hen I started to read this book and realized it was a sequel to Order of Protection, which features Henry Garrison, the Monster of Manhattan, I was so happy because I loved that book. And now I loved this one too!

This story is deliciously complicated and has a lovely love story between two lawyers. You’d think they were too prickly to get along, yet they had an instant attraction that led to a relation with a lot of complications.

David Cormack is an ex-NFL athlete who turned into a successful criminal lawyer. He owns a law firm with Henry Garrison, Margarita Reyes and Noah Lawless. He gets a request to represent another great athlete, a legend in football history, who is a suspect in the murder of his wife. This case has deep connotations with David, because the athlete suffers from CTE, a deteriorating condition that happens to 28% of athletes, and which makes them lose their memories and a sense of who they are.

Isla Shayne has been the Adams’ family lawyer for many years. When she started out as an intern in the Guardian’s building, she developed a deep rapport with Trey Adams and his wife. He was like a big brother to her. She saw the Adams’ children as her little brother and sister, so she was adamant in their protection after the murder of Portia Adams. She requested the help of David Cormack because he seemed the best suited to understand the nuances of what promised to be a case full of press coverage.

Isla and David face a lot of challenges, such as the lack of cooperation of Portia’s sister and Ben Adams, who is known to have fought with his father. There is also a trophy wife, wife to the Guardians’ owner and who wants to make a memorial to the dead woman, in order to get approval from the social circles. She was very annoying and insistent. There’s also the ADA, Royce Osborne, who had dated Isla, got dumped after their third date and now suffers a bad case of sour grapes. He’s also extremely ambitious and wants to be elected to the DA position. He wants to close the case soon, get famous for the incarceration of the guilty party and is grabbing at any chance to arrest Trey Adams.

It’s a bumpy road for Isla and David, they have to be extremely careful because the evidence points towards one culprit but their gut feelings reject the idea. Halfway through the book I had guessed who was it, but it was still a very entertaining book, with all the wonderful characters, the many interactions, the suspense, the intrigue, the bad guy we all loved to hate (Royce), and David’s fears.

I loved Isla, she was a fantastic character, intelligent, full of heart and passion and also direction. To David she seemed as a delicate person but she was strong and determined. Another character I loved was Noah because he was like a frisky and naughty little brother. I can’t wait for the next installment!

Here is a book from an author known to me so of course it was a no brainier to check it out. The title is alluring and cute. The story has Isla who works for Trey, a football player. David is a high power lawyer and ex football player called in to represent Trey when Trey's wife died and Trey is the number one suspect. David is sexy and can be broody but he and Isla have to work together to help Trey get out of the trouble he is in. But the attraction between them is undeniable and captivating. David has had past relationship's that have ended in disaster and Isla herself has not had luck also. .
There is romance and some suspense and David has some walls up but Isla is crumbling them down bit by bit. I liked that Isla was a strong heroine and David was the timid one, not wanting to get into anything serious. Great role reversal! This is a great read!

Unfortunately, this book just didn't take. I tried to push myself to finish because I've enjoyed much of Ms. Blake's books in the past but this one felt flat and uninspired. I didn't feel that much chemistry between David and Isla either and the mystery didn't capture my attention.

ARC from the publisher

Evidence of Desire is the second book in Lexi Blake’s Courting Justice series, and sadly, it fell apart here for me. I really enjoyed the series starter, Order of Protection, which was my first experience with this author; d I’ve been looking forward to this one ever since. I’m going to make this review short so I can move on with my reading life. For one thing, things that may have sparked my interest in the previous installment grated on my nerves here - name dropping characters I’ve never met became so cumbersome that I started hating them without knowing them. They felt gratuitous and out of place. For another, Isla and David had zero chemistry. Nada. There was no build up at all. It was like all of a sudden they decided they were in love, but where was the lead up? I never felt any connection between them, and the love scenes made me cringe. They were not sexy at all, and if anything, it further solidified that this ‘couple’ had no zing. David’s reason for not wanting to be together felt incredibly contrived, as did a lot of other parts of this book. On top of that, both of the main characters have a disdain for privileged people, but make their money off working for them. They’re both lawyers with very wealthy clients, and I have no idea of why the went into law. David is a bit more understandable because it’s fleetingly mentioned that he does pro-bono work, but Isla’s job is pretty much a gopher for rich people. Why would you surround yourself with that when you have such issues with that demographic? All it did was highlight how judgmental, and in the end, hypocritical she was, as this story took a turn where Isla was more than happy to take advantage of her client’s privilege to make things go her way. And this was a ‘twist’ that I saw coming from a mile away. And my last gripe is this, but not specific to this author - what is this trend where practically everyone in a story is a jerk or bad guy, unless it’s someone who was a main character in the author’s previous books? All that does is make me think there’s something wrong with the ‘good’ main character they’re writing that they’d surround themselves with people like that.

