Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Alexander James Noble is a gender fluid gay man who gave up on finding Mister Right a long time ago. He’s not asking for much, though. He just wants a guy who loves all of him and appreciates his feminine form too.

At the local LGBTQ center where Alex regularly volunteers, he meets Dal Sayer, an officer of the Milwaukee PD. Because he’s been rejected one too many times, Alex doesn’t trust the huge cop and the interest he shows in him, but once Dal sets his mind on something, he goes all out. Pushing aside his preconceived notions, Alex opens up just a little and soon caves.

From their first date—while dealing with his father’s failing health and his parents’ demands for him to settle down and have children—Dal never takes his eyes off his goal of making Alex his. But proving to Alex he isn’t like all the men who couldn’t see him for who he truly was and only wanted to hide him away is harder than he thought.

 

Book Review

In a wonderful follow-up to book two in this series, ‘Temptations of Desire’ builds on previous events to show the part of the story that belongs to Dal, Rhys’s cop brother, and Alex, his genderfluid boyfriend. It was fascinating to see Dal’s side of what happened with Rhys and Chase, as well as getting more details around Dal’s parents and their reactions to Dal being bisexual. It is also the story about Alex, a damaged young man who has made his way in life despite his parents throwing him away, almost killing him in the process, when they found him dressing in his twin sister’s clothes. When Dal and Alex find each other, they each have fears to overcome and issues to deal with, and their determination to try to do so together is touching as well as very necessary. They have a lot to overcome.

Alex is a gay man, but he is also genderfluid. Some days he just feels more feminine and likes to dress the part. His parents weren’t the only ones to not understand him, although they were the most violent in their reaction. Alex has tried having relationships, but no man – so far – has been able to understand his feminine side. When he meets Dal and feels the immediate attraction, he is understandably reticent about sharing his “big secret” for fear of Dal running for the hills. In fact, Dal only finds out by coincidence, and once he is more than fine, Alex finds it a little easier to build trust.

Dal is a tough cop, but he is also a very loving man with a big heart. He falls for Alex almost immediately, and when he sees him at a club dressed as a woman – without knowing it is Alex – Dal is surprised he can be so attracted to two different people at the same time. But Alex is the one he begins to date, and the longer he knows him, the more convinced he is that Alex is the right person for him. Never mind his father suddenly “demanding” he get married to a woman so there will be grandbabies, Dal is determined to make things work with Alex.
 
If you like stories about less frequently written-about members of the GLBTQ+ spectrum, if you’re curious what life might be like for a shy genderfluid gay man who meets a determined bisexual man, and if you’re looking for a read that is a gentle love story as much as it is an exciting look at two men discovering new possibilities together, then you will probably like this novel.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook, print and audio
Length	Novel, 200 pages/62325 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	22-September-2014
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle, $19.95 audiobook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/temptations-of-desire-by-tempeste-oriley-3206-b