Wrath is Victoria Christopher Murray's latest installment in her Seven Deadly Sins series and I must admit, this is my favorite thus far. In this story we are introduced to Xavier King and Chasity Jeffries. Initially their story appears to be kismet, but like the old saying goes, everything that glitters isn't gold.
Chastity Jeffries is nothing short of royalty, the daughter of Kareem “KJ” Jeffries, a NBA player turned mega pastor. Pastor Jeffries is a great dad, but hasn‘t always been a great husband. His infidelities have ruined all of Chastity’s childhood memories, so much so that she moves to Atlanta just to get away. When Chastity returns to New York she’s determined to not let her past dictate her future, but in the end she realizes she’s more like her mother than she’s willing to admit. “Chastity, I have prayed for this. You lived through so much of the bad, I want only the best for you now.”
Xavier King‘s childhood was filled with hate. Abandoned by his mother, never knowing his father and hated by his grandmother, Xavier has no clue what love looks like. But even with no precedent on how to love or how to be a man, Xavier is determined to defeat all odds. “You know, grief is a deep emotion that leaves its remnants for years, sometimes decades. There are few who’ve gone through something as tragic as what you’ve experienced, especially being so young, who have walked away unscathed by that kind of trauma.“ Xavier left Sumner, Mississippi and never looked back, he‘s become a man anyone would be proud of. From the outside looking in Xavier is the perfect man, a man any woman would be proud to have on her arm. Xavier has one chink in his armor, his anger issues.
Chastity and Xavier meet and their connection is almost instantaneous. Reading this story was almost like watching a train wreck, you know that it’s coming, but you can’t pull your eyes away from the impending doom. “And because wrath is the extreme of anger, the Lord is warning that anyone who goes to that extreme is a person who will do it again and again and again.” Chastity’s religious background makes her more forgiving and understanding than she should be. “But this is what I know-Xavier King deserves happiness. After all he’s been through, this is the first time he’s allowed himself to fall in love.”
This story touches on domestic violence, which may be a trigger for some readers even though the scenes weren't overly graphic or gruesome (IMO). Overall I enjoyed this story, it was well written and held my attention. I loved the religious aspect that Victoria usually adds to her stories. Initially I didn’t care for Kareem Jefferies, but by then end of the story he turned out to be my favorite character. I didn’t like the fact that there were so many flash backs written in, but it didn’t take away from the story. The moral of the story was eloquently conveyed and the message was definitely received. “If you find yourself with a wrathful person, this is what the scripture is saying: You cannot save a wrathful man from the consequences of his intemperance. You may do it once, you may do it twice. But if that man is unchanged, all of your efforts will be useless, and the help you have given will only make him believe that she can continue to indulge his wrath with impunity.”