One star because I made it to the end of this book, and a second because despite my issues with David and Isla, I thought the mystery aspect, while ultimately predictable, was still interesting, as was the exploration of CTE, which is something I’ve never seen before. Assuming Noah gets a book, I will read it as I love his character, but I’ll be skipping out on any others.

This review was originally posted on Books & Beauty Are My Bag.

Evidence of Desire by Lexi Blake is the second book in her Courting Justice series. Every book is about another couple and can be read as standalone.
The previous book is Order of Protection.

Isla Shayne is a lawyer, sought after, successful and more friends than lawyer with her few selected clients. When one of them is confronted with charges for murder, she's out of her field and she hires David Cormack, Defense Attorney and witz in court.
Aaand botzh have this crazy through the roof high chemistry, but both aren't really the relationship typ people. Something casual sounds good. Ha as if that would ever work.

Evidence of Desire is a fst paced story with twists and unexpected turns at every corner. The author delivered a nailbiting pageturner that kept me at the edge of my seat and made me read the book in one sitting. I recommend the book and give 4,5 stars.

Every lawyer dreams of having the ‘perfect’ clients and creating a practice that anyone would envy. For Isla – clients bring a string of business deals, contracts, and in some cases they add a personal connection to her life. When football star Trey Adams is accused of murdering his wife, Isla knows that her familial connection to this family will hinder the ability to prove her client not guilty. Portia’s death wasn’t just about a robbery gone back, the crime scene hints at a hatred for the beloved matriarch of the Adams family.



Hiring the best criminal attorney is at the forefront of Isla’s agenda. David Cormack’s reputation for winning cases precedes him, but what really matters is his former connection to football. There is no one out there that can understand Trey’s medical condition better than David. With CTE a major factor revolving around the case, there is the possibility that no one will be able to save the former football star from such a damning case.



Taking on a high profile case is nothing new for David. What troubles him about this case is the possibility of seeing his future through the life of Trey Adams. A football career carries with it more than a touchdown during the game, something that David reflects upon daily. Now the high powered attorney finds himself trying to look past a possible future, and figure out why he is drawn to the attorney that is embroiled in the middle of a case that clearly affects her on a personal level.



Lexi Blake’s latest release is hitting your reader with a plot line that is definitely current in the sports industry. CTE is the disease that riddles Trey Adams. A unknown and still puzzling injury that many athletes are facing. Adding to the drama is a murder that is sure to keep you guessing while entertaining you with a romance between two formidable characters.



Evidence of Desire is a wonderful addition to the Courting Justice series, and definitely was a treat to me when bringing some of my other Blake favorites back into action (Lawless). Neither Isla nor David is ‘weak’ in character and the strength and charisma the two exhibits add to the plot of this romance. I have to admit, I can’t wait to see what unravels for Noah Lawless in the series!! Things can only heat up from here!!

