"Trial by Fire" by Carsen Taite is an intense legal thriller that will keep you engaged as you navigate the twists and turns of the courtroom drama.

3 stars. Attorney Wren Bishop knew going to the Public Defender's office would be a change of pace for her. On an Attorney loan program, she works with the PD for a couple months, then goes back to her private practice job. She meets Lennox Roy, a fierce prosecutor and the one she is facing on her big trail at the PD. What she did not expect is the chemistry between them. Wren cannot help wanting to talk to Lennox and spend more time with her, even if they are supposed to be enemies. Lennox also has a policy of not dating the opposing council, especially after her ex did not make the right call with her brother's trial.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I enjoyed their chemistry and how they are on opposing sides. I did not give this book a higher score due to the chemistry felt like it developed fast and I felt like they did not have enough interactions. I did feel like both of the characters did develop feelings awfully fast and that was a little bit of a negative to me. I have read other books by Carsen Taite and have enjoyed them, they are written well and easy to read and this one was no different.

Carsen Taite is one of my favorite WLW writers, primarily because her stories, while containing hot romances, also have a well-developed story outside of the romance. Trial By Fire is another excellent release. If you are a fan of crime stories with courtroom drama along with a slow build between two women, you will really enjoy this title.

This is your classic Carsen Taite book giving me my lawyer romance fix. I loved Wren who was misunderstood by everyone in her new job and that all she wanted was to do something meaningful when many thought her motives were different. Lennox was strong and imposing character who turned heads with her confidence. I felt these two complemented each other and loved the journey they went on together. It was definitely more romance than the case that they were investigating.

I found it to be an enjoyable read that had me completely drawn into the storyline.

Trial by Fire is the first book in Carsen Taite's new series, Courting Danger. Carsen must have been one hell of a lawyer because her knowledge is vast and I always look forward to her books.

Wren Bishop is a lawyer from a prestigious law firm in Dallas.  She joins the public defenders office on loan for a few months. She is set to defend a man accused of setting fire to his home and killing his wife. Lennox Roy is the prosecutor Wren is matched up against. Lennox is intense, driven, a little bitchy and really attractive.

Wren has a girlfriend, an incredibly pretentious lawyer from her high priced law firm, who is disgusted she is slumming it in the public defender's office. It's pretty clear Wren's relationship with Diane isn't a match made in heaven and the more time Wren spends with Lennox, the stronger her attraction becomes. Lennox has been burned dating opposing council and is determined not to let anything happen with Wren. However, Lennox doesn't stand a chance resisting Wren. As they discover more about the case they are working on, they also discover more about each other.

I enjoyed catching up with Skye and Aimee from The Best Defense and Morgan and Parker from It Should Be A Crime. Nina is a great supporting character and really helps to humanize Lennox from the outset before we see how very human Lennox actually is. The chemistry between Wren and Lennox is believable and I genuinely like both of these characters. This is a good start to the series and I look forward to the next book.

I quite enjoyed this book. I appreciate how this author makes law accessible to the common reader yet includes enough legalese to keep it feeling authentic. I liked these main characters and most of the secondary characters as well. The storyline was interesting enough to keep me ready from start to finish non stop. I am really hoping for another book that digs into the brother's story. I really want to know how that turns out. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think I may very well be in the minority on this one, but the book did not deliver for me, either on the mystery side (as it was categorized) or on the romance side (implied).

Wren Bishop is on loan from a fancy, high powered law firm to the public defender's office. She seems overly optimistic and sunny, and is somehow blind to the fact that waltzing around in designer clothes, with designer bags, and crapping on the coffee served in the department might not win her any friends. Or maybe she doesn't care. Either way, it isn't a good look.

Lennox Roy is on the prosecution side and has what seems not just a chip on her shoulder because of her poor as hell childhood but a superiority complex. She also sees things in black or white, guilty or innocent, and she's sure that any defendant - including the one Wren winds up defending - is guilty. This led to some amusement on my part that any intelligent person (as Lennox supposedly is) would look at the investigative work the police did on that case and not see the gaping holes it had. My question at this point was whether Lennox had any redeeming qualities that would get me to like her. After her declaration she'd never date anyone on the defense side of the world, as Wren is at the moment, just because a previous relationship with the woman who represented her druggie brother went down in flames, I decided that the answer was probably not.

