Reviews with content warning for Death - Priest

I had seen glowing reviews of this book from a BookToker that I follow. (No shade to them whatsoever, I'll still follow and pick up their suggestions.) Sierra Simone's writing was supposedly lush and beautiful, and that was main selling point. It was compared to... And I can barely say this... Madeline Miller.

...No. NO. Absolutely not. Can you swear on this app without getting flagged?? Fucking, No.

In case there's any doubt about my personal icks, I absolutely do not care about the context of clergy in erotica. That'd be totally fine with me if well crafted. But this is not for people that loved Fleabag's season 2, because the characters were flat, poorly written, and actually vile. Now, the writing itself was... Fine... whether or not that comparison pisses me off or not. It was fine, but so lazy. The... Love interest? Sex fantasy?... Was written for a misogynist ONLY. Absolutely no.

Content Warnings

sunshineandstacks's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is a smutty, semi-emotional tale of a priest who breaks his vow of celibacy. Tyler, the priest, is a very down-to-earth character and breaks the mysticism regarding the priesthood. This book was sex-positive and I loved that.

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ireadinbed's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I DNFd this book last year but im glad i picked it back up.

I really like lots of things about this book. Sierra Simone is my preferred erotic romance writer and honestly i really feel seen in her choice of themes and characters internal struggles. Excessively so in this particular book.

The spicy scenes were excellent as always and i really loved the banter and sweetness between Poppy and Father Bell.

But the pacing was off for me, especially in the second half of the book. I could have used more chapters from Poppy's perspective.

Content Warnings

mhairi_reads's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

”I was supposed to be a shepherd of the flock, not the wolf.”

Forgive me Father for I have sinned.

I will definitely be picking up more of Sierra Simone’s work after this. This was my first Sierra Simone read, but not the first book of hers I’ve seen highly recommended. Her writing was fantastic. She connected you to the characters and the story effortlessly. The pacing was great. Overall this was just a super quick, easy read. Full of smut and substance.

In Priest we follow Father Tyler Anselm Bell. A 29 year old Priest running a parish in Weston. The Priest before him was arrested and he has since taken over and grew his parish into what it is today. He is keenly aware of how hard he has worked to gain the trust of his parishioners after his predecessors discretions.

However Tyler Bell was not always destined to be a man of the cloth. He spent his younger years recklessly until a family tragedy steers him toward Priesthood, which he has since then become truly devoted to. He spends near every moment of his life dedicated to those in need of spiritual guidance. That is until he meets Poppy.

Poppy walks into the confessional booth one day and Father Bell’s world is flipped on its head. When she starts confessing her sexual sins and shows that she is not only comfortable with her carnal wants but she is also smart and well educated Father Bell is more than intrigued. The attraction between these two is undeniable and it grows rapidly. They begin an intimate relationship soon after and Tyler starts to question everything.

What will he choose? His Faith or Poppy?

This is more than just a smutty read. It tells a tale of a man searching for his calling in life, trying to find his true purpose. He is a true man of faith but he is a man with needs too.

As someone who was raised Protestant and not overly religious, the only issue I had was having to look up certain things that were mentioned because I had no idea what is was. Whilst that is of no fault of the authors it did keep taking me out of the story hence the 4 star rating but I am genuinely surprised at how much I loved this book.

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thelassinlinen's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

4.5

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ecravens's review against another edition

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emotional funny tense 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

2.0

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