelings ... D-A-M-N! However, there were a couple of things that I couldn't, nope--I just COULD NOT BELIEVE! Still, I loved this couple. Highly, highly Recommended: Read It!
  
  Longer review to follow soon!
• 
  DeeTimes' Nook

  I loved reading Maureen Smith's lengthy sports romance, "Sin Bin" and the way this couple reconnected after 15 years apart! Although they only knew each other for five months before Meadow aka Jupiter was adopted by loving parents, they both remembered their connection as kids- nine and ten years old!
  
  This is one book and series I plan to read again and again because Maureen Smith can make the sport, hockey so fun but brutal too! And her characters, both primary and secondary all pop off the pages. Since reading this series, I have read other hockey romances but this series is a stand out for me!
  
  Read "Sin Bin" and watch the love grow between Logan "Bruiser" and Meadow "Jupiter"!~
  
  10 Sin Bin stars!
• 
  K.StayBooked

  Oh my!
  
  This journey sent me on an emotional rollercoaster. I truly am a fan of Maureen Smith's writing skills! This was a sexy, powerful, gripping story. Of the the three Rebels so far... Logan is my favorite. His birthday sex scene with Meadow was pure fire!!! Meadow was wow!!!! She was a sexy kitten and she didn't even know it. The chemistry Logan and Meadow had was by far the one the best I've read.
  
  I couldn't stop reading!!
• 
  Delanique Waller

  my heart and soul were shattered and put back together while reading this book.. logan and meadow are my babies and deserve happiness galore 🥹
  you killed it again maureen i love you🤍
• 
  Rachel

  Last time in this series...
  
  On The Swede there was a lot of tingling and wickedness happening, but this time around in Sin Bin there's winking galore and plenty of blushing, and no that was not what I was doing, but the characters.
  
  To give a brief synopsis, Logan and Meadow spent 5 months in a group home together as children before Meadow was adopted and whisked away. Logan never forgot about the girl he nicknamed Jupiter in honor of her love for astronomy, and Meadow never forgot Logan, the boy who sometimes got into scraps on her behalf. Fast forward 15 years and the two reconnect.
  
  Look, I feel like I'm going to be in the minority here but I want to be candid and honest. I was really liking this up until maybe 60% in and then something just fell apart for me.
  
  Before I get into that let me tell you how I felt about the main characters.
  
  Logan: He really surprised me. In the previous books he came across as the crude dudebro who only had two things on his mind, hockey and sex, and that there was little depth to him. This book eradicated that notion. Getting to see more of his personality, learning about his heartbreaking past, he grew on me. Yeah, there was still a lot of emphasis on his looks and wealth, but he had a grit and darkness about him that Reid and Viggo didn't have, and it worked for him. There were times some of his actions and responses were over the top and forced, but there were plenty more times where he made me laugh. Logan still exhibited the characteristics of the typical, possessive alpha that is more than played out at this point, yet his good heart made up some of the deficits. And yes, he did make a boneheaded choice that I feel he didn't do enough groveling to be so easily forgiven.
  
  Meadow: I can't put my finger on it, but something about her was missing for me. I felt like a lot of her thunder was stolen by someone either bringing up Logan during times she could have been sharing about her interests and life, or other people's relationship drama took center stage. Meadow, unfortunately, came across as a bit generic and one-dimensional at times. I didn't dislike her but I guess you could argue she was the quiet and unassuming friend, nothing wrong with that. However it just left me wanting to see a bit more from her. The details of her past didn't come about until almost the tail end of the book and were promptly swept aside in favor of Logan's daddy drama. In The Swede I noted that a lot of pages were dedicated to Scarlett and that the chapters told from Viggo's POV were shorter and fewer. Meadow received Viggo's treatment in that sense, that yeah there were a lot of chapters told from her POV but had very little to do about her. (And I still think she only got her job because of her connection to Logan, but you ain't hear that from me). I did like the fact she had been a social worker and then was hired by a company to bring awareness to foster children. I just wished a bit more time had been spent on that aspect of her life.
  
  Their relationship: I can say that Logan and Meadow had a more solid foundation. They had history so it wasn't just insta-lust between them. The lust was there once they reconnected and it was a slow-ish burn. One of my fears was, after seeing the page count, that it would be 800+ pages of them having sex. Thankfully that wasn't the case. No need to worry about there not being any hot scenes. This is Maureen Smith and if you know her you know she's going to deliver on that end. Truth: I did end up skimming after reading their first time. I would caution to say whether there was more depth to Logan and Meadow versus the other couples. If you took out their tragic pasts, they were what you would expect to find in romancelandia. The pace of their relationship hit the usual formulaic notes, which I have to say was nothing new or innovative. In the end, they became a bit bland.
  
  Are there any cons? Yes.
  
