Hot Under His Collar

When successful event planner Sasha Finerghty is asked to help Father Patrick Dooley raise enough money to save his pre-K program for low-income children, she develops an inconvenient attraction to the priest, which turns into a full-on crush. For Patrick—who entered the priesthood on the wish of his dying mother and after a bad breakup—his attraction to Sasha is a temptation and a glimpse at the future he could have had. Both will need to decide whether their growing love will be worth the costs, of Patrick losing his vocation and standing in the community, and Sasha alienating herself from her image-focused family. Though abuses within the Catholic Church are lightly touched upon, Father Patrick is clearly written in a way that does not raise those concerns. His dedication to his vocation comes from his wanting to be a leader and a fixer—not necessarily from deep faith. Patrick and Sasha’s attraction is clear and crackling, but their jump from lust to love feels sudden.