The Saint by Tiffany Reisz Book Review
Updated: Jan 22
The Saint
by Tiffany Reisz
Published by MIRA books
Book #5 in the Original Sinners Series,
Book #1 in the Original Sinners: The White Years series
In the beginning, there was him.
Gutsy, green-eyed Eleanor never met a rule she didn't want to break. She's sick of her mother's zealotry and the confines of Catholic school, and declares she'll never go to church again. But her first glimpse of beautiful, magnetic Father Marcus Stearns and his lust-worthy Italian motorcycle is an epiphany. Suddenly, daily Mass seems like a reward, and her punishment is the ache she feels when they're apart. He is intelligent and insightful and he seems to know her intimately at her very core. Eleanor is consumed—and even she knows that can't be right.
But when one desperate mistake nearly costs Eleanor everything, it is Søren who steps in to save her. She vows to repay him with complete obedience…and a whole world opens before her as he reveals to her his deepest secrets.
Danger can be managed—pain, welcomed. Everything is about to begin.
RATED: 18+ CATEGORY: MOOD:
Steamy #Erotica Sweet
#Dark Romance
Tell me right now you don't picture Søren in Alexander Skarsgard's likeness. Go on. I dare you.
The Saint by Tiffany Reisz is the fifth book in the Original Sinners series, and the first book in the White Years sub-series. We get a mix of timelines here, with Nora in the present telling the story of how she me met Søren, and the first few years of their relationship.
Tiffany Reisz does is again with The Saint. The Original Sinner's series as a whole is original, and truly easy to become fully immersed in. The Saint is the same, bringing us back to the beginning of Søren's and Eleanor's story. If after reading the first four books, you are still not loving Søren, I dare you to read this one and not love him. If not for yourself, for Nora.
The Saint doesn't just add context to the story as a whole, but to the characters we all know and love. It adds a whole lot more delicious layers to them, and helps us understand them, and why they are the way they are. Eleanor/Nora has always been a complicated character for me to love. Seeing where she comes from helps quite a lot. The Saint also further cements what she said he The Mistress, that she was like this before Søren and Kingsley entered her life. She was not exaggerating when she said her life would have been over if not for Søren. And how could you not fall in freaking love with Søren after reading The Saint? Sure, he is a sadist, but it's not as if he isn't clear about what he is to Eleanor. I got the sense from the last book that Søren has a bit of a romantic in him, and it shows SO much in The Saint. Hell, he is even ... playful. And Kingsley ... oh Kingsley. You know, I liked him in the past four books, but I didn't love him. His charm and unrepentant ways got to me this time, and I loved seeing his bond with Eleanor grow into a true friendship.
Notice I am being vague about the present Nora, who is telling the story? I'm doing that on purpose. If you haven't read the first four Original Sinners books, go do it. THEN read this one. While 80% of the book is set in the past, it is not a prequel. It's important to read these books in order. But I highly recommend you do.
Where to Buy
Paperback (amazon)
Paperback (Chapters/Indigo)
Nico: "I know about saints. I am one, remember?"
Nora: "Saint Nicholas brought me Christmas early this year. Although sleeping with him will put me on the naughty list for eternity."
Nico: "It's my list. I'll be the judge of that."
It begins with a whimper but ends in a bang.
Sister Margaret: "Would you care to share with the class exactly what you find so funny?"
Eleanor: "Nothing. Except St. Teresa's having an orgasm."
Sister Margaret: "Excuse me?"
Eleanor: "Oh, come on. She's got her head back and her eyes are closed and her mouth's all open. And the angel is thrusting the arrow into her and she's all on fire. Seriously, penetrated to the entrails? Sign me up for that. I wanna be a saint if I can get some of that action."
Dad: "I lost my new puppy. Will you come help me find him?"
Eleanor: "Oh, hell, no. I saw that very special episode of Diff'rent Strokes."
Eleanor: "Mom said I'm not allowed to date. Ever, I think. She didn't give me an age."
Dad: "You know your mother. She doesn't want you getting in trouble like she did."
Eleanor: "You mean knocked up at seventeen? And whose fault is that?"
Dad: "Elle, shut up and drive."
Dad: "You look like your mother."
Eleanor: "You want me to let you out right here?"
Dad: "Your mother is a very beautiful woman."
Eleanor: "She is a very crazy woman who is driving me crazy. Did I mention crazy?"
