Title: Muddy Waters
Author: DV Fischer
Genre: Romance
Publisher: LoveNBooksPress
Release Date: 4th August 2026
BLURB
Willow Ashley doesn't do God. She does sin, and she's very, very good at it.
When her best friend finally drags her through the doors of a New Orleans church, Willow expects guilt. Boredom. Maybe lightning. What she doesn't expect is him — Pastor Rowan Elsher, all quiet authority and sculpted jaw, standing at the pulpit like an answer to prayers she's never bothered to say. One look and her mind goes somewhere that would make the saints weep.
Rowan has one rule: never pursue a woman from his congregation. It's the line he swore he'd never cross. But Willow — with her wicked mouth and a past that should send him running — doesn't feel like temptation. She feels like a test he was never meant to pass. He knows what she does to survive. He knows it's wrong to want her anyway.
He wants her anyway.
Some men fall from grace. Rowan is going to dive.
REVIEW
The cover is almost sepia, it depicts some murky looking water with a beautiful white lily on its surface. The lily contains a Pastors Cross and chain (apologies in advance for not knowing the correct terminology for it). I love the byline of “Some prayers are better left unanswered” The cover would pique my interest enough to pick iit up in a store or click on it online to learn more.
There’s a new Pastor in town called Rowan Elscher and he is certainly an upgrade on the current one, old Pastor George. He is much younger and a lot better looking too! Pastor George is kind of throwing Pastor Rowan in at the deep end as he is going on a much-needed holiday. Pastor George acknowledges that Pastor Rowan is good looking, something of a temptation for the female members of the congregation to swoon over so before leaving his final words of warning to Pastor Rowan are that he much keep things with all members of the congregation on a business level, there must be no relationships with women in the congregation under any circumstances. Pastor Rowan readily agrees, though it’s a large church congregation to be told he cannot date, he isn’t looking for someone right now so he easily agrees to Pastor Georges requirements. Things go really well, sure there’s some good-looking women in the church congregation but they are off limits and Pastor Rowan is fine with that. Until in walks Willow Ashley, a beautiful curvy young woman, who is living a double life. All Pastor Rowan sees is a beautiful woman with curves in all the right places who is just his type, it’s a pity he has promised Pastor George he wont date anyone in the congregation. It turns out Willow Ashley has only just returned to the congregation too. Her best friend Whitney, is responsible for Willow being at church the day Pastor George introduces Pastor Rowan Elscher to the packed church. It seems a new Pastor has really filled those pews with curious people. Whitney has a quiet word with Pastor Rowan, insinuating her friend Willow more or less needs saving from herself and some huge secret mess she has gotten herself into. Pastor Rowan agrees to council an unsuspecting Willow. Willow cannot help but feel drawn to the new Pastor in town and agrees to weekly meetings. Pastor Rowan does try to get Willow to talk about her dark secret hinted at by Whitney but at first Willow is reluctant to reveal anything, not that she is ashamed of what she does, more from embarrasement.Willow becomes involved, helping out with various church activities meaning she and Rowan see even more of each other. It seems inevitable they will end up together but there are so many obstacles in their way, Pastor George being one thing but even larger than that is the fact that Willow Ashley is leading a double life, because at night she becomes Kitty, she becomes a prostitute who works on Bourbon Street, Willow sees it as a way to make money, to stay independent, to be able to rent her own place. Willow takes all the precautions she can and stays on the right side of her pimp Captain. Captain can turn violent quickly if angered and has regularly beaten up his girls if he perceived them to have stepped out of line.
As Willow sees more of Rowan a relationship develops and Willow ends up confessing what she does. Though Rowan is already aware of it due to being blackmailed by Pink, a drug reliant prostitute who also works for Captain. In fact he has already even followed Willow/Kitty one night.
When Willow finally goes to Captain saying she wants out he is furious, saying she cannot leave, she owes him and will have to buy herself out. Saying a figure of money that Willow doesn’t have.
Willow and Rowans relationship becomes more passionate and they decide that he will tell Pastor George as soon as he returns from his holiday. Willow also decides she is going to stop working the streets but Captain is furious and uses drug reliant prostitute Pink to find out where Willow lives. He hides out waiting for her to arrive home. He has already beaten Pinky who is laid on the floor. Willow rushes to her friend and is beaten up herself by Captain. Willow realises she can not afford to pay Captain to release her and that she will have to end her relationship with Rowan and continue to work on the streets.
Pastor George is annoyed with both Willow and Pastor Rowan for their, as he sees it ungodly relationship. He issues an ultimatum to Rowan it’s God & the Church, or life with Willow, a prostitute.
Both Rowan and Willow decide to make a sacrifice unbeknownst to the other and are at odds with each other. Willow decides to walk away saying she cannot come between Rowan and God! And Rowan is prepared to walk away from the Church as he loves Willow. He takes care of things with Captain.
I adored Rowan and Willow together and was wanting them to happy ending. Their dynamic was great. I found the fact Rowan compared Willow to someone from his past poignant. Star was someone who he couldn’t save, he lost her but he is determined to keep hols of Willow even if that means disobeying Pastor George and leaving his calling with God. Rowan also isn’t afraid to go confront Captain, he is disgusted by him but he attempts to reason with him, then eventually just pays the debt to Captain from both Willow/Kitty and Shirley/Pink. He could have ignored Pink, left her on the street especially after the blackmailing incident, but he helps her get the help she needs to stay free of the drugs, Captain and prostitution.
I quite enjoyed being really very irritated by the rather old fashioned Pastor George, I guess you could see his point about Rowan not dating anyone from the congregation, but excluding Rowan from dating such a large group of people was a little ridiculous, and was set for failure.
I really liked Megan the secretary who I think was all for the Rowan & Willow romance. I can't help thinking she perhaps heard more than she let on. I think perhaps Megan had an inkling that there were “shenanagans” going on between the new Pastor and Willow, but she stays quiet and just supports both Rowan and Willow
I was furious with Pink firstly blackmailing Rowan over his relationship with Willow and then selling out Willow, giving up her home address & information about Rowan to Captain. Sadly, her addiction was controlling her, she had gotten to a point she would do anything for money to get drugs.
I loved the slow burn of how Kitty & Pink became friends looking out for each other when they were on Bourbon Street. Then slowly they revealed their true selves to each other and become Willow & Shirley to each other.
My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were, wow that could have ended so differently.
Summing up I was glad we got a happy ending!
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