Putman's latest thriller focuses on drugs, drug companies, and the corporate race to get them to market even if all the rules and regulations haven't been met. Caroline Bragg is a lawyer who has begun working for a drug company to make sure they have met all the regulations in order to get their latest drug for juvenile leukemia on the market. But when Caroline realizes they are fast tracking it in order to get it on the market and playing with the rules, she begins to worry.

The characters in this story were so compelling. Caroline had every right to be concerned about the end run around rules that the drug company was taking. Her boyfriend Brandon was also concerned because one of the youngsters at his group foster home was fighting leukemia. The situations they both faced were so realistic and timely. Putman also depicted the role greed and misdeeds can play as drug companies try to out do one another. Scientific secrets and corporate espionage play a crucial role in today's society, and Putman gives her readers an excellent look at how it can all come about. Excellent suspense with riveting characters and numerous twists and turns.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

This was a totally different ride I took with this novel. It contained not only legal content but also cutting edge science. I admit I didn’t understand the cell concept and what this company was doing to help leukemia patients but it kept me glued to the pages. What a great movie this would make! The descriptions were written so well that I pictured myself there with the characters. Brandon was a former professional football player and Caroline was a lawyer. They both suffered from bad childhood experiences which gave them that in common and so much more. Caroline had just been hired to work with a company in the throes of a discovery that could change the lives of so many for the better. Brandon had established a group home setting that worked to keep brothers and sisters together in the foster care system. He had been separated from his brother growing up and still didn’t know where he was or what had happened to him. His passion was real and his heart was for the kids in his care. They were both interested in moving their relationship along but their work kept them apart so much of the time. There was something not right at the company Caroline had been hired into but she couldn’t put her finger right on it. She couldn’t share with Brandon because he was a investor.
Getting to the bottom of it all was exciting and kept me interested the whole way through. My heart went out to the characters and I enjoyed getting to know them. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, find a relaxing chair to sit in and get ready for a great story in this novel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher but was not required to write a review, all opinions are my own.

What a whirlwind of a book – I found myself getting a little overwhelmed at the beginning with all the medical terminology, but it sets the stage for this gripping medical/legal thriller. So many mysterious twists and turns, some unexplained sudden deaths, an up and coming business specializing in CAR T therapy cancer research, added to the unique blend of characters and this one is a page-turner. And reading about the childrens’ battles with leukemia is heart-breaking. It’s hard to know the good guys from the conspirators. I did enjoy watching the blossoming romantic relationship developing between friends Brandon and Caroline, and Brandon’s heart for his foster care ministry.

As the fourth book in the Hidden Justice Series (which I recommend), this one can easily stand alone.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and was under no obligation to write a positive review; all opinions are my own.

This was a very good medical drama. It had some murder, romance, prayer and a bear-like x-football player who runs a group home for kids who have lost their parents. I like the way the author wove the romance between Caroline and Brandon. The were friends before they became more than friends. Caroline is an attorney who gets a job with a company who is on the edge of a medical breakthrough of using T-cell therapy to help patients who have no other choice. It is a trial and Caroline is to help get everything FDA approved. Of course, along the way there are researchers who want to steal the data and become rich on their own. That is what makes this become a thriller. You root for the good guys because the bad guys are deadly and anyone who gets in their way seems to get mysteriously killed. I would highly recommend this book for the great medical crime drama that it is.

Thanks to #ThomasNelson and #netgalley for an ARC of this book

Lawyer Caroline Bragg is in the process of trying new things in her life. Recently unemployed after the death of her boss, she starts a position with cutting-edge medical technology start-up Praecursoria. Little does she know that her life is about to drastically change.

Brandon Lancaster is a former professional football player. Since his retirement he's founded Almost Home, a group foster home for siblings. A long time friend of Caroline, their relationship is starting to turn into something more - if their trust issues can be resolved.

When their worlds begin to intersect in different (and dangerous) ways, will Caroline crack the code of what is truly going on at Praecursoria? Will she and Brandon find their footing, and will he Almost Home be saved?

