Private Desires

by Mimi Francis

Can an architect and a construction worker find love amidst the concrete and the steel?

Thanks to his friendship with a celebrity, Seth Mitchell's reputation as a partying ladies' man precedes him. But there's more to him than drinking, dating, and women. He's ready to leave the reputation behind as he works to expand his successful construction business from New York to the West Coast. If he keeps himself busy, maybe he can forget the girl who got away.

Sasha Baker lives a life ruled by straight lines and concrete plans. Her no-nonsense attitude bleeds into every facet of her life, including her personal life. Divorced at a young age, a heartbroken Sasha keeps everyone at arm's length, except her mom and her best friend. She pours herself into her job as an architect, replacing love with work.

Desperate to impress her boss and prove her worth, Sasha challenges Seth to take over construction on a flailing project. Seth agrees, swearing it has nothing to do with Sasha and everything to do with business. But what starts as a professional collaboration soon ignites a spark that neither Seth nor Sasha can ignore.

As they attempt to navigate their newfound feelings, Sasha must confront her fears, her past, and her ex-husband in order to find love with Seth.

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2024

About the author

Mimi Francis is a sassy romance writer known for her steamy tales of passion that leave readers breathless. When she's not crafting what she hopes is the perfect happily-ever-after, you can find her sipping margaritas and binge-watching Marvel movies or the TV show Supernatural. But her true loves (after her husband, of course) are her four Shih Tzus who keep her company as she spins stories that will make your heart race and your toes curl. Get ready to fall in love with her characters and get lost in the worlds she creates. You can connect with Mimi on Instagram and Facebook at @author.mimi.francis or on her website mimifrancis.com.

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐s Seth, according to the press, is a ladies man who will never settle down, but you can't always believe what you read. 

Sasha first met Seth when they were both there to help her best friend Sofia move in with Chris. Chris is a very successful movie star and has been Seth's best friend since they were kids. At the time, Sasha was still dealing with her divorce from Liam. Still, she and Seth seemed to have made a connection. That was until he exchanged an unforgettable kiss with her before walking away to go to bed alone... 

Two and a half years later, Seth owns a very successful construction business in New York. His friend and former foreman, Wyatt, calls, begging Seth to come to California and assess a construction site where he's the foreman. Seth couldn't turn down the plea. He makes plans to visit Chris while in California. 

Sofia is an architect at the firm that designed the building where Chris will be taking over the construction job. It was the firm's job to have monitored the construction site more closely. As a result, she's given the job as the construction architect. Her first order of business is to fire the original construction firm. Something that didn't go over well with her ex-husband, who was not only working on that project but is a good friend of the company's owner. 

Sofia and Seth have been circling each other since they first met about five years ago. They finally decided that spending one night together would scratch the itch they've been experiencing. One and done was the plan... 

I received an ARC of this book from the author via Booksprout. I am voluntarily leaving this review. 

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book four in The Second Chance in Hollywood series and it is Seth and Sasha’s story. Seth runs a successful construction business and he is looking forward to expanding it from New York to The West Coast and because he has a bad reputation as a partying playboy he realised that he needs to shake that image that people have of him and start to move forward with his life instead of constantly living in regret of his past. Sasha is a architect and puts everything that she has into her work after going through a painful divorce and heartbreak so now she has walls around her that are so high to protect her from it ever happening again and the only people that she lets in and sees the real her is her mom and best friend and that is how she lives her life now. Seth is Sasha’s boss and when she challenged him and they start a new project together the attraction between them starts to grow but with them both not only having baggage but also trust issues how will that effect how they feel about each other and will Seth be able to break down Sasha’s was and let him in so that they can eventually have a relationship and future together after everything that they had both been through. I really enjoyed reading this book and I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to see what the outcome would be for Seth and Sasha in the end and if they got the happiness that they both wanted and deserved. I have loved every single book in this series and I can’t wait to read what this author decides to write next.

