Highly recommend!

Iggy is a paramedic. Arden is his best friends little brother.
Arden's brother Phoenix was really dislikable for most of this story.

I felt sorry for Arden and how his relationship with food was totally misunderstood by everyone around him. No one even tried to understand..

I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Arden and Iggy grow and blossom into something beautiful. Iggy's unending support without judgement or prejudice was exactly what Arden needed.

I loved Adam Golds narration. He is quickly becoming one of my favourites. He has a way of voicing the characters that brings them to life beautifully.

A beautifully crafted story about love, fear, a religious family, forgiveness and hope.

2 people found this helpful

Awesome book

Wow how to explain how awesome this book and the research Nicky James did to make this series. I’m 61 years old. I suffered from anorexia/bile Mia from age 16-34. I so totally identify with Arden. Though his eating disorder was very different from mine, a lot of the fear and panic were very close. I only wish there were more Dr. Kelly’s in the world. I was sent to an awesome eating disorder ranch in Az. It helped me some but the counselors were not that great. Non of them dealt with anxiety. I come from an extremely religious background that beloved if the doctors or counselors weren’t Godly they were of this worldly mindset. It’s really sad that I was stuck in that mentality for many years. I’m now 61 as I said. Though I eat healthy exercise daily and still love God…. I do struggle slightly with body image. It’ll never go away but when someone makes up their mind to be healthy and move out of the fear with really healthy support that is not stuck in the church it’s amazing how life can be fulfilling. This book in my eyes was written by or received advice from someone struggling in that fear/anxiety arena. I really enjoyed it. I loved Arden and Iggy romance/friendship. I love that Arden’s brother Phoenix became a big supporter of him. Most of all I love how Nicky James showed that if one counselor doesn’t help keep trying others. Like I said I wish there were more Dr. Kelly’s in the world. I loved this book and cannot recommend it enough. So worth the time and money. The narration was superb. Best ever and thank you goes out to Nicky James for writing an incredible book.

1 person found this helpful

So Good!

Each entry in this series tugs on my heartstrings in a different way and Cravings is no different. Seeing Arden's phobia impact more and more of his life was heartbreaking. Watching Iggy's kindness and compassion help Arden heal himself was heartwarming. Seeing Arden and Iggy overcome and grow together kept me hooked on this audio. Even the unlikable characters (ahem, Arden's family) kept me engaged as I day dreamed of a smackdown or two 😉 Adam Gold is a fantastic narrator for this series, who brings both the big and subtle emotions to life. His performance is truly excellent. Well worth a credit!

1 person found this helpful

nothing can beat hard work, dedication, and Iggy

I read this book when it was first released and I'm sticking to my guns that Adam brings everyone to life in a whole new way. I don't know how he does it but a;ojgr'opsifg . there are some characters that are same'sy and if you hear the other books sometimes they sound similar but pish posh its still great,

There are references to both Grey and Ireland ( and he shows up) as well as some of the other guys like Finn and Rory. I absolutely love Iggy, so much so my car is named Iggy, short for ignis instead of Ignites like our man here.. there are quite a bit of familial homophobia that can be and was a bit triggering. mainly the dad . shocker. there is one more book left in this series and I'm gonna cry again when its all over knowing how it ends.

1 person found this helpful

Amazing

Omg. Jesus, this was a hard one. I can see this one being very triggering for some people, for obvious reasons. But as someone who loves food, I can’t imagine how hard this would be. And Iggy is such a damn GEM.

Nicky James and Adam Gold are a dynamite pair

Seriously folks, I’m afraid I’m starting to lose street cred. Judging by my reviews of Nicky James’ novels, readers are going to assume all I ever award books are 5 heart/star ratings. I assure you that’s not even close to true; I’m actually very selective. It’s just that Her Majesty of Tortured Souls is a magnificent writer. And in the case of Cravings of the Heart, Adam Gold's narration is the cherry on top of a story about Iggy's love for Arden as Arden struggles to stay alive.

Rare phobias are the unifying theme in the Trials of Fear series. In this instance, Arden suffers from cibophobia – a fear of food – that arose after a tragic event in his life. The fear consumes him and he can only tolerate a small handful of foods. It greatly affects his health. He’s an outcast in his large family for being gay (his parents are deeply religious and homophobic), his interest in fashion design, and his disordered eating. They see Arden as weak and useless and he is filled with self-loathing. His parents barely tolerate him. But as much as he’d like to eat, the truth is he’s too afraid. He’s terrified. He’s embarrassed to be weak and fearful, and is ashamed at losing control.

Iggy is the best friend of Arden’s older brother, and Arden has had a crush on him since he was an adolescent. They haven’t seen each other in many years but when they run into each other again, sparks begin to kindle. It amazed me how much goodness Iggy has in his heart to support someone with problems of Arden’s magnitude. He sticks by his side even before they are involved much. Clearly, Iggy is smitten to want to proceed forward with this relationship. He wishes Arden could see himself as the beautiful man Iggy sees him as. His devotion and patience seem immeasurable. It’s evident Iggy loves Arden long before he realizes it himself.

