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REVIEW: Sins of the Father by Isabel Lucero
Sins of the Father – Isabel Lucero
He comes to me through a lattice in a confessional booth in my church.
He’s brash, vulgar, and confessing to things that would send him to hell, and yet, I find myself intrigued by the mysterious man.
His sinful words thrill me. His way of life, so different from my own, has me coveting excitement that’s long been missing. The more I’m around him, the more I realize how long I’ve been deprived of so much, and the more my own deviance begins to emerge.
On paper, nothing about the two of us makes sense, and there are many reasons why I should keep my distance. I try to be pious, but if anyone were to find the skeletons in my closet, I’d be excommunicated from the church.
When something from my past reveals itself, I find myself being pulled into a way of life I didn’t think would be in my future, and now I straddle the line between right and wrong. Morality vs necessity.
I’m a priest. He’s a murderer. But we’re both sinners.
Sins of the Father is a standalone novel by Isabel Lucero about a forbidden romance between a priest and a hitman.
Father Carlo’s world shifts when a mysterious man delivers a cheeky non‑confession that awakens desires he’s long suppressed. The man, Javier, returns with provocative questions, eventually meeting Carlo face‑to‑face. His shameless flirting leads Carlo to discover a hidden taste for kink, turning a self-flogging session into eroticism
Their affair is tested when Carlo’s estranged father summons him back to inherit a legacy he resists. With threats to Carlo’s life and unaware of their connection, Carlo’s father hires Javier as his bodyguard. Determined to protect his priest, Javier finds himself caught between loyalty and love.
From their first faceless encounter in the confessional to the explosive finale, Javi and Carlo’s chemistry is electric. Carlo folds rather quickly, understandable, given his resolved is not iron-clad, having been forced into priesthood by a father who rejected his sexuality.
While Carlo struggled, we are spare much of the woes about faith and sexuality by having our priest go on a sabbatical and thus free to sow his oats with clear conscience. Javi, delighted to have a bonafide priest, had plenty of fun with the priestly vestments. Despite it being kinky, their connection is also surprisingly tender, genuine and deep.
Javi, a Latino hitman who hires his services to the mafia, shares a close bond with Carlo’s father, whom he’s also tasked to protect though has no idea of their familial ties. While some twists are predictable, the revelation of Carlo’s identity still lands with impact, especially told through Carlo’s perspective, where we only glimpse Javi’s reactions.
The mafia subplot is as compelling as the romance, as we witness Carlo’s transformation from reluctant priest to newly appointed heir amid gunfire and betrayal. Their father and son reconciliation is bittersweet, adding weight to the story’s emotional core.
Though Carlo trades one shackle for another, he ultimately embraces his legacy and really came to his own here with a violent yet liberating resolution, in a move worthy of Michael Corleone.
Sins of the Father is a story of fallen apples that are ripe for the taking. Dark, sensual, and irreverent, overall, it’s proves that forbidden fruits are worth the fall!
Rating
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Sin
Artist: Nyline
Album:
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SINS OF THE FATHER: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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REVIEW: Unholy by Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine
Park Avenue Kings: Unholy – Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine
He hears my confessions.
Now he can’t unhear them.I keep showing up to church.
I don’t speak. I don’t confess. I just sit there—close enough to remember what it felt like to be his.Father Rafael Vitale thinks he can keep this professional.
Measured. Contained. Holy.I’m none of those things.
I’m Alessio Trentacapelli—the technocrat of the Park Avenue Kings. I live in shadows, break systems, and protect my brothers at any cost. I still believe in God. I just don’t forgive Him for demanding the man I love.
Rafael is discipline and devotion.
I’m want and resentment and everything he was never supposed to crave.We were boys together. Then lovers.
Then nothing we were allowed to keep.Now we’re orbiting each other again behind a confessional screen—through silence, ritual, and everything we refuse to say out loud. Every look lingers. Every boundary bends. And every time he tells me no, it hurts worse than the last.
Because the priest with the steady hands and the quiet voice?
He remembers me.And then we cross a line we both know by heart.
If he makes me choose between losing him again…
or giving in to something we can’t take back—I already know which sin I’ll commit.
Unholy is the finale of the riveting billionaire romance series, Park Avenue Kings by Ella Frank and Brook Blaine. The series follows the key members of the secret society, Libertine, known as the Kings. With the bad guys already vanquished in the last installment, the focus here is the romance.
