Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Roman

Rate this book
Benedict Nowak bailed on his marriage, taking his son with him but leaving behind his five year old daughter. He had his reasons. He had no idea they’d come back to haunt him.TJ had come to terms with the mother she despised, making those small concessions that made life bearable. But her mother’s death changed everything.Roman Rincon was the juvie rescued by Father Marcus and placed in the care of Benedict Nowak. With his records sealed, no one knew what happened that fateful night when Roman was only fourteen. All Father Marcus knew was the boy had confessed to a crime not even the cops would talk about.In the small coal mining town of Montville, two teens whose lives have been shattered beyond repair must find a way to with school, with each other, with growing up marked as broken in a town dying under the weight of secrets and lies.Warned off having anything to do with Roman, TJ is all too willing to agree, except for one little thing. The young man lives in the apartment above her father’s car repair business so avoiding him might be a problem.As for Roman, he will take his secret to the grave, no matter what the cost.

258 pages, Paperback

First published December 11, 2012

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

Kennedy Streath

1 book6 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
19 (70%)
4 stars
5 (18%)
3 stars
3 (11%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Profile Image for Kazza.
1,443 reviews165 followers
Read
October 22, 2013
For the time being I'm not rating Roman. I'll see how I feel once I've digested it some more.


What worked for me -

Nice use of the English language

An intesting concept

I like differing POV. Most of the main characters got one

The bleak portrait of an impoverished town was well painted

TJ was a pretty solid character with some interesting thoughts. When she and Roman interacted it was very interesting

I truly got into some of the thoughts - some were so lyrical - look at my status updates

When Roman was in the book he was interesting and a half

What didn't work for me -

There was a bit of repetition of inner monologue and thought processes. I get it TJ's mum, Eleanore, was a cold bitch.

TJ had to adjust to a 'new found' father and new setting but it wasn't all that tough. Her father loved her, he was decent. Her brother loved her. Her brother's girlfriend looked out for her really well. No-one singled her out at school in a harsh way. For a girl who came from a priviledged upbringing, albeit a very cold one, a private school, a condo with her own floor, a great sporting school where she exceled and loved it, to a home that was basic, a school that was poor, and had no sport for her, she accepted it all too well. A sixteen year old would rail more

For a book named Roman the namesake was hardly in it. When he was he hardly uttered a phrase. He didn't really come into the book unitl about the 60% mark and even then he was very much in the background to TJ, Marsha, Ben, Tom, the setting, the hinted at parnaormal elements, the mine issues

I hated the ending. I'm sorry but I like resolution of some description. This was limbo for me. I felt cheated. The story built and then, I don't know, ended. Maybe it's me and I'm a dumbarse that needs spoon feeding

Some threads weren't wrapped up for me. What was really going on under the mountain? I like concrete information. What happened with Roman? Why was that question TJ asked not answered? And if it couldn't be, why was that? What were the actual 'woo woo' theories, I don't want supposition I want something clear. I like scripture or theories on same pitched at me.

Overall the book is an interesting one. I'm glad I read it. I liked it but I can't seem to rate it. I wish I could be more positive in the wrap-up.
Profile Image for Chelle.
Author 17 books62 followers
March 3, 2013
This is a dark and forboading story. Full of twists turns and supernatural thrills.

TJ a lost girl, who made a choice as a young child, without realizing what she was giving up. Raised in a guilded cage, by a mother with no love to share. She is thrust into a family she barely knows. A home with a father she only knows by faded memories and a brother she loved completely, who deploys out the night she is moved home. Sullen, angry, bitter, and lost she is drawn to the strange broody boy who lives above her fathers garage. Although she has promised her brother to stay away from him, she is drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Her body denies her brain, her logical side shuts down, when he pins her with he dark gaze, stealing the breath from the room with his very presence.

