I liked the writing in this book. I liked the plot. I enjoyed the characters. I really enjoyed the legalese.
I just wish the ending would have been more finished? I feel like the book just ended rather than concluding, but I don't want to go into anymore detail than that, to do so would discourage a person from reading what is a pretty good story, and I don't want to do that as the story is a timely one given the state of our country in these times.
overall, I would give this three stars. It is entertaining, the subject matter is important, and the writing is good.

Initially, I thought I would dislike this book. But I read the reviews and decided to go ahead and read it. I was surprised by how much I really enjoyed reading this. I felt for Matt at every turn and became so invested in the character that I had to just keep reading.

I enjoyed this book very much even though it was a little slow at times. Mostly court procedure wise , other than that it was a very well written book with a main character you totally sympathize and empathize with. Matt comes to the aid of a person he just met and in the process ends up killing someone. Everything is against Matt. Should he spend the rest of his life in jail or worse yet face the death penalty because he decided the right thing to do was help someone ?

A great legal thriller! Matt has just broken up with his girlfriend and goes to a gay bar to pursue what might be the next avenue of his life. He meets Joey there and after awhile they step out back where a heinous hate crime occurs and, in defense, Matt ends up killing one of the offenders. The story then centers on Matt's journey through the legal system which is also sadly a bird's eye view of our system's inequalities and biases towards gays and lesbians in our society. This book really highlights the serious inconsistencies and discrimination against certain individuals and groups. The legal aspect of this story were extremely interesting. Great story and lots of description throughout Matt's legal process. Kept me very interested! Highly recommended!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2710205109

The book dragged on to me. It had a good story line but I felt a lot of the information could have been cut out. At one point it was 4 pages of play by play of the football game. I skipped over a lot of stuff just to get to the main focus of the story. The book was not bad but I wouldn't read another if there is a sequel.

Really enjoyed this book. It shows how prejudice can affect a case from the start, people sometimes only see what they want to see. I would read more from this author.

OMG! Thrilling, Heartbreaking, Intense,

I have to start out by saying that I loved this book but it's not the type of story I'd usually read. I normally only read romance stories, and mostly only gay romance, but something about the book's description grabbed me. I picked it up from NetGalley and I'm so glad that I did. I loved it so much that I ended up buying a copy, too.

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. The blurb really tells it all but it can't begin to convey how heart-breaking the story would be. I've always loved watching shows like Law and Order so I found the details of the trial, fact gathering, investigation, etc. very compelling.

I really feel like I can't say too much for fear of giving too much away. The only thing I'm going to say is this: Grace Mead, I implore you to write a sequel.

I LOOOOOOOOOOVED this book!!!! Gay characters AND a court/crime scene, mixed with a situation that you could find yourself in? SIGN ME UP. This has been my fav book so far of 2019, which I know it's early, but I absolutely loved it. I can't wait to read the next one that Grace Mead releases, you have a new fan. Absolutely fantastic work!

This was an interesting legal thriller. The author’s vivid description of New Orleans is on point and transports you there. I was engaged from page 1 and enjoyed reading of the trial. This book has you run through many emotions as you follow Matt on this legal journey. Thanks to Clink Street Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley.

This novel covers topics from LBGQT, legal issues, jury selection, courtroom drama, and prison life. It is well written and keeps the reader interested. There are a lot of important issues which are addressed.

This is a very captivating book. It is set before marriage equality, but the themes are still valid. The characters are very real, you care about them almost from the first paragraph. The writing style is smooth and engaging. A great read!

Well written legal novel. Characters were well fleshed out, if somewhat predictable. Not a surprise ending, but a satisfying one.

This is a disturbing book, taking a strong look at what homophobia has led to through a fictional story of how self defense gets turned into something very ugly. The characters are excellent, but in some ways, the message is pushed so strongly that it gets in the way of the story. On the other hand, it's a tale that more of us should understand in the current political climate, which could take us backwards into the situations depicted by Ms. Mead.

Defense of An Other is quite a tale. The book hits home in so many ways, because our leading man is swept up in this tragic tale through no fault of his own. A night out, minding his own business turns into a nightmare that threatens to ruin his life. The effects of this chain of events leads to a thrilling trial, a reminder of the importance of family, ultimately gives us a shining example of someone doing what they have to do to survive.

I was given a copy of Defense of An Other for free in exchange for an honest review.

Defense of An Other gave me mixed feelings. After reading the synopsis, I was expecting the entire book to surround the trial, but that wasn't the case. In fact, the act in question and the subsequent trial are all over with half the book left to go. I'm usually a fan of fast-moving plots, but this one was too quick. It left me struggling to bond with the characters. Actually, I found myself bonding with Eric more than Matt.

All of that being said, however, I must say that this books is very well written. You can tell that the author has more than basic knowledge of court room and law proceedings and laws. The amount of detail and all too often glanced over things given this story a sense of authenticity that a lot of other legal thrillers are lacking.

