Pam Godwin

As Father Magnus Falke, I suppress my cravings. As the headteacher of a Catholic boarding school, I’m never tempted by a student. Until her...

I became a priest to control my impulses.

Then I meet Tinsley Constantine.

The bratty princess challenges my rules and awakens my dark nature. With each punishment I lash upon her, I want more. In my classroom, private rectory, and bent over my altar, I want all of her. There’s no absolution for the things I’ve done.

One touch risks everything I stand for. My faith. My redemption. And even my life.

As if that could stop me. I need her pain, and her heart, and she needs my lessons in sin.

“Pam once again blends sensuality with sin and delivers a scorching hot romance. I feel like I sinned with every page! 5 delicious, devious stars!” - Pepper Winters, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author

"LESSONS IN SIN is problematic, inappropriate, and blasphemously delicious. Pam Godwin writes unapologetically and from a place of primal desire. Enter all sinners." - CJ Roberts, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Captive in the Dark

"Forbidden desire sparked into a blazing inferno in Lessons in Sin. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough." - Aleatha Romig, New York Times bestselling author

Lessons in Sin

amanda s.

2.5 stars because what in the world did i just read?? haha. i enjoyed it to some extent, but overall it's almost as if i read bad porn with plot iykwim, but overall, well, i finished it.

Sara Uribe

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and options are my own.


Taboo? ✔️
Forbidden? ✔️
Age Gap? ✔️
Slow burn??? ✔️✔️✔️

All of my favorite things in one book?! Yes, yes, yes! I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was a heart pounding, edge of my seat, ‘couldn't get enough’ kind of read. I’m not Catholic, I don’t go to church and I don’t believe in hell. I don’t even believe in God, but I almost feel the need to go to a confessional and confess my sin of reading this book. These are the kind of books I love to read. They’re so very wrong but oh so right for me. What can I say, I’m a glutton for the sinful and taboo. This is my first time ever reading Pam Godwin and I’m damn thankful I picked this book up. Tinsley and Magnus are two of my favorite main characters. It didn't feel too childish or immature, especially for Tinsley being 18. However, I was really surprised with her. Tinsley is intelligent, wise beyond her years and craves freedom from her overbearing and controlling mother. Magnus is strong and passionate about the things that matter to him most. I was totally enamored with him from the second we were introduced. This book had an amazing plot with tons of twists and turns always keeping to wanting more every turn of the page. The sexual tension between these two was at times unbearable but in the end was well worth it. These two were made for one another and were most definitely soulmates. I truly don't want to say anything more about this because I feel like I’m going to give something away. So, I end with this. There’s nothing I love more than reading a new author and end up loving everything about the story they've told. I can't wait to read more by Pam Godwin. You best believe I’ve downloaded quite a few of her books!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I mean… idk what to say. I hated first250pages Magnus and loved second250pages Magnus. Had to skip the first punishment… could not deal with the idea sorrrrryyyyyyy

After the first few times the spice also took a dive, given the priest/catholic schoolgirl dynamic it could have been more elaborate. But it got pretty nice by the end, very sado-romantic 😅 

Anyway I would also like to join the Mornig Worship 😉

Kristin Luca

I mean… idk what to say. I hated first250pages Magnus and loved second250pages Magnus. Had to skip the first punishment… could not deal with the idea sorrrrryyyyyyy

After the first few times the spice also took a dive, given the priest/catholic schoolgirl dynamic it could have been more elaborate. But it got pretty nice by the end, very sado-romantic 😅 

Anyway I would also like to join the Mornig Worship 😉

Cindy

Sarahy Benavides 

Sven Test

Whew 🥵 That was hot. This book checked off so many things for me: 

forbidden loveage gaptaboopossessive alphahole
If Magnus were to appear before me to steal me away, I’d drop to my knees faster than you can say ,”Hail Mary,” and have him pick me up and carry me all the way. No shame. 

