Jaxon Bentley, lawyer extraordinaire, is my new hero! His compassion, his whole demeanor is a credit to himself! I so loved this story where Jaxon defends Scarlett when she is accused of killing her husband! Jaxonn is a very thorough lawyer, doing his utmost to support his clients! His friendships with his co workers and his best friend is wonderful! 
What I enjoyed about this story was the suspense, the tension, the words that flowed and the emotional moments too!
I had tears, I laughed, I sympathized with the characters and Just immersed myself into the story!
This book is a credit to the author for writing such an enjoyable read!!

I loved the first book in this series and the second book is just as good. We get taken into the life of a defense attorney as he fights for the innocence of his client. Ms. Fernando tells a great story with suspense and romance blending perfectly.
Jaxon Bentley has taken a leave of absence from his firm to deal with some personal matters. When he is requested as the attorney for Scarlett Reyes, he decides to come back in and throw himself into work. Jaxon has a feeling that Scarlett is innocent of the crime she has been accused of, but he needs to prove it. Complicating the situation are his growing feelings towards Scarlett. Jaxon never expected to be so attracted to her.
Scarlett Reyes has been accused of murdering her husband.  He disappeared two years ago shortly after she left the country to take care of an ill aunt in Paris.  Scarlett has returned to the United States to face the accusations. She had no idea her husband was dead and really didn’t worry when she never heard from him after leaving.  Now she learns more about the man she married and finds herself facing even more danger.
I really do like the interactions between Scarlett and Jaxon. We know what is really going on and can feel the heat coming off of them. Their attraction is quite obvious. Jaxon struggles with acting on his feelings since she is his client and Scarlett has emotional scars from her marriage that make her hesitate.  The way in which Ms. Fernando builds the story makes the relationship make sense. 
I will admit that there is one part of the story that I did not think was necessary because I want everyone to get a happily ever after if they are good people. I don’t want to say too much since it happens near the end and I don’t want to give anything away for readers. I am sure they will understand when they read the book. It is a small moment in the midst of a great story.
This is the second book in the series, but you do not have to have read the first to follow this one. The characters overlap. This story is a standalone with none of the events overlapping.

I had a hard time connecting with book one in this series, but I respect the author and was curious to see where she would go with these characters, so of course, I delved right into Seducing the Defendant when it became available to me. It started out great! There was a known plot and the story was progressing nicely, until it seemed to be resolved before halfway through. After that it was all downhill. It felt like chapter after chapter of fluff until you got to the last 10% or so and then BOOM, another suspenseful moment and then done. There was an unnecessary complication at the end, that I don’t believe needed to be in there and it just brought the story way down for me. The HEA did not feel like a happily ever after. I was crushed when it was over. Since this was a full length novel, the author had such an opportunity to rise above the first book in the series, and I believe she did not make it for me. Yes, all throughout the book there was some comical moments, sexy moments, swoony moments, but it felt like I was reading the same chapter over and over again. I think after this one failed for me, I’m stepping away from this series. I don’t want to get my hopes up once again. Every author is not for every reader.

So, the first book in this series was too short and this book was waaaay too long. I feel like Goldilocks here wondering where "just right" is. Seducing the Defendant, aside from being too long is incorrectly titled, too connected to the Wind Dragons series, and rather frustratingly boring.

Jaxon is a bit of a black box here and I would have preferred to actually get into his head more. His family appears to be nothing more than plot movers and there is no relationship to speak of.  He has limited interactions with his own coworkers but those interactions are at least strong. I really liked his best friend though and how well that relationship is shown.

Scarlett (and I am so over than name already) is naive beyond belief. Her character is even less well done than Jaxon. So far, she likes cooking, gardening, and being sweet. That seems to sum her up well. She was abused and doesn't like to be touched but she's pretty much raring to go with Jaxon right away. Um,no. 

