Priest
by Sierra Simone
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.
Spice Level: 5.5/6 | Story Score: 8/10 | Rating: 5/5 |
I finished Under the Lights at work and was so angry that I couldn’t actually speak. I couldn’t focus on the words on a page, so I scrolled through my Audible. I needed something to take my mind off how pissed I was. Priest was in my list because during Audible’s last sale, it was like $5, and I bought it.
It’s weird. I didn’t WANT to read Priest. I saw it everywhere in my book groups, but really, it did NOT sound like my thing. Afterall, I just read the Naked Fisherman and complained about the religion in it nonstop. I reallllllly didn’t enjoy it. But, for $5, my curiosity got the best of me and that day at work, I just wanted something mindless. I should also point out that I’ve liked like 2 of the last 10 raved about books.
Y’all, Priest is number 3. Holy hell.
Now! Let me be very honest: I don’t know that this book would’ve had the same effect if I was reading it and not LISTENING to Jacob Morgan saying all those filthy, filthy things. Bless his soul for saying all those delicious things in my ear. Good God above.
The story in this book was interesting for me. I have to examine entirely different points of it because they’re so conflicting for me.
First, the religion aspect: I loved the way Tyler viewed God and his religion. I love that he felt that peace God grants. I love that he felt God welcoming him home every time he strayed. I loved that he loved the ancient rites and rituals and the order. I love his motivation for becoming a priest and his acts as a priest and his compassion. I love the way he didn’t lose his person by becoming a priest but instead grew a different kind of love from it. I love that he wasn’t a choir boy before becoming a priest and so he could actually connect to people.
Second, the story itself was pretty…basic. It’s obviously a forbidden relationship between a priest and a woman, but there weren't a lot of twists and turns. It was honestly one of the LEAST ANGSTY books I’ve read lately and it came at a time when I needed that, desperately. It’s a story of insta-lust. Tyler is a 29-year old man who has a woman come to confession with a voice that sounded like sex. When he saw her, she looked like sex, and he wanted to do her. Lol. It’s really that simple. When Poppy starts recounting her sexual indiscretions and her WANT for more sex, Tyler is pretty much fucked coming and going, lol. Since Tyler was NOT a vanilla guy before he became a priest, he isn’t when the banging starts. Lol. I didn’t like the total disregard for so many sacred things. The sex on the altar, the use of anointing oil as anal lube, and the cleaning of her with something else holy (I’m not Catholic and I didn’t follow all the terminology) seemed like they were there for shock value and I assume for some it worked really well. For me, it didn’t matter. It was pointless. The drama in the story wasn’t over the top and I found that an interesting choice. I liked it. I don’t think this story needed it because listening to Tyler work out how to deal with his feelings (which became about more than sex very quickly even though he expressed them in sex almost constantly) was enough.
For me, this story wasn’t hot because he was a priest. I don’t really care about forbidden romances. I’m a rule follower so forbidden romances are just whatever. What made this story so fucking sexy was that 90% of it is told from Tyler’s point of view which meant that it was read in a man’s voice into my ear. Tyler’s thoughts are EXPLICIT and I could barely sit while listening to them. A man saying those things in an unforbidden relationship would’ve had the same effect for me. BUT if you like forbidden, this one checks that box as well.
The sex in this book was superb. Lol. I’ve never sent so many “Oh God”s to my book buddy in my life. I couldn’t even function through most of it. I just sat transfixed as I listened to the words. With that being said, and my previous statement about the story being basic, this is a book you read for the sex. If you want some profound love story, you aren’t getting it. I think the love story between Tyler and God was more profound than his story with Poppy. His story with Poppy is SEX CENTERED. Then again, he’d repressed his sexual urges for 6 years. I’m not saying it isn’t accurate, lol. Most relationships are high sex at the beginning, I can only imagine if it was the first person in years when you’d loved sex before you gave it up. Go big or go home, right?
So why did I give an 8 for the story score if it was basic? Because I LIKED the way Tyler made me think about things. I liked HIS story because even if theirs was basic, his wasn't. Tyler grew as a person in so many ways and I liked that. I wanted more of that. I think I could've listened to another 8 hours of this and not been bored. I never wished it was over and that's saying something after the books I've been reading.
The characters: I loved Tyler, obviously. I also really appreciated hearing his feminism-appreciating thoughts as well as the others. Poppy was weird for me. I didn't like the way she was presented...but I liked her person. She was a good person, but I think that her sex-centered mind maybe overshadowed that a lot. Then again, maybe mine does too. I don't know. I liked Milly. I loved Jordan.
There’s nothing to spoil in this book that everyone else hasn’t said. Lol. This book is everywhere right now and now I get why. Priest healed a part of my angst-damaged soul and gave me some much needed peace. The story left a few holes and questions, but nothing that is haunting me. I recommend this book, BUT if you’re going to do it, get the audio version. Listen as Father Bell details every naughty thought he has. Lol. I'm excited for more books from Sierra Simone.
**My biggest complaint right now is that I didn't by the ebook and I can't copy my favorite quote of the book here. I had to settle for other people's and they didn't choose mine, lol. I will buy this book though.**
Standalone | 354 Pages | Trope Challenge: Forbidden Love |
“Whatever happens after this, I just want you to know that this was worth it. You were worth it. You were worth everything.”
- Father Bell, Priest by Sierra Simone
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