I must be completely frank and say that I couldn't completely find my footing with this book. I liked it but can't tell you that I loved it. However, I find this author to consistently be a solid and intelligent writer overall, so I very much encourage you to read this book and decide for yourself! :)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Ethical dilemmas abound in the latest novel by Cara Putman! This is only the second book I've read by this author but I'm already hooked! Her characters are so realistic and she puts them in situations that are sometimes so difficult to navigate but yet, realistic so you can't help but root for them to get out of their trouble! Caroline is a lawyer who loses her job when the judge she works for dies, but finds a new one working for a new medical research company on the cutting edge for leukemia. However, is everything on the up and up? People at the company keep dying in mysterious circumstances and she's discovering conflicting information! Then, there's her boyfriend, Brandon, who is having difficulties of his own as his foster home is possibly going to be shutdown and he's scrambling to come up with solutions. I loved Caroline and Brandon together. They had both had tragic childhood but had risen above them. However, parts of that were still with them and they were trying to overcome them. There was a lot of action and you had to figure out who the "bad guy" was! I also loved the foster kids! It tugged at the heartstrings - you wanted to help them all! I definitely loved this book!

This author never seems to disappoint with her books, they always keep me on the edge of my seat wondering what is coming. That was the very case with this book, I get to thinking its one person who does it then she has another character acting shady and wondering if they did it. I really liked Caroline even though at one point I was yelling at her in this book. She has a heart of gold and will stop at nothing to help those she cares about or comes in contact with. Brandon was a huge heart for families who just need to be together. There is something that Brandon seeks and I really hope that the author intends to follow up with that situation in a future book because a girl has got to know. Overall this book is well worth the read, she keeps it clean and has you walking away wanting more.

Cara Putman writes excellent legal thrillers, and Lethal Intent is my favorite of her books so far! The combination of legal and medical issues brought up some ethical dilemmas that added to the suspense in a unique way. I loved the dynamics between Caroline and Brandon - they had been friends for years and were already dating at the beginning of the book, so the story follows the growth rather than the beginning of their relationship. That's not as common in romantic suspense, but it worked so well for this story! I also really enjoyed the focus on foster care, especially learning about the different challenges Brandon faced with his unique version of a foster home.

This book does include some characters from Cara Putman's past books, but it is a stand-alone novel. I would recommend Lethal Intent for fans of romantic suspense, especially fans of Rachel Dylan and Irene Hannon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The author wrote a story that was not only entertaining, but one that shed light into the cutthroat world of medical research. The author's gifted writing made this book unputdownable.

In this continuation of The Hidden Justice series, Caroline finally gets her story while the reader also gets to catch up with Hayden, Emilie, Jaime, and Savannah from the previous books. It can definitely be read as a stand alone, though becoming acquainted with Caroline's tightly-knit circle of friends prior to reading this book will increase the reader's appreciation. The plot moves at a good pace and is infused with cutting edge medical technology which becomes the basis for the suspense.

Caroline is a newly hired counsel for a medical research company and the reader learns about the fascinating world of patent law, FDA approval, and research protocols along with Caroline. Brandon is a former pro-football player running a group foster home specifically for siblings. The book opens with Caroline and Brandon already in a serious relationship, which is sorely tested and tried when one of Brandon's foster children becomes a subject in her company's trial. Things unravel quickly for both of them professionally and personally as the child gets sicker, Brandon's program is threatened by new laws, Caroline's days are filled with confusion, and several people tied to the research are targeted. There are glimpses into the villain's thoughts which add an interesting layer to the plot. The ending didn't tie up all loose ends, but felt realistic. If you are a fan of legal suspense with a dose of romance, you will definitely enjoy this book.

I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable mix of legal drama and medical research in the fast-paced cancer therapy start-up world. Putman takes us into the labs, boardrooms and hospital wards to give us a first hand account of the urgency, the fear, and the excitement of the daily machinations of cancer trials. We get a view from the entrepreneurial CEO, the super smart scientist, the talented doctor, the patient trialist, and her carers.

Into this world we meet Caroline Bragg, a wily lawyer who is taking her first in-house corporate role at a cancer therapy startup. She knows her law but is new to the science and the particular requirements of the FDA who approve the cancer trials. Caroline is an excellent character. She's a bulldog when she needs to be when she's being pressured to take shortcuts but has a heart of gold with an extraordinary level of empathy for those who are suffering or experiencing difficult circumstances.

