Loved it, fast paced once i actually got into the book.

Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

Not bad. I'll admit to struggling a bit with Justice but I think the series has potential. I'm interested enough to read the nest book in the series...

This is the first book in the 'Black Ops Confidential' series by author Diana Munoz Stewart. I have not read this author before, I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed her writing style. I was hooked after the first chapter, heck before I even finished the first chapter. Justice is a strong female character, I loved the relationship she had with all her sisters and her brothers. As with all the Parish kids, Justice was adopted. She grew up in a special home, a home were you are taught to protect not just yourself but others who can't protect themselves. See all the Parish children were victims as children, seems human sex-trafficking is a past and present to many of the children. Justice and her siblings next job is to take down two brothers who are taking women and girls from the Middle East. But in order to do that she needs a foolproof cover to get close enough to take the brothers out. What better way than to go in with a humanitarian group of ex-soldiers giving aid to victims in the Middle East. Sandesh Ross runs this group called 'International Peace Team' and is in need of sponsors with cash to continue his work. Parish Industries and the Mantua Academy for girls has such funds. But if he wants these funds he must hire Justice as his PR rep. and allow her to join him when he goes to Jordon.

The action is non-stop, I really enjoyed the mystery and the suspense in the story. I also enjoyed the hot sexy scenes between Sandesh and Justice. I look forward to reading the next book in this series and hoping it gives us some more background on Mukta Parish (momma) and Leland her closet friend. Would I recommend this book to friends and family? Heck YES! Not only would I, but I'd recommend to you also. If you like strong kick ass heroines and swoon worthy hero's, this is a must read for you!


***I voluntarily reviewed this ARC for an honest review via NetGalley, this is my honest opinion and has not been influenced by the author, Publishers or NetGalley in anyway.*** Thank you!

Justice Parish takes down bad guys. Rescued from the streets by the world renowned Parish family, she joined their covert sisterhood of vigilante assassins. Her next target: a sex-trafficking ring in the war-torn Middle East. She just needs to get close enough to take them down.
This was a decent action-packed book but it was a bit too dark for me. Just not my type of book. DNF.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Great for fans of romantic suspense/thrillers and strong female leads who are looking for a new author to try. Fast-paced and a little dark.

I Am Justice, by Diana Munoz Stewart
BY MERRYCI@YAHOO.COM · PUBLISHED JUNE 12, 2018 · UPDATED MAY 17, 2018

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A Family of Assassins
The Band of Sisters series begins with I Am Justice. Written by Diana Munoz Stewart. the unusual premise is fascinating as well as entertaining.

Justice Parrish

Justice was taken in by the Parrish family—rescued off the streets. The same with her sisters. As an adult, she has joined the family vigilantes. Their form of justice is to kill, not to arrest.

Sandesh Ross

Sandesh, former Special Forces, is done with violence. He seeks to redeem that part of his life as part of a humanitarian group that provides aid to nations—the people—in need.

His group needs money to fund it. The Parrish family has plenty of that.

The Mission

Now the two must work together to stop sex traffickers in the Middle East. Both want to take the men down but their methods and goals are far different. Difficult enough, even at home, but in unsettled Jordan and the surrounding areas, the risks are far greater.

The other problem is that as soon as the two meet sparks begin to fly. Will they be able to keep their control until the mission is finished? A relationship would distract them, putting them both in danger.

The story draws you in from the start. The action keeps you there. As they rush to find the men in charge, they find themselves hunted as well. How is it they manage to be so close on their heels?

Drama, suspense, fear and hope all combine in this fast paced story. With every child and woman saved, you’ll wonder which path you would choose. You will wonder about the grays between black and white.

The Series

If you enjoy romantic suspense, you should love this one. Plus you will find more ‘sisters’ ahead in future books. Next in the series is I Am Grace. It should be intriguing to see what will happen next.

Fantastic page-turning debut. Action-packed and sexy, this book rises above with its fine writing. Diana Munoz Stewart has created colorful and memorable characters with intriguing backstories and I look forward to seeing the rest of this series.

I enjoyed the plot in this book quite a bit. I loved all the diversity here. I wasn't into the romance all that much, however. I thought there wasn't much build up to it. The characters were very interesting individually and the girl power was super empowering. Can I just say how much I loved that the leader of this group was a hijab-wearing woman? I'll be checking out the rest of the series as it releases as I'm intrigued by the rest of the characters!