  Too many characters. Too many pages dedicated to the love lives of side characters from Meadow's adoptive father, Logan's adoptive parents, it was just too much.
  
  Jess. Introduced in Wicked Games, she was a sh*t starter and that tradition did not change in this book. I have my fingers crossed she does not make as strong of an appearance in Hunter's book.
  
  The guys having a knights roundtable discussion about black hair. Just...why?? It wasn't a derogatory conversation, it was just weird. Black women are the most policed women in the world so the last thing I expected to come across was four white guys talking about their girlfriends' hair. I have never read a scene like that before. I hope to never do so again, lol.
  
  Other than those things, in the end this book was good and okay. Still not as memorable as Wicked Games, which really set the standard, but I did like it better than The Swede. If you've gotten this far in my review, I want to say that I do like and enjoy Mrs. Smith's writing. I think she is wholly talented and one of the best in the IR genre. Her books are well edited, and her characters talk about things that are current. So please don't take my review as a deterrent.
  
  In closing, I'm actually excited for Hunter and Cynara's story.
• 
  DarkDamsel

  Meadow and Logan- Two Hearts🏒🏒
  
  Ms. Smith once again has written a wonderful bwwm sports romance with a latin twist! This story has it all : Drama, Comedy and Hot Sexy Scenes! She definitely is one of my insta buy authors.
• 
  Erica

  Not gonna lie this is a BIG book. Kinda embarrassed that I read this in one day 😳. I love seeing the growth of the side characters in each installment. (Jess has come along way from book one...)Looking forward to Yes, Captain and everyone novella weddings books.
  
  **There is a bit of a tigger moment through out the book dealing with child abuse to child rape.
  
• 
  Whit

  Sweet, sizzling and heart-wrenching! When I wasn't laughing, I was close to tears at some of the nonsense that Logan and Meadow had to fight through. If anyone deserves a happy ending, these two young people certainly do. Although Meadow has currently landed a great job, working with foster children, and Logan is a rich, successful NHL champion, they both suffered through horrific childhoods. And every time things start to go smoothly, here comes another "knock you to your knees" challenge. Amazing story! Amazing series!
• 
  h

  If your book contains heavy topics, please give readers a heads up.
  
  I didn’t really like the other two books in this series but I can see why this series is popular - lots of wish fulfillment, fluff, etc. Maureen Smith is a good writer but sometimes things just go...so off the rails. Her characters don’t act like real people. They’re complete caricatures, veering onto an absurd level. Two examples - Jess and Cynara. Both supporting characters so luckily they weren’t in it for too much. I really was enjoying this book until like 60% in. Meadow and Logan are childhood friends who grew up in a group home, who reconnect as adults. I liked their relationship because unlike the other couples in this series, they actually had solid foundation for a relationship before they got together romantically. And they actually liked each other for reasons apart from attraction.
  
  I’ll cut right to the chase - this book has a detailed description of child sexual abuse/rape. It’s not a quick mention. There is no warning of this content at all. The main male character was repeatedly raped by his foster sister when he was 8 and she was 21. Again there is NO warning anywhere in the blurb, nor is there a note at the beginning of the book to let readers know. I assumed this book would be similar to the others in this series - fluffy, over the top, etc. To spring this on readers is really inconsiderate.
  
  Apart from that, there’s a scene where two white male characters discuss women of color and it was honestly so off-putting and bizarre that I had to double check that the author was in fact a WOC. Just a mess. There’s a lot of weird, fake conversations about race in this book that just...didn’t seem natural. Of course, it’s fiction but it was just so strange.
  
  I really did like the couple at the core of this book, but everything else was just too much to handle. This author is in desperate need of a good editor, there was no reason this book needed to be 800 pages. Very disappointing.
• 
  Mary

  This book was well worth the wait. Love these Denver Rebels. Logan and Meadow's story was very heartwarming. Can't wait for Hunter's story.
• 
  Terre

  I absolutely loved this story. It was emotionally charged right off the bat. Meadow and Logan have a shared history of loss, hurt, and pain as children in foster care. They find each other again in Denver as adults and pick up the friendship they once had. Their romance is a sweet, slow build that just simmers with anticipation of them finally getting together. Neither seem to want a serious relationship and neither really knows how to operate in a serious relationship because of their pasts. I was so caught up in their interaction with each other. Clearly 2 people who are more than friends that haven't figured it out. Nothing is rushed, but it still moves at a good pace. And when they finally get together-- "SPARKS!" The love scenes are steamy and romantic and kind of sweet all at the same time. This is an IR couple, but if you're not into that I still recommend it because it is such a great love story. I wasn't in love with the first book in this series and didn't read the second book. Even though this is Book 3, I didn't have to read those to enjoy this one. In fact, after reading this I'm giving Book 2 a try.
• 
  Liane

