Stevie‘s review of Love’s Verdict by Carsen Taite
Contemporary Lesbian Romance published by Bold Strokes Books 14 Aug 18
Carsen Taite’s legal romances generally have at least a hint of mystery and danger to them as well as lots of case detail, which is what mainly appeals to me about them. This latest book is no exception, even though the blurb gives little clue as to the excitement to come. Carly Pachett and Landon Holt work for two different offices of the same law firm, in Dallas and Austin respectively. Carly prefers to stay behind the scenes doing essential research on the cases she’s involved with, whereas Landon is more upfront and people orientated. When a big-name client is accused of murder right after Carly’s background work has won him a case against the football team he plays for, who suspended him after rumours about his off-field conduct, the firm’s partners ask Carly to take a more prominent role on his defence team, with the promise of a partnership in the firm if she handles things properly. The only catch is that they want her to work with Landon on the case, and when it later transpires that only one of them will be given a partnership, the initial rivalry between the two escalates exponentially.
Landon isn’t happy to be back in Dallas: it’s where most of her family live, including her influential father, who would prefer her to be working in corporate law on his behalf, rather than defending her current clients in the criminal courts. He’s already broken up her one serious relationship – back when she was a law student – and now she doesn’t trust either him or any potential partners she might meet. That’s not to say that Landon isn’t ambitious: she wants the partnership every bit as much as Carly and to show how much she can achieve on her own merit, away from her father’s pulling of every string he can reach. While the two women are rivals for the ultimate prize, winning the case is going to take all Carly’s research skills as well as Landon’s skills in the courtroom, since the initial evidence is very much pointing to their client’s guilt, no matter how much he protests his innocence.
Not all the evidence Carly uncovers adds up, though, and the pair begin to suspect that someone else is behind the initial crime and other incidents that later emerge through their and the prosecution’s work.
I had a pretty good intuition as to the truth of the crime from early on, although I could understand why neither heroine had the same suspicions until much later. I enjoyed the interplay between the two and the attraction they felt towards each other was very believable, as was Carly’s heartbreak when things seemed to be going wrong. I was thrilled by the dramatic climax and the way the pair had to use all their resources if they were both to get out of what was a very dangerous situation for at least one of them. Just for once, though, I’d love to see a romance in this oeuvre where at least one heroine isn’t quite so glamorous.
Grade: B
Summary:
Attorneys Landon Holt and Carly Pachett want the exact same thing: the only open partnership spot at their prestigious criminal defense firm. When Landon and Carly are forced to collaborate on the defense of one of the firm’s A-list celebrity clients in a high-profile murder case, there’s no question the assignment is a test to see which one of them will get the promotion. Fierce determination to stand out fuels the already heated rivalry between them, but all those late nights working on legal strategy also fan the flames of attraction. When it comes to the verdict, will they compromise their careers for love?
Read an excerpt.
