This...was...a...journey? Yes, we'll go with that. So, let's dive deeper into that journey, shall we?
Hot Under His Collar follows Sasha, an event planner who is suffering from not being tied down yet (thanks to her parents who want her to get married and have kids by the age of 30) and Father Patrick Dooley, who is a priest. (If you are not aware of Catholic church ordinances, priests cannot marry or else they have to leave the church and cannot vow to be a priest.) The book shows their journey of Sasha wanting him but settling for another to appease her family with a man named Nathan, and Patrick, who also has feelings for her but for obvious reasons cannot pursue her.
While my father's side of the family is devout Catholic and I was baptized at the age of zero by the Catholic church, I myself am not Catholic. (I did grow up Christian and went to church/youth group/school for 13 years as such.) But, I will be reviewing the story and not my "ties" to the church. That being said, this story is level one steam and very very slow burn. I thought the characters were well designed (like they had flaws and went on a journey) but I thought the arc was so flat. I wanted more than just them wallowing that they couldn't be together. And I thought Sasha's side arc with Nathan, her boyfriend that she only liked as a rebound but kept going on dates with was weird.
I didn't hate the story, but honestly its forgettable. I think doing a priest/religious love interest romance is difficult so I respect that, but I found myself bored at parts and wanting the story to wrap.

I enjoy unconventional love stories and I thought that's what I'd be getting here. I don't know that I've read many "forbidden romance" novels so I wasn't prepared for the level of discomfort I would feel about the main characters' relationship.

The pacing is slow and I didn't feel the usual hopeful feelings I do in the early stages of most romance novels. I was never drawn in, or rooting for the characters. This one was a miss for me.

3.5 stars, rounded up. I've really enjoyed this series by Andie Christopher, and I was very happy to read this story featuring Father Patrick, the hot, bartending priest and Sasha, Hannah's fellow event planner. I thought the chemistry was good, and these are characters that have complicated backgrounds to overcome. I appreciated the connections in the story to previously featured characters in the series.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Andie J. Christopher is one of those authors whose work I desperately want to like, and after DNFing her first book, I thought I was off to a better stride with her second book. But Hot Under His Collar just wasn’t it for me.

I’m not as squicked out by priest romance as some are…I don’t actively seek it out, and there are some more prominent books that engage with this taboo that I’ve actively avoided due to the more erotic nature of their content, and my preference for more emotional depth. And if a story can compassionately engage with the current issues in the Church (such as the sexual abuse against children) while also providing compelling stakes for the romance. However, this does not.

Christopher does address the controversies within the Church, from the sexual abuse to the gender politics, but it is mostly lightly alluded to, so as not to overwhelm the more lighthearted “rom-com” approach. That, combined with the publisher’s bizarre marketing choices with the cover, which I’m fairly certain Christopher did not have much, if any, control over, feels like it glosses over the seriousness of the issues at hand, and had I had all the information, I would likely have taken more measures to avoid the book (the book didn’t have a cover at the time I “wished” for it on NG, and then it did, and they decided then to “generously” grant my wish).

I had conflicted feelings about Patrick. I liked the idea of casting against type with him, having him work in his father’s bar, advocating for a queer teacher in the school’s pre-K program, and associating with people who aren’t strict Catholics. I can empathize with the idea that losing a parent (in this case, his mother) would bring him closer to God, but I just didn’t feel there were enough compelling reasons for him to stick around an institution that doesn’t value everyone and want to help them like he does. Like, he could easily be a good person in another vocation without the baggage.

I also struggled with Sasha. The emotional abuse from her family was a lot, and then she has this thing where she’s lusting after an unavailable man. Yes, he gives up his collar for her, but it all just felt rushed and even uncomfortable.

