Evidence of Desire is the perfect title for the second book in Lexi Blake’s Courting Justice series because its implications to the plot as well as its characters involved in the court case center around an influx of overwhelming emotions - ones that can lead to both positive and negative outcomes for more people than just the accused.

The murder case that finds its way to former NFL player now criminal defense attorney, David Cormack, is one that could open old wounds and send him spiraling because what the defendant, Trey Adams, is accused of as well as Adams’ psychological frame of mind and repercussions of a professional football career hit extremely close to home and illicit a set of feelings that he’s forced away for quite some time.

Amidst the suspenseful court case and its evidence is a romantic connection that cannot be repressed, and despite David’s fears and the baggage he carries due to his past, he more than falls for Isla Shayne. She’s an unexpected force in his life and while her ties originated with David’s client, the relationship that seems to be developing between them, despite David’s hesitancies, just might prove to be essential to David’s growth and acceptance as he struggles to conquer his demons and find a way to have something more with Isla.

In true Lexi Blake fashion, there are a bevy of twists and turns throughout the course of Isla and David’s story, which given the context and the content of the case and what David and his client are up against, isn’t surprising, but the way everything plays out is quite unexpected and I loved working through the facts, uncovering further evidence, and wrapping my head around all that is described in order to come to some kind of conclusion, which was definitely not easy!

When I finished the story, it was beyond clear to me just how much research Lexi Blake did in order to provide a clear view of a murder case; she did not approach the circumstances of her storyline haphazardly. To make things believable, sufficient details and a complete overview of the ins and outs of the case must be meticulously explored, and Blake more than did justice to this aspect of Evidence of Desire.

Lexi Blake’s romantic suspense stories are some of my favorites to read because she seamlessly weaves these two facets throughout her story lines, and it never feels forced or disjointed because there’s always a reason for the events to play out the way they do and an understanding of the emotions that are involved as well as the impact on personal relationships due to the extremeness of the circumstances that surround them.

David and Isla’s story is an overwhelming and intense journey that blends what’s developing between them and the case that brought them together into a cohesive and well-developed plot, and I can’t wait for more Lexi Blake stories from this trope!

4.5 Poison Apples

A deliciously sexy suspenseful romance!!! Oh Lexi Blake, you have done it again with your latest release, Evidence of Desire. Without a doubt, this book is off the richter scales when it comes to heat, passion, intensity, and conflict of interest. With her strong bold characters, Blake pulls in her readers in with this story of David and Isla. With many layers and her intricate prose, Blake will have you totally smitten and blushing like crazy and all at the same time keep you on your toes with her added layer of suspense. So if you are looking for a romance that weaves excitement and intensity then look no further than this sizzling read.

Good lord, give me a sec to get my heart back in rhythm after finishing up Evidence of Desire. Man, that was some suspenseful romantic suspense right there . . .

In trying to keep Trey Adams out of jail, Isla Shayne hires David Cormack, who’s known as one of the best defense attorney’s in the US. He’s ruthless and thorough and will fight to defend his clients at all costs. But he’s also one of the most amazing and handsome man Isla have ever met.

David’s desire is to just do his job. Work is his focus—always has been. And nothing and no one will get in the way. Until Isla. Isla is everything David never truly knew he wanted in a woman. She’s smart, sexy and perfect for him.

But solving the murder and keeping Trey out of jail takes precedent over feelings—even those between Isla and David, well, until they just can’t keep those feelings to themselves anymore. Which makes David even more determined to find the true killer and keep Trey out of jail.

I couldn’t get enough of the romance blooming between Isla and David. They were in denial for quite some time—and then they just couldn’t deny it anymore. Even when David tried to put up his walls to “protect” Isla, she wouldn’t let him build them—she smashed each one down. And I couldn’t help but root for her to finally convince David to take a chance on their love.

I can’t wait for more in this fun, sexy, smart Courting Justice series. So looking forward to Noah’s story!

Every time I think to myself that Lexi Blake couldn’t surprise me more than she has done in the past I am proven wrong. Evidence of Desire not only had me on the edge of my seat, ignoring the world around me, I mean who really needs things like food and sleep right, but it also got me out of a book funk that I was in. The suspense, the mystery, the romance, these are just a few of the things that I loved about this book. Another thing I loved was the characters, David and Isla not only had chemistry they had something extra that made them special.