Caroline has recently started dating her best friend of many years, Brandon Lancaster. Brandon's very tall. He's a retired NFL pro with the Colts who had a pretty good career by all accounts. He's now using the moneys he made to do good things for foster kids having established a ranch-style getaway. One of the kids he fosters is in hospital undergoing a new cancer trial sponsored by Caroline's new company.

Brandon is an interesting character. He's assertive, extraordinarily kind and generous with his time and money, but has this really strong need to be needed. This comes from his childhood of abandonment and foster care. It surprised me that for someone so confident and successful plus loving the Lord he struggled with such insecurity. He has a wonderful insight into Caroline and knows how to bring out her best but at the same time I was often irritated by his insistence of needing to know everything that was going on in her world.

Much of the narrative revolves around Caroline and Brandon's relationship. In the background there was a lot going on with their respective jobs and the cancer trial. And then some unusual deaths start occurring to important people involved in the trial which lifts the tension and pace of the story. All of a sudden, Caroline's security is threatened as well as the future of her company. Who is behind all this mayhem and death?

Putman does a great job mixing the suspense with the complexity of new cancer therapies. Plus there's a lovely message of hope. Hope in the future, hope in individuals, hope due to smart doctors and scientists who can pivot quickly and hope in the deep love of two people who both experienced tremendous abandonment as children.

I received an early ebook copy from the Thomas Nelson First Editions Readers Review Program via NetGalley without any expectation of a favourable review.

There were so many things I loved about this story. I loved Caroline and Brandon. I loved the suspense throughout the story. This showed some of how a lawyer is used in a company that works with Car T cells to help save children with different types of cancers. We also see how some people run foster homes. I did not want to put the book down and I really want to hear what happens in Caroline’s and Brandon’s lives. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Lethal Intent is part of the Hidden Justice series where we meet several young women who met and became friends while in law school. Each new story pulls one back into the friendship developed over the years. They all live in DC and meet every month for a meal and fellowship. In this story, we read about Caroline Bragg and her friendship, and maybe more, with former professional football player Brandon Lancaster. Caroline is a sweet likable character who had a hard upbringing with a mother who was not the best role model and left Caroline with some fear issues. Brandon also had a bad upbringing when his parents died and his brother was put into the foster care system while Brandon stayed with different friends until college. He doesn't know where his brother is even now. Brandon is doing his part to make sure siblings put into the system stay together as much as possible. Caroline has a new job as attorney for a research company working with stem cells used to help cancer patients, in particular children. One of Brandon's foster children is sick with cancer and a patient in the research program. Someone in the company is not happy with his name missing from a patent and is retaliating, leaving dead coworkers that get in his path. Caroline is trying to make sure the company stays within the law and FDA requirements but things get dicey for her and those who try to help her. This is a suspenseful and edgy read that kept me engaged to the end. A great addition to the series of faith, love, and support of friends.
I received a complimentary ARC from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only and I was not required to give a positive review.

Attorney Caroline Bragg is excited about how things are going in her life. She has a good relationship with her boyfriend and former pro football player Brandon Lancaster and she is about to start a new job with a cutting edge genetics company.

I loved that Caroline wasn't swayed by scientists at her new company that thought her view of the law was too stringent. She was firm in her beliefs and didn't bend to the opinion of the non-lawyers at her new company.

Brandon has a heart of gold with his love for foster children and desire to keep siblings together. I would have liked to have known more about his younger brother.

Caroline and Brandon both had different challenges facing them throughout the novel. The story line was a good one. Their relationship didn't seem cemented or solid to me and the events in the novel didn't quite fully capture my interest. I've enjoyed many other novels by this author and look forward to what she writes next.

Ahhhh what a satisfying book. Lethal Intent by Cara Putnam was so good. It had it all.

If you know me at all, you know I love anything medical. This book certainly satisfied that for me. Caroline is legal counsel for a company that is developing genetic therapies. Right up my alley.

Her love interest is Brandon. Yup. I love a good love story. Don't you?

Murder. Oh yeah! Not one but three! Who did it? You have to read the book to find out.

Do you love legal thrillers? I do!

There was so much to like about this book. If you like any one thing I mentioned, you will like this book. Her writing is easy to follow even when there is a lot going on. It wasn't confusing. You need to try Cara Putnam.

