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justinekorson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I cried reading this book, which I really didn't expect especially seeing how the first book Priest went. The scene was the one near the end when Tyler looks at Sean and asks, "Did you feel it too?" as they're crying. I cried with them because it was such a beautiful scene and because I obviously very much loved Tyler and grew to lvoe Sean because of this story. I'm excited to read the next one and figure out what happened between Aiden and Elijah!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Racism, Sexual content, Cancer, Grief, Suicide, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
renfyre's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
There is age gap romance and then there is intentionally infantalizing an already young but legal character even more and salivating over thoughts of her as a young girl. This was the latter and it was not a cute look. I thought the insta love in Priest was a bit annoying, but at least it wasn't creepy.
I can't even give this stars in a "I didn't say it was good, I said I liked it" way. Because it wasn't and I didn't. I finished this for the same reason people crane their necks to see a car wreck on the highway or listen to true crime podcasts. Morbid curiosity.
Sean Bell talks about himself in the third person. Sean Bell fantasizes about minors masturbating with teddy bears. Sean Bell is only 36 but refers to himself so often as a dirty old man and Zenny (21) as a sweet innocent girl that it's clear it's not Zenny the newly adult woman he is lusting after but the concept of old man/young woman. It is gross. Sean Bell's Religious Trauma TM is the whole point of his character but whether he believes in God and hates God or doesn't believe in God at all changes from one page to the next. How were we supposed to root for this guy?
Zenny is barely a character. Between Sean's infantalizing her and it being his perspective, she seems like a big sexy nun baby. Her playing into the old man/young girl of it all so intensely feels like the most Men Writing Women moment ever actually written by a woman. There is nothing sexy about pretending to be a minor who talks about being horny the same way a little kid asks for help with a booboo, and if I never read "her college girl pj's" again it will be too soon.
The ending was a cop out. And the character development fell very flat. The whole story takes place over 1 month. A week in, Sean, a milionaire playboy, catches feelings. Two weeks in, he is in love. Three weeks in, he wants marriage and babies... with this woman it is repeatedly emphasized he held when she was a baby and he was a teenager....gross..Four weeks in, he is a Brand New Man - ready to give up his high paying job and settle down with this barely not a teenager. She has made him a better man with her magic almost nun pussy. Hope she keeps the nun clothes because it seems like the second she is an actual adult with a fully formed frontal cortex and not forbidden virginal church fruit, his interest is gonna go poof.
I feel like Sierra Simone tried to recapture the inner turmoil of the beloved Father Bell, but Tyler's struggle made sense. His want to be good and his faith clashing with his want for Poppy felt like a real moral dilemma. It was him reconciling his own internally set standards of behavior.
Sean's struggle was entirely about wanting to fuck zenny, knowing he shouldn't for very valid externally set reasons and doing it anyways. And then doubling down and impregnating her at the ripe age of 22. The end.
I'm probably still going to read Saint just to put a bow on the Bell Brothers trilogy, and because I know Simone can write great MM, but if anyone uses the word PJs in a sexual context I am out.
I can't even give this stars in a "I didn't say it was good, I said I liked it" way. Because it wasn't and I didn't. I finished this for the same reason people crane their necks to see a car wreck on the highway or listen to true crime podcasts. Morbid curiosity.
Zenny is barely a character. Between Sean's infantalizing her and it being his perspective, she seems like a big sexy nun baby. Her playing into the old man/young girl of it all so intensely feels like the most Men Writing Women moment ever actually written by a woman. There is nothing sexy about pretending to be a minor who talks about being horny the same way a little kid asks for help with a booboo, and if I never read "her college girl pj's" again it will be too soon.
The ending was a cop out. And the character development fell very flat. The whole story takes place over 1 month. A week in, Sean, a milionaire playboy, catches feelings. Two weeks in, he is in love. Three weeks in, he wants marriage and babies... with this woman it is repeatedly emphasized he held when she was a baby and he was a teenager....gross..Four weeks in, he is a Brand New Man - ready to give up his high paying job and settle down with this barely not a teenager. She has made him a better man with her magic almost nun pussy. Hope she keeps the nun clothes because it seems like the second she is an actual adult with a fully formed frontal cortex and not forbidden virginal church fruit, his interest is gonna go poof.
I feel like Sierra Simone tried to recapture the inner turmoil of the beloved Father Bell, but Tyler's struggle made sense. His want to be good and his faith clashing with his want for Poppy felt like a real moral dilemma. It was him reconciling his own internally set standards of behavior.
Sean's struggle was entirely about wanting to fuck zenny, knowing he shouldn't for very valid externally set reasons and doing it anyways. And then doubling down and impregnating her at the ripe age of 22. The end.
I'm probably still going to read Saint just to put a bow on the Bell Brothers trilogy, and because I know Simone can write great MM, but if anyone uses the word PJs in a sexual context I am out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy, Racism, Child abuse, and Pedophilia
alisonreadsdmv's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Child abuse and Suicide
notamouse's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
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Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Racism, and Grief
woahpip's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Good read for folks who want a little more substance with their erotica.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Death, and Suicide
ka_ke's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I know I said Priest was amazing, but somehow Sinner is even better. I related to Sean and Zenny a lot more than Tyler and Poppy, I guess thats because Iām no longer religious despite being the daughter and granddaughter of ministers? Either way the spice is incredible and damn it I definitely have a teacher/student kink š
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Medical content, Pregnancy, Racism, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Cancer, and Grief
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Outing, Child abuse, Child death, and Pedophilia
torireadswhat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Sean Bell, what can I say about you?? After reading Priest, it was nice to get an in-depth picture of the sheer debauchery this man is truly capable of. As a reader, we find out right off the bat this Bell brother is filthy, and he knows it. He holds no shame with it either.
Aside from his perfectly foul mouth, it was a pleasant surprise to read about his struggle with his faith and his role within his family. His relationship with Zenny is... damn. I love a forbidden romance, but to know that she's known this man her entire life, and then seeks him out to help her live her life before she takes her vows to the church, incredible.
I loved that we got to know more of Zenny in comparison to our female love interest in Priest. Zenny is written as strong, determined, independent, and thoughtful. I always hesitate when reading a POC written by a white author, but Simone did a wonderful job writing Zenny - I want to be Zenny.
Aside from his perfectly foul mouth, it was a pleasant surprise to read about his struggle with his faith and his role within his family. His relationship with Zenny is... damn. I love a forbidden romance, but to know that she's known this man her entire life, and then seeks him out to help her live her life before she takes her vows to the church, incredible.
I loved that we got to know more of Zenny in comparison to our female love interest in Priest. Zenny is written as strong, determined, independent, and thoughtful. I always hesitate when reading a POC written by a white author, but Simone did a wonderful job writing Zenny - I want to be Zenny.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Suicide, Child abuse, and Racism
acelodie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Moderate: Medical content and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Suicide
giuliaathenalombardo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I could really relate to Sean as a character, his view on religion is more similar to mine as he is very aware of its flaws and understands how difficult it is to have faith when the world is so full of horrible events and people. I also think that Zenny didn't try to push him into Christianity and was extremely patient and kind with him in the regards, as he was with her as she explored her sexuality. I was extremely worried about the ending and was so sure it was going to upset me but I think it was very satisfying. All in all I really liked the book and finished it in a day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, and Racism
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