Member Reviews
I normally enjoy Carsen Taite novels, but something about this one really just didn't work for me--this felt like a significant drop in quality for me. This book felt like it struggled the entire time with characterization, dramatic/convincing storytelling, and underdevelopment. I ended up skimming a lot which is never a good sign, and I hope this is just a blip.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Trial Run by Carsen Taite offers an intriguing premise, blending courtroom drama with a touch of suspense and romance. The storyline of a blackmailed juror is compelling and had a lot of potential to delve into the moral dilemmas and personal stakes of such a situation. Taite’s legal expertise and writing skills shine through, as always, making the courtroom scenes engaging.
However, the execution didn’t quite meet expectations. The romance between Reggie and Brooke felt rushed, with little build-up or exploration of why the two characters were drawn to each other. The lack of emotional depth and the rapid progression of their relationship didn't make it feel convincing. The suspense element, while intriguing, also fell short, as the blackmail storyline was handled too lightly and lacked the intensity it seemed to promise.
Overall, while Trial Run isn’t Taite’s strongest work, her writing style and knowledge of legal settings make it a readable and entertaining story. Fans of courtroom dramas might still enjoy this.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.
I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.
Intensely thrilling!
Reggie get stuck on the jury for a high-profile and media intense murder case, where she meets Brooke, another juror who seems as anxious as she is to be over and done with this task. Having been threatened, Brooke has been tasked with convincing the other jurors to agree on the only verdict that won’t result in the end of her life.
This story is part of a series and having not read the other books, I did wonder if I would be left with questions about past events, but it all wrapped up neatly into a story that works really well on its own. I am curious about Reggie now, so am probably going to check out the rest of the series when I can. At first, to set the scene everything had to be from Brooke’s point of view, and a little out of context until she and Reggie started spending some time together for Reggie to recognise that Brooke needed someone to talk to and that something bigger was clearly bothering her other than being a busy single mother and her studies.
It’s difficult to share too much about the story without spoilers, but as it was my first time meeting Reggie and Brooke, I must say I admired them both. It took a lot of strength for Brooke to trust Reggie as it easily could have made her situation so much worse. I loved how Reggie was calm and patient though. Because of her experience of her previous job at the courthouse, she was probably the best person Brooke could have met and confided in. It helped that they seemed to just have a natural connection and they slotted so perfectly with one another when they were spending time together away from the trial. I really enjoyed the intensity of the story being mixed in with those less demanding and calmer moments to give it a great balance.
A great story that I really enjoyed and was easy to get invested in the case and the characters. Really enjoyable and recommended for any crime and romance crossover lovers.
After leaving her job the last place Reggie expected to be was the courthouse where much of her time helping to prosecute the people who appeared before the courts. Now she’s back but this time she is picked to serve on the jury. Never expected that but here she is on a jury on a case of fraud. Big names were involved so lots of interest from the press.
Brooke Dawson was a single mother and working a full schedule at a restaurant as well as attending university full time. She didn’t have the time or could afford to miss out on working, she needed the money to keep her and her son Ben afloat.
Now both women have been chosen so the trial begins. Reggie finds Brooke very attractive but she also feels something else is bothering Brooke. Little did she know but Brooke had already received a letter wanting Brooke to find the defendant Innocent.
Now the fun begins. If you hadn’t read any of Taite’s earlier books you might find this somewhat confusing but I assure you will still enjoy this read. Ms Taite has hit another home run with this one. Very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books
Yet another amazing courtroom drama from Carsen Tate. The chemistry between the main characters was off the walls. Overall a very entertaining read well done, I recommend.
Thanks to the Publisher Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this ARC copy.
Reggie Knoll, former court clerk now dealing with PTSD finds herself facing jury duty.
Brooke Dawson, ALSO summoned, has been threatened by a unknown figure to sway the verdict or her family will be harmed.
(I like that the author hangs a lampshade on the situation by having Brooke reflect that if this was a movie, we'd be telling the heroine to go to the cops.)
The court room bits are interesting, and Reggie and Brooke are cute together. The villain reveals also worked well for me.
Very slow burn, but good. This is a continuation of a earlier novel, but mostly reads well as a stand alone.
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book
love a court room drama and this one had it all
being picked to be on a jury when your life is going in a different direction is a pain for reggie and brooke
for brooke its worse as she is being threatened and she doesnt know why or by whom .... reggie was hoping not to be picked after all she use to work in the courts so surely she should be excused...
but they both found themselves on jury service on the same case.....
and its about to get even more interesting for them both.....
wow this was a great court room drama and the attraction between reggie and brooke was intense.... an enjoyable read
My first book by Carsen Taite and i am kicking myself. Why did I wait so long to read any books by this author.
