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A review by kingrosereads
Priest by Sierra Simone
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I’m not sure how to start this. It’s not even the craziest, kinkiest shit I’ve read, but this book intrigued me and disturbed me on a level I wasn’t aware of, and not like a higher level, but like a secret side level. I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t this.
Immediately, I was laughing about a priest named Tyler. And my guy went from 3 years of priesthood and 5 years of seminary study and the deacon year (which doesn’t totally add up with Tyler being 29, but I’ll let it slide) to straight up tossing his vows out the window after meeting Poppy ONCE. Like, damn, girl, yes, but at the same time this man didn’t not an iota of self-control. He was just a walking, talking, delusional sin incarnate. How did he ever become a priest, fam? Cause I can’t see it. And Poppy?! Oh my god, saying the most dirty things to a PRIEST. Instant attraction between these two and almost immediate gratification. Why was this book nearly 400 pages long? Could’ve cut out a hundred pages and just had back-to-back smut. Because the in-between hardly mattered.
I’ve never experienced being so attracted to a literal stranger, that I couldn’t master control over my own actions, but if this is how it is for literally anyone, I’m not sure how anything is ever done. Like it was hot, like really hot, but Jesus. I don’t know how they had any emotional connection as it really only felt like a raw sexual and animalistic attraction. Don’t even get me started on the sacred oil!
Desecrating a church? Hot. A priest trying to justify this as being God’s will? Cringe. And gross. And problematic to the nth degree. Tyler was constantly trying to be a “feminist ally”, like fam, you can be a feminist or not. There is no “ally”? And that was annoying. Just because a woman likes it rough or to be degraded doesn’t mean she’s damaged or that you’re not a “feminist ally” (*eye roll*), if she likes it, asks for it, and gives her consent, that’s all you need, stop questioning her! And I’m all for Poppy being sex positive and embracing her sexuality, but it was borderline hypersexuality (with Tyler too).
Tyler was constantly having the filthiest thoughts and their whole relationship just seemed to take place in a different world not based on reality. I just did not feel like I was reading the inner monologue of a 29 year old man, maybe a 19 year old boy, but he was so whiny and dramatic and, again, delusional! In no way are these two people good for one another or make a healthy relationship. “Priest: A Love Story”? Nah. “Priest: A Hot-Ass-Filthy-Blasphemous-Sex-and-Make-It-Toxic Story”
I also don’t really want to get into the whole problem of the missionary trip to “Africa” where they don’t have showers or soda (*groans*). But there’s that.
Also, they will talk about these really deep things like Tyler’s sister’s suicide and history of abuse from their priest while growing up. And then they’ll be going at it literally a sentence later. It was so weird.
The smut and dirty talk and the longing was great. Sexual tension was good. Everything else? Nope. Absolutely not.
In actuality it’s3 stars for being a decent smut novel, but the 2.75 stars for what it is as a whole. So if you can block out all this crap and enjoy the smut? Then go for it. Because I was living for it. All I heard in my brain was the Fleabag and Hot Priest music.
Also, to save you from disappointment, they do not bang (in any form) in the confessional. It’s all I wanted and it did not deliver.
Immediately, I was laughing about a priest named Tyler. And my guy went from 3 years of priesthood and 5 years of seminary study and the deacon year (which doesn’t totally add up with Tyler being 29, but I’ll let it slide) to straight up tossing his vows out the window after meeting Poppy ONCE. Like, damn, girl, yes, but at the same time this man didn’t not an iota of self-control. He was just a walking, talking, delusional sin incarnate. How did he ever become a priest, fam? Cause I can’t see it. And Poppy?! Oh my god, saying the most dirty things to a PRIEST. Instant attraction between these two and almost immediate gratification. Why was this book nearly 400 pages long? Could’ve cut out a hundred pages and just had back-to-back smut. Because the in-between hardly mattered.
I’ve never experienced being so attracted to a literal stranger, that I couldn’t master control over my own actions, but if this is how it is for literally anyone, I’m not sure how anything is ever done. Like it was hot, like really hot, but Jesus. I don’t know how they had any emotional connection as it really only felt like a raw sexual and animalistic attraction. Don’t even get me started on the sacred oil!
Desecrating a church? Hot. A priest trying to justify this as being God’s will? Cringe. And gross. And problematic to the nth degree. Tyler was constantly trying to be a “feminist ally”, like fam, you can be a feminist or not. There is no “ally”? And that was annoying. Just because a woman likes it rough or to be degraded doesn’t mean she’s damaged or that you’re not a “feminist ally” (*eye roll*), if she likes it, asks for it, and gives her consent, that’s all you need, stop questioning her! And I’m all for Poppy being sex positive and embracing her sexuality, but it was borderline hypersexuality (with Tyler too).
Tyler was constantly having the filthiest thoughts and their whole relationship just seemed to take place in a different world not based on reality. I just did not feel like I was reading the inner monologue of a 29 year old man, maybe a 19 year old boy, but he was so whiny and dramatic and, again, delusional! In no way are these two people good for one another or make a healthy relationship. “Priest: A Love Story”? Nah. “Priest: A Hot-Ass-Filthy-Blasphemous-Sex-and-Make-It-Toxic Story”
I also don’t really want to get into the whole problem of the missionary trip to “Africa” where they don’t have showers or soda (*groans*). But there’s that.
Also, they will talk about these really deep things like Tyler’s sister’s suicide and history of abuse from their priest while growing up. And then they’ll be going at it literally a sentence later. It was so weird.
The smut and dirty talk and the longing was great. Sexual tension was good. Everything else? Nope. Absolutely not.
In actuality it’s3 stars for being a decent smut novel, but the 2.75 stars for what it is as a whole. So if you can block out all this crap and enjoy the smut? Then go for it. Because I was living for it. All I heard in my brain was the Fleabag and Hot Priest music.
Also, to save you from disappointment, they do not bang (in any form) in the confessional. It’s all I wanted and it did not deliver.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Sexual content
Minor: Misogyny