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Sins of the Father

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St. Thomas seemed like the perfect parish - quiet, traditional, predictable. I never counted on my attraction to the young, vulnerable woman who comes to work as the church secretary.

As parish priest, I've gotten used to being called "Father." But coming from Carmen, the word has a deeper meaning. It represents something she's longed for.  It means nurturing, but also guidance and correction. It means temptation, for both of us.

I want to give her what she needs. I know it's wrong, but with each passing day I find her harder to resist. And the vows I took? I don't know if they're strong enough to hold me back.

133 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 8, 2020

38 people are currently reading
44 people want to read

About the author

Ava Sinclair

161 books505 followers
Ava Sinclair is a best-selling Amazon romance author who caters to readers who appreciate a plot driven book where the steamy sex complements the story, rather than overshadowing it.

A hopeless bibliophile, Ava avidly reads across multiple genres, and this is reflected in her varied body of work that spans contemporary, medieval fantasy, western, historical, time travel and sci-fi. She especially enjoys world-building and crafting interesting and relatable characters.

Because her books feature graphic sex and elements of power exchange, she gently cautions her readers to take her work for what it is – delightful, sexy escapism.

Ava lives in southern Virginia in a farmhouse tucked away on a wooded hilltop. The first thing she did after moving in was to rip out the dining room and turn it into a library/office. This is where she spends most of her days, writing and being ignored by her cats. When she’s not working, she enjoys roaming the woods around her house, or seeking the advice of Lucius, her Eagle Owl.

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5 stars
25 (33%)
4 stars
22 (29%)
3 stars
20 (26%)
2 stars
5 (6%)
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3 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Jade Violet.
328 reviews512 followers
January 31, 2020
Considering this is labeled as a taboo romance, it kind of felt the least taboo of any I've read under that title. That's not to say that this didn't have a slight edge - I mean, come on, a Catholic priest and a young member of the church? But I think there was a strong reason it didn't hit me as really taboo and that's because Father Dominic was not originally 'a man of the cloth'. He had a whole regular life including sexual partners, a serious girlfriend, etc before he ever decided to join the church. His reason for joining is his underlying Achilles heel and I felt for him on that.

Carmen comes from a 'devout' Catholic family. Her father, a really hypocritical, nasty, self-inflated piece of work dictates Carmen's life and when Father Dominic steps up as the head of the parish and needs a new church secretary, her Dad pulls some favors and pushes her into the job.

Thus we have the worldly priest and the shy virgin whose home life truly sucks in close quarters. When a snow storm hits the area, Carmen ends up staying the night in the rectory with Dominic. Needles to say, things happen.

This book is supposedly a Daddy romance but it isn't really typical DD/lg at all. In fact besides from her calling him Daddy because her own has never acted like one and him being turned on by it, it kind of misses the mark. I don't know, there was just something off with the read and the stakes never felt high and the taboo never felt dangerous if exposed.

This book reads quick. I picked it up in the middle of the night when I woke up and couldn't sleep and was through with and back to bed, so yeah, pretty quick. I think it would've been a better story if it had been developed more and was longer - there really wasn't that much time to ratchet up sexual attention or dance around each other or even really do a convincing job of fighting the urge.

But I'm not going to trash it because for the most part I did enjoy reading it. Dominic was a nice guy. Carmen, while feeling somewhat underdeveloped, was a decent girl and the feel of parish life was definitely there.

So, 2.5 stars for story and 1 star for Dominic.

3.5 fatherly stars (might have added a half but the guy on the book cover insured that I don't!)
Profile Image for RCK *don’t be all, like, uncool*.
782 reviews64 followers
July 28, 2020
I like a good taboo (within reason) read and usually daddy books aren’t what I go to but thought to give this a shot. However, I just couldn’t enjoy this. Seems like heroine was looking for an actual daddy not a daddddy 😉.
Profile Image for JadeC.
358 reviews68 followers
March 9, 2020
Not a bad read, but it isn't as Taboo as it is. Story plot was okay, a little emotional at times and i guess its about finding love? Be it romantic love or family love.
Dominic and Carmen both were likeable. I felt for Carmen and i especially loved the scene where she stood up to her father.
Its a good book but ultimately if you're looking for the taboo aspect here, its not as strong compared to others. 3 stars
Profile Image for Badh.
3,311 reviews66 followers
January 28, 2020
I felt so sorry for Carmen. All she wanted was to be independent and to not have to live with her father, but then life happens, and she has to go back to her parents and she ends up working as the new church secretary to the new father, Father Dominic.

Dominic came to the priesthood late, but all he really wants to do is to make sure that his flock is well taken care of. Then, Carmen.

