Book Review: The Sinners Club by DW Plato

6/29/2018

I liked what I read well enough, but I didn't get very far.

Gaius Stewart is handsome, smart and charismatic. Elizabeth Anderson is beautiful, selfless and caring. There's only one problem: he's a self-proclaimed Pagan, and she's a devoted member of The Church of Latter Day Saints.

When Gaius' beloved mother passes away and leaves him with a surprising confession revealing his unknown father's past, he drives off to the town of Pleasant, Utah, in the heart of Mormon America. What begins as a journey for truth takes a turn and becomes a battle of beliefs for the soul of an unexpected romance. Can Elizabeth find a reason to believe in something bigger than her ingrained faith through a man who claims to be Pagan? Is love outside of her faith possible? The new guy definitely thinks so.

What I liked:

After interacting with the author on social media, I agreed to read and review this novel. I liked the concept; the idea of two people from polar opposite worlds could find common ground and even life-long love. And being LDS (Mormon) myself, the notion of how another writer would portray members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) intrigued me.

What I didn't like:

I don't usually do lists, but there were three elements that stood out the most as to why I stopped reading at Chapter 9.

I'm not a fan of the F-Bomb. I'll let a few well-placed instances slide if I feel it accentuates a character's emotional state. However, just like with people in the real world, if it's just part of their vernacular for no other reason than to sound tough or because they have a paltry vocabulary, I prefer to not engage with them.
Additionally, I never felt drawn into the pages. The world-building left me to my own devices. I found myself having to create the surroundings instead of being guided into the character's world.
Many people know of the LDS church, or by the nickname, Mormons. However, referring to Elizabeth's church as The Church of Latter-Day Saints felt like the author neither knew the full name of the church nor did the necessary research.

Overall, the writing was good, but just not engaging enough for my taste. I would have given up sooner, but I wanted to see Gaius and Elizabeth cross paths. Unfortunately, they didn't meet soon enough for me to get past my hang-ups on the story.

I gave "The Sinner's Club" two stars only because it wasn't my cup of tea.
For those who know that Mormons are commanded to abstain from coffee and tea (among other things), that pun was intended.