this was two jurors reuniting during a reality TV celebrity’s trial for allegedly killing her spouse, this book held promise, but its execution was disappointing to me. The tempo was sluggish, and I discovered myself skimming significant sections of the book. The emphasis on the jurors’ childhood separation appeared basic, and the slow progression of their reconnection was so extended that it ultimately seemed feeble. this was alright, nothing new to the table. maybe I just wasnt the target audience.

The blurb explaination of "Legally Blonde and Jury Duty meet The Real Housewives" is SO accurate. I loved the way that Sydney saw being chosen for Jury Duty as a 'break'. Because lets be real, almost all of us have wanted to be sequestered away from everyone and everything like she is for this case. And it being such a high profile case, of someone she has spent years watching on tv? I'd love that! (or so I think) But with having Damon alongside her during this whole process brings about a lot of turmoil and feelings they've both kept supressed for years. My heart did break a bit for Damon when it came to Kara. And I do have to wonder if they chose the right fate for Margot, but we may never know the truth....or do we?
Overall this book kept me wanting more and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

THIS IS WHAT I CALL GOOD WRITING. I was HOOKED immediately and could not put this down the entire time I read it. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the ARC, it was insane.

Courtroom Drama is one of the most creative contemporary romance books I think I’ve ever read and it’s about jury duty. Sydney, a massive fan of a reality show, gets chosen for jury duty for the high profile trial determining Syd’s favorite cast member Margot’s fate after she’s been accused of murdering her husband. Determined to ensure Margot receives a fair trial and gets the justice Sydney believes Margot deserves, Syd can’t get distracted. This proves to be a challenge when Damon, her childhood best friend and almost something more walks in and is also a jury member. Old feelings and grudges between the two are dug up as more evidence against Margot is presented, making Sydney question everything she knows. The closer she gets with Damon, the more severe the consequences could become for everyone involved, potentially ruining everything.

I cannot express how well written this was. You can just tell that this is an experienced author because everything about the book was just perfection. First, it’s creative. The case itself is fascinating, and I was constantly oscillating between Sydney’s side and Damon’s, who believes Margot is guilty. The case unfolds in a very entertaining, gripping way, and I honestly would’ve liked the book even if there was no romance plot involved. I’ve never read a book like this where the romance is almost less interesting than what’s going on around it. The courtroom and hotel settings are very unique and fleshed out, with every character from the attorneys and other jury members feeling very alive and electric.

Sydney and Damon are also captivating. Their dynamic of being old friends but fitting right back together immediately had that slight awkwardness and self awareness that made each character more endearing, and helped solidify their chemistry when they got back into their groove. I appreciated their differences in experiences and the way their personal history affected their views of the case. Also, even though they disagreed often, you could always understand where both were coming from and it often made me conflicted which was just very well done. Their relationship was just so good, as was the spice. The spice itself was not necessary per se, but there was a decent amount of it and it was very enjoyable. Another thing I really appreciated was the stakes. Due to the nature of the case, the characters were all stuck together for a long time, nailing the forced proximity trope. However, there were also a lot of rules regarding fraternization between jury members, with the threat of a mistrial being called and jail time for rule breakers always hanging over Syd and Damon’s heads. Sometimes the forbidden romance trope can feel a little silly in contemporary romance. In this one though, the threat of jail and forcing the entire trial to restart entirely was a very real one, and actually felt very worrying and added more tension to an already stressful situation. Sydney was very attached to Margot and this case for very interesting reasons so not only would jail suck but she would feel as if she had failed a woman she cared about. It all tied together so cleanly and made for such an engaging and fresh story.

Also, I NEED Reese Witherspoon to produce a mini series adaptation of this book. I just know it would hit so hard and it is the perfect type of book for her production style. Don’t ask me about a cast though, I wouldn’t know where to start. Anyway, what a fantastic book and I will be rereading on release day.

I loved this! This was reality TV in book form and i was hooked from start to finish. I loved the depth of the romance as well and how these characters came back to each other. I loved the little epilogue too.

