Forgive me, Father, for I am about to sin.
Thelma Gallagher doesn’t believe in miracles; she believes in structural integrity. As a brilliant restoration architect, she’s been hired to save a crumbling historical cathedral from imminent collapse. She expects long hours, dangerous heights, and stubborn parish boards. What she doesn’t expect is an infuriatingly immovable roadblock in the form of Father Joseph Hayes.
Towering, broad-shouldered, and fiercely devout, Joseph is the stoic rector of St. Jude’s. He is a man carved from stone, anchored by his holy vows, and fiercely protective of his parish. From the moment they meet, their clash is inevitable. He finds her ruthless and disruptive; she finds him rigid and overbearing. But beneath their bitter arguments lies a simmering, undeniable heat that threatens to burn both of their carefully structured worlds to the ground.
When Thelma unearths a deadly conspiracy buried in the cathedral’s blueprints—a sprawling syndicate involving stolen antiquities, money laundering, and the murder of a former priest—she accidentally puts a target on her own back.
Suddenly, the priest who swore to fight her is the only man who can save her.
Forced on the run from a corrupt institutional syndicate, the two must hide in claustrophobic reliquary closets, cramped cars, and shadowed alcoves. Stripped of their safety and entirely at the mercy of their pursuers, the lines between holy and unholy begin to blur. Joseph will use his massive size, his lethal competence, and his absolute devotion to shield Thelma from the crossfire. And as the danger mounts, the temptation of the forbidden becomes impossible to resist.
He took a vow of celibacy to God. But to keep her alive, he’s willing to become the devil.
Tempting the Stoic is a heart-pounding, steamy romantic suspense novel about burning bridges, uncovering the truth, and giving in to the ultimate taboo. If you love fiercely protective heroes, highly competent heroines, and a love story that defies every rule, this book will leave you breathless.
What to expect:
Thelma Gallagher doesn’t believe in miracles; she believes in structural integrity. As a brilliant restoration architect, she’s been hired to save a crumbling historical cathedral from imminent collapse. She expects long hours, dangerous heights, and stubborn parish boards. What she doesn’t expect is an infuriatingly immovable roadblock in the form of Father Joseph Hayes.
Towering, broad-shouldered, and fiercely devout, Joseph is the stoic rector of St. Jude’s. He is a man carved from stone, anchored by his holy vows, and fiercely protective of his parish. From the moment they meet, their clash is inevitable. He finds her ruthless and disruptive; she finds him rigid and overbearing. But beneath their bitter arguments lies a simmering, undeniable heat that threatens to burn both of their carefully structured worlds to the ground.
When Thelma unearths a deadly conspiracy buried in the cathedral’s blueprints—a sprawling syndicate involving stolen antiquities, money laundering, and the murder of a former priest—she accidentally puts a target on her own back.
Suddenly, the priest who swore to fight her is the only man who can save her.
Forced on the run from a corrupt institutional syndicate, the two must hide in claustrophobic reliquary closets, cramped cars, and shadowed alcoves. Stripped of their safety and entirely at the mercy of their pursuers, the lines between holy and unholy begin to blur. Joseph will use his massive size, his lethal competence, and his absolute devotion to shield Thelma from the crossfire. And as the danger mounts, the temptation of the forbidden becomes impossible to resist.
He took a vow of celibacy to God. But to keep her alive, he’s willing to become the devil.
Tempting the Stoic is a heart-pounding, steamy romantic suspense novel about burning bridges, uncovering the truth, and giving in to the ultimate taboo. If you love fiercely protective heroes, highly competent heroines, and a love story that defies every rule, this book will leave you breathless.
What to expect:
- Forbidden Love / Taboo Priest Romance
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity & "On the Run" Suspense
Protective Alpha Hero ("Touch Her and You Die")
High-Stakes Conspiracy Thriller
"Us Against the World" Partnership
Explicit, High-Heat Spice (18+)
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Used availability for Alisson Bento's Tempting the Stoic