AMAZING!!

I can't write much because it'd all be spoilers and this book is too well done to spoil - just read it!

The commentary is so artful, so well done - *chef's kiss.* It's subtle and beautiful and just knocks you over.

The characters are so real and multidimensional and fascinating - they're very different from me, but I understand them all.

I could *NOT* put this down. I'm not even a thriller fan, but I was so hooked from the get-go and there's just twist after twist, reveal after reveal, making this so much more complex and interesting than it seemed (which is saying something, because it started off strong).

AHHHHHHH I'm just sad it's over. Read it!

Thanks, NetGalley and Macmillan, for the free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review (I've given 2 star reviews to ARCs before, so my love of this book has nothing to do with the early read).

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the chance to listen to an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Intern by Michele Campbell will be released on October 3rd, 2023.


This was an excellent book, and, honestly, I found the plot to be so unique. We have a corrupt justice system, a law intern who is trying to help her brother, and, of course, some murder. I listened to the story via audiobook, which I think helped with the immersion into the story. I was literally on the edge of my seat throughout the whole story, couldn't stop listening!

If you are looking for an engaging read that is a little more different than the usual court procedural/thriller book, definitely consider picking this one up! Also, for a debut book? Excellent.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!
The Intern is an intriguing tale of deceit, karma, and the lengths one will go to for family. Dual POVs and parts taking place in the distant past, not so distant past and present this book had me on edge of my seat wondering who to believe, who to trust and hoping for the best possible outcome for the characters. Some of the character decisions were frustrating in the beginning, but rang true with their motives. A satisfying read that will keep you ping-ponging on which characters to root for and have you on edge to the very end.

The Intern by Michele Campbell
Narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christensen

This was a popcorn thriller for me, it was an entertaining nailbiter but I also threw my popcorn at the screen in my head since the Madison and her brother, Danny, were too naive for words. At least at the beginning of the book, surely they've learned a few life lessons by the end of the book. Sometimes smart doesn't translate to having common sense.

Madison Rivera has the chance to intern for Judge Kathryn Conroy and Madison can't stand to give up that chance. But her brother, Danny, has just been arrested and the judge for the case is Conroy. Madison already has a big chip on her shoulder concerning her brother. She resents that their mother seems to always put him first and expects Madison to do so, too. I can see where Madison and Danny got their bad decision making skills. Madison is between a rock and a hard place with the demands to do whatever her mother tells her to do and not blowing up her law career.

So with a bit of omitting of vital information, fibbing, and other not good ideas, now Madison is Conroy's intern and the hot water she was in has started to boil. As we are watching Madison realize she's in a mess she can't get out of, we get to see things from Conroy's POV and her position isn't a good one, either. She's been in trouble for a very long time. Are Madison and Conroy on such opposing sides that one will have to go down to to save the other? Will both of them end up on the losing end of a bad situation getting worse? Is there any hope of saving both of them? I'm not sure everything that happens in this story is plausible so I didn't think too hard about the legal details. This is an action packed, nerve-wracking thriller that seems to have no good answers. The narration is very good with the men sounding like men even though the narrator is a woman, so I will be sure to look for this narrator, again.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a fast paced legal thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I had both a digital copy as well as an audiobook. The narration was wonderful on the audiobook. This book was unputdownable, and kept me up past my bedtime because I just had to know what was going to happen next. Solid legal thriller!

In The Intern, Madison has scored an elite position as an intern working in a Federal Judge’s chambers. But Madison has a secret: her brother has pending charges in front of the very same judge. But Judge Kathryn Conroy has secrets of her own, secrets that she desperately wants to stay buried. As Madison and the judge circle each other in an attempt to get to the whole truth and nothing but the truth, outside parties are at play to pit them against each other- but if they both want to come out of this encounter alive, they might have to work together instead.

