Love Him Desperate

On the Market, Book 5

By: E.M. Lindsey

Narrated by: Nick Hudson

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's Summary

“Don’t be ridiculous. There was nothing to steal. I was always yours.” 

Every important thing in Dmitri Williams’ life has come and gone along the narrow roads and tall mountain peaks of Cherry Creek. 

Dmitri wants love, but he’s not quite sure he’ll ever find it. His sexuality is confusing on a good day, and the one person he wants is the one friend who can never know how he feels. Raphael Meyer is older, charming, and better looking than Dmitri will ever deserve - and somehow, he thinks Dmitri is worth his time.

Dmitri knows he will never be worthy, so he puts all of his efforts into making sure Raphael finds someone who will adore him as much as he deserves. Even if it destroys his heart in the process. And no matter what his friends keep saying, Dmitri isn’t sure he’ll ever believe that Raphael returns his feelings. 

It’s the makings of star-crossed lovers, because Dmitri has never believed in happily-ever-afters. But, in the end, Raphael might just have enough desperate hope for the both of them.

©2021 E.M. Lindsey (P)2021 E.M. Lindsey

Sweet and wholesome

I absolutely adored this book right from the beginning.

The characters were so well developed and fleshed out.

The storyline was engaging and compelling and the author's writing style appealed to me.

The narration was smooth and entertaining as well

Enjoyed!

What a way to end a series! It is everything you could wish for and more.
Nick Hudson does an amazing job of bringing this story to life. I lost track of time listening to his performance!
Dmitri and Raphael have built a beautiful friendship but each secretly yearns for more.
Both feeling underserving they keep their feelings to themselves.
Watching them grow and accept the love and happiness that is right there waiting for them is beautiful.
Love Him Desperate is a fantastic book.

Slow Burn romance

This book was very good. EM Lindsey is so good at creating characters you get deeply invested in. Dimitri has been through a lot and he feels Cherry Creek in some ways will always judge him for things that were beyond his control. Raphael feels like everyone who loves him eventually leaves so he is determined to keep everyone at a distance. He has his very small circle of friends and thinks that's enough. These two dance around each other for years, getting to know one another without realizing what everyone Elsa can see. A really sweet story with great character development. I also love Nick Hudson. He has done such a great job with the whole series.

Beautiful story!

I love that this is the first listen I have had that has an ACE character. This brought new information to me me in a very understandable way. CP was also dealt with in a very thoughtful way. Both characters have strength and weakness that the other appreciated. Narrator did wonderful with the accents!

Phenomenal!

This was a phenomenal story!! Its also a sad day for me because that means this is the last story in the Cherry Creek Universe. I was stoked to get the chance to learn about Dimitri. I knew he had a whopper of a background story and did he ever. This was a raw and gritty story. Both Dimitri and Raphael had had a difficult time growing up. They became friends but quickly fell in love with each other, but each were afraid to admit it to each other. You will feel all the angst and emotion in their story. I loved how the author introduces new characters and revisits old ones, especially how we got to see how all the stories tied together. Nick Hudson does such a phenomenal job with the narration! Each voice he does fits each character so well!

Great Series

I have absolutely adored every book in this series. E.M. Lindsey does a wonderful job at detailing challenges for the handicap, all-the-while showing how adapting to different lifestyles. This story is no different. Then add in the ace component and you have another dimension to the story. This story is a bit of a slow burn that I started to become anxious about what was going to happen next but I hung on into the beautiful end. Nick Hudson's narration was right on par with what I have come to expect from him. Great transitions between different accents and a telling that just helps bring the emotion to the story. Loved it!

Raphael and Dmitri

Raphael and Dmitri have broken parts, people who have abandoned them, and a fear of putting their hearts out there. Despite their best efforts, they fall in love and spend a long time loving the other from afar. Yes, there is a huge age gap but Dmitri is far older than the average nineteen year old and by the end, I had no misgivings. I liked that neither saw the other as flawed; admiring and loving the other just as they were.

Audiobook: Excellent narrator

Wonderful series

I have thoroughly enjoyed this entire series and EM Lindsey is a masterful writer! I ADORED Dmitri and his fantastic story! This may be my favorite of the bunch! Nick Hudson is fantastic at bringing these guys to life and I plan to add him to my favorite narrator rotation!

MM Hurt/Comfort Age Gap Romance

So not ready for this series to be over...it was such a wonderful series full of characters who just resonated with me. I wanted to hug Dmitri so hard and give him the affection he so desperately craved and I wanted Raphael to finally be happy and have someone who wanted him for him and to just want to be with him for everything he was. Dmitri and Raphael's road to HEA after slow burn and neither wanted to believe they deserved each other so they both dated others. It was not until a year after they both had fallen in love with each other that they decided to give it a chance. I loved how Dmitri's sexual desires or lack there of was approached and while I do not have experience, I felt it was handled really well. I also loved how Raph was perfectly happy with their relationship in everything that offered each other. Nick Hudson did the narration and he of course was perfect. I will probably always associate his narrations with these characters first.

ARC audio provided and this is my honest review.