Isla’s friend has been murdered and the police think she was killed by her husband. But Isla knows in her heart he is innocent. Can she convince David to take the case and prove it?
Evidence of Desire is second in Lexi Blake’s Courting Justice series. I adored David and Isla in this story. David has already proven that he is the best man and friend to have your back. But with this story Ms. Blake pulls back the layers that show his strength and his fears. We see his heart. We see his loyalty. We see his insecurities. We see his love both for others and what others have for him.
I love Isla and David together. David may have seen Isla’s kindness and ability to see the best in people as a weakness, but Ms. Blake showed him and us the error of that thinking. Isla has a spine of steel and a willingness to fight for those she loves. She is willing to chance the pain of hurt for the reward love brings. She fought for a life with David even if she has to fight his stubbornness and his fears. And as Isla fights she shows David what courage looks like. But could he learn the lesson before he hurt not only himself but Isla as well?
I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to this series. Ms. Blake showed us that strength came from love and courage in spite of the odds. Ms. Blake showed David what sacrifice meant and the true meaning of family. I loved renewing old friendships and seeing what has happened in the lives of characters we have come to love. And while this story can be read as a standalone, I enjoyed the peek into the past. I can’t wait to see where Ms. Blake will take us next.

4.25 stars--EVIDENCE OF DESIRE is the second instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult COURTING JUSTICE erotic, romantic suspense series. This is attorneys Isla Shayne, and David Cormack’s story line. EVIDENCE OF DESIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. There is a slight cross-over with the author’s Lawless Series, and her Masters and Mercenaries series.


Told from dual third person perspectives (Isla and David) EVIDENCE OF DESIRE follows the building relationship between attorneys Isla Shayne, and David Cormack as they are tasked with proving their client’s innocence. Isla Shayne represents the Adams family, a family engulfed in a personal and private war but a war that now focuses on the murder of Portia Adams, apparently by the man she loved. When one-time football great Trey Adams is the number one suspect in the death of his beloved wife Portia, all bets are off as Isla must battle the district attorney and the media as the vultures begin to circulate for scraps. Hiring defence attorney David Cormack opens Isla’s eyes to the possibility of her own happily ever after, a happily ever after that is threatened in more ways than one. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Isla and David, and the potential fall-out as our leading couple are targeted when they get too close to the truth.

Both Isla and David have loved and lost but none more-so than our story line heroine. Meeting David Cormack means a second chance at love but David begins to wonder if there is any future based on what he knows, and what may never be.

The relationship between Isla and David begins as a business arrangement but soon turns into something more. Threats against our heroine’s life push David into a protector and guardian role, a role for which he was willing to die. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters several who become prime suspects in the death of Portia Adams. We are introduced to Portia’s husband Trey, and their adult children Miranda and Oscar; Guardian’s football owner Carey Kendrick and his wife Amber; fellow attorneys Noah Lawless and Margarita Reyes. We are reintroduced to Henry Garrison and Win Hughes (Order of Protection #1).

The world building focuses on the search for the truth. Isla Shayne knows that Trey Adams did not, and would not murder his wife. The story line will focus on CTE –Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy-a brain disorder caused by repeated head injuries, and numerous concussions suffered by athletes in contact sports.

EVIDENCE OF DESIRE is a story of heartbreak, secrets and lies; friendship, family and betrayal: second chances and falling in love. The premise is captivating and entertaining; the romance is seductive and sexy; the characters are colorful, engaging and lively. EVIDENCE OF DESIRE is a dramatic, moving and tragic story of passion, and the potential vulnerability for those unable to protect or defend themselves.

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So I think after reading the second book in this series, I can safely say this series isn’t for me.
While they can be read as a stand-alone, I’ve read both books.
The storyline was good and I had to keep reading to find out what would happen. I thought I had it all figured out but then the author threw that twist at the end. The story was definitely a edge of your set kind of story. There was a lot of a lot of detail thrown at the reader all at once so it makes the story hard to get into at first and it took me a couple of chapters to start enjoying it at all.
I didn’t connect with these characters at all. I didn’t feel their chemistry and their connection so it was hard for me to become invested with them. I think if the story was told 1st person it would of made a huge difference to the storyline and my rating.

Lexi Blake writes amazing Romantic suspense and this book knocks that out of the park! This is a story of a strong woman who wont let the world underestimate her and a man who is facing his past and present. Though out this love story is the suspense of a murder investigation intertwined with a steamy love story. I loved this book from the first to the last page and cant wait for book 3 in the series!

