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.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )

Temptations of Desire was an almost perfect romance, complete with two of the sweetest, sexiest men ever to fall in love between the pages of a book. I will get to that almost in a minute, but first let me gush about what I loved.

Lexie and Dal are the perfect couple. They are both sweet, funny, and romantic, coming across more as two lovestruck teens than grown men with careers. Seriously, your heart would have to be pretty cold (and your phobia pretty deep) not to love these two. Dal is a big, burly, motorcycle riding cop, but that is where the stereotype ends. He is a tender and compassionate man who acts like the suitor in a fairy tale romance. As for Alex, he is a very feminine young man, openly gender-fluid, who is haunted (but not defined) by his painful past.

As for their romance, it is so sweet, so passionate, it just makes your heart soar. I kept waiting for Tempeste O'Riley to throw a wrench into the works - and she does, but nothing she does can keep them apart. There are at least a half dozen points in the story where a less confident author would allow the conflict to boil over, artificially sundering the lovers, just to come up with a big, sexy reunion later on. Not here.

The cast of supporting characters are fantastic as well, especially Chase and Rhys (you can pick up Desires' Guardian for their backstory). An equally believable, equally lovable gay couple, they really serve to help drive the story along. Kai, Lexie's best friend and brother-by-choice, is one character I would love to know more about, and Mr. Harrison, his wealthy employer, is the kind of man we all could use in our lives.

As for that almost, there is a murder mystery slipped into the story that just did not work for me. Maybe you have to have read the previous book to appreciate it, but it feels very hesitant, and does not mess with the rest of the story. There are points I actually thought it forgotten, only for it to reappear, and the resolution is probably my biggest issue with the tale. No spoilers, but the big, final confrontation happens entirely outside the story, with us only getting a recap after-the-fact.

That almost concern aside, Lexie and Dal are the sweetest couple ever, and Temptations of Desire is just a gorgeous romance that does something wonderful with gender, without making a big deal about it. Of course, if (like me) you are desperate to explore that angle a little deeper, the short story Truth in Lace provides us with crossdressing backstory.


As reviewed by Sally at Bending the Bookshelf ( )