From the very first paragraph, you can tell Adam Gold is going to deliver gold. He distinguishes himself as a voice actor, not just a narrator, by adding something special to fully engross his listeners in the story. His voice inflection, variations in pace, and emphasis on emotion make his delivery natural and conversational. But it’s more than that which sets him apart; he uses several specific techniques to enhance the audiobook. First, he uses thoughtful, brief pauses in his speech to convey appropriate emotion. Next are his unique voices over the phone. It actually sounds like the character is speaking on the phone. I can’t quite explain it but I love it. He also laughs when the character laughs. These little things make a big difference.

Mr. Gold makes Arden and Iggy's intimate scenes so meaningful, the words spoken with breathlessness, tenderness, and reverence. His voices vary greatly from one character to the next. Mickey’s unique voice, the Colombian accent for Mickey’s mother, his female voices, and that of an east Indian character are all on point.

Cravings of the Heart is not to be missed. It exists in a shared world but is completely standalone. Come along on Arden’s journey to gain control over his fears and not let them control him, and Iggy's gentle caring for the man he loves.

Really good!

4.5 Stars

Before listening to this book, I had no idea there could exist a food phobia and I found it very interesting. Arden has been dealing with a fear of eating most foods ever since his twin sister and he got Botulism, especially since it cost his sister her life. Unfortunately, being one of 8 remaining siblings, his family hasn't really acknowledged his problem, other than thinking he's doing it to get attention. It's only after reconnecting with his older brother's best friend, that someone finally sees there's something wrong with Arden.

Iggy is a paramedic, and he's also very caring and sweet and soon realizes that there's more to Arden's illness than the anorexia his family thinks he has. Iggy and Arden are great together, despite their age difference, and Iggy is just the right person to help Arden face his demons.

I hated Phoenix, Arden's older brother, and Arden's parents, although Phoenix at least made an effort to help Arden once he realized how wrong he'd been about his brother. Arden's parents were not only homophobic, but also of the mentality of 'you live under my roof, so you have to do what I say.' The way they treated both Arden and Iggy made me so angry. They have a turnabout at the end, but I felt it was a little sudden and unrealistic, all things considered.

Adam Gold's performance was amazing. He always goes the extra mile with his narrations which I appreciate. He really brought the book to life for me and did a fantastic job with all the characters.

Overall, a great book to listen to! Emotional and engaging, I loved listening to Arden and Iggy's story and becoming so invested in their relationship and Arden's road to a healthier future. Very recommendable!

Fantastic!

If you haven't listened to this series before, do yourself a favor and get to it! This is the sixth novel in the Trials of Fear series by Nicky James. James is a master author and this book displays her writing skills beautifully! Great storyline, beautiful characters, just a lovely novel! Adam Gold is perfect for this series!

great listen!

This was a great listen! I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the narrator! He did an amazing job!

Perfect age gap, hurt comfort, brother’s bff ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cravings of the Heart is another brilliant installment in Nicky James’ Trials of Fear series. Each story focuses on a different MC battling a phobia and finding love.

This time we are faced with cibophobia, the fear of food. The disorder is slowly killing 20 year old Arden and no one in his life seems to know or really care. No one, that is, until his older brother’s best friend, Iggy. Oh my gosh, if ever there was a perfect, patient, supportive partner, Iggy Rojas would be it. His fierce loyalty and determination to truly understand Arden’s pain thoroughly warmed my heart throughout the story.

Nicky James handles mental illness with amazing sensitivity and care. She teaches us the ins an outs of a condition as she crafts her characters. I understood Arden… I felt every blow to his ego and every crushing disappointment. I worried as he seemed to vanish with nothing to keep him tethered. And then I rejoiced when his boyhood crush, now 29 year old Iggy, came back into his life.

Iggy is strength, patience, and love personified. He is written with emotional depth and maturity. He sees the chaos that is Arden and also sees the wonder that lies within. Through Iggy’s eyes I fell in love with Arden a second time. I was captivated by how Iggy saw our broken, starving boy. Arden’s is a raw, dark, painful story… and Iggy is his shining light. Their story touched me deeply, made me think and ultimately cheer… and that story will stay with me!

As always, Adam Gold delivers a flawless performance for this audiobook. He fully captures the suffering, the seeming hopelessness, and the subsequent love between these main characters. He creates distinctive voices for all involved and he even adds realistic sound effects for things like emergency radio and phone calls. Listening to him narrate is a truly enjoyable experience.

Coupling Gold’s talent with a stunning Nicky James story, I knew I was in for a wonderful time. Cravings of the Heart delivered that and so much more. I recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful, intelligent, well researched, sensitive, hurt comfort story with excellent narration! Five stars all the way!!

Happy listening! 😊💖