Desperate Desire by Flora Kidd

Desperate Desire by Flora Kidd

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Books like this in the Harlequin Presents line make me want to reach for more vintage romances. I like that this book had a rich story. The hero and heroine are complex individuals who come together and find a compelling attraction between them. Neither of them are perfect. Adam was delightfully surly, kind of take charge and rough in a way, and very compellingly masculine. He's also a bit insecure about his partial blindness. When Lenore literally bumps into him, they exchange mean words with each other, that Lenore feels bad about when she finds out that he's vision-impaired. Days later, Lenore gets stranded at his house during a freak snowstorm, after injuring her knee. They end up going to bed together, and it felt right to me. The passion and the connection and sharing between them felt authentic. However, Lenore runs away, only to return when her heart draws her back. But that's not their happy ending. They have to deal with some things first. Lenore was in a long-term relationship with a guy I felt was using her. He was Orthodox Jew and while she was good enough to shack up with, he wouldn't marry her unless she converted. When she said no, he broke it off. Now, she is dealing with the heartbreak of being dumped, and she's not really to let herself be vulnerable in that way to a man. It's even more devastating when she has a powerful, intense attraction to a man like Adam.

Lenore's music ends up bringing them back together, when she's asked to see if the local music group can hold their performance at his house. Adam makes demands on Lenore that she's not ready to deal with, and they end up parting again, not under the best terms. However, he agrees to letting the concerts take place at his house. This brings them into close, tantalizing proximity, showing Lenore and Adam that their feelings are very real.

Although this is all from Lenore's viewpoint, I was able to get a fix on Adam. He's a tough guy who was gravely wounded in a war-torn country, where he lost part of his sight. He's not sure how to rebuild his life without being visual, since that's a big part of his self-esteem, allowing him to pursue his dangerous career is a videographer/journalist. He finds himself drawn to Lenore, and wants all of her. However, he's not good with words in showing his love. They both have to decide if they can love each other and find everything that they need in life together as a unit.

This was a quick, fulfilling read. I'm sure I read Flora Kidd growing up. But I feel the urge to hunt down more of her books, since I like her writing style. Recommended to fans of the older Harlequin Presents books.



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