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Mortal Sin

by Laurie Breton (Goodreads Author)

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 45 ratings · 7 reviews

Freshly divorced from husband number three, Sarah Connelly packs up her rebellious teenage niece, climbs into her vintage Mustang and leaves New Orleans to begin a new life as an owner of a suburban Boston bookstore. Her relationship with the 15-year-old quickly deteriorates, and when Kit runs away, Sarah turns to the only man who can help her, a young priest named Father...more

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

Published March 1st 2004 by Mira Books

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Feb 16, 2012 Sherri rated it 2 of 5 stars

My mother had picked this book up at Goodwill and when she finished with it, she passed it on. Romance novels are, for me, a special kind of book; I read them when I want a quick, exciting, interesting read that I don't really have to spend a lot of time thinking about. I know how it's going to end before I read it...let's face it, no one wants to read a romance where the guy & girl don't end up together, so it's the getting there that is important. I think it takes a special talent to make...more My mother had picked this book up at Goodwill and when she finished with it, she passed it on. Romance novels are, for me, a special kind of book; I read them when I want a quick, exciting, interesting read that I don't really have to spend a lot of time thinking about. I know how it's going to end before I read it...let's face it, no one wants to read a romance where the guy & girl don't end up together, so it's the getting there that is important. I think it takes a special talent to make a book interesting when the end is predetermined, and this book, in my opinion, didn't do that very well.

First, the subject matter was a little sketchy; (falling in love with a priest), so maybe I should have passed on this one. I'm not Catholic, but it really goes against my ethics for someone to make vows and promises to so many people and then just walk away from them, (I lose respect for the person who walked away and also the one who lead him there), so the idea of a priest falling in love didn't do much for me. Regardless of those feelings, I chose to read this book and I attempted to enjoy it. It wasn't bad, I just didn't think it was good.

I have never read anything by Ms. Breton before, so I'm not sure if this is merely her style of writing or not, but she seemed to be working very hard to make her dialog cutesy...if the main character called another person "sugar" I was literally going to throw the book across the room. The priest never passed the sniff test for me; there was way to much description that reminded me of a teenager trying to describe the "cool" priest and I didn't find it believable.

Probably the most disappointing aspect of the book was the end. It was quite silly, nothing that I found the least bit credible, and very forced. It was as if the author suddenly got tired of writing so she quickly wrapped it up. Everything was neatly tied up in a bow in about a minute.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book but, as I said, it wasn't terrible. It seems like the author didn't research anything for authenticity but just threw together a story to get a book out. (less)

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Sep 20, 2012 Patti rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars. I was informed that I might love Clancy Donovan as much as Rob MacKenzie and I was skeptical. I should have known better! Listen to your elders. ;) The long and the short of it is that this was another great story by Laurie Breton that will make you want to sit down and read it until you are done. Though there is a crime element to the tale, at its heart it is a story about love and forgiveness, about accepting your mistakes and defining your life not by where you've been, but by wher...more 4.5 stars. I was informed that I might love Clancy Donovan as much as Rob MacKenzie and I was skeptical. I should have known better! Listen to your elders. ;) The long and the short of it is that this was another great story by Laurie Breton that will make you want to sit down and read it until you are done. Though there is a crime element to the tale, at its heart it is a story about love and forgiveness, about accepting your mistakes and defining your life not by where you've been, but by where you are going.

I think in the hands of a lesser writer this story could have been a disaster. With weaker characters, the story could have been trite and even ridiculous. But once again, Laurie Breton crafts believable characters worthy of our empathy in a setting that makes the whole narrative feel very real. I lived in Boston for a little while and she definitely captures the feel of the city. She loves it, she knows it well and you can tell. I think it's too bad if this gets pigeonholed into 'romantic suspense', because good, character driven stories, to me, shouldn't be judged by their plots.

I can definitely see how this is a divisive book; I could probably write a 5-page essay about it. If ever a story had 'shades of grey', this would be it. I think if you read this story in black and white, you will miss so much that you will not be able to fully enjoy it. Read it in technicolor and you'll get the full effect.