I didn’t like this at all, but that’s not to say others won’t. If you’re at all curious about this book, I’d recommend giving it a try for yourself.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Hot Under His Collar by Andie J. Christopher is the third book in her The Nolans series. I think that you will enjoy this book more if you have read the first two books. Sasha Finerghty has had a crush on Father Patrick Dooley for a while now, and it was a quiet thing, a secret desire that she kept tucked away knowing it could never happen. Only now she’s working with him to raise funds for the preschool program at his church and that crush grows even bigger as she spends more time with him, it becomes all consuming and she’s beginning to think that he likes her back. When Patrick Dooley became a priest ten years ago it felt right and gave him a sense of purpose, but now it’s a struggle it’s moe about paperwork than helping people and he has doubts about the churches strictures on many issues, but he’s not sure who he would be if not a priest and would Sasha even want that man. I loved this story, it has everything I want in a romance novel, steam, angst, strong supporting characters, and a hero and heroine who deserve their hard won HEA. I highly recommend this book, and it’s definitely one of my favourite reads this year. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date: July 20, 2021. #HotUnderHisCollar #AndieJChristopher #BerkleyPublishingGroup #ContemporaryRomance #NetGalley #BerkleyRomance #RomanceBooks #TabooRomanceBooks #RomanceReaders #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

I'm not sure how to feel about this book. It's impossible not to compare it to Christopher's previous work or Sierra Simone's Priest, and I don't think it stacks up to either. It's almost as though the novel can't decide what it wants to be--is it a forbidden romance, thriving on the taboo nature of the relationship and the tension between the two characters? Or is it a traditional romcom, and one character happening to be a priest is just The Big HurdleTM that must be overcome? I think Christopher tries to straddle the line too much. And this, unfortunately, results in a book that's relatively boring for it's premise. Maybe this is the only way to bring such a taboo romance into the mainstream, but I think instead of indoctrinating readers, it'll end up being one they skip.

I don't want to give too much away, but for the first half of this book there is nothing happening (I guess we could call it a slow burn, but there's very little burn and it's much too slow), and then some stuff happens very quickly, and then it's all over. So maybe the ultimate issue is pacing? Also, for a taboo romance, I honestly expected more steam.

I don't know, this book leaves me with a lot of thoughts, and not all of them are bad--most are just ambivalent. I'd read Christpher's Not the Girl You Marry over this one--indeed, that's a favorite of mine.

Thanks for Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3 stars - 6/10

If you have watched Fleabag, and gotten to <i>that</i> episode, or if you have met Father Bell in Priest by Sierra Simone, you will understand why I requested and advanced copy of this one,

Now, I am an athiest, so the celibacy thing that the Catholic church enforces is archaic and quite cruel - but i digress - but a hot priest, yes please (I mean, have you <i>seen</i> the hot priests calendar they put out hahah

But I am not sure what went wrong for me with this one. I didn't find my self loving Patrack (for God's sake man, you are more than your job), and Sasha went from being a doormat for her parents to living in sin with an ex-priest, and none of it felt organic.

I am sure plenty will adore this book, but it just didn't resonate with me.

Ever wonder what Fleabag would be like if there was a happy ending? Well… look no further. This book was a quick read and I’d recommend it for people who enjoy forbidden romance

Genre: Contemporary romance, romcom
Content Warning: Religious satire, steamy scenes
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: July 20, 2021

This romcom has got to be one of the funniest, wittiest, and edgiest pieces of literature that I have read.

Christopher does a brilliant job with this two POV story following Sasha aka “the good girl”and Patrick aka Father Patrick.

Sasha is born into a family who values being ladylike and obtaining a practical marriage above all else, including a love- filled relationship. While Sasha has made it very clear to her family that she will not submit to their rules at an early age, she is still trapped by some of these rules without even realizing it. And despite all her “rebellion” in the eyes of her community she is a good girl.

Father Patrick was not always a Father. In fact his biological father would have removed any ties the family had to the church if it were up to him but his wife (Patrick’s mom) was a religious woman who would not allow for such a thing. After the loss of his mother and then girlfriend, Patrick finds solace in seeking a higher mission and becoming a priest. The only problem with this plan is he finds himself hopelessly attracted to Sasha and thinks she may be attracted to him as they work on a fundraiser bake sale together.

