Wanting You is the second in Leslie Kelly’s Hollywood Heat series. Picking up a few months after the first book left off, this one is twin brother Rowan’s story. Rowan saves true crime writer Evie Fleming from an apparently mugging gone wrong. Her self-proclaimed protector, Rowan then becomes her police consultant as Evie looks into LA serial killers and other notorious deaths. I really liked the interaction between Rowan and Evie. They complement each other well. Kelly is keeping this series interesting and I can’t wait for Raine’s book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.

Evie is a crime novelist, and is researching for her new book on most notorious solved and unsolved deaths in LA.
Rowan is a cop with LAPD, and when he saves Evie from a mugger and later takes her to his brothers home to keep her safe, he doesn’t know she’s a writer who can expose his family secrets, he wants to keep her at a distance.
But when Evie’s investigation of old crimes gets her under a killers radar, he takes upon himself to keep her safe and avoid the chemistry.
Wanting you is a wonderful read that has twists and turns that keep you on glued, humor, chemistry, suspense and a bit of drama. The author has done a wonderful job of keeping us guessing. As the suspense builds so does the chemistry between Evie and Rowan. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

4.5☆
This is my first book by Leslie A. Kelly.

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: Hollywood Heat
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

I always enjoy Leslie A Kelly's books because she puts a lot of suspense in them. This one was no different. The only problem I had was that I didn't realize when I started reading it that it's book number 2 in a trilogy so I got spoiled on some things from the first book, but that's my own fault. The characters are well developed and the story line moves along at a good pace. I enjoyed this book and now I need to go back and read the first one. Looking forward to the final book, as well!!!

The suspense aspect of “Watching You” was great. I loved the serial killer having such a unique “signature” and identity. VERY timely considering the recent identification and capture of the alleged GSK killer.

However, this story has given me some concerns. There are plot inconsistencies that made a few details unbelievable. If Rowan was a child star from a famous family and is so easily recognizable, it is hard to believe that he barely can make rent and has a teeny, tiny savings. Although he has not been acting for many years, there should still be some royalty payments.

Additionally, in the beginning of the story, his father is portrayed in a bad light, but then later on when he is telling Evie about his mother’s breakdown, he says that they have an awesome father who supported them through all the issues.

When Evie is on her way to her house she is actually googling information about birth flowers on her phone regarding the Flower Killer. So how could she possibly miss the text replies from Rowan unless she had her notifications turned off. Which isn’t consistent with any previous actions because prior to this they had been texting back and forth.

Also there were technical issues that stood out. Some were glaring, some were more subtle. A more obvious error is the name of one an important side character. The Lieutenant was the catalyst for the villain getting the information he needed to find Evie so he is a pivotal character. However his name is misspelled/changes halfway through the manuscript. In the beginning he is called Carl Carlton, but then at around 50% he is called Carl Carlson. Not a major difference in the name, but a jarring one.

There were large chunks of exposition throughout the piece and, frankly, many of them didn’t need to exist. I skipped over several places and didn’t feel like I actually missed anything.

Word echoes, while not incredibly frequent, were present enough to be distracting from the heart of the story. A subtle problem, but a problem nonetheless.

I was impressed with the creative storyline and the ability to craft a book that, while easily a standalone, has enough woven in to make me want to read about Raine and Reece. It can be hard to create a single character that the reader feels a strong emotional connection with, much less three. That was done here seemingly effortlessly and done well.

We first met Rowan in the first book and in this story, we get to know him better. Even though he and his brother are twins, they are nothing alike. They are both all about their family. Rowan saves a woman from a mugger and helps her out afterwards. When she finds out who he is, she starts talking about the one subject that is off limits. It is too bad, because he was very attracted to her. When he is assigned to help her with her research, they find that someone, besides Rowan and his family, doesn't want her digging into some old cases. She looking into so many cases, so she isn't sure which one it is. As the danger closes in, they become closer and Rowan isn't about to lose her to some serial killer.

This kind of story is like my catnip - I can't get enough of it, and every time I find a book like this, I swoon just a little. It's got just about everything I like in contemporary romances - murder mystery, hot guy in a uniform, damsel in distress (who can actually kick butt too, but still), and romantic tension. The story centers around the romance, but it also has a major focus on Hollywood's darker side, the abuse of power in law enforcement, and murders left unsolved. It's always great to read a story with so many other elements to learn from.

