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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
Adrenaline and dopamine collide in this absolute banger of a book when Catholic priest Joe Bruno and devilish art historian Percy Ashdown find themselves entangled in a friends-with-benefits sort of situation while dealing with supernatural threats, international heists, and the odd ex-lover or two of Percy's. This book was recommended to me on Pinterest, of all places, and the showstopping cover caught my eye and wouldn't let go (which Percy would be happy to hear, I reckon?? he does make a living out of his aesthetic horniness after all) until I borrowed the duology on KU and started reading.
What. A. RIDE. What a ride this book was!! Something that fascinates me about Aussie and Kiwi authors is that, more often than not, they bring a unique style to the table that I've never seen authors from North America or Europe pull off. Perhaps it's got to do with the extraordinarily beautiful heritage from Indigenous peoples, or maybe there's something in the water down under that gives writers just the right amount of weird, but Aussie and Aotearoan novels are always unique and stand out to me as peak creativity meets rich worldbuilding with ingenious prose to top it all off. WH Lockwood was no exception to this rule, and definitely kicked it out of the park with this tale of two utterly unhinged men whose morals are oftentimes overpowered by their horniness.
Something I loved about "Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined" was the vibe. Even though it's hard to translate into words the rush I got every time I turned my Kindle on to keep reading, you could think of this book as Supernatural meets Indiana Jones at the annual Pride Parade. You've got the breathtaking plot stakes, you've got the adventure across the globe, you've got the snarky main character with a killer facecard plus the softer but just as utterly deranged co-protagonist. And then you get generous amounts of sass, cunty banter and smoldering spice, the likes of which I've rarely found outside of AO3 fanfiction (which is, by the way, my highest praise, AO3 has made me feel the whole spectrum of human emotion in ways that a NYT bestselling book couldn't even dream of!).
Regarding the story itself, I do have to point out that it's not one thoroughly knit plot, but rather a series of interconnected little heists. Each of them is set in a different city, and they all have their own little conflict and climax while also contributing to an overarching plot. It can be a little tricky if you aren't used to this format, but I personally found it to have been executed flawlessly and be simply exquisite. Of course, it helps that the MCs are the most loveable feral gremlins I have ever met, because those two could hold together even the worst-paced and boring story in the world.
Overall this is a laugh-out-loud read with plenty of hilarious turns-of-phrase, charming characters and the kind of smoking hot smut that demands years of honing your ability to keep a poker face on while you read the filthiest scenes known to humankind. TL;DR? This book is the best thing that can happen to you, so do yourself a favour and grab a copy ASAP!
What. A. RIDE. What a ride this book was!! Something that fascinates me about Aussie and Kiwi authors is that, more often than not, they bring a unique style to the table that I've never seen authors from North America or Europe pull off. Perhaps it's got to do with the extraordinarily beautiful heritage from Indigenous peoples, or maybe there's something in the water down under that gives writers just the right amount of weird, but Aussie and Aotearoan novels are always unique and stand out to me as peak creativity meets rich worldbuilding with ingenious prose to top it all off. WH Lockwood was no exception to this rule, and definitely kicked it out of the park with this tale of two utterly unhinged men whose morals are oftentimes overpowered by their horniness.
Something I loved about "Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined" was the vibe. Even though it's hard to translate into words the rush I got every time I turned my Kindle on to keep reading, you could think of this book as Supernatural meets Indiana Jones at the annual Pride Parade. You've got the breathtaking plot stakes, you've got the adventure across the globe, you've got the snarky main character with a killer facecard plus the softer but just as utterly deranged co-protagonist. And then you get generous amounts of sass, cunty banter and smoldering spice, the likes of which I've rarely found outside of AO3 fanfiction (which is, by the way, my highest praise, AO3 has made me feel the whole spectrum of human emotion in ways that a NYT bestselling book couldn't even dream of!).
Regarding the story itself, I do have to point out that it's not one thoroughly knit plot, but rather a series of interconnected little heists. Each of them is set in a different city, and they all have their own little conflict and climax while also contributing to an overarching plot. It can be a little tricky if you aren't used to this format, but I personally found it to have been executed flawlessly and be simply exquisite. Of course, it helps that the MCs are the most loveable feral gremlins I have ever met, because those two could hold together even the worst-paced and boring story in the world.
