Book Boyfriends and Booze

In Priest, Father Tyler Bell has lived by the rules of the church, remaining devoted to his vows and his faith—until Poppy Danforth enters his life. Overcome by desire and temptation, Tyler breaks his vow of celibacy, beginning a forbidden love affair that challenges his beliefs and forces him to reconcile his devotion to God with his undeniable feelings for Poppy. His confession is raw, passionate, and full of internal struggle, as he wrestles with sin, guilt, and redemption.

Three “book years” later and we have Midnight Mass, a 200-page novella where Tyler Bell continues to grapple with the intense emotional and spiritual consequences of what started as a forbidden relationship with Poppy. Now caught between normal married life and his continued sinful desires along with his devotion to God, Tyler faces both external and internal punishment for the demons he battles. Desperation to atone for his transgressions mixes with the temptation to continue on his sinful path, creating a dark and steamy continuation of his battle with jealousy, guilt, and passion.

The Appeal of the Forbidden and the Scandalous 

Father Tyler Bell: Where do we even start? As a good Catholic girl, you might approach this story with a mix of curiosity and a bit of guilt, but rest assured, Priest will make you question everything you thought you might feel with this one. To start, we have a very devoted priest who’s passionate about his faith and loves his parish—oh, and he’s seriously attractive. When he meets Poppy, the pull is instant and magnetic, though a bit unbelievable at first. This entire journey is written from Tyler’s point of view. It’s addictive and incredibly spicy, making Priest a deliciously scandalous read and a first predominately male point of view novel.

The story moves fast, and the chemistry between Father Bell and Poppy is strong, at least from Tyler’s point of view. Their attraction spirals quickly into forbidden territory, and the steam factor is off the charts. Tyler’s struggle between faith and desire makes him such a compelling character, and reading his perspective adds layers to his internal battle. Poppy’s motivations, on the other hand, are a bit harder to grasp especially since this is not a dual POV read, but in the end, we’re here for Father Bell anyway. But he doesn’t make too much sense sometimes – He wants to fight the temptation, yet he’s jogging shirtless around town—who are you fooling, Tyler?

Midnight Mass: Unnecessary or Eye-Opening? ALERT: SPOILERS FOR PRIEST BELOW!

When Priest ends, we see Father Bell as a man in love who sacrificed everything for Poppy, and we’re rooting for him. But in the follow-up novella, Midnight Mass, we get a different side of Tyler, and it’s not the most appealing. Now out of the priesthood, Tyler is haunted by guilt and jealousy, creating conflicts that feel mostly self-inflicted. This is especially true seeing as it never appears that Poppy and Tyler resolved any of their underlying issues – namely their poor communication skills, which they only ever resolved with, albeit hot, sex. The intense, angry sex scenes feel disconnected from the chemistry we saw in Priest, and while everything remains consensual, the tone shifts to something darker and less satisfying. Midnight Mass could’ve been avoided if Tyler just communicated with Poppy instead of trying to solve everything in the bedroom.

Is this Book Boyfriend Worth the Scandal?

In Priest, Tyler is irresistible, intense, and so fully in love with Poppy that we forgive his broken vows and love his conflicted, sexy self. However, Midnight Mass peels back the layers to reveal a jealous, guilt-ridden side of him that’s harder to adore. Still, Tyler loves Poppy deeply, and their trials lead to the happy ending they both deserve, even if it’s a very bumpy ride. If you’re into taboo romance with a dash of self-inflicted angst, Father Bell’s story is worth the read. If you ask us, though, read Priest, skip Midnight Mass and find your next book boyfriend.