Crossed is the fifth installment in the Never After series by Emily McIntire.
At the time of publishing this guide, this story was available on Kindle Unlimited.
Here’s more about the book, along with our free Dirty Dozen downloadable discussion question guide for your spicy book club.
Book description
He is righteousness. She is sin.
Father Cade Frédéric is a holy man. Brought up in the streets of Paris, he has dedicated his life to the church. But there’s a monster that lingers just beneath the surface. A sickness. One that bleeds darkness and feeds on the damned. When he’s tasked to become the priest in Festivalé, Vermont, a town both beautiful in architecture and riddled with despair, his sickness sings, demanding he rid the place of evil.
Amaya Paquette is Festivalé’s beautiful mystery. She spends her days caring for her younger brother and her nights transforming into Esmeralda, dancing for greedy eyes and shameless lips. Although she longs for love, she shies away from companionship, afraid of being abandoned again.
When Father Cade lays eyes on Amaya, he finds himself ensnared, convinced she’s using witchcraft to lure him to her. He can’t eat. Can’t breathe. Can’t think unless it’s of her.
And temptation is a devastating mistress.
She’s his weakness, so he decides he’ll be her demise…even if it means killing the only woman he might ever love.
Crossed book club discussion guide
**PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS DISCUSSION QUESTION GUIDE MIGHT INCLUDE SPOILERS**
We’ve provided the Dirty Dozen below; twelve spicy and intriguing questions to spark discussion and help you uncover the spine-tingling depths of the story.
The Dirty Dozen
Foreplay – Warm Up Questions
1. What’s the overall spice level? 1 (Not Spicy) – 10 (Spiciest Thing I’ve Ever Read)?
2. How does the spice level compare to the other books we’ve read together?
3. Do you think the touches that tie the story back to the original fairy tale are enjoyable or not? Which were your favorites?
The Spicy Bits – Gettin’ Down and Dirty with the Plot
4. Cade sees Amaya as “sin wrapped in a fiery bow” and “like hellfire.” How much of his lust is genuine desire versus the forbidden thrill of touching something he thinks he shouldn’t?
5. Amaya says pole dancing is the only thing that’s ever made her feel like herself. What would it take for you to step into something sensual and unapologetic purely for your own pleasure?
6. Cade claims the church saved him from “meaningless sex” and petty crimes — yet his obsession with Amaya seems anything but holy. Do you think his attraction to her is a relapse, or something deeper he never admitted wanting?
7. Amaya says selling her soul feels like nothing, not despair. What do you think that emotional numbness says about the cost of survival in this world?
8. Cade accuses Amaya of having “more wickedness than the average person,” yet he keeps returning for more. Is he projecting his own darkness onto her, or does she actually enjoy the role of temptress?
9. Amaya feels no remorse when someone who hurt her finally suffers; instead, she feels satisfaction and power. Do you think revenge can ever be erotic, or is it just another form of self-preservation?
10. Cade turns Amaya away at one point and later regrets it. Do you think he has any humanity in him? If so, when do we see it?
11. Amaya says the only thing she’s ever lacked is courage. Do you think courage in this story means facing danger, or daring to take what (or who) you truly want without apology?
Aftercare – Final Thoughts
12. After everything between them — lust, guilt, revenge, and survival — what kind of ending would feel like true closure for Amaya and Cade: redemption, destruction, or something in between?
Bonus: What questions do you have for the author? If you could dog-ear a page with a question for the author, what would it be?
Please feel free to use this post as a starting point for your spicy book club discussion questions and use the comments below to share your thoughts and insights about the book. You can also get a free downloadable copy of the discussion guide using the button below.
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