  I am finally finished. This was a long awesome satisfying story. I loved Logan and Meadow. I did want to punch him in his face when he let that step mom of his come on to him. But thankfully they got their HEA. I did read Maureen note to the reader and I'm glad she wrote something in their that I have been thinking as I read this story. Is Logan's mom really dead? For some reason I always thought that she wasn't dead and I still don't I guess have to wait and see like everyone else.
• 
  Leigh's Novel Hour

  Downward Spiral
  
  So this book was...something. Like most people, I liked the first book a lot. It did its job in capturing my attention and keeping me interested. The second book was fine but not nearly as engaging to me as the first. I kept feeling like it just kept going on and on and new ideas were just being thrown at us left and right. I feel the same about this book. I felt like a big think tank of ideas that Maureen wanted to include instead reeling it in and narrowing down her ideas. I just couldn’t stop rolling my eyes throughout this book. Somethings that were written were just unnecessary or there were moments when I just didn’t like how the dialogue was playing out. My main gripes with this are
  
  1) They way Meadow is written as a character. From the beginning I had qualms about her character. She is this smart, beautiful, kind women but EVERY other character realizes that but her. Those are definitely not bad qualities to have but it’s like her overwhelming insecurity makes her blind to her own good qualities. It’s normal that to have insecurities about some aspect of ourselves but Meadow is just an all around insecure person and that just didn’t appeal me to her as a character. She’s also written to be quiet and reserved which are not bad qualities but there were moments when she these qualities just made her seem meek and passive. Being a reserved person doesn’t mean that you can’t advocate for yourself especially when someone is disrespecting you. There were moments when other characters were downright hostile forwards her and she wouldn’t really say anything. That was frustrating to me. I think the turning point for Meadow’s character was when she finally stood up for herself in the face of Jess’s rudeness. I’ll be willing to accept that as her redemption arch even she just became friends with Jess anyway, but oh well. It was pleasing to see her defend herself more towards the end of the book despite her easily taking Logan back but I’ll digress.
  
  2) Another gripe is the over-abundance of secondary characters. There were too many of them and they got in the way of the story. I think most of these characters existed just as a way for the author to brag about how attractive and amazing her characters are. Most of the sub-characters didn’t really contribute anything to the growth of the main couple. This would would have been shorter if so much spotlight wasn’t thrust upon the secondary characters. To me, the point of other characters is to add more dimension to the main characters and to support and/or challenge the main characters in some way. These extra characters were just there. The only other characters that I can justify being in this book are Meadow’s family, Logan’s family, and Hunter. Everyone else we could have done without or they should’ve had a brief mention and that’s it. And don’t get me started about Jess. She is the most obnoxious person I’ve ever read about and she has NO redeeming qualities.
  
  Those were main issues but there were other things like I felt the dialogue between characters felt really contrived and orchestrated to brag about how amazing the players are and their partners. I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes during those moments. Other reviews mentioned that super cringe moment when four white men were discussing black women’s hair and I concur that it was so cringe I had to skim through it. Also I feel like all the drama just accelerated in the last 20% of the book. Like most of what happened before then was just filler. With that said this book could’ve been paced better.
  
  I’ll say something that I did find interesting about this book was Logan’s relationship with his biological father. It would have been nice to see that resolved in this book but Maureen mentioned this will be resolved in her novellas. Logan’s relationship with his bio-dad helped to add more dimension to his character. I like that we got to see a different side of him. I also liked Cynara’s redemptive arch. I like that although she was presented as being rude and prickly it wasn’t from a place of pure meanness. It was nice that she could recognize her own flaws and take responsibility for them and apologize. So that was a nice moment in the book. There was a funny moment when she mentioned she saw Meadow skipping children “like a black Mary Poppins”. I thought it was a nice whim of humor.
  
  Overall, I don’t think this book is bad but it’s not all that interesting either. It features typical tropes like possessive/jealous alpha male and stereotypical moments of everyone is jealous because I’m with a rich athlete. Those are just things I’ve come to expect with these books so it is what it is. I’ll read the next book because I’ve gotten this far but I won’t set my expectations high. I’m almost nervous to say that I think Cynara could be a really interesting character I just I hope that she isn’t ruined as being painted as another jealous girlfriend.
• 
  Rashawna King

  Is there a higher rating than 5 stars?!!
  
  I was so not disappointed in this book!! I one clicked on Monday afternoon stayed up until 4 in the morning reading even though I had to be at work for 8. Read in while I was getting ready for work in between my breaks and finished by 8 Tuesday night. I can't wait for more!!
• 
  Deena

  Amazing!!!
  
  I absolutely loved Logan and Meadow’s love story. Maureen Smith took her time and gave these two the journey that they deserved. Logan and Meadow had endured and survived so much, and their story needed to unfold slowly, so I appreciate the author taking her time , breaking things down for us and helping us to understand this couple. The highs were heart warming and had me grinning from ear to ear, while the lows had me fighting back tears (I’m always in public for the lows 😩).
  
