NO WAY IN HELL IS HE AN ORDAINED CATHOLIC PRIEST. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking… Biker, cage fighter, Russian mafia hitman, maybe. Man of God, not so much. Because of the tat‑sleeves or six-pack? Pierced nipple, perhaps. Is it the sun-streaked blonde hair and granite-hewn features making you doubt? It’s okay, I get it. Priests don’t typically come packaged in six-foot-two frames of shredded … of shredded muscle. They don’t have panty-melting smiles or bedroom eyes the color of an ocean squall. They don’t make you think fallen angel.
No ma’am, I’m not anyone’s idea of a cleric, lookswise or otherwise. I think about sex a little too much. I’m not always good about following the rules. I drop F-bombs. I have a temper. And yeah, have shamefully broken a few vows. Would it also surprise you then to learn that despite all of the above I truly love God and the Church? That I received my calling when I was just nine? That I’d planned my life for the priesthood yet almost gave it all up for a woman?
Now just so we’re clear… This isn’t going to be some sappy romantic rendering of forbidden love à la The Thorn Birds. Sorry to disappoint. As for those expecting a smutty one-handed read about a hot holy father sporting junk as huge as his ego, apologies again. My name is Tristan, aka Father Cleary, and whatever else you may think this story is about… I respectfully suggest you think again.
*Advisory for strong pervasive language, frank sexual content with potential triggers, and an unconventional hero who is vulnerable and torn but not always nice. (You’ve been warned, lol.)
FATHER is the first book in the standalone series, Men of the Cloth.
no cliffhanger
full-length novel
third person, multiple POV
tags: forbidden romance, second-chance, love-hate, taboo, angst
more
He is a priest but he does not look like one or even sometimes acts. He knows s six feet tall and a six pack with tattoos. Now stop thinking what you think. He is priest who.sometimes does bad. This is a great read about a man who is also a broken man. See where he will lead you
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really LOVED Tristan’s and Cady’s story. I was hooked. Finished it in one day (stayed up all night, couldn’t put it down). I’m not happy that I finished it so fast, a little devastated about it. I want more.
I really love the writing style. It’s refreshing. It’s not hard to keep track of who’s who.
High Energy and High Intensity by Dara Joy has the same writing style.
I am looking forward to your next books.
This book had me actually surprised I liked it as much as I did. I found the priest Tristan giving up his vow of celibacy a little taboo. It has a happy ending. I would recommend this book to everyone.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
SWEET BABY JESUS!!!!!!!! HOLY HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF DID I JUST READ………………….. That is exactly what I said after reading this book. OMG I was shocked just by reading the prologue so I knew I was in for something else something forbidden and sacrileges and dammit I was not disappointed one bit. This story blew me away I can not stress enough to you that this book is a MUST READ an absolute MUST READ because you will be blown away by Father Tristan Cleary and Kady.
Tristian always knew growing up since the age of nine that he was going to be a priest. He knew he was being called to live his life for the Lord but that changed when he was a teenager and fell head over heals in love with Kady. They had a great relationship until one day she just ups and leaves with no warning or leaving any forwarding information.
So Tristan goes into this tailspin and he decides that he will go to Seminary school and become a priest. Fast for a decade and Kady is back in the small town she left without a word and she is seeking out Tristan to say she is sorry and tell him why she had left in the first place but Tristian is having none of that and he wants nothing to do with her so he treats her like crap so she’ll stay away from him but Kady is determined to get through to Tristan. The more she fights for his attention themore he is losing the battle to hate her because no matter what he says he still loves her and his heart wants her. But what about his Priesthood? What is going to happen to them? You have to read to find out and you won’t be disappointed because this book is taboo and shocking and a roller coaster ride that you don’t want to miss out on.
~Faith is the word~
“I’m an ordained Catholic priest. Check. I’ve broken the vow of celibacy. Double check. I’m not your mama’s cleric, lookswise or otherwise.”
When Father Tristan Cleary, now a resident priest at Saint Benedict’s, encounters his one major paradox of pleasure and shame from his past in the form of Kadence, more than a decade after she had left Carkeek, Indiana, it was for a confession…with the woman who was his ex-fiancée.
