Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of ‘Hot Under His Collar’ by Andie J. Christopher. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have read all the previous books in this series but this one was the hardest to get through. The whole priest element gave the book a weird vibe for me. There was also the constant conflict of if Sasha was only into Patrick because he was off limits for her. I wish this had been more of a discussion as the ending made it feel like they hadn’t really faced the future consequences of Patrick having left the priesthood for Sasha and going back to school. Plus she got kicked out of the apartment paid for by her parents and was cut off money wise. It didn’t feel like great timing for either of them to be jumping into a relationship.

This one was just not for me. The forbidden hot for priest vibes were off putting. There was also an attempt to have Patrick be “not like other priests” but he didn’t do anything to change the issues in the church hierarchy besides point them out in his own mind. He also claimed he supported LGBTQ+ people but didn’t really make a difference in standing up to his disapproving supervisors. I am not religious at all for the record. It felt like the author was pointing out issues of the corruptions in church systems and then having Patrick just peace out of the situation. I guess he was going to go to school and become a counselor so maybe he could have done some good that way.

2/5 stars

I loved this book so much. Sasha and Patrick are such delightfully flawed characters and it was bordering on an honor to watch them grow and grow closer. I appreciated the blunt discussions about faith and grief and found family, and ugh, all the PINING on behalf of both Sasha and Patrick had me squealing for HOURS. What a fantastic read!

This just wasn't a book for me. I ended up dnfing about 80% in. I really wanted to enjoy this one but I think it was just outside of my reading genre tastes. At first I really enjoyed the tension but as the story progressed it sort of felt repetitive. I also struggled to connect to either of the characters. I think the tension just wasn't there for me and since i wasn't connecting to the characters it just missed for me. I didn't know this was part of a series so maybe that had something to do with my disconnect.

I've had middling feelings about Andie Christopher's The Nolans series, but this one took a swift dive into nope-ville for me. And not for the obvious reason - I could care less that the male protagonist is a priest. I care more that the story was so dull I would rather be sitting through Catholic mass, and I'm a very lapsed Catholic.

Sasha is a wedding planner and perfectionist. Her outfits are neat, her dating life is full, and obviously, she's basically dead inside. Except when she sees Father Patrick Dooley. Then her perchance for the off-limits lights up. Father Dooley is a "cool priest." He's young, hot, and besides saying mass every week, seems to have no attachment to the lifestyle of a priest. All his friends are non-Catholic, he works at a bar in his free time, and not once does he say a hail Mary (or any prayer) in this book. Patrick chose the priesthood to fulfill his dying mother's wish and to rid himself of the fear of being rejected in a relationship again (he got dumped by his girlfriend after his mother's death). His attachment to the Church is incredibly situational and seemed to only exist to fulfill Sasha's often-mentioned "bad girl" fantasies.

I didn't like either of these characters and this entire book could have been 50 pages. The majority of the plot is both Sasha and Patrick feeling pity for themselves because they're "bad." I'm here for introspection - especially when it comes to faith - but this version of it was so repetitive and mainly centered on the physical attraction they both felt. It was all very surface level, for a pairing that could have been incredibly nuanced and turbulent. The author mentions multiple times Sasha's lust for forbidden things, but besides her crush on Patrick, we get no evidence of this. For all accounts and purposes, she is exceedingly normal and boring. Sure, her family sucks, but even that wasn't explored enough.

Everything in this book left me feeling meh. Actually, that's not true. I don't think I had a moment of real enjoyment in this whole book. I guess if you're really into priests, this could be up your alley. But if you go in looking for tortured longing, guilt, and shame as a result of a taboo relationship, you're in the wrong place.

A continuation of the Nolan family series by Andie Christopher, here we have Hannah's best friend, party planner and good girl Sasha and Jack's best friend, priest and sometimes bartender Patrick. They've got a mutual longing thing going on, but he's a priest and she's sure she only wants him because he's forbidden. They're also both deeply lonely people.

I was excited about this book because Father Patrick was such a great supporting character in the other two books. I could take or leave Sasha, and I mostly continue to feel that way throughout. This one wasn't as much of a hit for me, though it did grow on me over time. I felt like the author was sort of shallowly wanting to do the whole forbidden love/taboo thing, but wasn't doing any work to engage with the subject. It felt sort of trashy, even while lacking any real "action."

