Desire by Design

Silverweed Falls, Book 1

By: Thea Dawson

Narrated by: AJ Ferraro

Single mom Celia has three kids, two jobs, and a burning desire to build a better life for her family. To make ends meet while she takes classes in graphic design, she accepts a job as a nanny. Only problem? Her new boss, Richard, is arrogant and infuriating...but he’s also incredibly attractive, and his rare flashes of charm soon start to melt Celia’s heart.

Richard has sworn off romance since his wife left him. Instead he’s focused on giving his young daughter the best life he can. But he isn’t prepared for his sweet, determined nanny to turn his house into a home right under his nose, and remind him of what he’s missing in life.

One passionate night brings them together...then threatens to tear them apart. Richard struggles to come to terms with his growing feelings for Celia, but will Celia wait for him until he’s ready to risk his heart again?

©2017 Thea Dawson (P)2020 Sarah Barbour

Good characters

I enjoyed this family-centered romance. It had definite Lizzy/Darcy feels going on in addition to the single parent challenges. Both Celia and Richard make huge assumptions about each other, and the path toward understanding is very entertaining. I thought the narrator did a good job. She had 4 children and several adults to do voices for and met the challenge well.

The Artist Nanny and the Professor

Celia and Richard were both hurt by their exs and have trust issues. Richard also has to overcome his prejudice about artists and their lack of career opportunities. It was great to hear about all the cool jobs you can do with an art degree. Celia had to build up her confidence to sell her work, which was diminished when Richard rejected her romantically. I admire her for raising 3 kids alone while not giving up on her dreams. She could have taken the easy way out and moved back in with her parents. Nice romance with plenty of drama. The kids were adorable. And her crazy animal-rescue neighbor Tracie was a riot. I would love to read her romance. The narrator has a pleasant upbeat tone with voice changes and inflections in all the right places.

Desire by Design

I enjoyed the audiobook version of this book! It is a lot of fun hearing the characters brought to life and I thought the narrator did a nice job.

Thea Dawson is an author whose books I know I will always enjoy. Celia and Richard's story was such a nice read. The story was engaging and I really liked getting to see their growth both individually and together!