I won’t go and spoil this one for you because trust me you want that suspense filled feeling while reading this one. I will say this, play on closing yourself off from the rest of the world because you will not want to put Evidence of Desire down for any reason once you start it. This book needs to be at the top of your TBR shelf for sure!

I didn't know that this is the second part of a series, however I was not lost and I really enjoyed this book so I will go back and get the first one since I liked this one. So we meet Isla who walks into a tragedy and she hires David and his associates to represent one of her clients. David and Isla were attracted to each other from the get both thinking that it was not the best time for that attraction but as they spend time together they can't help it and I really liked and wanted these two together. We also get Portia and Trey's story which was beautiful even though it ended so horribly. We get a cast of characters that has you either liking or hating them showing what a good job the author portrayed. We have suspense, love, heartbreak and justice so grab a copy my friends and Enjoy!

Romance and Murder with the Backdrop of Professional Football

David Cormack is an ex-football star, now a Harvard educated attorney. He does criminal defense. Isla Shayne is a celebrity attorney. When one of her clients, Trey Adams, an ex-football hero, is accused of killing his wife, Portia, she knows she needs a serious defense attorney. David is a perfect choice. He understands football, and he’s the best criminal defense attorney around.

The case is complicated because Trey is suffering from CTE a degenerative condition of the brain brought about by the severe head injuries suffered in football. David is almost afraid to take the case. One of his fears is that he too will develop CTE. However, he can’t let Trey down, and he’s tremendously attracted to Isla.

This is a romance and a mystery, but the underlying theme of CTE and how it destroys lives raises the novel above the normal romance or mystery novel. The destruction of Trey’s independence and David’s fear were potent motivators for the story.

Isla is one of my favorite female lawyer characters. She’s tough, but she doesn’t try to prove it. She’s willing to take help and be a team player. She’s also a soft, engaging woman. David is another good character. He’s tough and likes to demonstrate it, but his health concerns make him sympathetic and believable.

I recommend this book. It’s a good addition to the Courting Justice Series.

A captivating suspense that'll keep you guessing until the very end! This is the second book in the Courting Justice series by Lexi Blake and man does she deliver. With multiple romances and a thrilling ride, you absolutely can't go wrong with this book. The characters have wonderful depth and development throughout the story and you find yourself consumed by David and Isla.

Yet another page turner from Lexi Blake. Isla may be a brilliant attorney, but she is thrown into a tailspin when she meets David Cormack. In order to prove her client not guilty of a heinous crime, and to untangle the web she’s gotten herself into professionally and personally. David has kept his distance from any real romance for so long he doesn’t know what hits him when he encounters Isla, The result, page turning fireworks that kept me up all night. You don’t want to miss it!

**This novel could be read as a stand alone, but it’s better to have read the first book in the Courting Justice series if you want the other character backgrounds.

Evidence of Desire was a book that got me hooked from the first page. I was wondering who killed Trey's wife and I really didn't want him to be the killer. That particular plotline was written very well and I would have never guessed anything of what was revealed to us. The ending to that story was satisfying enough, but there is one spot that's bitter and once you read it, you will understand why I am saying that. Mostly though, it was a good end and I liked that a lot of people got something good out of it.

Does anybody else think that Margarita is going to be Noah's lady? I think that we were teased about them in a subtle way. I can't wait to see how Noah will be tamed since he is such a wild playboy. His book is going to be next and I am really looking forward to that.

The author did an amazing job at introducing us and explaining what CTE is. It made me question some stuff and it made me realize that not everything is as good as it seems and may cause long term problems when it comes to athletes (other than the obvious and already known problems). This was a dark side of the book that I wasn't expecting. The hero, David, is haunted by that and his fathers Alzheimers and we see him struggle with wanting a future with Isla and not wanting to make her go through what Porcia and his mother did. It was a very human reaction and it made sympathize with him, even when I wanted to call him doufus and tell him to get the girl.

And speaking of said, girl, I have to say that she was one of my favorites. She stood on her ground, was professional when I would have lost it and she fought for the truth, justice and the man she loves. What more can I ask from a heroine? She is one of the book's strong points and one of the reasons you should read this book.

The second installment of Lexi Blake's Courting Justice series is everything I hoped for and more.

Evidence of Desire is a perfect blend of contemporary romance and suspense, a combo that I've come to adore from this author. Because of that, I knew from the moment I picked up the book that I was going to enjoy it, but I didn't quite expect how much I would end up loving it.