Courtroom Drama by Neely Tubati Alexander was a super cute rom com with a refreshing and fun premise!

Sydney is the only person in history to be excited about jury duty- her favorite reality show star is on trial for possible murder. Turns out being part of a sequestered jury for a high profile court case isn’t really all that great, especially when she finds out her childhood best friend whom she hasn’t spoken to in ten years, Damon, is also a jury member. They’ve got some unfinished business to address plus some old feelings and new attraction to deal with, but fraternizing with other jurors could cause a mistrial. How the heck is Sydney supposed to focus on the case when Damon smells so good?

Fans of true crime stories and Bravo reality TV/Real Housewives will love this one!

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Perennial for the ARC. Available on May 20th!

What a fun read! Romance and a mystery. A true cozy mystery where our characters are never in danger, but still have skin in the game that keeps you invested!

“Courtroom Drama” was wildly entertaining and a great break from reality. The story was written well, with lovable characters and a drama filled (but light hearted) plot. You can expect mystery, romance, and a few chuckles while reading this book. A fantastic “can’t put down” read, especially for reality tv junkies or court room show junkies!

This book was a nice blend of romance, court drama and mystery. This is marketed as Legally Blonde meets The Real Housewives and I would say that's spot on.

I think the author did a good job with the pacing of the book and the characters. I was never bored and the characters were interesting. Sydney is a fun character to follow. She's flawed but very entertaining. The romance is a second chance and childhood friends to lovers which I think was executed well. Plus this had some great humor.

This would be a great beach or vacation read.

There were elements of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed - like the characters. They felt real and I felt connected to them.
Then the trial - I was so excited for this particular element of the plot and it fell short for me.

All in all this was a fun book and enjoyable.

I was hesitant after the dedication that maybe this book wasn't for me, because I'm definitely not a Bravoholic or even a reality TV fan...however, I loved it! The storyline kept you engaged with the multiple facets of it all. I enjoyed the actual courtroom drama, the sharing of the main characters' history together, their current (second chance) moments together...all of it. Definitely voiced my opinion (loudly to my Kindle) about the case and who I believed did the crime. I believe this truly is a book for all contemporary romance fans, but definitely the Real Housewives fans. This book covers some emotional subjects like infidelity, loss of a child/sibling, emotionally damaging homes, etc.

really well written book with some super dramatic situations and some very twisty shenanigans in the trial case. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

If you too watched Legally Blonde so many times it became part of your personality, I think you will love Courtroom Drama by Neely Tubati Alexander as much as I did. Sydney is over the moon that she got selected to be a juror for a very high profile case. Margot Kitsch, one of the leads in Authentic Moms of Malibu, (think The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) has been accused of murdering her husband. Sydney is certain she's innocent after years of watching the show and being a self proclaimed super fan. What she wasn't expecting though was for her old neighbor/best friend/first crush Damon, whom she hasn't seen in 10 years, to also be a juror. So while trying to be present in the trial Sydney is having a very hard time sorting all her past feelings about Damon with also some new ones as well. Courtroom Drama was such a great story. Slow burn romance, humor, likeable characters and of course as the title states some drama. There is a perfect balance of humor with heavier topics weaved in. Thank you so much Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. One of my favorite things about reading arcs is discovering wonderful new to me authors. I can't wait to now check out Neely's backlist.

Courtroom Drama by Neely Tubati Alexander had so much potential, but unfortunately, it didn’t deliver in the ways I was hoping. The premise is fantastic; jury duty meets reality TV scandal with a second chance romance thrown in? Sign me up! But the execution just fell flat.

The trial itself, which should have been the most gripping part, felt underdeveloped and ultimately unsatisfying in how it wrapped up. I wanted more twists, more tension, more depth to the case, but instead, it felt rushed and, at times, unrealistic. Sydney’s perspective as a juror was interesting, but the legal aspects didn’t hold up in a way that made the story feel immersive or believable, and she and her fellow jurors did things that... would not actually be okay for jurors to do.

