Review: Priest by Sierra Simone

Priest by Sierra Simone
Published June 29th 2015

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

My Thoughts
Forbidden romances always seem to catch my attention, but I rarely indulge in them as frequently as I’d like. However, testing my moral compass from time to time can be an adventure and enlightenment in more ways than one. Only in fiction do I feel comfortable pushing those boundaries between right and wrong, as well as forbidden and acceptable.

Priest by Sierra Simone was the perfect choice when it comes to diving into a novel that tests boundaries, breaks the rules and shamelessly tantalizes the senses. So let me share with you a bit about the novel…

Father Tyler Bell entered priesthood three years prior in an attempt to salvage his church in the aftermath of his sister’s death and the scandal it brought to his parish. He was committed to rebuilding his church and worked hard to bring the parishioners back to this religious community. However, when Poppy Danforth entered his confessional booth and began to share her darkest transgressions, Father Bell couldn't seem to disconnect from the pull he felt toward her and there started a forbidden romance that broke all of his promises to the church and God.

"I wanted to erase the marks made on God’s name by awful men… And I wanted some way to remember Lizzy without my heart shredding apart with guilt and regret and powerlessness."

It’s clearly evident that Tyler entered priesthood with noble intentions. He wanted to repair the damage made to his church and he wanted to build something that was meaningful and lasting, long past the death of his sister. However, as his journey of falling in love with Poppy became more intense, it became evident that Tyler could serve his church outside the priesthood. I don’t fault him for falling in love and succumbing to passion. He’s a man of flesh and blood. I don’t fully agree with some of his choices on where he chose to act out his moments of passion, but I don’t think falling in love with an adult woman is the worst thing he could have done.

I sympathized with this constant struggle to honor his vows, but let’s face it… he was up against a losing battle. From beginning to end, I felt an emotional acceptance for Tyler’s choices and I didn’t feel bad about it. He definitely showed growth, both spiritually and emotionally throughout the novel. I appreciated the struggles the author made him overcome and I applauded the sacrifices she made him endure.

Poppy Danforth was a bit more difficult for me to accept. I never really felt the emotional connection to this character and I often felt irritated for tempting Tyler in needless ways. However, I firmly know that it takes two people to engage in a romance and if I would have had some insight into Poppy’s feelings from her perspective, I think I would have had more acceptance for this character.

Overall, Simone definitely proved she can write an emotionally charged novel that’s packed with chemistry, conflict and forbidden desire. From the early chapters in this novel, I knew the characters and their story were going to fly off the pages and recalibrate my moral compass. Intense!!

4 Suns