A few days after the download, and I can't remember if I finished this book. Eeek. That doesn't bode well. I found the pace to be 'off'... there was big drama at the start of the story, and then there was a huge lull in the middle where they courted that lacked oomph because it wasn't coupled with action/adventure/mystery or any sort of forward motion. That was weird for me, and hard to get into. Maybe it picked up after that and I gave up too soon? Maybe it didn't, and that's why its forgettable? Sorry. I'm a big fan of Ms Fernando's WDMC, so it can't be her;' it's probably me.

A copy of this book was provided via Net Galley for an honest review.
Seducing the Defendant (Conflict of Interest #2)
Author Chantal Fernando
4.5 Stars
Let me start by saving that I enjoyed the author’s Wing Dragon MC series and book in Breaching the Contract in this series.  So when the author was able to bring both of these series together in this book it was a pleasant surprise; adding a glimpse into her Wing Dragon MC Series.
Jaxon Bentley is the must have criminal attorney.  He has pour his life into making his firm one of the best in town.  But Jaxon personal life has not been easy.  He had guilt over a loss that he had no control over however he seems to blame himself.  The unknowns have been eating slowly at him.  When a high profile murder case contracts him to represent her, he will do what he does best; win the case.  
Scarlett Reyes has been accuse of murdering her cop husband.  But she claims to be innocent.  She will have to tell Jaxon all her secrets so that he can do his job to clear her name and keep her out a prison.  But Scarlett has issues.  Trusting any man is one of them.  It will take time and Jaxon slowly breaking down her walls to get to the truth. 
Jaxon knows he has to keep things professional.  He knows to never cross that line.  But something about Scarlett calls to him.  She seems to make him a better person just from a simple smile here and a soft laugh here.  Scarlett is no better.  She starts to crave Jaxon.  But that is now what she needs right now.  She needs to clear her name.  Not lust after her attorney.  
Can Jaxon and Scarlett keep things professional while she’s his client.  Or will the lines of attorney client blur?

The story starts with the delectable Jaxon Bentley, a criminal lawyer and certified  work addict being asked to represent the cool, aloof Scarlett Reyes. A women being accused of murdering her police officer husband in cold blood.  All the evidence is pointing at her, can Jaxon prove her innocence?.  Or will that professional line get blurred?. 

Our very handsome, broody hot alpha Jaxon Bentley most definitely ticked all my boxes. His very sudden departure from breaching the contract (Kat & Tristen's book) for sure had my interest peaked. I wanted to know all about him, the little introduction in the first book wasn't enough but it did give us an idea of his so personality. He was the sweet one of the two business men which showed when his kind, patient nature was replaced with Tristan's surly brooding rude one. Jaxon did not disappoint!, He starts off wary and sad but considering the circumstances that is perfectly understandable. Although he had that dominant gruff alpha side that we all love in our heroes, he was also extremely sweet, tentative, patient and kind. He was a perfect hero/book boyfriend to boot. 

I wasn't sure what to expect from our leading lady giving that she gave off the don't fuck with me vibe in a cool almost detached like manner. Once I got a peak into her inner turmoil I quickly realised that my original impression couldn't be anymore further from the truth. She had walls build up around her but you can't expect anything less when she's  had to deal with a shitty marriage to an absolute shithead of a husband who took pleasure in breaking her down until she was but a shell of herself. She was tired, tired of being abused, tired of fighting, tired of defending herself .. she just had enough of it all. When them walls came down and I got a peaked into personality I fell in love. She was the sweetest, caring, funny beautiful human. She drew people in like a moth to a flame. Collected friends from the most awkwardly hilarious situations. To top off all het great attributes she also had this innocence about her. That porn scene ... HILARIOUS. Seriously I about died laughing. On top of it being funny it was so freaking cute, relatable!. Just human. 

I love a story that isn't filled with unnecessary drama. Not one part of this story felt like it was thrown in to fill a couple a pages but had no use for being there. It's more of a slow burn romance giving you all those feels. I enjoyed their pace it wasn't rushed it was believable. They got to know eachother while falling in love, while you get a better feel of them individually and together as characters. Their story isn't smooth sailing but it was believable and relatable. You have a little of everything from hilarious bantering to heartbreaking WTF moments!. crazy hot lovings and times where you want to throw the kindle. It's a mix of it all but written in a way that has you completely invested in there journey. 
also I love that we get to see old faces and that they play such important parts of the story. I'll never get board of hearing from the MC and all their lovely leading ladies. Chantal intergrated them seemlessly into the story. 