Evie Fleming is a nonfiction writer, who has focused on murders and cold cases ever since her friend and roommate was murdered by a serial killer. Having discovered who the murderer was and sending him to jail, she has become famous, and so have her books. Her newest book is going to focus on murders in Los Angeles, so she has traveled to LA to research. But she has a secondary purpose to her visit to LA, one that has a much darker and dangerous intent, and when she is assaulted by a man on the street and saved by Detective Rowan Winchester, things get a little complicated. Rowan used to be a child actor, but after his sister was murdered, he left the limelight and joined law enforcement instead. His past is murky and not one he wants to relive, but that's exactly what Evie wants to talk to him about. As they grow closer, he tries to keep his distance, but as her safety continues to be compromised, he realizes that distance is not what he wants at all.

Evie and Rowan were definitely a couple a girl can get behind. Evie was smart, determined, and could hold her own in tough situations. Rowan was clever, protective, and kind, even when he had reason to be angry with Evie. She initially irritated me, as her journalistic instincts caused her to take a while to finally abide by Rowan's wishes. She wouldn't come right out and say, "Oh, I understand that it would hurt you, Rowan, so I won't do it." Instead, it took several chapters in the book before she recognized how her actions could hurt him. I didn't particularly like that side of her. Other than that, though, once they found a common purpose and stuck with it, their relationship really blossomed. They grew closer together and found strength in each other, which is exactly what I like to see in romance novels.

This is my first book by Leslie Kelly, and she has got me hooked on her books! I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Terrific romantic suspense!

Evie is working on a book of unsolved murders when she's viciously attacked and nearly becomes a victim herself. She's rescued by Rowan Winchester, who turns out to be a detective. When he volunteers to help her with her research project, the sparks fly. But, can he keep his family's secret involvement in one of the unsolved murders from her?

I really enjoyed the mystery and the romance in this. It kept me guessing and flipping pages way past my bedtime.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I have been reading this author for quite a while. Her Black CAT series and Extrasensory Agents series both were well written and just enough romance and suspense to keep me interested. This is the second book in the series but I haven't read the first, but it's not really necessary to the story. Again the book had both romance and suspense keeping me turning the pages well into the night. I would recommend Ms. Kelly to anyone who enjoys romantic mysteries and would probably start with the first one, as I plan on reading them read the second again. I received this e-book in return for an unbiased review.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sexy & sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

When writer Evie Fleming is attacked by someone sent to murder her, she is "rescued" by the good looking Detective Winchester. Evie gets thrown right into the middle of her research for her current project...a book of unsolved murders in L.A. Even though Evie should be focusing completely on her research, she can't help but feel sparks for Detective Rowan Winchester, who volunteered to be her escort on her research project, to help keep her safe...but he is also trying to keep his family history (one of the unsolved mysteries she is writing/researching) secret from her.

This was a wonderful mystery with connection, humor, love, lust, twists and murder! The characters were well-developed and I liked the way the author, Leslie A. Kelly, did the first person for not only the two main characters, but also for the mystery character as well. This is the first book I have read by Ms. Kelly, and I loved this book and will be reading more of her writings now!

‘Wanting You’ reads more like a typical murder-mystery in the RS genre as compared to the previous book—since it involves law enforcement and a true crime writer—, which isn’t a bad thing. If Leslie A. Kelly’s first book in the series felt more like a glitzy portrayal of celebrity romance, Evie/Rowan’s story delves into the grittier side of violent crime in the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, with a lot less of the stardust that one would expect of this kind of story.

The book functions well as a standalone, but there’s a heavy reliance on a tragic narrative arc and a convoluted, mysterious back story involving child actors, fame and what might be cover-ups. Kelly recounts it just fine, so catching up wouldn’t be an issue at all if that’s a concern. Disparate pieces of the mystery did throw me off though, when I found myself struggling to make the connections between Rowan’s family history, Evie’s current writing project (and the dangers that brings on its own), a deranged stalker and how these really linked up when they felt like smaller, unrelated threads that weren’t satisfactorily tied together. The latter half of the book settled into a police procedural as the newly minted team of Evie and Rowan go on a serial killer’s trail and felt more predictable in the way it throws shadow on everything, though I did spend a goodly bit of time wondering where this was all leading.

