OMG! Thrilling, Heartbreaking, Intense,

I have to start out by saying that I loved this book but it's not the type of story I'd usually read. I normally only read romance stories, and mostly only gay romance, but something about the book's description grabbed me. I picked it up from NetGalley and I'm so glad that I did. I loved it so much that I ended up buying a copy, too.

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. The blurb really tells it all but it can't begin to convey how heart-breaking the story would be. I've always loved watching shows like Law and Order so I found the details of the trial, fact gathering, investigation, etc. very compelling.

I really feel like I can't say too much for fear of giving too much away. The only thing I'm going to say is this: Grace Mead, I implore you to write a sequel.

I LOOOOOOOOOOVED this book!!!! Gay characters AND a court/crime scene, mixed with a situation that you could find yourself in? SIGN ME UP. This has been my fav book so far of 2019, which I know it's early, but I absolutely loved it. I can't wait to read the next one that Grace Mead releases, you have a new fan. Absolutely fantastic work!

This was an interesting legal thriller. The author’s vivid description of New Orleans is on point and transports you there. I was engaged from page 1 and enjoyed reading of the trial. This book has you run through many emotions as you follow Matt on this legal journey. Thanks to Clink Street Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley.

This novel covers topics from LBGQT, legal issues, jury selection, courtroom drama, and prison life. It is well written and keeps the reader interested. There are a lot of important issues which are addressed.

This is a very captivating book. It is set before marriage equality, but the themes are still valid. The characters are very real, you care about them almost from the first paragraph. The writing style is smooth and engaging. A great read!

Well written legal novel. Characters were well fleshed out, if somewhat predictable. Not a surprise ending, but a satisfying one.

This is a disturbing book, taking a strong look at what homophobia has led to through a fictional story of how self defense gets turned into something very ugly. The characters are excellent, but in some ways, the message is pushed so strongly that it gets in the way of the story. On the other hand, it's a tale that more of us should understand in the current political climate, which could take us backwards into the situations depicted by Ms. Mead.

Defense of An Other is quite a tale. The book hits home in so many ways, because our leading man is swept up in this tragic tale through no fault of his own. A night out, minding his own business turns into a nightmare that threatens to ruin his life. The effects of this chain of events leads to a thrilling trial, a reminder of the importance of family, ultimately gives us a shining example of someone doing what they have to do to survive.

I really enjoyed this book. It hit on so many emotions. To think that this actually does take place makes it very sad. I have never read this author before but you have written a great book, thanks!

This was a very good book. The topic is certainly timely -- discrimination based on sexual orientation. The basic plot is that Matt Durant, a lawyer who is attracted to men, but who has not acted on those feelings and is uncertain as to whether he is gay, goes to a gay bar to try to help sort out his feelings. At the bar, he is chatted up by a guy named Joey and they spend their time talking, drinking, and dancing. When they are in the alley behind the bar relieving themselves (bathroom lines are too long), they are confronted by three men who attack them because of the assumption that they are gay. Matt, who has training in boxing, accidentally kills one of the attackers while trying to defend himself and Joey (who has already been severely injured). However, the police officer who responds to the scene is negligent in how he processes the scene and interviews the witnesses and the remaining two attackers and Joey, who has a criminal history and was in possession of cocaine, claim that Matt and Joey were in the alley so that Matt could purchase cocaine, that the three guys intervened to stop the drug sale, and that Matt killed one of the guys in order to protect his job and reputation.

During jury selection, several prospective jurors stated they believed that people who were gay were less trustworthy, but they were allowed to be seated as jurors. However, the prosecutor used a peremptory challenge to remove the one openly gay prospective juror. Matt is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. The first half of the book focuses on the events in the alley, events leading up to the trial, and the trial itself, as well as a developing friendship between Matt and a fellow gay lawyer named Eric. The second half of the book focuses on Matt's time in prison, in particular the actions he takes to survive, and his appeals of his conviction.