Eleanor: "You're kind of an idiot. You know that, right?"
He raised an eyebrow at her.
Søren: "Am I?"
He sat astride his motorcycle and she stepped in front of it.
Eleanor: "Do you have any idea what it is you have between your legs?"
Søren: "I'm well aware of what is between my legs."
Eleanor: "Then you know that this is a Ducati. A 907 I.E."
Søren: "Is it?"
Eleanor: "It's in black. Never seen one in black before. Do you have any idea how much this Duck is worth?"
Søren: "A small fortune, I'd imagine."
Eleanor: "Yeah. A small one. So where's your lock?"
Søren: "Pardon?"
Eleanor: "Your disc lock. You can't leave a Ducati sitting in a parking lot without a lock on it unless you're criminal stupid or you want it to get stolen. Which one is it?"
Søren: "Criminally stupid."
Eleanor: "So you admit it?"
Søren: "No, I'm correcting your grammar. And I didn't realize suburban Connecticut was such a high-crime district. Should I be afraid?"
Eleanor: "If I had something that valuable, I'd lock it up."
He smiled at her.
Søren: "I plan to."
Eleanor: "My mom says you're too young to be a priest."
Søren: "I'm twenty-nine. But I'll try to age very quickly for her. I'm certain pastoring at a church you attend will age me considerably."
Eleanor: "I'll do my best."
He continued to stare at her. His eyes had widened even further.
Eleanor: "Father Stearns? Søren? Whoever you are?"
Søren: "Forgive me. I was utterly riveted by your story. I might have entered a fugue state."
Eleanor: "Lucky for me, it all happened at the back of the bus and the driver didn't see it. Otherwise Vice Principal Wells would have my ass. He told me if I got sent to his office one more time I'd be publicly crucified as an example to the rest of the school. I think he was kidding?"
Søren: "Did you deserve such a threat?"
Eleanor: "Maybe. I said in class the St. Teresa didn't have a mystical experience but was, in fact, having an orgasm. It's not like I didn't prove it. She said the angel 'penetrated' her with his 'flaming arrow' right to her 'entrails' and that is gave her 'ecstasy.' That was not a mystical experience. That was a big O. V.P. Wells didn't appreciate my theology."
Eleanor: "You're not a normal priest, are you?"
He gave her a smile that hit her like a slap to the face and a kiss on the mouth all at once.
Søren: "My God, I hope not."
Eleanor: "Doesn't help that you're like the hottest priest on the planet."
Søren looked up sharply at her. Eleanor went pale.
Eleanor: "I said that out loud."
Søren: "Should I pretend I didn't hear it?"
Eleanor: "I said it. I'll go say some Hail Marys."
Søren: "Where does a young lady in Wakefield, Connecticut, purchase combat boots?"
Eleanor: "Goodwill."
Søren: "You're wearing Goodwill combat boots?"
Eleanor: "Yes."
Søren: "Congratulations, Eleanor. Your footwear has achieved irony."
Søren: "If I were to find a young woman stunningly attractive, intriguing and intelligent, then I will not have committed a sin. I could take that to my confessor, and he'd laugh and tell me not to come back and see him until I had something worth confessing. Now, if I acted on my attraction to this young woman, then we might have a problem."
Eleanor: "Or a really good evening."
She grinned at him. Søren cocked any eyebrow at her.
Eleanor: "I mean, a really sinful evening."
Søren: "Better."
Søren: "I'll do my best to explain my logic to them."
Eleanor: "Logic? You're going to use logic on Catholics?"
Søren closed his eyes and shook his head.
Eleanor: "What?"
He held up his hand, indicating his need for silence.
Eleanor: "What?"
Søren: "Do you hear that?"
Eleanor: "No. I don't hear anything. Do you hear something?"
Søren: "I do."
Eleanor: "What?"
Søren: "God laughing at me."
Eleanor: "You hear God laughing at you?"
Søren: "Loudly. I'm quite surprised you can't hear it."
Søren: "I think you're dangerous."
Eleanor: "Me? Dangerous?"
Søren: "You. Very."
Thrust? She'd already used the word thrust twice in this scene. She got out her thesaurus and flipped to the entry for thrust. 'Ram, jab, prod, push, poke, drill.' Drill? He drilled into her?
Eleanor: "He's fucking me, not installing new kitchen cabinets."
Whatever. Back to writing. She'd fix her thrust issue later.
