Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Wanting More
AUTHOR: Marley Valentine
NARRATORS: Tim Paige & Michael Gallagher
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 3 hours and 30 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 3, 2023
BLURB:
Raising my sister’s autistic son was an unexpected plot twist in my own life. But I loved every minute of it. Even if those minutes meant everything ran on a rigid schedule with little time for anything else.
I lived my life for him: software developer by day, bartender by night. He’d want for nothing. And I had no time to want anything. But lately it’s getting harder to do it all on my own.
Enter Will.
My boss’s son.
He’s here to help me with Miller. But somehow he’s helping me realize maybe the life I’d envisioned, the life I thought I’d being do alone, can be different.
And he’s not only giving me the extra time I needed for Miller’s care and work and life. But he’s giving me back that time to want.
And he’s making me want him.
Making me want more.
REVIEW:
Note: Although not technically a “series” this book takes place in the same world as the author’s Without You and Ache. There aren’t any spoilers though and it definitely functions as a standalone.
Ray is making it work. He’s got a job as a software developer and he works weekends bartending to be able to provide the best he can for his nephew, Miller, who he is raising after his sister chose her selfish boyfriend (and the father of her child) over her son. Miller is autistic and Ray begged Kelsey to get him evaluated. Instead she ignored everything and when Ray finds Miller in his own filth screaming – well things come to a head and Kelsey signs over her parental rights to Ray. He works the two jobs to provide the best support he can for Miller. But now his parents, who have been his childcare on the weekends when he’s bartending, have told him they can’t do it any more. So he’s got to find a solution.
Enter Will. Will is finishing his degree in Occupational Therapy. And he has an autistic brother, so he knows a thing or two. His dad is Ray’s boss and when he sees Ray’s struggling, he offers up Will as an alternative to Ray’s parents who have backed out. Will fits the bill perfectly. If he happens to also check all of Ray’s boxes as well, he can ignore that right?
Will is just as attracted to Ray, but given their situation, there are many points to consider if they are going to pursue anything other than employer and childcare provider. They are finding it harder and harder to resist though 😉 Just as things are going well between them, Ray has to deal with the return of his sister after more than five years. This does NOT go well. Ray is furious and he will not risk Miller to the whims of the woman who left him. Miller is RAY’s son now. And that is never going to change.
This is a lovely shorter story set in a familiar world for this author. Ray is side character in Without You and now we get to see what was behind his flirtation with Julian and Deacon 😉 He’s such a good guy! I really liked seeing him get an HEA with Will. Will’s dad is an exemplary boss – and quite unusual in wanting to help Ray. They are a really good fit from the get go even though I doubt that is what Will’s dad really intended 😉 Kelsey and Ray’s mother? Not so much. Putting an undeserving man ahead of a child? Yeah, unforgivable. Waltzing back in after a lot of the hard work has been done and thinking everything will just be her way? Nope. Ray’s mother was sneaky and clearly putting her own desires for harmony ahead of a child’s best interest is not a good look. I really wanted to slap both of them TBH. Will is a smart, sweet and generous person. He and Ray fall for each other pretty quickly but I didn’t really mind that. This is a shorter story with a time jump, but I enjoyed watching this little family formation happen. Recommended. Especially nice for fans of Without You.
Tim Paige and Michael Gallagher did a great job bringing these characters to life. Mr. Paige is one of my favorite narrators and he did his usual stellar job of performing Ray in this alternating POV story. He is loving and protective and angry and fierce and believable. This is a first listen for me to Michael Gallagher. I really liked his performance of Will. He was a bit more of the peacemaker and I thought he did a great job in this story. He acted as a bit more of a calming presence for Ray who has taken on a lot and really risen to the challenge. He supports both Ray and Miller and together they are a believable couple and family. I will definitely look for more of his work.
RATING: 
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