The author used well written descriptions and captivated me with the story line. The love of God came through in a subtle way but encouraging the reader to follow God in all your decisions.

mperfect Justice grabbed me from the first page and I was hooked until the last one. I thoroughly enjoyed it! This is the second book in the Hidden Justice series and it was great to visit with Hayden and other girls and their mentor from law school once more in Emilie's story. Each of the woman have a different area of the law that they specialize in according to their convictions or opportunities.
Emilie Wesley comes from a wealthy family and works with women who are trying to get out of abusive situations with their husbands or boyfriends. She had a problem with a boyfriend in college and feels the need to help others going through what she went through. She also writes for an online paper. Sometimes her trust money is used to supplement her expenses but she is very committed to her work. When one of her clients, who was trying to get away from an abusive husband, appears to have killed one daughter, injured another and was killed herself, Emilie sets out to prove that she couldn't have harmed her daughters. She joins forces with Kaylene's brother Reid to prove her innocence but it is an uphill climb. Unknown to any of her friends, she is also being stalked. Someone is leaving notes in her purse, her briefcase or on her car.
Reid Billings is very successful in his work as a financial investor and adviser but has drifted away from his sister Kaylene. But he couldn't imagine that she committed the acts of violence that she was accused of. When he tried to visit his niece, Kinley, in the hospital, his brother in law wouldn't let him near her. He and Emilie join forces to dig into what was going on in Kaylene's family life.
This book is a great legal suspense with well developed, real characters. Imperfect Justice has danger, stress, mystery and some romance. I could feel Em's fear when she sensed that she was being watched and followed. Faith plays an important part in the lives of both Em and Reid. Cara Putnam did a great job with the story line and developing Emilie's character to be the perfect attorney for this area of law. Her own work in the area is evident and inspiring. It was a page turner for me and I can't wait to see the next story. I have a feeling that I know whose is next.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Imperfect Justice by Cara Putnam is part legal thriller and part drama. Cara draws a realistic picture to help readers understand both what it's like from the side of the victim and from the side of the people trying to help them regarding domestic abuse. You can tell the author has a background as a lawyer. Emilie is a lawyer working to help women when they decide to leave their abusive partners. It gave very good insight into what they go through from a legal perspective and human perspective.
It appears as if Kaylene has killed her daughter and wounded the other daughter. Emilie has a hard time believing this after having worked with her to leave her abusive husband.
Reid is Kaylene’s brother and cannot believe what has happened. He has been working on building his thriving career and is dealing with the guilt of not realizing what was happening in Kaylene’s life. He finds a note from her asking him to protect her daughters if something happens to her. As a result, he contacts Emilie and convinces her to help him try to get custody. Emilie agrees to help him realizing that this is almost an impossible case to prove.
Emilie has her own personal issues of dealing with a previous abusive relationship that helps her relate to the women she helps. Throughout the case she has the sense that someone is watching her. I think all of us can relate to Emilie as she wrestles with the question of ‘can I make a difference’. As if all that is not enough, she starts developing feelings for Reid who is a client.
I enjoyed how the author added a side story of Reid and his job and the competition internally.
I would highly recommend this book. It has me going back to find more books by Cara.

Attorney Emilie Wesley is determined to help Reid Billings find out what happened to his sister and niece. Even as Emilie fights her own personal battles, she is devoting her time and energy to protecting Reid’s surviving niece and discovering the truth. Full of twists and turns, romance and suspense; I highly recommend, Imperfect Justice.

Thoroughly enjoyed this second book in the Hidden Justice series. Learning the stories of attorney Emilie and financial wizard Reid kept my attention. The story of domestic abuse could have been on the front page of any newspaper today. Emilie is a strong woman who has a passion for helping the vulnerable. There are several side stories as well as visits with Andrew and Hayden from book 1. Putman does a good job bringing the story to an imperfect, but satisfying conclusion.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book and would rate it at a 3 1/2. I enjoyed the intense storyline however there was a lot going on with one character. The suspense of the book kept me reading to the end and it was a great ending not only for a child who had been thru much tragedy but also for the main characters fighting for her safety.