This concept grabbed my attention from the first I heard of the book, partially because I love a good cat-and-mouse thriller, but also because the plot strikes very close to my day job working in the justice system. The Intern is a whip-smart dual-POV novel that will have you questioning everything that you’ve read in order to suss out the truth. The story is told in five parts, alternating between present and past events from Madison and Kathryn’s perspectives. While the layout of the book was fascinating, I did find it a bit confusing to follow along with, especially in audio format. If there were different narrators for each POV, I think it would have assuaged the confusion. As it was, it was difficult to keep up with who in the story knew what.

I really enjoyed reading this and binged the entire book in a single day. I would recommend this to legal thriller readers, provided that you can suspend your disbelief if needed. It's fiction! It's not meant to be exactly like real life! Live a little!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review of The Intern, which publishes on October 3rd.

I enjoyed this twisty thriller - I listened to it and really liked the narrator.

Madison is in law school and admires one of her teachers, a judge named Kathryn Conroy. Madison's brother has recently been wrongly accused and sent to jail for drug charges, and Madison's mother is hoping she can sway the Judge to help. Madison becomes an intern for the Judge, and soon develops a closer relationship with her.

This book is full of twists and went in directions I did not expect. Overall it kept me guessing, and I enjoyed the ending.

Madison is an endearing character, and it is hard to watch her make missteps. A lot of the characters in the book are pretty shady and unlikeable, which adds to the suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook copy. I have read every one of Michele Campbell’s books. So I was extremely excited to be allowed to hear the advance copy of her newest novel. I really enjoyed the book. It had a lot of twists and turns. The narrator did an excellent job, and was easy to understand.

Madison lands the internship of her dreams working for Judge Kathryn Conroy, but Madison has a secret that could ruin her career before it even starts. Her brother has been arrested and Kathryn is the judge on his case. But when he goes missing, Madison digs into the life of Kathryn, and nothing is as it seems.

The Intern is a fast-paced legal thriller that can be easily read in a sitting or two. I received this as an audiobook ARC and even ended up buying a hard copy through book of the month. I am not normally into legal thrillers but this one is good. I enjoyed seeing how the relationship between Madison and Kathryn played out. The betrayal... the secrets... it keeps you hanging on every word. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing this story to life. If you are into legal thrillers or are looking to get into them, I suggest you pick this one up and give it a shot.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and the chance to listen and review it honestly.

Happy reading!

Five reasons to read The Intern By Michele Campbell- A review at novellives.com

https://www.novellives.com/2023/09/11/the-intern-by-michele-campbell-review/

Read if you like:
⚖️ Legal/political dramas
⚖️ Cat-and-mouse thrillers
⚖️ Multiple viewpoints
⚖️ Nonlinear timelines

Madison Rivera is a successful Harvard law student who has just landed the internship of a lifetime working for Judge Kathryn Conroy, a woman Madison has idolized since she was a young girl. It is a dream-come-true, but Madison has a secret that could destroy her legal career before it even begins. Her young brother, Danny, has been indicted on federal drug charges, and Judge Conroy is the federal judge assigned to his case. Madison decides not to tell anyone about her brother, but she’s not the only one in Chambers keeping secrets. Danny accuses Judge Conroy of corruption and then goes missing. As Madison digs into the judge’s life, she quickly learns that not everything is as at seems.

As an attorney, I often find it difficult to read legal thrillers, but this was a very well-written and compelling book. The story is told from the viewpoints of Madison and Kathryn, two strong female characters. From Kathryn’s point of view, we delve into her past and learn about the struggles she faced and the difficult choices she had to make in her career. The book started off slow but really picked up throughout Kathryn’s POV, especially in the last 20% of the story. There is a lot of legal and political drama in this book, but it was never too over-the-top or far-fetched, although it toed the line at times. This was a compelling and fast-paced page-turner that I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

<i> A young Harvard law student falls under the spell of a charismatic judge in this timely and thrilling novel about class, ambition, family and murder.