I really liked Isla as a heroine. At first, I'll be honest, I was a little bit confused as to why she seemed to have a hard time being more detached from the drama happening with her friends and clients, why it affected her as much as it did. The thing I loved about this author so much is that whenever I'm confused about a detail in a story, Blake just somehow anticipates that and addresses it outright in the book. The same thing happened in this case: tere's this scene where David points out the differences between the type of law he and Isla practiced, and how that makes for a different client-attorney dynamic. Isla knew that, but she blamed herself a little for not being the cool, professional attorney she was trained to be or everyone expects her to be, which is why I myself was a bit confused by that. Hearing David explain it though, made me realize that there is a difference between their dynamics with their clients and in turn it will affect how they react to different situations with their clients.

I liked the faith that Isla had in her client. I never felt in any moment that she doubted Trey, or that she was faking her optimism, she genuinely believed Trey didn't kill his wife, and her belief was so strong that it made me believe in his innocence. There was a moment where I wasn't 100% sure, I'll be honest, but that was because I could see both Isla's and David's perspective on the incident. One knew a loving husband with a debilitating disease, the other knew only the cold, hard facts.I also loved that Isla never jumped to conclusions. There were a lot of scenes in which she could have gotten the wrong impression about someone, or make different decisions based on that impression, and there was even a scene in which I wanted her to make a different decision and react in certain way, and not take the high road like she did, but it just made me like her more.

David was a quiet, but strong hero. As the most qualified attorney for this case, recommended by a close friend of Isla's to represent Trey, he was very competent at his job, and he was able to adapt to any and all surprises thrown his way. I loved how professional he was, I loved how he explored every angle and took advantage of every little detail that could help him defend his client, even when those details could have had a negative impact on how his client was perceived both by a judge and the media. I also enjoyed that he wasn't as concerned with Trey being guilty or innocent, but with what he could prove. David made that distinction between knowing if Trey did it or not and actually being able to prove it, and I really really enjoyed that. He was totally the strong silent type, and I had fun discovering his layers.

Even though we got to see a big part of the story told from Isla's POV, I never felt like I was being "told" that Trey was innocent or that I shouldn't question that information. I loved that the book held off giving a definitive answer to that question until the very end, and even when it did, it raised more questions than before for a little while . The book also explored mental health and more specifically CTE, which I'll be honest, aside from the 2015 Concussion movie, I knew nothing about. It's interesting to see how the author approached this side of Trey. I loved that the reader doesn't have any knowledge of how Trey was before he was diagnosed and before the symptoms started, which is probably why I wasn't sure if Trey was innocent or not, as I said before. It also made me think of another Blake's professional athlete hero and if there is any danger of him developing this disease. I think the book did a fantastic job at introducing this disease that, by the looks of it, isn't yet fully understood and therefore doesn't have a cure yet. I loved that we get to see Trey both when he's completely aware of himself and almost like his old self, and also when he is in some of the worst episodes. Seeing him lucid broke my heart though, because he lost so much because of this disease, and he wasn't fully certain he didn't also lose his wife because of it too. That really broke my heart.

We also get to see some very nice Taggart cameos. I won't say who, but it definitely warmed my heart. I also liked the ending, I liked what Isla did for David. It felt perfect for their love story, and for who Isla was in her core.

The only thing I wished to see addressed a bit more was related to the assistant district attorney, whom I hated completely, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be something to be resolved in the next installments of this series.

I really enjoyed this book, especially since it had everything I enjoy in a story: it had good romance, great suspense, mystery, a murder to be solved, family drama, personal drama, and also something new for me to learn, in this case CTE. If you're a fan of all of that, check out this book, because you will love it just as I did.

WHEW boy! This book COMPLETELY blew me away! There is so much happening that I couldn't consume it fast enough! Isla is a personal friend to Trey Adams and his family, as well as their lawyer. But she's found herself in way over her head and David is the right man for the job. The pull between Isla and David was strong and the chemistry between them was palpable through the pages! This book was fast-paced and very intriguing. I was sucked in and I didn't want to put it down. There was something sinister going on and I needed to know WHY and WHO. I thought Lexi did a great job engaging the reader and sparking a great romance. While the world was tumbling around them, Isla and David couldn't deny their spark. But everything else wasn't entirely forgotten. I don't want to say too much and ruin this book for you. This is one of those that's best to go in a little blind. Makes the story much more enjoyable in my opinion. This book was an all-around FANTASTIC read and I can't recommend it enough. This book has a little bit of everything (mystery, suspense, thriller, romance) all wrapped into one!

