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Frank G. D.

Byhlesbrown

Intriguing PageTurner—Absolutely brilliant. Les Brown tells a story that is complex, multi-layered, full of strange landscapes as divergent as organized crime and monastic life, yet one so well crafted that the reader becomes engrossed in it, unable to put it down.

The Monk manages to measure the full stature of a protagonist who is both technical genius and spiritual disciple, a gay man who never imagines himself as anything but an ordinary human. A profoundly religious book, not because it is about a monk, but because it examines the mysterious heart of the sacred: the eternal struggle of Good and Evil.

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  • Luis J.

    Byhlesbrown

    That line in your blurb about Bishop Sean Foley facing an accuser who was “judge, jury, and executioner” made me stop mid-scroll like, “Alright, who brought courtroom thunder into the Vatican?” The tension between Foley and Cardinal Nwadike reads like someone took faith, politics, secrets, and emotional landmines, mixed them together, and said, “Good luck, reader.” I could practically hear the walls of Rome whispering.

  • Ben R.

    Byhlesbrown

    There is something deeply magnetic about We Are Not Saints: The Monk. From the first encounter with Jeff Hensen’s journey, I felt the weight and wonder of a story shaped by struggle, faith, and the fierce search for meaning. The emotional clarity of his inner battle, the stark honesty of his wounds, and the quiet strength of his perseverance create a narrative that feels both raw and luminous. The way the book blends spiritual reflection, moral tension, and human vulnerability gives the story a living pulse that stays with the reader long after the final line.

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    Kirkus Reviews

    Byhlesbrown

    “A fun, deliciously scandalous … depiction of queers in the clergy.” Brown’s prose straddles the vigorous, the poignant, and the sordid in equal measure, particularly during moments when Jared embraces his wild side and when Paul’s faith is tested against his deeply felt attraction to Jared … Though the characters lose some of their early allure, a surprise twist revives things. Brown channels his former vocation as a minister and spiritual director into creating a narrative that is authentically pious but riddled with sex and shocking secrets. For readers of queer romance yarns, this novel will satisfy on several levels…

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    Frank G. Dunn

    Byhlesbrown

    Randy, the acolyte, is bright, earnest, honest, talented, and very naive. With a deep sense of vocation to the priesthood, he learns that being gay is just one of many challenges to be met. Bullies, teen suicide, betrayal, family dysfunction, and having to fend for himself bring out his sterling qualities and his shadows as well. But nothing tests him quite so sharply as learning the truth about Michael, his first deep love. This coming-of-age story is Brown at his finest.

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    Kirkus Reviews

    Byhlesbrown

    In this religious fiction sequel, a gay teen tries to navigate faith, tumultuous family secrets, and first love. Fifteen-year-old Randy Carter lives in Las Vegas and loves skateboarding barefoot, spending time with his best friend, Keisha, and being an acolyte to his caring priest and mentor, Father Sean. In many ways, Randy would seem to be the typical, self-proclaimed “skater boy,” but two things set him apart: He hopes to one day become a priest, and he is gay. Just as Father Sean is helping Randy to understand how his religion and his sexuality do not have to be contradictions,…