I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with Maureen in a courthouse awaiting the verdict on a trial she is leading. The verdict is finally announced and she has a major win. When she gets back to her office, she is advised of a new client that wants her to handle her case. Maureen is a highly successful attorney who handles abuse cases. The potential client has come to her based on a recommendation received from a journalist. After Maureen hears the facts of the case, she agrees and has Josephine her new client sign an agreement.

As time goes by it is time for a preliminary hearing and Maureen is presenting her case to allow a trial against a Hollywood mogul who abused Josephine and then fired her. She receives a verdict which sets forth a date for the trial.

As you read on, learn what steps Maureen took in gathering information and how a change that the defense made her job much harder. Read what steps the defense were taking to obstruct her from getting the information needed to support Josephine's claim. At the end any questions that you still had would be answered.

This is definitely a book worth reading and I plan to discover more from this author.

Oh how I loved Implied Consent! Maureen Gould was a defense lawyer. She was defending Josephine Navarre in a sexual harassment case against Reginald Cleville aka The Duke. The Duke's lead attorney was Maureen's father, Frank. Maureen's staff included a paralegal, Yolanda, and an investigator, Eli.

Maureen had been raped by her father when she was 15, and she had a daughter, Quinn, who she gave up for adoption. Quinn had done a DNA test and found Maureen's mother, her grandmother. They communicated over time. That's how she found out about her mother. One day, she showed up on Maureen's door step. Without question, Maureen took her in. She hadn't told her husband, Jake, about Quinn, but when Jake met her he just knew. So Quinn, wanting to be a lawyer, was added to Maureen's team.

The case was shaky. They had two witnesses who had been victims of The Duke, but one of his lawyers scared them away. They had two thugs who had been hired by The Duke's brother. They had another witness, Sophia, who was killed by the thugs. And it turned out that Eli was a spy on The Duke's side. Fearing that he'd eventually tell Maureen, he, too, was killed by the thugs. So really, all they had was Josephine's testimony. She tried to question The Duke but he pled the fifth.

There were a lot of shady dealings perpetrated by The Duke's team. They desperately wanted Maureen out of the way. It happened that when Maureen was at work and Quinn was home napping, Frank showed up unannounced and invited her out to dinner. The dinner never happened. Instead, he took her to the mansion that was owned by Maureen and was where he was staying. He regaled her with stories of the history of the mansion and he was drinking heavily. When Maureen found out where Quinn was, she went there immediately. She wanted to protect her daughter from her father. While there, someone put a bomb on Maureen's car. As she and Quinn were leaving, she clicked the ignition button and the bomb went off. This wasn't the first time she'd been warned off the case. She'd received a threatening email and a mail threat.

In the courtroom Maureen was a star. She skillfully questioned Josephine and The Duke, in spite of the fact that he wouldn't answer. Her closing argument was brilliant. It took the jury to return a verdict. The book ended with Maureen and Jake renewing their vows. It was a delightful tale. It would be an excellent choice for book club. I gave it five stars.

This book was a good legal thriller, a little slow at times, but the characters are well rounded and I did keep reading, because I wanted to know what was happening.

Secret’s bind the shamed to the guilty.
Maureen and her father Frank Gould are both lawyers and adversaries. Could be due to the lack of love she received from her parents along with the abuse she received at the hands of her father. When her mother recently died, Maureen inherited the family home where her father is currently living and money from her Granny Shaughnessy’s inheritance, Currently trying to figure out the estate which is almost impossible since Frank always seems to have an answer for the missing funds.
Maureen is currently defending Josephine Navarre, an actress who alleges sexual harassment from Reginald Cleville, a big star movie producer. Having employees sign NDA’s, her team is having trouble finding other victims Reginald may have abused to talk. Once one of the ladies agrees to be interviewed, she is killed before being interviewed. Adding to Maureen’s issues of not getting information, her father has taken over as lead of Reginald’s defense team.
This story has many twist and turns and had my attention from beginning to end. Highly recommended to those who love a good mystery.

This book hooked me from the beginning with all of the twists and turns. Definitely look forward to reading more books by this author.

🌟 IMPLIED CONSENT 🌟
by Keenan Powell
Three Hooligans Press. Out Jan. 26, 2023.

IMPLIED CONSENT is a brilliant legal thriller about a MeToo case with a Harvey Weinstein-like serial rapist. Powell's background as a defense attorney makes readers feel as if they are right there in the courtroom in this gripping and highly believable tale.

