If you’ve ever thought, “I want a romance novel where the enemies-to-lovers tension is so sharp it could slice through Kevlar,” then Lauren Biel’s Slay Ride is your next obsession. Set in a remote Alaskan retreat for morally flexible individuals, this book is a snowstorm of sarcasm, sexual tension, and suspiciously well-packed rope. It’s dark, it’s funny, it’s emotionally feral—and it’s surprisingly tender in all the right places.
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🧭 Plot Summary: Murder, Mayhem, and Mutual Loathing
Bennett Carter is broke, blacklisted, and emotionally frostbitten. After botching a hit and failing to locate his missing sister, he’s got nothing left but bitterness and a ticket to the Slaycation winter retreat. His goal? Make Catarina Novak’s life hell. Why? Because annoying her is his favorite coping mechanism.
Cat, meanwhile, is at the retreat for a much more wholesome reason: murder. She’s hoping to finally get her first kill, hang out with her best friend, and maybe enjoy a little snowy solitude. But Bennett’s arrival throws her plans into chaos. He blocks her every move, mocks her every attempt, and somehow manages to look stupidly hot while doing it.
Then they get lost in the woods overnight. And suddenly, the tension between them isn’t just verbal—it’s visceral. What starts as sabotage turns into something far more dangerous: feelings.
“Frustrating Cat is my favorite pastime, but what happens when I discover something I enjoy more?”
“If our friends discover what happened, we’ll never hear the end of it. But how can we stop what we’ve set in motion? And do we even want to?”
Welcome to the winter retreat, Sinners. Snow won’t be the only thing getting blown.
🧑🤝🧑 Character Summaries
🧨 Bennett Carter
Grumpy, emotionally unavailable, and armed with a smirk that could melt glaciers. Bennett is the kind of man who weaponizes sarcasm and hides his pain behind perfectly timed jabs. His backstory—missing sister, guilt, and a mother in a medical facility—adds layers to his chaos. He’s not just a killer with a vendetta; he’s a man unraveling, one insult at a time.
“I hate winter, but I hate Catarina Novak more.”
🧊 Catarina “Cat” Novak
Sunshine with a switchblade. Cat is bubbly, ambitious, and determined to prove herself. She’s been underestimated her whole life, and this retreat is her chance to finally earn her stripes. But Bennett’s interference—and her inconvenient attraction to him—forces her to confront more than just her kill list.
“The winter retreat is a chance to forget all my worries, hang out with my best friend, and finally get my first kill.”
Together, they’re a masterclass in mutual sabotage, slow-burn tension, and accidental emotional growth.
🎭 Tropes on Ice
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Enemies-to-Lovers: They hate each other. They want to kill each other. They also want to kiss each other. It’s complicated.
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Forced Proximity: Snowed in, lost in the woods, and one bed. Nature ships it.
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Grumpy x Sunshine: Bennett is a walking thundercloud. Cat is a glitter bomb with a vendetta.
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He Falls First: Bennett’s emotional spiral begins long before Cat realizes she’s in too deep.
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Touch Her and ☠️: Bennett’s protective streak is lethal and oddly romantic.
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Serial Unaliver Shenanigans: Murder is a hobby. Romance is the surprise.
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Razor-Sharp Banter: Every conversation is a duel. Every insult is foreplay.
⚠️ Trigger Warnings
While Slay Ride is considered “DIET” Lauren Biel (meaning slightly less intense than her usual fare), it still contains adult themes and content that may be triggering for some readers:
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Murder and torture (on-page)
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Emotional abuse from a parent
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Mentions of CSA (not depicted)
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Self-harm and suicidal ideation
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Masochism, sadism, blood play, breath play, degradation
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Sexual content with kink elements
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Betrayal and emotional manipulation
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Crude humor, including jokes about bodily functions and sex
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One infamous turkey scene (yes, really)
Biel’s humor is unapologetically dark, and the romance doesn’t shy away from messy emotional terrain. Read responsibly.
💬 Notable Quotes
Biel’s writing is known for its whip-smart dialogue and outrageous one-liners. Here are a few gems that capture the book’s tone:
“Snow won’t be the only thing getting blown.”
“Making her unhappy is my favorite pastime, but what happens when I discover something I enjoy more?”
“If people discover what we’ve done, we’ll never hear the end of it. But how can we keep this a secret when we’re stuck under a microscope?”
These lines encapsulate the book’s blend of humor, heat, and high-stakes emotional chaos.
📚 Style and Structure
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Dual POV: We get inside both Bennett and Cat’s heads, which adds depth and nuance to their dynamic.
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Standalone in Series: You don’t need to read Sinners Retreat to enjoy Slay Ride, but fans will appreciate the continuity.
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HEA, No Cliffhanger: The ending is satisfying, emotionally earned, and leaves room for future Slaycation chaos.
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Pacing: Fast, furious, and occasionally feral. You’ll inhale this book in one sitting and then wonder what just happened.
🧠 What Works
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Chemistry: Bennett and Cat sizzle. Their banter is electric, their intimacy raw, and their emotional connection surprisingly tender.
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Humor: Biel’s dark comedy lands more often than not. It’s twisted, yes, but also clever and cathartic.
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Emotional Depth: Beneath the chaos is a story about vulnerability, trust, and the messy ways we heal.
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World-Building: The Slaycation universe is absurd and addictive. You’ll want to book your own morally questionable vacation.
🤔 What Might Not Work
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Tone Shifts: The book swings from slapstick to serious, which may jar some readers.
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Ethical Ambiguity: Falling for a killer isn’t everyone’s idea of romance. If you need clear moral lines, this retreat might feel like a snowstorm of red flags.
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Graphic Content: The humor is crude, the sex is kinky, and the violence is real. Not for the squeamish.
🏁 Final Verdict
Slay Ride is a wild, wintry romp through the frozen tundra of emotional dysfunction. It’s messy, magnetic, and marvelously unhinged. Lauren Biel continues to prove that love can bloom in the darkest places—especially when there’s only one bed and a shared vendetta.
If you’re a fan of morally gray characters, enemies-to-lovers tension, and banter that bites, this book is your next obsession. Just don’t forget your snow boots—and maybe a therapist.
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