Speaking of couple-chemistry, Evie and Rowan do clash in their objectives and that’s typically what I dig when it comes to the romantic portion of it all: the sparks, the secrets that the latter guards and what the former wants to crack open, all of which seemingly putting each other on opposite sides despite their attraction. The quick way they fell into lust which then strayed into a holding pattern that mostly had Rowan blowing hot and cold proved a lull unfortunately, along with the roundabout police procedural that made me skim a bit.

That said, I liked Evie a lot—her determination, her compassion and forwardness—and this was a huge plus point in the general unevenness of the storytelling, which, don’t get me wrong, is something that still piques my interest. Kelly’s writing can be absorbing, and even if there were parts I was more engrossed in than others, I’m this far into the series not to want the last book in it.

- [ ] Evie Sullivan has a knack for looking at crimes and finding missing information. After her friend was brutally killed and she was the key witness putting away her killer the last thing she wants to hear is this killer gets a new trial. In LA researching her new book and also a possible serial killer getting attacked was not in her plans nor was meeting sexy cop Rowan Winchester. Once Rowan found out she was a writer and what she was writing about he knew he need to make sure he kept his distance. Little he he know Evie has the answers his brothers have been looking for. Now to keep Evie safe from whoever was trying to hurt her and to avoid the chemistry between them. Yup that’s not gonna happen. Love these two together. So can’t wait for Raine’s book.

Good story, I love a good whodunnit and this one definitely was, you didn’t truly see who the threat was until the author was ready to show you and I love when that happens. Rowan and Evie also had great chemistry which only adds to the story.

Evie is an author who writes true crime books. She was involved in a case as her roommate was killed by a serial killer. She helped put the pieces together and convict him. Now she is looking at another case she is writing about which involves looking at old crime scenes. While she was leaving one scene, she was mugged but saved by Detective Winchester. Rowan Winchester is now a detective in LA, but before that he was part of Hollywood as a childhood actor along with his brothers. Rowan has secrets that he doesn't want to see in a book by Evie. Meanwhile, Evie is in danger from a serial killer but who is it and why? This book is incredibly good. Not just a romance but a thriller and murder mystery. Everything comes together completely. I want to read much more from this author. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review and no other compensation.

First, I want to preface this review by saying that I generally tend not to read any romantic suspense or mystery novels. Sometimes, I feel that the mystery/suspense aspects detracts from the love story and I get bored, THIS DID NOT HAPPEN DURING THIS BOOK. I don't know where Leslie A. Kelly came from, and now I can;t wait to gobble up all the other books she has written so far. This book was the perfect blend of everything you could hope for in this type of book. Evie is the strong, independent, and magnificent true crime writer and Rowan is strong, smart and clever detective, and their romance is explosive! Overall, this book was not what I expected, was highly addictive, and I just loved it!

What a great book. I enjoyed reading Wanting You. Rowan Winchester is a cop from a family of Hollywood movie stars that has been touched by crime on a personal level. Evie is a true crime author who has a unique way of seeing the picture and has been instrumental in solving murder cases due to her attention to detail. Their paths cross when Evie gets mugged only to be rescued by Rowan. The chemistry between them is immediate and very believable. Leslie Kelly does an excellent job of letting the “steam” build between Evie and Rowan as the story unfolds. Evie’s in-depth analysis of a past crime puts her in the cross-hairs of a killer on top of a threat from the serial killer she helped put away for the murder of her roommate. The suspense builds just as the romance does. This is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone. Rowan’s brothers each have their own story and I like the way the author weaves trauma from the brother’s past into this story to add another element of suspense and potential conflict between Rowan and Evie. Highly recommend this as a great romantic suspense.

Wanting You, is the second book in the Hollywood Heat series. I was on edge while reading this. Who did it, will they figure it out before someone else gets hurt? I loved, Wanting You.

This is the second book in the Hollywood Heat series about the Winchester brothers. This is Rowan and Evie’s story. Rowan is a detective and Evie is a true crime author. The story has a mystery and a romance. I loved that Evie was a strong female character. The story also continues a mystery that involves an event from the past of the Winchester Brothers. I look forward to seeing the resolution of that mystery in book 3. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy of this book.

Sent from my iPad

A delightful read! I loved the chemistry between Rowan and Evie.
She's a Writer and he's a Detective and they both have an understanding of the trauma that comes with crime. The story has a good pace and you have a bold female character in Evie who is not afraid to ask questions, challenge the answers she receives and it builds up the trust between her and Rowan. I can't wait to read the next book in the series! Thank you NetGalley for the eARC and Leslie Kelly for writing such a great romance!