For I Have Sinned

by Hannah Jo

A woman who doesn’t believe in God.

A priest who lives to serve Him.

Temptation to resist.

A convent with dark secrets.

When Celine Monroe was tricked into attending Grace Community, she played the part in order to leave. After the secrets of the convent seep from the walls, she fears she may never leave.

Genres: Dark Romance

453 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 15, 2026

Reviews

[Annabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered with this book that sleep was absolutely optional, and honestly…worth the sacrifice. Thank you to Hannah Jo for trusting me with the ARC of For I Have Sinned. The vibe is pure slow‑burn tension in a forbidden setting, with danger humming just beneath the surface. The characters felt incredibly relatable — especially Celine, who’s stuck under the weight of parental expectations, trying so hard to keep the peace that she’s running on fumes. I wanted her to just say “f!ck it” and choose herself for once. Father Alexander was an instant favourite; he has this calm, magnetic aura from the very beginning that makes him feel both trustworthy and dangerously attractive. Amelia and Vince were peak best‑friend energy, and Esther had me cackling — she and Celine were like two peas in a very unholy pod. The forbidden trope was handled beautifully, and while the worldbuilding stays focused on the convent and Celine’s family dynamic, it works perfectly to keep the spotlight on the tension and the secrets brewing inside those walls. The religious elements felt well‑researched despite the disclaimer, the pacing sat comfortably between medium and fast with zero dull moments, and the spice was just right — purposeful, plot‑driven, and never gratuitous. And that plot twist at the end… Oh Lordy. My heart was in my mouth while my jaw was somewhere on the floor. I genuinely forgot there was a guaranteed HEA and nearly stressed myself into a new timeline. Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it without hesitation.

[Amanda - leftamongthepages · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ ARC REVIEW ✨

⭐️ 4/5

📅 May 16, 2026

❤️ Forbidden Romance

❤️ Priest Romance

❤️ Morally Gray MMC

❤️ Religious Trauma

❤️ Dark Secrets

❤️ Obsessive Attraction

This book was an absolute fever dream 😭

Like I finished it and genuinely just sat there staring into space for a solid 20 minutes because WHAT did I just read???

Celine being tricked by her parents into going to Grace Community at 30 years old immediately had me side-eyeing everyone because what do you MEAN 😳🚩

And then Father Alexander shows up and the chemistry between them is immediately intense. Like there is no slow build here. These two see each other and it’s basically game over 😭

And Father Alex?? That man was STRUGGLING. Between his vows, his faith, and his feelings for Celine, this man was fighting for his life the entire book.

But honestly one of my favorite parts was Celine’s friendships with the other women, especially Esther. Esther was such a badass and I was obsessed with every scene she was in.

And the convent itself?? Yeah no. Every time I thought I understood what was happening, something else completely insane would happen and I was right back to sitting there like ??????

This was my first book by this author and it definitely won’t be my last because WHAT was that ending 😳

[Mary Gallitano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex and Celine were such a great couple, and I found myself cheering for them during the whole book. The chemistry between them, which turns into love, is just amazing.
Fr. Alexander joined the church after getting into some serious trouble after his father’s death. He had a loving family, and really fell apart after his father died.
He’s the younger priest at Grace Community Convent when Celine is tricked into joining.
Her parents are obsessively religious, and don’t approve of her lifestyle and her fall from organized religion. They trick her into signing a contract to stay at the convent. This book is a good reminder that your true family is sometimes the family that you make.
Fr. Alex and Celine can’t help their growing attraction to each other and finally end up in a physical relationship. The scene on the altar! I was sweating after that. Wow. The spice between the 2 of them is first rate. Clearly Fr. Alex was experienced before joining the priesthood because he know how to please a woman.
Fr. Alex visits his mother in New York who encourages him to follow the right path for himself.
Meanwhile, Fr. Keaton, the older priest in the convent is also having relationships with at least one of the girls. He threatens both Celine and Fr. Alex. At one point, I had to put the book down because I was so worried about what he would do to the two of them. He is planning an “event” with Sr. Alice of the convent and you know it can’t be good.
The last 20% of the book – my heart was pounding like crazy. I literally had to put my kindle down a few times because it was so stressful.
Thank goodness Alex and Celine do find their happy ending ever after. I can’t think of 2 people who deserved it more.

