Author: Sierra Simone

Book: Priest

tl;dr recommendation: This book mixes sin and guilt with forgiveness and redemption in such a perfect way that made me want to kneel and pray to be fucked into absolution.

Book Summary:

There are many rules a priest can’t break.
A priest cannot marry. A priest cannot abandon his flock. A priest cannot forsake his God.

I’ve always been good at following rules.
Until she came.
My name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I’m twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again.
I am a priest and this is my confession.

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***Priest is a standalone, full-length novel with an HEA.  For mature audiences only.***

Full Disclosure:

I grew up with (what I now believe to be) a perverse sense of religion and sex. My father has a Master’s of Divinity. I am a preacher’s daughter. I went to church every Sunday and Awana’s every Wednesday. I now consider myself agnostic. I was told that sex is bad, wrong and only to be had for making babies. 

I recall sitting in Sunday School passing around an open chocolate bar, being told that the chocolate bar was a woman and as more hands touched it, the chocolate melted and distorted. The leader then held up a new chocolate bar and asked the group which one they would want to eat – the touched one, or the untouched one. The message was clear, don’t fuck. You’ll be dirty. No one will want you.

This is how I grew up. Our backgrounds make us who we are, coloring our perspectives. This is mine & this is why I love this book so damn much.

Longer Review:

Oh, thy Kingdom came alright. Priest is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Hands down. No question. Sierra leads us right into the mouth of temptation, and delivers a phenomenal book. It mixes sin and guilt with forgiveness and redemption in such a perfect way that made me want to kneel and pray to be fucked into absolution.

Priest may be conceived as taboo but it’s also not. It’s actually complex and deep in all the right ways. *winks*

Father Tyler Bell hasn’t always been a saint. Before he became a priest, he was a normal person who went to college, who fucked women, who sinned. When tragedy struck, he felt the calling to change his life, give over his wordly desires and attempt to make a difference on behalf of a greater power. His back story is so important – frankly, it’s everything. It links together why he falters in his vows and why he won’t let go of his faith.

Poppy isn’t purposefully tempting. She comes to confess her sins, not really knowing what she’s doing – because she’s not Catholic. She knows that her attraction to Tyler is wrong, but how can you stop love?

Some may find the intense fucking in a church as offensive – I found it hot as hell. It’s also more than just fucking. Yes, Sierra takes sacred items and uses them for a sexual act. Yet, I don’t find these scenes blasphemous at all. In fact, it just seemed appropriate since sex between Poppy and Tyler was a sacred act.  The message is clear that as long as it’s consensual, sex isn’t dirty – it’s something that should be celebrated – it’s something that God approves of – it’s BLESSED. #SeeWhatSheDidThere?! Bless you, Sierra.

Priest is a carnal display of worldly desires intertwining with enlightened spirituality. I’m in awe of this book. The exceptional writing floated over me and the story left me settled with a sense of peace that I hadn’t expected. Priest is sinfully hot, but it’s also deeply spiritual. If this is blasphemy then sign me up.