Imperfect Justice by Cara Putnam is a great mixture of suspense, romance, and a legal thriller to keep a number of unique and different fans happy. She didn't compose this novel to fit into one tiny little genre. It fits across a number of them. I enjoy stories that feature strong women who are seeking justice for other characters and for themselves.
The writing is clear and concise. I had no problem figuring out what Emilie's issues were. Putnam does a great job at dragging me into her personal and professional life and allowing me to travel with her as she struggles through her cases. Putnam does a great job at bringing me into the setting. Living in Indiana like Putnam, it was nice to see a familiar sports team like the Colts mentioned.
The romance was sprinkled into the story between Emilie and Reid Billings. It was not overwhelming or take over the story. Emilie and Reid's romance was slow going, but Putnam allowed them to actually explore their feelings like a real-life couple would. I didn't gag or flip through the pages while the romance was going on.
The plot with hunting for resolution for Kaylene and her daughters was exciting and kept me flipping the pages. I really enjoyed how Putnam told the story of seeking justice without really smacking upside the head with a resolution that I was told. The characters of Emilie and Reid worked really well together to solve the mystery. I enjoyed spending time with the plot and was fascinated as the story moved along. If I wasn't so busy, I would have jumped in and finished the story quickly.
Overall, Imperfect Justice is a unique story that mixes well with the romance and the suspense. I wanted to know and hoped that Kaylene would get her deserved justice by the end of the novel.
I received a complimentary copy of Imperfect Justice by Cara Putnam from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

LOVED!!!! What a great book! Trying to find out why Kaylene killed her daughter and then herself was she running from her abusive husband or is he the one who staged it? and who is stalking Emilie? You will have to read to find out in this very thrilling book! Loved Reid and Emilie ! Recommend if you want a quick thrilling book!

This is the second book by Cara Putman that I have read. Putman writes books that are relevant and controversial, and they also have a Christian theme throughout. This one is peppered with quite a bit more Christianity than her last novel. This is not a bad thing at all, I'm just stating a fact. In fact, I found it very refreshing. This is the second book in the "Hidden Justice" series, a follow-up to the critically acclaimed "Beyond Justice". This story starts off with a menacing picture of a controlling husband. It soon escalates as Kaylene, the victim of the abusive husband, becomes the victim accused of murder/suicide. The plot of this story contains terrible circumstances revolving around domestic violence and is definitely not for everyone. That being said, it is another fantastic read from Putman.

Kaylene's attorney, Emilie, does not believe the story being spun by law enforcement and the media, and she makes it her personal goal to seek truth and justice for Kaylene and her daughters. However, Emilie will soon learn that brick walls and dead ends wait around every corner in her quest. Not to mention there is a sub plot about a creepy stalker who is always watching her. The identity of the stalker begins to take shape about 25% into the book, although it is not truly revealed until towards the end of the book.

Emilie is aided by Kaylene's brother, Reid, who also cannot believe the official stance on the events that took place. They work together to find the truth about what happened, and the two become closer to each other in the process. However, the stalker is lurking and begins to subtly make his presence more known in the hopes of threatening any connection between Emilie and Reid. The stalker wants Emilie all to himself, and he will stop at nothing to make that happen.

The book ends with a tense custody battle where investigative secrets are finally uncovered and revealed and the truth comes out in a courtroom confession. The conclusion is somewhat predictable but very satisfying.

I would recommend this book to fans of thrillers and legal dramas, anyone with an interest in domestic violence, and fans of Christian authors. I received this as a free ARC from Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.

Emilie Wesley is an attorney who wants to help her clients get out of a controlling, abusive relationship. When a news broke out that one of her clients Kaylene killed her daughter and shot by police, Emilie couldn't believe her client did that.
Reid Billings thought he knew his sister—right up until he learned how she died. He discovers a letter from Kaylene begging him to fight for custody of her daughters if anything should happen to her. No attorney in her right mind would support an uncle instead of the father in a custody case, but Kaylene’s letter claims Emilie Wesley will help him.
Both Reid and Emilie struggle to take custody of the Kaylene's surviving daughter.
The story is very interesting and the whole plot moves around the life of Emilie and Reid Billings, and affection for each other. It was nice to read. The way they struggle to get evidence to get custody of her client's daughter is amazing. Each chapter peeks into their lives and determination to find the truth. The whole story is engaging.

I believe it is worth reading.

Imperfect Justice by Cara Putman is the second novel in the Hidden Justice series, following Beyond Justice. The first novel follows Hayden's story, while this novel follows Emilie, her roommate. The plot of this novel was well written and contains moments of suspense, danger, reflection, and romance. The first few chapters were a little confusing because the story jumped from a few months previous to present time without much warning, but after that it was easier to follow. The narrative was primarily third person from either Emilie or Reid's point of view, but Emilie also has a stalker that has been following her since Beyond Justice, and there are a few short chapters from his perspective, without letting the reader in on who he is. I appreciated the intrigue and suspense created by this, but I was able to figure out by about halfway through the novel who the stalker was. While I could understand how Emilie had not figured it out yet since she did not have this inside information and was busy with a separate case, it did create some anxiety for me as the reader wondering when she would finally figure it out.


