Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Unlawful Desires
SERIES: Wildlings #2
AUTHOR: Kelly Fox
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 284 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 11, 2026
BLURB:
If the hot detective keeps arresting me for minor infractions, people are going to start asking questions.
Awkward, since I’ve been in love with Boone Hitchens since I was a teenager.
Now that we’re adults, we’ve been reconnecting over my talent for mildly unlawful activities—public drunkenness, loitering, and generally existing in his vicinity. That’s the story I tell myself every time he cuffs me.
It’s bad timing, then, to discover that my ultra-wealthy family has been lying to me my entire life. Publicly, we’re philanthropic darlings. Privately, they’re a vigilante organization with a body count.
And Boone? He’s hiding a secret that ties him straight into my family’s darkest truths.
I should walk away.
Instead, I’m falling harder—and dragging him with me.
UNLAWFUL DESIRES is book two of The Wildlings, a queer romantic vigilante saga set in the semi-near future, featuring big family secrets, a Hopper killing spree, a Wilding with surprising depth, and a detective who knows exactly what he’s doing with his hands.
REVIEW:
Note: This book’s timeline overlaps with some of the first book and is the kickoff to a new series. That being said, there is a lot of crossover and cameo appearances by characters from previous series by this author. I have not read the entire backlist of these series, but I have read enough of Wrecked, Wild Heart Ranch, Guardians, Mobsters & Billionaires, Lost Boys, etc. series to know the major players and recognize events that are referenced (and there are crossovers in those series as well). While there are a lot of characters here, I think the author gives at least enough backstory/information to give the reader a sense of what has occurred in the previous generations (and will likely entice readers who haven’t delved into those series to jump on the bandwagon).
Maverick has been obsessed with Boone since he was 15. He told his cousin Rami that he was going to marry that man the first time he sees him when Boone shows up as a volunteer at the summer camp the Wildings are supposed to be running 😉 Boone is 20 though and Mav is 15. Boone does the right thing and Mav is devastated.
Seven years later, Mav is now just finding out a little about his family’s business that he’s been kept away from. And it’s not what he expected at all. He’s not happy about it either. His language processing issues have caused his family to treat him differently and he’s not happy about that either.
Mav’s wild ways keep him running into Boone – who is now a very young detective. And it turns out there is a LOT more to Boone Hitchens than meets the eye. The truth is that neither of them are what they appear to be from the outside and who they really are and what their lives and families are may blow them up. Or it may bring them together.
Oh man! This was so fun even if a little heartbreaking at moments. If you haven’t read Kelly Fox’s other series or books, the cast of characters may get a little confusing. There are so many wild characters here – including Hopper and Anders – who add something completely outside the box every single time. I felt for Mav and how his family has been treating him/perceiving him/”protecting” him and how that makes him react. Boone? What a surprise that I did NOT see coming. If you’re a fan of this author, I think that this wild ride of a book will be very enjoyable. I love where there are twists that I didn’t predict at all 🙂 Highly recommended.
RATING: 
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