American Prince Sierra Simone

Publish Date: June 18th, 2015
Number of Pages: 354 Pages
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing
Genre(s): Erotica

Total Star Rating: 2.75 Stars

I’ll admit that I was just in such a mood to read a smutty, erotic book when this book popped up into the bookstore one day. I’ve been reminiscing about books/series like the Crossfire series, the Beautiful Bastard series, and even the New Camelot Trilogy (that’s written by this very same author), and I just wanted to read something along the lines of those kinds of books again; it feels like it’s been awhile since I really have! I’ve been enjoying some new adult romance books by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy, and while those are incredibly fun, they’re not entirely in the same ballpark as the other series I’ve just mentioned. I just need some mindless smut, you know? Literally, sometimes a reader like me just needs pornography in the written word format, there’s nothing else to it!

The premise of this book immediately drew me in because I absolutely adored Sierra Simone’s New Camelot Trilogy, and I thought I’d hit another goldmine with this story, which is about a Catholic Priest breaking his sacred, religious vows with a woman. several times. As someone who loves to explore the darker and forbidden side like these sort of things, at least in literature, how can you not be immediately curious? Sure, figures in the church like the main character haven’t been cast in the best light over the years, but luckily this wasn’t as horrific of a tale like say, The Keepers (A Netflix true-crime documentary).

This book wasn’t terrible, but I can also say I was not as satisfied with the story overall as I was with her other trilogy I loved. I go more into detail about that further down in my review, but I can say I still thought it was pretty good book; the story wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped, but the sex scenes were still hot as hell and entertaining enough to that degree. It was more one of those kinds of reads that are mindless fun; you enjoy it more if you don’t really think about all the things wrong with it too much. I felt the exact same way with stories like 50 Shades of Grey and 365 Days; super hot stuff, but the forbidden factors don’t appeal to everyone, like if you sign a contract to be someone’s submissive, you get kidnapped by the mob, or in this case with a Catholic Priest falling for a woman and having a secret, torrid affair with her.

What It’s About:

This story revolves around 29-years old Tyler Anselm Bell, who’s also a priest in his small town. He has an incredibly personal reason for turning to the church since his past is questionable, but one day he has a run in with a sensuous voice in the confessional booth. He’s a man who’s sworn to walk the straight and narrow, to guide those who seek forgiveness and retribution, but meeting Poppy Danforth makes him question everything.

Poppy has moved into the small town, and meets Tyler during a private confession session, and despite them both trying to keep it professional, they can’t deny the sparks that fly between them, and of course, begin to have a torrid and secret affair.

What begins as a relationship that’s doomed from the start, their secret is constantly threatened to be exposed along with both seeking their true purpose in life as well as whether their relationship is strong enough to withstand all that it’s up against…but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to be having electric sex all while trying to figure it out!

What I Liked:

It’s Certainly Taboo! I’m not someone who’s all that religious, and I would have to be an idiot to actually recommend this title to someone who’s heavily involved with the catholic church, and this book really brings up a controversial idea of what if a catholic priest falls in love? With the story involving someone involved in the Catholic church, where tradition and strict guidelines is the reputation, this story certainly falls on the forbidden and taboo subject matter that will definitely appeal to those who are looking for a spicy book that will make them ashamed to be caught reading in public! Sierra Simone really seems to be an author that loves to explore the forbidden and darker themed erotic fiction!
The Sex Scenes Absolutely Sizzle! Just like when I read The New Camelot Trilogy by this author, I can say this book also has some seriously hot love scenes that fans of erotica, and even further justifies me recommending this author to anyone who’s looking for something to read within the erotic fiction genre. It’s even hotter when some of the scenes within this story take place right inside the church, even up on the dais

What I Didn’t Like:

The Few Perspectives Told from Poppy’s POV…You don’t really get inside the head of the female main character except for a few quick instances with the author giving you a brief glimpse, but they’re horribly written and horribly edited because they’re, like, all run on sentences and also just feel very randomly put in. They could’ve been more consistently placed within the story in order to maybe feel more effective too.
The Build Up…I get that it’s erotica and sex is the main focus of the story, but I swear that even some porno’s had a much better bridge into the lust and all that than this story. It’s like the first time the main character even hears her voice is when he’s having trouble controlling himself and his raging hard ons, and in reality, if you’re a pastor/priest/anyone heavily involved with the church, shouldn’t you have a little better self control than that? I think the story would’ve been a little stronger if there was a little more restraint at first, and hell, it would’ve been a well drawn out slow burn that readers would appreciate more!
Poppy Danforth in General…I just was SO not sold on her in general…the author brings up her privileged upbringing and her college degrees, and constantly reminds us of how smart she is, but honestly I wasn’t buying it based off the choices the character made and just how she presented herself in general. Also, a classic case of show don’t tell would’ve made this aspect of the whole book a lot better too. Don’t tell us she’s smart, show us through her dialogue, her characterization, or even just the decisions she makes!

Conclusion:

Another sensuous, wicked, provocative piece of erotic fiction from Sierra Simone, but I have to say I wasn’t as sold on this title when compared to her New Camelot Trilogy that I really enjoyed! I think this story was actually one of her earlier works, so I can definitely see that being why I felt like this book wasn’t as strong of a story. The characters weren’t as memorable, but I can say how once again the author really explores the dark and forbidden side of human sexual attraction; this time with a Catholic Church Priest falling in love with a woman.