[Jaelene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way. I cannot stop thinking about Father Alexander and Celine and the way their completely different traumas somehow intertwined so perfectly. Their relationship was magnetic from the very beginning, and the tension between devotion, guilt, desire, and love was done so incredibly well.

I’m not religious in the slightest, and honestly this book just piled onto the religious trauma, but that altar scene? Yeah. Holy water has never looked so tempting in my life.

Celine’s friendships were everything. The kind of loyal, messy, fiercely loving friendships that make you ache because you want that kind of support system in your own life. And Celine’s mother? Absolutely not. That woman would’ve received far more than a stern conversation if she’d been one of my friend’s mothers.

This entire book felt like emotional whiplash in the best way possible. I laughed, cried, mourned, raged, and fully spiraled right alongside Celine and Alex. Watching Celine go from refusing to dedicate her life to any man to realizing she couldn’t survive without him was such a satisfying character journey. And Alex’s yearning for her? Absolutely chef’s kiss. The man was gone for her in every possible way. I wish their love on all of my single friends.

There are genuinely no notes. This book consumed me from start to finish and easily earned a spot in my top three books of the year.

[Canieshia Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is my first Priest read and someone douse me in holy water 🔥

Here we follow Celine, she has grown up with extremely religious parents and when she moved out she was trying to figure out how to get out from under their thumb. Nothing she did was ever good enough for them until they get the idea to “trick her” into joining a convent.

Enter Father Alexander, he has a troubled past after losing a parent. The church was his salvation, the light shining in his dark time.. that is until Celine comes along. “ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀ ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ғʀᴜɪᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀs ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀsᴛᴇ.”

The twist that happened.. OMG I knew something was coming but I didn’t think it would be that unhinged.


Favorite Quotes

He says he’s a priest, a man of God. A man who made a vow to resist temptation, but the way his eyes are wandering across my body right now, well, could’ve fooled me.

“You are a sin that I want to keep committing.”

“Don’t worry, little sin. In a second, you will be so full, you won’t know what to do with yourself.”
“And when I leave you for the night, you are going to feel so empty, you will start to ache for me to the point that you’ll be begging for me to fill you again.”

🖤🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Spicy chapters: 13, 18, 23, 24, 27, 28, 33, 36, 39, 44

Tropes
Forbidden Romance
Priest x Non-believer
MMC is obsessed
Convent
Cult-like vibes
HEA

[Sarah Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a roller coaster of emotions. Everything in this book was wild but also crazy. So I have a connection to this book not of the aspect of what happened, but the whole aspect of the religion part. I grew up in a family that was super Christian and if you didn't go to church it was like the worst thing ever. So reading this book was really eye-opening because it could have been worse. So this book is about Celine and Father Alexander. Celine comes from a very hard Christian background family that decides they need to help her grow her face with God. And stick her in a convent. I'm all in there she meets Esther and father Alexander. And let's just say the story goes from there. It is literally a roller coaster of everything. Think of cult religion and this book is a good example for that. Just everything that happens is crazy. So if you want to read a book that's about crazy religion and what parents will do because they want their kids to be the perfect angels read this book. It's so good. There is smut in it and a lot of attitude. I still loved it so much.

[Hannah The Awkward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forgive me Father for I have sinned 🧎🏼‍♀️

This book had me in a chokehold. The writing was wonderful and I found myself falling in love with Celine’s found family, the MMC Father Alexander, and the story. The plot was well thought out and incredibly gripping. The twist at the climax of the story was wild and seeing the breadcrumbs of corruption as the story went on made my hackles rise. I was fully invested in Celine and Alex’s story from the beginning. The spice was top shelf, but so was the story. I fully sobbed when Celine made the decision to cut some things out of her life that weren’t good for her because I fully resonated with that and know other readers will too.