One thing that I particularly liked about the book is that it feels like it could be a real court case. The author is a lawyer, which certainly makes it easier to portray the legal process accurately, but there is plenty of legal fiction written by lawyers where the lawyer/author over-dramatizes things or takes short cuts to advance the particular plot of the story. In this book, the author tries to make it as realistic as possible, including the lengthy delays in having appeals heard and decided, and unfavorable determinations being made at times because that is what the current state of the law requires. There are certainly some aspects of the story that are implausible, but it is a work of fiction and focusing too much attention on certain aspects of the story in order to make them more realistic would have distracted from the overall storyline and message.

Regardless of one's personal opinion on homosexuality, I would hope that the vast majority of people would agree that gay criminal defendants deserve as fair a trial as possible, including having jurors who are not openly prejudicial or who believe that being gay makes a defendant less credible and not having prospective jurors excluded based on sexual orientation. As the author notes in the afterword, this protection has yet to be recognized as constitutionally mandated under the 14th Amendment, but there have been some court decisions that have held that heightened scrutiny was required when a prospective juror appears to have been excluded based on sexual orientation.

In the afterword, the author states that she is transgender, but that she chose a gay protagonist instead of a transgender protagonist because for most of the years she worked on the book (starting in 2007, with self-publication under a different title in 2011, and then rewriting it in recent years), she did not believe that straight readers would have been sympathetic or accepting of the main character; a fear that is strongly based in reality. Unfortunately, while attitudes towards the transgender population are slowly changing, it is likely that even in early 2019, a book with a transgender protagonist would likely not receive the same respect and interest as a book with a non-transgender protagonist, especially among a more mainstream reading audience. However, I am curious as to how the author would have structured the book differently had she chosen a transgender protagonist.

If you enjoy legal fiction, if you are interested in legal arguments regarding constitutional protections related to sexual orientation and how those arguments might play out in a "real life" situation, or if you just enjoy a creative story with a compelling plot, "Defense of an Other" is a worthwhile read.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

It started out as a great read but I just found some of the content as boring. I love the law and reading about it in a fictional sense was great but somewhat to technical. I just found it odd that a man, who has been in a relationship long term would suddenly find men attractive. It was well written, educational, it just was not my cup of tea when it comes to books. There seemed to be some emotion missing when it comes to Matt and his mother. I just didn't feel the connection in the book. I would recommend this book to others, it is a great read, it just lost something to me.

Attorney Matt Durant has a bad encounter that leads to an even rougher court case. All of Matt's life is now on display and his career may be over. Fast paced story with well developed characters.

Defense of An Other was a very good book. I was intrigued by the wording of the title, and soon realized why it was worded this way. That said, if you are offended by LBGQT, this book might not be for you. However, this is about the rights of an individual and how that can often times be swayed by bias. Begins with a young attorney, Matt, who is confused about who is, and how his ingrained goodness gets him into a whole lot of trouble being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The majority of the book has to do with the workings of the legal system and the trial. It also focuses on how turned around a person's life can become when facts are twisted. But Matt continues to strive to be the good person he was raised to be even in the most difficult of circumstances when his life depends on who he is and what he can do to stay alive. I enjoy books that deal with "legalese" topics and the intricacies of courtroom drama. Worth the read for sure! Thank you to NetGalley, author and publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, which this was. #DefenseOfAnOther

2.5 or 3 stars. I thought this book lacked focus; it was trying to be too many things at once: a legal fiction, a look at injustice in our legal system, a look at the hazards LGBTQIA folks risk in daily life and in prison. As a look at the legal system and the ways police investigations and trials can be biased against someone, it was pretty good. For me, however, there was a bit too much legal jargon--it's clear the author is a lawyer! As a novel, I thought it fell short mostly in the characters and the dialogue. Nobody felt real, even the main character, Matt. Their interactions seemed stiff and everybody felt like an example of a type of person: the friendly and supportive coworker, the religious mother who loves her son no matter what, the prison gang leader, etc. It felt like the author was taking a legal case and trying to put a human face to it, but it needed more of the humanity. I wanted the story to be about Matt, for the author to let me become Matt while reading it, and to feel what he felt, but that never happened.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

