Title: Saint and the Sinner (Wilde Love: Book Four)
Author: Sam Burns
Publisher: Self Published/Kindle Unlimited
Length: 219 pages
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: This story totally pulled at my heartstrings and left me with a happy, contented feeling that I have come to expect with this series. A great addition.
Reviewed By: Lindsey
Blurb: Owen Quinn has been trailing after his brother’s best friend since he was a kid, but what everyone took as admiration has always been love. For years, he’s had to keep his distance because the object of his affection has always been taken. Now with his father sick and the career he’s been planning since he was in high school circling the drain, the one person who’s there for him is the man he loves, but can’t have.
Mickey Martin is practically a member of the Quinn family. He grew up sneaking sips of sacramental wine in the church storage room with Keegan, looking after Owen, and since he was fifteen, working for Brendan. When his mom passed away, they were right there by his side. He owes the Quinns everything, but now his love for the youngest Quinn might cost him all that he holds dear.
Review: Finally, Owen and Mickey get their book. Granted, I wasn’t positive they would get a story together, but I certainly had my theories while reading the second book of the Wilde Love Series, Sins of the Father.
From book one, I was totally in love with Mickey. I believe even in one of my reviews I have mentioned that I found some of the “bad guys” likable, and for me, Mickey was the main one I was talking about. Something about his loyalty towards his mob boss, but also his sense of humor and nurturing personality—despite his profession—pulled me right in. In book two, I just fell harder for the mob enforcer with a heart of gold. Or, at least that is how I referred to him in my head.
Owen was the prickly brother who I respected the heck out of. He made no apologies for his dislike of his family’s profession, or his dad’s “thugs”, and his contempt for what they stood for and did, his dreams of being in the FBI made known and, basically, being the rebel of the family. I always like a guy who doesn’t give a frack what others think, and isn’t swayed easily in their determination.
I’m so happy the two of them ended up getting their HEA, but the road to get to that point was definitely rocky and filled with all kinds of drama. Not drama in the sense that there is a super big mystery going on, or outside mafia chaos taking a front seat. No, the drama is all about how these two seemingly opposite men, with opposite morals, are going to actually making things work. And it’s not an easy path for either.
As with all the other books in this series the story is truly character driven, which I love. Though the mafia plays a role because many of the characters are members of the family, the criminal element isn’t front and center. Parts of that life creep in, but not to the point where I would consider this a crime drama.
There is angst, especially because of Owen and Mickey’s seemingly impossible situation. How can Owen be with someone who does for a living all that he has sworn to never be a part of, and morally opposes? How can Mickey even think about being with his boss’s son, his best friend’s brother? Not to mention that Owen deserves so much better than Mickey can offer (or so Mickey believes). Their feelings run deep, but their situation seems helpless. Add to that, Brandon Quinn, Owen’s dad, is cultivating Mickey to one day take his place—meaning Mickey would run the show.
As with the other books in this series, I appreciate how developed all the characters are. Not just the protagonists, but the secondary characters. From the get go I have enjoyed how everyone connects and the dynamics of the different forms of relationships. And, most of all, I adore how this particular book represents so many different types of love. There is the love between two men from two different worlds, who yearn for one another; between brothers; between best friends; between father/father-like figures and sons. So. Much. Love. Some of those feelings are a struggle, because there is also anger, pain and misunderstandings. Love can be straight up messy and painful at times, but it’s also beautiful, too. And Saint and the Sinner shows both sides in all its stunning chaos.
This story totally pulled at my heartstrings and left me with a happy, contented feeling that I have come to expect. If you are looking for a comfort read, for a book series that provides amazing characters who you just can’t help but get wrapped in, give this one a go, but start at book one, Straight from the Heart, because Saint and the Sinner is definitely not a stand-alone.
You can buy Saint and the Sinner here:
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