Desert Thorns by Skylar J. Kent: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

HARLEY

I sport a track record of falling for the wrong men. But a monk? Yup, he takes the cake.

Loneliness has driven me to make poor decisions in the past, like dating a detective who turned out to be a killer. Now my ex is after me because I saw too much.

A monastery is the last place I expect to find refuge, let alone in the arms of a monk about to become a priest. But Brother Samuel—formerly Kingsley Grady, son of billionaires—is bent on keeping me safe.

Even when I decide to dig into my ex’s dark secret.

KINGSLEY

The forbidden fruit tastes sweet—until you reap the consequences.

When a woman scrambles over the walls of Saint James Monastery in the dead of night, I vow to protect her. A dicey move, considering Harley Raines is a vortex of allure and danger.

One weak moment spirals into a cycle of sin and crushing guilt. Though I’m steeled for repercussions, they prove far worse than expected. And then Harley’s ex unleashes his revenge on us for meddling in his affairs.

But what if the abyss is the place where I can finally grasp the fullness of God’s mercy?

Desert Thorns is a daring Christian contemporary romance about forbidden love, sexual immorality from a Biblical viewpoint, and God's mercy—with an edge of suspense.

Author's Note: While Desert Thorns is a fade-to-black romance without explicit content, it is intended for readers 18+ due to mature themes. Content warnings will be available under "Read sample" once the book is published.

The Author

Skylar J. Kent writes contemporary romance with a dash of suspense, "boldly going where Christian fiction hasn't gone before." Despite suffering from a chronic illness, she always finds a reason to laugh and enjoy the beauty of life. The stories Skylar pens aim to encourage readers in their faith and show that no soul is beyond God's reach.

Book Review

My goodness... daring and bold Christian romance is right! I've been reading Christian fiction since I was a teenager (so for 20+ years) and I can't say that I've ever read one quite like this one. I mean, a forbidden romance with a monk AND danger from the mafia!? Yeah, that's a first for me. This story was gritty and completely unexpected. Let's be clear-- this is a story about redemption and mercy... but we have to wade through the messy to get to the good stuff. Kingsley is a monk; Harley is a Christian... and yet both struggle with sexual temptation. You will see these characters (and other side characters as well) make choices that you absolutely don't agree with. They will sin and they will fall short over and over again. And they take us deep into those feelings of regret and shame and separation from God. We're taken to their lowest points, but it allows us to see their growth and more importantly, to see God working in those weaknesses. Regardless of how sin shows up in our own life, I think there is something about those feelings that is relatable to all of us to some degree... probably even more so for those that DO have those same struggles, which I think is why stories like this that tackle the messy while pointing back to God can be so important. Will this story be for everyone? Honestly, no. Like I said, it was intense and gritty and doesn't shy away from tough topics that you don't often see so blatantly in Christian fiction. This is all laid out well in the author's note at the start-- do NOT skip this as there ARE some topics that are not just uncomfortable, but major triggers as well. It's definitely not going to be for everyone... but if you don't mind stories that might be messy and uncomfortable, but remind us that we are never too broken for God? This one might be for you. 

Desert Thorns is a Christian closed-door romance with implied and intimacy and fade to black between an unmarried couple. It deals strongly with sexual sins but does so through a Biblical perspective. It does also include topics that could be triggering for some readers to include mentions of

sexual assault

. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/41fILQV