Mortal Sin

In Kit's eyes, her Aunt Sarah rivals Snow White and Cinderella's wicked stepmothers for the Queen of Mean. When Sarah says "no" once too often for her liking, the teen ager takes off, heading to the big city and "fame." Sarah, however, is not the wicked witch of the north, but a kind woman who loves her niece and has done her best for her. Fearing the worst, she sets out to find Kit, but runs into brickwall after brickwall. Her only hope lies in the help of a priest whose life work is to save girls from the streets. Clancy Donovan is no gentle oldster, but a handsome, troubled young man. The attraction between Sarah and Clancy is quick to light, but they must ignore it. Kit takes priority, and Clancy may be a rebel, but intends to keep his vows, no matter the temptation to love.Finding a pretty teen age girl in a city the size of Boston when she doesn't want to be found is like finding a needle in a hay field, add in thugs who want to keep her lost, and the problem is compounded. Despite beatings and threats, Clancy and Sarah are not deterred, even if the price is terribly high.***** Clancy Donovan is a hero that will win your heart in a page or two. He is more appealing and sexy than Father Ralph de Briquasa of Thorn Birds fame, admitting his weaknesses and dealing with them rather than self righteously denying that they exist. Yet, you can not begrudge Sarah his love, for she is a kind soul, though troubled. The action never lets up, nor does the sexual tension, which is most expertly handled, revealing very little, and creating anticipation. This stays on the keeper shelf. *****

With in-depth plotting and characterization, Laurie Breton is sure to pull you into her stories, and MORTAL SIN is no exception.Sarah Connolly's fifteen-year-old niece, Kit, has run away from home, and Sarah is desperate to find her. Park Square is home to all kinds of nefarious activity that'll suck a young, innocent teen right to the core of it. Sarah had moved to the cold north to start her life anew without the added complication of a relationship. So how dangerous could it be to her heart to spend time with a priest while he helps her find Kit?Father Clancy Donovan is tired down to his soul and frustrated by the leash the Catholic Church keeps on him with their archaic rules. The only solace he finds these days is prowling the streets looking to save young, desperate girls from drugs, prostitution, and unscrupulous men. Until, that is, Sarah walks into his office asking him to help find her niece. I love the way Ms. Breton handled Father Donovan's character. He questions his place in God's plans, but never questions his faith in God.MORTAL SIN is a well thought out story with colorful characters and an intrinsic plot. This new author of suspense is going places on the best selling lists, and I plan to follow her career from novel to novel. Don't miss her!

Thoroughly engaging and hard to put down. The characters of Mortal Sin are more human than typically found in romance-oriented novels, which I find are often too predictable. Our female lead Sarah has a secret that isn't even alluded to until late in the book, so it's a fresh surprise that keeps the story building past the initial conflicts. Her chemistry with Clancy is described just as that human chemistry really is - you enjoy the suspense in that, as well as in watching her niece Kit as she gets farther and farther into her entanglement with the dark side. Kit is throughly believable as the stubborn teen who, in spite of her longing to be treated as an adult, realizes that her integrity is being compromised and realizes she has a home to return to, if only she can escape. I can't wait to see if Laurie Breton's other stories are this engaging.

This author gets 5 stars from me for a terrific book. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline not to mention that it was based in my hometown of Boston. Very well written, fast paced a very good read. I couldn't put it down it kept my attention throughout the whole book. This is an author that I will continue to look for. I plan on buying her other books.Give her a try... you will not regret it. Well worth the time.

In Revere, Massachusetts, sixteen years old Kit Connelly runs away from her warden of an Aunt Sarah because she feels the restrictions are too binding. Sarah worries about her niece when Kit fails to return home. She knows Kit is used to doing whatever she wants as the teen's father failed to discipline her once the kid's mom died twelve years ago. Unable to cope with raging hormones, Kit's wastrel dad dumped his daughter on his sister.Josie Porter who works at Sarah's bookstore recommends her employer Father Clancy Donovan for help since the police are unable to provide manpower to search for a runaway. Clancy suffers a crisis of faith because he feels the antiquated church refuses to accept reality of life on the street. He runs a halfway house to help teen prostitutes start over. When Sarah asks for his help, he readily agrees but paints a pessimistic picture. As they search for the missing teen, Clancy suffers a more difficult crisis of faith as he and Sarah fall in love.MORTAL SIN is an entertaining romantic suspense tale due predominately by the actions of Clancy who is frustrated with the Church's leadership and soon has an even deeper frustration hammering at his soul. He seems so very real though he also serves as a symbol of the priest crisis in America. Kit is a realistic teen unable to cope with rules and discipline after being allowed total freedom as a preadolescent. Sarah is a worried mother hen fearing her ward will make the mistakes she made as a teen including one particular unnecessary biological twist to a strong urban drama.Harriet Klausner