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sparklingpynk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
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. š
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 š
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.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Racism, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy and Toxic friendship
renfyre's review
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
katierosecrane's review
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
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
4.5
The first part of the book starts out predictable like other smutty books. Then out of nowhere youāre hit with tense waves of concern and contemplation.
Beautiful.
Beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, Cancer, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Child death, Death of parent, Classism, Grief, Medical content, Cursing, Death, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Terminal illness
lisape_07's review
I honestly don't know why the reviews for this are so good. I disliked the main character. I have no idea how this man would be anyones type considering how he presents himself and talks/thinks about women. I was surprised that the book is written out of the man's pov, but thought it would be okay, considering a female author wrote it - how I was wrong. I'm not a fan of age gaps, and considering that he is 36 and the first women he meets on a night out - and has really lustering/creepy thoughts about her - just barely turned 21. I can't. It went on like this for a while, I can imagine the plot actually gets better, but I'm not staying to find out. Sorry. dnf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Alcohol, Death, Sexism, and Sexual content
cluckieduck's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
Well - I enjoyed this one 100X more than Priest! And it made me CRY, damn you...what kind of erotic romance book makes a gal cry?!
Major TWs not related to the main couple, but are a significant plot point:Mama Bell's terminal cancer diagnosis, her subsequent treatment/palliative care, ending with her death . Having this element really helped round out Sean's character development and seemed much more fulsome than Tyler's character arc in Priest.
Where I found Priest straight-up erotica, I felt there was a more nuanced approach to the 'romantic' elements with the relationship between Sean & Zenny. While it was still definitely an insta-love(lust) situation, incorporating the teacher/student helped cement their relationship for me.
Major TWs not related to the main couple, but are a significant plot point:
Where I found Priest straight-up erotica, I felt there was a more nuanced approach to the 'romantic' elements with the relationship between Sean & Zenny. While it was still definitely an insta-love(lust) situation, incorporating the teacher/student helped cement their relationship for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Alcohol, Death of parent, Medical content, Death, Cancer, Grief, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
Minor: Racism and Classism
valeria_gzz's review against another edition
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
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