This was a really great story with lots of tabooness going on. I really liked how caring and loving Dominic was, as a priest, and as a man. I enjoyed reading this story and seeing this couple.
Profile Image for Marcie.
1,123 reviews55 followers
January 17, 2020
A taboo romance with a wonderfully heartfelt ending

When Carmen returns home from college, her father makes her take a secretarial job at the church they attend to. Carmen doesn’t want to, she wants to do something where she uses degree but she knows better than to go against her rudely domineering dad. She deals enough with his belittling comments towards her and her mother.

Father Dominic is prepared to tell Mr. Angelo that he has to interview the other applicants for the church secretary position but when he sees Carmen his mind has been made up. He has this overwhelming urge to protect her and is thinking that God is testing him.

As they work together, Father Dominic and Carmen grow closer. He knows there is something dark happening at the home and he can’t help the growing attraction between the two of them. When a snow storm forces Carmen to stay in the guest room, the chemistry explodes. But will Father Dominic stay with the church or follow his true calling to love and protect Carmen with all his heart and soul?

This is my first read by Ava and I am beyond impressed. Yes this story is taboo, but it is done with class that you don’t get to see often. This book does have moments of abuse (physical and verbal) but NOT from the hero and slight Daddy play, so for those that have triggers - please tread lightly. I, honestly, loved this story and will be reading more of Ava’s works.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Irie❤Life.
66 reviews14 followers
January 4, 2021
Alright, needs an editor

It's alright. I think the author has potential to grow. Despite dealing with some serious issues, for some reason I didn't feel any real.ups or downs in the story while reading. Also, needs an editor. In the epilogue, two whole paragraphs repeat.
Profile Image for Just a Little Reading & Reviewing.
372 reviews127 followers
January 16, 2020
🖤 ~ My Thoughts ~ 🖤

Please don't let the cover turn you away!

This was a kinky, insta-love romance full of sweet tension, gripping emotions, angst, family drama and growth for both MCs.

I loved Carmen, she was a sweet, innocent and niave 21 year old with a family life that was horrible. Having her pompous father get her a job as the church secretary wasn't the ideal plan for her but once she met Father Dominic, Carmen found herself feeling safe and happy for the first time in a long time.

Father Dominic knows that what his attraction to Carmen isn't right but when she spills and calls him Daddy, he can't deny that he wants to be that for her. He wants to protect her and give her all the love and affection her father never bothered with. But he also wants to claim her as his. Will he be able to balance this tightrope without completely giving in to temptation?

This book was very well done and I loved both MCs. The story did take an unexpected turn a couple of times but I liked that it kept me guessing on how this all would unravel. Highly recommend for the slight DD/lg elements and kink!

Heat Level: 4/5
Ages: Dom is in his early 30s and Carmen is 21 (virgin)
Other Notes This has elements of DD/lg, cheating (h’s father cheats on mom with secretary), religion and domestic abuse (between h’s father and mother)


I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Heat Level: 4/5

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Keema Osborne.
836 reviews11 followers
January 25, 2020
Sins of the Father

I love every part of this book. It’s so emotional, it has growth of characters, struggles of life and finding love. Once I started reading this book I couldn’t put it down, I hooked from the first pages. Father Dominic always follows his instincts, even though at times he was fighting his true feelings. I’m glad that he found the path that lead him to Carmen. As for Carmen herself definitely needed the strength, love and guidance that Father Dominic provide. I love when she finally stand up to her father. I almost jump for joy at that part. Above all I love how Father Dominic took his role as a priest and tended to his parishioners.
Profile Image for Diana.
114 reviews
February 2, 2020
redhat queen

This was a great story. It had a lot of soul searching and love in this story. It also proved how some men are just men. They aren’t saints. They have desires just like women have desires. I feel sorry sometimes for priests. Some are not cutout to be priests. It happens. I’ve experienced it in my life. I really liked this book. Your a great writer.
Profile Image for Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon).
16.4k reviews216 followers
April 2, 2020
I loved this story. It is the kind that you can identify with the characters and immerse yourself in the story. Very well written and characters to win the heart make this book a must read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for JD (on semi-hiatus).
984 reviews219 followers
February 23, 2020
First, let me say that I'm not religious so this book didn't bother me. For those who are, I do want to advise that some aspects may be objectionable (such as a woman masturbating in the confessional). While it's true that you could argue that Father Dominic abuses his authority over a parishioner, for some reason, in this case, that didn't bother me.

Ms. Sinclair often writes books based on pop culture; this one clearly owes something to Fleabag: The Special Edition and its "hot" priest. Dominic is relatively young and very attractive; determined to stick to his vows, he resists his feelings for his new church secretary to no avail. The plot details their growing "taboo" relationship.

I really felt for Carmen, the abused daughter of the parish's most powerful member. I'm glad that she and . Since I didn't care that Dominic is a priest and, I suppose, is desecrating his vows, I didn't find this particularly taboo. Both are consenting adults; they're not attached to other people; and there's nothing violent or compulsory about their relationship (which, since I'm not a "dark" fan, I was glad of). YMMV.

