I was excited to follow Sydney as she dealt with drama and romance, this book definitely had me invested.

As someone whose guilty pleasure is watching hours of court cases on YouTube, Courtroom Drama was one that I instantly gravitated to when I saw the description. As I started reading, though, Sydney and Damon's story completely pulled me in; and while I loved the court scenes and seeing the case play out, their relationship was just as impactful, if not more so. These two childhood best friends, separated a decade prior to their unexpected reunion in jury duty, were written so well that it felt like they could step right off the page.

As the unresolved emotions from their friendship and budding romance as children and teens bubble up to the surface, their reunion is far from a dream - but they handle it in the messy, imperfect ways that we all do, and their story is so much better for it. They're such a great pair, and it's wonderful to see their development over the course of the book. And we can't forget the murder trial they're serving on the jury for! I won't spoil anything - but be prepared for quite the twist at the end :)

While I loved the pining, the stares, the yearning and handwritten secret notes I truly feel that this fictional couple may not last. Sometimes you read a book and it’s not clear how the couple will work out and it’s so disappointing to read. This story was written well. Sydney is getting her dream opportunity- being a juror on a high-profile case for a celebrity she loves from a housewives reality show. I’m not sure how they didn’t figure out she’s a superfan but she’s made her way in ready to defend the honor of her favorite rich housewife who is accused of murder. It involves being sequestered as well. In comes Damon who is her childhood best friend and maybe love. So begins some forced proximity that was actually kinda fun. However, there is not enough emotional payout. They have some trauma and unresolved issues that I felt needed more closure. Secret notes are passed and the details just glossed over. The few times we get the note transcripts I love it. Damon apparently is “better on paper” and I agree. His in-person behavior is just him being horny and wanting to be close to her while his words are beautiful. I would read a whole book of their notes.

The case in question was also very interesting. I loved the back and forth with the defense and prosecution. The evidence and witness testimony was written in a way that had me engrossed. I did not feel fully satisfied with the outcome and wonder if this is meant to be a start to a series? I would be interested in that but maybe with another couple. Not sure if this is the author’s first book but I’m excited to see what she does next. I do think there is potential.

Your HONOR that ending! This book was so good. The pinning, the tension, these characters, ugh. I LOVE THEM. I love a friends to lovers story more than the average person, I fear, but this was made even better by the second chance element. The pacing was so perfect and I loved the mix of the dual timeline, court case, and the hotel. These two characters are so deliciously flawed and real and I loved every second of this book.

This was a super fun read that I really, really enjoyed! It's such a unique concept, which drew me in and delivered. I found that the romance side of the story wrapped up nicely, but I found myself disappointed in the actual case/legal storyline.

The characters were fantastic in this one, and everyone held their weight, from the fellow jurors to the courtroom staff. I loved Sydney as a narrator. She was really funny, insightful, and relatable. Her backstory was so interesting, especially in the context of the Kitsch trial, which I really appreciated. Damon was an equally interesting character, and I occasionally found myself wishing we had his perspective on things, but that would have taken away from the tension of the trial.

Overall, this is a really fun, interesting read that combines romance with the legal system. I would definitely recommend!

I've read one other book by this author so was interested in checking out her newest book. The concept of former best friends reunited when both serving jury duty for the same high profile case was executed flawlessly. With each stage of the trial, you get an appropriate amount of details that are happening with the trial case while also getting snippets of their relationship either past or present. I found their relationship to be really believable: authentic in the way that you could see how and why they connected and were so close plus how they are really torn up in present day. This trial put me through all the feels with it's twists and turns. The author's use of altered versions of famous lines and digital billboard ads were absolute gold!

Enjoyable read. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Courtroom Drama by Neely Tubati Alexander is definitely for you if you're into crime and reality TV!

Courtroom Drama releases on May 20, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the cover and loved the chapter titles with the word and then the definitions. I thought that was super cute and unique. This is definitely not super true to life as far as trials go, but Alexander notes that she took creative liberties in the process for purposes of the story and we'll go with that!

Sydney Parks gets put on a jury - and it just so happens to the be the trial of the cast member of the hit reality show Authentic Moms of Malibu for the murder of her husband. Sydney is psyched, as she was obsessed with the show, and her reality becomes even crazier when Damon, her childhood best friend, is a member of the jury as well.