Overall, I think this is a great book.

I really enjoyed this book. It hit on so many emotions. To think that this actually does take place makes it very sad. I have never read this author before but you have written a great book, thanks!

This was a very good book. The topic is certainly timely -- discrimination based on sexual orientation. The basic plot is that Matt Durant, a lawyer who is attracted to men, but who has not acted on those feelings and is uncertain as to whether he is gay, goes to a gay bar to try to help sort out his feelings. At the bar, he is chatted up by a guy named Joey and they spend their time talking, drinking, and dancing. When they are in the alley behind the bar relieving themselves (bathroom lines are too long), they are confronted by three men who attack them because of the assumption that they are gay. Matt, who has training in boxing, accidentally kills one of the attackers while trying to defend himself and Joey (who has already been severely injured). However, the police officer who responds to the scene is negligent in how he processes the scene and interviews the witnesses and the remaining two attackers and Joey, who has a criminal history and was in possession of cocaine, claim that Matt and Joey were in the alley so that Matt could purchase cocaine, that the three guys intervened to stop the drug sale, and that Matt killed one of the guys in order to protect his job and reputation.

During jury selection, several prospective jurors stated they believed that people who were gay were less trustworthy, but they were allowed to be seated as jurors. However, the prosecutor used a peremptory challenge to remove the one openly gay prospective juror. Matt is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. The first half of the book focuses on the events in the alley, events leading up to the trial, and the trial itself, as well as a developing friendship between Matt and a fellow gay lawyer named Eric. The second half of the book focuses on Matt's time in prison, in particular the actions he takes to survive, and his appeals of his conviction.

One thing that I particularly liked about the book is that it feels like it could be a real court case. The author is a lawyer, which certainly makes it easier to portray the legal process accurately, but there is plenty of legal fiction written by lawyers where the lawyer/author over-dramatizes things or takes short cuts to advance the particular plot of the story. In this book, the author tries to make it as realistic as possible, including the lengthy delays in having appeals heard and decided, and unfavorable determinations being made at times because that is what the current state of the law requires. There are certainly some aspects of the story that are implausible, but it is a work of fiction and focusing too much attention on certain aspects of the story in order to make them more realistic would have distracted from the overall storyline and message.

Regardless of one's personal opinion on homosexuality, I would hope that the vast majority of people would agree that gay criminal defendants deserve as fair a trial as possible, including having jurors who are not openly prejudicial or who believe that being gay makes a defendant less credible and not having prospective jurors excluded based on sexual orientation. As the author notes in the afterword, this protection has yet to be recognized as constitutionally mandated under the 14th Amendment, but there have been some court decisions that have held that heightened scrutiny was required when a prospective juror appears to have been excluded based on sexual orientation.

In the afterword, the author states that she is transgender, but that she chose a gay protagonist instead of a transgender protagonist because for most of the years she worked on the book (starting in 2007, with self-publication under a different title in 2011, and then rewriting it in recent years), she did not believe that straight readers would have been sympathetic or accepting of the main character; a fear that is strongly based in reality. Unfortunately, while attitudes towards the transgender population are slowly changing, it is likely that even in early 2019, a book with a transgender protagonist would likely not receive the same respect and interest as a book with a non-transgender protagonist, especially among a more mainstream reading audience. However, I am curious as to how the author would have structured the book differently had she chosen a transgender protagonist.

If you enjoy legal fiction, if you are interested in legal arguments regarding constitutional protections related to sexual orientation and how those arguments might play out in a "real life" situation, or if you just enjoy a creative story with a compelling plot, "Defense of an Other" is a worthwhile read.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

It started out as a great read but I just found some of the content as boring. I love the law and reading about it in a fictional sense was great but somewhat to technical. I just found it odd that a man, who has been in a relationship long term would suddenly find men attractive. It was well written, educational, it just was not my cup of tea when it comes to books. There seemed to be some emotion missing when it comes to Matt and his mother. I just didn't feel the connection in the book. I would recommend this book to others, it is a great read, it just lost something to me.

Attorney Matt Durant has a bad encounter that leads to an even rougher court case. All of Matt's life is now on display and his career may be over. Fast paced story with well developed characters.

Defense of An Other was a very good book. I was intrigued by the wording of the title, and soon realized why it was worded this way. That said, if you are offended by LBGQT, this book might not be for you. However, this is about the rights of an individual and how that can often times be swayed by bias. Begins with a young attorney, Matt, who is confused about who is, and how his ingrained goodness gets him into a whole lot of trouble being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The majority of the book has to do with the workings of the legal system and the trial. It also focuses on how turned around a person's life can become when facts are twisted. But Matt continues to strive to be the good person he was raised to be even in the most difficult of circumstances when his life depends on who he is and what he can do to stay alive. I enjoy books that deal with "legalese" topics and the intricacies of courtroom drama. Worth the read for sure! Thank you to NetGalley, author and publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, which this was. #DefenseOfAnOther