SAINT by Sierra Simone
Release Date: September 7th Saint is a meditation. It's a revelation. It's heaven and hell. Joy and agony. It's ahhhhhmaaaaazing. It's been a while since I've been in the world of the Bell brothers and what a world it is. Gah. While I found the previous two novels in this series to be unique and impossible to put down, Saint was so unexpectedly compelling that it was almost shocking to me. I wish I could adequately express exactly my reading experience but how do you put into words the image of me just staring off into space contemplating the various dilemmas presented and eventual conclusions that Aiden (aka Father Patrick) came to? Honestly. Sierra Simone actually made me miss going to church and I cannot tell you the last time I actually had that thought (literally-decades).
The barrier to an Aiden and Elijah happily ever after, as you can see from the synopsis, are challenging (understatement, right). I mean the brother's best friend...we can work around that. The engagement? Those can be broken. Being in an exclusive relationship with God. Ummmm, how's that gonna work? Well as Sierra Simone has shown us time and time again, there's no such thing as too challenging in her book worlds. She takes each of these issues and, in a sometimes anxiety inducing way, manages to have her characters figure it out. No lie, there were times when this process of getting to the HEA was painful, but there were also times when it was delightfully naughty, or incredibly thoughtful, and most definitely there were times when it felt like pure joy.
Out of all the novels in this series, I think this one might be my favorite (so far). I loved contemplating the questions that Aiden's dilemmas posed. I also loved the hints of answers that are given. And I especially loved the various conversations and opportunities to consider all of the ways religion and its institutions work or don't work for us. The removal of the suffocatingly strict binary that often times seems (seemed) like the only choice was a beautiful thing and I so very much enjoyed exploring the ideas that surrounded the removal of that binary.
At this point, I'm rambling and it only probably makes sense to me. So I'll end where I began. This novel, Saint, was a revelation. A meditation. Heaven and hell. Joy and agony. And I'm jealous of all of you who get to read it for the first time.
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