Evidence of Desire was another 5 star book from Lexi Blake in my opinion. It’s the second book in the Courting Justice series. It centers around David and Isla (love that name). Isla is asked to by her friend Trey to defend him when his wife is murdered. She knows she needs help and reaches out to David., someone who has been through some of the same things Trey has been.

This book was everything I expected it to be. Lexi Blake never disappoints. I loved Isla. She was such a strong woman and fights for David with everything she’s got. David, is interesting because he’s letting his fears guide what he wants to happen with Isla and that only means trying to push her away.

I don’t want to give too much away, so I will say this book was just amazing and I loved it. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Evidence of Desire
Courting Justice series book #2
Release Date: January 8, 2019
Review copy provided by the publisher

Every time I think Lexi Blake couldn’t get any better, she proves me wrong. I think this book may be one of my favourites by her.

I love a good romantic suspense, and Ms. Blake can weave a mystery or thriller like no other. She keeps me on my toes for the whole book. I spend a lot of time while I’m reading trying to figure out who the bad guy is. I rarely get it right. Evidence of Desire was no different. Except, this one pulled at me a bit more than most of her books.

Over the last handful of years we’ve heard about CTE in professional athletes, mainly football players. This is a huge part of the plot. It was so interesting and tragic all at the same time. I found myself doing some research on the internet to learn more. Lexi did an amazing job with providing factual information ( at least from what I could tell from my internet research ) on the disease.

David is an ex-football player turned criminal defence attorney. He’s been recommended for a case that hits a little too close to home for him.

Isla is a business attorney and one of her clients, who is more like family, is accused of murdering his wife. She knows he couldn’t have possibly done it. She and David work together to prove her client innocent.

Of course the sparks fly from the get go between Isla and David. It was hot, but it was also incredibly sweet. These are two characters who haven’t had a lot of happiness in their pasts, so there’s lots of indecision. Fortunately, their hearts take over pretty quickly!

I swear, I was constantly at the edge of my seat. One minute I thought the bad guy was one person, and then I thought it was someone else. This happened a few times, so when it was revealed, I was blown away! I didn’t see it coming. It was brilliant!

This is turning out to be an amazing series. Though I’ve never read anything of Lexi’s that doesn’t make me gush. This book could be read as a stand alone, but I think you’d benefit from reading the first book, Order of Protection.

4.5/5
For some unknown reason I tend to jump on the Lexi Blake romantic suspense train on the second book, it happened with the Lawless Series and now the same thing with the Courting Justice Series *weeps*

Luckily the books can be read as standalone even though you wish you had read the first one.

Evidence of Desire is a masterful piece of romantic suspense with added emotional torture just to mix things up a little bit. Due to the nature of the narrative, dealing with CTE and Dementia, and having personal experience with watching a loved one fall victim to its clutches, there were times when I had to step away from the story as it dredged up some painful memories. However, I will say Lexi portrayed the horrors of the diseases portrayed with sensitivity and understanding without sugarcoating the devasting effects it has on the inflicted person as well as the family and friends close to them.

David is a fantastic, flawed character with a huge martyr streak. Having been a professional football player before becoming a lawyer, he lives with the daunting possibility that he may fall prey to CTE. Coupled with the horror of Alzheimer's present in his family, David feels like a ticking time-bomb he doesn’t want to burden anyone else with. Hence his penchant for hook-ups as opposed to relationships.

There are a significant number of plot threads within Evidence of Desire. David’s personal story is only a small part of the overall picture. The main focus and the way in which David and Isla are introduced is via a murder charge against one of Isla’s estate law clients and former football player, Trey.

There is no denying the connection between Isla and David from the very beginning although a number of factors are working against them the whole time. Trey’s mental condition exasperates David’s fears for his own sanity. While Isla has her own issues regarding family and friends, firmly keeping her emotional barriers in place to avoid the risk of emotional devastation.

