Title: Signs of Desire

Series:  Desires Entwined 04

Author: Tempeste O’Riley

Narrator: Jeff Gelder

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 6 hr, 35 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (27^th July 2016)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: Simon Tyler knows his job as a gay romance author makes his lack of faith in love more than a little ironic, but he’s tired of being used for his wallet. When a night out turns into a matchmaking scheme orchestrated by his best friends, Simon’s not thrilled, but since he’s not the target and he’s sworn off happily-ever-after anyway, he goes along with it…until he meets Adrian, the object of their efforts, and finds perhaps he hasn’t given up on love after all.

Professor Adrian Keys has tried to date Hearing men before, but being Deaf himself, he’s never had any success at making a connection. After his friends con him into going out and Adrian realizes it’s all an elaborate plan to set him up, he braces for yet another failure, only to discover there is a spark – except it’s not with the man his friends had in mind, but with Simon Tyler instead.

Not all their friends have found a way past their romantic failures, but Simon and Adrian might be on the path to happily-ever-after.

Product Link: Audible US | Audible UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: This is the fourth installment of the Desires Entwined series. This one could probably be heard/ read as a standalone, though by now both main characters in this one have been known to us for some time now. Simon we’ve known from the start of the series, and Adrian was introduced to us very briefly in Book 2. This series, in general is sugary sweet with the sweetest, romantic heroes and just so satisfying to hear. Actually, it’s the perfect series to just sit back or go about your day and listen to.

Simon is part of the small group of friends that are central to this series. Just like his friend, Chase, he’s seen to be nothing more than a party boy and generally a slut when it comes to men. Simon is from a wealthy and influential family, although he distances himself from them since they do not like the fact that he is gay. But Simon is independently wealthy and also happens to be a romance writer. The poor guy writes book after book of HEA for his characters (gay or otherwise) but he is just unlucky in love.

Simon meets Adrian, through Chase. Adrian was Chase’s professor at college for an advanced computer forensics type of course. Adrian also happens to be deaf. He can lip read very well but it is only natural that his primary language is American Sign Language.

Simon and Adrian seem to hit it off really well. Simon goes in with his heart on his sleeve. He doesn’t hesitate in doing whatever it takes for him to be with Simon, including learning and taking classes in ASL. Simon also deals with Adrian’s sometimes difficult but always overprotective friends. That entire story line with Adrian’s friends is just wonderful – including the set down Adrian gets from an ASL teacher about throwing Simon into the deep end of ASL. But Simon takes it all in his stride.

Honestly, this is a very enjoyable and sweet story. I really loved this one because Tempeste O’Riley brought to life the challenges of learning ASL as well as telling a story from the POV of a deaf main character.

Title: Desires’ Guardian

Series:  Desires Entwined 02

Author: Tempeste O’Riley

Narrator: Jeff Gelder

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 6 hrs, 39 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (14th June 2016)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Most people see Chase Manning as the party-boy twink he seems on the surface. Only James, Chase’s BFF, knows the depth of his loyalty and the extent of the wounds Chase carries inside. When Chase meets Rhys Sayer, things don’t go well, but he can’t shake his attraction to the huge, sexy man.

Rhys is a man of contradictions and fear – a strange combination for a PI and bodyguard. He’s in a bad place emotionally when he sets eyes on Chase for the first time. When Chase puts the moves on him, Rhys insults him, thwarting any possibility of a relationship. Rhys doesn’t see himself as a complicated man, but he dreads the very kind of connection he desires.

Just as they’re trying to overcome their uncertainties, Chase is put in harm’s way. Luckily Rhys and their friends have all the right talents to help Rhys save the man of his dreams.

Product Link: Audible US  | Audible UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: This is my first audio and book I’ve had my hands on by Tempeste O’Riley. Yes, this is book 2 in a series and I have to say Desires Entwined is absolutely brilliant series – I had to binge listen to this. The point is that these books can be read as standalones but you’d be doing yourself an injustice if you don’t get to them all, even if you do as I did and go through books 2 to 4 and then book 1.

Desire’s Guardian is quite simply a wonderful audio experience. (Sort of Spoiler: Jeff Gelder is a wonderful narrator and gave a perfect voice to so many of the characters throughout the series). The story follows Chase and Rhys. I have to admit that there is a lot more depth to these characters than I first expected. The development of both guys throughout their story is spot on and just so damn relatable.

Chase is a party boy and loves being around his friends. At first it is easy to write him off as a bit shallow-headed. But there is a lot going on inside. Just recently he has already suffered a blow when Rhys, who he met through his friend James. There had been an instant attraction between the two but Rhys makes it more than clear that he doesn’t want to be with someone who he thinks is about as shallow as a tide pool. See, the thing is though, when we meet Rhys, we realize that the big, tough PI has his own hurt and hidden depths lurking below the surface.

What you see in the blurb is what you get, so there is no point me rehashing the story and risk giving out spoilers. This is an intensely sweet story and just so enjoyable. The only thing that got me was that the general time line of the story didn’t seem to mesh well.