I had a choice, and I chose wrong.

I thought I lost everything. But when the smoke finally cleared, I discovered that I wasn’t alone.

Father Sullivan was a force – a living and breathing force, a forbidden desire I couldn’t resist. I didn’t want to resist.  But I wasn’t the only one who wanted him, and by all accounts neither of us should have him.

I had decisions to make, secrets to uncover. Both would tear my heart, my life, and what was left of my family apart.

I wasn’t going to take any chances this time around. If I’d learned one thing during my life, it’s that death is the only certainty. It’s a matter of when, not if.  For every action, there is a reaction. For every choice, a consequence.

If I hadn’t chosen to live again, I would have never known what life could be like …

With the Father

“It looks like Princess Aurora found her soul mate. Who am I to stand in between them?”

“Do you believe that?” he asked, his voice solemn.

“What?”

“In soul mates.” He cocked his head to the side and looked genuinely interested in my answer.

Of course, I believed in ‘the one.’ I also believed that I’d already lost him. “I believe that there’s one special person that is the perfect fit, and that it’s no coincidence when we find them. You?”

“Certainly, some are better suited for each other than others,” he said, nodding to the dogs sitting side-by-side at our feet. “But I don’t believe in ‘the one.’” He leaned against the trunk of my car and eyed me as if he thought I was made of glass and his words would shatter me. He was right to wonder.

Jonathan had been my soul mate. We’d been very young when we’d met – just nineteen. Yet, I’d known immediately that he was it for me, that he was the one. In fact, I’d called my mother the next day and told her that I’d met the guy I was going to marry. There had never been anyone else and he’d felt the same way. If that wasn’t the definition of soul mates, I didn’t know what was.

Father Paul seemed to sense my feelings on the subject but barged ahead anyway. “Have you ever wondered where it comes from … the idea of there being just ‘one’ perfect counterpart for every person?”

“Walt Disney?” I asked, pointing at Princess Aurora.

He shook his head. “Actually, it originated from the Greek philosophy of Plato who believed that man and woman are made of one body and separated by the gods, forced to spend their lives searching for each other so that they can be complete.” He was silent for a moment before continuing, “Obviously that goes against what I believe.”

“Each of us is a complete person all on our own. You are complete person on your own, Grace. That was true six months ago, and it’s true today. You may not feel like it, but even without him, you are complete.”

I scuffed the toe of my shoe in the dirt while I considered his words, noticing that he’d purposefully framed his argument without mentioning God.

Father Paul was walking a fine line with me and he knew it. He was being very careful not to say something that he knew would push me away; yet, he’d still managed to get his message across.

He flipped his ball cap around so that it sat backwards on his head. The act had the dual effect of revealing his face – and the utter sincerity etched across it – and returning the Greek mythology-spewing priest beside me to a mere mortal man again.

I crumbled just a bit.

His mouth turned down as he squinted into the sun. “Of course, I’ve never been in love like you have.”

Robin’s Review

Much of the time, I find myself relying on the opinion of a trusted friend when choosing my next read. Combine that trusted opinion with a forbidden romance? I’m totally game! So when a friend told me about the newest contemporary romance from Jenni Moen and asked if I might be interested in reading it, I didn’t hesitate!

The synopsis for With the Father is vague. I was told the novel is a romance involving a Catholic priest. I thought I had a good idea of what I was getting myself into before I began reading. I was wrong – this novel is so much more. I’m not going to delve too deeply into the plot because With the Father is a story you have to fully experience for yourself.

Imagine a choice that will affect your future and the future of your loved ones. The premise of With the Father comes down to a choice. In a split second, time stands still. The future flashes before your eyes. Choose. This is exactly what happens to Grace Northcutt.

Are you ready for a great mystery? Search for clues that are buried within the text. Watch for words that have double meanings. With the Father will continue to shock readers until the last page. Sometimes stories aren’t tied up with neat little bows. Sometimes authors turn their story upside down. I finished With the Father in a state of shock – as in “What just happened?!” After sleeping on it, I have come to the conclusion that Jenni Moen is brilliant.

With the Father is so much more than a romance between Grace Northcutt and Father Paul Sullivan. This story is guaranteed to bring out strong emotions and varied opinions from among those who read it. Not everyone will feel the same after reading it, but I think most will agree this novel will be hard to forget. Jenni Moen has earned 4.5 stars for With the Father!

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