This is a solid 4.5 stars, raised to a 5. Matt Durant is a young attorney working at a successful practice in New Orleans. He had recently broken up following a long term relationship with a girlfriend who left the area. The breakup and the fact that he had always been attracted to men led him to wonder whether he was gay. He goes clubbing one night on his own and end up at a gay bar where he meets a man who makes a play for him. After a long night of drinking and talking the two men go into the alley behind the bar where they are accosted by three men. Matt, who is an experienced boxer, goes after one of the men and the man dies as a result of his actions. There is an arrest and trial, all of which are well covered by the novel, followed by an incarceration at Wheaton, a State prison on the grounds of Angola, while the case is being appealed ultimately to the US Supreme Court. I will not go into any of this, fascinating though it is, because of spoilers, but I highly recommend the novel as a gripping read. At many times I found myself wondering if there may not be a lot of reality in this piece of fiction. Thanks to Net Galley and Clink Street for an e-Galley for an honest review.

Defense of an other was a very good read. It did a good job of keeping me interested from start to finish. Interesting story of a young man who gets in a jam that was not his fault. He is unfairly accused of first degree murder and goes on trial for this. A huge portion of the book is devoted to the trial. I have a personal liking of courtroom dramas so this book was quite interesting to me. I would certainly recommend this book as an entertaining read.
My only disappointment, a very small one, was that I hoped for more than Matt just getting his case reopened. The book certainly indicates that the charges against him were really unfair so I would have liked to a conclusion that clearly rectified this.

Thank you to Grace Mead and Clink Street Publishing for a copy of this AMAZING novel.

Amazingly well written, fast paced, can't put this down even though you need to be up in a few hours book!! I absolutely loved this book, and can't wait to read more by Grace Mead.

Defense of an Other, written by Grace Mead is a fictional legal thriller of sorts, but not in the real sense. In my opinion, this book could definitely read as a nonfiction book. Defense of an Other will keep you on the edge of your seat in ways that you won't anticipate. After reading the synopsis of this book I knew exactly what the book was about, the law, how it is, at times, behind the times, unfair to some communities and biased. This book was exceptionally well written and thought out, paying particular attention to the period and the social issues of those times. The characters were well developed and stayed true to themselves throughout the book. I was easily able to relate and feel empathy for the main character. I do not think that you need to be part of the LGBTQ community to enjoy this book. Actually, I think that this book can help people see that we all have a responsibility to all communities to ensure they are treated equally including when it pertains to our judicial system.

Matt Durant, the main character, is a successful lawyer who is struggling with his sexuality and is attempting to explore his sexual orientation by going to a gay bar. Through a series of unfortunate events, Matt kills a man and is then put on trial. The author through her writing enables the reader to feel the happiness, sadness, compassion and sheer willpower to overcome the ignorance that her characters experience in this book. I felt entirely connected to Matt as a person. Mead did not make this man perfect, far from it, he definitely had flaws, but in my mind, it made his character more believable and relatable. As a mother, I could feel the depth that Matt’s mother felt for what her son had to go through, not just during the trial but also with his struggle to acknowledge that he was gay. The relationship that the two shared was extraordinary, and the author captures it perfectly.

I found the trial part of the book fascinating, and the detail that the author put into this part of the book was terrific. The constitutional questions that the author set forth and the way she did it was pure genius. My favorite part was the back and forth dialogue between Matt’s lawyer, Farrar, and Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Scalia and Justice Ginsburg. I felt this part gave the reader an accurate glimpse into the Supreme Court's process

Defense of an Other engaged me on so many levels I was unable to put it down and read it in about three days, I am a slow reader, so that is pretty fast for me. This is the type of book I will remember for a long time to come. It is not an easy book to stomach because of all the bigotry and hate, but it is so worth it to experience how the human spirit can rise above it all. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

***I kindly received a copy of this book by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion .***

I enjoyed this book until the very end. Then I was left hanging. I really dilike when I am not given a full ending. I know I could use my imagination to figure it out but I want the complete story from the authors eyes. There are parts that are completely unbelievable but that is my opinion.

I really wanted to love this book...I'm always interested in books about a trial. I thought the premise was good so I was anxious to read it. It wasn't that I didn't like the book so much as I thought it read like a courtroom trial stenographer's notes. I usually enjoy books giving a slice of life in a prison but again, I felt like it was a manuscript for what to do and what to look for in prison. I felt like it was printing the transcript and adding some talking to make it seem more like a novel.