This is the first book by Diana Munoz Stewart that I have had the opportunity to read. First of all, it is a long book with twists and turns which I did not see coming. This romantic suspense is filled with both of these tropes. Hot steamy scenes between our former military man turned humanitarian, Sandesh, aka Sandman, and our heroine who can kick butts and take names without breaking the heels of her stilettos, Justice.

Adopted into the Parish family, Justice is one of many "sisters" who are raised to liberate other females who are in bad situations around the world. Specifically, they go after sex traffickers. However, enemies are made. Big ones and things become personal.

When a traitor is discovered to be in their midst, Justice is put on the case to work alone. This book reminded me of Sir Walter Scott's quote, "What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." Stewart does a fantastic job of tangling the web of deceit and suspense. She keeps us on our toes guessing which sibling is the traitor, or is it Leeland? I would have lost a mint, by the way, if I had had to put money on the ending.

Though pleasantly surprised, I do think the ending was cut short from how much time and effort she put into the entire story. Personally, I wish she had given us more of a wrap up. Then again, maybe she is going to write this as an ongoing series. If that is the case, the ending makes complete senses and great job.

Can't wait for the next one!

I am Justice is a new series by a new to me author, Diana Munoz Stewart. There were some great things about the book. First, I loved that its a group of vigilante sisters. These ladies are badass. Any book that features women who are just as deadly as men is a plus in my book! I also thought the focus on stopping human trafficking was brilliant. This is a very real issue in today's world. Finally, the diversity in the book was much appreciated. I loved getting to read about characters from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

The action was on point, but the book felt lacking somehow. Justice felt robotic at times and I had a hard time connecting with her. I couldn't really believe the romance either because she seemed so mechanical.

Despite my struggles with Justice, I think the series has potential. I will probably keep reading to see where Stewart takes these characters!
Link live on blog on 5/30

A dark and gritty, fast-paced romantic action thriller that keeps the reader on their toes.
Romantic suspense is my favorite genre and I read a lot of it, yet this story managed to bring something different, something unique to the table. The multi-cultural aspect is fascinating and intriguing, the 28 adopted siblings of a mega-rich family, Justice being one of them, who really is not the PR person for the school but a female assailant, who is ready and able to kick some serious ass. Setting up the new series takes some time within the story, especially with so many characters, and it did feel a bit overwhelming at times.
She is as contradictory in person as she sounds, she is aggressive, assertive, straight-talking-prefers-action type of person who changes her mind about Sandesh Ross in a heartbeat depending on her mood. The instant attraction was there, the lust was tangible in the air surrounding Justice. First, she goes after him boldly and openly, then she backs off, then she is forward again until life happens and it is off again. The sexy times are steamy, descriptive, and oddly competitive. They are not a central part of the tale, yet they show the developing relationship between Justice and Sandesh. There is a lot of tension between the two, for a good reason there is lack of trust and some anger, yet they never get into it to clear the air and talk about the issues between them.
The writing style is unique with its poignant and direct yet short sentences that tell what is happening. There are over 70 short chapters and third person point of view changes between the characters, from the good guys to the culprits.
The themes are dark and serious, from human trafficking, sex slavery, to violence against women and young girls, including rape. The scenes change from the States to the international locales, from war zone to the luxury hotels.
Justice's story is a gritty, dirty, dark, and a bit clumsy at times. It has lots of action and suspense, twists and turns, some predictable, some rather impulsive, telling a lot of the person she is. I wished the life and dead serious topics that were introduced in the tale would have gotten a bit more depth in them, and not have been just the background to the adventure Justice was having.
While a fun and entertaining read, with deep, grim and gloomy situations, the story left me a bit dazed and baffled, since I can't decide if I loved it or not even liked it. I go back and forth, loving some parts of it, like the strong heroine, and lovable complex hero, or not being a fan of the way Justice handles herself in some situations or wanting more depth and intensity from the issues, and less intensity from the flimsiness of the main characters...
Yes, it did entertain, it made me think, it made me form an opinion and wanting to stand up to some very timely world issues we are currently facing while being a messy and murky, loud and filthy, rapid spaced story filled with conflicts, battles, and fighting for the human rights.
~ Three Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