Will Sasha put aside her pride and tell Patrick how she really feels? Will Patrick actually ask the church to become laicized? You’ll@have to read the book to find out 😉

Although it was a very light read this book definitely touched on evaluating one’s personal values and beliefs and really recognizing what makes the individual happy and fulfilled.

It also had some rather steamy scenes, and heavy topics from a religious standpoint.

I liked this book but mostly found it very repetitive. I would have enjoyed less explanations on why he’s in the church and whatnot and more demonstrations of their chemistry. This appealed to me because I loooove season 2 of Fleabag (if you know you know) but for the most part found it just a decent romcom read.

First of all, Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC of Hot Under His Collar by And J. Christopher in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing Date: July 20, 2021.

Hot Under His Collar is about a Priest - father Patrick and a nonbeliever named Sasha which set up the premise of the book to be just wild. I have never read a book about a religious romance, especially one that ends up being a torturing slow burn into a hella steamy book.

I normally would not have picked up about a priest romance, for some reason, it is still hard for me to wrap my head around the concept of leaving the church for love, but I thoroughly enjoyed this fictional story.

If you love a “forbidden romance” this is definitely the book for you. These two witty individuals will have you tortured with their connection even though they could never be together …

I really enjoyed Andie’s writing and after finishing this one I found out it is the third book in the series, although it can be read as a standalone. I will definitely be returning to finish the first two books.

I went in to this book cautiously because the trope is fraught. I've loved some other taboo priest romances (*cough*Sierra Simone's Priest*cough*), but this one didn't do it for me.

Sasha is an event planner who is trying to please her impossible-to-please mother despite being the self proclaimed black sheep of the family. Patrick is the priest she has a crush on, a priest who has lost a sense of being fulfilled by the priesthood.

I haven't read the other books in the series, so I had no expectations or knowledge of these characters going in. While it does a good job of establishing that the attraction is mutual so that no one is "at fault" for Patrick leaving the priesthood (not a spoiler - this is a romance, of course it's going to happen), it felt like it took a long time for both characters to figure things out, circling around the same conflicts most of the book.

And I wasn't really interested in either character enough to stop being cautious about how the author was going to portray the Catholic Church (she acknowledges that the institution is bad but argues that individual actors can do good) and enjoy the book.

No, this didn't work for me.

ALSO. I am so glad that I read this as an ebook, because if I had to look at that smarmy cover every time I picked it up, I would be so annoyed.

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

Let's start by saying that I enjoyed Christopher's last two books (rated 4/5). I was a fan of both Patrick and Sasha, and though, I was bit leery of the taboo nature of this relationship, I was mentally ready for any anti-Catholic sentiment. I did end up DNFing at about 50%. Though I thought Christopher wasn't super damming when it came to the religious aspect of the story (compared to other books I have read), I felt like the story was going in circles and there were a few other things that seemed like the author just injecting these things for no reason as they didn't relate to the story or move it forward at all. I acknowledge that taboo romances are NOT my thing, but I wanted to give this a chance because, as I previously mentioned, I enjoyed the other books set in this world and was really fond of both main characters. I am awarding 3/5 since I didn't finish the book and cannot confirm if it would have improved for me.

Father Patrick is a Catholic priest who is unsure if the priesthood still gives him purpose or if joining was just an attempt to please his dying mother. Sasha is a good girl party planner who is dying to get out from under her family expectations - with a crush on Father Patrick. When Patrick’s church preschool needs funding, Sasha and Patrick are forced to work together. When Father Patrick begins to return Sasha’s feelings, the two have to decide if their relationship is worth the leap of faith… (I totally stole that from the blurb, but how could it not?!?)

I LOVED this, and I read it in a day (which is saying a lot because I was in such a slump in June and barely read anything). Like all of Andie J. Christopher’s books, it is shockingly steamy - 🔥🔥🔥🔥 - considering Patrick has taken a vow of celibacy! Read it as soon as you can!

