REVIEW: The Art of Desire by Stacey Abrams

In The Art of Desire by Stacey Abrams, former congressman now spy Phillip Turman is tasked with picking up Alex Walton from the airport by his boss, who happens to be her godfather. Alex has sworn off men, but something about Phillip draws her in. Phillip, after having spent three years held hostage in a terrorist organization, doesn’t feel he’s in a place for a relationship. He also is still dealing with his previous breakup. There’s something about Alex’s carefree spirit that calls to him though. It soon becomes clear that the terrorists that held Phillip weren’t done with him, and they have a reason to go after Alex as well. As they fight their desire for one another, they also have to figure out what the terrorists want and how to stop them before it’s too late.

This book was previously released in 2001, under the pen name of Selena Montgomery. I haven’t read that version, so I cannot tell you how it varies from this new release. This isn’t listed as being a part of a series, but I found it’s linked to another book called Rules of Engagement, also released under Abrams’ pen name in 2001. This may explain why it felt like I was thrown into the middle of things and was expected to already know all the characters and previous situations that are mentioned in this book, as readers aren’t given much background on them or how they’re all connected.

This book was, in all honesty, all over the place, and I almost gave up on it. I decided to plow through, but it was a rough read for me. It’s a romance tied with a political/spy thriller. The romance was not executed well. Phillip goes from hot to cold then back again at a drop of a hat. Alex tends to ramble, which gets annoying. She’s also a bit ridiculous; for example, she gets mad at Phillip when he dances with his ex at a wedding, but then she gets mad at Phillip for being upset when she’s talking to her ex. Why is it not ok for him to interact with his ex, but it’s fine for her to interact with hers? At times Phillip would be really rude, and Alex would be perfectly fine with it, which makes her seem like a bit of a doormat. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the pair, and at points I wondered what they even saw in each other.

The spy aspect of the story was executed a little better, but again, I felt like I was missing some of the background about what was happening. There’s plenty of action that takes place, but it felt like the author was trying to throw too much into the story, which made it feel longwinded at times. There are also changes of perspectives and events within the chapters that aren’t always clearly marked, which made it confusing. I would think I was still reading on person’s perspective, only to find out it had switched to someone else’s, or that they were now somewhere else when it seemed they would still be in the same location. In some areas the change is separated by three dots, but in others it just happens with no warning.

As I mentioned earlier, I struggled to get through this book. At one point I even put it down, read two more books, then returned to it; it didn’t hold my attention very well. I can’t say if the previously released version of this book was any better, but this version just wasn’t for me.

Book Info:

Publication: September 5, 2023 | Berkley |

Trouble comes in threes…

One doomed love affair after another has made lovely Alex Walton swear off men. Now, she’s determined to try something that maybe she can succeed a writing career. Little does she know that a chance meeting with a strikingly handsome stranger, a mysterious obelisk, and a lost kingdom will change her life forever. As Alex is about to discover, truth can be stranger—and far more dangerous—than fiction.

…but true love comes only once.

After three years inside a terrorist organization, Phillip Turman is trying to rebuild his life. His first assignment is to pick up Alex Walton, the maid of honor for his best friend’s wedding, at the airport. His second is to deal with his instant attraction to her. But his third may be the to keep Alex out of danger as his past—and her need to know about it—threaten to destroy their future.