Attorney Maureen Gould takes on the case of a young woman sexually abused, then fired, by her movie-industry boss. Gould is committed to justice, and also has a profound secret that gives her great understanding of her client's trauma. Her troubled family history becomes entwined with the case.

The San Fran setting is atmospheric. Maureen, her kind husband, and sharp legal team are also drawn with compassionate strokes that made me care deeply about them. I even loved Maureen's cleverly named cat, Germaine Greer, that reveals her feminist roots.

I won't share more so as not to spoil the story. Just know that it races with shocking twists and turns right to the end. A must-read Book One in Powell's new series!

Thanks to author Keenan Powell, Three Hooligans Press, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

#impliedconsent #keenanpowell #threehooliganspress #NetGalley #metoolegalthriller #sanfranlegaldrama #bookoneinnewseries #sexualabusecase
#authenticcourtroomthriller #bookstagramcommunity

I read this book on my kindle app. I hadn’t read what the book was about, but the title and cover caught my eye. I decided to give it a read and see how I felt.
I will say that the book did take a little while to really capture me. However, I ultimately really enjoyed it. There were a lot of twists and turns. I didn’t know how it would end, but I was hooked and couldn’t stop reading.
The story was one that a lot of people know too well unfortunately. I believe the author did a good job at explaining the story.
I would recommend this book to anyone.

Implied Consent by Keenan Powell
Publisher: Three Hooligans Press
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Women's Fiction
Expected Publication Date: January 26, 2023

Implied Consent by Keenan Powell is a book I could not put down! This book grabbed me from page one and did not let go until the very end (& I still wanted more!)!!! This book was told from the perspective of a lawyer, Maureen Gould, and I found fascinating to see how a case was built from the lawyer's perspective and all of the drama that unfolded.

Wow!!! This book was intense! It touched on such a delicate subject, rape vs. consent, and at times was hard to read because I could feel the emotions the characters were experiencing. It was so worth it though!

The writing was incredible and the characters were fascinating and relatable. The storyline was captivating and I didn't want it to end. There were so many twists and turns and unexpected things that happened. I was on the edge of my seat reading this!

I really hope we will revisit Maureen Gould and her law practice. I know there are more people she can help! I highly recommend reading this book. I know I'll be re-reading it!!!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lawyer Maureen Gould goes up against a Hollywood mogul and her father to get justice for a young woman. The case threatens her practice, her marriage, and brings up secrets from her past.

There were times at the beginning of the book where I felt like I had missed a previous novel that provided a backstory, especially in regards to Maureen's marriage and family history. I found that as I read, however, more was revealed in regards to her family history. Her marriage made more sense based on her past, but more details would have been helpful.

I enjoyed this story a lot and the reveals were well timed and kept the plot moving along at a good pace. I honestly didn't know how it was going to end, even though there were some elements of the story that were predictable. It was my first novel by this author and I would read another one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Three Hooligans Press for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you like legal dramas, this is the book for you! There are so many twists and turns that kept me on my toes! So good!

Maureen Gould is a very likeable lawyer in San Francisco. She has a very chaotic life, but it’s understandable considering her upbringing. The chaos explains her need for control and order which she finds in the courtroom. In the novel she is hired by a former production assistant, Josephine, to file suit against a movie producer for sexual harassment. This legal thriller dives into more than just the court case. It also maneuvers through family drama with Maureen’s estranged father taking over the defense. Throughout the case there are several hurdles that ultimately impact their case which only adds to the suspense. Keenan did such a great job balancing the legal terminology, drama and suspense.

This truly is such a powerful novel that highlights strong female characters and sheds light on how grooming tactics and asymmetrical power are utilized by predators. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the free copy of this book. This review is my own independent feedback.

Loved this book!!! It kept me on my toes from the very first page!! I rate this book 5 out of f stars.

I am very happy i got to read this book before the release date, i was in a reading slump and this book had my attention from page 1. I really didnt want to put it down.

Implied consent is a mixture of legal and family drama. Fresh off a big legal victory an attorney, Maureen Gould is hired by a production assistant to file a lawsuit against a huge movie producer for sexual harassment. Will they settle, win or lose?

There are some triggers that deal with rape.

When a victim of SA appears in her office, attorney Maureen Gould must confront both Hollywood and her dark past to bring her client justice. It does not help that her father is the opposing side’s attorney or that her marriage is struggling in the background. Maureen must advocate for her client, Josephine, while unraveling the tangled threads from childhood that threaten her safety and the future of equity in the courtroom.

