Stories & Updates

“Priest” by Sierra Simone is by far the hottest, sexiest, take-your-breath-away book I have read this year. “Forgive us our sins” is the tag line on the front of the book and I feel like it applies, because after reading it, I felt like a sinner in all the best ways.

“Priest” isn’t just another sexy romance. It builds and breaks a lot of the molds of the romance genre. The story is written in the perspective of Father Tyler Bell a young priest seeking to prove to the community they can have faith in the church and its leaders. Since romance novels are typically written through the female protagonist’s perspective, this change really gave depth to the book that had me begging for more after each chapter and showed a new side to the romantic story.

Not only that, but Sierra Simone did masterful work in laying little breadcrumbs that the reader picks up about other characters and their motivations that you don’t see until later. Every detail and bit of dialogue had a purpose and impacted the story or characters in some way.

I truly loved reading “Priest” by Sierra Simone. It broke down the walls of my expectation, built them anew, and was the perfect amount of hot and sexy. I went in expecting the novel to go a certain way and I was pleasantly surprised with every chapter and twist. The ending caught me by surprise and had me feeling emotions I didn’t even know I had!  

Thank you so much to Sierra Simone for this amazing novel. I already have the novella and the sequel on my wish list to read in the future. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for me after falling in love with “Priest”.

“A Promise Beneath the Kissing Bough” by Tabetha Waite has been one of my favorite reads so far this year. This lovely novella had me squealing with delight and looking forward to every chapter of Cornell and Pleasant’s story.

Admittedly, I’ve always been a bit intimidated by Regency Romances. Keeping track of rules of society, language, and all that has always made me nervous to dive in, but I’m glad I did! This was the perfect book to start with! If you have the same hesitation, I HIGHLY recommend this book for you!

“A Promise Beneath the Kissing Bough” had me falling in love with not only the characters but also the world around them.  The story flowed flawlessly and had me ingrained in every aspect of the story and the world the book was written around. I was drawn in by Cornell and his past, his station—or lack thereof. Pleasant’s situation and the struggles she faced seemed so real. My heart ached every time she faced another challenge to simply get by and give her siblings a happy Christmas.

Truly, this book had me flying high in a reader’s cloud for days. I recommend this novella to all, even if you’ve never thought to try historical/regency romance. It’s a spectacular story about a down on her luck woman working hard to provide for her family and a confident man who is looking to just live his simple life. It will draw you in and leave you in a perfect Happily Ever After. Be sure to pick up a copy now and join me in my love for “A Promise Beneath the Kissing Bough” by Tabetha Waite!

I want to say a special thank you to our wonderful author, Tabetha Waite, for this spectacular novella and for participating in a quick interview about the book and her process. Thank you so much for letting us peak behind the curtain and giving us more books to be excited about!

 1) When did you first come up with the idea for this novella? 

The idea for this novella stemmed from Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol.” I originally wrote it as part of an anthology, and I knew I wanted to write about common characters and the trials they might have faced during the holiday season. 

2) The characters in this novella have such fantastic personalities that make them leap from the page. What was the inspiration for Cornell Reed and Pleasant Hill and how both of their situations came about to make such a wondrous romance? 

That one is just from my imagination! Cornell and Pleasant honestly just told me their story. When I sit down to write, I have a general idea of what I want the story to be about, but it may go off in a completely different direction. Writers always say their characters speak to them, and in most cases, that is true for me as well.

3) There were so many scenes in this book that had me giggling in delight. Did you have a favorite scene when writing the novella? 

I liked it when Pleasant got to visit Cornell’s brother. She had a chance at seeing what it was like to live a completely different lifestyle. I had the cover for inspiration for her green dress. I usually have those completed before I even start a story, as they help me to draw inspiration. Just looking at a picture of the story to come will help to set up the scenes.

4) You’ve written many historical romance novels and novellas! Can you give us some insight into your draw towards the genre and your writing process? 

I’ve always loved historical romance. I started out reading about American history, and then it evolved over time into English. I guess the titles and manners and just the overall, proper way of life they lived has always fascinated me. I enjoy the Victorian era as well, but I daresay the gowns were more comfortable in the Regency! 

5) What future projects can we look forward to seeing from you? (Anything with Xavier Reed who I absolutely fell in love with?! ;p) 

I fear that Cornell and Pleasant have ended their story with a HEA, of course! However, I am thinking of writing about more commoners in future books, as the wheels in my head are already spinning! At the moment I’m concentrating on finishing up my Season of the Spinster series. 

Thank you again to Tabetha Waite for doing the interview and for writing an amazing novella! I look forward to my next adventure into your stories!