Tinsley Constantine is the youngest and considered the princess of the very wealthy Constantine family. Because she’s a female and the youngest, her mom has plans for her, plans that certainly don’t include tarnishing the Constantine name by getting caught giving a BJ to a random guy. Because of this, she gets sent to an all-girl boarding school that specializes in reforming girls. Once she meets Father Magnus, she realizes she has a ticket out: make his life hell. What Tinsley doesn’t expect is Father Magnus having a back bone and giving it all back to her just as much and more. 

"They call it Morning Worship. To think, when the lights go out, all those dutiful prayer hands are petting the kitty in your honor."

Pam Godwin writes some of my favorite female characters. She really knows how to write resilient and strong women, and Tinsley is no different. I loved how unapologetically she is herself, as well as her sass. One thing that had me laughing and widening my eyes was her extremely unfiltered mouth, which would get her in trouble 99% of the time. Father Magnus expects Tinsley to be just like the other girls, but he finds Tinsley to have a mind of her own, one that’s very intellectual and certainly made for more than just the plans her mom has for her: be someone’s trophy wife. 
"Isn't the gift of attention one of the most selfless and impactful things we can give one another?"

Father Magnus has been dealing for years with a darkness he can’t control. Ending up as a father at the reform school was his temporary salvation until Tinsley came around. It was so sad seeing him battle through his demons, ones that should’ve never been considered as such. He simply has his kinks and there’s nothing bad or evil about that. It takes Tinsley and a priest friend to help him see more and accept himself, kinks and all. 
I chose this life as my penance. Celibacy confined the darkness inside me, and placing myself in a boarding school kept my cravings in check.
The romance was another favorite part of the story for me. We have these two characters who completely hate each other or the point they try to make each other’s life miserable. But Pam Godwin creates a little bit of a slow burn in the sense that she crafts a romance in which they go from hating to understanding to finding a friendship to falling in love. The way she created this flowed so seamlessly and it never felt like it was rushed; it actually felt as if it were a romance to happen in real life. 
<i>"You mean more to me than all the money and sex in the world. You hold all the power between us. You always have." </i>

Everything slowly turned explosive and hot! But the ending was probably the most angsty and explosive yet, not just sexually, but the plot as well. My heart was so torn! But the ending was truly wonderful. When these characters love, they really go through all the lengths for each other. 
He was my freedom. My journey. My destination. My one great passion. My choice. My love. My lessons in sin.
Lessons in Sin is another successfully written book by an author who’s quickly becoming a favorite! 
If you want to read more about the Constantine family, check out Dangerous Press for all of the books. One I already read was Winston Constantine’s story in Cinderella series by K. Webster. Let me tell you, Stroke of Midnight became an instant favorite!

Jessie Stafford

Lessons in Sin is definitely a book you read in one sitting. Tons of tension from the start that has you hooked. Tinsley is a great female character, compassionate, young but knows how to stand up for herself due to her upbringing. Magnus is stern and demanding, so exactly what she needed in her life to blossom and grow.

This is absolutely a spicy read, those punishment scenes. I won’t be looking at scrubbing floors the same way anytime soon. 🥵 I liked that their forbidden dynamic didn’t obsess over the age. It was more of a shock for Magnus at times than it was for me as the reader. To me it was more so their setting that held the highest taboo than the age gap. Pam did a great job at ensuring it didn’t cross from purely sexy to cringe worthy. I enjoyed the back and forth between Magnus and Tinsley as well. Both of them are intelligent, sarcastic and witty making an addictive dynamic between the two. I wanted more from them whether it be bickering or flirting.