There are some courtroom scenes, and these are the best part of the book. There are a lot of office politics, some outside politics (a judge with whom Lennox is friends is running for office) and a lot of talk about wealth inequality.

Wren winds up hiring an investigator on her own because the PD investigators are swamped with work, and ends up with evidence that points the crime away from the guy she's defending. She goes to Lennox and convinces her to get some evidence, and Lennox finally sees it.

It was too late for me by that time. There wasn't any real romance to speak of other than both of them thinking about the other and a kiss in someone's garage. They didn't spend any real time together, although Wren did break things off with her kind of girlfriend who she didn't like that much, so there's that sacrifice, I suppose.

The ending was rushed and the "I love you"s felt far too early, which is something I also noted in my review of Her Consigliere by the same author. This could easily have been a bit longer, with more of the romance prominent through the middle of the story to better lead to the ending. This book is apparently part of a series of books in this universe, so I wonder if these two will have cameos down the line to show that they're still together and/or managing to work on Lennox's brother's case to resolve it one way or another.

Only two stars out of five for me. Sorry.

Thanks to Bold Stroke Books and NetGalley for the reading copy.

3.5 stars. Courtroom proceedings come to life in Taite’s books. Being European my knowledge of the American legal system is mainly based on books and TV series, so I always appreciate how Taite takes time to explain a specific part of the law and proceedings in detail, so you get a good understanding of how everything works and you can really enjoy the courtroom life, the cases, and the standoff between the criminal defense lawyers and the prosecutor to the fullest. The romance part in this book, unfortunately, was less convincing for me, which was mainly caused by the rushed ending.

The two mains are Wren and Lennox. Wren starts as a “lawyer on loan” at the public defense office. I liked how she had to adapt from life at an expensive law firm to the PD office, her attempts to try to fit in and how she slowly finds her way. She’s very likeable and she’s determined everybody deserves a (second) chance and well…she’s a bit naïve at times. Lennox is the complete opposite; her world consists of good and bad and as a prosecutor she’s Wren’s adversary in an arson case that takes up a large part of the book and I enjoyed seeing this case unfold.

The beginning of the book is focused mainly on the court proceedings and Wren’s adjustment to her new job. Because of this there was little time for Lennox during the first half of the book. This is where I struggled with the romance, for a long time I didn’t like Lennox and I was wondering what Wren saw in her apart from the chemistry they had. But somewhere halfway some things happened that piqued my interest and I found myself more interested in Lennox. I started understanding her better, but I still didn’t like many of her actions and I would have liked to see an earlier bigger switch in her personality. I think it could have worked better for me if the ending wasn’t so rushed so I could have gotten more “good times” with Lennox and experience the real person under the veneer. The rushed ending also led to confessions of love that were too early, they hadn’t even seriously dated yet. I wished more time was taken to make me believe they were ready for the I love yous.

This was the first book in a new series and while the romance part had some issues for me I did enjoy reading this book, especially the arson case and the general feeling of court life was very good to read. I look forward to the other books in the series.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Attorney Wren Bishop had just been transferred to public defender's office as part of a short-term loan program. She knew it would be an adjustment, especially when coming from a very lucrative big law firm job. However, what she did not expect was the suspicion and animosity from her new colleagues; and having her first case against the best and hottest prosecutor, Lennox Roy.
Lennox is a strong minded, passionate prosecutor who doesn't believe in second chances. When she gets a mysterious arson case, Lennox is put against the sexy and smart new public defender, who will make her question her assumptions about truth and her rule about not falling in love.

This was a very quick read and entertaining book. Both characters were well developed and interesting. I didn't need to have many scenes with them together to enjoy the reading because on their own, each character had depth and and a story of her own. I really liked that. The plot was very good as well. I was very interested in the case and actually a bit disappointed that it was solved so quickly. However, it did work for the story and it was enjoyable.

The romance was there, there was a lot of chemistry between the characters which added to the story, but like I said, I found both characters interesting enough that it would have been a good book regardless of them ending together.