Finally, I really, really appreciated this sentiment from Dominic:
"If I say that her innocence made her special, I’m just reinforcing the negativity she’s endured her whole life. The loss of virginity doesn’t make a woman any less special, no matter what the traditionalists say."

4 stars. If you're looking for a consensual, very mild DD/lg story with some tension in its plot (the MC faces a seemingly insurmountable obstacle), I do recommend this. I would have rated this more highly since the MC is mature, resilient, caring, and likeable, but there were several spelling and editing errors, par for the course with this author's books. I encourage Ms. Sinclair to use an editor or at least a beta reader.

Note: I adhere to the ratings system as laid out by Goodreads: 2 stars = it was okay; 3 stars = liked it; 4 stars = really liked it; 5 stars = it was amazing. I gave this book 4 stars because I liked the MC and their struggle, though I think the writing needs work. I do not think that every book I read is "amazing;" further, I think that it cheapens the rating system to always assign 4 or 5 stars. If a book really earns the 4 or 5 stars (and I realize that this is, to some degree, subjective), I'll give them -- but it certainly shouldn't apply to every book. YMMV, and everyone should enjoy/rate these books as they wish.

Additional Note: I did not receive this book as an ARC; I'm not another author who hosts or is hosted by other authors in this genre on our websites; and I'm not friends with the authors IRL, "friends" on this site, or friends on any social media site.
11.5k reviews48 followers
February 20, 2020
Walking the fine line between sinner and saint

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned." starts this deliciously dark morsel of a story. If you can't handle your Father having more than a few taboo thoughts and committing many, many, many sins then walk far away from this book and fast. But if you like more than a little dirty taboo in your story then The Sins of the Father may just be the book for you.

This story is about Father Dominic, the priest at St. Thomas, and Carmen Angelo who is forced into become the church secretary. For Father he finds solace in the structure of the church and his life. He also felt called by God to help others. Carmen is twenty-one years old and has just come home after graduating college. Her father, a church Deacon, forces her to interview for the church secretary position when the old secretary retires. As she does not want the job she is not happy but because of abuse by her father she does what she is instructed to. When Father first sees Carmen he is not only attracted to her but he can tell there is something more happening at their home and he immediately feels a pull to protect her. Let's just say his Alpha has sensed the woman for him and kicks in with the possessive and protective sides. Carmen is also attracted to Father Dominic so maybe the job won't quite be a bad as she thought it would be.
As they work together they are walking that thin line between sinner and saint where at any moment the little devil could push them over that line. Father believes God is testing him, with what may be is ultimate test of all time..........a beautiful, young and smart virgin! What is a man of the cloth to do?

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
Profile Image for Jan.
2,081 reviews13 followers
January 14, 2020
I wasn’t sure what to expect in this book. Father Dominic is kind man coming to the priesthood late. He is more modern then of the old way. He doesn’t care for the way Carmen’s father treats his family. A Deacon but a cold and cruel man. He demeans his wife and daughter. Carmen has a degree in psychology and was hoping to find a job away from her father but to no avail. But these two are in need for one another. But does a priest fight temptation?
I’ll be honest. I believe that the ways of the church are outdated. That is my opinion. I was born a catholic but as the years move forward I drew away from the church. My ideas and theirs aren’t always on the same page. I never believed in the celibacy of priests. Do not judge me on my thoughts. I regards to this review, we learn so much about these two. Their lives are so complex. Carmen and her abusive Deacon father and Dominic past. I don’t want to say too much more. It is an interesting journey. This will make you think and perhaps even reflect on what true happiness is.
1,240 reviews10 followers
January 17, 2020
Sins of the Father is a stand alone romance with some taboo themes. Father Dominic is a new priest with a non traditional background, but nothing could test his faith more than his new secretary, Carmen. When temptation rises, as does danger for Carmen, what will Father do for his flock?