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC! Hot Under His Collar is out July 20, 2021! Preorder it!

Story: 2.5 ⭐️
Steam: 3/6 🔥

I jumped at the chance to read this arc because I loved the first book in this series and I had looked forward to this one! Unfortunately it fell a little flat for me.

If you’re someone who is reluctantly curious about taboo/forbidden romance this would be a great baby step into it. As someone who has read a lot of great forbidden/taboo romance, this was super mild.

I found myself surprised that I wasn’t in love with Patrick. I was very interested in him in the prior books but I felt like his whole personality was being a priest. I just didn’t get much else from him.

This book has a lot of internal battles for both characters. I liked it at first but it just got to be so much that by the time they actually go together I just wasn’t feeling it anymore.

Let me just get this out of the way first: this cover is is not hot, but everything else about this book absolutely is. This cover is nothing but creepy; was the cutesy image of Sasha perched on Patrick's shoulder supposed to somehow take away from the taboo aspect of lusting after a priest? Given the intense slow burn chemistry between Sasha and Patrick, it would take a lot more than this weird cover to cool them off.

I'm not a huge fan of priest romances as most tend to be dark, twisted and angsty. Fear not, Sasha and Patrick's story is adorably lusty and sweet; I first fell in love with Sasha's anxieties and then Patrick's conscience and then their mutual longing just tipped everything over the edge.

The yearning is so good! Their mutual lust balanced so beautifully with their concern for each other. Sasha and Patrick both fell for each other but couldn't be together until they each learned how to accept themselves. Sasha burdened by her familial and personal expectations, and Patrick weighed down by guilt and memories of what led him to the priesthood. How these two bumbled and burned for each other was so gorgeously done, it left me not only convinced that Patrick and Sasha were perfect for each other but that this was just about the best priest romance I've read so far.

I'm of the opinion that we need more steamy priest romances so I was intrigued by this one! Overall it was a nice, quick read, though I do wish it could be a bit heavier on the steam. and taboo-ish aspect of falling in love with a priest. I also didn't necessarily find the characters compelling and the development of Patrick and Sasha's relationship dragged in places for me. Overall I enjoyed myself, but probably won't be rereading. 3.5 stars!

Ok, I am just not sure about this one. I really wanted to enjoy it because I liked her previous two. But this one missed the mark for me.

The relationship between Sasha and Patrick was just so bizarre to me. I could not connect to either of them individually or their attraction to each other. Sasha’s beliefs that she always/only wants things that are bad was so rooted in how she was raised, but also felt a little extreme to me. And perhaps that is just how the story was presented.

I appreciate the pieces of the story where Patrick questions the Catholic Church and points out how problematic it is.

But overall, this was just a meh for me. I probably could have DNFed and been ok with not knowing exactly how things would have unfolded.

(2.5 rounded up to 3).

Up front- I'm on the fence about this one. Patrick entered the priesthood when he was mourning and he's happy with his choice most of the time because he sees himself as helping others. Sasha is an event planner who finds herself drawn to him. She's got a dope of a boyfriend and Patrick, in part because he's unavailable (and in part because the boyfriend isn't anything special), is just so much better. So there's tension between them and this is about how they resolve that. No spoilers from me. It struck me early on that Patrick was focused on the mechanics (for want of a better word) of being a priest and not on a calling. Anyone who chooses this as a read knows that it's going to wander close to the bone on certain issues. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A different sort of rom com.

I don’t like religious romances or even one with religious views and beliefs. I had loved the previous two books from this author so decided to give this book a try even though the main protagonist is a priest. I really had my doubts going into this story but the section where the priest baptized a baby of a LGBTQ couple made me stay and read further. I am so glad I did because this book is hot, romantic and oh so sexy. I highly recommend this book and the previous books in the series especially if you like to read sexy contemporary romances with strong characters with sizzling chemistry.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*