Søren: "Do you value your worth as a child of God so little that you presume I would only help in exchange for sex?"
Eleanor: "Is that a no?"
Søren raised an eyebrow at her and Eleanor was overcome with a fit of laughter.
Søren: "That would be a no."
Eleanor: "Do you always talk like this?"
Søren: "You mean articulately?"
Eleanor: "Yes."
Søren: "Yes."
Eleanor: "Weird."
Søren: "Very well, then."
Eleanor: "Very well what?"
He held out his hand, waiting for her to shake it.
Eleanor: "You're kidding, right?"
Søren: "I want you to obey me forever. It is a high price, and I realize that. If we have to negotiate, then we have to negotiate I accept your terms. Can you accept mine?"
Eleanor slowly raised her hand off the desk and put her fingers into his.
Eleanor: "Okay. You got me. I'm yours. Forever."
Søren: "Everything."
Nora: "Had it been any other man it probably would have scared me. But with Søren, everything felt like destiny. When we met he said, 'It's a pleasure to finally meet you.' We'd both been waiting for each other, like it was meant to be that we would find and love each other."
Nico: "It's good he helped you. You're here with me and not in prison."
Nora: "I'd do okay in prison. Helps that I love having sex with women."
Nico: "This isn't helping my erection."
Nora: "I'd say I'm sorry, but you're too pretty to lie to."
Eleanor: "Hi, Søren. "
He arched an eyebrow at her.
Eleanor: "I mean, Father Stearns."
Søren: "This is going to be an issue for us, isn't it?"
Eleanor: "Probably."
Eleanor: "Your wish is my command."
Søren: "A good attitude to adopt."
Eleanor: "You're about to quote a Bible verse at me, aren't you?"
Søren: "I am. Matthew 25: 31-46."
Eleanor: "The sheep and the goats."
She almost yelled the words. Søren looked at her with his right eyebrow raised.
Eleanor: "Sorry. I remembered that one. I got excited."
Søren: "Wonderful to hear such enthusiasm about the Bible."
Søren: "Your first act of service is this ... Every day for the next six months come rain, shine, snow, sleet, hail or hurricane, you will water this stick."
Eleanor stared at the dead stick jutting up from the ground.
Eleanor: "It's a stick."
Søren: "I know it is."
Eleanor: "It's dead."
Søren: "I realize that."
Eleanor: "Watering it isn't going to bring it back to life."
Søren: "I realize that, as well."
Eleanor: "But I'm supposed to water it?"
Søren: "It's an order."
Eleanor: "I'll take that as a yes."
Søren: "It is."
Eleanor: "Are you going to tell me why I'm watering this stick?"
Søren: "I told you why. It's an order."
Eleanor: "No other reason?"
Søren: "That list of questions you wish to ask me that I can't answer yet..."
Eleanor: "Yeah, what about them?"
Søren: "If you water this stick every single day without fail for six months, I'll answer your questions."
Eleanor: "You will? All of them?"
Søren: "Any question you have for me, no matter how personal or intrusive, I will answer it in six months if you water the stick every single day."
Eleanor: "So six months is ..."
Søren: "The day after Thanksgiving. Rather fitting. I'm sure you'll be thankful to have finished your task."
Eleanor: "Forget the stick, I want answers."
Søren: "You'll have them if you earn them."
Eleanor: "How will you know if I watered it or not?"
Søren: "I'll know."
Eleanor: "When do you think you'll, you know, want to hold up your end of the bargain?"
Søren: "We shall discuss that part of our agreement when you're finished watering the stick."
Eleanor: "Great. I'll water it right now."
Søren: "I meant when you're finished watering it ... in sit months."
Søren left her standing there staring at the stick as he walked back to the church.
Eleanor: "Hey! Six months?"
Søren: "Do as you're told and we'll discuss it in six months."
Eleanor stared down at the stick and looked back up at Søren's retreating form."
Eleanor: "I hate you!"
Søren: "That stick won't water itself."
Eleanor: "You know, no offense, but I'm not sure I believe in God."
Søren: "Least of our worries. His existence does not depend on your belief."
Eleanor: "Good news for Him, then."