Although this is a standalone, and can certainly be read as one, I do recommend reading Tinsley’s older brother Winston’s trilogy first (Cinderella trilogy by K Webster) and possibly even Wicked Idol by Becker Grey, which is her other brother Keaton’s story. It gives you background on the Constantine family and a better feel for why Tinsely is who she is. Now Father Magnus? He needed no introduction. 😏

Logan Chisholm

4.25 ★

priest by sierra simone is one of my all time favorite books, so it was hard for me to not compare this one to that. BUT truthfully this book was so good and totally different from priest. tinsley is sent to a catholic boarding school where she is at the mercy of father magnus, who has some very ~unique~ forms of educational/behavioral reform. while tinsley seems like a a spoiled, selfish girl from the outside, we quickly learn that’s nothing but a front. father magnus has been a priest for 9 years, and despite his troubled past, he has stayed committed to his vows and has not been tempted to stray..... until now. i loved the tension in this book, and of course, the forbidden aspect of their relationship. 

i did expect this book to be a little spicier given all the hype / content shared before it was released, but it was still a solid spicy book! the ending felt a little rushed, but i’m usually happy as long as there is a happy ending!

Maya Federman

WOWWWW FATHER MAGNUS. This was so, so very hot. 🥵🥵🥵

Tinsley is shipped off to an all-girls catholic school run by Magnus, a former playboy billionaire turned priest. She is hell-bent on getting out of there one way or another, and he is hell-bent on punishing her for all of her misdemeanors. She seems to be the only person who can match him in wit and intelligence, and he finds himself thirsting after her like a lovesick teenager. And her punishments begin to take on a much more sexual undertone.

Magnus and Tinsley definitely have some grumpy/sunshine vibes, and Magnus is very clear in his POV chapters about how she stormed into his life in a tornado of sunlight and warmth when he seemed to be at his lowest. I really loved their relationship, and how despite the uneven power dynamic, they truly felt like equals.

Spice was incredible, plot was also incredible. Go read this ASAP!

Shafia Ghassani

im surprised it’s actually better than i thought it would be

Batool Zainab Suleman

3.45/5

I hope to write a longer review after exams, but this book is basically if the Off Balance series by Lucia Franco and Priest by Sierra Simone had a baby book.

celeste

ARC provided by Candi Kane PR in exchange for an honest review.

This is now officially my favorite priest romance that I've read so far. Lessons In Sin follows the story of Tinsley Constantine, one of the heirs of a powerful and ruling family of Bishop's Landing, and Magnus Falke, a former most elligible bachelor turned to priest after something traumatic happened to him. The story begins with
Tinsley being sent to an all-girls boarding catholic school by her mother to bring her rebellious daughter in line, a school whose headmaster is none other than Father Magnus.

While Pam Godwin's known for her dark stories, I can say this wasn't one of them. While this is a priest romance, of course the element of taboo in this story will be quite shocking to some, but other than that I think Godwin did an excellent job at keeping it as respectful as possible. What I liked most about Lessons in Sin was how much Tinsley and Magnus's relationship grew over time; how much they held themselves back from what they felt and how much they were able to put the other's interests first before surrendering to their feelings. Tinsley didn't want to be the reason Magnus broke his vows and Magnus had a lot of baggage that he needed to deal with before he felt worthy of being with Tinsley. The slow burn nature of their relationship due to the fact that Magnus is not only Tinsley's teacher but also a priest only served to add to the building sexual tension between these two characters. Godwin let us simmer for almost half of the book before something actually happens, allowing us to feel that the inevitable drawn between Magnus and Tinsley had only one ending: the two of them being together. And this is Pam Godwin we're talking about, so I don't think I need to say how good the smut scenes were. All I'll say is there's one specific scene in a confessional box that reminded me a lot of that one scene in Fleabag, except this one would be the x-rated au version of it 😂

There were a couple of things I had issues with this book though, and the main one was how much the author relied on telling instead of showing what was going on. I found myself annoyed when, after each chapter ended, the next one would start saying how many weeks had passed since then and the things that had transpired between the protagonists. I wish she would have found a way of showing us those interactions or scenes together because they would have been crucial in developing the relationship between magnus and tinsley better and I feel like that was one of the weakest parts of this book. Instead, scenes that could have been important like him returning her the bracelet he broke off for christmas was just brushed aside, mentioned as an afterthought from the heroine's pov as something that happened, not giving it the importance it should have had. And that was only one example.