The murder plot had a lot of tangents adding layers to the plot while aiding the development of both the relationship between Isla and David as well as the character development of each individual character. I have to say I did guess the culprit 😉

I adored Isla’s ability to find the positive in people and maintain her optimistic outlook even when all the chips are stacked against her #lifegoals. Isla helps David find the much-needed balance and acceptance in his life.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say Lexi Blake is for me, up at the top of the romantic suspense pyramid alongside KA Tucker 😍

This was so good! I loved Isla and David, together and apart. Both practicing law, but different focuses. The suspense of the case David was asked to take was great. I never knew who did it until the end... it really had me going for a while. The story is incredibely sad at times because knowing just because of the fact that there was a murder and oh how horrible the circumstances were. But there was a lot of guessing whot did it, and was it really Trey?

Lexi Blake has a great way of spinning a tale and getting down and dirty to do it. Then there were the subtle hints and cameos from characters in other series. She did it in a way that if I had not already read almost every other book in her catalogue, I would be itching to go read them. The connections to other books not in this series are strong, but in no way would it hinder a new reader.

She's also very good at getting me to really hate at least one character, and in this case it was the ADA. UGH. What a jerk. So much so that at times it felt really unbelievable that he could get away with acting the way he did.

Still, this was a great story and I was so happy to start off the year reading something that had me from page one.
Looking forward to the next book in this series.

I was a little hesitant with this one. Romantic suspense isn’t usually my thing, but the premise was intriguing, so I decided to go for it. And, overall I’m really glad that I did. This won’t be one of my favorites of the year, but it was clear that Lexi Blake did a lot of research regarding CTE and used it to great effect.

I have a lot of issues with the NFL. Like, a lot. We have season tickets to our local team, but I rarely go to the games. I can’t bring myself to support an organization that hates me and doesn’t give a shit if I live or die, and one that simultaneously gives 0 fucks about the players, the very people who have built the organization and without whom the organization couldn’t exist. And CTE, and the organization’s absolute refusal to even acknowledge it are a big part of that second piece of my issues. So I was interested for an in-depth look at the disease and how it affects not only the players who clearly have it, but also those who just don’t know.

Lexi Blake handled this piece of the story well. I really liked David’s story. I liked how his uncertainty was portrayed. He knew that based on the number and frequency of the concussions he had during his time playing football at all levels, that there was an excellent chance he’d have CTE at some point in the future. So he made the decision to avoid any real relationships because he didn’t want to risk burdening someone else with his care and upkeep later.

And, look. I get it. Being a burden on someone else is really scary. But because it’s not my issue, I can also see the other side. Which is, yes, he might develop CTE, which would mean Isla would have to take care of him. And Isla might get hit by a bus and end up with physical or mental changes that he would have to deal with. Either of them could get cancer, or diabetes, or heart disease, or have a stroke, or any one of a million other health issues that strike people every single day and have to be dealt with. That’s part of being human and of having other people in our lives. If everyone with a genetic or circumstantial chance at getting a disease avoided relationships, the population would be shrinking at an even faster rate than it is. I just couldn’t get behind his desire to avoid Isla because of a thing that may or may not happen years in the future.

Ex-football player Trey Adams definitely had CTE. And when his wife, Portia, is murdered, and he appears to be the only other person in the house, it seems to be a cut-and-dried case, especially because Trey himself can’t remember what happened. In his lucid moments thinks it might be possible that he did kill Portia, and he isn’t capable at this time of defending himself against the accusations.

But Isla refuses to believe it. She’s known Trey and Portia for years, and she can’t believe there’s any way Trey would kill his wife. So this is where the book fell apart for me a bit – the actual mystery. The answer to who killed Portia was so clearly broadcast to me that I couldn’t believe no one else could figure it out. I had trouble believing that David, Isla, the Lawless security people, the cops, literally no one could see it.

The cop in charge was a man who dated Isla briefly a while back and who was such a one-note mustache-twirling caricature of a bad cop that I couldn’t take him seriously. There’s no way he could treat lawyers and potential witnesses the way he did and get away with it, especially because his literal only reply could have been “Slutty bitch won’t have sex with me.”

