I think this author will always be one of my favorites. Writing MC books and then some awesome Lawyer Romance... Sweet!

I loved Scarlett and Jaxon's story. Scarlett was accused of murdering her husband. A cop who was also an abusive drug addict. But nobody saw that part. And what's even worse is that while he was married to her he was having an affair with another women. A Women who now has ties to the Wind Dragon MC (Whoop) 
From the moment he heard about Scarlett being accused Jaxon felt an attraction to her case. And when he met her he knew that he had to help her. 
Two people one abused and the other broken in his own way, but together they can give each other what they both need.

Sweet, sexy, heart breaking and some parts that you seriously won't expect, but also so freaking good. I loved Scarlett. When you meet her she is a bit apprehensive of men but the more time she spends with Jaxon the more she becomes this strong women that knows exactly what she wants. 

I can't wait for the next one... Hunter, he sounds like he can be a handful... 

Review by Flavia

When Jaxon Bentley, a sought after criminal attorney, interrupts a rare break from work to take a case, he doesn’t realize the changes coming to his life.
Scarlett Reyes has been accused of the murder of her husband, a police officer missing for the past 2 years.
They will find out about Darren’s secret life and his ties with the underworld while fighting an increasingly attraction to each other.
I have to say I was disappointed by this book.  I expected something completely different and I found it rather pointless between Scarlett’s trial and the events from the last chapters.  Definitely not for my taste.

Seducing the Defendant is the second book to the conflict of interest series. 
The plot of the story kept me interested through out the entire book. I enjoyed Jaxon and Scarlett romance story. Just wished for more background detail on the main couple. Overall, seducing the defendant was a good read and can't wait for the next book in the series.
ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

criminal attorney jaxon bentley sees something in scarlett reyes the moment she steps into his office. he just can't put his finger on it. his gut tells him one thing, that despite appearances she is innocent of the crime she's accused of. actually make that two things, because no matter how badly it looks for her, he's going to make sure she's cleared of all the charges.

he just has to make sure he crosses no line while doing any of this, because he's never been so tempted by a client before. in seducing the defendant, the case itself is actually resolved in the first third of the novel. it all happens pretty straightforwardly, and then jaxon and scarlett give into their crazy attraction to each other.

i enjoyed this novel, but it meanders for a while. you have a nice long view of the life that jaxon and scarlett are building together and you get to really know all their friends and connections. and it's really nice, but also it's possible that you could have cut 25%-40% of it and still ended up with a satisfying story, and one that had slightly higher stakes and better pacing.

also there is an entire subplot that intertwines with a motorcycle club, a trope we all know i have issues with, and my guess is that some of these characters are part of another series, so that there is some crossover here, but not being familiar with it or a fan of motorcycle club stories generally meant that it felt shoehorned in and somewhat unbelievable.

4 Stars 

I'm a huge fan of Chantal Fernando's books in particular her Wind Dragons MC series, so I was incredibly eager to read Seducing the Defendant when I discovered the link between the two series'.  Seducing the Defendant is the second title in the Conflict of Interest series, and revolves around Jaxon, a criminal defense attorney and Scarlett, a woman accused of murdering her husband.

The path for this pair is not an easy one full of intrigue, mystery, suspense and an element of danger.  Forbidden to act on their mutual attraction due to it being a conflict of interest, the sexual tension builds between this pair as they embark on a friendship prior to becoming lovers. 

Jaxon has a reputation in the courtroom, and he loves a challenge.  He's an intelligent, sexy, alpha who doesn't back down in the courtroom, but outside of it he's incredibly sweet, kind and sensitive.  I found Jaxon's character to be incredibly endearing and appealing. 

Scarlett is a damaged individual who has had a difficult past, and she struggles to trust men.  She's quite a vulnerable character, but has an inner strength that shines the further you progress into her tale.   She's a sweet, gentle, kind character, and even though I struggled to connect with her character, I did quite enjoy seeing her develop over the course of the story line. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the cameo appearance of several characters who have appeared in the Wind Dragons MC series.  The secondary characters were quite fun and entertaining, and I enjoyed seeing more of Tristan and Kat who appeared in the first title Breaching the Contract.  I will be eagerly looking forward to Hunter's story. 

I found the ending to be quite abrupt after an event that is really quite heartbreaking.