It has taken much for Kadence “Kady” Janacek to return to her family home and finally confront Tristan. Kady had looked like an angel back then, the turning point had destroyed him like a devil only could. But now Tristan is full of derision, not wanting anything to do with her, and is most definitely not wanting to hear her claims of innocence or the truth.
Father Tristan Cleary was a man who has not dealt with a very important aspect of his past, keeping it buried deep in his heart. His emotions of sadness, heartache, disappointment, guilt, shame, and regret have all hardened into a solid and implacable emotion, giving a defined cruel edge to his treatment of her, and it may not be an easy thing for some to read, given the reasons Kady had for her actions. He has a one point a crisis of the heart, and it makes for another difficult hurdle for them. Their chemistry was undeniable and electric, with a slow steamy burn throughout the story.
This steamy read had a well written storyline and characters that were well detailed which kept me totally hooked until the very last page was turned! This was the first book that I have read from this author and it definitely will not be the last!
3.5 Stars
This book features Tristan and Kady. I am torn over this book. I loved Tristan and Kady’s love story but at the same time it felt strange because he was a priest. A priest that acted crazy obsessed with her. A priest that was good looking, sexy and cursed like a sailor. Let’s not forget how good he was in the bedroom. He was mean to her often and she seemed a glutton for punishment. Her secret was profound though and was a story changer.
I’m NOT offended by this story. I loved it but didn’t at the same time. It was kind of uncomfortable for me to read. The writing was fabulous but it’s just not my kind of book.
This book started for me as a 4 star and I was hoping that it would elevate itself to a 5 star…alas that was not the case and it backslid into an almost 2 star review for me.
As the main lead Tristan/Father Cleary states he’s not what you think of when you think of a priest. There is also an F-Bomb warning, take it seriously as he does use it quiet often. So if profanity and really carnal sexual thoughts is not your thing then move on.
In the beginning of the book Tristan had me chuckling with his dry wit and how his bible references would come about when he was really struggling with his carnal desires. So was ready for a little over the top, more titillating then maybe actual physical sex, or at least delayed gratification of a read.
Where things started unraveling for me was actually the introduction of the female lead Kady/Kadence. Kady and Tristan grew up together and they were practically inseparable growing up. Tristan almost walked away from his priesthood calling as a young man to marry her. Something happened and things went up in smoke. Kady ran off and Tristan became an ordained priest.
I guess to show the religious aspect of Tristan biblical versus and quotes were interspersed throughout the book, after a bit I just glossed over them as they weren’t really adding anything to the storyline.
Fast forward 10 years and she’s back in town and wants to set the record straight with Tristan. His reaction was a bit over the top in his anger…but I guess we all respond in different ways to past hurts. As these two dance around each other we get to learn more about them and their history. Tristan’s anger took a good portion of the story along with Kady’s avoidance. These two needed to grow up a bit in my opinion and deal with the past head on instead of dragging it on.
Before I go further I should warn you there is a sexual assault trigger in this book. In some ways it explains some of Kady’s reactions and in some ways when she does so many “Too Stupid To Live” moments you want to shake her and ask, “What were you thinking”? Please understand in no way is this victim blaming. She does some really stupid things…like walking on a dark street alone in the middle of winter in the dark… being hit by an unobservant driver taking a curve to fast is just one of the things that could happen to her. As you read you will find numerous no common-sense being used moments, that you just want to sit her down and have a serious can you pull your head out of your rear talk.
To be honest with the exception of Kady’s mother, sister and Tristan’s grandmother most of the women in this book are not portrayed very well. They either seem to lose their brains once they get a look at the hunk of a man Tristan is or they just make some of the dumbest choices ever.
After a while Kady’s immaturity just started wearing me out along with Tristan blaming everyone else for his issues. Then the author has her make a statement that was like a bucket of cold water during a sexually heated moment. Breaking it down when she and Tristan are finally taking things all the way and she is realizing how endowed he is, she says she is grateful that she was unconscious when she was violated as a young teenager. Insert several expletives here. Any respect I had for her or the author just went up in smoke with that stupidly ludicrous statement.
I finished the book but at that point I was more than over Kady and was finishing it to be able to give a proper review.
