Jan 2021 – Page 4 – LGBTQ+ Reader

3.5 stars.

The second part in the Monica Spade series, Monica is just settling in after having started her own law practice with her other colleagues who also escaped the misogynistic, homophobic practice they were previously at.

Monica doesn’t specialises in criminal law, yet she finds herself requested by the court to act as standby counsel for Stela – a female student at the local university who has been arrested for murdering her boyfriend.

I enjoyed the premise of the book. I’m a fan of queer law/crime based books and wasn’t previously aware of the concept of a standby counsel, so I found this refreshing. The interactions Monica has with Stela are both strangely amusing and kind of creepy, adding another dimension to the book.

The case isn’t straightforward and brings unexpected elements into Monica’s life, including some stalking and some of the acronym based law enforcement agencies. These inclusions were done well, stoking but not over-exaggerating conspiracy theories.

One of my frustrations with the book was the length. There were times where things could have been shortened as they repeated things that had previously happened. For instance this happens when counsellors are undertaking their closing arguments. I found myself skimming over these sections.

Monica’s interactions with non-crime related characters were a little hit and miss. Her relationships with her colleagues are well written. There was a bit of a jealously sub plot with her girlfriend and her girlfriend’s ex that left me feeling a little strange about the HEA.

I’d definitely be interested in a third part to this series if it happens and would recommend anyone who likes some queer romance and lawyers combined to give this series a go.

I received an e-ARC via BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. An enjoyable easy read. Waters has become a reliably enjoyable author for me and I liked how this one is again completely different from the book before.

Elle is failing at Edina magazine. She cares more about partying and recovering from hangovers than pitching good ideas. When she feels her job threatened she’s forced to come up with a job saving idea on the fly. Her bright idea – a profile of one of the most reclusive business successful business women – Alya Goldstein.

I found the first part of book to be awkward in that we know the big secret, that Elle has fallen into Alya’s life due to her deception and need for the story, so when they start to fall for each other it made me anxious as I was waiting for the moment that would inevitably cause hurt. However it’s cleverly written in that there is still a lot of honesty when you look for it.

Whilst I didn’t enjoy the deception as such, I liked the premise in that it wasn’t one I’ve encountered personally in this way before in queer fiction. A byproduct of the deception meant that the conflict between the two had a genuine reason to happen and Waters didn’t continue it any longer than necessary, which I found to be a relief.

I liked that Elle’s relationship with her best friend is brutally honest and truthful, in perfect contrast to the beginning of her relationship with Alya. Alya’s relationship with her grandmother mirrors this. Both of these relationships force each of the MCs to explore things more honestly.

I would recommend this to any queer romance fans.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Month: Jan 2021

Standby Counsel – Alexi Venice

The Real Story – Sienna Waters