So final thoughts.....
I loved it. I loved the almost forbidden elements she adds like a personal touch. The lawyer and his client, the MC hanging out with the lawyers. The great blend of personalities, all so different that it almost shouldn't work but it does perfectly. The hot build up that has sexual tension radiating out of the pages leaving you wanting, needing more. No disappointment, no random shit that doesn't make sense. Just a great story, a rollercoaster of emotions and a happy ending to boot. I loved it even when I was crying into the pages of my kindle. 

I kindly received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Chantal Fernando’s Wind Dragon MC series and I loved her first book in the Conflict of Interest series. This book brought them both together in a sexy, fun, action packed and at times emotional read.  Oh and let's not forget the little twists and turns and the whole, ‘I did not see that coming’ ending.  The story centres around Jaxon Bentley, sexy criminal lawyer (who we meet briefly in Breaching the Contract) whose services are called upon to defend Scarlett Ryes who is accused of murdering her husband who as it turns out was a police officer.  It turns out that there is a lot more to this case than originally meets the eye.  A clever story, told in dual POV with some super sexy, strong characters, I can't wait for the next book in the series (I'm hoping it's Hunter’s story).  I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

This was a contemporary romance.  It was an ok read.

This review is based on the ARC provided by the author and/or the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Overall, I thought Seducing The Defendant was an ok read. I really loved the first 40 or so % of the book. I was really intrigued by the story-line and was excited to see how it was all going to play out. Scarlett was a really interesting character. All the evidence certainly painted a guilty picture, but my instincts kept telling me there has to be more to the story here....And while Jaxon was an amazing attorney, in fact the most sought after, he had his own demons to fight. But, if anyone could prove Scarlett's innocence, it was Jaxon.

I really enjoyed unraveling the case against Scarlett and all the twists along the way. As a fan of the Wind Dragons MC Series, I enjoyed that connection/crossover into this series.

However, I did have some issues with this story. As I previously stated, I loved the first half of the story. However, once the case against Scarlett wrapped up, I sort of felt like the story began to drag. I didn't know where the story could possibly go since the case took up so much of the story and was such an important part of it. Also, I enjoyed the slow build of Scarlett and Jaxon's relationship, but I didn't think we needed another 50% of their story after the case wrapped up. I know I'm probably not explaining it right, but I just feel like this story was too long when it didn't need to be. Please don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it, I just feel that it could have been wrapped up quickly-er then it was.

Overall, I think Seducing The Defendant is going to be one of those books that is going to be either hit or miss. For me, I thought it was an ok read, but definitely not my favorite in this series so far. I think this series has a lot of great potential, so despite this one not being an 100% hit for me, I will still continue on with this series to see who's story will be told next.

Chantal Fernando has always been a go to author for me!!  Needless to say, I was so psyched to dive into Seducing the Defendant which is the second book in the Conflict of Interest series. 

Jaxon was one of my favorite supporting characters from the first book, so I was looking forward to reading his story and I have to say it did not disappoint!!!  Jaxon was every bit the stand up guy I knew him to be, but there was a lot of him we never knew until now and I he's even more amazing than I thought!!!  When he agreed to represent Scarlett as her lawyer against murder charges, Jaxon had no idea how much she would ultimately come to mean to him.  Scarlett had suffered abuse for years from her deceased husband and was close to losing hope until Jaxon swooped in to save the day.  The two develop a friendship and much, much "more"!  Could Scarlett's luck finally be changing with Jaxon by her side??!??? Is she out of harms way?!??  

I thought it was great the way Seducing the Defendant combined romance and suspense.  I didn't anticipate the suspense aspect, but I'm glad because it added so much to the storyline!  Speaking of storyline, I LOVED the fact there was a Wild Dragons MC series crossover!!  Wild Dragons is on of my favorite series, and I was so flipping excited when I realized what Chantal Fernando was doing--sooooo good!!!!  The twist and turns truly surprised me and I was "all in" from the beginning!!  Seducing the Defendant is a 4.5 star novel that will captivated until the last page!! I can't wait for the next installment in this fantastic series!