• Cravings of the Heart

  • Trials of Fear, Book 6
  • By: Nicky James
  • Narrated by: Adam Gold
  • Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (75 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Cravings of the Heart  By  cover art

Cravings of the Heart

By: Nicky James
Narrated by: Adam Gold
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

A relationship with his brother’s best friend had only ever been a dream.

A chance reunion with his brother’s childhood best friend leaves Arden hungry for attention. He’s always loved Iggy, despite their vast age difference, but he didn’t know Iggy was gay until now. His family wouldn’t approve. His brother wouldn’t approve. Plus, Arden isn’t in a position to have a relationship.

Arden’s phobia is slowly killing him and consuming his life, and he doesn’t see a way out. He’s desperate to break free, but every day is a losing battle. It would be an impossible thing to hide, and when Iggy finds out the truth, could he love him the same, or will he decide Arden is too much to handle?

Cravings of the Heart is a hurt-comfort brother's-best-friend age-gap MM romance with moderate angst. It is part of the Trials of Fear series but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone.

©2019 Nicky James (P)2022 Nicky James

What listeners say about Cravings of the Heart

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    64
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    66
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    56
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Listener received this title free

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful story

I loved the story and Adam did a great job. I have one more book to read in this series and I’m so sad! I wish there were more!! But alas’ all good things must come to an end. Highly recommended!! I’ve added them to my favorites 😁

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent. Very emotional.

Just reading the book brought me to tears but HEARING it really made me cry at certain points. The narration was perfect, with all the emotions that the particular subject matter and scenes should have. I can’t recommend this one enough if the subject matter of eating disorders isn’t a trigger.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great Story Overall

I LOVED the connection between Iggy and Arden, i loved how their relationship blossomed.

I did NOT like FOUR HOURS of focus on Arden’s eating disorder. Once we got to the point of Arden and Iggy figuring out what the disorder really was and working towards treatment everything focused on their relationship so much more. The disorder became a side piece to the story instead of the main focus and the story became much more palatable to me.

The narrator, Adam Gold, is new to me and is VERY talented. The way he was able to switch his voice for Iggy and some of the other side characters was very impressive and I will keep an eye out for more books by him.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story!

Another piece of art by Ms Nicky James.
The talent of Ms James is unparalleled; she does her research, has her books edited and the world-building is on point.
Arden’s problem is exposed at the right time; Iggy is the boyfriend any mother would want her son to have; loyal and authentic.
I recommend this book. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Listener received this title free

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!