Søren: "When I was fourteen I decided to become a priest. Once I made that decision, I felt peace in my heart for the first time in my life. And I didn't know why or from where that peace came. It should have scared me - a life of poverty, a life of celibacy and chastity, a life of obedience to a community that could and would send me all over the world. But I knew there was a reason I needed to be a priest. I was certain of it. And that certainty carried me all the way through seminary and all the way here. And now I know why I needed to become a priest. Because God knew long before I did that I would need to be a priest to find you and help you and keep you on the right path. And I will keep you safe even if it kills me."
Eleanor: "Are you sure you can't tell me where you're going?"
Søren: "Quite sure. I will say this - I wish I could take you with me."
Eleanor: "Me, too. I'd go anywhere with you."
Søren met her eyes for the first time that night and gave her the faintest of smiles.
Søren: "Don't worry. Someday you will."
Eleanor: "Are you trapped inside your office? Some kind of force field and only your arm can escape it."
Søren: "Yes. It's called a dissertation."
Eleanor: "A who a what?"
Søren: "A dissertation. I'm finishing my Ph.D. work. I have ordered myself not to leave my office until I have made significant progress on it this evening."
Eleanor: "What's a dissertation?"
Søren: "If Satan gave you instructions for writing the book report from Hell, it would closely resemble those of a Ph.D. dissertation."
She scrunched up her face in sympathetic disgust.
Eleanor: "I wrote a book report from Hell last year on Jane Eyre and the wife in the attic. I called it 'Jane Verses One Crazy Bitch.'"
Søren rested his chin on top of the nearest pile of books and narrowed his eyes at her.
Søren: "Your mind must be the most marvelous playground."
Eleanor: "I think my mental swing sets are rusty."
Eleanor: "Are you going to make me meditate on Jesus again?"
Søren: "You don't want to? Meditating on the life of Christ is a vital part of the Spiritual Exercises."
Eleanor: "I know. But Jesus looked like Eddie Vedder in my meditations, and I don't like finding Jesus sexy. It's uncomfortable, like seeing a picture of your grandfather when he was eighteen and thinking he was a babe."
Eleanor: "Why are you so damn tall? You're what? Six foot something?"
Søren: "Six foot four."
Eleanor: "That's ridiculous. Is it necessary you're this tall or are you doing it for attention?"
Søren: "This is your theological inquiry?"
Eleanor: "God created you. He created you tall. This is my theological inquiry."
Søren: "Very well, then. Tall people are closer to God. Since I'm tall I can hear him better, which is why you should always listen to me when I tell you something."
She glared at him.
Eleanor: "That is the biggest pile of bullshit anyone has ever dumped on me.""
Eleanor: "I'm speechless."
Søren: "Then why are you still talking?"
Eleanor: "Because I found a biblical heroine who is a biblical heroine because she spread for a king. It's seriously sexy but seems like a piss-poor way to choose a world leader. Or not. Maybe that's how we got President Clinton."
Søren: "In all fairness to Esther, she was a prisoner and didn't have much choice in the matter - the sex or becoming queen."
Eleanor: "She was amazing in bed and that helped her save her people."
Søren: "I knew you'd like her."
Eleanor: "I want to be her. I wonder if Xerxes was hot."
Søren: "Perhaps he looked like Eddie Vedder."
Eleanor: "Do you even know who that is?"
Søren: "No."
Eleanor: "Oh, sorry. We're not supposed to be talking about S-E-X, are we?"
Søren: "We can talk about sex in a biblical context."
Eleanor: "Does it embarrass you, talking about sex?"
Søren: "Embarrass wouldn't be the word. I'm disconcerted, perhaps."
Eleanor: "Disconcerted? Talking about sex disconcerts you."
Søren: "No, talking about sex with you disconcerts me."
Eleanor: "So you don't like it?"
Søren: "I like it far too much. And I think you know that."
Eleanor: "Whatever this game is we're playing, I'm going to win it."
Søren: "If you trust me and obey me, we might both win."
Søren: "I told you it had sex in it if you used your imagination."
Eleanor: "Oh, I'm using it. I'm using it hard."
Søren: "Did you do your other homework I gave you?"
Eleanor: "Oh, yeah. You're totally full of shit. Psalm 116. And I quote, 'The Lord is the keep of the little ones, I was little and he delivered me.' God loves little people, He keeps them and He delivers them. I'm short so God is going to keep me and deliver me because I am a little one. Considering He sent you to keep me out of prison, I think I have all the proof I need."
Søren: "Very good, Little One."
Eleanor: "Don't call me Little One."