Overall, it was a great, quick read that was interesting and entertaining.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cracking story, well told, Wren Bishop is on loan from a fancy law firm, working as a public defender when she encounters the prosecutor Lennox Roy, she is attracted by her looks but repelled by her refusal to consider Wren's client could be innocent. The legal matters are explored well and the tension between the main two is totally believable. I have a slight grumble with turning the page and finding the heading three months later, felt like a shock and a clumsy use of timing. Overall though, it's a gripping read, I couldn't put it down.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great legal romance from Carsen Taite finds a big city lawyer on a loan scheme to the PD’s office falling for her fiery and romance shy Prosecutor adversary. Wrapped up in an interesting case with sloppy police work, a falsely accused defendant stuck in jail because he can’t raise bail and some treacherous dealings to make him look guilty, this is another interesting insight into the lives of lawyers on both sides of the court.

As always the romance is a strong element of Taite’s stories with the “will she wont she” angst and the baggage of broken hearts, but the characters are well drawn, interesting and multi-layered. I particularly enjoyed getting to know these two, Wren’s experiences of stepping out of the big corporate law firm into the PD’s office made for an unusual twist and I hope the new series will continue their story.

Excellent reading as always.

4 star's

Gripping, turn pager book which keeps you engrossed.
Attorney's Wren Bishop and Lennox Roy both are very powerful characters and the passion between the pair is there from the onset, even tho it's a slow burn. The storyline itself is good, even tho a tad bit predictable in area's but still a very good read.

I've given 'Trial by fire' a 4 star. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Another good romance from Carsen Taite. This book has Wren Bishop, who is a lawyer on loan to the public defender's office. She has a bit of trouble adjusting to the cliquey environment, but is assigned to an arson case. This brings her to know the prosecutor for this case, Lennox Roy. As usual with these kind of books, there is instant attraction. However, being on opposite sides of the aisle presents an inherent conflict.
I enjoy the writing and the story. Wren comes from a privileged background, but wants to do good work and contribute to society. The arson case is interesting, as she tries to prove her client innocent. There are many books and tv shows featuring the prosecutor's office, but not many shows ua how the PD office functions.
A wonderful bonus are characters from the author's previous books making appearances here. This is the first of a new series and I can't wait for the next books to come.

*Thank you to Bold Stroke Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

Carsen Taite is a former criminal defense attorney and it shows in this romance in the very best way: The setting is extremely well done and fleshed out with exactly the right amount of information to keep me as reader interested without oversharing. I loved how the two main characters were embedded into the tight community of a criminal court-house - one as an insider, the other as the newcomer.
Carsen mostly mixes romance and criminal investigations/court procedures. This novel focuses on the romance. The romance between two professionals is believable with a great deal of chemistry. The two mc come from very different social strata and I really liked how they learn to understand each other, esp. Wren‘s learning curve had me hooked. Another really good thing: The romance grows slowly with believable stumbling blocks on the road. The romance is meshed into a low-level court-drama. And meeting characters from former novels of Carsen Taite in cameos was an added bonus.

Overall this book by one of the top lesbian romance writers is very well written and edited. It was like a vintage wine: full-bodied, multi-faceted, a joy to drink. Cheers.

Copy received via netgalley.

“Trial by Fire” is the first book in Carsen Taite’s new ‘Courting Danger’ series. However, there seems to be a few characters from her other books making an appearance here…I haven’t read those books though and I never got the impression I was missing anything. If anything, it made me want to go back and read their stories too.

Wren Bishop is on loan from her cushy law office to the public defender’s office. Lennox Roy is a top prosecutor who has no patience for the goody-two shoes, rich lawyer coming in to play as a public defender for a few months.

I was a little surprised when I read this because with the series called Courting Danger, I thought there’d be some danger…but there isn’t. This is a fun legal romance and while it is tagged as a thriller/mystery I honestly didn’t really feel either of those too much. This was much more about the behind the scenes of a legal case for both sides.

The two go head-to-head when Wren takes a new case involving arson and murder. Wren is much more open and friendly. She’s also direct about wanting to get to know Lennox better. However, Lennox is more on the reserved side as she has a bad history with a workplace romance. She was a bit hot and cold because while she wanted to stay away, their attraction wouldn’t allow her to stay away too long. Plus, working a case against each other, they were constantly having to orbit one another.

The real downside, as with all the Taite books I’ve read, is the ending still feels rushed. Wren and Lennox spend a little time getting to know one another and then they don’t speak for a while and then something happens and they’re declaring undying love. It was hard for me to believe with Lennox’s history and I would’ve loved to see more development between them.