Our final King is Alessio Trentacapelli, the billionaire hacker not-so-secretly in love with his childhood friend, Father Rafael Vitale, the Kings’ confessor. Picking up from the events of the previous book, Ruthless, Alessio is haunted by his failure to find the bad guys and his guilt only intensified his pining for Father Vitale.
Until one night he appears on the confessional drunk, baring his soul so raw it shakes our good priest to his core. And set them on a forbidden path of no return.
With all his brooding in the entire series, especially over a man he can’t have, I expected this to be angsty and boy, did it bleed angst. With his brothers happily coupled up, our boy Alessio is bitter that he can’t have his HEA. The amount of pining made my heart ache, especially with Rafael so close yet so far and Alessio can only watch him on his camera and window while he secretly lives across the street from the church.
I expected the drunken confession, yet the scene is still a devastating hit to the kokoro. I recommend audiobooking this for maximum impact.
Rafael and Alessio were boyfriends when they were teenagers. Their paths diverged when Rafael’s parents died and in his grief he turned to religion. Alessio remained loyal for 15 years. It’s ridiculously romantic how they were each other’s first and only. Their chemistry is absolutely nuclear!
I loved how the writers handled the religious theme. Despite his conflicting feelings, Rafael’s struggle is almost gentle rather than tortured. It took him a while though. Ultimately, faith was not condemned but rather reconciled with love and never preachy. The resolution affirms all forms of love, culminating in an uplifting epilogue where the Kings and their families celebrate together.
On a super minor note, it seems every other Italian character’s last name is Vitale, Morelli, or Moretti. I’m happy Alessio’s last name is Trentacapelli. Also, we barely see the rest of the Kings, I wanted more interaction with them.
Unholy is a story of forbidden love and enduring devotion where faith and sexuality coexist. Overall, a beautiful conclusion to an epic series that affirms what is truly hallowed: the courage to choose love, no matter the odds.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Unholy
Artist: Lilith Czar
Album: Created From Filth And DustP.S.
Park Avenue Kings is best read in order and easily one of the most bingeable series out there now that it’s complete.
Savage – Lachlan and Cooper making masks and disasters work
Devilish – Lucien and Kai finding the ideal dynamic among books and constellations
Immoral – Benoit and Dmitri doing a dance of danger and seduction
Merciless & Ruthless – Theo and Shep navigating friendship, desire, and abduction
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If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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RELEASE BLITZ: Unholy by Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Divine Judgement by Mell Eight (Excerpt)
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COVER REVEAL: Unholy by Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine
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SOUNDTRACK: Enemy Mind by Priest, Sin So Sweet by Walter Zeiders, & Kiss Kill by Michelle
Soundtrack to The Morelli Family: Enticed By The Enemy by Leighton Greene
Enemy Mind by Priest for a book about a broken faith in justice, an alliance between enemies, and a life on the line.
I heard you calling to me softly
Your bones were shaking in the wind
Your face was glowing like a halo
Concealing everything within
Look at me my faith is shallow
You make me want to back away
And if I feel like this tomorrow
I know we’ll never be the sameTry to run from the enemy fire
Take a breath and try to open my eyesSoundtrack to The Morelli Family: Seduced By A Sinner by Leighton Greene
Sin So Sweet by Walter Zeiders for a book about innocence, religion, and desire.
Hang up your wings, crawl into me
Cover me up under your sheets
Roll back your eyes, sink in your teeth
Show me that side nobody sees
I’m addicted to you, you’re addicted to me
I’ve never tasted sin so sweetSoundtrack to The Morello Family: Kissed By A Killer by Leighton Greene
Kiss/Kill by Michelle for a book about betrayal, murder, and forbidden desires.