Roman is a boy that some believe innocent of crimes he confessed too. Shadowed and unwilling to let anyone into his world, although she is forbidden he is drawn to TJ, unable to stay away as he has told her to do.

This book will take you on a dark ride through a religious and supernatural roller coaster. Emotions run high. When all the pieces finally start coming together. It may be to late for anyone to save TJ from a fate no one could have imagined. Someone has to save her, but the priest and her father may not figure out who it is in time. In a dying town wrapped in mystery and unexplained death, there could be no way out from a dead mother's cruel love.

Looking forward to more in this series. Cant wait to read Anton.
Profile Image for Kj Partridge.
103 reviews7 followers
February 24, 2013
At first I wasn't really sure what to think about this book, the story absolutely floored me. I was never quite sure where it was going, but was very willing to keep reading to figure it all out. The electricity between Roman and TJ is so immediate you just “feel” that there is more than meets the eye there. The trouble being TJ promised her brother Tony to stay away from Roman. Add in TJ's mom has died, and she is being moved in with a dad she hasn't seen since she was five. From a wealthy life to an impoverished one, TJ must make a lot of changes.
I most certainly never expected the twists and turns this book took, it took my breath away and left me filled with absolute admiration for Kennedy Streath. The style this book was written in was also new to me, I must say I truly enjoyed it, it's almost a rough and gritty form of story telling. I look forward to the next book, you have made a fan for life! Many thanks for gifting me this ebook so I could read and review it.
Profile Image for Ella Medler.
Author 55 books114 followers
July 21, 2014
Oh, wow!
Okay, let me explain that. I am in awe at this author’s writing style. So free, so uninhibited, so original, yet getting the point across so perfectly.
Take this description of a person, for example: this guy had “the body of a man who’d beat back age with hard work and lost.” This one sentence tells you a whole back story. The whole novel is written like this. It’s not a quick book to read, and at times not an easy read either, but it is worth it. There is enough darkness for a whole country’s worth of brooding adolescents and enough questions to keep you up at night. I, for one, loved this book. Five shiny gold stars from me. Looking forward to the next in the series.
Profile Image for Wesley.
Author 3 books
April 7, 2015
Roman (Saints and Sinners) by Kennedy Streath (Nya Rawlyns)is a YA Romance/Dark Fantasy. I'm not exactly sure why Mrs. Rawlyns felt she needed a different pen name for this book, except that maybe she wanted to have a different standing for YA than her usual adult work. And I do mean "Adult Work". She has a score of Adult Romance novels out, so going into this, I was very wary. I don't mind Romance, and I don't even mind a sex scene or two in a novel if they aren't too explicit, but when the whole book is smut, I can't turn the page. The only reason I agreed to review this work was that it was YA, and I hoped that the smut would be toned down for the kiddos.

Okay, before I start the review, I need to get a monkey off my back. I'm part of so many writer's forums, blogs, support groups, and Facebook pages I can't even keep track of most of them. I always see the question, "Why don't publishers like the omniscient narrative voice?" Well, I've read a couple of professionally published works where they author, with, I'm sure, the help of editors, made it work. I've also been reading a lot of indie work from authors who don't have the benefit of all of that professional help. Omniscient Narrative is very, VERY, hard to do well. It can be very confusing and jarring to read when not done well. I'm all but convinced that a single author, no matter how talented, can not accomplish the task alone. It's the biggest critique I have of this book. Don't use an omniscient voice. When I have to go back an read something over again because I don't know who is talking/thinking what, I get put in a surly mood. Especially when thoughts are italicized without lead-in or lead-out tags annotating who is speaking/thinking. TJ's thoughts are thrown in in the middle of other character's sentences. There are better ways to portray thoughts and feelings.

Okay, on to the review. Theresa Jane (TJ) just lost her no-good mother, and is forced to move in with her no-good father who abandoned them when she was five. Typical premise for this type of YA novel.

