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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
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
kb33's review against another edition
The taboo subject didnāt interest me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Suicide, Child death, Rape, and Pedophilia
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
valeria_gzz's review
emotional
reflective
tense
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
4.5
Iāll rate this later today
Later today: TW: dead sister, terminally ill mother. 4,5 stars and the half Iām subtracting is for the āwhat if I was 17?ā And because of the slightly cringe. Also if I didnāt enjoy romance novels so much and the whole religion aspect of this book this would probably get a 4 or 3,5 star rating but the religion part really overshadowed every other storyline for me.
I was not expecting to relate to Sean so much and I wish I wouldāve had this book to read when I was younger (without all the sex though please) because 7ā 11 year old me really needed it. This is the only book Iāve read where the main character is angry at God and feels like his family betray him when they talk about him or pray or anything like that. I was not expecting this book to get so deep on the religious aspect but Iām glad it did because it gave me something to relate to and to point at when I need to explain how I felt at one point.
This is also the first book where the main character has a younger sister that passed away and it didnāt feel weird or sad to read, it felt like Sean was a lot like me. However I donāt think Iāll be reading any other books with that and I will keep on actively avoiding them.
I donāt think there was any blasphemy in this book so š
OH MY GOSH!! Forgot to say but HISTORICAL ROMANCE LOVERS REP!!!
HOLY CRAP THAT WAS HOT!!!! I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading this book and not only were the words on the pages hot but the narratorās voice who made them come to life was ALSO hot.
Usually I wouldnāt be fine with the characters knowing each other previously if they had such a huge age gap aka 15 years BUT the last time they saw each other the fmc was 7 and then they had no contact with each other until the fmc was 21 and the mmc 36 WHERE the mmc didnāt even recognize the fmc and when he found out she was 21 he felt weird about liking someone that young.
Later today: TW: dead sister, terminally ill mother. 4,5 stars and the half Iām subtracting is for the āwhat if I was 17?ā And because of the slightly cringe. Also if I didnāt enjoy romance novels so much and the whole religion aspect of this book this would probably get a 4 or 3,5 star rating but the religion part really overshadowed every other storyline for me.
I was not expecting to relate to Sean so much and I wish I wouldāve had this book to read when I was younger (without all the sex though please) because 7ā 11 year old me really needed it. This is the only book Iāve read where the main character is angry at God and feels like his family betray him when they talk about him or pray or anything like that. I was not expecting this book to get so deep on the religious aspect but Iām glad it did because it gave me something to relate to and to point at when I need to explain how I felt at one point.
This is also the first book where the main character has a younger sister that passed away and it didnāt feel weird or sad to read, it felt like Sean was a lot like me. However I donāt think Iāll be reading any other books with that and I will keep on actively avoiding them.
I donāt think there was any blasphemy in this book so š
OH MY GOSH!! Forgot to say but HISTORICAL ROMANCE LOVERS REP!!!
HOLY CRAP THAT WAS HOT!!!! I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading this book and not only were the words on the pages hot but the narratorās voice who made them come to life was ALSO hot.
Usually I wouldnāt be fine with the characters knowing each other previously if they had such a huge age gap aka 15 years BUT the last time they saw each other the fmc was 7 and then they had no contact with each other until the fmc was 21 and the mmc 36 WHERE the mmc didnāt even recognize the fmc and when he found out she was 21 he felt weird about liking someone that young.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Racism, Death, Pedophilia, Suicide, Medical content, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent
blschuldt's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
Awww this was so well written and researched, I love the care that Simone obviously puts into her writing. Also sexy woo fun yas!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicide, Racism, and Medical content
Ageplaylea_talisa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Cancer
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Suicide, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Grief, Mental illness, Rape, and Medical content
procrastinatewithreading's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I realized that I dislike romance that centers God/Church so much. The concept doesn't bother me on a spiritual level, I just feel like the drama/angst is focused on an issue that I don't relate to at this point in my life.
That being said- those are MY issues, not the book issues. Taking out the Church, which I knew was going to be in the story, I found this age-gap, BFF's little sister to be an interesting story. The sex is very hot and the instant attraction fits better when the duo have known each other for so many years (especially in an age-gap romance). I really don't think that I like the Bell men. They're kind of obnoxious and self-centered. They go on and on and on about what they feel and what makes them angry/fearful/etc. and why they are allowed to be assholes. It gets old very fast. However, I was a little grossed out when Sean kept remembering that he held her as a baby. I feel like Sean was disappointed in himself for falling for someone so young, which helped me get past that piece of it. Zenny is clearly someone who is best described as devoted, so it makes sense that she would get her HEA so young.
4.25 stars because I will definitely be reading Aiden's book when it comes out. Sierra Simone does a great job of writing characters I don't necessarily like but stories that I love.
That being said- those are MY issues, not the book issues. Taking out the Church, which I knew was going to be in the story, I found this age-gap, BFF's little sister to be an interesting story. The sex is very hot and the instant attraction fits better when the duo have known each other for so many years (especially in an age-gap romance). I really don't think that I like the Bell men. They're kind of obnoxious and self-centered. They go on and on and on about what they feel and what makes them angry/fearful/etc. and why they are allowed to be assholes. It gets old very fast. However, I was a little grossed out when Sean kept remembering that he held her as a baby. I feel like Sean was disappointed in himself for falling for someone so young, which helped me get past that piece of it. Zenny is clearly someone who is best described as devoted, so it makes sense that she would get her HEA so young.
4.25 stars because I will definitely be reading Aiden's book when it comes out. Sierra Simone does a great job of writing characters I don't necessarily like but stories that I love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer and Grief
Minor: Racism and Pedophilia
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