[Heather Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Private Desires is the fourth book in the Second Chance in Hollywood series. Private Desires was a fantastic read, one that I couldn’t set down because the plot of this book was that captivating. Each book of the Second Chance in Hollywood has been quite fascinating to read. Private Desires is the story of Sasha and Seth who are both fascinating characters. Seth has a reputation as a partying ladies’ man. However, there is more to him than drinking, dating, and women. Seth is ready to leave the reputation behind him as he works to expand his successful construction business from New York to the West Coast. Sasha lives a life ruled by straight lines and concrete plans. Her no-nonsense attitude bleeds into every aspect of her life, including her personal life. Sasha got divorced at a young age and being heartbroken, she keeps everyone at arm’s length except her mom and best friend. This is all the details that I’m going to give about Private Desires because I don’t want to spoil the book for other readers. Author Mimi Francis continues to write fascinating steamy romance stories with astonishing plots, spectacular characters, and sensational outcomes. Private Desires is a book that I would encourage others to checkout and give it a read to develop their own opinions on the book. The reason being is that their opinion might be different from mine, and my opinion is that Private Desires is a mind-blowing romance book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anja · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters are cute and very likeable, the romance is cozy and the book makes you feel good. The plot is the relationship and that was a good choice, there's not too much drama, just two people coming together.
The biggest flaw is that this book is of serious (and I mean very serious) need of editing. And I mean a proper, paid editor that smooths the writing, checks grammar and puts sentences into compound ones, with conjunctions and all that.
The writing gets better and the everything is adorable enough that you forget about the need for an editor but nevertheless, it's a minor thing that would make the experience much more pleasurable.
She's cute and smart, he's cute and smart, too, they're good people and it's nice to read about people falling in love without toxicity, red flags or sexism.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

PS I have no idea how is the title related to the story. Or I'm just daft.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is the true epitome of perception can be misled. Sasha and Seth have to try and work together while ignoring their attraction. Sasha has a preconceived notion of who Seth is because of what she has heard about him. I liked how Seth was determined to win her over and show her he wants to be with her. The way that their relationship started and how it progressed was very nice too. The attraction was there and the depth came with time.

If you like a playboy who only wants to commit to her then this book is for you. It has a determined FMC and MMC who knows who he wants.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Private Desires by Mimi Francis is a good, and enjoyable steamy sweet workplace romance read. The story has a good entertaining world building story line. The characters are good, likable, relatable, and they have good chemistry. This story is an entertaining workplace romance read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Destiny Imperati · Rating 5 out of 5]

☆Steamy workplace romance☆
Sascha is an architect dealing with divorce, and Seth is a playboy who is always partying but looking to change uo his ways to focus on his construction business.
The plot easily grabbed my attention. I enjoyed the fact that they have very different backgrounds but easily formed chemistry between one another. Some aspects of the story were relatable, and the way the book unfolded was so easy to love!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. It is good read that nicely develops. The story is about two trying to recover from their pasts. The story is about Sasha, an architect and Seth, a contractor. She is trying to get over a divorce and past hurts. He is trying to change how people perceive him and expand his business. These two collaborate on a building project together. The characters are great!

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining book with intriguing and interesting story elements. The characters are well written with depth to their personalities. I enjoyed this book as it held my attention throughout. Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books written by Mimi Francis; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of her books.

This is the third book in the Second Chances in Hollywood Series; it is a stand-alone short story. The story is about Holly & Caleb.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the storyline of this book. Loved there was an actual story and not just focused on their romance. Was able to finish this book in an evening because I couldn't put the book down. Would have like if there was an epilogue included

[Christina B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is everything you want in a romance book! The characters are easy to relate to, the story is compelling, and the romance is *beautiful*. Another fantastic book by Mimi!

[Lily Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so well written! And the story? Absolutely fantastic! Sasha and Seth are perfect for each other, it just takes them both a little time to figure out what they both want.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.