A strange young man named Roman is living with her father. He's on probation for a crime which has been sealed, and even the police don't seem to want to talk about. The only advice her brother tells her before shipping off is to stay away from the boy. You know the old saying, "the best way to get a girl to do something is to tell her not to do it"? Well, it works. The mysterious bad boy is an immediate obsession for TJ, even against her own will. She finds herself drawn to him, wondering about everything about him. Her dreams are even riddled with the essence of him. That part is borderline too adult for a YA book, but I digress.

It becomes quickly apparent, however, that there is more going on with Roman than just your typical street tough teen. The lead-ins for this are actually brilliant. I have to tip my hat to Mrs. Rawlyns for not giving away too much too fast. The characters are built very carefully, and even with the whinny, poor-picked-on-me, school girl premise, I didn't hate TJ. She's not completely self-absorbed like most YA protagonists seem to be. I'm certain the YA audience will love her.

There are strange things happening in the mine just outside of town. And the towns people all refer to it as, "the same thing that happened four years ago". Four years ago is about the time Roman showed up. There is also a dark contract involved...

The story is actually quite good. The characters are well developed. I cringed a little whenever things heated up between Roman and TJ, just because of the other books Mrs. Rawlyns has written, and she did a pretty good job staving off the inevitable, but, right towards the end, she gave in to her writing habits. A couple of sixteen year-olds going at it... It was kind of a shame because the rest of the book was rather good. I don't think teens need more sex and passion. That one little slip, in my opinion, made the book unsuitable for YA. Even though it wasn't too explicit. So, that's my only other criticism; write for kids, or write for adults. Don't put too many adult ideas into kids' minds who can barely contain their hormones as it is.
Profile Image for Hooked On Books.
1,887 reviews63 followers
April 29, 2014
Theresa Jane Nowak (TJ) finds herself abandoned again. TJs father left when she was 5. Her father took her brother and raised him but left her with her mother. A mother she believes never cared for her. Her mother dies of cancer, and TJ has to live with the man who left her at a young age. TJ becomes interested in the mysterious guy (Roman Rincon) who lives in her father’s garage. The guy with a criminal past and gang related family members. TJ wants to know more about Roman, and she feels drawn to him.

Benedict Nowak is TJs father. Benedict regrets not taking his daughter with him with him when he left. Benedict felt like he had no choice. Benedict begins to learn of the supernatural from his brother the priest. During the story, these two men discuss the supernatural things going on in the town and allude to how it relates to TJ.

Tony Nowak and Marsha are a couple. Tony is TJs brother who helped raise her and got her through the tough times. Tony is in the military. Tony and Marsha met when in war. Tony rescued Marsha. Marsha fell in love with him. These two characters have a point of view in the book but it is short.

The story line was good and kept the reader captivated. There were so many different point of views till it became confusing at times. The author did a good job of showing whose point of view was being told, but it jumped from so many throughout the book. I found myself having to read the same page twice to keep up with what was going on. The author left a lot of secrets untold leaving room for a book 2. Although I had a difficult time keeping up, I would still buy the second book to see if the secrets are told and to find out if it will make more sense.
4 reviews
March 16, 2013
When I started reading this book, I wasnt sure I was going to like it. It begins with a teenage girl who has just lost her mother, if you could call her that, and then had to go live with a father that left her when she was an innocent 5 years old and had no idea what was going on. I expected this to be a story of her finding her place in a small town, learning to love her father and all peaches and cream in the end. this was not the case at all! Much to my surprise and excitemnet, it was anything but peaches and cream. We fairly quickly learn that there is another plot entirely at work here. The father is an ex drunk just trying to get by, relying on a priest to help him make decisions and his son, who we find out the priest practically raised because the of the fathers habits and that's just the beginning. We meet Roman, a dark soul who appears to be a troubled teen but in reality is so much more. He becomes the unsuspected hero and protector to the girl who really has no idea what she has walked into with this family and town. All this and we havent even talked about the brother and his girlfriend!! The brother seems like there is so much more to him but it is held back. We get just enough to keep us wondering about him. I am really anxious to see his story in the upcoming book!
this book is full of twists and turns and I just could not put it down! When it ended, I was like "what!! that's all? There is so much more that I want to know!" I highly recommend this book, just keep going past the teenage girl coming into her own thoguhts and before you know it, you will be transported into something deeper, darker and so much more intriguing!!!
Profile Image for Elaina.
Author 110 books75 followers
April 15, 2013
The title said it all for me- this would be an ‘otherworld’ type of read, and I was in. And yet all begins normal enough. A young girl loses her mother and has to go and live with her father. There’s a brother, his girlfriend and the boy on probation living over the garage. Strange family dynamics (including a priest), but normal. NOT! From the first few words you just KNOW there’s nothing ‘normal’ about this story. I cannot describe what it is about Roman that grabs your attention swiftly; I only know I was hooked from the first.

