Synopsis:
USA TODAY BESTSELLING authors, Terri E. Laine and
A.M. Hargrove bring a new full-length standalone, Contemporary Romance novel.
Since I was a boy, my
desire was to marry the church. To give my vows and life over to God despite
the corruption in my soul.
I am a sinner, the
embodiment of temptation, or so I’ve been told.
Yet, I’ve never touched,
never kissed, never sought the company of another until her.
She is my weakness, my
salvation, my downfall and my freedom. Our sins are bound tighter than fate.
My name is Canaan. I am an
ordained Roman Catholic priest, forever and always.
Her name is Haven. She may
be my destiny, my destruction.
This is not a love story,
but rather a confession of all my sins.
Warning - A Beautiful Sin is a forbidden romance
that blurs lines between passion and religious faith. Please be warned, the
subject matter may be offensive to some readers.
Add to your TBR on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1U2Vidn
4 Stars
Review by Jen Skewes
Canaan has known since he was a young boy that he wanted to
become a priest. It was his passion in
life. This book starts off with a
glimpse into the life of a fourteen year old Canaan. You get to see just how important his Faith
is to him. How passionate he is about it
and about one day joining the priesthood.
But we also see a moment in his life that will make you sick with knots
in your stomach. It was the moment where
I knew that this story was so much more than a forbidden romance. As a grown man who is now known to others as
Father Canaan, he carries around a secret that is like a ten pound ton of
weight on his shoulders. And as the reader
you know what his secret is. You know
because when you see him as a young 14 year old you know that, that was the
moment that broke him and has caused him to be the damaged man that he is today. Yes he loves what he does and where he is in
life but deep down he is still very much a broken man. While he has dealt with his past in his own
way, when he is called back to his hometown everything comes back to haunt
him.
Haven is just as broken as Canaan but for different
reasons. Or maybe in ways the are very
much the same. Haven’s life took a turn
for the worst when her mother passed away and schwas sent to live with her aunt and uncle. She wanted nothing more than to escape the devil himself but until she
was 18 she had no choice but to stay.
She is now all grown up living on her own and trying to make something
of herself. She is a very talented
artist and is on her way back to her hometown to display her art.
While excited about showing off her art work she is afraid of running
right into her past, literally.
Canaan and Haven went to school with each other but they
didn’t really know each other. They had
one encounter when Canaan was 14 and since that day, Haven has hated him. She needed help and he turned her away. He thought he was saving her that day but in truth he
only made things worse for her. Haven
sees that he is nothing like the person she expcted him to be. She is actually very fond of him and also
very attracted to him which she knows is so wrong for more than one
reason. But she cannot help it. She is drawn to him and I think you can say
the same about Canaan when it comes to Haven.
But there is no way that they can have anything more than a
friendship. Can they? Hmmm you will have to read this one to find
out.
I could not wait to read this book. I love a forbidden romance, but what I drew
me in was the nature of the relationship and why it was forbidden. I have only read one book where the main hero
is a priest. It is not the typical
forbidden romance that I am normally used to reading. As much as I was drawn to this book I also
wasn’t 100% sure it was something I would be able to get through. Not only was I raised as a Catholic, but I
also went to Catholic school. And this
may sound weird but for me to see a priest as someone other than a priest
didn’t seem possible to me. I was afraid
I wouldn’t feel the connection to the hero or feel the attraction that the main
characters have towards each other. And
I can sit here and say that I had nothing to be concerned about where this
story is concerned, because I felt the undeniable connection between the two
main characters. I felt it all with
them, so much so that I was rooting for them to come to terms with their
feelings for each other and be able to act on them. That’s not wrong is it?
I really enjoyed this book.
The beginning was a little hard to get into because for me it was a bit
slow at times. I think it was because
when it came to Canaan’s point of view it dealt with his job and hi faith more
than anything. I personally wanted more
when it came to his past. I didn’t need
details but more emotions from him about it.
I felt that there were one or two things that I wanted more of an
explanation for which would explain his emotions and actions in the present
day.
With that being said when Canaan and Haven start to become
closer and you see the feelings that they are starting to have this story picks
up. For me the second half is what made
this book and what I loved about it. I
felt the connection between them. They
had these easy way about them. Even if
they couldn’t be more than friends you knew there was an attraction and
connection. You could feel how much
Canaan cared about Haven and wanted to protect her. And it wasn't just because it was his job as a
priest to do so, it was because he truly cared about her.
I loved Haven and what I loved even more was her
relationship with her best friend. They
have been friends since they were kids.
She has been with Haven through everything. They have an amazing friendship that made me
smile and laugh. I loved the discussions that they had about life and men, especially when it came to Father Canaan.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. And the epilogue was simply priceless. It left me with a huge smile on my face. It was perfect!!!
About the Authors:
A.M. Hargrove:
One day, on her way home
from work as a sales manager, USA Today bestselling author, A. M. Hargrove,
realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn't do something soon, it
would be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her
whole life. So she made a quick decision to quit her job and reinvented herself
as a Naughty and Nice Romance Author.
She fancies herself all of
the following: Reader, Writer, Dark Chocolate Lover, Ice Cream Worshipper,
Coffee Drinker (swears the coffee, chocolate, and ice cream should be added as
part of the USDA food groups), Lover of Grey Goose (and an extra dirty
martini), #WalterThePuppy Lover, and if you’re ever around her for more than
five minutes, you’ll find out she’s a non-stop talker.
Terri E. Laine:
Terri E. Laine, USA Today
bestselling author, left a lucrative career as a CPA to pursue her love for
writing. Outside of her roles as a wife and mother of three, she’s always been
a dreamer and as such became an avid reader at a young age.
In her early years, she
and her best friend would tell each other stories over the phone when they were
bored. They called them their "soap operas" and generally revolved
around whatever boy they liked at the time.
Many years later, she got
a crazy idea to write a novel and set out to try to publish it. With over a
dozen titles published under various pen names, the rest is history. Her journey
has been a blessing, and a dream realized. She looks forward to many more
memories to come.
Connect with A.M. Hargrove:
Website: http://www.amhargrove.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMHargroveAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amhargrove1
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/amhargroveauthor
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/A.M.-Hargrove/
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMHargroveAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amhargrove1
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Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/A.M.-Hargrove/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5338829.A_M_Hargrove
Connect with Terri:
Website: www.terrielaine.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TerriELaineBooks
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/TerriELaineAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TerriLaineBooks
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Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/TerriELaineAuthor
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