Overall Seducing the Defendant is a sweet, sexy, emotion filled romance that I enjoyed with quite a few twists and turns that I didn't anticipate.  I will be looking forward to the remaining titles in this series in the new year.

Another engaging book by Chantal Fernando. Very good storyline and i love the crossover with another of Chantal's series (this is not a spoiler btw it says so in the blurb). As usual the author hits the romance level just right and balances it well with the story and a slight bit of mystery to the story. An easy but enjoyable read, liking how this series is developing

Reviewed on good reads under the name kimothy

I really enjoyed the previous book so when I started this one I had high hopes that I would love it even more because I am a huge fan of this author.  I do believe my mood when I read this book is the reason why I just couldn't connect with the story.  I do want to try to read it again at a later date to see if my feeling will change and if so I will update this review but at the present moment it almost feels as if a totally different person wrote this book versus the previous one.  Something just felt off

Darren Melvin, isn't who he said he was in when we first meet him in Dirty Ride. Turns out he was living a double life he had his rich wife and Valentina on the side. The cop was dirtier then we that and a two timer at that. For those who have read Dirty Ride we know what how he ended up but, now two years later they are trying to frame his wife Scarlet for his death. Bentley being the best defense lawyer in town he is approached to take the case. 
They tip toe around each other during the trail because hello that would be inappropriate so they just let the tension build and build. I felt horrible for Scarlet for how she had been treated by her late husband and whats even worse he was doing it to another woman at the same time. She really has a heart of gold she felt guilty because Valentina had went through the same abuse as she did. She didn't want another woman feeling how she felt during those episodes.
We do see our favorite old ladies having fun and their biker men in their own action two. That scene was intense and insane i don't know how both of the main characters kept it together. 
It was nice two see that the author continues to delve in between her other series and gives us updates on those characters too.

After reading the blurb on this one, I expected more on Scarlett's case and Jaxon fighting the attraction, but this one is more about the romance and Scarlett's transformation. This is an emotional read with both, Jaxon and Scarlett, having their own things to deal with. We also have the added suspense of who actually killed Scarlett's husband and the connections to the Wind Dragons MC. Having not read the Wind Dragons series, I'm not sure if the characters mentioned were an integral part of that series, but I had no problem following the story. 
Jaxon and Scarlett didn't have that same fiery chemistry as I found in Tristan and Kat's book, but their story is just as good. Jaxon is tender and patient with Scarlett as she finds herself again and they do have good chemistry. 
Overall, Jaxon and Scarlett's story is a well-written, emotional tale that kept me turning pages.

This is the second book in Chantal Fernando's Conflict of Interest Series but it can be enjoyed as a standalone. I was definitely hooked with this blurb and was interested to see where the Author would take this type of situation. This was a quick read for me and overall I liked it.

Jaxon is a defense attorney hired to represent Scarlett. I don't know what exactly I was expecting from him but it wasn't for him to be as quick to jump into things as he was. He's sexy, sweet and loyal. All good qualities in a book boyfriend.

I had a bit of a disconnect with Scarlett initially and I couldn't quite put my finger on what exactly wasn't working for me. But as I kept reading she grew on me. I think she grew as a character overall and watching that was very satisfying for me.

There's an obvious connection with these two. There's no shortage of sexy times for them-which was fine but I wouldn't have minded less sexy times if we got more character development.

The writing was solid but the pacing was a little off for me. I was expecting a bit more of the book to be about the forbidden attorney/client relationship and that just wasn't there for me. Some things were glossed over and I think if they had been delved into a little deeper I would have enjoyed it more. Overall, I did like the book and will try more from this author.

Seducing the Defendant is a steamy romance between a lawyer and his client, with low angst and a surprisingly heartbreaking plot twist near the end. Just when you think things are going too smoothly, Ms. Fernando is right there to punch you in the heart with feels.

Jaxon Bentley is one of the best defense lawyers out there, and when a high-profile case comes knocking on his door, he accepts it. He has a strong feeling she didn’t kill her husband and will do his best to prove her innocence. Each day he spends with his client, he finds he likes her very much and is attracted to her.

Scarlett Reyes is accused of killing her husband, but she didn’t do it, could never do it, no matter how much she suffered from him. She was out of the country when it happened, but the gun was in her house and people are making it look like she ran away because she killed him. But Jaxon promised her he’ll help her, and she believes him.

