Reviews with content warning for Racism - Sinner

I appreciate that even though this is part of a series it truly read like a standalone book. Sometimes it feels like a lot is missed or too much is retold from the other parts of the series and I really liked how this avoided all of that. I also really liked the narration of this book and how easily the voices for each character are distinguished and flowed. I believe this is my second read from Sierra Simone and I appreciate how much this author can make me question my own personal limits. 😅
Overall I liked this but in what I will now refer to as classic Sierra Simone fashion, there were some parts of this that were slightly problematic for me.

We have a 21 yr old virgin nun-to-be with a 36 yr old sex god equivalent, which that in itself I can tolerate. What made it problematic for me is how the age difference is used during sex at times which I just could not stop cringing from. It is recognized each time how "sinful" the thoughts and words being said are in the moment. But there is still a part of my brain that hesitates to comprehend this is a fictional world just enjoy the crazy ride.

The smut overall in this one starts off like nothing I have experienced before. Very very detailed to the point where it could pass as an instructional manual for all those in need of assistance 😂
Now, another semi problematic situation, which I do understand is the whole point of this book, is the mixture of sex, religion and death. Personally, it was a bit odd for me at certain points because of that mix but like the contradiction that my feelings are with this one, at the end of it all, I did like this book.

That last sex scene at the church before Zenny is meant to walk down the aisle, that had my past catholic school girl equally appalled and intrigued by the scandolus-ness of it all.

So in conclusion, if you can maintain an open mind and are aware of the trigger warnings within this one, I say give it a listen. And if you know of someone who needs a cunnilingus how to guide, pass this along to them.

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renfyre's review against another edition

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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.

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emahleh's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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mirandamichaels's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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heyevereads's review against another edition

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2.5

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beckyyreadss's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

I wanted to read this book because I enjoyed the first one even though it made me question my morals the whole through the first and second book. But again, I'm going to hell for enjoying this book.

This book follows Sean Bell who we met briefly in the first book, he is Father Bell’s brother. He knows he is not a good man, and he has never pretended to be. He doesn’t believe in goodness or God or any happy ending that isn’t paid in advance. What does he believe in? Money and Sex. They have words for men like him – playboy. Womanizer and Skirt Chaser. His brother used to be a priest and used to call him one thing – a sinner. That all changes, when he meets a mysterious woman where he’s looking for a one-night stand and she disappears and left him with one thing – a name, Mary. But it turns out that’s not her name, it’s Zenny Iverson, he has seen her in fifteen years when she was a baby. Her older is his best friend and she has had a glow up. Not only does Sean feel like he’s too old for her but she is also deciding to become a nun. Zenny used to have a crush on Sean, but before she commits her life to God, her Reverend Mother has told her to have three weeks of being a normal senior and to live her life and to make sure she is comfortable with her decision. So Zenny makes Sean a proposition – to seduce her in every way.

I liked that it wasn’t all smut and no story. I know there was a lot of smut in this book because of the context of playboy seducing younger girl who happens to be a virgin. There was an actual complex story with actual characters with two very different family dynamics and very real traumas – Sean's complex history with God and dealing with his sister’s suicide and his mother dying of cancer. Zenny’s story of being a virgin because she had a rough almost thing in high school and then her family putting a lot of pressure on her to be the next big thing in the family when all she wants to do is help people. I think it’s really interesting that we see this whole series from the Bell’s point of view – with Tyler’s and Sean’s point of view. I love that these men are completely falling head over heels for these women when the women have no clue. The smut was fire and honest to god, Sean and his mouth and how he dragged out the oral until she was ready just made me fall in love with him more.

Even though it was interesting being from the male’s POV, I would have loved for it to have been a multiple POV with Zenny’s thoughts. I think it would have made it 1000% times better especially when they were apart and trying to pick her feelings apart.

I feel like I need to go to church after reading this book but I'm looking forward to the other Bell brother’s book.

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notamouse's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

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Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Sinner by Sierra Simone

foxmochi's review against another edition

julianacosta_01's review against another edition

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renfyre's review against another edition

emahleh's review against another edition

mirandamichaels's review against another edition

heyevereads's review against another edition

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

notamouse's review against another edition