Some minor points: not all priests are stodgy old men and truthfully, the most effective ones fully understand their congregation. Clancy isn't 'cool', or even 'hot', he's a young priest who has been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and hopes to prevent the local youth from getting their own souvenir apparel. No punk kid from Southie is going to walk all over a guy who has his number. His appeal is more about his personality than it is about his looks, though that doesn't mean he's ugly. And Sarah's use of the word 'sugar' conveys her still-strong ties to her southern roots, so it helps to remind us that she's not a native, unlike Clancy. She's one tough broad, but like she says, she was dirt poor but that didn't mean they were dirt; it's a sense of pride that's very different from the working poor in Greater Boston and her language is meant to help you recall the difference. Taking issue with all these things is, to me, a way to say you didn't like the characters, and that's fine; it doesn't mean they aren't well-written, just that they weren't people you'd like. You can't please everyone.

I don't personally have allegiance to the Catholic Church and frankly, the celibacy of priests is just one of the many things that confound me about it. But I think, like other reviewers have said, I have an expectation that a priest will honor his vows. Otherwise, why did he choose to be a Catholic priest? However, looking at this story in technicolor makes me realize that it's not about Clancy choosing love (or sex) over God. It's more about him coming to terms with the fact that the priesthood, as a vocation, was probably not God's plan for him so much as a means for God to keep him on the straight and narrow until Clancy was ready to embrace the plan. The saying goes that "People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime" and I think that's true not just of people but of things in our life, as well. This story is just one illustration of that principle. I believe it's unfair to expect priests to stay in the same career their whole life. Clergy that are the most effective are the ones who are happy in the job they are doing, no different than any other occupation. My own personal God knows that and reacts accordingly. But then, my God doesn't heap on the Catholic guilt.(less)

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Aug 15, 2012 Shelby rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a book of my heart. I refuse to loan it out for fear something will happen to it. I highly recommend it and Laurie Breton's exquisite story-telling.

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Sep 01, 2009 Ellen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2004, romance

romance and the church

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Jun 15, 2011 Mindyhill1077 Gmailcom rated it 3 of 5 stars

nice beach read

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Jun 24, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

This is my favorite type of book. The story has romance, mystery and suspense. Our hero is a priest, Father Clancy Donovan. I loved how he was written. He has a mystery from his past that needs resolution. He comes to see how he has denied himself love while seeking some sort of redemption. Our heroine is flawed but has learned from her past mistakes. Set in Boston, part of a series the situation here is a missing run away teen girl. Loved this book.

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Mar 18, 2010 Tory rated it 2 of 5 stars

Not even close to spectacular. But you know, mystery-romance paperback. I wasn't expecting spectacular. I don't even bother speaking critically about novels like this, unless they are especially horrendous.

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May 18, 2013 Amy marked it as to-read

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Apr 09, 2013 Nora Robbins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mar 30, 2013 Mykela marked it as to-read

Mar 13, 2013 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mar 07, 2013 Elaine Smyth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jan 01, 2013 Melanie Bishop added it

Dec 24, 2012 Sandy marked it as to-read

Shelves: mystery

Dec 15, 2012 Cindy marked it as to-read

Dec 04, 2012 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nov 26, 2012 Sammie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thrillers

Mar 21, 2013 Piksie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Oct 02, 2012 Darla added it

Shelves: mystery

Sep 16, 2012 Tracy Hatch added it

Shelves: basement

Aug 19, 2012 Ashe marked it as to-read

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Jul 31, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspence-thriller

Jul 21, 2012 Lee marked it as to-read

Jul 16, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jul 14, 2012 Tracey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense

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About Laurie Breton

Laurie Breton is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic suspense and women's fiction. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her two grown children and with her two grandchildren, who are the light of her life. If you went looking, you might find her at the beach, or attending a sidewalk art festival, or walking the streets of Boston. Laurie lives in a small town in Maine with her hus...more

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