In 19th-century Charleston, a Catholic priest grapples with his secret African ancestry and his love for a slaveholder’s wife.

Joseph Lazare grows up believing his black hair and olive skin come from a Spanish grandmother, and he’s shocked to learn she was an enslaved African. At thirteen, Joseph allows racial prejudice to limit his future and chooses the seminary. At twenty-three, he is ordained “a priest forever.”

When he meets Tessa Conley, a devout Irish immigrant who shares his passions for music and botany, Joseph’s ordered world cracks at its foundation. He must conceal his true feelings as Tessa marries another man—a plantation owner who treats her like property.

Acting on their love could ruin Joseph and Tessa in this world and damn them in the next. Can two wounded people heal each other and find Heaven on Earth—or will there be Hell to pay?

Necessary Sins is the first book in the Lazare Family Saga quartet. If you like character-rich dramas, vivid period detail, and heart-wrenching choices, then you’ll be swept away by this epic series, perfect for fans of The Thorn Birds and Outlander.

Finalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship
Second Place in the Maggie Awards for Excellence in the category Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

Praise for Necessary Sins:

"From the ashes of rebellion to heart-rending forbidden love, Necessary Sins is a work of art. Bell's voice is a refreshing addition to the genre, and the breadth of her research is impressive. A strong start to a promising series." — Jessica Cale, host of the Dirty, Sexy History podcast

"A taut, compelling family drama with a fresh and intriguing setting. NECESSARY SINS will be a welcome read for fans of historical fiction." — Olivia Hawker, internationally bestselling author of The Ragged Edge of Night

"A gripping family saga with complex characters, NECESSARY SINS is lushly detailed and beautifully written. I look forward to following the fortunes of this antebellum family in future volumes." — Susan Higginbotham, author of The First Lady and the Rebel

"In antebellum South Carolina young Joseph Lazare discovers a secret that would ruin his family. Driven to atone, he becomes a priest, only to fall in love with a married woman. In this carefully researched historical novel Bell examines the way race, religion and class weave a web that Joseph may never escape. A thoughtful, vividly imagined and engrossing historical novel, highly recommended." — Sara Donati, internationally bestselling author of The Gilded Hour

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