There's drama in and out of the courtroom - and this book hit on all of it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book! Below are my thoughts:

This book was such a fun surprise. I went into Courtroom Drama expecting a light, reality-TV-meets-courtroom-rom-com kind of story, and while it delivers on that, it also has a lot more heart than I expected. Sydney Parks is one of those characters you instantly click with. She's sharp, a little awkward, and fully aware that being picked for a jury in a case involving a Real Housewives-type star is wild. But things get even more interesting when she finds out that her old best friend, Damon, is also on the jury. They haven’t spoken in ten years, and there’s some unfinished business between them. The tension between Sydney and Damon felt real and earned. I loved how their history was slowly revealed, and the mix of unresolved feelings and new chemistry made it hard to put the book down. Their banter was charming without being over the top, and the emotional moments landed. The reality TV trial plot added a fun layer of chaos, and the courtroom scenes were more engaging than I expected. I thought Margot, the reality star on trial, was going to be one-note, but she ended up being more complicated and even a little tragic, which gave the story some nice depth. This is a great pick if you’re into second-chance romance with a twist, or if you enjoy stories that balance humor, heart, and a little bit of chaos. It made me laugh, swoon, and think a bit, too.

Rating: 4/5

I was so excited to read this book after living In A Perfect World, and the concept of following these jury members during a Real Housewives murder trial is just too fun to pass up. This book ended up being a lot sadder than I anticipated, and the main characters traumatic pasts were a core focus of the story. That said, I did very much enjoy the setting and the love story, even if there wasn’t the whimsy I was expecting.

3.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of Alexander’s writing style and realistic characters, so I was excited to read her newest release featuring a second chance romance between childhood neighbors/friends set within the context of a sensationalist murder trial. Have both the FMC and MMC on the jury added a nice bit of ‘forbidden’ angst as well. While I enjoyed the courtroom witness stand drama, I wanted more focus on Sydney and Damon’s prior separation and romance plotline than I got. This was still an enjoyable read, and the courtroom drama definitely held my attention, it just reads a bit more women’s fiction with a smaller romance subplot than Alexanders previous romance reads! As always, the on-page spice was tastefully done, and there is some great tension and banter! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for my early e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sydney, a corporate arbitrator by day, reality TV junkie by night, gets the opportunity of a lifetime to be a juror for a high profile celebrity case. What she doesn't expect is to arrive at the courthouse and get hit with her past in the form of her childhood best friend, Damon. As the case starts, Sydney finds herself evaluating her past and everything she thought she knew about the defendant.

This was a great look into how the actions of our parents can affect our relationships and who we become as people. We get a look into Damon and Sydney's lives, presently and their past together. I liked the court terms definitions as well as chapter previews in terms of a statement in the beginning of each chapter. The story reminded me of 12 Angry Men impassioned monologue included. The book had times of levity but overall, it was an interesting reflection of how we romanticize reality tv stars as well as how we take on our parents' baggage.

I did struggle with the pacing of the book, specifically Sydney and Damn's relationship. I felt more invested in the case and wish we had gotten more answers there. The ending makes me think there may be a sequel.

Overall, it was an interesting story and I enjoyed what brought Damon and Sydney back together.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @harperperennial for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

So I originally signed up for this ARC because I work in the judicial system and I thought this would be a fun read.

I really enjoyed the chapter format where it would start with a court term and have it defined, and then there would be a second definition relating to the story itself. It was a fun way to transition between chapters.

The chemistry between Sydney and Damon is tangible and I’m not one for a cozy or light romance, but I definitely enjoyed their relationship and growth as individuals and also as love interests.

The court aspect of the book was also a familiar, and fun way to drive the plot while including the romance as well. I like a good legal thriller, and now I know that I enjoy a legal cozy romance too! The court room details weren’t super serious or anything but it for with the story and I liked the perspective of the main characters being on the jury and seeing how the characters would navigate a friends to lovers vibe and handle being on a murder trial jury.

Definitely check it out if you need a lighter read with some courtroom drama and romance!

A lighthearted forced proximity, forbidden, second chance romance involving two former summer camp friends who find themselves serving as jurors on the same LA celebrity murder trial. I liked the courtroom drama premise - there was lots of great Elle Woods moments that I enjoyed but to be honest I could have done with more relationship/romance moments and a little less court case moments. An okay read for me - lots of feel-good fun with a slightly predictable ending. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

The book is really intriguing and the plot has two stories. Sydney has been selected as a jury for the high profile case. Margot has been arrested after the death of Joe, her husband. So expect the insightful courtroom procedurals and then Sydney also meets Damon, another jury member and whom she hasn’t seen in ten years. Their friendship ended abruptly in the past but now they meet, there is so much to catch up on and so much to talk about. They rebuild their bond. And so much happens between them. As Margot’s trials are going on, she must draw a line between her growing fondness for Damon and the case.

If you like character driven books with slow burn romance and courtroom drama, read this book

Thanks to the Publisher.