Realistically, the book is over at about the 50% mark and how they save her is pretty unbelievable. The trouble is over, the conflict of interest is over, they're essentially together. And yet, there's another half of the book to go. So we go into the weeds: she gets harassed by a cop, he spends time with the best friend Demon, she makes nice with a lady from the Wind Dragons, there's some interaction with coworkers, they go on a date. Seriously, I was bored to death. 

Then about the 85%-90% mark we get a "plot twist" that shifts things a bit and livens things up. And by livens things up, I mean, WTF just happened? It was bad enough that I was bored to death the second half of the book but it seriously did not need to end this way.

The book was very tied to the Wind Dragons series by Fernando and half the time I felt like I should know the people and the plotlines they represented but I'd never read the books so was completely confused. It was pretty clear that some of the reason for Scarlett being in the position she was in was explained in that series. Additionally, the best friend Demon was clearly in that series as well. 

I could have lived through half a book and come back and tried Fernando again, but the ending did it for me. I'm done with these books.

This is book two in the Conflict of Interest series. 

Jaxson Bentley is a defence attorney who we met in book one Breaching the Contract. He loves a challenge and that’s exactly what he gets when he’s asked to defend Scarlett Reyes who is being accused of murdering her husband a police officer. 

Although I read and enjoyed this story I didn’t click with the characters as much as I’d have liked. Even though this isn’t my favourite read by this author I’ll certainly be reading more from her in the future.

This was an okay read. Plot was intersting, but I had some hard time connecting to the characters.
It had a lot of potential, but it just didn't really work for me. 
Writing was on point, which is nothing new when it comes to Chantal Fernando. 
She is a talented writer and I will definitely read more of her works in the future.

I so loved this book, it was great fro beginning to end.  Jaxon was the perfect guy, I loved his protectiveness and his will to do the right thing.  Scarlett was just as amazing, with her life on the line she never gave up.  I loved the two of them together, they were right for one another.  When push comes to shove will they stay or will they let it all go?

Seducing The Defendant is a story written by an author that is very new to me here. And I have to say that I was highly impressed with how this story was developled and the characters that became larger than life. I honestly wasn’t sure how much I would like this one, since it was a spontateous acceptance of receiving this book in exchange for a review. However, I have to say that this sudden decision I am so glad for because I just found a new favorite author to devour and I can’t wait to read book one, because if its anything like this story than I am sure that I will fall in love.

Seducing The Defendent begins with our hero Jaxson Bentley, who is an defense attourney accept a difficult case but will only make his name even more prestigious. He is known to win the hardest of cases and this new one will be a new step for him. But the moment he meets with his defendent, he knows that there is something fishy about her case. Not everything is adding up here. There is a great mystery and he wants to get to the bottom of it, especially when after getting to know his defendent, he realizes that this woman is sweet and gentle and doesn’t deserve to spend time in prison for a crime she didn’t commit and soon a strong and vibrant love story develops between Jaxson and Scarlett one that is full of various emotions that trasnfers to the reader.

What a powerful story, and one which I wasn’t fully expecting here. I simply adored Jaxson and Scarlett. Jaxson is full of humor and intelligence (which is sexy in a hero). And I love how passionate he is about life but still has some vulnerabilities which makes him appear to be more human to this reader. Then we have our heroine, Scarlett. She is being accused of murdering her husband. But Scarlett is the last person who could ever do such a thing. She is sweet and kind, and so gentle. She has suffered abuse but still has a backbone of steel. I love her strength and seeing the way that being with Jaxson brings out the best in her. She really grows from being timid and afraid of her own shadow at first, to living her dreams and finding happiness and fulfillement in life. Its truly a wonderful change that we see in her.

The romance that builds between these two is simply powerful. At first its all just friends, because of the conflict of interest since Jaxson is her attourney. But then once we see them find the truth about who really killed her husband, then their romance simply beautifies even more. I love how they interact with one another here. Its simply not what you expect. They truly “get” each other and compliment each other in the every day ways. I fell in love with this couple so much and I would forget that these characters are merely fictional and not real….but this author has an amazing ability to make them come to life in a poignant way. Now there is one cliffhanger or more simply put a shocking outcome to one of the characters that I LOVED. Like really…..I wanted to tell the author WHY oh WHY do that? I don’t want to spoil it, but its the one thing that made this book a four star instead of a five star read.