Some readers maybe able to overlook the shortcomings of both characters and be totally in love with the book, but for me in may ways she just wasn’t really worthy of Tristan. She needed more of a spine to be able to hold his attention is my feeling. I totally get that she was traumatized when she was younger and in some ways she is still a bit immature. She did show some growth and came to a bit of self-actualization, which was very nice to see. Unfortunately the author did not do her a service by having her act so brain dead at times.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I was thrown off with Tristan, the man and Father Cleary, the priest. I suppose I always thought of a priest as holy and while still faulty and human, always striving to be a better man and follow in god’s path. Instead, Tristan behaved, thought, and swore like a biker and treated Kady with very little forgiveness. He said he felt a calling when he was nine, but it was hard to picture him as a devout anything with his actions and thoughts.
As a romance, there were intense graphic scenes, but Kady took the brunt of his indecision, and it was heartbreaking for her. I felt a lot of hypocrisy as he thought it was
ok to live a double life and expected Kady to go along with it.
The redeeming factor was when he finally left the church and realized that it did not make him less of a man in God’s eyes
Tristan is finally free to love Kady and God in a way that honors his vows to her as well as to God.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a very hard read for me, there was so much pain that both of these characters have gone through.
Beautiful written book with so much emotions that it broke my heart at times but I was rooting for them to find some peace, and a way to bridge the gap that had form in the years that they were apart.
His love for God, was is stronger than the love of a woman?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A steamy read with a huge amount of angst. But I had a difficult time reconciling Tristan’s anger with his chosen profession. Yes, he is human but his anger to Kadence seemed over the top and completely against what his own Holy Book teaches.
Luke 6:37 – Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
James 1: 19-20 – let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
But I could not put this down. I had to read it to the end to find out if they get their HEA!
Great story from start to near the end, the ending wrapped up to fast. Most of this was long and deeply connected from Tristan to Kady and to the reader but getting towards the end it was going by very fast and glossed over when he chased her to her apartment in Portland from Indiana, him pouring his heart out then next paged their married and a few sentences about what happened but mo the later. That part throw me, I’m 100% invested in this story and to have that, I’m in a tailspin.
Okay some triggers to think about and or be warned before reading… Rape- Kady was raped at 19 by Reese, Tristan’s fraternal twin brother, and 10 weeks later Tristan finds out why’s she in the ER and what she had and lost from something she can’t remember from that night, this event will have him laying all the blame, all the hurtful words at her feet. Wh0ring, Tristan will be hate screwing women for 6 years right after the ER visit and before he vows of chastity, for 5 years as an ordained priest.
His hate lasted 11 years and counting. . Her shame and brokenness to stay in hiding and running will for years in different states will come to ta stop when her father is diagnosed with cancer and comes back to her hometown and try to even hide there in her parents home so she didn’t have to see the only man she loved throw blame. But with her father’s condition she came to a conclusion to finally tell her soulmate what really happened but she wasn’t expecting a tissed off priest with a black heart and hateful words spurring out of his mouth. Tristan isn’t the boy she loved and lost but Father Clearly is a brooding ticking time bomb. Count down to the Explosion.
This is a very emotional read. To say that Tristan and Kady’s relationship history is complicated is a very big understatement. With betrayal, heartbreak, anger and pain tainting Tristian’s heart for years afterwards, he is far from receptive when Kady shows up looking to explain. The angst level is very high as these two struggle to deal with everything that happened before and the now, which offers its own complications. Steamy, dramatic and poignant, this book is both intriguing and engaging.
From page 1 of this book I knew it was going to be good.
Father McCleary gave his heart once to a girl, the girl of his dreams only to have her leave town and him behind. So he turned to his second love, the church and God. They would never leave him. Through the years he knew about Kady’s coming and goings in the town to see her family, but never run into her. Until she sought him out, to tell him her version of the truth. Only he doesn’t care anymore, he’s done. He’s moved on. So should she. his brain says one thing, but his heart says another thing.
The story is full of highs and lows. I felt for both of them. This is a story about love, forgiveness, and acceptance. The characters are relatable and the plot moves at a good pace to keep you interested.
Good read