Also Esther would definitely be my bestie IRL and we would get into all kinds of tomfoolery together 😂🤣

Thank you Hannah Jo for sending me an eARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

[Ashlie Tezekjian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book felt like a slow burn in the best way. Not just romance, but self discovery. The s*xual religious trauma represented is SO relatable, especially coming from Celines POV. I feel many little girls are taught early on, our bodies are just pure sin & wrong. I loved how father Alexander followed through of wanting to step out again &… live.
father Keatons psychosis was vile, but unfortunately a perfect metaphor of what most have experienced within religion.

I cannot recommend this read enough for my dark romance lovers! I am such a sucker for taboo romance, especially in a church setting to really work through that religious trauma etched into my bones as I grew up catholic.
While the romance aspect was amazing, I am in AWE of the self discovery 🥹 I feel the way the author represents this is so crucial & executed PERFECTLY! 🖤
Please add this to you tbr!!

[vaeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

forgive me father for this man would’ve had me on my knees, and not in prayer…

this man took a vow to abstain from intimacy and immediately met the human equivalent of a divine test. Celine, the headstrong badass ANGEL that you are *MUAH*!! I was with Father Alexander from the start, I too would have been obsessed.

Celine may have her dominant streak, but Alex gives her that calm, safe control that lets her switch it up and let him take the lead when it matters. the tension between these two alone could’ve shattered stained glass...

I needed a bowl of holy water after finishing this one. Father Alexander, you have officially raised the bar for every fictional priest after you.

[Stormie Valdivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Hannah Jo for the opportunity to ARC read For I Have Sinned 🖤

This book had me hooked from the very first page. As my first priest/non-believer romance, it’s definitely one I won’t forget anytime soon. It delivers exactly the emotional chaos and haunting tension the description promises.

The tension and forbidden attraction were done so well, and the spice? Absolutely perfect. One of those stories where you keep telling yourself “one more chapter” and next thing you know it’s 3 AM.

[Court Estell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love a forbidden desire story?

Celine Monroe is tricked by her overtly religious parents into a “voluntary” stay at the Grace Community convent. Father Alexander is the protege priest who shouldn’t want her, but can’t seem to stay away. And under it all, the church and it’s leaders are hiding a dark secret.

“For I Have Sinned” is a fast sexual burn, slower emotional burn forbidden love story.

I really enjoyed this book. The narrative was fun, the banter was on-point, and the spice was definitely spicy!

Thank to Hannah Jo for the opportunity to ARC read it!

[ImSuddenlySue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've found 3 men of God Sexy in my lifetime and they were all in book i read.


While the romance in this book isn't dark, the plot gets there towards the end.
From the beginning we're frustrated for the FMC, taken by the MMC, and pissed at Mom.

The tides rise and in the end we're 100% justified by every feeling we've had.

Buckle up and hold on tight.
Favorite quote: “That’s it, ride my finger, little sin.”

[Marissa Guzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, the FMC was really annoying. BUT, her friendships were solid. They honestly made the book. Celine’s relationship with her parents and the way she allowed herself to be played I really could not understand.

I feel like the middle was extremely slow, and then it suddenly picked up towards the last third of the books. I felt like it was predictable. Overall not a bad read, I enjoyed it but I don’t think it’s something I’d necessarily recommend to others!

[Kaila Medina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Hannah for an ARC 🫶🏼

Emphasis on DARK here for a forbidden romance book. WOW I did not expect that to happen. I loved Celine’s character and mindset about her life and how she tried to stand up to her parents and Alex’s revelations about himself. This was a great read and I loved the ending!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tension between Father Alexander and Celine was so good. Both had their fair share of trauma in their past but handled it in different ways. Celine was a great fmc, strong and independent. Father Alexander was a man obsessed. So much chemistry and banter and being tempted by the forbidden.

[Elda Rastoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc Review

A spicy priest romance that follows Celine a 29 year old who has horrible very religious parents who force her to join a convent to become a nun. There she meets on of the priests Alexander and they have a forbidden relationship.

[burrowedandbookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all of the priest romances I’ve read, this is hands down my favorite!

[Kaitlyn Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was different then anything I’ve read before!

It was GOOD. Hannah Jo’s writing is just incredible.