First, I absolutely loved both narrators—they did the damn thing!

Desire was a fun, quick addition to The Arranged Hearts series, and I actually liked Aziel (and his name!) and Desire a lot! The way they balanced each other out and communicated well was a breath of fresh air. While this series is intentionally insta-lovey and fast-paced, Desire was extremely predictable, and this is the first ever novel where I felt like I guessed every twist and turn accurately because it was laid out so plainly lol, and that was off-putting for me and a bit disappointing. I also did not like the spice in the beginning—I don't know why authors are writing things like "my honeypot" and "loins," but it feels very urban romance circa 2009 and I'm not here for it! However, the rest of the spice was enjoyable and not cringe to read! Overall, Kay Shanee is a great storyteller, and I had such a great time with this story!

3.75 ⭐️s
3 🌶️
🚨 Audiobook pub date 8/20/24

Thank you to Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for providing an ALC!

What a choice! Overall it’s a cute and fun story with lots of drama and fluff as well as spice however one of the narrator is super slow which really played a lot into the enjoyment of this. Also the vocabulary is a real choice, leaving me cringing in some parts, and lastly the use of mental health to villainize a character was unnecessary. It was a good backstory until the conclusion was she was a terrible person because she was just crazy and in an institution.

Sometimes a horrible person can just be horrible.

Aside from that this was very cute and sweet with an excellent play on an arranged marriage of convenience, however I would proceed with caution.

This has been my least favorite book in this series, and it was very much having to do with the way it talks about the ex's pregnancy. How he talks about this daughter's mother postpartum. It gave me the ick and it made an easy 4 star to a 2.5. I can't do it. It was ick.

I got an alc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Each book in this series just gets better and better, Each story is displaying the emotional maturity we should all have when in a relationship. This story is definitely one of my top favorites,I love that Desire already knew Aziel. Also the fact that they had been secretly wanting each other made their arranged marriage that much more steamy if you will. Also his one had a bit of a thriller element because someone is sending threading messages to Desire and when you find out who is behind the messages, you’ll be ready to fight….like Desire. Kay did a wonderful job at this story, I look forward to reading more from this author.

review:
Wow! I loved this story!

Desire and Aziel's story was great. Listening to the audio book narrators give these characters voice made it that much better to hear it play out.

The family dynamic and the I don't play about mine mentality of Aziel makes a girls knees weak and the way he talked whew 🥵🤤. The heat index on this one was 5🌶! Don't listen to this one in public 😂

feedback:
the only thing I questioned was the part of the book/ audio where they said who gives this man to this woman twice... it should be who give this woman to this man...

This story of the Arranged Hearts series was good and unique compared to the others. Kay Shanee had an interesting approach to this series that was appreciated. She wanted to remind some of us that the man you least expect could become your husband. Never count anyone out!

Arranged Hearts has another success story! From the beginning, I’d hoped Aziel and Desire would be matched and was happy to see that come true. Their protective bond was seen by all as they navigated the tough times as a unit and their family support was especially appreciated. I loved the connection between Desire and Azaria. Their bond began well before the marriage and continued to flourish afterwards. Azaria really took to her as a mother figure and that was beautiful to read. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced reader copy.

Desire was a quick and enjoyable read that kept me hooked from start to finish. The communication and development between the characters were strong, making the relationship between Desire and Mayor Aziel Harris believable and engaging. The honeymoon scenes were spicy and full of passion, adding a nice intensity to the story. While Mayor Harris occasionally made me cringe with his sneaky and controlling tendencies, he ultimately proved to be a good man and a dedicated single parent. His daughter, Azaria, was absolutely adorable, and her bond with Miss Chambries (the FMC) was heartwarming. I appreciated the positive portrayal of a stepmom relationship, which added depth to the story. The narration by Aria Addison and Chance Smolders was excellent, enhancing the overall experience with their compelling performances. Overall, this was a solid installment in the Arranged Hearts series, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest!

a beautifully crafted novel that explores the complexities of human relationships with sensitivity and depth. It is a captivating story that will resonate with readers seeking a fresh perspective on love, commitment, and the unexpected paths that life can lead us down.

