Deadliest Desire

An Age Gap, Brother's Best Friend, Dark Romance (Tempting Love, Book 2)

By: Nikki Ash

Narrated by: Gideon Frost, Mia Tucker

Matteo

Daniella is my best friend’s younger sister—sweet, innocent Little Russo—and the one woman I should stay away from.
But when she unknowingly marries a man who’s out to destroy her family, she lands herself in danger she can’t escape, and I’m the only one who can protect her.
My first mistake? Insisting she move in with me.
Because the more time I spend with Daniella, the more the light threatens to break through my darkness, making me want things I’ve rejected for most of my life.
I should reject her too. Keep her away from me as much as from him.
That’s the problem with our arrangement though …
Her husband is bad.
Me? I’m worse.
I’m rough, ruthless, and nothing close to what she deserves. I can’t give her the white picket fence she desires.
But she doesn’t see the blood on my hands, or that I’m not husband or father material.
All she sees is the man who’ll burn down the world to save her.

Please note: Deadliest Desire is not a mafia romance. The book is a dark romance because of its content. Since dark romance can mean different things to different listeners, please check the detailed content warnings on my website. Your mental health matters.

©2025 Nikki Ash (P)2025 Pink Flamingo Productions

🖤🔫

Thank you to the author for my copy.

Rating: 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis: A man protecting his best friend’s sister from a group trying to seek revenge because of her family's actions, just can’t help but fall for her.

Tropes:
🖤Dark Romance
🔫Open Door Spice
🖤Forced Proximity
🔫Learning Disability Rep
🖤Morally Grey MMC
🔫Curvy FMC
🖤Brother’s Best Friend

Thoughts: I am really enjoying this darker series by Nikki as it covers such a variety of deep rooted trauma. It is full of so much suspense, morally gray MMC’s, curvy FMC’s, and really interesting and intricate story lines. I can’t wait to read what happens next.

Narration: I loved the narrator choices for this story, they really helped with bringing the story to life.

Matteo and Daniella...

Deadliest Desire is the second book in the Tempting Love series. It is a forced proximity, friends to lovers, brother's best friend, dark, romantic suspense. This is Matteo and Daniella's story. It is full of angst, whit, trauma, healing, spice and so many emotions and feels. I am obsessed with this series and cannot wait for more.

Gideon Frost and Mia Tucker did a fabulous job with these character and this story.

More Tempting Love Greatness! Excellent Story & Listen🎧

After listening to and loving “Sweetest Sin,” the first book in Nikki Ash’s “Tempting Love” series, I was looking forward to “Deadliest Desire”, Mateo and Daniella’s story. An age gap, brother’s best friend dark romance that grabs your attention right from the start and holds it hostage the entire time. Daniella’s parents and brother kept her out of the public eye and family business for her own safety, but now that her parents are gone, she is going to join her brother and work by his side. Following college graduation, she met someone, got caught up in the relationship and married quickly, which turned out to be a huge mistake. The man she married was not who he said he was and turned out to be her and her family’s nightmare. Mateo, a fighter in the ring, and someone not to be messed with, is friends with Daniella’s older brother, Lorenzo, and he helps his friend to get out of the trouble he is in and to rescue Daniella from the evil and cunning man she married. Once he gets her to safety, he keeps her under his protection, and the chemistry between these two is smoking hot, but she was off limits and too young for him. It was great to watch Mateo crumble for her, and stop fighting what there was between them. I thought they were perfect for each other and together, they got each other. I loved how he opened up to her about his downfalls, how protective he was of her, also loved how understanding, accepting and helpful she was to him. This cleverly crafted, multilayered story has the perfect balance of drama, angst, action, twists and turns, thrilling and suspenseful moments, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. As always, the writing, plot and world building are fantastic, as are the character growth and development. Nikki Ash, thank you for another amazing story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 Gideon Frost and Mia Tucker were fantastic with voicing these characters and delivering a perfect portrayal of each. Tucker was a natural in Daniella’s role, grasping every aspect of her personality, from her insecurities to her fierceness and all in between. Frost was just as amazing in Mateo’s role, showcasing his personality perfectly, nailing it from his caring and protective side to his take no names alpha side and all in between. They set the ideal tone for the story, and their expressive performance conveyed all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling each one. These two make a great team, with voices that complement each other and a captivating performance that rivets you to the story.

Very Twisty, Very Steamy

The darkness in this dark romance hits earlier than I was prepared for, but it is really freaking good. (Please check the triggers before picking up - ☠️, SA, etc.) I may not love what happened to Matteo Antonov at the hands of his father, but I do love how others stepped up in big and little ways, including his teacher who indirectly helped him find an outlet for some of his aggression.

As important that was in developing the man he became, I equally love how Daniella (Dani, Little Russo) Russo researched other things that might help and never once made him feel bad for it. Just thinking about it makes my heart melt all over again.

I love how absolutely dirty things get. Dani and Matteo are 🔥 when they aren't fighting for their lives.

Another thing I love is that they have many obstacles to overcome, but not once does her brother, his best friend, become one of them. Lorenzo's response to it is absolutely perfect!

This leaves off with a slight cliffhanger. It looks like Brielle has trouble heading her way. I can't wait to see where it goes!

I listened to the audio book. The narrators, Mia Tucker and Gideon Frost, are so good. I really love listening to them. Listening in duet would be the cherry on top, but that's not in the cards this time. 🎧🩵🎧

Story: 4.5 stars
Narration: 4 stars
Listening Speed: 1.8x

A Dyslexic Fighter meets Best Friend’s Little Sister

This series really said “hold my beer” with book 2.

Matteo’s story has so many layers and I was so ready to be fully in his head. His dyslexia, his toxic father, and how boxing became both armor and escape? That hit hard. I loved that Nikki Ash didn’t just gloss over his learning struggles—it shaped who he is, how he sees himself, and why power and control matter so much to him.

And getting that arrest scene again but from Matteo’s POV, I loved to see how his brain worked. The setup, the betrayal, the jail fight, I was on edge the whole time.

Daniella surprised me in the best way. Watching her realize her husband isn’t who she thought he was felt painfully real, and I loved how Matteo became her safe place without trying to own or rush her. The forced proximity was doing WORK, and Matteo being absolutely, irrevocably down bad for her?? Chef’s kiss.

Tropes:
Best Friend’s Little Sister
Reformed Playboy
Mafia
Age Gap
Forced Proximity

CHECK TW!!!