Madison Rivera lands the internship of a lifetime working for Judge Kathryn Conroy. But Madison has a secret that could destroy her career. Her troubled younger brother Danny has been arrested, and Conroy is the judge on his case. When Danny goes missing after accusing the judge of corruption, Madison’s quest for answers brings her deep into the judge’s glamorous world. Is Kathryn Conroy a mentor, a victim, or a criminal? Is she trying to help Madison or use her as a pawn? And why is somebody trying to kill her? As the two women circle each other in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game, will they save each other, or will betrayal leave one of them dead? </i>

This was a fast-paced, quick read that I enjoyed flying right through. Enough twists and suspense to keep it interesting, and I especially enjoyed that the two main characters were both strong women, but also imperfect. They managed to be flawed yet sympathetic, as they worked both with and against each other in turns.

Sarah Mollo-Christensen did a good job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Michele Campbell, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Intern is a fast paced, electrifying, SUPER engaging legal thriller from Michele Campbell that deserves all the stars! Having just binged all of her previous adult thrillers, I feel so fortunate I was able to listen to the audiobook ahead of its anticipated release date.

Harvard law student Madison Rivera is ecstatic when her law professor, Federal Judge Kathryn Conroy, encourages her to apply for an internship working in her office. Madison decided to pursue law after hearing Conroy speak at her high school and has followed her successful career ever since so the offer is an incredible opportunity. There’s just one small problem; Madison’s brother was just arrested for drug possession. Upon visiting her brother, Danny, in jail he tells Madison and his mother that he was set up by a crooked cop and a crooked judge. He says he’s already been beaten up and told to plead guilty to the charges. Feeling desperate, Madison’s mother asks Madison to use her law connections to get to the bottom of this. When Madison demands to know the names of the guilty cop and the judge assigned to his case, she is blown away when Danny utters her role model’s name, Judge Kathryn Conroy.

As Madison tries to unravel the tangled web her brother has found himself in, she can’t determine if the Judge is the spider or the fly. The closer Madison gets to Kathryn, the more suspicious she becomes.

Told in alternating perspectives, we learn more about the path that led Kathryn to becoming a Federal Judge and the price she’s unknowingly paid for her dreams to come true. Is Madison someone she can let into her inner circle or someone she must sacrifice to save herself and her career?

This novel had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end! It is easily a 5 star read and one that needs to be read if you are a fan of Michele Campbell or a fan of action packed thrillers!
Thank you NetGalley, Michele Campbell, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to the book in exchange for honest feedback. It was an absolute delight listening to this!

The dual POV was flawlessly executed in this. Just when you learned something that could change things, it switched to the other POV. I really enjoyed this setting a lot. It was more unique than most thrillers and not predictable like most as well. You could easily empathize for the characters and what they were going through. Both characters ended up being in over their heads due to circumstances of their lives and were able to bond over that. Definitely add this one to your fall tbr!

Thank you Macmillan & NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

When Madison Rivera lands the internship of a lifetime working for her beloved Judge Kathryn Conroy, she’s terrified her brother’s criminal record will interfere. But when she discovers there is more to the story, and that Judge Conroy is the judge overseeing her brother’s case, she is determined to get to the bottom of things.

This is a really fun, bingeable, and well executed legal thriller that will have you flying through the pages wanting to figure out what exactly is happening at any given moment. Michelle Campbell does a great job of building out multi-dimensional and very-flawed characters who you cannot help but root for, even as they are doing some very unquestionable things. The plot is insanely fast paced and thrillingly twisty, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I am looking forward to diving into Campbell’s backlist.

Read if you like:
•bingeable thrillers
•legal corruption
•twisty plot lines
•cat and mouse
•dual/alternating pov’s

Thank you Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copies in exchange for my honest review.

I listened to this as an audiobook which I prefer to do with thrillers. This was an action packed thriller told in multiple POVs/ timelines.

