Just wonderful-one of Jae’s older books but still very fresh and vibrant content. I have been looking for a series to pickup so I am glad I was able to read this under NetGalley, I’ll be ordering the rest at her publication website.

Looking forward to more…..

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to expect with this book but it was definitely an enjoyable read as far as stories with these hard topics such as rape can go.

Detective Aiden Carlisle meets Doctor Dawn Kinsley through a work lecture and their paths keep on crossing. Before it can go anywhere there is a crime which takes up all of their mental and physical time.

The first half of the book is very fast paced with lots of action and details about the crime and the investigation. The second half is more about exploring the aftermath of that crime and how different people deal with it.

I really got sucked into the story from the first page. Both Dawn and Aiden are so different but very intriguing characters and I enjoyed getting to know them and seeing them interact. The second half of the story is a bit slower and it took a lot of my patience to sit it through but it was worth it.

An ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

I waited too long to download this book and it is no longer available. I apologize for not getting this read sooner.

Conflict of Interest was the first book of Jae's that I read, and it was great to reread and connect with these characters again. Aiden Carlisle meets Dawn Kinsley when she speaks at a seminar that Aiden and her fellow detectives are attending. They meet again when Aiden stops a guy from taking Dawn's purse. Their third meeting is even more disturbing as Aiden ends up at Dawn's place, which is now the scene of her rape.
Aiden hasn't had to investigate a case in which she knows the victim and she works night and day to apprehend the assailant.
Dawn is a therapist who specialists in helping victims of rape deal with their trauma. She never imagined she would be a victim of the crime she works so hard to help others overcome. She feels safe with Aiden and feeling safe is a feeling that is suddenly lost to her.
Jae is a master storyteller and the evolution of the relationship between Dawn and Aiden is beautifully written. The supporting characters are fantastic, particularly, Cade, the attractive, District Attorney who prosecutes Dawn's case. I would recommend all of Jae's books, but this one will always have a special place in my heart.

An ARC was received from Ylva Publishing via NetGalley

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this absorbing book

wow in places this is a hard read.... as it covers rape and how the victims survive their ordeal

when aiden first met dawn it was at a talk that all the police officers were made to attend.... so not a brilliant start but when dawn invited aiden back for a coffee the start of a friendship was on the cards...

but not long after there was a call out for an assault and when aiden arrived it was to find dawn the victim of rape....

and so began the ordeal for dawn and also aiden who being the officer that went with dawn to hospital....aiden was strong for when dawn needed it...

wow this story has such a punch to it...gritty stuff all all throughout the ordeal aiden was there for dawn and it brought tears to your eyes as they both went through such a lot...

cant wait to read more from this author... man she gets right to the nitty gritty of a storyline and keeps you reading till you finish

This was a hard book to read initially, due to the situations narrated. However, the respectful and considerate way that Jae writes about the violence and its aftermath was great, and I appreciated it. Conflict of Interest is about workaholic Aiden Carlisle and psychologist Dawn Kinsley. They meet during a law enforcement seminar given by Dawn that Aiden has to attend as a detective. There is a mutual interest when they briefly talk to each other. Before anything can happen between them, Dawn becomes a victim in a case investigated by Aiden. Even though some of the themes and the occurrences in the book are heavy, it's impossible to put it down. The trial is intense and leaves you gripped to the pages wanting to discover what happens next. The supportive characters are amazing, they all have developed personalities that add to the story. People who want to read this should know that there are multiple mentions of rape, but if that is not a deal-breaker trigger for you, this is a great crime novel.

Workaholic Detective Aiden Carlisle isn’t looking for love—and certainly not at the law enforcement seminar she reluctantly agreed to attend. But the first lecturer is not at all what she expected. Psychologist Dawn Kinsley has just found her place in life. After a failed relationship with a police officer, she has sworn never to get involved with another cop again, but she feels a connection to Aiden from the very first moment.

This book deals with rape, and I think this should be more obviously stated in the blurb and at the beginning of the book so people are aware of this going into it. This could be a high-trigger book for many women.

That said. I'm glad I read this. The subject was dealt with care by the author, and it was a well-written story. (I've read a lot from this author, but most of what I read was a lot lighter than this.) I enjoyed it, but wish I had known beforehand how much this delves into the ripple effects of violent crime.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Gripping. Could not put it down. I have seen this author a lot and she did not disappoint. I am excited try more of her work. finally someone that the hype is worth!

police-detectives, mystery, sapphic-romance, fiction, LGBTQIA, triggers, psychologist, law-enforcement, Oregon, brutalized, assault, drama, crime, survivors, grief, guilt, investigation, suspense, banter, friendship, friends, courtroom-drama, intense, relationships, relationship-issues, queer*****

It begins with the main characters meeting at a law enforcement conference but quickly shifts to the effects of a random sexual assault upon the psychologist and how the police detective becomes involved both professionally and personally. It is sensitive to the victim, the attraction/romantic issues, and the agonizing aftermath. Well done and worth the reading time.
I had to stop reading fairly early in this rather long book because it triggered for me from the time years ago when I worked as a nurse with rape victims in the inner city.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book from Ylva Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you.
I did find an audio on sale and got it to read in segments at another time.