I liked both Reid and Emilie as main characters, and I appreciated the inside look into their thoughts and feelings, but I did wish there was a little more delving into Reid's personality in comparison to what was revealed about Emilie. And while I liked the ending of the story, I thought that the conclusion of what Emilie had been feeling and experiencing seemed flat and almost unrealistic...hopefully this will continue to be pursued as a background piece in future novels. Overall, I enjoyed the suspense in this novel, and I look to reading the rest of the Hidden Justice series.

I received this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book made me think, it didn’t make me think about the story, but about the underlying reason for this story to be born. It’s a romantic suspense with a bit of legal framework. But the basic plot rests on domestic violence, a violence that sometimes is obvious but most other times, it’s insidious, making its attacks, hidden.

The story is simple enough; Kaylene Adams killed her elder daughter, critically injured her younger one before killing herself. This was the truth which was so incongruous and unbelievable but to only two people, Kaylene’s lawyer, Emily Wesley and her brother, Reid Billings. They work together to find out the ultimate truth to save the younger child and in the process, find each other and true love.

The author Cara Putman, has given the main character, Emilie Wesley, a leading role in the entire story, she is young, she is daring, she is all heart where her clients are concerned, and she is a lawyer fighting for the women who want to escape difficult domestic situations. Enter Reid Billings, he is everything that Emilie could have asked for and more. Cara Putman has made both these characters fit in such a way that they appear to be two halves of a whole.

But this story is not all romance, it’s a legal thriller based on investigation and court appearances, where the safety of a young child is at stake and the two main characters have to race against time to discover the truth.

Cara Putman writes a good Christian legal romance, giving justice to all the three parts. Her faith in God is well seen in the passages written in the book. She has taken all the problems of modern life, career VS family, relationships, safety for children, domestic violence, pressures at work and the ultimate faith in God, and weaved it into the different chapters of the book.

Inspite of all the above points, I still took 3 days to finish this book as the story was not gripping or fast paced, there are places where the main character rambles on and on. A legal thriller is filled with adrenaline, this seemed diluted with water. Court appearances should have brilliant open and closing statements along with a terrific cross examination.

Though the last few pages were good but they could have definitely been better. A book which has been likened to be the next John Grisham is lacking because of the lackluster investigations and court proceedings and the fast pace.

This is my first book by author Cara Putman and I admire the way she has written her story basing it on domestic violence. She has taken her experiences of working with abused women and written it sensitively in this story. Kudos to her.

There is a line in the book which echoes with all the women in this world

Emilie wanted to be loved. She didn’t want to disappear into someone else’s control…

I received an ARC from the publisher Thomas Nelson as a gift via NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I was provided an advance ebook copy from NetGalley. This is the first book I have read by this author.

Domestic violence is a very important topic today, both inside and outside of the church. The protagonist of this book, Emilie, is an attorney who works for an organization that helps women flee abusive marriages. I have done a lot of reading and research on this topic, and I am glad to see that this author gets it right as far as the abuser's mentality being one of control over his victim(s), and that the most dangerous time for the domestic violence victim is when she gathers the courage to leave. (I use "she" to describe the victim because, although there are exceptions, the overwhelming majority of domestic violence victims are indeed women.)

The story centers around a battered wife who is killed just before she is scheduled to file an order of protection against her husband and flee. The police think she shot her two daughters and then turned the gun on herself. Emilie thinks otherwise, and spends most of the book trying to gather evidence to the contrary, because one daughter survived her injuries and is about to be sent home to live with her father. The dead woman's brother wants to petition for custody.

The book shows the emotional toll when the victim's advocate gets a bit too immersed in her work. There is also a rather creepy subplot about a stalker, as if the protagonist hasn't got enough to deal with.

The ending is rather predictable, both as far as the outcome of where the surviving daughter will go to live when she gets out of the hospital, and the stalker's identity and motives.

Overall, an interesting read, but I would offer a caution and trigger warning for anyone embroiled in domestic abuse. This probably isn't the best book for those folks.

Cara Putman writes novels that might make some people uncomfortable because of the story content. This concept is one that needs to be told over again and again. This is an important story that unfortunately happens all to often but people are afraid to talk about. This story needs to be told. The emotional foundation of this book makes the relationship of faith an important part of Emilie and Reid's life and continued growth. This book was full of a lot of emotional twists and turns that led the reader along an equally twisted path. It was an amazing addition to the Hidden Justice Series.
Thank you NetGalley and Cara Putman for allowing me to read and review this book.