Meet Roman, an enigmatic teenager living alone in an apartment over the garage because Father Marcus asked it of his cousin Ben. Meet Tony, the brother who became a soldier because of the mysteries the priest revealed to him. Meet Marsha, the girlfriend scarred in a war zone. Meet Ben, the father who walked away from his daughter and found solace in the bottle. Meet also the dead Eleanor, who reaches from beyond the grave to manipulate. And meet T.J., daughter and sister in a dysfunctional family…who is instantly drawn to the dark teenager she is warned to stay away from.

All is set in a dying down where the remaining income relies on the singular mining operation in the region, a place that itself holds dark secrets and causes the townspeople to murmur prayers when they think about it.

I wish this was longer, I wish more was revealed, I wish we learned more of Roman’s secrets, and yet this entranced and transported. Although the two main characters are teenagers I would not name this YA at all. A great read, and I hope there’s more to come, and I hope it comes soon, very soon!
13 reviews
August 10, 2016
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

Wow. This book was poetic in parts and I absolutely loved it. Reading it, I could truly feel it at times and that is something I always long for in a book. It was dark, but it also held a light to it as well. There was so much warring in all of the characters at different times, and I wanted to know what was going to happen to each of them.

The scenes with TJ and Roman were amazing. I did find myself wanting to know more about what was going on between the two of them more than the other characters though. But in the end having the varying POV made the story more rounded. The story and history was constantly unfolding and it did so in a well laid out manner.

The ending was well written. The sorrow and emptiness TJ experienced was definitely felt.
I want to say I look forward to the next book because I do. But I worry that it will be another emotional rollercoaster. But alas, I crave that in books, so I will be reading the next one as well.
I highly recommend this for the reader who likes to read something out of the norm that leaves them with thoughts drifting back to the story even after it is finished.

Wicked Reads Review Team
19 reviews1 follower
March 24, 2013
Sixteen year old TJ is a tough nut to crack. The book opens with her mother’s funeral. Her parents divorced when she was young and she was raised by her cold, calculating mother. Her brother Tony lived with their father and was now in the military. Since she’s still a minor, she’s relocating to a small mining town in Pennsylvania – and she’s none too happy about that.

Before her brother leaves to go back to his unit he makes her promise to “stay away from him”. “Him” is Roman Rincon, her father’s ward with a mysterious past. If she had kept her promise, this would have been a short, uninteresting story.

TJ has her own issues to deal with – a change in financial status (wealthy to scraping by) a new home, a new school, a father she never really knew, and the legacy of a mother who used TJ for her own status. She has never really known what a family is…until now. Hopefully it’s not too late.

Her father and his cousin, a priest, are doing whatever they can to try to protect her. From who? From what? I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out. As for me, I’m looking forward to the second book in this series.