My need, by me, so close I could taste it
I pick it up to let you fall
I want you out, I want it all
Salivate, anticipate, brace for some kind of heartache
I know it’s foolish to pretend
I wouldn’t do it in the endKiss kill, kiss kill
Won’t you tell me which will, which will
Falling for you downhill, downhill
Crave another kiss kill, kiss kill
Kiss kill, kiss kill…
Lean in, blown back, no feeling compares to that
I brush it off to start again
Knowin’ exactly how it ends
Tempted, temptress, big dream made a big mess
It hurts to covet how I can
Pain and desire makе a man
If I were less of what I am
Wouldn’t bе dying to start again -
I heard you calling to me softly
Your bones were shaking in the wind
Your face was glowing like a halo
Concealing everything within
Look at me my faith is shallow
You make me want to back away
And if I feel like this tomorrow
I know we’ll never be the sameTry to run from the enemy fire
Take a breath and try to open my eyes
Gave my heart to the charity line
Try to run from my enemy mindWill we always sit in the front row
Or will we have to slip out the back door?
It’s not a mystery that you’re such a rare find
But is it up to me is it all mine?
How can we give back what is always there?
What is the right track do you even care?
I count on history for the reasons I find
I want to hear the voices in the back of your mindI heard you calling me a savior
Your bones were shaking like the wind
But you’re still walking in my shadow
After everything I did
Look at me my breath is shallow
I want to turn and run away
And if I feel like this tomorrow
I know we’ll never be the sameTry to run from the enemy fire
Take a breath and try to open my eyes
Gave my heart to the charity line…Will we always sit in the front row
Or will we have to slip out the back door?
It’s not a mystery that you’re such a rare find
But is it up to me is it all mine?
How can we give back what is always there?
What is the right track do you even care?
I count on history for the reasons I find
I want to hear the voices in the back of your mindNobody knows your body so
We’re leavin’ details in my mind
If holdin’ you’s wrong, don’t call me right
Lock me out of Heaven for the nightHang up your wings, crawl into me
Cover me up under your sheets
Roll back your eyes, sink in your teeth
Show me that side nobody sees
I’m addicted to you, you’re addicted to me
I’ve never tasted sin so sweetNo Novocain, wanna feel everything
I want the pleasure, don’t hold the pain
Light this ice-cold soul on fire
Whisper all your dark desiresHang up your wings, crawl into me
Cover me up under your sheets
Roll back your eyes, sink in your teeth
Show mе that side that nobody sees
I’m addicted to you, you’re addictеd to me
I’ve never tasted sin so sweet
I’m using you, you’re using me
I’ve never tasted sin so sweet
Hang up your wings, crawl into me
Cover me up under your sheets
Roll back your eyes, sink in your teeth
Show me that side nobody sees
I’m addicted to you, you’re addicted to me
I’ve never tasted sin so sweet
I’m using you, you’re using me
I’ve never tasted sin so sweetMy need, by me, so close I could taste it
I pick it up to let you fall
I want you out, I want it all
Salivate, anticipate, brace for some kind of heartache
I know it’s foolish to pretend
I wouldn’t do it in the end
Become a lover then a friend
Add to a stunning collectionKiss kill, kiss kill
Won’t you tell me which will, which will
Falling for you downhill, downhill
Crave another kiss kill, kiss kill
Kiss kill, kiss kill
Won’t you tell me which will, which will
Falling for you downhill, downhill
Crave another kiss kill, kiss kill
Kiss killLean in, blown back, no feeling compares to that
I brush it off to start again
Knowin’ exactly how it ends
Tempted, temptress, big dream made a big mess
It hurts to covet how I can
Pain and desire makе a man
If I were less of what I am
Wouldn’t bе dying to start againKiss kill, kiss kill
Won’t you tell me which will, which will
Falling for you downhill, downhill
Crave another kiss kill, kiss kill
Kiss kill, kiss kill
Won’t you tell me which will, which will
Falling for you downhill, downhill
Crave another kiss kill, kiss kill
Kiss killKiss kill
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PREORDER BLAST: Gay for Pray by F.A. Ray
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REVIEW: Mercy by Ian Haramaki
Mercy – Ian Haramaki
A PRIEST AND HIS ANGEL…
Father Ilya Pavlovich Sokolovis a lonely priest and pariah of his small town. Tasked with killing an injured monster in the woods, Ilya is certain of his death. Instead, he heals the monster’s injury and lifts its curse, revealing a handsome, memory-less man.
Cocksure Danya is a man lost in an unfamiliar world. He struggles to recall his past life, flashes returning as he and Ilya grow closer. Soon, his appearance begins to change once more, but not into a beast — instead, Danya grows into something just like the Sun that Ilya has worshiped all his life.
With complicated pasts between them, the two must work together to deal with the corruption of Ilya’s own church, as well as their blooming feelings for one another.