A romantic suspense, 'Evidence of Desire' is a perfect mix of steamy romance, law stuff and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (which is an actual disease the atheletes suffer from).

Isla is an attorney. Her world is full of contracts and business negotiations. This is why she contacts David Cormack (a criminal defense attorney) when her client and formal football superstar- Trey Adams is charged with murdering his wife-Portia.

The spark between David and Isla is instant, and they pursue their mutual attraction (the falling for each other happened quite fast, but seemed legit), along with solving a murder mystery. The case details and the court proceedings are pretty intense throughout the book and it all looks so neat and organized (basically I wasn't confused one bit).

CTE, being an actual disease was written quite precisely. The immense amount of research done by the author helped support the plot and the characters, making it more intense and gripping.

Lexi Blake has once again delivered a powerful story, with characters who are gentle and kind, and characters who are mysterious in a freaky way. 'Evidence of Desire' is more than just a romance novel, it is entertaining, heartbreaking, and engrossing.

When Isla is contacted by friend, client and retired football star Trey after he is a suspect in the murder of his wife, she knows that she needs help to defend him as this is not her area of law. She contacts successful defense attorney David to help with the case.

David is a former football star as well and accepting this case will bring up all the feelings and fears about why he retired from football to the forefront. If they are going to find out who is truly responsible for the murder, they will have to work together but the situation is further compounded by the heat that arises between them whenever they are in the same room.

Full of twists, suspense this story takes you on a wild ride. Isla is so much stronger than she appears, and she is not about to let David derail what they could have by his fears for the future and she manages to challenge him at every time. This a great addition to the series and I can’t wait for Noah’s story.

Holy sexy lawyers, Batman! Evidence of Desire had me guessing who the bad guy was until the very end and the chemistry just sizzled throughout the whole thing. It was totally amazing!

Isla is in way over her head when one of her closest clients gets charged with murder. When David steps up, she is not only grateful to have someone of his experience, but also realizes that she’s incredibly attracted to the criminal lawyer.

While the case gets more and more complicated, David and Isla’s chemistry flourishes, and soon their attraction is impossible to fight. But with danger following Isla and David’s issues from his past, all the chemistry in the world won’t be enough to make them work.

I really loved both Isla and David. She was sweet and nice but had sass and an iron will. I loved how she went for what she wanted, even when David was putting up a bit of a fight. David was dreamy. Sexy, bossy and charming and he was absolutely impossible to resist.

With a great pace, mystery and suspense galore, Evidence of Desire had lots of sexy fun that was scorching hot. I enjoyed it from start to finish and can’t wait to read more from this series!

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*

I'm having a severe book hangover from Evidence of Desire!

Lexi Blake wove the perfect amount of suspense, drama and romance in Evidence of Desire. The characters are strong but sensitive and are willing to do anything for the truth.
David is brought in on a case due to his reputation as a criminal lawyer and his past profession. He's very familiar with the media circus, CTE and other brain injuries. His first order is to protect the Trey and his family. He finds Grey's family lawyer, friend and liaison, Isla vulnerable and has a hard time resisting her.

Isla is like a sister to Trey and is willing to do what it takes to see his name cleared. She's in over her head but will be there to help David and his partners find the truth.
Despite everything that was going on around them David and Isla fell into a easy relationship. They worked well together as couple and as lawyers trying to get to the bottom of the horrific events.

There was also such depth in the other characters involved in the book. Noah Lawless and Margarita were strong secondary characters as well as Oscar, and Miranda. David and Isla also had help from Liam and Erin.
I love seeing M&M characters in her other books. .

In addition to the romance between David and Isla, we also had a heartbreaking sweet love story between Trey and Portia. I wasn't prepared for the emotional rollercoaster but I enjoyed the ride.

This book was a surprise to me. After reading Order of Protection, I wasn’t too hopeful, but this is Lexi Blake. This book was fast paced, but sad. It revolves around football and CTE. CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a brain condition that is contracted by multiple hits to the head. It is quite prevalent in football players. Lexi Blake did such an amazing job of writing how CTE can affect a family. It was heartbreaking.

