ARC Review: ‘Atone’ by Eva Simmons
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Atone
by Eva SimmonsSeries: Sigma Sin #3
Published by Self-Published on July 11, 2025
SubGenres: Dark Romance, New Adult and College Romance, New Adult Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 376
Source: the author
Audience: 18+/Adult
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Alex Lancaster is a gorgeous monster.A vicious legend.A story his fraternity tells to scare away the weak.
And I’m his obsession…
While everyone thinks Alex has been locked behind the walls of Montgomery Psychiatric Ward for the past two years, he’s been secretly watching from the shadows. Waiting.
Manipulating my life and sabotaging my relationships.
I try to tell myself it’s because he understands me. The same fraternity that nearly killed him is responsible for my best friend’s death. Our trauma goes hand in hand.
Unfortunately, so do our lies.
Alex is no prince. No savior. No god.And the truth is, I’m no better.
There’s only one way to rise from the ashes, and that’s to burn. We might as well both go down together.
This series contains overlapping timelines and plot points. It is highly recommended to read Saint and Eternal first.Author's Note: Atone is an extremely dark romance with a morally irredeemable MMC, heavy subject matter, mature content, and explicit scenes. Content/TWs (which contain spoilers) can be found on author's website. 18+ only.
Atone is the third installment in Eva Simmons’ Sigma Sin Series. If you haven’t yet read the first two books, I highly recommend doing so, as the storylines are interconnected. I was both excited and anxious to read Atone because I wanted to learn more about Alex. He’s one MMC in this series I’ve been interested in since his introduction in the earlier books. I wanted to understand why Alex Lancaster was in a psychiatric ward and what happened during his trials. After reading this book, I finally discovered the answers I had been seeking and much more.
I really loved Mila’s character, and I had so much respect for her while reading her point of view. She was a kickbutt character who knew how to take care of herself. I loved how determined she was to get revenge for what happened to her best friend, Remi. She understands that it all ties back to Sigma Sin, and she is determined to find the person responsible, even though she keeps getting distracted by her friend’s brother at the psych ward. She knows she should stay away from Alex due to the possibility of him being dangerous, but she can’t help it. He calls to her, and she calls to him.
I loved Alex’s character, too, because he was a mystery at first, but after finding out more about his character, I definitely understood why he was the way he was. He is full of secrets (but all of Sigma Sin is), and I was even surprised, just like Mila was when she found out one of those secrets. He’s not the white knight; no, he’s the unhinged, morally grey hero who will do anything to protect the ones he loves, and that includes Mila, even though she should be scared of him. The things he did in this book are not for the faint of heart. This young man went up against his family for Mila, and I loved every second of it.
The ending had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart was pounding from the unexpected events. I was surprised to discover who was truly behind what happened to Alex and who was threatening Mila as well. Let’s just say, Eva Simmons, I expect that person to get what they deserve in the next book because you left that part of the story unresolved.
Oh, and I loved that Eva Simmons mentioned a certain tattoo parlor in this book. I may very well need to reread those books because I miss those characters from that particular tattoo parlor.
Before I end my review, I just want to say that I usually tend to stay away from books where one of the main characters has a name similar to actually someone I know in real life. In this case, the MMC’s first name is similar to my oldest daughter’s boyfriend’s name. I just had to remember the real Alex that my daughter dates is not the fictional Alex Lancaster. At least he better not be.
Overall, another dark and unhinged installment in the Sigma Sin series, and I give it 4.5 stars. Now, I can’t wait to read Patience’s book next because the hints in this book on who she’s with and what she’s doing are definitely something I need to read.
Single/Dual POV: Dual POV
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s the third book in the Sigma Sin series, and each book needs to be read in order due to the storylines being interconnected.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you enjoy dark romances where the MMC is a walking red flag, very unhinged but only speaks to her, and doesn’t tolerate anyone hurting his girl, then check out Atone.
What to Expect:
✔️Dark Revenge Romance
✔️Stalker Romance
✔️Psych Ward
✔️OTT Jealous/Possessive/Morally Grey MMC
✔️Touch Her and I’ll ☠️ You
About Eva Simmons
Eva Simmons writes hot, heartbreaking romance with complex heroines, and broken, dirty-talking bad boys who fall hard for them.
When Eva isn’t dreaming up new worlds or devouring every book she can get her hands on, she can be found spending time with her family, painting a fresh canvas, or playing an elf in World of Warcraft.
Eva is currently living out her own happily ever after in Nevada with her family.
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