If you’re not a fan of Romantic Suspense/Mystery, there’s no need to worry about this one because the mystery about Scarlett’s husband’s death is solved maybe about 30% into the story, which was a bit of a surprise to me, to be honest, since the blurb gave me the impression the story will revolve around that. Not that I’m complaining, since I’m not the biggest suspense/mystery fan myself.

Most of the story is the smooth-sailing progress between Scarlett and Jaxon, and lots of steam from here on out, folks. Lots of hot sex between them now that the case is behind them. The two jumped into a relationship after Jaxon won her case, and they discover what it’s like to finally be with someone they care about and who cares about them just as much. The two have experienced hardships—Scarlett with her husband, Jaxon with the loss of his beloved sister—and found solace in each other.

Scarlett has suffered emotionally and eventually physically from the hands of her husband, a cop with more vices than some criminals, and it’s affected her more than she cared to admit. She fled the country and lived with her relative for a while, but had to come back when she was accused of killing him. I can only imagine what she felt throughout that ordeal. She started out as aloof and closed-off, but Jaxon helped her find the real Scarlett again, and now she can live life the way she wants to.

There’s some great chemistry between Scarlett and Jaxon, and a fabulous dynamic between Scarlett, Jaxon, and their friends. That’s what I loved the most—the realistic relationship and interactions between the characters. Scarlett barely had anyone at first, but she soon found friends in the unlikeliest of people. I also loved Jaxon’s relationship with one of the members of a gang, Demon.

If you’re looking for a story with low angst, a hint of suspense and mystery mixed in some pretty hot scenes between two strong characters, a great dynamic between friends, loyalty, love, and moving on, then you’ll enjoy Seducing the Defendant.

Tropes: Lawyers, Lawyer-Client
POV: First Person, Dual POV
Standalone: Yes

Seducing The Defendant is the second book in the Conflict of Interest series. Seducing The Defendant is Jaxon's story and what a story it is. Jaxon is a hot-shot criminal defense attorney who has come back to work after being on a sabbatical due to a family emergency. His first case back is of a woman being accused of murdering her husband. After he hears the details of the case, he isn’t too sure he wants this case but decides to meet with the defendant first before making a judgement call. 
Scarlett is back in town after hiding out in another country and caring for a sick relative. She gets told to come back and face murder charges—charges that she killed her husband. She does return and realizes she needs the best defense attorney to represent her and clear her of the charges so she goes and hires her the best-and that is Jaxon Bentley.
This is a story that will have you glued from start to finish. The sexual tension between Jaxon and Scarlett is intense, it’s amazing and the push/pull between them is something you can literally feel. Knowing that they are attorney and client doesn’t mean a thing to me, it just has me rooting even harder for them to get together. On top of the romance, we have a murder mystery and it was fantastic to see a re-appearance of the Wind Dragons MC in the story – Scarlett has ties to the Wind Dragons and it was great to see them in this story and to learn of Scarlett and her ties with them and what they have to do with this story. There are so many things happening in this story- things that will have you going thru a range of emotions. You have action packed, dangerous, fun, sexy, heartbreaking and passionate all teaming for top billing of emotions in this story—Scarlett and Jaxon make a great couple and it was sad when their story came to an end….but I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.


My Rating: 4.5 stars *****
“I received an advanced copy of this book from the author at no cost to me ”

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! WOW!! I adore Chantal Fernando and this one just blew me away! Scarlet and Jaxon are AMAZING! Their story isn't a conventional one, but it is beautiful! I loved seeing Scarlet become more than a scared victim and I loved that Jaxon never really saw her that way. And of Course seeing some of my favorite Wind Dragon's didn't hurt at all!! It was a FIVE STAR read for sure and I can't wait for the rest of this series!!

Wow... talk about night and day with this book.

I couldn't wait to start this book. I just finished Breaching the Contract and immediately jumped into this book! I absolutely loved Breaching the Contract. Tristian and Kat's book was a good start to this series. 
A series I thought was separate from any of this authors other work.

Ok.... I have a thing about cross jumping characters in series. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. In this case having read the first book in this series. Bringing in a member from the Wind Dragons into this book was a BIG WHAT moment for me. I mean... why bring in a totally different series that has nothing to do with this series.
All I kept thinking was the author is trying to get people interested in her other series. So she's dropping little hints here and there. 
I was hoping for a clean break on a totally new series. I was really disappointed by this.