I liked the inclusion of Sasha's therapist Pam, and I appreciated that Sister Cortona and Patrick's father served as wise council to him at times, but I really wish that Patrick had confided more in Jack and that we'd gotten to see more of that friendship. For a storyline that was all about morals, family/chosen family, and realizing that you're allowed to want things, most of the soul searching was done in loneliness.

Being obsessed with Andie’s books are a given. I loved this story with how sweet, funny, and the realistic family stubbornness all included. Sasha and Patrick could not have had a more interesting start, being hot for the priest and all, and an always lurking nun but these two made it work! Andie always has a way of writing that keeps you intrigued, engaged, and wanting to know how it going to continue while laughing along the way. This is one to NOT miss!

Father Patrick took a vow when he became a priest but and has never struggled keeping it until Sophia entered the picture. Sophia always wants what she can't have so how can she know that her feelings for Patrick are real when he is forbidden to her. I really enjoy the stories of wanting what you can't have and the internal struggles that characters deal with when these situations arise. Reminded me of historical fiction novels when a character would be attracted to someone above or below their station. It really makes for a build up of intense chemistry which we saw between Patrick and Sophia. And of course, I love a happy ending!

I was in a book reading rut and the hot priest 100% got me out of it. I love romances that are more than a little original and take risks. Sasha always seems to want the unattainable, but she doesn't know that Father Patrick also is struggling to contain his feelings for her. I really wanted to know how they were going to resolve the current issues with celibacy and contemporary life. I thought the author was very sensitive and spoke frankly about the scandals and hypocrisy of the Catholic Church while also respecting individual faith decisions of its characters--something you don't see much outside of traditional Christian romance.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC!

First of all, this cover is doing this book no favors. I know this isn't the author's fault, but goodness, I wish they'd gone another way. I guess you can't mistake that this is about a priest, at least? Anyway, there are going to be a LOT of comparisons to Fleabag with this book - makes sense - it does cover some similar ground. I liked this, but I will say that this was lighter on emotional connection than I expected. I did really like Sasha, her family stuff reminded me of Rebecca on <i>Crazy Ex Girlfriend</i>. Loved the nun, give me her second-chance romance.

Am I watching <i>Keeping the Faith</i> as a chaser to this book? You betcha.

Andie J. Christopher’s ‘Hot Under His Collar’ Will Have You Eagerly Booking a One-way Trip to Hell in First Class

“He hated himself for how she pulled his intention. For years, everything had been tugged in the direction of God and duty and church. Now, it was only Sasha. He worshipped at the altar of the dimple in her left cheek, prayed novenas to the curve of her mouth. Her angelic visage was his North Star, and frankly, it was fucked up.” — Andie J. Christopher, Hot Under His Collar

Two things helped me decide I wanted to read Andie J. Christopher’s latest book when I saw it sitting there in all its blasphemous glory:

My dad tried to raise me a god-fearing Catholic. In his attempt, he sent me to a Catholic high school where the nuns were unable to answer some of religion’s most pressing questions. They also said my parents were going to hell for divorcing. Now, as an adult and an atheist, I’m amused by anything that makes the Catholic church squirm.
I once had a whole Catholic priest romance story planned out, but I shelved it because I just didn’t have the energy to deal with the potential controversy. I was curious to see what someone braver than me had done.
Sasha Finerghty is a good girl. Or at least this is what she tells herself. She fits the ticket on the outside, at the very least. Appearances are everything, or at least this is what her mother has taught her — to never stir the water, lest you start a scandal and become the talk to the town.

Sasha understands this in theory. But on the inside, she fights with thoughts that she knows do not align with the teachings of her high-class society upbringing, particularly the thoughts that cross her mind when she’s watching Father Patrick Dooley give his sermon on Sundays.

Though she’s only there with her friend and business partner, Hannah, as they help set up the weddings their event planning business is hired for, she lingers long enough to watch Patrick’s dimples appear as he stands at the altar to preach the word of God.

Little does she know, Patrick, in spite of what his vows may say, has taken notice of her, too. The lust he feels for her is not just torturous, it’s also making him question the Holy Orders he took in memory of his dying mom, who always hoped one of her sons would become a priest.