Mercy by new-to-me author Ian Haramaki has that irresistibly eye-catching cover typically found in YA books, so I went into it blind.
The opening chapter is a mesmerizing scene of the unpopular priest-healer, Ilya Sokolovis, forced by the townsfolk to slay the beast in the forest, only to secretly take the beast back to his church to heal it. The beast then transformed into a man, Danya, who had no memory of what had happened to him.
The following chapters felt like time was standing still, a.k.a. nothing was happening. The pace trickled like molasses as the grumpy, neurotic, and touch-starved Ilya struggled with his attraction to the undeniably lovable Danya, who promptly latched on to the young priest with the enthusiasm of a Labrador retriever.
As cute as all that, it was a struggle to continue, and I had to put the book on hiatus twice. It was that blah, which was too bad because it had many interesting aspects, and the premise was intriguing. The pairing of an angel and a priest isn’t something I encountered often, and I need more of it!
The setting is a Russian-flavored alt-history set in the 1920s, in a small town. Most of the technology, such as radios and telephones, was invented by a woman, which we later learn was connected to one of the MCs.
Their religion worships the Sun Mother and Moon Father. Ilya is a priest of the Sun, a position he inherited from his father. Magic and magical creatures exist, and angels, who were sons of the Sun, and demons, who were creatures of the night, show their presence to humans.
Their world captured my interest, but unfortunately, it wasn’t well-developed. It mainly included fleeting references with minimal details. The elements felt like a jumble of surface-level fantasy, a vague historical atmosphere, and modern language that seemed out of place and didn’t blend with the overall setting. And there wasn’t any magic done all, which was a huge disappointment.
Ilya’s late father is well-loved by the town, and when he fell ill and died, the people blamed 10-year-old Ilya because he could not heal his father. This is a grudge they have carried until now. His mother was especially bitter and harsh, and she hated him with vitriol. Ilya did all he could to avoid her.
Understandably, Ilya is a mass of guilt, anxiety, and woes. Unfortunately, most priestly love interests are of this mold, which I found rather tiresome. The only man of the cloth I knew who’s chill and happy with himself is the motorcycle-riding vicar Archie Thorne of Seven Summer Nights by Harper Fox. That was a joy to read, so give us a happy gay priest MC, please!
The plot is very romance-centric, and happily, it delivered! The pace also sped up considerably when the two MCs became romantically involved. The dynamics between Danya and Ilya were fun, fluffy, and hella swoony, and I loved how the author played off their opposite personalities. Most of the conflict was external, and this highlighted the strength of their bond and protective instincts.
Danya and Ilya went overboard with the Russian petnames, which were silly but also ridiculously cute! Danya, truly a son of the Sun living up to being Ilya’s solnishko, just wants to love on his human, protect him at all costs, and tinker with his many gadgets. His positive effect on Ilya made the book worth reading!
Mercy is a story of healing and embracing happiness. It has a lot of potential, and with better execution, it could have been a real gem. It might be slow-paced and simplistic in some aspects, but the love story at its core shines true.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Light Prayer
Artist: School Food Punishment
Album: amp-reflection
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Mercy. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
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REVIEW: Where the Devil Says Goodnight by K.A. Merikan
Folk Lore: Where the Devil Says Goodnight – K.A. Merikan
— Forgive me, Father, for I will sin —
Adam. Catholic priest. Celibate. Does not yield to temptation.
Emil. Sinner. Seducer. Snake. Hot as hell itself.After a sheltered childhood ruled by religion, all Adam wants is to be a good priest and make his parents proud. But it’s hard to stay virtuous in a big city like Warsaw, and when he makes one slip up, his life spirals into ruin. He is sent to a tiny mountain village where he hopes to live down his shame and work on restraint.
But staying celibate becomes far from easy when he meets Emil, a local man with long dark hair, a mysterious past, and as little morality as he has luck. Emil has no qualms about flirting with a priest. Worse still, he seems hell-bent on tasting forbidden fruit and unearthing the desires Adam has always kept hidden.
The odd village hides secrets far more sinister than Adam’s insatiable lust for Emil. Old Slavic magic looms everywhere. Superstition mixes with reality. Someone is watching his every move. Someone follows him in the dark, lurking in the shadows of the ancient forest. Adam is plagued by disturbing events, and Emil could be his only salvation even if he is the devil himself.
