Title: I Want You
Author: Isla Stelmark
⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Spice Level: High / Spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️. The tension is immense, built on years of pining, and when these two finally give in, the scenes are incredibly passionate and explicit. Luke is completely focused on Scarlett, and their chemistry is off the charts ("I could picture a very different type of relationship with her. One where clothes were optional.").
Tropes
- Small Town Romance 🏡
- Workplace Romance 🚓
- Unrequited Love/Long-Term Pining 🤫
- Friends to Lovers 💕
- Protective Hero 🛡️
- Suspense/Mystery 🕵️♀️
The Story
Luke Wilder is a detective in the small town of Calla Bay, and he just closed the biggest murder case of his career. But just as he should be celebrating, his life explodes: first, he discovers his wife, Juliet, is cheating on him, and second, new evidence suggests the killer he caught might be the wrong guy, leading him to suspect a cover-up within his own police department.
Enter Scarlett Hart, the steady, smart dispatcher who has been his close friend and long-term secret crush since her first day on the job. Luke, emotionally reeling and distrusting his colleagues, relies on Scarlett to help him secretly investigate the truth behind the murder case. The high-stakes, forced proximity of their new partnership—mixed with years of simmering, unacknowledged attraction—finally makes them cross the line from friends to much, much more.
The story expertly blends a heavy dose of small-town suspense with a passionate friends-to-loversromance. You’ll be on the edge of your seat with the police procedural elements while simultaneously melting over Luke’s fierce dedication to keeping Scarlett safe, especially when her association with him puts her in danger. The emotional payoff is huge, as both characters have to navigate Luke’s messy divorce and the risk of turning a precious friendship into a romance.
✨ Standout Quotes
"I won't let anyone or anything stop me from protecting Scarlett. If only I could protect my heart from her."
“You can do anything you want to me, Letty. I’m fucking powerless right now.”
“It had probably always been Scarlett, even when I didn’t realize it.”
"He was beautiful, charming, a protector—and looked amazing in a uniform."
💬 Final Thoughts
This book is a delicious, high-tension combination of mystery and messy emotional payoff. It’s perfect if you love a protective hero who is quietly pining for the sweet, strong heroine and a plot that keeps you guessing. Fair warning: it deals with infidelity and threats/violence due to the murder investigation plot. But if you're ready for an addictive, hot, small-town ride, this is your next binge-read! Luke Wilder owns my whole heart.
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