  Besides the other couples in the series, there were lots of side characters to enjoy: Tavarez and Roxanne, Harris and Trish, and I can’t forget Cam. He was the cutest! I’ve been going back and forth on Jess the whole series, but I’m now rooting for her and Dubs. The jury is still out on Lucien, but Chantal and Ephraim can definitely kick rocks.
  
  Mrs. Smith, you continue to amaze me. You weave a tale like nobody’s business! Thanks for sharing your gift with us! And now we wait for your next offering. No pressure from me. Take your time; the wait is always worth it!
• 
  lover-of-good-books

  I LOVED it and got so many feels from this book. I cannot wait until we get Hunter's book. I'm hoping for a 2019 release as this one should have been released last year. Please, oh please, let Hunter's book come this year!
• 
  Sonya

  You MUST read the series. These books are EVERYTHING!!! Logan is by far my favorite Denver Rebel but they are all FIIIIIIINE AF and Love their women immensely. I can't wait for Hunter's story.
• 
  Carlise

  I tried to go slow and savor this read, but it simply wasn’t possible. Logan and Meadow (Jupiter) were too complex and too in sync to go slow..these two had difficult childhood issues to overcome. Abandonment, lack of happiness to name a few. Meadow has a hidden memory that rears its ugly head every now and then..along with it were panic attacks that she’s learned to manage. Logan has been angry for a very long time..he’s channeled that anger into a sport that allows him to exorcise his demons every now again, but sometimes, you have to face them head on..allow people to help you when you stumble. When these two come together again..a lot of the past comes to light..but more importantly, the future they never thought they would ever have, ever be blessed with is now within reach. Can they let the future play out with the past intruding?
  
  I loved Logan’s story. Meadow was such a gift to him and they knew it since they were kids that there was “something”, but who knew it was love. Watching them blossom and come together,watching her merge in with his teammates and their finace’s, watching her bring Logan back from the darkness, was all worth the yearling wait for the story to come to light. While the sex scenes are hot, the laughter plentiful, and the friendships deepen,the overall story is another 5* for the Denver Rebels.
• 
  Ally

  Love among the stars
  
  So worth the wait as always! So good to see Reid, Nadia, Viggo, Scarlett and Hunter! Can’t wait to see what Cynara has in store for Hunter! I know there’s more to come but I hope that Dubinski and Jess get a story! Jess is thirsty, like Mojave Desert thirsty and I can feel there’s something there that needs to be told. Especially with Jess’ hypergamy momma drama! Dubinski obviously feels some kinda way, being the consolation prize, knowing Jess wanted Viggo and lost out to Scarlett.
  I truly enjoyed Logan and Meadow! I thought there would be more ex-girlfriend/puck bunny drama but I’m so glad that didn’t happen. I was happy to see that Ms Smith allowed the characters to come together and start the healing process and not blast them with petty drama from the peanut gallery! I think the demons that possessed them are what brought them back together. Their journey isn’t over yet so I hope they’ll get the full closure they need to have that much deserved HEA! Their love was truly written in the stars!
• 
  Jijo

  I really liked the book. It was going so good until around the 60% and then I started getting annoyed.
  
  I hate when the fmc breaks up with the mmc for a very valid reason and then all of the sudden everyone around her, all her friends, her aunt… they all become the mmc’s dickriders and apologists. I get that they need to get back together, but why can’t HER friend ever just support her and help her instead of trying to convince her.
  
  Also, there was one chapter where Logan and the rest of the boys ate dinner at Hunters and they started talking about blk women, and I just felt sooo uncomfortable. It felt borderline fetishism.
  
  Little tip: if you ever wanna write an interracial romance with omd. The other man DOES NOT have to be a racist, and especially when you make the other man black.
  Logan would have gotten Meadow anyway so it’s just unnecessary to make that blk man talk all about “I hate blk women because they ratchet, and weave, and single mommas”. Abeg let’s move away from this trope.
• 
  MariAnne

  Maureen Smith never fails
  I tried to not binge-read this book but it was impossible. I don't know how she does but Maureen Smith has a way with words. She's one of my favourite.
  Logan was a surprise. I am in love with him. Come on, how can you not fall in love with a jock who speaks Spanish?
  Jupiter and Logan love was written in the stars. They were meant to be together. It was a long and rough path. They have fought their insecurities and they have overcomed their fears. They still need to work on some things but you can see the true love, when you read it.
  Now boys and girls let me give you an advice. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK until Maureen confirms that the Captain book is close to his publishing date. Tiny (not all so tiny) glimples throughout the book were enough to make me addicted. There's a reason why he's the captain. A regal needs an equal and Maureen has definetely found a Duchess for him.
  Bravo, Maureen. You make us wait, but you never disappoint