The other issue I had was how quickly the third act came and went. I don't know if I was expecting for a more dramatic climax than the one we got, but I felt like it happened way too fast without any space to process it because what happened in months in the story only occured in one or two chapters in the actual book. Again, another problem with how much the author told us instead of showed us. I would have wanted to see magnus's pov after the third act because it would have helped us see how he was coping with not being with tinsley for all that time and trying to do everything he could to free her from the contract, but we can't have it all I guess.

None of that was able to prevent me from enjoying myself while reading this book though, I only wish we were able to enjoy Tinsley and Magnus as a couple a bit more. Now that I've read this, I'm incredibly interested in all the other books set in this same universe and with these same characters.

tropes present in this book:
• age gap
• slight bdsm
• teacher/student romance
• taboo/forbidden romance

Michelle Vasquez

“I hadn’t been called to be a priest. I’d been called to be hers.”

Tinsley has been surrounded by people who don’t truly see her. She’s lonely, withdrawn and searching to evoke emotions that she honestly felt long gone for her 18 years. Shrouded in a family legacy and what is expected of her as an heiress, rather than what she needs in order to feel like she’s a part of something bigger than simply being a Constantine.

Magnus has been punishing himself for a past life. A man, a Priest - utilizing the control he still manages to hold onto, giving him a semblance of who he craves to be on the outside, while on the inside he still battles who he used to be, and how much he has truly overcome.

“Lessons in Sin,” by Pam Godwin is a standalone forbidden romance. It gives us Tinsley and Magnus - student and priest. Two people who are essentially very similar, but incredibly lonely people that became caught up in one another through their circumstances. Tinsley was the fire that Magnus not only needed, but craved. Coming from her background, Tinsley had spunk, backbone and a fierce tongue that had Magnus stepping back to make sure he was the one she was speaking to in that manner. Magnus did not relent, and in that, he gave as good as she did. Their verbal sparring was electric, and once they got together sparks flew. It was a perfect addition to the Constantine world and made me love and appreciate Tinsley even more. And well Father Magnus. Everyone needs a Father Magus. End of story.

Anna // read.all.night 

“This was happening. Not because I’d planned it. But because it was destined. We were inevitable. I hadn’t been called to be a priest. I’d been called to be hers.”

Lessons in Sin is about an age gap with a teacher… and the teacher is a priest. We love to see it. We have a “spoiled” rich girl with family trouble and a dark powerful priest who thinks he is beyond saving. The result is 🔥🔥🔥🔥

This story is very steamy and angsty and kept me on the hook from page one. Pam Godwin is such a good writer and I can’t wait to read more of her stuff! 

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Lacey

4.5 stars

“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. This is my first confession.”
His breath left him.
“I tried to seduce a priest.”

Well, Pam Godwin certainly delivered with this taboo, forbidden priest romance! Between a teacher/student (who is 18) with a HUGE age gap. It’s not too dark for a Pam Godwin book, but again, there’s taboo and plenty of kink. I adored our main characters, who are at each other’s throats from the moment that they meet. If you love Sierra Simone’s Priest or Tiffany Reisz’s The Original Sinners (both of which I do) and you’re looking for another priest to fall in love with, Father Magnus will be perfect for you.

Tinsley Constantine is the youngest of her insanely powerful, wealthy family. When this heiress is caught giving a BJ to a Burger King employee, her mother sends her off to an all-girls Catholic boarding school to reform her naughty ways. Her new teacher/disciplinarian is Father Magnus Falke, who is as cold and cruel as he is gorgeous, even at 40. Tinsley knows the best way to get herself kicked out of school is to make her teacher’s life hell, but unfortunately for her, Magnus knows how to give it right back.