(The author provided a complimentary copy, in return for my fair and impartial review.)
Profile Image for Heather Alexander.
276 reviews25 followers
March 25, 2013
TJ is going to live with her father because her overbearing, unemotional mother has died. She is leaving behind a life of wealth, athletic and academic prowess, and all that she knows to go live with a man she barely knows. Her brother, who used to be her saving grace, has abandoned her for his own Missions. All he tells her before he leaves is to stay away from the strange boy that lives over her father's garage. Roman. Hard to do when every time she turns around, he is there, watching her. He makes her nervous, but curious as well. Roman has a secret, a secret he isn't sharing with anyone, ever. TJ is out of place in a Podunk town with no sports, no AP classes and where she is a complete outsider. This book was a keep you guesser. Everyone seems to have secrets, and throughout the book you keep waiting for the next one to drop, to discover what it is, who it's about and what it means to the characters and the story. Roman is creepy and intriguing at the same time and TJ is just a typical teenaged overachiever. This book has a bit of everything, mystery, suspense, awesome characters, secrets, the creepy factor, and just a great story. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the book and hope for more from this author.
Profile Image for Julie Ramsey.
Author 2 books33 followers
June 10, 2013
Title - Roman (Saints and Sinners)
Author - Kennedy Streath
Stars - 5
Reviewer - Wende Sheets

TJ is a 16 year girl that is lost, her mother, who she despised, has died and she is left to live her father. Benedict, is TJ's father, he left when she was only 5 years old. When Benedict left he took TJ's brother, Tony. TJ was used to living a very good life, one that she never wanted for anything, private school and sports. She moves to a dying mining town with no sports and no private school. She will have to find a place for herself, a way to fit in.

Tony, who is in the military, leaves TJ and makes her promise to stay away from Roman, the odd 17 yr old boy that lives above her fathers garage. Roman is different, quiet and seems very interesting with TJ. It makes it hard to stay away when he is always there watching.

The more Roman and TJ talk, the closer they become. They share a bond that no one would understand. When secrets are revealed about TJ's mother the more dangerous things become.

This is a story unlike any other ! I feel in love with the characters and can't wait to read more about them. I loved the mystery and myth wrote into the story :)

complimentary book given for a free review. juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
Profile Image for Marie Vasquez.
1,598 reviews76 followers
May 14, 2014
3.5 stars.

I didn't get the hype. I tried...I really did. I wanted to like this book. My official blog review...

I was intrigued by the synopsis for this story as I’m a big fan of the Paranormal genre, be it television, movies and now books; however, it pains me to say that I wasn’t able to get into this story as I had hoped. The book started off too past faced leaving me confused. Characters were introduced so quickly and I was losing track of who was who at first. Internal monologues threw me off. I couldn’t tell if the characters were remembering past conversations or just pondering to themselves. I also had a difficulty relating to the characters; which made it difficult for me to follow along with the story and feel for these characters. I neither liked nor disliked TJ and Roman, I just didn’t feel an instant connection with them as I have with past reads. I had high hopes for this read and it’s possibly just me but I wasn’t a fan. Everyone has their preferences and I know this book received many 5 star reviews but based on my experience with this story, I’m only able to give it 3.5. It pains me to do so as this is my first 3.5 review.
Profile Image for Vyrissi.
46 reviews1 follower
May 11, 2015
Very refreshing
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
***DISCLAIMER -- I have not yet finished this book, full review to follow***
It is so very refreshing to find an author who assumes the reader has a brain and is not afraid of big words and vivid descriptions. Apart from a minor spelling error on p16 "the crunching sound of combat BOOKS shuffling through dried leaves..." I am extremely impressed so far. Again the full review will follow when I have completed this book....