Because... Luckily I've read all of the Wind Dragon MC books. But I couldn't for the life of me remember these characters Demon, Darren & Valentina at all. (Because I wasn't in the right frame of mind. I had no clue I was diving back into a WD MC book!) And then I'm trying to think where this all falls into place with those books time line. Just thinking to myself...did I miss something. So here I am... searching all those books to see how this plays into the time line of the Wind Dragons. 

Ughhh... I spent way too much time doing research on these characters. This most definitely was not a good crossover. So Demon and Valentina are in Dirty Ride 3.5 of the Wind Dragons MC books.... It's a novella. But, that novella is all about Valentina and Irish (a member in the MC club.). You get more of a clear picture of Darren in that book. How he really was. So I would say.... you need to read that book first then read this book to get a full picture. But beware... the time line just doesn't add up or Scarlett's character either. Considering how many years both these women have been with Darren and all the things they had done together and what he's put them through.
And they pop up again in Rake's Redemption book 4, Wild Ride, Wolf's Mate, Last Ride & Crossroads in the Wind Dragons MC series. 

As you can tell...this was pretty big for me. Yes I loved the Wind Dragons series. But, it just didn't feel right in this book. Those characters played a big role in this book!

Ok... so going back and doing my research Valentina had been with Darren for 10 years. He was her 1st boyfriend and 1st love. There's was never any mention of Scarlett. Or that he was even married at all. Because in that book Darren was going crazy about Valentina. And in this book. Darren was mistreated Scarlett.. And they were married for 5 years.
Something just doesn't add up.. Scarlett met Darren right when he graduated from the police academy and Valentina had been with him before he even went to the academy. The time lines on both stories just don't add up! 
I went back to double check the time line about what happens to Irish. Nope... I would have remembered about that. And it wasn't in there.

So, I'm not sure exactly when this book takes place in the time line of the Wind Dragons. Because one BIG discrepancy in this book was when Tina (Valentina) found out what happened to Darren.
I'm kind of aggravated about this. 
How entwined this book is with the MC series. All the way down to the bar the MC members go to Knox's Tavern & the strip club Toxic they go to too!
I honestly am kinda surprised by all this.

Also... it doesn't help that of course Faye is in this book. She's been getting to me in the last couple books of the Wind Dragons series. Seeing her pop up in this book is kind of irritating.

It was hard for me to fully embrace this story with all these unbelievable things going on between Scarlett and Valentina and the stripper club and just everything else.
I mean at the 90% mark and on I felt like I was reading a Wind Dragon book! And not a new lawyer book like the first one!
How this book played out just overshadowed everything between Scarlett and Jaxon. And the sad and unexpected outcome of one of the characters in this book was a little shocking.
For me anyways. 

But.... I'm really looking forward to Hunters story next!! I love his laid back attitude! And all the funny things he says! And I'm really looking forward to the other 2 book books coming out in this series. I just hope its not another MC takeover book.

I am a big fan of Chantal Fernando’s Wind Dragon MC series and was excited to read her newest book. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this story because I don’t usually read many books with lawyers in them. The characters in the story captured my attention and I wanted to know so much more about each character.

 

Scarlett, I felt so much heartache for because of the things she went through in the past few years of her life. But the strength she has throughout the story despite the possibility of going to prison was incredible.

 

Jaxon, I instantly loved with the way that he knew how good he was at what he does and the way that he instantly felt an attraction for Scarlett. It was obvious though there was so much more to him then just being a sexy lawyer.

 

Seducing the defendant is about Scarlett is accused of murdering her husband, who hires Jaxon to defend her case. But is there more between them then just a lawyer and client relationship.

 

Chantal Fernando has once again done a wonderful job with this story and the amazing way that she capture my attention with her intriguing storyline. I loved the mention of the characters from her other series Wind Dragons MC. This book is a definite must read for everyone.

Seducing the Defendant by Chantal Fernando is the second book in the Conflict of Interest Series.
Every book can easily be read as a standalone, there are only a few cross-over scenes. Every story is about another couple. While book one, Breaching the Contract was Katerina and Tristan's book, Seducing the Defendant is Jaxon and Scarlett's story.
Jaxon Bentley is a very determined and successful criminal lawyer. Together with Tristan he's the owner of their own law firm. Work is his life.
That is about to change, but he has no clue, yet.
He represents Scarlett Reyes, who is accused of murdering her husband, a police officer.
He digs into the case and discovers a connection to the wind Dragons MC. But will he be able to prove her innocence?
Seducing the Defendant had me at the edge of my seat. I read the book in one sitting, I had to know what happens to the characters.