Overall this is a laugh-out-loud read with plenty of hilarious turns-of-phrase, charming characters and the kind of smoking hot smut that demands years of honing your ability to keep a poker face on while you read the filthiest scenes known to humankind. TL;DR? This book is the best thing that can happen to you, so do yourself a favour and grab a copy ASAP!
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s been a hot minute since a book made me laugh out loud as much as this did. I’ve had a super busy month but I looked forward to sitting down to read this every night.
This book sits on just the right side of ridiculous, balancing that line perfectly with humour and still keeping me invested in all the events taking place no matter how wild they were.
The story sets a fast pace and I love the short chapters. The attention to detail in this story and the beautiful prose just made this a fucking joy to read.
This is my first read from this author but I’m now a devout fan because I enjoyed every second of this book and I can’t wait for more Percy and Joe. Two unforgettable characters in the best way.
Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
This book sits on just the right side of ridiculous, balancing that line perfectly with humour and still keeping me invested in all the events taking place no matter how wild they were.
The story sets a fast pace and I love the short chapters. The attention to detail in this story and the beautiful prose just made this a fucking joy to read.
This is my first read from this author but I’m now a devout fan because I enjoyed every second of this book and I can’t wait for more Percy and Joe. Two unforgettable characters in the best way.
Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
funny
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
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
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
Complicated
I can't even begin to articulate how much I adored this book, how the characters bounce off the page into your imagination, completely perfect but so inherently flawed and so utterly besotted with each other. But it's more than that, the writing itself is so clever, snappy and engaging and as each page turned, I found it impossible to put it down or to work out what my favourite part was - because - the whole book was that good.
Joe is a catholic priest, one who fights demons, who knows death, pain and the power of forgiveness... though he does have one small chink in his priests armour - he's in love with Percy... (in a carnal, not saving his soul kind of way... though things can be two things)
Percy is an art historian who... kills people and does nefarious deeds to make ends meet, and to create excitement and drama in his life. Because if there is one thing Percy loves more than Joe - it's drama.
This is a story about two men who fall into each other without willing to let go, as they traverse the world searching for a magical sheath for a powerful religious relic, they find more than they bargained for. Cue: theatrics (thanks Percy) kidnapping, zombies, sex and not getting a deposit back on a hired luxury car.
It's a ride from start to finish and you need to experience it for yourself. If the following sounds amazing:
- Morally grey art historian MMC
- Morally white exorcist priest MMC
- Touch him and die
- Fast-burn - but done so freaking well
- Banter - So. Much. Banter.
- Supernatural creatures and gore
- MM
- Opposites attract
- Spicy!
Then please add this to your TBR - I'm officially obsessed and will shout about this book forever! Bring on book 2!
Joe is a catholic priest, one who fights demons, who knows death, pain and the power of forgiveness... though he does have one small chink in his priests armour - he's in love with Percy... (in a carnal, not saving his soul kind of way... though things can be two things)
Percy is an art historian who... kills people and does nefarious deeds to make ends meet, and to create excitement and drama in his life. Because if there is one thing Percy loves more than Joe - it's drama.
This is a story about two men who fall into each other without willing to let go, as they traverse the world searching for a magical sheath for a powerful religious relic, they find more than they bargained for. Cue: theatrics (thanks Percy) kidnapping, zombies, sex and not getting a deposit back on a hired luxury car.
It's a ride from start to finish and you need to experience it for yourself. If the following sounds amazing:
- Morally grey art historian MMC
- Morally white exorcist priest MMC
- Touch him and die
- Fast-burn - but done so freaking well
- Banter - So. Much. Banter.
- Supernatural creatures and gore
- MM
- Opposites attract
- Spicy!
Then please add this to your TBR - I'm officially obsessed and will shout about this book forever! Bring on book 2!
Didn’t love the 3rd person narrative. Just a me thing. Seemed like it would be a great read.