Overall Seducing The Defendent is a powerful packed romance that brings together a couple who helps each other fight battles, a vibrant love tale that introduces emotiona and reality to the reader……simply a joy to read!

Arc given by netgalley for honest review..

Omg I loved Jaxon & Scarlett !!!

When Scarlett is accused of killing her husband (a cop) she knows she needs the best lawyer money can buy!!  And Jaxons firm is just that...  at first Jaxon isn’t quits sure he believes Scarlett ..  but once he hears her story he knows he needs to.. 

I loved this story and was happy we got more of Tristin & Kay.. can’t wait for Hunter... hope we get hunter... ❤️❤️

I'm sorry...I was excited about this book but at 21% I'm going to have to DNF it. I am just not connecting with the characters or the story line.

This story really is nothing more than the day to day lives of Scarlett (accused of murder but the crime is solved very quickly) and Jaxon (her attorney). After Scarlett gets the charges dropped, she and Jaxon start a relationship. That pretty much sums up about 90% of the book. Not to say that is a bad thing. It is just not something I was looking for in this book. I really wanted there to be more of the suspense part. The last ten percent of the book is where I changed it from a three-star to a four-start review. The unexpected twist at the end brought out so many emotions. I have not been that emotional over a turn of events in a long long time.

I received an arc copy of this book from the published via Netgalley in return for nothing but an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was intrigued by Jaxon, even though he only made a brief appearance. His sudden departure at that time had me wondering and hoping we could at some point learn the reason, and we do with this book.

Jaxon Bentley is a top Criminal Lawyer and will stop at nothing to clear his clients, if he believes in them. He is aloof, professional and doesn’t really share much of himself. Enter Scarlett Ryes, accused of murdering her Police Officer Husband, she seems cold and aloof, yet Jaxon sees something in her that pull to him, he takes the case but even he himself is surprise at the levels he will go to, to prove her innocence.

Scarlett start with an almost defeatist attitude, and when we learn her circumstances it’s easy to see why. The more involved Jaxon becomes in her case the more she is drawn to him on a personal level. Well who could blame her? Jaxon fits the bill to a perfect man, hot as hades, sexy as sin, charming, kind, thoughtful and alpha to the point of throwing you into a massive swoon!!

I really don’t want to give to much away, but lies, deceit, abuse all play their part and i grew to admire Scarlett and how she pulled herself together. Her scumbag husband, not only made her life hell he was something that belonged in the gutter. The many twists and turns to this plot have you on edge, because its impossible to see where it’s going to take you. For those of us who love them, we get the surprise of a crossover and addition of some of the Wind Dragons crew, and we learn even more about Jaxon, which i loved!! I will say that this book is HOT, Scarlett and Jaxon’s chemistry burns up the pages, but be prepared for tears !!! Seriously Chantal…. DEMON !!! my heart is broken, and the sobbing was real !!!!!!!!!!! LOVED THIS BOOK !!

Cutthroat criminal defense lawyer meets innocent damsel in distress. The premise of the book is very interesting and could go many ways which is why I requested it in the 1st place. Although, I was hoping for a romantic suspense slant, I wasn't disappointed with the fatal attraction slant.

However, I was a little bored with the book. The characters seemed uninteresting or rather one dimensional. I get the inclination not to confuse readers with a lot of technical jargon, but there's so much stuff taken out that the hero seemed like he's playing at being a lawyer and not being very good at it.

There is a lot of potential with the book but the lacklustre characters and inconsistent plot bores me.

Plot: 3/5
Characterisation: 2.5/5
Prose: 2.5/5 (2 1st POVs)
How much I enjoyed it: 2/5

I laughed, I giggled and I devoured the entire book. This in my opinion is not the best book of hers I've read. I did enjoy reading and I felt the characters were three dimensional and at least relatable. So in that respect this book was good! The law element and the court case were finished within like say 50% of the book so it felt a bit weird that it was finished then but as I kept reading it made complete sense. I fell for the characters and I am so going to read more from this author.