Sweet slow burn

I do wish it moved a bit quicker but overall it's really a beautifully written with a lovely build up of the whole relationship. Hudson does a fantastic job with the narration.

different

I love E.M Lindsey and the stories they write. This one was a bit different in that it is a slow burn....and i mean SLOW. it was a great story and of course great narration as usual by Nick Hudson

Ending on a high note

I've loved this entire series, but this one was special. Nothing breaks my heart quicker than a story where the two guys can't believe the other cares for them and valiantly tries to help the person he loves find someone "good enough". Dmitri and Raphael are perfect for that story. They made me so sad as I rooted for them to just open their hearts, take a flying leap and trust the other to catch them. When they finally did, oh my.....Nick Hudson was so good here. His performance was heartbreaking and then his performance of the dawning joy when they start to realize they can have it all was brilliant.

Great

Another great addition to the series by EM Lindsey. Love all the characters I have met from the small town. Dmitri and Raphael have a unique and interesting story to tell. A slow burn that ends with that gooey feeling. Nick Hudson did a super job with the voices. A series to be followed.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Draws you in

Lindsey’s fifth and final book of this series draws closed with emotions. I absolutely enjoyed this book and felt so happy with the ending. Hudson’s narration is spectacular and a complete draw to this book.

Two lost souls searching for each other

Dmitri had a rough start in life. His parents were neglectful drug addicts, and his only salvation was extended family who took him in. They’ve cared for him and given him a life in Cherry Creek, but he’s never been able to fit in. Then he has a run in with the law. He just can’t seem to cut a break.

Raphael came to Cherry Creek in a very twisty road that led from Europe to America. He has cerebral palsy and although his previous loves claimed they understood, when his illness became too much, they walked out of his life. Now he’s got a fuck buddy who is aromantic, a group of good friends, and a life where he’s happy.

He doesn’t see Dmitri coming.

Dmitri is in need a friend, and he finds that and more with Raphael. He also finds someone he starts falling in love with. But Raphael is older and more pragmatic. He knows his illness is going to lead to further disability and his reliance on others is likely to increase. No way is he going to saddle a young man with that kind of baggage. He encourages Dmitri to set some high goals and to reach for them, including a job he wants and the college education he never dreamed he could get.

Then someone enters their lives who is about to change everything. The question was always if the men were going to get their heads out of their asses and see what was right in front of them and plain to everyone around them. Admitting you see yourself as damaged goods is tough. You’ve put yourself down for all these years, believing you’ll never find someone who sees beyond that. When that person finally comes along, reaching out is beyond difficult.

But this is a romance and they make it work. Thank God.

I’m loving the men of Cherry Creek who keep popping up. This book is a stand-alone but much better enjoyed if you read the ones before it. And,, of course I really like Nick Hudson. I think he’s just the perfect narrator for the series.

Raphael’s love story!

I liked Raphael from the previous book. He was sarcastic and caring. His life was not easy but he managed. After various bad relationships he’s done with love. The Dimitri comes into the picture with his own baggage and a but younger. They are attracted to each other but think they are not worthy. I have enjoyed this series because the MCs are not perfect but they are totally interesting. Raphael and Dmitri don’t look it but they are like two pieces in a puzzle. The narration is great too, accents and all.

Emotionally compelling

Beautiful, heartbreaking story.
Loved poor Dimitri and Raphael.
The love they have for each other was able to withstand the horrors of their past to propel them into a brilliantly shining future.
Nick Hudson did a superb job.

Another exploration of unique characters

Story: Unique characters are a trademark in E.M. Lindsey's books and Love Him Desperate is another great example. This time we delve into the areas of asexuality and living with cerebral palsy. As usual for this author, the approach to the themes and MC's personalities is top notch, full of senstivity, but coupled with brutal honesty and very realistic view on life.
The pacing of the story was a bit of an issue for me in places as I struggled with keeping my attention. Compared to other On the Market books, I had more of a hard time in connecting with the characters in the beginning, but it was a temporary problem. All in all, it's a very well written story.
Narration: Stellar performance as always, even with the additional challenge of heavily accented bits.

Perfect ending

I am SO not ready for this series to be done, but what a book to go out on. I think I’ve finally nailed down what I love so much about how Lindsey has written this series. It’s slightly melancholy at times, there’s a lot of rough edges (not in the writing itself but the rough edges of life affect the characters), it’s real and it’s gritty; but through it all there’s such a strong sense of hope that you can always feel in the way Lindsey writes. Dimitri and Raphael didn’t get together as quickly as some others in this series, but that wouldn’t have worked for them. They each had their own demons to fight, and it had to be done on their own, which made it all the sweeter when they finally turned to each other. I will truly miss Cherry Creek and all its residents, and know this a series I will revisit in the future.

No Longer Confused.

MM age gap hurt/comfort romance, the fifth and final book in the series. Dimitri and Raphael have been friends for a long time and both secretly want more, but both feel that they are not good enough for the other. somewhat sad story but as always in Cherry Creek..love will prevail. Sorry to say farewell to them all. As always Nick Hudson gave his all and did a brilliant job bringing the characters to life with his narration.