Tempeste O’Riley’s Debut Novel “Designs of Desire” Is An All Around Success

Sometimes you have to start over to have a happy ending. – Sonya Parker

It is hard to believe this is Tempeste O’Riley’s first published book. The characters of Seth and James were very well rounded and believable. James has lived through so much hell in his life that I am amazed he was still standing. Seth has had much success in his life but has not found “the one” until he meets James. This is not what I would call a BDSM book, but there is a thread throughout the story. Seth is a very caring and attentive man both in and out of the bedroom. Once he learns of James’s past and the emotional and physical scars the man carries he does everything he can to make his life easier.

James is not going to be an easy sell on the whole “happily ever after” however. He doesn’t believe that Seth could want him for more than a few hot and heavy nights between the sheets. At one point James is scared when he learns of some of Seth’s kinks and he runs. The two men decide to take things slower and they date and get to know one another. There were some very sweet moments between the two and the trust Seth built with James was a wonderful thing to witness.

Of course, the minute it all starts to level out, tragedy strikes. James learns about some secrets that Seth has been keeping. He decides in the long run that forgiving Seth would gain him something he has only dreamed of before, so the two men move on and start to form a life together. That life is threatened by death threats and some scary vandalism to their home. The two men fight it together and it seems, if nothing else, to bring the men closer than ever before.

This story is a wonderful journey to take with Seth and James. They have a wonderful supporting cast in Chase, the snarky best friend, Rhys, the beefy biker bodyguard, and Seth’s parents, who would be the dream come true in-laws for just about anyone. On the flipside of that, we have James’s two ex-boyfriends that were not only abusive but just basic scum of the earth. Ya know the kind you wouldn’t spit on if they were on fire? Yeah, that’s them. Then the saddest part of the entire book is meeting James’s mother and brother. These “family” members just made my skin crawl, and I couldn’t have been happier when James got his closure, it was a VERY touching scene.

I would be more than happy to read more books by this author, and I would love to see Chase get his knight in shining armor also. No matter all the turmoil James is put through, he does get his HEA and more than he ever bargained for. If anyone deserved it, James did.

Reviewed by: Jackie

You can buy Designs of Desire here: