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sailormar's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I always love a Skyler Mason book. Each heroine has her own brand of brashness and bravery, softness and kindness. Each hero has their own brand of internalized patriarchy, self-hatred, or hang-ups to work through to be the man the heroine deserves.
While I had pretty hotly anticipated the next book in this series, I don’t think this one totally lived up to the premise for me. Hot priest? Fiery atheist who is the priest’s best friend’s daughter? It would normally be catnip for me.
And it still was in many ways! The sexy times are top notch. Any time a man tells me “forgive me god” before banging the absolute shit out of their partner, I’m in. I also loved the family dynamics at play in both Brandon’s psyche and in Mariana’s world, and Mariana’s journey to be her full self around her family. And god help me if I didn’t GASP OUT LOUD at THAT MOMENT where Sofia shows up (you’ll see).
But ultimately I felt the dating her sister bit didn’t feel necessary to me, and I grew tired of Brandon’s constant self-flagellating, martyrdom brand of Christianity, and the way he robbed Mariana of any agency in the dynamic between them by saying she’s too young to understand the stakes. I also sometimes struggled with the pacing - sometimes I felt pulled along too fast and then too slow through the text.
However this was still a net yes for all the heart in this book and the truly great hot forbidden-ness of it all!
While I had pretty hotly anticipated the next book in this series, I don’t think this one totally lived up to the premise for me. Hot priest? Fiery atheist who is the priest’s best friend’s daughter? It would normally be catnip for me.
And it still was in many ways! The sexy times are top notch. Any time a man tells me “forgive me god” before banging the absolute shit out of their partner, I’m in. I also loved the family dynamics at play in both Brandon’s psyche and in Mariana’s world, and Mariana’s journey to be her full self around her family. And god help me if I didn’t GASP OUT LOUD at THAT MOMENT where Sofia shows up (you’ll see).
But ultimately I felt the dating her sister bit didn’t feel necessary to me, and I grew tired of Brandon’s constant self-flagellating, martyrdom brand of Christianity, and the way he robbed Mariana of any agency in the dynamic between them by saying she’s too young to understand the stakes. I also sometimes struggled with the pacing - sometimes I felt pulled along too fast and then too slow through the text.
However this was still a net yes for all the heart in this book and the truly great hot forbidden-ness of it all!
Content Warnings
Minor: Religious bigotry and Sexism
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