This story has it all—tension, angst, suspense and heartbreak. I've smiled, laughed, cried and was angry at some point. It is not often I feel so connected to the characters, but Chantal Fernando has accomplished just that. I love the story, the characters and the words.
I give 5 stars. Thank you Chantal Fernando !

*received an arc in exchange for and honest review**

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the second book in the Conflict Of Interest series and Chantal Fernando once again nails it! She weaves an amazing story of two people who’s paths cross at the right time and what they will face together. Love the the Wind Dragons also make an appearance. You will not want to put this down book down, so get ready to meet your next book boyfriend.

Jaxon is one of the best criminal defense lawyers and when he decides to take on Scarlett’s case he knows that it will be a challenge. He also can’t deny that their is something to pulls him to her in a way he can’t ignore. Will he be able to separate personal from professional?

Scarlett has been accused of her husband’s death even though she did not commit his murder. Unfortunately it does not look good for her, especially because her husband was a cop and has other factors against her. She hopes that Jaxon will be able to help her not only with her case but also maybe with her moving on. She can’t help but act on her attraction for him and she hopes that he feels the same. But will he be able to help her with the case and clearing her name?

When some unexpected people help with her case, she begins to live again. Jaxon and Scarlett begin to navigate a relationship but will it last? Or will their pasts once again jeopardize their chance at a life together?

Book 2 in a new series by NYT Chantal Fernando.  Lots of old favourites come in as a cameo appearance. 
Hero is Jaxon .  A partner in the law firm who you meet in book one.   Heroine is Scarlet 
Jaxon is taking a leave of absence from the law firm for a family tragedy but he is called back to work to represent Scarlett .  Scarlet is accused of killing her husband who was a policeman 👮 
The more Jaxon asks Scarlet questions the more she only answers with one word.  Scarlet tells Jaxon that the money 💰 from the marriage was hers , from  the family .  
The more Jaxon digs into Scarlet husband the more shader the husbands character gets.   He transferred all the money from a joint account to one he opened.  He bought a second house where a woman he had was living.  On a property he owed the husband was running a meth lab .  Things didn’t add up of the policemen husband being an upstanding cop.   This is where some winged dragons show up.  One is a great great friend of Jaxon   Another is Faye when Jaxon wants to ask questions from the policeman girlfriend. Faye shoes up 
Soooo who killed the Husband.  A cartel or someone else

Jaxon is a bad ass criminal defense attorney. He has recently lost his sister and has been stepping away from his job. However, Scarlett is now seeking his help. The police claim she killed her husband; she swears she didn't. Oh, and the husband? He was a cop.

Jaxon isn't sure that taking Scarlett's case is a good idea. But, something about her makes him feel like he HAS to take this case. As they begin to mount a defense for Scarlett, they discover that her husband had an entire life he was hiding from her. Scarlett knew he was a jerk (and abusive), but she is stunned at how much he hid from her!

With the twisted plot bringing in dirty cops and MC clubs, Fernando really keeps you guessing. Honestly, it seems totally possible that Scarlett will go to prison. It would be SO easy for the cops that her husband worked with to set her up. It wouldn't take much for them to manufacture evidence. Now, having said that, the plot with her accused of murder is pretty much solved by about 40% in. I was like, "Uh oh....what is going to happen now?". Seeing Scarlett and Jaxon's relationship progress was really endearing. Scarlett is embracing who she never got the chance to be, and Jaxon is opening up and accepting her in his life.

And the end....I never saw it coming. I kept waiting for 'the bad'. Everything was going so well and I just knew something would happen. But, I didn't expect THAT.

If you read Fernando's Wind Dragon series, you will love how much of a part they play in this story. If, like me, you haven't read the series, it won't affect your enjoyment of this book at all!

I would give this book 3.5 stars. This is the first book by Chantal Fernando that I have read and while I did enjoy it, I feel like the blurb misleads you into thinking this book is more suspense than it really is. And that is fine but I was expecting a little more mystery. I did not read the first book in this series but you do not have to read that book to enjoy this one. Overall, a good read and I might read the next one in the series if there is a third novel.