How to describe? Adrenaline rush, mystery, love, care...all the above. This book was a non stop adrenaline rush from beginning to end.
I related to Caroline's character on the insecurity. She had so much to deal with as a child and it carried over into adult and she turned out amazing.
Brandon was so kind and compassionate. Teddy Bear is a good way to describe him. He cared with a deep compassion and wanted kids to have the best.
I really hope there is a sequel or a trilage to this because I need more information.
I highly recommend this book!

What a great legal and medical thriller! A page-turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat! And super fun to see the continuation of the characters from the Hidden Justice series by Cara Putman. Lethal Intent is totally a stand-alone story, but it's fun to know the stories of Caroline Bragg's circle of friends. I loved seeing how Caroline navigates her new job as an attorney for a company that is trying to be the first to market a potentially live-saving technology, only employees are turning up dead. Will she be next? She and her long-time best friend Brandon Lancaster have recently moved into the "more-than-friends" category and it is fun to see them navigate this path especially avoiding any insider trading secrets as Brandon is an investor in her company. A fact she was unaware of as she took the job.

"Speaking up wasn't permitted, but if silence was what they expected, they'd learn they hired the wrong woman."
"Right now she needed to be seen like an avenging Wonder woman type. The one who demanded the truth and would fight for what was right."

If you like legal suspense, you need to check this out!!

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy! All opinions are my own.

Lethal Intent gives readers an intriguing story! Caroline Braggs is an attorney who takes a job with a research laboratory as their inside counsel. She dives into the world of experimental research for developing life-saving treatments and drugs. But she begins to discover that the data doesn’t add up, and several key employees have suddenly died. The more she digs, the more danger she finds herself in. She also finds her relationship with Brandon Lancaster in jeopardy because of her job.

I love the characters in this novel. Brandon has given up his life and career to help care for foster children. Caroline starts to realize what’s important to her after watching Brandon in action. The storyline is also fascinating. Cara Putman did a lot of research on genetic therapies and Car-T cell therapies. The book had lots of suspenseful moments, but not as much as some of the other books by this author. Much of the story focused on Brandon and Caroline’s relationship. Lots of characters from prior novels have cameos, which I always enjoy!

Definitely check out this thought-provoking and intense new novel from Cara Putman.

Overall Rating:
4 stars (I liked it a lot and would definitely recommend)

Suspense Rating:
4 stars (lots of action and suspense to keep me intrigued)

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A medical/legal thriller that gets darker with every twist and turn!

Caroline Bragg is excited to start her new job as legal counsel for Praecursoria, a research lab working on cutting edge therapy for cancer treatment. Along with the new job, her relationship with Brandon Lancaster has never been better. Just when she thinks things can’t get any better, her world comes crashing around her as the job she thought was so perfect starts to show all is not as it seems and with each new stress at the job her relationship with Brandon becomes more and more strained. Brandon has been running a foster home and one of the kids in his care, Bethany, is very sick and a candidate for the new research. When the treatment doesn’t show the same results for Bethany as others and things don’t add up as they should, Caroline starts to wonder if things in the company are not as good as she and others were led to believe. The more she digs, the more she discovers the danger she and others are now in and wonders how much she might lose to expose the truth.

I have always loved Cara Putman’s writing style. She is a lawyer and her legal thrillers have always been top notch with so much passion, emotion and realistic content the story flies by. Lethal Intent is more of a medical thriller than legal thriller to me; the story revolves more around the sick kids and research than anything legal and I think that slowed it down for me. I didn’t feel any real tension in the story until almost halfway through. At that point though the story did fly by and was much more enjoyable, just not the usual fast paced thriller I am used to from her. The characters each had moments to shine, I enjoyed Caroline’s tenacity and commitment to follow through in finding the truth. Brandon was determined to do anything he could to help those he cared about. This is the kind of story that takes patience and the pay out at the end is good if you stick with it and don’t give up after the slow start. I recommend this to readers that enjoy medical/legal thrillers with a little romance thrown in the mix.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. Caroline and Brandon are best friends. Brandon is retired from football and started a large group home for fostering kids. Caroline is an attorney. She accepts a job with a research lab as their legal counsel. Right after starting her job, she finds out that someone from the company just died. As Caroline is getting acclimated to her job, she discovers that Brandon is an investor in the company. The company is developing a protocol to treat cancer patients and one of Brandon’s “kids” is on the list for treatment. When Caroline starts delving into the labs procedures people start dying. Is it coincidental or connected?