Title: Seducing the Defendant
Series: The Conflict of Interest Series #2
Author: Chantal Fernando
Publisher: Gallery
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 14, 2017
New York Times bestselling author Chantal Fernando returns to her latest, steamy Conflict of Interest series with this electrifying tale of murder, justice, and intense attraction.
Jaxon Bentley is a hardnosed criminal lawyer whose entire life revolves around his work. He’s been asked to represent Scarlett Reyes, a woman accused of murdering her police officer husband in cold blood. All the evidence points to Scarlett being guilty and Jaxon is sure it’s an open and shut case.
But when he meets his client, he can’t help but feel that she’s innocent and that there’s more to the story than meets the eye. With a bit of digging, he uncovers a connection to the notorious Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club and realizes that Scarlett’s case is a complicated and difficult one. It certainly doesn’t help that the two share an immediate and passionate attraction. Will Jaxon be able to prove Scarlett’s innocence or are the two doomed to fail both in court and as a couple?
4 Stars
I'm a huge fan of Chantal Fernando's books in particular her Wind Dragons MC series, so I was incredibly eager to read Seducing the Defendant when I discovered the link between the two series'. Seducing the Defendant is the second title in the Conflict of Interest series, and revolves around Jaxon, a criminal defense attorney and Scarlett, a woman accused of murdering her husband.
The path for this pair is not an easy one full of intrigue, mystery, suspense and an element of danger. Forbidden to act on their mutual attraction due to it being a conflict of interest, the sexual tension builds between this pair as they embark on a friendship prior to becoming lovers.
Jaxon has a reputation in the courtroom, and he loves a challenge. He's an intelligent, sexy, alpha who doesn't back down in the courtroom, but outside of it he's incredibly sweet, kind and sensitive. I found Jaxon's character to be incredibly endearing and appealing.
Scarlett is a damaged individual who has had a difficult past, and she struggles to trust men. She's quite a vulnerable character, but has an inner strength that shines the further you progress into her tale. She's a sweet, gentle, kind character, and even though I struggled to connect with her character, I did quite enjoy seeing her develop over the course of the story line.
I thoroughly enjoyed the cameo appearance of several characters who have appeared in the Wind Dragons MC series. The secondary characters were quite fun and entertaining, and I enjoyed seeing more of Tristan and Kat who appeared in the first title Breaching the Contract. I will be eagerly looking forward to Hunter's story.
I found the ending to be quite abrupt after an event that is really quite heartbreaking.
Overall Seducing the Defendant is a sweet, sexy, emotion filled romance that I enjoyed with quite a few twists and turns that I didn't anticipate. I will be looking forward to the remaining titles in this series in the new year.
Releasing February 19, 2018
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Releasing April 17, 2018
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New York Times, Amazon and USA Today Bestselling Author Chantal Fernando is thirty years old and lives in Western Australia.
Lover of all things romance, Chantal is the author of the best selling books Dragon's Lair, Maybe This Time and many more.
When not reading, writing or daydreaming she can be found enjoying life with her three sons and family.
Chantal loves to hear from readers.