2 out of 4 stars
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Whispers From Behind the Screen by Lorraine Lord is a romance found in the unlikely location of the Church. Caitlin lives in a convent. She struggles with the balance of her beliefs and her wish for a husband and children of her own. Her choice to leave the convent is not a difficult one, but will she be able to find the happiness she seeks? Aidan is a priest who is struck by a chance meeting with a young woman he can’t seem to get out of his mind. When she unknowingly comes to his confessional, he is faced with a test of his strength of character. Will his faith guide his choices? To find out the answers to these, and other questions, you’ll have to read the book!
This story begins with the original premise of finding love within the confines of the laws of the Church. The central theme of the book is one of temptation and how to balance right and wrong with one’s beliefs while seeking romance. The author weaves a tangled web of lies that twists and turns the tale into unexpected places.
I liked the way that the author used the writing style of a first-person narrative in this story. Readers have to pay attention, though, because the character switches while the writing style doesn’t. “I” can sometimes be referring to Caitlin, Aidan, or her brother Owen, depending on the turn of the plot.
Character development is fair in this book. The personalities of each character are distinct and interact well with each other. The connection between Caitlin and her family have all the right notes of caring, along with occasional frustration and exasperation. Her relationship with her brothers demonstrates family affection and is what I liked most about the book.
I found the personal relationship between Caitlin and Aidan genuinely entertaining. The attraction between them is believable and intense. Fans of romance will also enjoy international travel to Ireland in this story. That said, the way that the priest began using information from the confessional to set up “chance” meetings with Caitlin did start feeling a bit creepy. I didn’t like the feeling that it was the same thing a stalker might have done, and it’s what I disliked most about this book.
The description of this book describes Caitlin as “naïve and virtuous,” but after reading the book, I’m not sure I’d agree with that. Within the first few pages, she speaks scathingly (in her thoughts) of nuns, as well as rules of the Church. I don’t believe this will please readers who respect or practice religion in general and the Catholic religion in particular. This instance, teamed with vulgar references regarding the nuns in the story, may offend some readers concerning the faith.
Although it had a few problems, there were things to like about this book. It was formatted and edited well, but the character-switching in the narrative made it hard to follow at times. The author brought the subplots together pleasingly. The surprise ending with a hint of a sequel was promising and commendable. However, the issue with the description of Caitlin not quite matching the way she is portrayed in the book created a disconnect between intent and delivery. Combined with somewhat disrespectful behavior regarding faith exhibited on occasion in the book as well as frequent strong profanity, this affected it’s quality exponentially. For these reasons, I am rating this book with 2 out of 4 stars.
This book is correctly placed in the genre of romance/erotica. There are erotic scenes aplenty in this story befitting that genre as well as contemporary practices of the day. This book will appeal the most to readers who enjoy a book that edges toward the spicier side. Due to strong language and content, I recommend this book to a mature audience only. If you hold particular regard toward religion, this may not be the book for you.
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Whispers From Behind the Screen
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