I Am Justice by Diana Munoz Stewart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First in a new series, I Am Justice takes you are a wild ride through the Middle East, the US and Mexico. Justice is just one of a group of female vigilante assassins. She comes with some very strong talents and a gift for going off plan. This time she involves Sandesh Ross, a former special services officer who just wants to leave danger and war behind. I loved the concept. Justice and her group are unique and each has special talents. Sandesh is as strong a character as Justice and manages to fit in with all the strong women. While they go after human traffickers they also have to face betrayal from people they trust. A interesting start to a new series.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

I Am Justice is the first book in the Band of Sisters series. It is also the debut book for this author. The series involves a secret society of assassins who seek justice for young girls who are targets by drug and sex traffickers. They are all adopted into the wealthy Parish family and teach and train in a school for girls. This book focuses on Justice's story. She is seeking revenge and redemption for the death of her sister Hope. She is sent to Jordan (the country) undercover as a PR specialist for Sandesh's humanitarian group. There she hopes to take out the men who killed her sister.

I was hoping for a good romantic suspense. While there was a lot of action and some twists, the book fell a bit short for me. I liked it , I just didn't love it. I felt like the pacing was off. The book would drag then speed up and then slow way down. There were probably parts that could have been taken out, such as the three sex scenes (one after another) in the hotel in Israel. One would have been sufficient to get the attraction point across. While I liked Justice and Sandesh, I'm not sure I totally bought them together. I was kind of hoping for a slow burn, but their relationship went way too fast for me.

The story is told through the point of view of Justice and Sandesh as well as one of the bad guys. I actually liked that last perspective as it added depth to the story. The reality of what was happening to the girls gave the book a very dark feel. I Am Justice isn't a bad start to the series. I am curious to read the next book, I Am Grace. I want to know more about the Band of Sisters.

I definitely found myself liking this more than I thought I would. It's definitely better than it sounded to me. It's a well paced and entertaining story.

I loved this book so much I bought a paper copy.. I really liked the strong kick ass females (yes there are quite a few) in this book. I also liked the style and fast pace . Huge fan

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This story reads like a Clive Cussler adventure aimed at a #metoo audience. It’s the start of a series about a wealthy and secretive family of female vigilantes. In this first book, the Parish family has their sights on a human trafficking organisation preying on refugee women in the Middle East.

Justice Parish is the family’s black-ops style badass warrior. She has a short temper, a passion for saving vulnerable women, and a desperate need to get revenge for her sister’s death. She’s a brilliant action hero leading lady.

Sandesh Ross is a former soldier running a humanitarian organisation. Initially, the Parish family uses his organisation as a cover for Justice’s assassination mission, but he is quickly drawn further into family business.

I have really mixed feelings about this book. It’s an exciting story with some fantastic new female characters. I love the racial diversity in this story. I love the feminist take on the classic American Vigilante storyline. I love that the story highlights the many forms of ongoing violence against women and girls. But I also recoil from the insidious right wing American values behind the story. The Parish family lives in an armored enclave. There is a firm message that guns and violence solve problems. I like that women are recast from victims to vigilantes, but I’d be more comfortable with a more considered #whatif response to violence against women.

I’m similarly conflicted about the romance in this book. I’m still not sure Justice needs a romantic partner. There are a few hot scenes between Justice and Sandesh, but the romance detracts from the action, and the courtship to wedding storyline doesn’t quite feel right for such a fierce character. The family’s uniformly heteronormative relationships are also problematic for me.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars
M/F Thriller Romance
Triggers: Human trafficking, murder

Justice Parish is not a woman whose bad side you want to be on. She is a tough as nails, what I would consider, black operative who knows what needs to be done and will complete her mission no matter the costs. She comes from a league of incredibly strong women who are all similar. Justice's sister was taken from her and Justice has revenge in her heart. But Justice is also aware that she can't save them all, even though she wants to. I loved her character but felt that the romance that this story offered was almost an afterthought. It didn't really mesh with Justice's character – she was so strong, yet needed or wanted a partner, which didn't really fit with who she started as in the beginning of the book.

Sandesh is a former soldier who has had to do too many morally compromising acts. He's trying to atone for those acts by doing humanitarian work. However, that work requires money and when he partners up with Parish, not only do sparks fly, but danger follows. He is a hard character for me to know. While I can understand why he wants to do humanitarian work, it was tricky to see past that aspect of him to the hardened soldier we were supposed to believe he was. When he's pulled into the Parish family, not only does his world change, but his protective instincts kick back in.

