Priest by Sierra Simone | Rating: ★★★☆☆

"...it was rewriting my mind and my soul, my future and my life..." 

If you’re not easily offended, or overly religious, and you love some seriously steamy sexy times and if you are just looking for an easy read to pass the time, Priest is for you. I'm pretty positive it's going to be one of the next big things and the way it's crafted is in a league of its own. For those of you who have friends that devour romance novels, this is the perfect holiday present for them.

Perhaps one of those novels that is attached to controversy in a big way, Priest is still--somehow--equally thrilling, captivating and cringe worthy. It's certainly much more beautifully written than many novels in its genre. One things for certain: it will grip its readers and refuse to let it go until the final pages. Heavy on angst and lust, it is a ride, to say the least.

The worst thing a reader can do is take the novel too seriously. This isn't real life and it's not always going to be the most realistic and actively accurate read you've ever picked up. It's not meant to be. And in spite of all of this, it's still the type of novel that captures your attention instantly. I was surprised by how much heart there was--and the level of honesty involving both Poppy and Tyler's life before they met was fascinating, if a little underdeveloped, and heartfelt.


You're not going to like this if you're the type that picks apart the process in which someone falls in love. This would definitely be classified as love at first sight (although, I disagree, it seems much more lust at first sight which grows into something much deeper) and that's just not going to be everyone's cup of tea. I get that. I'm definitely just putting that out there as a warning because it will definitely ruffle a few feathers--but, trust me, it's worth it for the steamy scenes.

There were times when I was waiting for the book to set itself on fire, if I'm being honest. Sometimes there's this quality to it that makes you cringe, but for the most part, Sierra Simone leaves her audience squirming in desire--it is that delicious. Poppy and Tyler have a natural chemistry from the moment they meet and that's the most important thing. I thought the way they met--in a confessional because, hello, Tyler is a priest, was a bit taboo. Again, it won't be for everyone and I'm most definitely going to hell for it, but it's hot.

I just thought it was an incredibly unique spin on romance novels. At least, with what I've read (which is mostly primarily limited to Sylvia Day, so) and I would recommend it to fans of the genre, only. If you're a fan of the genre, it's going to blow you away and earn its title as one of the next big things. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, and seeing Poppy and Tyler's relationship grow and fade and grow again was a treat.

Overall, it had its rough patches and so did the main relationship, but it was a satisfying read nonetheless.