Then there’s the romance. Sydney and Damon had potential, but their dynamic didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The tension from their past was there, but I never felt fully invested in their connection or why they were drawn back to each other. I also think the book leaned a bit too hard on pop culture references, which were fun but could make the story feel dated quickly.

I wanted to love this, but I needed more; more from the trial, more from the romance, and more from the execution overall. If you’re looking for a light, reality TV-inspired legal drama, this might work for you, but if you’re hoping for a gripping courtroom thriller or a good second chance romance, you might end up feeling underwhelmed like I did.

Thank you to NetGalley, Neely Tubati Alexander, and Harper Perennial for the eARC of this book.

The premise of Courtroom Drama—two jurors reconnecting during a reality TV star’s trial for murdering her husband—had potential, but the delivery fell flat for me. The pacing was slow, and I found myself skimming large portions of the book. The focus on the jurors’ childhood separation felt simplistic, and the gradual build-up of their reconnection was so drawn out that it ultimately felt weak. As someone who isn’t a fan of reality TV, I may not have been the ideal audience, but even beyond that, the story lacked the momentum to keep me engaged.

Thank you for the ARC e-read in exchange for my honest review.

I find that lately…contemporary romances are often missing the mark for me. I want to say it’s because I’m not the audience it is meant for but I am. I am a romance reader. However, stories like this have been leaving a lot to be desired.

I wanted salacious drama and what I got was lukewarm tea with a splash of spoiled milk

platform: netgalley ebook arc

I enjoyed this book. It was sort of Legally Blondish meets The Real Housewives. Sydney is placed on jury duty for a murder case of a reality star, Margot who was convicted of murdering her husband, Joe. Sydney is a huge fan of the show and she really wants to make sure Margot gets a fair trial, as she does not believe that she could ever do such a thing knowing what she knows based off of the show. When they show up the day of court and the other jurors meet each other, Sydney is faced with her childhood best friend/crush, Damon that broke her heart, who she hasn't seen or spoken too in 10 years. The story follows the trial and also Sydney and Damon getting reacquainted with each other. They have strict rules to not fraternize with each other outside of the court room and the jury is hauled off to a secluded hotel (if that's what you want to call it) away from everything. They have all their electronic devices and media taken away. Sydney realizes quickly how much goes into a trial and the mental exhaustion that comes along with it. She finds herself at times struggling with the trial all while Damon is sitting next to her every day in court. The two figure out ways to lean on each other while putting their past aside and try catching up with what each of them have been doing the last 10 years.

Overall, I felt this was pretty fast paced and I enjoyed following the trial along with them. It was interesting uncovering their past and what they each thought. I liked how they were in a way able to be there for each other through some of the difficulty times during the trial. I will say that the juror Cam was probably my favorite even though he was a side character he still had me giggling because of his immaturity and some of the things he said/did. I'm not sure I got the ending or the closure that I wanted from it, but overall I felt that it was a pretty good book.

This book offers a unique twist on the second chance romance trope by setting it against the backdrop of a high-profile murder trial. Sydney and Damon, once close but estranged for a decade, find themselves on the same jury, which adds an intriguing layer to their relationship. The courtroom drama is engaging and keeps you guessing about the defendant's guilt, making it a fun read. While the chemistry between the main characters could have been stronger, the story's emotional depth and the quirky details make up for it. Fans of reality TV and courtroom mysteries will likely enjoy this novel, and the ending leaves plenty to think about. Overall, it's an entertaining mix of romance and suspense.

A second chance trope mixed in with jury duty is not what I expected to read this year, but what a ride. Sydney and Damon wind up on the same jury of a high profile murder trial after being estranged for the last decade. I enjoyed getting insight on what happened to separate them and why they would be hesitant to start anything up between them. Also, the case was fun as well and trying to figure out whether the defendant was guilty or not.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

Fun premise for a love story and legal procedural. This would make such a great mini series on tv! I highly recommend!