Isla Shayne is more than the Adams family lawyer. More than that, she is their advocate and their friend. She looks out for their interests. When Miranda Adams, daughter of Trey and Portia Adams calls her in the middle of the night to tell her something is wrong at her parents penthouse, Isla rushes to meet her. That’s the kind of person Isla is. She tells Miranda to wait downstairs then goes to investigate. Trey Adams has CTE and she doesn’t want his daughter to see him if he is in one of his episodes. What she finds is worse. It’s a bloodbath. Portia Adams has been murdered and Trey is holding her dead body is his arms.

David Cormack is a football player turned criminal lawyer. When he’s asked to be Trey’s attorney, he doesn’t hesitate. Looking at Trey is hard for him because he knows that he could be Trey in 15-20 years. David himself took more hard hits than he could count playing football and CTE is a real possibility in his future. But for now, he has to figure out how to keep Trey out of jail. He doesn’t care if he killed his wife or not, he just has to keep him out of the prison hospital.

David and Isla were such an interesting couple. It was like glass half-empty to glass-half full. Negative vs. positive. Isla was absolutely one hundred percent certain that Trey would never kill Portia even if he was in one of his rages. David is just as certain that Trey could have done it if he was out of his mind. Isla disagrees, but remains silent. She always just remained silent and bulldozed her way through everyone. I really enjoyed her.

I loved their relationship. David tried to break things off with Isla for her own good. Usually that drives me up the freaking wall. This time it didn’t because he had a valid reason. It did go on a bit too far in my opinion, but again, it showed Isla’s inner strength. I loved that about her.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This story has the great characters with the right amount of heat spice that we have grown to expect from the author. In addition the story the mystery and suspense will keep readers guessing all the way to the end. What makes this story stand out however is the emotional heart that comes from the sensitivity with which the author deals with the issues of memory impairment and aging. Perhaps this struck a strong emotional chord with me personally because as I am getting older, these issues are striking closer to home as I watch friends and family dealing with similar heart break.

It starts with a murder, all the gory bloody details of a crime of passion. Who dun it? the only person at home other than the victim is the husband, famous retired football star Trey Adams. Unfortunately Trey recalls nothing lost in his own dementia even as he rocks his wife's bloody body. An obnoxious DA in an election year is looking to make his mark but David Cormack is going to do his best to get justice for the victim and can definitely stand up to the hot shot DA. Oh and if that wasn't enough the case comes close and personal to David with his brief stint at a pro-football career and possible issues with hereditary Alzheimer's combined with head injuries sustained from playing football.
As the list of suspects evolves it's like an Agatha Christie mystery where suddenly a lot of the secondary characters in the story have possible motives. Against this back drop is the developing hot sexy romance between David and Isla. Some of the characters from the author's other series make brief cameo appearances. The suspense is well crafted and while I had some suspicions about the who the why just totally blew me away.
All in all an excellent read. I can't wait to read more in this series.

Isla is Trey's personal lawyer and when he is found with his dead wife's body then he is number 1 suspect. What we find out is what his football career has done to him mentally due to concussions. We learn a lot about what football players go through after their careers are over. We also meet David who is a criminal lawyer and he had played football in his younger years. His toughness as a lawyer and Isla's toughness as a family lawyer brings these 2 together and I really liked that no matter what Isla was going through she never backed down or showed weakness. The ADA was a total schmuck and I really wanted to reach through the book and choke him. He had no morals and will do anything to get him elected as DA.

This book kept me guessing as to who did what, but through it all David and Isla worked together to solve the mystery of what happened to Isla's client and friend and to save her family from being blamed. A great story with so many twists and turns that it made the pages fly by. I loved the characters and the love story on this one.

Ms Blake is a new to me author and I picked this one up on the blurb alone and I am so glad I did.
Evidence of Desire is a good combination of legal thriller and romance/relationship story. Finding the right balance between the two story lines can be difficult and Ms Blake did an excellent job.
Ilsa, David, and their friends are all interesting characters that I found entertaining and would have liked to know better. Evidence of Desire is a story that moves quickly with the action kicking off right away, so we get to know our characters as we move along. This was a refreshing approach as it allowed us to try to figure out what was happening as the characters did.
Very well written, the instant attraction between Ilsa and David was believable as was the way their relationship played out. The legal intrigue part of the story kept me on my toes and I had several theories about how it would play out - all of which were wrong. It was a treat to reach the conclusion of the story and be genuinely surprised about the "who done it" aspect of the story.
This is a book that makes me what to dive into the author's back list as it's obvious some of the secondary characters have been primary characters in other stories and I am curious about those tales. I will definitely be on the look out for other works by Ms. Blake.