I recommend this book to those that enjoy these beachy, easy to read erotic tales that have absolutely scorching sex scenes with maybe not the greatest plot…I think fans of such things like 50 Shades of Grey and 365 Days on Netflix will enjoy this book the most!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

Wow…just wow, you guys!

My mind was officially blown as I closed this book in the wee hours near sunrise because I couldn’t put it down and couldn’t get any sleep even if I’d tried. This second book in a surprisingly well written romance/erotica trilogy absolutely wrecked me because just when I thought more couldn’t possibly be uncovered, more shocking secrets exposed for the good of the written story, the floor freakin’ exploded from underneath my feet and I’m plummeting down 100 stories and my mind is officially fucked…

So for those that have read the first book, we know by now about the interesting relationship that formed between the President of the United States, his newly wed wife, along with the Vice President. It’s a continuation of the unconventional relationship formed between Maxen “Ash” Colchester, Greer Galloway-Colchester, and Embry Moore, and with that cliffhanger ending the author gave us going in, I had to know immediately after finishing the previous title. Luckily, I thought ahead and got this title for that specific need, ready near my bedside table for the answers I knew I’d need.

This kind of book is rare, and it’s unfortunate that people will write it off because it’s in the romance/erotica genres. It’s so incredibly beautifully written, intense; a smart romance and not just various sex scenes filling up a barely there, poorly thought out plot. Yes, the sex scenes are very descriptive, and get pretty intense at certain points, but they aren’t what drive the story. The secrets, the deceit, the plans made behind closed doors, the motives of the characters and scandals that threaten to tear everything apart is what sets this book apart from all the other romance titles out there on the market.

I can’t reveal too much about what happens within this book; part of the experience is reading it yourself, and because if people thought that the first title shocked your system, it has nothing on this one, and it will absolutely steal your breath away!

What It’s About:

Ash, Greer, and Embry had consummated their relationship the night of Ash and Greer’s wedding, but then the unexpected happened, and Greer was taken by some mystery (but not really) force. With not that much of a mystery to solve, it was Melwas (the leader of an enemy country) that kidnapped her and took her away. Embry and Ash both have to come up with a plan quick in order to rescue her and bring her back safely without causing an international incident and possible war.

As they deal with political intrigue, scandal and tragedies, and global crisis, we learn more about Embry and who he is in all this. You’ll see his side of certain events of the past and what’s happening currently in the story, and learn all the unknown depths of him and get so many answers that will leave you shocked, uprooted and desperate for more!

What I Liked:

More of Embry Moore! Probably my favorite character in these books, this book takes a closer exploration of Embry Moore and his backstory of the events that take place within this story. He’s a complex character: he’s charming but aloof, he’s got his secrets like everyone, but has done some questionable things as well. It’s always been on the reader’s mind what his reasoning behind a lot of things was exactly, and this book reveals all of it, making it some truly shocking stuff! I also found his inner turmoil to be so interesting; he acted like this indifferent, cocky, privileged playboy, but inside was a man with many demons, so much self-loathing to where he doesn’t believe he deserves happiness for himself, despite the sacrifices he’s made for those he loves, even when they don’t know it. He’s fine with people writing him off but actually does so much behind the scenes, and it’s all so incredibly heartbreaking, so emotional, and it all makes him easily one of the best characters in the series, possibly in any book I’ve ever read.

Greer Still has a Voice in the Story! Upon starting this second book, part of me wondered if the story would change immensely because we’d be looking through someone else’s perspective, someone who wasn’t there for everything we’d experienced previously up to that point. Luckily, we kept that base of having Greer continue to tell it from her perspective as the heroine of this story. So much happens to her, so it only makes sense to continue seeing inside her head as things progress and/or escalate.

The LGBT Exploration! By going more in-depth with Embry Moore, it of course covers his complex relationship with Ash over the years; the secrecy, the fear, the tension and of course the unrequited love. It’s more of an LGBT Male/Male romance story, while still having their relationship with Greer also continue to take importance. Having a M/M romance/erotica read was refreshing, as there’s not too much of it in literature. It was a sweeping tale of ambition, bravery, sacrifice, lust, and loss. It goes into the many different sides of love: You can’t choose who you love, you can’t control the circumstances, and sometimes you could meet “the one,” but the timing is off. How you react to all of this, what you do about is a core theme of this book.

The Overall Character Development! For all the characters, it’s truly something to see how different they are by the end of every book. I’m serious, things change so dramatically; plans change, people change and sometimes it causes relationships to change. They are all flawed, but so real and so raw. The ending is great proof of this, and while it’s sad to see how things developed, It also causes me to commend the author on the wonderful job they did with their craft.

Conclusion:

Another jaw-dropping, heartbreaking, shocking addition to an incredibly smart, beautifully written romance/erotica series written by someone who sets the bar on how to write for the specific genre. It explores the mind of Embry Moore, Vice-President, and the darkness that all but fully consumes him, but makes him think he’s a bad guy, someone who doesn’t deserve happiness, someone to write off…but none of that is true. He’s a tortured, complex soul and while he’s confident, charming, noble and charismatic, he’s got a dark side that draws him back, makes him aloof, cold, secretive and reckless. This title will take your breath away, send a jolt down your spine, and make you question everything/everyone around you!

Thanks For Reading!

— Nick Goodsell