Tinsley is such an awesome heroine! I loved her strength and sassy, unfiltered mouth. Even though she tries to show Magnus her worst, he sees her intelligence and compassion underneath, which draws him in. Tinsley is insanely attracted to Magnus, but it’s during their one on one sessions that she slowly starts to fall for him. I loved the progression of their romance, from hating each other and constantly arguing to having genuine, thoughtful conversations which then turn into something steamy and forbidden. Pam Godwin truly makes you believe in their love and romance despite the many, many obstacles between them.

This was happening. Not because I’d planned it. But because it was destined. We were inevitable. I hadn’t been called to be a priest. I’d been called to be hers.

The ending was perfection!! So much angst and heartache, but just as much love and romance too. My heart was swooning. Magnus might be an asshole, but he’s one who loves with all of his heart. I had the best time reading Lessons in Sin - it was exactly what I wanted from Pam Godwin!

Also! Apparently the entire Constantine family is getting their books (some already have) but they’re being written by different authors. I’m really looking forward to K. Webster’s, who wrote about Winston, the oldest!

*****

Pam Godwin? Writing a PRIEST ROMANCE?? 👀

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

Whew 🥵 That was hot. This book checked off so many things for me: forbidden love, age gap (18/40), taboo, possessive alphahole! If Magnus were to appear before me to steal me away, I’d drop to my knees faster than you can say ,”Hail Mary,” and have him pick me up and carry me all the way. No shame.

She had a weakness for vulnerable things. So do I.

Tinsley Constantine is the youngest and considered the princess of the very wealthy Constantine family. Because she’s a female and the youngest, her mom has plans for her, plans that certainly don’t include tarnishing the Constantine name by getting caught giving a BJ to a random guy. Because of this, she gets sent to an all-girl boarding school that specializes in reforming girls. Once she meets Father Magnus, she realizes she has a ticket out: make his life hell. What Tinsley doesn’t expect is Father Magnus having a back bone and giving it all back to her just as much and more.

“They call it Morning Worship. To think, when the lights go out, all those dutiful prayer hands are petting the kitty in your honor.”

Pam Godwin writes some of my favorite female characters. She really knows how to write resilient and strong women, and Tinsley is no different. I loved how unapologetically she is herself, as well as her sass. One thing that had me laughing and widening my eyes was her extremely unfiltered mouth, which would get her in trouble 99% of the time. Father Magnus expects Tinsley to be just like the other girls, but he finds Tinsley to have a mind of her own, one that’s very intellectual and certainly made for more than just the plans her mom has for her: be someone’s trophy wife.

“Isn’t the gift of attention one of the most selfless and impactful things we can give one another?”

Father Magnus has been dealing for years with a darkness he can’t control. Ending up as a father at the reform school was his temporary salvation until Tinsley came around. It was so sad seeing him battle through his demons, ones that should’ve never been considered as such. He simply has his kinks and there’s nothing bad or evil about that. It takes Tinsley and a priest friend to help him see more and accept himself, kinks and all.

I chose this life as my penance. Celibacy confined the darkness inside me, and placing myself in a boarding school kept my cravings in check.

The romance was another favorite part of the story for me. We have these two characters who completely hate each other or the point they try to make each other’s life miserable. But Pam Godwin creates a little bit of a slow burn in the sense that she crafts a romance in which they go from hating to understanding to finding a friendship to falling in love. The way she created this flowed so seamlessly and it never felt like it was rushed; it actually felt as if it were a romance to happen in real life.

“You mean more to me than all the money and sex in the world. You hold all the power between us. You always have.”

Everything slowly turned explosive and hot! But the ending was probably the most angsty and explosive yet, not just sexually, but the plot as well. My heart was so torn! But the ending was truly wonderful. When these characters love, they really go through all the lengths for each other.

He was my freedom. My journey. My destination. My one great passion. My choice. My love. My lessons in sin.

Lessons in Sin is another successfully written book by an author who’s quickly becoming a favorite!

If you want to read more about the Constantine family, check out Dangerous Press for all of the books. One I already read was Winston Constantine’s story in Cinderella series by K. Webster. Let me tell you, Stroke of Midnight became an instant favorite!

--

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Lessons in Sin

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