We have our main character Madison who lands her dream internship with powerful Judge Kathryn. Unfortunately, Madison's brother is in legal trouble and it just so happens that judge Kathryn is overseeing his trial. Conflict of interest much?

When Madison's brother goes missing, everything changes and Madison must decide where her loyalty lies and what risks she is willing to take to get to the bottom of her brother's disappearance.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. There was plenty of suspense and some really good twists and turns. While I understood Madison's mothers concerns for the brother, I also found it quite infuriating at how much she pushed Madison to potentially do illegal things. I feel like her mother definitely loved her brother more and Madison was stuck cleaning up the mess with little to no acknowledgment for how this would affect the trajectory of her career.

I truly wanted to love this one and it just didn’t work for me. The story is extremely far fetched and at times simply ridiculous. The dialogue made me cringe. Outside of the Harvard Law School setting, it was not a legal thriller imo. The narration was breathy and over the top dramatic. With all of that said, it’s a Book of the Month selection for September, so they clearly love it. It’s certainly fast paced and there is loads of action. Just no real substance.

THIS WAS MESSY, but I'm always here for a messy narrative, especially with DUAL POV. I am so thankful to St. Marin's Press, Macmillan Audio, Netgalley, and Michele Campbell for granting me advanced digital and audio access before this one hits shelves on October 3, 2023.

Madison lands the internship of her dreams, serving as Judge Kathryn Conroy's intern for the year. After learning that her brother was wrongfully convicted of drug charges and Kathryn is the judge on the case, she's skeptical but eager to feel out this legendary judge and see what's up. Kathryn welcomes Madison in with warm and trusting arms, jetting off to DC for errands, leaving Madison to be bullied by mob-like goons who are all connected dangerously.

Readers hear from Madison and Kathryn at various points in their lives, providing plot hole context for a connected web that's smaller than you'd imagine.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an alc in exchange for an honest review.
The Intern releases October 3, 2023

- dual pov
- nonlinear timeline
- complex family dynamics
- federal judge x law student/intern

Madison has just been offered an internship position by Judge Kathryn Conroy for her judicial chambers, whom also doubles as Madison’s professor at Harvard Law.
The thing is, Madison doesn’t want Kathryn finding out about her younger brothers legal troubles because it would be a conflict of interest.

Danny was set up to get busted in possession of drugs. The cops, lawyer, and judge involved in his federal case are all dirty and corrupt.

Now this is where things get good, because the dirty judge? None other than Kathryn Conroy — the same person that Madison admires and is in close contact with.

But some things may not be so black and white…


On the outside this had everything to be right up my alley, but it didn’t quite land right.

I found that Madison and Kathryn shared one too many similarities. Kathryn’s storyline was much stronger than Madison’s, and I would have enjoyed a tighter narrative from just her perspective.

Given Kathryn’s past history growing up and the recent murder of her husband (whose case is still unsolved), I would have thought that she would have more boundaries and be more guarded. Her relationship with Madison went from professional to personal way too quickly. Not even day one on the job and they were already going to dinner together and was being offered up her entire house and clothes just to cat sit? It seems out of character.
Not to mention the fact that she had no problem leaving her student/intern at her house alone for an entire weekend, while intoxicated, with a known history and threat of a man that would come to the premises armed with a gun, trying to break in? That’s weird.

A personal ick: Madison’s mothers name was Yolanda and it took me out of the story more often than I would have liked.

I have really enjoyed Campbell's books in the past, so as soon as this one became available on NetGalley requesting it was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, I didn't like it as much as I had hoped. It starts off pretty strong and although it's a slow-burn, it does a pretty good job of building the suspense along the way. However, I also found it to be rather convoluted and implausible, and characters are not at all likable. I was lucky to receive both an ARC and an ALC and would totally recommend reading it over listening to it. I didn't love the narrator for this one. A huge thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the advance copies in exchange for my honest opinion.