u/Purple-Warning-2161

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{Sacred Hearts by CG Macington}

TW: religion

Sacred Hearts is a love letter to everyone who has been hurt by religion for being queer.

I picked up this book after reading the St. Jude’s series and thought it would be as funny/silly as that but it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I wouldn’t say this is the best book I’ve ever read or even one of my favorites ever but it is an incredibly beautiful book.

I grew up catholic and went to catholic school for many years but became atheist some time ago (which I won’t get into here because it’s too long and not the point of this post). I also abhor how people cherry pick biblical laws and texts to suit their narrative, even worse is when they misinterpret it to justify their hate. This book hasn’t made me believe in god again or changed my beliefs in any way, I just really appreciated the message of “you are not broken, you don’t need to change because god loves you as you are” since I know how deeply people it can wound someone, thinking god hates them, when, isn’t God’s whole thing supposed to be love everyone no matter what?

I love the forbidden relationship trope, and really, what is more forbidden than the pope being in love with a man? Writing a romance about the pope is really risky because it doesn’t take much to cross the line but I found it to be very respectful and beautifully written.

Marco (the pope) and Mateo (the Italian prime minister) first meet when Marco unexpectedly becomes the pope. They’re both working to root out financial corruption within the church and government, respectively. Mateo isn’t necessarily publicly out but doesn’t keep his sexuality a secret. Marco has always hidden and denied his sexuality due to his involvement with the church and has never allowed himself to act on it, believing that it’s a sin. There is internalized homophobia but it’s more complex than what I see in other people/characters in books. Marco doesn’t hate himself or think he’s disgusting - he’s convinced that how and who he loves is wrong because that’s what the church has told him throughout his lifetime. Once he starts to fall for Mateo, he prays a lot - first to make his desires (not just sexual but his romantic feelings as well) go away, but he slowly comes to realize that all love (romantic, platonic, familial) is God’s love, and that’s where the beauty of the story lies for me. Marco finds himself with some unexpected allies in the church, both in his inner circle and also from priests and bishops in Asia and Africa. I don’t know much about Catholicism in those regions so that was really interesting to read, although I didn’t look into it more so I can’t confirm the accuracy of it.

Marco and Mateo’s dedication to tackling and getting rid of corruption has an added layer of suspense and mystery with a lot of internal people working against them to stop their investigations that puts both of their lives at risk.

There are a couple of sex scenes but they’re kept light in detail and length which is unlike CG’s other books that I’ve read. I lean much more towards heavier smut in general but given that it’s the pope, it’s understandable.

I wouldn’t say it’s going to end up on my favorite books ever list, but it is definitely memorable and significant, and I’ll be recommending it to mm romance lovers who are faithful and those who think god hate them because of how those who claim to be acting in gods name reject them. Not in an attempt to bring them back to religion or their faith, only to tell them that the real message of god is love.

Tropes
Virgin (obviously)
Friends to lovers
Forbidden love
Political intrigue/mystery

Favorite/Interesting Quotes

“The photographer’s intrusion suddenly seems like divine intervention, a warning that even in private moments, I am never truly alone, never free to simply be a man rather than a symbol. Yet even as I form these thoughts, I find myself anticipating our next meeting with an eagerness that has nothing to do with matters of state or Church. And therein lies my greatest peril.”

“But even as I beg God for absolution, Matteo’s touch lingers on my skin, and I know with terrifying certainty that no amount of prayer will erase the truth I’ve spent a lifetime hiding—not from myself, not anymore. The most frightening thought of all comes unbidden: What if this feeling isn’t the sin I’ve been taught to believe it is? What if, in pushing it away, I’ve been denying not just myself, but God’s own design?”

“God loves all His children. This has never been in question.” “How can you be so certain?” I ask, desperate for the reassurance he offers. “Because I have heard thousands of confessions over decades of service. I have witnessed the same struggles, the same pain in countless souls who believed their capacity for love was somehow sinful.” His eyes hold mine steadily. “And I have seen the damage done by those who use doctrine as a weapon rather than a guide to compassion.”