Desire and Ariel's chemistry is literally top tier. I loved Aziel's reaction to Desire at the altar and honestly it had me cackling because this man did not hold back on how he felt about her (until his FIL was like "chill..." 😂

Azaria is so freaking ADORABLE! I often read single-parents books and sometimes there's no emphasis on how you grow together into a family. We got to see Desire, Aziel and Azaria's family dynamic blossom. It was beautiful how Desire immediately and naturally became the mom that Azaria deserved. Desire has so much love to give and deserves to have that love in return, which she got with Aziel and Azaria.

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC! I listened to this while I was out and about and those smut scenes had me BLUSHING. 🥵 The audio narrators did such an amazing job with this!

You can view my review here = https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6732394374

(TT, IG review coming toon!)

Nice to meet you Kay Shanee author and to narrator Aria Addison thank you. You are both new to me and it was a pleasure meeting you both. Chance Smolders nice seeing you again.

Now on to the story. I loved Desire Chambries from the start.. She had a loving and nurturing soul. She was also smart. She was attracted to one of her students parents but did not act on it,. I think it was more out of self preservation than anything else. Aziel Harris was known as a player. He was seen with a different woman on a regular. He was also the mayor and a single dad. The two both end up at Arranged Hearts. I'll let you figure out how that all happened and all the resulting drama.

I enjoyed this story the ups down ins outs and all the in between. I have to say the drawback was that someone needed to have a beating. I will not mention any names but that was missing.

This one will also go on to my repeat listen list.

This one was spicy!!! it was giving us somebody gone match my freak energy but I like how Desire and Aziels story had a little suspense to it and how they teamed up to eradicate the threats to their marriage. The narrators did a great job, Aziel’s personality came through and made me fall in love with his character.

I was really enjoying this book. As with a lot of romance novels, there is an element of suspension of disbelief with the marrying sight unseen.

I loved the positivity of Black love and happiness. The relationship between Desire and his daughter was precious. I loved when she started calling Desire “Mommy.”

This all went to absolute crap when we hit 85% and we find out Aziel flat out lied to Iris about wanting to marry her so she would give birth to his baby. No. Absolutely not. This author cannot redeem this despicable act.

I won’t be reviewing on Instagram as I prefer to keep it positive there.

I loved these narrators they truly did this series justice with their performance with that said I felt the plot just wasn't there in these last two

4/5 stars. He was SMITTEN. Loved it. He fell so hard. The narration was amazing as well, fully enveloping.

Aziel is the mayor of his hometown and a single dad. He’s looking to make a change in his life so he signs up for Arranged Hearts to find him a spouse. Oddly enough, Desire— a preschool teacher who also created a profile through AH— is matched with him and they have some history.

I’m so happy that Aziel turned out to be a standup guy and didn’t play around in Desire’s face. Their love story, though unconventional, was believable and well developed. There was tons of romance, enough drama for yo mama and so well written!

Read this if you love:
💍 arranged marriages
💍 Married At First Sight
💍 family drama
💍 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

The chemistry between the characters is amazing. I haven’t been disappointed with not one book in this series so far. Each book was wonderfully written.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review

Loved Desire and Aziel's story. Three year old Azaria stole the show. I loved how they fit together from the beginning and didn't fight the relationship. The narrators made listening to this story enjoyable. I plan to add more books by Kay Shanee to my reading list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This audiobook was expertly performed, and the narration was authentic and blended with the story. It was enjoyable to join Desire and Azriel as they navigated the trials of a new marriage, especially one that started at the altar. Outside forces were trying to pull them apart, so how they supported each other and had each other's backs was good to see. There was one moment of "I'm not going to tell you everything, to protect you", which is always a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but it was resolved quickly so it wasn't a sticking point.

The friendships and familial relationships were a joy to read as well. A good romance story doesn't only focus on one relationship, but all key relationships in a person's life since they all impact and integrate.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced listener copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was so cute I like the way it was two different problems they had to over come and he alway had his wife’s side. The voice actors did an amazing job