Star Rating: 4 stars

Whoot Whoot!

Law and MC and Dirty all in one book!! Hell to the yes!

Jaxson and Scarlett are FIRE!

I never expected the MC route but damn if it didnt make me so happy! I love MCs that just pop up and turn everything into a mess that is just EVERYTHING! 

I've already said to much already for my reviews and what entails in a book so I finish short, sweet and to the point!

One click this book!

NOW! 

DONT WAIT! DIVE IN AND BASK IN IT!

Jaxon needs to be by boyfriend!!!! Chantal Fernando really did such a good job with this story. Jaxon and Scarlett are just a match made in heaven, both are perfect for each other! I loved how they just cared for each other and wanted each other to be happy! 

Jaxon is a powerful attorney. Winning is what he does. Scarlett husband is dead and she is the number one suspect. 
Jaxon can't help but slowly finding feelings for Scarlett, and vice versa. 

All Scarlett has known from her late husband is pain and hurt, being in Jaxon's presence has shown her what kindness and care really looks like. I loved seeing this relationship grow to be more.

I could not put down this story with each page I just grew to love all the characters so much more! Scarlett became so much more confident and had a sweet personality! She also had an amazing sense of humour and I loved her for Jaxon. 

This book was awesome and I would recommend to everyone and I will definitely be doing a re read very soon!

WOW! I absolutely loved it. This book will break your heart and shows you that things are not always as they seem on the outside. In the beginning I was not sure how I felt about Scarlett. I felt there was more than what she was really showing and after she tells her side of the story you will definitely grow to love her and pull for her.
Jaxson's story will really pull you even farther into the story and between his story & Scarlett's you will be tied up in knots! This author has done such a great job with these books! I can't wait to get my hand on the next one.

I absolutely loved Jackson and Scarlett’s story!!! Seriously. This was the perfect book and exactly what I needed at the moment. 

After meeting Jackson in ‘Breaching The Contract’ I was eager to know who he was, and Chantal hasn’t disappointed. 

It was sexy and funny with a bit of action and sadness mixed in. I loved catching up with Tristan, Kat, Yvonne & Hunter as well as meeting new characters. I fell in love with Demon and absolutely loved it when he made an appearance. 

I really hope there are more books in this series. I want Hunter to be given a run for his money and I want to know more about Riley. I really hope she gets a story. 

A brilliant 4* read from me!!

Contemporary Romance
SEDUCING THE DEFENDANT
Chantal Fernando
Hot
3 Stars  

Book two in Chantal Fernando’s sexy Conflict of Interest legal series ups the ante with murder, lies and vigilante justice when the firm's co-founder finds himself falling for his client. Engaging narrative, interesting characters, and a steamy chemistry driven romance holds your attention and keeps the story moving at a steady pace. Fans of Fernando’s best selling Wind Dragon series will love the crossover and the inclusion of a popular couple though some may find the main conflict resolves far too soon, leaving readers with a hodgepodge of random plotlines to wade through on their way to the end.  

SUMMARY: Jaxon Bentley, a skilled criminal defense attorney, and workaholic, is shocked by his attraction to his latest client, Scarlett Reyes. Scarlett is accused of murdering her husband, a police officer, in cold blood. While she admits her marriage was unhappy, this beautiful socialite firmly maintains she did not kill her husband. Jaxon’s investigation surrounding her husband’s death turns up some interesting facts. The most important being his connection to the Wind Dragons, a well known and dangerous motorcycle club. As Jaxon prepares to fight for Scarlett in and out of the courtroom, he can’t help but wonder what being a part of her life will cost him. (GALLEY BOOKS, NOV., 320 PGS., $16.00)

Tori Benson
November 14, 2017
978-1501172366

Great story. I'm not usually one for a mystery, crime type book, but this one pulled me in and I couldn't put it down!