...Ok now I have completed the book, I am still very impressed by the authors prose and use of language. This book begins as a story of teenage angst and as such is very well written, about halfway through, though, a nebulous and poorly defined sub-plot of biblical apocalypse appears. Perhaps an eye-witness account of what happened in the mine would help solidify the paranormal plot line. I think I give this 3 1/2 stars in the hope that the plot develops in further books now that the foundation is complete.
Profile Image for T.L. Searle.
Author 4 books67 followers
May 10, 2014
Sixteen year old Theresa Jane (TJ) has just lost her mother, the mother she chose to live with when she was only five. With a father who has been absent for the majority of her childhood, and a mother who would make a deal with the devil for her own selfish gains, TJ has depended on her elder brother Anton (Tony) as family. Yet, now she's been forced to return to the old clapboard two story farmhouse of her father's, and Tony's departure is imminent. She makes him one promise, to stay away from the Rincon Kid... Roman.

I knew I'd love this book after the first page. Kennedy's voice is deep, intense, so take this book as it is; a vein opened and a soul bled onto the page. It draws you in, intrigues you with insight and omission. TJ and Roman seem wise beyond their years, matured early by life. Their motivations vary; their reasons for inhabiting the same address at the same time appear coincidental. However, when their worlds collide, the fallout could bring down a mountain.
Profile Image for Monique.
327 reviews9 followers
May 17, 2013
When I started reading this book I had the impression that it was going to be a coming of age story about a teenage girl dealing with the loss of her mother.It kind of had a bubble gum feel to it.But boy was I ever wrong, because it turned out to be much,much more.Indeed it is about a teenage girl dealing with issues, but not by any means issues any of us had to deal with as teens.Kennedy Streath has written characters with many marvelous layers and by the time those layers are peeled back you are knee deep in paranormal magma.Kennedy gives you just enough information to make you yearn for more.When all is said and done this book was an amazing read,very well written and had all the wonderful qualities that made it into a bonafide page turner.
Profile Image for Kelli.
Author 1 book13 followers
April 25, 2013
Roman, how many ways can I say I love thee...painfully, tragically, completely!
This was so much more than a book! IT was a feeling, a raw emotion, a beating heart! The characters are flawlessly depicted. They are real, tangible, and complex. I can't exactly put it all into words as it was a journey all on it's own. I feel that I could read this over and over without the same result in emotion. My heart soared then crashed, my anger mounted then cooled, the mystery confused then the whole picture came to light. I would recommend this title and anything this author writes from here after! Insanely amazing! BRING ON THE NEXT INSTALLMENT PLEASE!!!
Profile Image for Rebecca.
Author 3 books15 followers
May 5, 2014
This story reminds me of the southern gothic books I've read and enjoyed immensely. The writing is deep and dark, and it carried me to places that I haven't been in quite a while. This novel brought me to tears. It is not light reading, even being a YA novel. This is one that requires you to think and to live in the story.

My favorite quote from the book that struck the biggest chord "I will never leave you because you carry all the pieces of me in your heart. You are mine, and mine alone, and I will love you 'til the end of my days."
Profile Image for Annastew1144hotmail.com.
189 reviews10 followers
May 13, 2014
This ticked all the boxes for me. It is actually quite dark but very well written and the plot really keeps you guessing to the end. It must be hard for authors to find original twists with so many books being published but I think the author Kennedy Streath has written one. This looks like it is going to be a very good series. Hoping to see another one this year.
Profile Image for Marylee.
50 reviews1 follower
December 8, 2015
Where to start?

I wasn't sure how I was going to like this book in the beginning. This book was a good read. The author keeps you guessing and constantly wanting more. I'm not sure if there is going to be a book two, but I feel like I was left hanging. There are still a bunch of questions unanswered for me, but at the same time I can use my own imagination and make it work.
Profile Image for Simon.
147 reviews6 followers
May 8, 2014
This is one of those dark fantasy novels you quickly get lost in. I was hooked from the first page and lost all track of time. The plot is really well thought out and I thought the main characters worked really well together.
Profile Image for Diane.
Author 19 books13 followers
May 6, 2014
Great book. I couldn't put it down. Love the characters and the plot. Look forward to reading more of Kennedy's books.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.