When Sister Cortona comes to Patrick announcing that they can’t afford to keep running their pre-K program, a tutoring program set up by him to help low-income children stay ahead with their schooling, he suggests the idea of a fundraiser. It just so happens that the best persons to organize this are Sasha and Hannah, though Hannah is officially unavailable due to the morning sickness her pregnancy is causing her. This conveniently opens up the way for Sasha and Patrick to get to know each other a whole lot more intimately as they work closely together.
Though I came fully ready for raunchiness and possibly a lackluster narrative, I was surprised at how well-narrated the story was. Christopher is a storyteller first and this shows in the care she takes to develop her characters, handling their background stories and the nuances of their situation with credibility and graceful tact.

Though the slow-burn aspect of the narrative drags on a bit as Patrick and Sasha tiptoe the line between holy and unholy, the level of sexy of some of the scenes in this book are straight-up sinful, and I’ve got my bags packed for a one-way trip to hell. (There’s possibly an electric toothbrush in there somewhere. I’ll never tell.)

Christopher takes her time to build the story (it’s not just PWP, guys!). She ensures that every step of the way we can see the reasoning and mental machinations of both Sasha and Patrick, as the story swiftly progresses to a place where they are no longer able to hide their attraction from each other.

However, Hot Under His Collar is a delightful read that stretches beyond the limits of its “romance” label. Sasha and Patrick’s effervescent romance holds it together, but Christopher is sure to take us on a complete journey where the world continues to exist outside of their relationship. Though its theme is embedded in the “sinfulness” of their attraction, the narrative actually digs deeper into issues such as the church’s rejection of LGBTQ+ people, the vilification of women, the logic (or lack thereof) of holding priests et al to a vow of celibacy, and the many other ways in which Catholic doctrines are outdated, and plainly put, dysfunctional in today’s progressive society.

If you’re looking for a naughty read with substance, Hot Under His Collar is just the right snack with which to cheat on your nutritional reading diet.

When I was younger I was all about The Thornbirds, but this just felt icky. It's not for me and I'm not sure who to recommend it to.

After hearing the premise of "Hot Under His Collar," anyone with any smidge of Catholic guilt like me is going to be solidly intrigued. A forbidden romance with a collared priest? I'm in.
But, this novel is thoroughly middle-of-the-road. I can see some people absolutely loving it. Most people, I think, are going to be like me and leave with a solid feeling of "meh."

This story is structured like a bell curve. The beginning was hard to get through. I almost put it down. Some of the word choices and sentence structures are clunky.
If you can get past the first two chapters, the story flows better and is much more engaging. The book shifts between the perspective of the two main characters, Sasha and Patrick, and it takes a while to build into a rhythm between them, After a bit, they play off one another.
However, the climax is not very climatic, and the end drops off with mild dissatisfaction.

I also found myself rolling my eyes at the two main characters' inner dialogues at some parts thinking, "Yes, we get it. We know how woke you are." At the end of the day, it's still a romance novel about two white people falling in love. And that's fine with me - I know what I picked up. I feel like the author was totally aware of that and tried to oversell me on the fact that the main characters are not bigots.

If you're a fan of quick beach reads and are in between books, you might find this one worth reading. If you need a book to engage you from the offset, this might be one to pass on.
For readers like me, you're going to read it just because you can say you did.

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review. I wished for this ARC and was lucky enough to get one. Thank you to the publisher as well as Netgalley! I loved this book.

I couldn't stop reading this. I fell in love with all the characters. I love how this story was told. I enjoyed how the characters and romance was developed.

I don't know what to say, except to continue to raving about this book. I have already pre-ordered my copy and plan to read the two books that are already in this series. I highly recommend this book. New favorite book and author.

Another wonderful romance by Andie J. Christopher! The women in this series are deeply relatable, and Sasha is no exception. She’s a woman who puts on the face and plays the role she’s been given by society and her family, while struggling to square that with who she really is. She’s growing up and coming into her own, which sometimes takes more strength and time than people are willing to admit. When she meets Patrick, a priest going through a struggle with his faith and his calling, there is undeniable chemistry, and confusion.