Søren: "Do you hate it?"
Eleanor: "Totally."
Søren: "Good. Now go find something to do, Little One. I'm working on my dissertation an you are detrimental to my powers of concentration."
A hymen walks into a bar. Well, that took care of that.
Eleanor waited in the hallway outside of Søren's office. He'd told her that if she figured out what happened between Xerxes and Esther on her audition night, she should tell him. So she rewrote her story by hand as neatly as she could, put it in a nice new folder and gave it to him. It seemed like such a great idea right up until the moment he opened the folder, started reading and shut his office door in her face.
Why had she given it to him? That whole story was ridiculous. She has Esther talking like she lived in 1993 instead of in ancient Persia, and she put the king in jeans and made him kind of funny and goofy instead of kingly. Regal. Kings were supposed to be regal And the story ... Oh, God, she had a whole sex thing going on in the story with Esther being tied to a bed while the king fucked her.
And now her priest was reading it.
Eleanor: "What the holy fuck is this bullshit?"
Søren's office door swung open.
Søren: "Eleanor. Inside voice."
Eleanor: "Sorry. Math."
Søren: "Forgiven."
She looked up at him. He held her story in his hand.
Eleanor: "You're excommunicating me, aren't you?"
Søren: "If you're not careful, I'll put you to work on my dissertation."
Eleanor: "Don't you think I'd give those old priests who read your dissertation heart attacks?"
Søren: "You nearly gave me one.
Søren: "Before I take full possession of this fine piece of erotic satire, might I ask you one question?"
Eleanor: "I really wish you wouldn't."
Søren: "Why does the king tie Esther to the bed?"
Eleanor: "I don't know. I've been reading these books by Anne Rice and there's a lot of stuff like that in them."
Søren: "I think you do know why he did it, and it isn't because you read about it in a book. Tell me the truth."
Eleanor: "I think he tied her to the bed for the same reason a smart man who is not an idiot would put a lock on his Ducati."
Søren: "Because he doesn't want it stolen?"
Eleanor: "No."
Søren: "Then why?"
Eleanor: "Because he loves it."
Eleanor: "Did you just say fuck? You never swear."
Søren: "I needed your attention. I'm pleased to see I have it now."
Søren: "Eleanor."
She looked at him and saw the faintest look of anguish in his eyes.
Eleanor: "What?"
Søren: "This will hurt me more than it hurts you."
Eleanor: "Good."
Nora: "Now, Nicholas Delacroix, tell me your fear."
Nico: My fear is that this will be our only night together, and I will live the rest of my life never meeting another woman like you."
Nora: "I can't promise we'll have another night together, but I can guarantee this - you'll never meet another woman like me."
Søren: "It's not a stupid dress. You looked lovely in it."
Eleanor: "Lovely? That bustier top pushed my tits up to my neck."
Søren: "But in such a lovely way."
Eleanor: "You're staring at me, Father Stearns."
Søren: "I am."
Eleanor: "Why?"
Søren: "I'm staring at you because entirely without intending to you've become a very kind and generous person."
Eleanor: "You can shove kind and generous up your ass."
Søren: "And I'm staring at you because you are stunningly beautiful."
Eleanor: "Søren. Seriously."
Søren: "When you aren't trying to look beautiful, you look beautiful. When you are trying to look beautiful, you are stunning."
Eleanor: "So we're back to this now?"
Søren: "Back to what?"
Eleanor: "Back to us being honest with each other? You snap your fingers and the past year goes away just like that?"
Søren held out his hand and snapped his fingers by her ear. She flinched at the sound.
Søren: "Just like that."
Eleanor: "you're drunk?"
Søren raised his hand. An inch separated his thumb from his index finger.
Eleanor: "That much?"
Søren slightly widened the gap.
Søren: "That would be slightly more accurate."
Eleanor: "Great. It'll be easier to seduce you, then."
Søren: "Later. We should talk first."
Eleanor: "God, you're a snob."
Søren: "Guilty. Now stop cleaning."
Eleanor: "Why?"
Søren: "Because I said so, and I never once said you were freed from your vow to obey me. So obey me."
Eleanor: "Can you please order me to punch your face? I'll obey that order."
Søren: "Later, perhaps. I have nothing but respect for your sadistic side."
Eleanor: "I'm almost eighteen, Søren. You got married at eighteen. Stop acting like I'm too young for you."