The message of this book is powerful, and I believe nearly every woman will relate to either Maureen or Josephine or both. The author, Keenan Powell, is a former defense attorney, and they know the inner workings of the justice system, especially where it concerns victim advocacy. Women are often not believed, or they are silenced with retaliation when they report crimes committed against them, and the author did a fantastic job of lending insight into those experiences with all the raw honesty and brutality owed to them.

The only tip I would suggest is to make the sentences at the beginning of the book flow just a little bit better. I think the author is trying to convey a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact energy right from the start, but it comes off a little choppy. However, I want to clearly state that it in no way detracts from the power of the story. I think everyone should read this book. The reasons WHY victims often do not report what happens to them are laid out neatly in the narrative, and sadly, reflect our current reality.

The twist at the end is flooring, and even though this book is not exceedingly long, it packs a big punch in a concise, and compelling plot that validates the real-life experiences of women in and out of the justice system. Thank you to the publishers at Three Hooligans Press and Netgalley for sending me an arc of this lovely book in exchange for an honest review.

Law & Order fans, this one is for us! A Hollywood mogul is accused of sexual assault and the former employee is filing a lawsuit. Maureen Gould, a take-no-prisoners type of attorney, is ready for this. She has more in common with her client than anyone realizes, and she knows exactly how to present it to the jury. Witnesses go missing, offices get broken into, and trusted people are not who they claim to be. Powell pens a jam-packed legal thriller with impressive and captivating characters and a surprise ending not to be missed.
This is my first read from this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope this is a series with many books to come. Maureen Gould is a protagonist that I could sit in the courtroom with endlessly. As a main character, she is well-developed with real-life fears, a dysfunctional family, and a husband and friends who love her. The story is thick and full, it has ample twists and turns enticing the reader to keep turning the pages. Readers will end the book with an explosive courtroom finale and the satisfaction that all the unanswered questions are explained.

I really enjoyed this book and the outcome of the trial. It's a shame not everyone involved got their just punishment, but most of them did. Oh the steps people will go through to hide their dirty little secrets. Very likable characters or in some cases dislikable characters. Frank turned out to be complete scum bag, but that wasn't a surprise for me. Who was ultimately behind all the threats, deaths and warnings was a surprise. But as I said, what some won't do to hide their dirty little secrets. I really enjoyed the female characters and the strength they each showed. Jake and Quinn were probably the only likable male characters. Decent courtroom case and a well written story.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

A 5 Star read! Move over John Grisham, Keenan Powell brings new life to court room drama! When Josephine brings her wrongful firing and sexual harassment allegations to attorney, Maureen Gould, the case takes off. That is just the surface! Well written, quick pace, well developed and flawed characters (my favorite!). Thank you Netgalley, and Keenan Powell, for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First let me just say WOWZA! This was my first and certainly not my last book to read by Keenan Powell. Full of twists and turns and a strong female character. Maureen takes on the morally corrupt and fights for the victims. Loved, loved, loved this story.

Maurine Ghoul is an attorney who likes to hit sexual deviance where it hurts and that’s the pocketbook. Coming off of a $50 million win against a chess coach. She returns to her office to find Josephine Naver, suitcase in hand pressed from being fired and sexually assaulted by “the duke“ he was her boss at Crown productions they were in the area scouting for a movie they were shooting the next year and add a business meeting with investors the night before he came on to her and later on that night Forster to do a sexual act she never consented to. She takes the case, after all this is her bread and butter it’s what she lives for but when she finds out her dad‘s law firm is representing “the duke“ she is not prepared for the bad memories and the danger this case will bring but why is her dad involved? This book was so good to had twist that I didn’t see coming and what I like best about the book is the author would stop and explain certain things in the courtroom that the layman wouldn’t know meaning me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book thought it browed nicely I found it to be well thought out well written and a all-around good read! If you love books about family secrets Badman getting there do you love Implied Consent I certainly did it was such a great book! I received it from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Wow, a fast-paced legal thriller from Keenan Powell! I loved her Maeve Molloy series and was intrigued to pick up her latest. In Implied Consent, Powell has changed settings to San Francisco, and this book has a different flavor from her Alaska books, but it's still a riveting tale. Maureen Gould is an attorney that specializes in sexual abuse and harassment cases and is estranged from her lawyer father (I don't think it's a spoiler to suggest that there's a connection between those two facts). On the heels of a big win, she accepts a case that could have been inspired by Harvey Weinstein, only to find that there's more to it than she foresaw! A solid legal procedural with engaging protagonists.

Thanks to Three Hooligans Press for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.