Courtroom Drama by Neely Tubati Alexander blends reality TV and legal drama in a contemporary romance with touches of humour. I love how the author was able to infuse both emotional depth and humour into this book. It all made for an engaging and enjoyable read. I also liked the chapter headers (1. Educative 2. Funny).
I got the ARC from Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Perennial via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are mine

I was lucky to receive an advance digital copy of Courtroom Drama by Neely Tubati Alexander — a smart, genre-blending novel that surprised and delighted me. While it's categorized as contemporary/rom-com, the story skillfully weaves in elements of courtroom drama (true to its title) and emotional depth.

The plot centers around the high-profile trial of a famous reality star accused of murdering her husband. There is also the compelling subplot involving two jurors who share a complicated past - one of them, a die-hard reality TV fan - and the the story follows the pair as they reconnect a decade later and serve on the same jury.

This was my first time reading the rom-com genre, having discovered Neely's writing last year — and I’m so glad this was my introduction. Neely's book is excellently written. Neely does a fantastic job with character development, creating relatable characters while also maintaining a level of intrigue about 'what lies beneath.'

Courtroom Drama offered a much-needed escape from reality and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who loves the genre, as well as those (like myself prior to reading it) who haven't previously dived in.

P.S. Thank you to NetGalley and Neely Tubati Alexander for the opportunity to read an advance copy!

3.5 stars

This book is basically two stories. One, the trial of a reality star of which Sydney is a juror. Two, the reuniting of Sydney with Damon, someone she hasn't seen in ten years and who is also on the jury. While these two stories are woven together into Courtroom Drama it made for a lot to keep track of.

Personally my favorite story was the trial of Margot. The chapters about the trial and all the drama in the courtroom were easy and fun to read. I really didn't care much about the romance brewing between Sydney and Damon. I did like reading some of their backstory though. Not all of it. Just some of it.

Sydney and Damon were ok as far as characters go. I never felt a really strong connection to either of them. I thought some of their hijinks were a little far-fetched for a sequestered jury. Once again, I found myself enjoying the courtroom characters more.

The pacing of this book was a mix of slow and fast. I was a bit bored with the Sydney and Damon scenes but couldn't get enough of the courtroom. (See a pattern here?)

I think I would have enjoyed this book more had it just been about the trial. It was interesting to see how Sydney dealt with seeing one of her favorite reality stars on trial and how her perception of Margot changed throughout.

This wasn't a bad book. It just wasn't the rom-com I was expecting. There was also not enough of the trial I found myself enjoying.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you, NetGalley, Neely Tubati Alexander, and HarperCollins Publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So admittedly, I didn’t know this was going to be more of a drama. Am I dumb because it is in the title? Mayhaps. I thought this would be a rom-com based on the description, but boy was I WRONG. This is basically a drama with a romance subplot. Which isn’t bad, don’t get me wrong! But not what I was expecting, nor what I was in the mood for. Nevertheless, I found myself enjoying the love that this main character has for reality television and what she feels is her call to ensure justice occurs. Her life was much more complex and had a strong parallel to the court case she is a jury on. And I loved the overlapping conflict that mounted tension with her best friend from her formative years that comes back into her life for this case.

It was a bit vulnerable, reflective, and educational (with all the legal definitions). And I enjoyed the main characters ability to self-reflect well and be aware of her own bias. But I just wanted MORE. More humor from our sparse glimpses from side characters, more romance with our hottie, neighbor bestie, and just way more drama on her side of things.

I did really love the twist that drives home a sneaking suspicion at the end.

Would I recommend this to most? Probably not. BUT if you are someone who loves reality television and the drama genre of fiction, you would undoubtedly love this. You would likely be imagining your favorite house wives and the likely case that would occur should one of them be accused of killing their husband.

Courtroom Drama is a great second chance romance. Syd and Damon are both characters that you want to win and find their shot at happiness together. Also, if you are a fan of reality TV and in particular, Real Housewives, you are going to love how spot on the references are and how these ladies act. Every single Easter egg made me smile and I bet I even missed some! I highly recommend this for a fun, steamy read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

First of all, huge props to the author for such a unique setting for a romance novel. I could have hardly imagine a romance set among jurors sequestered together!

However, because of this unconventional setting there was a lot going on and I feel the romance doesn't get a chance to develop properly. There were several characters to keep track of- jurors, the people on trial/witnesses apart from the main characters. This book was trying to be all at once- reality TV, romance, courtroom drama some mystery etc. - and I think because of that it was difficult to keep track of the broad story arc. Also, for the most part there is a lot of internal monologue and back story for the FMC, which gives less room for the actual romance to develop between the two characters.

Overall, I love the author's writing style and look forward to her next!

#CourtroomDrama #NetGalley

This was such a fun book! I really enjoyed it, and if you’re considering, definitely recommend picking it up.

First, it was such a unique premise. We’ve all thought about what it would be like to be on the jury of one of the biggest trials of the year, what it’s like to be sequestered with your fellow jurors, etc - but I never even considered a torrid romance coming out of it!

This has it all - friends first, forbidden love, forced proximity, reconciliation - and it’s all wrapped up in such an interesting court case.

If you like reality TV, or court cases, or just salacious stories, this is a must read.

I would have enjoyed this title more if it had focused on the trial at the center of the story rather than the romance between the two jurors. The chemistry between Sydney and Damon felt flat, and the tension from their past relationship added little to the narrative. Overall, I was hoping for a more compelling novel filled with courtroom drama and came away disappointed.

Courtroom Drama was a super interesting premise (love story within a jury) that never quite landed for me. I am not a Real Housewives fan, but I get the sense that those who are might enjoy the commentary about the case a bit more than I did. I was a little annoyed by the investment that Sydney made into the show’s characters- get back to the love story already. It was mostly enjoyable though I think the romance was a little less developed than I would have hoped. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

This book read like a dream! I loved it so much oh my goodness.

This gorgeous, gorgeous novel follows a cast of characters as they are selected to be on a jury during a high profile murder investigation. BUT two of them know one anotherrrr.

The writing was so good I can’t believe this was a debut. I’m constantly in awe of people who can write such superb stories and characters. The plot of the book takes us through the entirety of the trial but sprinkles in some lightheartedness and background on the two main characters. It was tender and sweet - feels like it’s hard to say that when murders involved but as we learn from this book, two things can in fact be true at once. The final chapters of this book had my heart squeezing in my chest. Just yay

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.