I liked that Isla knew her limitations – she’s a contracts lawyer, not a criminal defense attorney, and she didn’t try to pretend she could handle this case on her own. And she’s really, really good as a contracts lawyer, and she knew it. She had plenty of professional confidence, which is a trait I admire in anyone, women specifically. I liked her. She’s an optimist, and actively tried to see the good in people, but that didn’t make her a pushover or easily fooled.

David was a little more difficult for me to like. He was perfectly nice, but he let his fear of what might be completely take over his life and keep him from what was right in front of him. He saw Isla’s optimism and faith in people as a negative and held it against her. He threw it in her face and told her that her optimism meant he couldn’t trust her to do what he needed her to do. Honestly, he kind of lost me here. I’ve read a lot of these romance novels and “you’re too nice” isn’t really much of a reason to break up with someone. He was definitely reaching here, trying too hard to find a reason to make her leave him. He wanted her, but he didn’t want to want her, and he didn’t want to leave her, so he made up some bullshit excuse to try and make her leave him. It’s not my favorite look for a hero, trying to make someone else do his dirty work for him.

But it doesn’t matter if I didn’t love David, it mattered that Isla did, and she certainly did. It took a little help from outside forces for him to come to grips with what he needed to do in order to allow himself to be happy, and I thought he actually came to that realization rather quickly, considering how resistant he’d been to those exact arguments from everyone else around him, but again, I let it go. Sometimes it goes that way.

The relationship between Isla and David developed pretty quickly, but I got the impression they met in the first book in the series, so I just went with it. This book stood on its own well enough to read as a standalone. Overall, this reminded me why I like Lexi Blake books and read them occasionally, but I don’t love them. She’s great a writing sex scenes, they’re generally pretty hot, but the story and the relationship usually fall a little flat.

Evidence of Desire is the second book in the Courting Justice series and I have to say that I think this series is just getting better and better. I throughly enjoyed book one but this one was just such an emotional roller coaster on so many levels and the suspense was spot on. I had a niggiling suspicion I knew the villain in this story, but I wasn't positive till we got toward the end and that makes for a great murder mystery.


I loved that this story revolves not just around the romance, (and it is a total two for one romance even if the ending of one of them isn't sunshine and roses) the mystery, or the very real health concern for athletes out there. Each aspect flowed seamlessly together to make a story that not only leaves you content in having read a great book but also will leave you to think about how much athletes are affected by their chosen sport, in this instance football. I will say if you are not sympathetic to the beating that athletes, particularly football players, bodies take this could be either an eye opening book or a frustrating one for you. The basis of everything revolves around head injuries suffered by football players and the outcome to their future lives. Like I said though, this book isn't just about that. It is also about love and it is also about the mystery that turns the characters worlds upside down.

I loved meeting all the characters again, especially the new ones and though I want to strangle 'Lawless' on the regular for just being a bit of a man-whore I am so excited to see what happens with his book and you can't help but love his rambunctious character. Isla and David were a perfect match, they play off each other so well. David is this conglomeration of your favorite type of hero, the sports jock, the businessman, the teddy bear hidden behind an Alpha mask. Isla is just straight up bad to the bone. She is so incredibly caring but isn't going to take any crap from anyone and will fight for those she know are worthy of her time, her love, of justice!

There is really just so much to love about this book that I could gush on it for ages. If you are a fan of Lexi this is a must, if you like contemporary romance, a must, if you are a fan of murder mysteries...you got it, a must! Get this one on your TBR

~ HAPPY READING ~

Evidence of Desire is the second book in the Courting Justice Series, each book can be read as a standalone but you will find characters from each book run through the others this is because the series follows the men and women that work at a law firm. This is David's story.

David is a retired pro football player turned criminal defense attorney so when former linebacker Trey Adams' is in a bit of hot water his personal attorney, Isla Shane, calls David Cormack for help. Personally I really enjoyed Trey and Portia's story and I really, really wish we could have gotten more of it. Ms Blake if you're reading this, would you consider blessing us with a novella of their love story I think everyone who reads this book would really enjoy that. I know I would!!! ;)

Someone has killed the beautiful, loving, and devoted Portia. Trey suffers from CTE, Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, so it must be him right!?!?! Isla isn't convinced Trey did it because she is not only his personal attorney she is a close, trusted family friend. Well that is where David comes in, he needs to defend Trey and prove that it's possible someone else did it.