Sasha keeps trying to fall for someone more appropriate, but Patrick is always on her mind. Patrick keeps trying to reaffirm his commitment to the church, but he sees a lot of hypocrisy and blocks to doing real good in his community, plus he can’t stop thinking about Sasha. Sasha is also feeling pressure from her perfect family to conform to their ideas of what her life should be. When the pair team-up to fundraise to save the pre-k program Patrick started, their magnetic attraction boils over.

I think, ultimately, this is a book about who we think we are in our early 20s, and how the choices we’re forced to make when we’re so unformed as people inform who we become, but aren’t who we’ll end up being. To paraphrase the great Buffy Summers, we aren’t done baking, and there are a lot of changes and consequences to deal with as a result.

Andie J. Christopher creates a Chicago filled with flawed, good people who feel like you know them, or that you could be them. Her writing makes me feel... many things, and I think I always learn a little something about myself in the mix. ‘Hot Under His Collar’ reminded me that love can come from unexpected places, and that you don’t have to be perfect to deserve love.

I love Andie J. Christopher, but I'll be honest...the premise of this one threw me off at first. I thought it would be completely cheesy and over-the-top...and I was wrong! The romance in this book is super fun and enjoyable to read, but even more than that I really enjoyed the thoughtful commentary on religion.

The beginning was ok. Let's be honest the details and subject matter do NOT warrant a cover looking like something out of I Dream of Jeanie. What I did not like was the Priest taking his vows after his mother died. So his mother had expressed he should be a priest and that was her wish. Now let's be real, that doesn't happen. If you have a true internal calling, so be it. BUT, the reason for his vows being public knowledge would have made his claim to become a priest void. Ultimately he lied to himself and everyone he knows.

IF Patrick went through such lengths to become a Priest then at least show angst about being with a woman. Some sort of secret dark thoughts. Sasha was pretty pathetic, in my opinion. There was a huge overuse of the word "she".

The entire thing needs an edit bad.

Firstly, I really liked Christopher's premise for this book. I have always loved the priest/rabbi/victor trope, and the author did a good job with the emotions of these two people. I could really see this happening in real life. However, after this, I started to have some issues with the book. I really liked Christopher's use of witty dialogue, and her dirty talk was HOT, but the majority of the inner monologues of the two main character's was mostly just their sexual thoughts about the other one. Now, I have no problem with sex thoughts--that's one of the best parts about romance reads--but this seemed to be ALL the two though about. That's it. Just how the other one wanted to have sex with the other one. I wish there would've been more narrative behind them. The majority of the story was just their inner monologues, and they kept repeating themselves.

Don't get me wrong--This is a sexy story. I loved that, but it got so repetitive. Also, I think the fact that Sasha had a "thing" for men who are off-limits didn't seem to fit with her personality. She seemed to genuinely love Patrick, and her "kink" didn't really make sense for any of her past relationships. I just think it was unnecessary to the story. The only other issue I had was everything that happened AFTER the declaration of love. It wasn't needed. It made the story awkward.

This has nothing to do with Christopher's writing. It's witty and clever and fun. The elements I've talked about, though, really hurt it for me. However, I think I will read more of her books. I think it was just this particular story that wasn't executed well.

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did! Andie J. Christopher writes a delightful romance novel & this one is no different. Sasha finds herself head over heals for a priest! Patrick has been unsettled in his life as a priest & when he meets Sasha he knows he needs to make some decisions. A great romance novel about finding yourself before you can find someone else!!

I really enjoy Andie Christopher's perspective and I feel like this is the book I've been waiting for from her. I loved Sasha and Patrick as side characters in her first two books and I loved them even now that I know them better. I had some weird feelings about Patrick being a priest, but not because Andie didn't handle it well -- that was all me!

Total bias here, but I adore Andie Christopher books. I'm all for snark, raunch, and women who can hold their own. While a bit of the raunch was tempered by one of the leads being a priest,,, but Christopher still managed to work plenty in. I've loved Sasha since she was first introduced in "Not the Girl You Marry" and was thrilled to find out that she'd get her own chance at love! I also find series like this delightful, because you get a little peek at beyond the HEA for the other couples. While this easily could have fallen into resting on tropes and taboos, it's a thoughtful examination of faith, duty, and calling. What happens when you make a lifelong commitment because of grief and pain? It was delightful to get to know Patrick a little more as well. I read this in one sitting - it's that easy to lose yourself in.