📖 Title: Courtroom Drama-a standalone

✍🏾 Author: Neely Tubati Alexander- Read Love Buzz and gave it 4*

📅Publication date: 5/20/25 | Read 5/17/25

📃 Format: e-Book 352 pgs.

Genre:
*Adult Fic
*Contemporary Romance
*Mystery

Tropes:
*family drama
*estranged friends to lovers
*2nd chance romance
*slow burn
*forced proximity
*reality tv fandom-Think any of The Real Housewives shows
*childhood BFFs/neighbors
*court room/sequestered jury
*divorce/separation

👆🏾POV: 1st person single

⚠️TW: child abuse, cheating (not H/h), drug use, child's death, miscarriage

🌎 Setting: LA-Superior Court

Summary: Sydney is called for jury duty in a high-profile case of The Malibu Menace AKA Margot Kitsch. She starred in Authentic Moms of Malibu (AMOM)- a reality TV show that Syd and her roommate Mel are superfans. Damon was Syd's neighbor and childhood BFF but lost contact for ten years. When Syd arrives at court Damon is a juror too. They can't communicate during court, so they leave notes for each other and rekindle their crushes.

👩🏾 Heroine: Sydney "Syd" Parks-26, a corporate mediator

👨🏾 Hero: Damon Bradburn-26, a transportation engineer

🎭 Other Characters:

* Margot Kitsch-OG reality TV star on Authentic Moms of Malibu (AMOM). Accused of killing her husband Joe Kitsch
* Mel-Syd's roommate, a watercolorist
*Mallory Bradburn-Damon's mother
*Kara-Damon's sister
*Ken Frankel-Margot's estranged father
*Emblem + Dover-Margot and Joe's children
*Gen-Syd's half-sister, 5 mos. old.

🤔 My Thoughts: It was a little too long and the courtroom witnesses weren't shocking me with gossip. I would rather they stuck to what caused their separation and how they moved on for ten years apart. Both Syd and Damon had issues to work through, but together they just made sense.

Rating: 3/5 ✨
Spice level 3/5 🌶️open door, nothing too graphic

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Perennial, and Neely Tubati Alexander for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

I have to say I really enjoyed this book - just NOT as a romance. It felt more like a legal drama with romance on the side. I enjoyed the story and the characters and the friendship and the drama. The characters are quirky and I found myself laughing along at some of the Bravo references and shenanigans.

Sydney was so excited to get picked to be on a high profile jury…but she soon found out being sequestered isn’t so great and Damon, her childhood friend is on the jury too…

I did enjoy the forbidden element between Sydney and Damon, but I felt their chemistry was a little flat. The trial itself was interesting and I was definitely hooked on the legal scenes!

If you go into this expecting a traditional romcom/romance you might be a little disappointed - but don’t let that stop you from giving this a read!!

I really enjoyed the trial aspect of this book. It was a super unique to me position for the main characters to be in while exploring a second chance connection. The trial itself was interesting, though I had a hard time understanding how something with little evidence and no actual sign of murder could make it to a trial in the first place. Definitely some suspense of belief for me there! Sydney and Damon’s backstory was super tragic, and it was interesting seeing them be forced together again. Some of their interactions felt dragged on and repetitive, but pieces of the plot saved that from ruining the story for me. The ending was great and honestly a perfect wrap to the trial. Thanks to Harper Perennial for an early copy!

I enjoy reality tv, true crime, and romance which made Courtroom Drama very appealing to me. Sydney loves to watch Authentic Moms of Malibu so when she gets the chance to serve as a juror on one of the AMOMs trial for the death of her husband she is understandably excited. I found this to be a bit long in places and was frustrated by some of Syd’s thought processes and decisions. I wasn’t a fan of the ending. Overall, not bad but not my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved Neely’s first 2 books and will continue to read anything she writes. This novel is a bit of a deviation in that it reads like romantic women’s fiction rather than rom com or contemporary romance. I enjoyed the reunited childhood friends love story much more than the courtroom scenes and trial. And I definitely had to suspend reality with the trial part - the fact that a reality star’s super fan made it onto the jury probably would not happen in real life. I don’t watch those types of reality shows, so I didn’t connect with the plot and characters like I wanted. However, I’m sure others will love this unique love story. I appreciate unusual books like this in the romance genre, and can’t wait to see what Neely writes next.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I applaud the author for coming up with this original story. This is definitely a unique story that readers will either find quirky or dislike entirely.

I landed in the "dislike" zone for this book. Despite its original material, it falls short in the romance. If anything this is more "courtroom drama" if anything.

The court aspect had its appeal but at times I had to step back and remind myself that it was fictional because the FMC realistically shouldn't have been on the jury. She had so much bias, and it def showed.

This is either a hit or miss and for me, it was a miss.