Overall, this was a fast-paced, amazing thriller. The romance aspect was a much weaker part of the story and I think the book could have done without it and been just as great, if not better. However, I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.

I received an advanced copy of I am Justice from the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. The following review consists solely of my own personal opinions and mine alone.



I enjoyed reading I am Justice and I'm interested in reading Book Two of the series, but to be honest, it was kind of unrealistic and a bit all over the map (literally and figuratively). Again, I liked it but it was a little too off for me to love.

Justice experienced a childhood of hellish trauma (please be advised, content can be triggering to those with a history of sexual violence) and was rescued and adopted by her 'mother' who has all the money in the world and all the pull that goes along with it. Together with innumerable adopted sisters (no, really, innumerable) and brother (just two), Justice works to eradicating sex trafficking worldwide. A noble goal and something I wholeheartedly support, but still fantastical. Now this is a bit of a revenge mission for Justice since her sister got the full brunt of their childhood trauma and was killed by a big bad. After she and her brother shut down a sex slave massage parlour type establishment, Justice recruits one of the freed girls and then goes off to protest her desired mission's (killing her sister's murderer) cancellation and runs into hunka-hunka Sandesh in her mum's office (after doing a lovely vault routine over her mother's secretary - what?). We're told over and over that Justice dislikes men, they're for sexual use only, but at the same time, Justice gets the hubba-hubbas for Sandesh. I actually thought we were finished it much sooner than the story actually finished, but we had more and more loops pop up. I kind of got tangled up in them. I enjoyed the actual final show but, at the same time, I couldn't see the dots connect on the final twist. Things just seemed really forced all over the book.

I'd like to have been able to give this book 5 stars, but it just didn't seem very believable. So I'm giving I am Justice 3 out of 5 stars. I'll be looking for book 2, but I won't be holding my breath waiting for it.

If you’re looking for gritty, action-packed and twisting romantic suspense with a super-spy vibe, then look no further. I was eager to give this new to me author and new series a go as soon as I took one look at the blurb. It jumped right into the thick of things and didn’t let go making me feel I was watching an action or thriller movie rather than merely reading print.
Review

I Am Justice was an overall win. I’m all in with the secret society of sisters who trained to be lethal operatives and who fight human trafficking and injustice as shadowy vigilantes outside government and have equally powerful enemies. It’s a strong premise and looks to be a solid start for a new series.

I say ‘overall’ because there are also individual components that were distracting for me. I admit it, I’m tough on heroines and in this case it was several smaller things that started adding up. I found Justice engaging if I didn’t take her or others around her at her own word. She’s a hot head, impulsive and less skilled and trained than she is purported to be. I liked that she had deep feelings and they drove her, but at the same time, her feelings drove unwise actions and choices which kept me from buying in totally to her being a competent operative. I got a picture of her in my mind because of what she thought, said, and did, but then the descriptions of her wouldn’t mesh. Basically, I was told how good she was, but saw only fleeting evidence of it. I don’t know, I guess it’s me reading a ton of thrillers and seeing what black ops folks tend to be like and I found Justice naive and under-skilled for what she was attempting to pull off.

Then there was the pace and flow of the romance. Granted, it can be tricky to write a romance into an action packed suspense thriller story so I give it a little break. My struggle was that Justice rushed into her feelings, let her lust guide her, and the romance faster than someone like her normally would have- growing up tough and hard and betrayed by family into being sold or killed and then her work out in the dark, gritty underbelly of the world would have taken longer to make this sort of connection- or at least denied or put off the connection longer. I finally just let that go and went with it to an extent because I loved her with Sandesh.

And, that leads me to the strengths of this series. I loved the band out to save the world and make a family the way they did and I loved Sandesh as the hero and just what Justice needed. He’s had his own past and troubles to deal with and he’s competent and smart. He’s not intimidated by a woman like Justice.

I also enjoyed the thriller quality of not knowing who to trust. Anyone could be the betrayer from with in. The villain gets a voice in the narrative and I was okay with it, but didn’t really feel it added much.

So, all in all, this was a good start and I think people who love super strong heroines and gritty action will get a kick out of this new series.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A unique premise with some interesting characters. I struggled a little to finish the book because it didn't quite grab me enough to finish it in one or two sittings as I usually do. Still interesting enough to want to check out the next book in the series.