This was a very entertaining read. I’m a fan of Carsen Taite’s books because she always delivers a good thriller and law scenes and terminology. Both Landon and Carly are very likable characters and both of them have their own quirks for which you’ll like them or dislike them - I found them both to be to my taste as book characters. The plot is a tiny bit weak but it’s a good romance book with strong Carsen Taite signature.

'ARC generously provided by NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for an honest review'

**'Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication..Fiction is a lie and good fiction is the truth inside the lie..'

Decent story!
3.5stars
LOVE'S VERDICT is a well-crafted,well-paced very intriguing part-murder mystery,very well research,good mature dialogue with some well developed cast of characters in a back & forth courtroom drama story. From that experience & knowledge,of Ms.Taite being a Criminal Defense Lawyer,she has gained great insight about the lawyers,Prosecutors,judges,legislators,professionals and last but not least the offenders who occupy this parcel of the criminal and quasi-criminal legal system. The author is not idealistic and readers can benefit from lots of information and being observant about things in this storyline. LOVE'S VERDICT also paints a disquieting portrait towards the law and statutes relating to charges of murder and assault against an NFL player but are the charges false we don't know. It's a storyline filled with fierce intensity,heated passion,shifting allegiances,backstabbing,family drama,betrayal and also a shocking twist during the trial that some readers will be riveted. Considering Taite's track record on being so knowledgeable about the justice system readers will not be disappointed with this book. Highly recommended to everyone!

The plot was pretty dry, despite being a book that follows a murder as a subplot. It even has one of my favourite tropes: the I Realised I Was Bi Because of You. It was way too slow, and I easily lost interest in it unfortunately. Definitely not for me

3.5 Stars. Not one of my favorite Taite books, but I did enjoy the read. I’m a fan of Taite’s books. The way she writes is comfortable and I like her subject matter. Most of her books are court dramas that have a little excitement and romance. This book fits that bill and the only reason I didn’t love it, is I found it to be predictable.

Carly is an attorney. She has been working hard at her firm in Dallas for years in the hopes she is next in line to make partner. Her plans suddenly meet a stumbling block when the firm’s famous football player client is charged with murder. Carly’s firm asks Landon, an attorney that works for a branch of the firm in Austin, to join Carly on the case. Carly’s boss announces that Landon and Carly must work on the case together. The firm only has one slot open for partner so whoever does the better job on the case will be made partner. Carly and Landon are now instant rivals. Who will win the partner position and what happens if love gets in the way?

I found this story easy to get into and the book flew by for me. I loved the whole rivals to potential lovers story. Their interaction of one upping each other, teasing, and even flirting just made for some great scenes for me. This helped to add to the chemistry though I think Taite could have added a little bit more.

The characters were both very likeable. While I liked the stiffer Carly over the laid back Landon, I thought they balanced each other out well. I do wish the book was longer. I could have used a few more scenes really cementing any possible relationship. I enjoyed all the courtroom scenes but I needed more of the potential couple on free time.

As I mentioned above, my biggest issue was predictability. I hate to say it but I was guessing what would happen at every turn. There were no shockers or twists I didn’t see coming including who “the bad guy” was. Maybe I read too many romances and mysteries, but I do think most other people will not be very surprised either. While I enjoyed the ending even that I wasn’t surprised with. Maybe the book followed too much of a romance and mystery format. The good thing was I still enjoyed the ride. It was an entertaining read which I needed.

If you are a fan of Taite’s I think you will like this. It’s not her best, but the characters really worked for me. It was a comfortable book with no surprises but I enjoyed it anyway.