Can a priest shepherd the black sheep to safety or has he been the wolf all along?
POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
Genre: Dark, paranormal M/M romance
Erotic content: Scorching hot, emotional, explicit scenes
Themes: Occult, witchcraft, Slavic superstition and myth, folklore, priest, forbidden love, hurt/comfort, metalhead, little town, temptation, religion, paganism, cult, old gods, possession, demons, magic, homophobia, bigotry, prejudice, coming out, fish out of water, soul mates, mysterious man, tease and denial
Length: ~ 120,000 words (standalone)WARNING: This story contains scenes of violence, offensive language, self-harm, and morally ambiguous characters.
I’ve wanted to read this ever since they unveiled that gorgeous cover. The thing is, K.A. Merikan is a hit or miss with me. It took two tries before this book finally stuck.
Where The Devil Says Goodnight has a setting rarely seen in MM romance. The story mostly took place in a small Polish village of Dybukowo, picturesque, eerie, and timeless in a way that feels jarring whenever they mention modern technology like internet or cellphones.
Father Adam, a young priest caught with a porn mag in his room, was sent from Warsaw to the village to keep him away from temptation. But temptation came in the form of a tattooed metalhead and village pariah Emil. At first, Adam tried offering just his friendship, but the lure was too strong, and with a dark entity giving him all his deepest, darkest desires, it wasn’t long until Emil and he became secret lovers.
I was ready to dive deep into everything the story promised to offer. Occultism, Slavic paganism, dark magic and how they blend and clash with Catholicism is fascinating to someone whose own country, halfway across the world from Poland, is similarly influenced. These are the best parts of the story, and they made the horror elements extra creepy.
Sadly, the book didn’t delve deeply enough into these, just touching the surface. The plot straddles the line between paranormal and horror. The midnight church scene scared me the most when narrator Wyatt Baker used special effects for his demon voice. Man, it gave me a jolt! And that was when I fully committed.
The paranormal elements were mostly lowkey, the kind that Adam would shrug off as his imagination or thought he was being gaslighted. I preferred the paranormal to be more overt, just so there would be excitement to keep the plot from dragging. The story moved slowly, with only the narrator’s energetic delivery to keep me going. And it’s a long ass book too.
I am not a fan of religious officials as gay romantic leads because they tend to be miserably hard on themselves. The story is in dual POV. Adam’s internal dialogue is childishly naive, self-flagellatory and mistrustful, making him pathetic rather than sympathetic. The man willingly sleeps with Emil, then gives me whiplash with his denials and accusations right after.
I hate it when people, cheaters especially, don’t take responsibility for their actions. Instead they blame the “seducer,” the “tempter,” or the devil for leading them into sin. Almost always after they do the deed, Adam would blame Emil for leading him away from the righteous path, even accusing the poor guy of putting a spell on him. Dude, you can always say no and walk away. Emil wasn’t holding a gun to your head.
Emil is the more interesting character, a country bad boy who’s more worldly than the virgin city mouse while also a cinnamon roll of sorts. The villagers consider him as a cursed good-for-nothing. He comes from a family of whisperer women, a kind of witch or shaman dealing with the old gods of the land. His most loyal companion is his black stallion, Jinx.
Emil tries his hand at various endeavors, from palm reading to wine making, so he could earn enough money to leave. The man really tried but with his abysmal bad luck, there’s always one reason or another he cannot leave the village. A lonely gay man with few options and a non-believer, he has no qualms sleeping with a closeted priest he soon fell in love with.
The romance was my least favorite simply because I wasn’t convinced it would work. There’s too much lack of trust for them to function as a couple. But I’m glad I stuck around till the end, because when Adam let his beast out, and a fabulous beast he is, he was way more likable. I wish he did it earlier, because it was almost too late, but he and Emil finally convinced me they were it.
Where The Devil Says Goodnight was a tough read but worth it in the end. The almost unconvincing romance and unlikable MC was offset by the atmospheric setting, the fascinating glimpse into Slavic culture, and a satisfying conclusion that made all the difference. YMMV but all in all, a mix bag of blessings and curses.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Tethered Bones
Artist: Talos
Album:
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WHERE THE DEVIL SAYS GOODNIGHT: Kindle | Audiobook
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