Quick Take
- Narration: Gabriel Spires handles the dual-POV toxic dynamic with intensity, though single-narrator format can blur the distinction between Colton and Raylee’s voices.
- Themes: power and control, toxic attraction, stepsibling taboo
- Mood: Combustible and unapologetically excessive
- Verdict: Shantel Tessier’s fourth Lords novel is exactly what fans of the series expect, dark, deliberately transgressive, and designed to be consumed in one sitting.
There is a particular kind of audiobook I save for evenings when I want to completely disengage from anything requiring critical thought. Not because the book is empty, but because the emotional register it operates in demands total surrender or nothing. I came to Sabotage on a Friday night with that exact intention, and Shantel Tessier delivered on her end of the bargain.
This is the fourth book in The Lords series, following characters who first appeared in The Ritual. Tessier was already a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author before Sabotage, and she has built a dedicated readership specifically for this strain of dark college romance. It is worth being direct about what that means: this is not a book trying to be something other than what it is. The content warnings are extensive and front-loaded, and the author’s note at the beginning signals exactly the territory you are entering.
Our Take on Sabotage
The setup is pure accelerant: Colton Knox and Raylee Adams are stepsiblings who hate each other, use each other, and cannot stop. Colton has spent years sabotaging Raylee’s relationships to ensure she keeps coming back to him. Raylee knows exactly who he is and refuses to let him win their latest power game. The story unfolds in multiple POVs, which allows Tessier to give both characters interiority without requiring either of them to be likable in a conventional sense.
Gabriel Spires narrates throughout, which is worth noting for the audiobook format specifically. The dual-POV structure means Spires shifts between Colton’s controlling intensity and Raylee’s sardonic defiance, and while he handles the masculine register convincingly, Raylee’s voice is somewhat less distinct. This is a recurring challenge in dark romance narrated by a single male voice. The female protagonist can lose dimension when filtered through the same performance. That said, the pacing is strong and Spires leans into the combustible energy of the scenes rather than flattening them.
Why Listen to Sabotage
The honest reason to listen to this over reading it silently is the way Spires handles the escalation. Dark romance in audio is a specific experience. The narration forces you through scenes at a fixed pace, and the result is an intimacy that page-flipping can skip past. Reviewers consistently describe finishing the book in one session, unable to stop, which tracks with how the audio works. Once Tessier’s pacing locks in around the midpoint, the momentum is genuinely hard to break.
For existing Lords fans, Sabotage operates with the confidence of a series entry that knows its audience well. There are character crossovers from The Ritual that reward prior reading, but the author frames this as a standalone and structurally it holds up independently. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is not subtly built. It is announced and then escalated. The book’s own promotional notes describe the hero as jealous and possessive and over the top, which is not understatement. The chemistry between Colton and Raylee is genuinely the book’s strongest element, and Tessier exploits it without restraint throughout the runtime.
What to Watch For in Sabotage
Several readers who loved The Ritual and The Sinner found Sabotage slightly less satisfying. Not because the writing falters, but because Tessier pushes further into shock territory in ways that worked for some listeners and felt excessive to others. One reviewer described the chemistry as Tessier’s strongest element while noting that a few specific choices, including a video incident early in the story, tested even readers comfortable with dark romance conventions.
The 7-hour runtime is well-paced overall, with the dual POV structure keeping both perspectives moving. The content warnings should be taken seriously. The author’s note at the beginning is there for a reason, and Tessier is transparent about what the book contains. Elements include degradation, branding, graphic violence, and other material that places this firmly at the darker end of the genre. The finish is a happy-ever-after, which is standard for dark romance and delivers what the readership expects after the turbulence of getting there.
Who Should Listen to Sabotage
This is specifically for listeners who have a taste for dark college romance and are comfortable with the full spectrum of content Tessier deploys. Prior Lords readers will get the most out of the character continuity and the series’s internal logic. Listeners new to Tessier would be better served starting with The Ritual to understand the universe before arriving here. Anyone with triggers related to the content warnings should take those seriously. The author is upfront precisely because the territory is genuinely dark, and that transparency deserves respect rather than dismissal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to read the previous Lords books before Sabotage?
Tessier writes it as a standalone, and the main storyline holds up independently, but character crossovers from The Ritual add depth. Starting with The Ritual first is recommended for full context.
How does Gabriel Spires handle narrating both Colton and Raylee’s POVs?
Spires is convincing in the dominant Colton voice and brings solid energy to the escalating scenes. Raylee’s POV is somewhat less distinctively voiced, which is a common limitation of single-narrator dual-POV dark romance.
Is Sabotage darker than earlier books in The Lords series?
Several reviewers who loved The Ritual found Sabotage pushes further into shock territory. It retains the series DNA but tests limits more aggressively, which worked for many listeners and felt like too much for others.
Does Sabotage have a happy ending despite all the darkness?
Yes. Despite the intense content throughout, the book delivers a happy-ever-after conclusion consistent with the dark romance genre’s expectations.