Ohh, this book was so good! I was completely captivated by the story line between Father Dominic and Carmen, their ups and downs, their path, their reluctant romance, and finding their own strengths. Father Dominic is the perfect combination between caring and stern, loving and dominant. He’s definitely a dream, but he has his own demons that he needs to work through and figure out what means the most to him. I loved his struggle. Carmen is so sweet, but has an inner strength that just needed nurturing. I really enjoyed all of the problems and dangers she needed to confront. There’s a lot of chemistry and passion that builds between the two characters, with a hint of age play, and the ending is wonderful! I loved that this book made me feel sweet and spicy and loved!
Profile Image for Rhonda Hicks.
4,644 reviews84 followers
January 18, 2020
Dominick, aka Dom or Father, has gone through a lot of life changes. Some of them have been traumatic. After everything he's been through, the routine and structure of the church was appealing and he felt he had a calling to become a priest. Just as he was filling his role at St. Thomas, the church secretary was retiring at the same time. Because of church politics, he is set up to have dinner at one of the deacon's home to interview the daughter for the position. Got your attention, didn't it? Just wait! The world-building of some of the parishioners is spot on. The characters, with all their personality flaws, are relatable, and the storyline is one that kept me intrigued and glued to the pages until I was finished.
Profile Image for OG.
234 reviews10 followers
February 5, 2020
Well this was an amazing read. At first I thought the pacing was off but holy everything it was perfect. This is my first “daddy” fic I was drawn to it because priests... they were my first fetish ever and they still are. But this isn’t crude or overly Fetishising the priesthood. This is a short but slow burn piece that fits huge amounts into its pages.
Written from both POV, from Father and Carmen it allows each character’s feeling and stories to be explored. The plot was great and I didn’t see the twists coming. I thought the very taboo relationship was developed gently and thoughtfully and very tastefully. There is smatterings of smut and a little BDSM buuuuut the characters psychology is explored so well. I adored this book. I hope you do more in the priesthood Ava. 💖
Profile Image for Rhonda.
3,762 reviews63 followers
January 11, 2020
Well, I loved this book. Dominic may be a priest but he is still a man and struggles with the feelings he has for Carmen. Carmen has been verbally abused by her father all her life and feels guilty over how she feels about the priest she has come to love. Together, they embark on a taboo affair. Throw in a jealous woman who wants Dominic for herself and her father continuing to be a bully and you have emotions that are all over the place. Will they be able to overcome the odds and stay together? It's a short but very hot read.
Profile Image for Renata Gill.
1,359 reviews10 followers
February 9, 2020
A shocking forbidden and unexpected romance between a Priest and his secretary that will have you at first conflicted and torn but eventually rooting for the two lovers.
When Father Dominic first sees Carmen he starts questioning his life choices but once he gets to know Carmen he realises that he needs to trust his instincts as they have never let him down. He needs to be her Father or Daddy as she needs his protection , guidance and love that he can only offer her.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Ꭿຖᥲ·♡ ྀི.
2,313 reviews229 followers
May 2, 2020
°Virgin heroine
°Celibate hero
°Hero's sexual past was mentioned a couple times, very briefly, but in detail (yuck)
°Hero was engaged before but luckily he wasn't hung up on his ex
°Switching POVs
°Likeable characters
°Older man/younger woman (20 y/o)
°Both faithful after meeting
°Very mild daddy kink
°Free of OW/OM drama
°No cheating between the MCs
°No separation
°Potential triggers:
°Epilogue: 1 year later
1,506 reviews10 followers
January 13, 2020
What a unique and creative storyline. I loved how real and gritty the story reads. The characters will just grab you and not let go until the story is over. Dominic’s struggle to be the best father to everyone will pull on your heartstrings. Carmen needs a daddy so bad you just can’t help cheering her on. There are so many levels in this story it was impossible to put it down.
Profile Image for Gladys.
13.9k reviews163 followers
January 15, 2020
I really liked this book. The story has a very intense feeling and it captured and kept my attention very easily. I felt that Dominic and Carmen were compelling characters. This story of forbidden love is rich with deep emotions, drama and tension. All and all a very good read that entertains and also causes you to think. This is my independent, impartial review.
Profile Image for Tammy.
9,118 reviews50 followers
January 16, 2020
Carmen didn’t have a very good childhood and she ends up getting a job as a church secretary. Father Dominic is new to the parish and when he meets Carmen sparks fly between them and he is unable to keep their distance. What will happen if Carmen’s father finds out about their relationship? Fast-paced read with loads of drama and emotion. The chemistry is intense and steamy. I loved it.
3,164 reviews
January 17, 2020
A sinful relationship!

A little tamer than the author’s other daddy book but overall still a good read. Taboo factor along with the sinfully relationship between Father Dominic and Carmen made for some sizzling chemistry with leads to some yummy steamy loving. A quick read that doesn't disappoints for readers who enjoys this genre.
2,823 reviews18 followers
January 23, 2020
Blessed

Is this a hot, sexy, steamy story with Dd/lg and elements? Yes it is! But it is so much more, their are some issues addressed very well in this book that are emotionally gripping. The characters are well rounded, relatable and engage you and pull you into this compelling story. Well done!
4 reviews
Read
January 21, 2020
i enjoyable story about a girl fighting her past with the help of the local priest, to come to terms with herself as a women she longs to be,

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Camille Newman.
529 reviews6 followers
January 22, 2020
Decent read

This could of been so much hotter. I love a priest and lady romance. Sierra Simone did a great job on hers. That was steamy. This one was ok. More descriptive sexual scenes and more than two.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews

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