I liked the way Isla and David worked together but for me I just didn't feel the chemistry and I don't know why. The sexy times were plentiful and hot but I felt a disconnect, again I don't know why. I really enjoyed the story line and I liked both Isla and David so yes I would recommend this book. If you're looking for a Romantic Suspense that will keep you hooked until the very end I would recommend this book. Happy Reading!!!

Isla Shayne is the family lawyer for retired linebacker Trey Adams and his family, she's used to helping them with business deals or purchasing property but when Trey is accused of murdering his wife she is in completely over her head. She knows Trey is innocent but with the evidence stacking up against him she needs help and there is no criminal attorney she can trust more than David Cormack. As an ex player himself David has a unique perspective on the health issues that Trey is battling and he will do whatever it takes to get his client the help he needs but unless they can figure out who the real murderer is Trey is looking at a life behind bars.

Evidence of Desire is the second story in Lexi Blake's Courting Justice series and I enjoyed it even more than the first book. The chemistry between Isla and David was great from the very beginning and I liked how open they were about the attraction they felt. There are no rules against them dating so they fall into a relationship very quickly but although they have very strong feelings for each other David has a reason to keep Isla at a distance. I have to admit the relationship did move very quickly, I would have preferred a slightly slower build up, but I liked them as a couple and thought they suited each other.

As far as the murder mystery went I had a very good idea who my main suspect was from very early on but I was wrong about their accomplice and hadn't guessed the whole story so the book did manage to surprise me. I also found it really interesting learning more about Trey's traumatic brain injury and how it affected his personality, it made life so difficult for his whole family but I loved the way his wife stood by him and how strong they were as a couple. That made it all the more heartbreaking that their story ended in tragedy though. I also liked that we got to catch up with the previous couple Win and Henry and I have a feeling I'm going to love Noah's story which I'm guessing will be up next.

4 stars. This was a good book. Evidence of Desire is David and Isla's story. We met David in the first book in the series, Order of Protection. He is a criminal lawyer in Henry's firm. He is a former NFL player as well, which makes him extra qualified for the new case he is hired for. Another former NFL player, Trey Adams, who has CTE from too many concussions, is accused of murdering his wife, Portia. Isla is the Adams' family lawyer. She works closely with the family and helps the with their wills and trusts, etc. She is like a member of the family and she is the one who hires David to represent Trey. When they two meet, they have an immediate connection that only grows over the course of the case, which they work together to solve, and they fall in love.

The story was really good and interesting. I really liked David and Isla a lot. She was sweet and caring. David was too, as well as strong and layered. They both felt very real with understandable insecurities and fears. Both knew pretty quickly that each other was "the one"; they just had to be brave enough to go for it. I definitely felt their love and connection. There is a good mystery here and I enjoyed guessing who had killed Portia and why. I did think the book was a little heavy on the suspense and angst, but I still really enjoyed it. The writing was excellent and the characters had great depth.

Overall, I really enjoyed Isla and David's relationship development and seeing them fall in love. I look forward to more from this fun series and Ms. Blake!

I was excited to see David’s story come to life and I enjoyed this story even more than the first one. While this is the second book in the Courting Justice, you don’t necessarily need to read the first book before diving into this one. David and Isla were so much more relatable than the characters in the first book, and I enjoyed their story so much.

I learned after reading just one of Lexi’s books, that she weaves captivating and original stories. This one was no different. I loved that she was able to add a degenerative mental disorder and it’s devastating effects into an already unique story.

I loved the suspense in this story! I was captivated from the get go and couldn’t wait to find out what happened. I was trying to piece together all the bread crumbs left throughout this story. Once everything was revealed, I was able to see from the beginning where all the clues were carefully placed.

Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.