A review by sarahholliday
Priest by Sierra Simone

emotional inspiring tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

This isn't my normal type of read, so I'm not sure how to review it. I think I'll go with bullets:
  • I would solidly put this in the "erotica" camp, not the romance. No judgment, just an FYI.
  • While not all of the sexually explicit scenes were my *taste,* I am sort of in awe at Simone's ability to write those scenes in a way that is at once completely absorbing and also educating. She realizes it's worth it to explain what's actually going on between the two characters, rather that just jumping into the action and letting readers draw their own conclusions.
  • I read this book because a friend of mine read it and said she found it "healing," given the purity culture she grew up in. I was also raised in toxic Christian purity culture, so that made me curious. And I know exactly what she meant. Even if I don't agree with all of the religious/theological conclusions in the book, it was SO incredibly healing to read a story where a religious person was struggling with sex, but never because it was "dirty" or "wrong." 
  • The writing is actually quite good. I wish there was more to the scenes in between the sexual encounters, but I enjoyed Simone's writing style nonetheless.
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