Other than that, I really enjoyed this. It makes me want to go read Taite’s previous series as I really enjoyed the legal aspect. I recommend this to fans of legal dramas.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Attorney Wren Bishop comes from money but doesn’t mean she took the easy way, cashing in on her family name. Now she’s on her way to becoming a partner in the well established law offices of Dunley Thornton. Just so happens her employer loans some of their lawyers to the Public Defender's office because it’s a good way to round out their resume. Now she’s assigned her first case, defending a man accused of murdering his wife.
Attorney Lennox Roy works for the prosecution and is known for not losing too many cases. Unlike Wren, Lennox comes from a family that lives on the wrong side of the track and thinks everyone needs a break, especially her younger brother who was sentenced for a murder he say’s he didn’t do. She has little to do with her family.
Now they have to face each other. One for the percussion and the other for the defense. Problem is their attraction for each other. They can’t be together, at least for as long as they’re on opposite sides.
I know you have probably read books with similar plots but the good thing about Ms Taite is the fact that the plot may be familiar but the story certainly isn’t. Both MC’s are very likable. Story is fast paced with some humor thrown in and you will probably find yourself reaching for the book even when you really don’t have time. Great read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books.

Loved this book. The Court drama and romance was very well written. I liked that the author gave such interesting information and background on what happens in a courthouse setting. I didn't know that there's so much that goes into being a defense lawyer and all the legal issues you have to go through in order to appear competent at your chosen job. Lennox is a Prosecutor who does everything by the book, but there's also a part of her that's a Rebel as well. Wren works as a Lawyer in the private sector and is on lone to the county courthouse for a few months when these two meet it's sparks at first site. The romance between the main characters is slow, but cute at the same time. There's some drama and angst at the end, but this just helps push the story along and the supporting characters helped to make this an even better story. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family, and I look forward to the next book in this series.

This was such a fun and easy read. I really enjoyed the plot, the character development, dialogs and really a well put together legal story / mystery. This could have very easily have been something I’d watch on law and order. It’s that solid!

Meet Lennox and Wren - two lawyers on opposing sides one a prosecutor and the other a public defender on a case. There are sharp exchanges, each carrying the burden of their own issues, a mystery to solve and of course a kicker romance.

This is the first book - I’ve read from Carsen Taite and I was really impressed. She puts together a tight plot line and merges it skillfully with the romance aspect while keeping both threads moving along at an excellent pace. Carsen Taite is a lawyer and the writing really reflects such a comprehensive knowledge of the judicial system - you can really relax and enjoy the story without worrying that something may slip and knock you out of the moment - it was pretty awesome. The side characters add a lot of charm and levity to the entire story and I realized that some of them may have been part of earlier books, but it doesn’t take away from the main plot (however you may feel compelled to research Carsen Taite’s other books featuring those side characters and star them to read at a later time :-) ). One of my favorite side characters was Nina and I really hope she get’s her own storyline in the future.

My only gripe and its a relatively small one is that there should have been a few more chapters dedicated to the development of the romance before the “I love yous” happened. In fact - it would be so awesome to see a sequel with the same characters where their relationship could really develop. All in all I’d rate this is a solid 4.75 - highly recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for sending an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trial By Fire is a well book with strong, interesting and well developed lead as well as secondary characters. I enjoyed the dynamics between Wren and Roy. It was quite the page turner. It was fun to see Wren break down Roy's Barriers.


I received an ARC copy from the publisher Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The perfect person for you may not be the perfect person for someone else. Opposites can and do attract, depending on what aspects are opposite. This read held my interest because of the concept of finding the person for you and working together.

I have enjoyed reading the legal thrillers and romances presented by this author. This particular read provided a wealth of information related to the law and specifically, prosecution/criminal defense. As a novice, I had complete understanding of what was going on and why. Makes me want to think twice about going with a court appointed attorney, unless of course I had Wren Bishop in my corner.

Wren Bishop, corporate attorney comes from money and has money and it is a part of who she is. I appreciated how she owned that. Wren participates in the attorney loan program and goes to the public defender's office. From the first day, think mean girls. Lennox Roy, prosecutor very effective and black and white about her job. The reader has to decide if her approach is justified. How Wren and Lennox interacted was enjoyable and entertaining.