“Christ’s harshest words were never for those who loved too much, but for those who used religion to exclude and condemn.”

“After decades of believing my deepest feelings were sinful, his acceptance has unlocked something profound within me—not just permission to acknowledge my attraction to Matteo, but an invitation to see it as potentially sacred.”

“Matteo listens intently as I share my vision—a Church that embraces all forms of authentic love as expressions of the divine, that recognizes the sacred in human connection regardless of gender or orientation. “It’s revolutionary,” he says softly. “It’s returning to the essence,” I counter. “Before centuries of human interpretation buried the simple truth that love—all love—comes from God.”

Holy Christ on a fucking cracker. {Bedside Manner by CG Macington} is fucking FUN.

I’ve struggled finding new material this year and I almost DNF’d this one 5 pages in because I thought Dr. Maxwell “Ice King” York was a stick in the mud in an annoying way. But I thought of the blurb and wanted to meet Dr. Jax and I’m so glad I stuck with it! This book is so funny and sweet, super steamy and I absolutely adored Max with his rigidity that relaxes when he begins like Jax, who is an agent of chaos. Jax has PTSD and there’s some great hurt/comfort scenes involving that. The side characters are so perfect. We’ve got Maxwell’s family who are richer than God: his mother (essentially a WASP terrorist in Chanel), his father (who delights in chaos), and his younger brother, Preston (entering his rebel phase). The hospital staff is also wonderful, specifically the 5’2 head nurse, “Mama” who is feared by everyone but also beloved because she fights for her team.

There’s an unrealistic scene where Jax goes to a crash site in a blizzard to help survivors of a bus that falls over a ravine while he’s in it and he survives so if you’re not a fan of “this defies all laws of physics” like you see in the Fast and Furious series you won’t like it. (I only mention that because I saw a complaint in a review, but I loved the that shit so it doesn’t matter to me). Sure, it’s unrealistic, but I love that shit in my books.

I read the sequel {Conflict of Interest by CG Macington} and while I loved the characters (and all of my favorites who reappeared) I didn’t totally love their love, if that makes sense. I felt like the dad was portrayed different in the sequel but then he’s more like who he was in Bedside in the third book.

I also finished {Wedding Manner by CG Macington} and loved it too! Just as funny and sweet and even more unrealistic than the first two the mom buys an airline - mid flight - to prevent Maxwell and Jax from getting married in Vegas instead of the big wedding she wants to throw. There’s going to be a big secret reveal for the dad and it wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be, but it was still silly. Wedding Manner was fun, but I wouldn’t say it was as good as the first book.

Tropes:
Opposites attract
Enemies to lovers
Fake dating
Forced Proximity
Class difference
Military veteran
PTSD rep
Grumpy/sunshine (not exactly grumpy, but more like particular and rigid)

TW: blackmail, medical trauma, PTSD symptoms, aftermath of an off page traffic accident

Favorite quotes:

“Jax grins. It’s a lopsided, boyish grin that displays a chipped canine tooth. It is infuriatingly charming.”

“Our eyes lock over the open chest cavity of the man we just saved. The air between us is electric. It’s a high better than any drug. We cheated death, and we did it together.”

“Don't worry, Fred," Jax whispers to the plant. "I’ll bust you out of here. We’ll go get tattoos."
"Do not speak to him," I order, turning back to my monitor. "You are disturbing his photosynthesis."

“I do not barely tolerate you," he says quietly. My heart does a stupid, fluttery thing.

"Favorite movie?" Jax asks.
“Casablanca," I say. "The lighting is exquisite."
“Die Hard," Jax counters. "Because Bruce Willis fixes problems with duct tape and attitude.”

“I just sit there, in the silence I fought so hard to protect, and realize that it is the loudest sound in the world.”

“Honestly, Anthony, the boy asked for a subscription to the International Male catalog for his twelfth birthday. He told us he appreciated the 'mesh tank tops' for their 'ventilation properties.' We weren't exactly hiring a private investigator to crack the code."
I feel my face burn. "I was interested in fashion history."
“You were interested in the swimwear section, Maxwell.”