This reads like a very exciting and complex episode of Law and Order SVU. I wouldn’t be surprised if it started as fan fiction. Detective Aiden Carlisle of the SVU squad attends a seminar for police led by psychologist Dawn Kinsley. In her work she counsels victims of rape. They meet again later when Aiden is called to a crime scene and Dawn is the victim. This book is well over 500 pages and it never feels long. The first section deals with the investigation to catch the perpetrator. The next section covers the court case. Kade Matheson is the strong district attorney prosecuting the case. The trial consists of motions, testimony and cross examinations. I think the only unrealistic part of the book is how quickly the trial begins after the crime.

The final section is what you don’t see on SVU. It follows what happens to the characters after the trial. From the beginning Aiden and Dawn have a growing attraction. Aiden needs to stay professional during the case but is supportive when she can be. And just like an episode of SVU this teaches and educates on the lingering after affects of sexual assault. Dawn has PTSD, insecurities and small things can trigger memories and panic. Aiden is almost too perfect as the caring and understanding partner. And Dawn by her training is self aware but she still has normal responses to a traumatic experience. I like that there isn’t a rush and time is given to recover and begin something new.

I found every section of this book riveting, but I enjoy police and legal stories. I cared very much for the characters and their happiness. I know Jae more for her lighter romances and am genuinely blown away by this book that was first published in 2008. I have listened to the audio book previously and own a physical copy of the book. But this was my first time to actually read the novel. I’d recommend the book in any format.

This novel was…..fine, which was a huge disappointment to me to be honest because it was a Jae novel. Jae is one of my all-time favorite authors who usually always delivers, however unfortunately this is my least favorite thing of hers I have read. I believe this is one of her earliest novels and the first she wrote in English, so it makes sense that it wouldn’t be on the same level as her later work.

There were a lot of things to like in this novel. It tackled a very serious issue and handled it with sensitivity and care. The reader was immersed into the story in a way that was impactful, but not gratuitous. Being a longer novel, it was able to take its time to properly deal with these initial issues and move on to the romance plotline in a reasonable and believable way. The relationship was sweet and supportive. There were a lot of great moments and characters.

There were also issues though. In general, I found the writing to simply not be up to the usual Jae standard and I didn’t connect with the story or characters as much as I would have liked. The pacing was off, both the novel and the relationship. The novel almost felt like two separate stories shoved together. The first half was a very dry and dragging story full of legal proceedings and other events that I didn’t care for but pushed myself to read through. The second half of the novel was a romance story, and honestly would have worked just fine if the first half was drastically cut down. I didn’t care much for all of the legal stuff and the trial. It wasn’t very engaging and also seemed to be unrealistic. The trial wrapped up very quickly and neatly, to the point where it was unrealistic and took me out of the story. Most Jae novels are very well researched and accurate so this particularly stood out to me. Then, the second the trial was over all of those plotlines (which were SO focused on in the first half) were just dropped and never mentioned again; it felt very disconnected. There were also some abandoned plotlines that left me confused and disappointed. For example, the car being broken into and destroyed clearly seemed like it was going somewhere but then it was never mentioned again or resolved.

I read this book years ago in German, then listened to the audio book a few years later and now finally in English.
I can safely say that it is one of my favorite Jae books!
I've read some reviews in the past about how expectations for the story and tension were high and it didn't deliver.
I always found it exciting enough and for me it was always about the relationship between Aiden and Dawn.
Exciting and dramatic events happen, but it's not just a crime story, it's a romance within a crime story!
It's about not allowing the feelings that suddenly arise and then, when the time comes, finding a way to each other and allowing them to happen.
Jae has written a truly wonderful story.
Deep, heavy and dark themes are covered. Some things could also be triggering. Both MCs have been through a lot in life. However, there is a nice happy ending and the following books tie in there too!

Stunning beginning to the Portland Police Bureau series
Jae’s Conflict Of Interest had me right in the action and drama within the first few chapters. It’s an excellent drama filled with a cast of well written characters and their relationships, work and personal. The crimes committed, trials for them and the aftermath of one crime in particular are fairly detailed and make for gripping reading however I’d caution potential readers to be aware that crimes involving sexual assault are given attention in the book which may not be every reader’s cup of tea.
The camaraderie between the police detectives is great fun to read; their banter provides some of the comedy needed to offset the disturbing crimes they investigate. There is slow burn romance in the story but the other relationships and friendships make the story as a whole even more heartwarming and satisfying.
It’s easy to get sucked into a Jae story; here, the courtroom scenes had me cheering one side and booing the other. I suspect that Jae did her research to make those scenes believable and complex as a real trial would be. Her background as a psychologist is clear in the way she writes main character Dawn and her interactions with Aiden in particular but also in her depiction of victims of sexual assault.
I cannot wait to re-read the sequel to this story (Next of Kin) to revisit the characters and their stories. I recommend this book for those who enjoy a well written story that sucks you in to the characters’ universe and keeps you there, caring about what happens to them. If assault is not something you like to read about in fictional stories then I’d recommend one of Jae’s other books/series in order to truly appreciate her skill as a writer, which seems to have only improved over time with each book she publishes. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future and hope her imagination never runs out of stories to tell.
(Reviewed July 26,2017)