He’s almost a priest, and I guess even holy men can fall… friendship forms between them—followed by a white hot attraction they desperately try to ignore—a revelation shakes them both to their core. Lily and Salem soon find themselves connected in powerful and unexpected ways.
Turns out, Lily isn’t the only heathen, and Salem is just the right person to stoke the fire within her, despite his sacred vow of celibacy…
HEATHENS is book one of the HEATHENS series. It is highly recommended that all books be read in order to understand the overarching plot of the series. All books have a HEA and don’t end in cliffhangers.
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*KU READ
Heathens is unlike anything I have read. That is the first thing I want to say. This book has themes I have read, human trafficking, sex trade, and all that entails. BUT the storyline is different, engaging, and deeply rooted in the Catholic religion.
Salem is in the process of becoming a priest when he finds the woman of his dreams. Now he will have to make a lot of decisions for his future. Lilly is that woman and she is in the process to find her friend that was taken two years ago in a sex trafficking act. While Salem and Lilly are in the middle of finding their relationship, these two will also engage in finding the people behind this horrible act and find Lilly’s friend.
I highly recommend this story if you are looking for something unique and intriguing to read.
This is the first book in the Heathens series. I was hooked from page one of this book. It was great. Lily’s search to find her friend, she’s willing to do anything to bring her back. This story is dark, and deals with a lot of dark subjects. But, it’s beautifully written, and the characters are all wonderful, and flawed. You feel for the and and what they are going through. Lily has dealt with some stuff so has Salem. But, when they find each other, they fit. I definitely recommend this book, it’s a quick, enjoyable read. But be aware that it deals with dark subjects, such as human trafficking, rape (although it doesn’t go into detail about this), and drugs. This author is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
This deals with some dark events namely human trafficking.
The central story here revolves around Lilith an American girl living in Paris who has managed to escape from a kidnapping where she was going to be sold into slavery.
Her friend Evelyn who was also taken at the same time wasn’t so lucky and now Lilith spends her time in Paris working on getting her back refusing to believe like all else that she is dead and gone.
Salem is a priest in training and he becomes fascinated with Lilith when he observes her regularly praying at his church where he has yet to take his final vows.
His chaotic lifestyle choices and a personal tragedy led him to embrace this calling and what he believes is a greater purpose.
From the moment he connects with Lily on a personal level he recognises the broken in her and she calls to his very soul.
The more time they spend together he swiftly concludes that’s she holds equal importance for him to his faith and when their goals align their lives unexpectedly colliding he’s totally onboard the two joining forces to achieve their goals together.
So though this had an unconventional relationship at its centre it didn’t feel that taboo.
It’s also very slow burn which it needed to be and this did work the two becoming friends first then lovers.
It’s told from three POV’s Lilith, Salem and Evelyn and also skips back and forth in time from past to present.
It’s not really a dark read despite the subject matter and the romance here is actually very sweet and heartwarming.
It’s very well written and was an easy read and it sets things up nicely for the next book in the series which is a stand-alone and Evelyn’s.
The hero for that one is Benedict who we also meet here, I enjoyed this one a lot and do recommend it.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Heathen’s.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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