There was excellent chemistry. Good slow-burn, low angst. I love the cast of secondary characters and will now have to go back and catch up to their stories. I will be slowly and surely buying her backlog of books because of how they are written and my enjoyment of them. I will be on the watch for more books by this author.
My only complaint is wishing we would have more interactions between the MCs. But still felt that they had time to form the connection they had.
I think the book could be shorter; I love the author; however, for this particular chapter, I felt that the characters were not doing anything to interest me. For the records, the book can be read as a stand-alone novel,
Reggie left her job working for the court when she was shot in a courtroom
attack. She is studying to be a PI when she gets a jury summons.
Brooke is a single mom who gets the same jury summons only hers comes with threat
against her 12 year old son if she does not make sure that the defendant is not convicted.
She and Reggie become close and Reggie uses her court connections to try to help Brooke work
her way out of her predicament.
Okay story but weak characters and situations that are very predictable and borderline boring,
for me.
So sorry..
Now this exceeded my expectations! I thought it was going to be a general thriller but I was pleasantly surprised. There was no huge plot twist but it’s still a well-written novel about someone being threatened and a heroine trying to save her and her son. My only critique is that I would not consider this a romance. Yes, it did have a romance sub plot but it was not the sole focus of the book, just the motivation for one of the main characters. I’d consider it as a legal thriller more since I don’t think the romance was on the same level of focus as the thriller aspect. But overall, a great read!
This book can easily be read as a stand alone novel, but it is the third in the Courting Danger series. If you’ve read the other two, like I have, you recognize characters from the previous books. This one takes place about a year after the previous book. Reggie Knoll worked at the courthouse and was wounded in the shooting in “Trial and Error” (June 2022). She has mostly recovered and is preparing to take the test to be a private investigator. She is surprised when she gets picked to be on a jury.
Brooke Dawson is a single mother to a15 year old son Ben. She works as a waitress and is trying to improve their lives by attending college. She is picked to be on the same jury as Reggie. Brooke is being threatened to sway the jurors to vote not guilty
I like legal suspense romances. And I’ve read and enjoyed most of Carsen Taite’s books. This has you guessing who is ultimately behind the threats and I like Reggie turning to her friends to help Brooke. But everything felt very rushed to me. I like legal details but the case isn’t the focus of the story, it is a motivation and part of the setting. I thought there could have been more build up between Brooke and Reggie to make their feelings more believable.
This is an entertaining quick read, even if I wished it was fleshed out and a little longer. I will gladly read anything Carsen Taite writes. I especially enjoyed bringing in the characters from the other stories. (3.5 Stars)
Really good courtroom drama. This series is very fun to read. The main characters each woman had some drama going on at one point or another. The plot was very well written and kept me reading until the end. This book had quite a bit of angst and drama. And the family aspect was very intriguing, especially because it involves trying too keep a family saf.e at all costs Eve if it's the wrong thing to do. I really like these court room dramas and the antics that happens in them.. The romance was okay could have been a bit more fleshed out, but overall this was a very well written book. I would recommend this book to my friends and family, I look forward to what's next from this author.
We’re back in Dallas County Courts with a quick and enjoyable read. It follows Reggie, whom we met before, and Brooke, who meet while serving jury duty. Reggie is dealing with the aftermath of her past while hoping to change careers and expects to be dismissed because of her courthouse connections. Brooke, a single mom juggling work and school, is trying to create a better life for herself. The two connect right away, and as the trial unfolds, the courtroom drama keeps things lively and interesting. It’s not overly complicated, but it’s engaging and easy to get into.
What a crazy, wild ride!! It's crazy the lengths people will go to in order to protect their family. Even if that means convincing a whole jury of people to vote a certain way, truth or not.
Interested in the case. Probably more than the romance. Refreshing to read a a msin saying “I know I’m not being rational right now”. .....
I was interested in the blend half of the plot but never really got invested in the romance.
It was a quick and easy read, just like the other books in this series about the Dallas County Courts. The author has written several books about these characters. Every book has something interesting going for it, whether it's a gripping plot, a fast-paced narrative, or just a simple, uncomplicated story.
In this case, two women from very different walks of life are called for jury duty. Reggie, a returning character from previous books, is on the brink of a career change after a traumatic event and shows up to court thinking she'll be dismissed because of her past involvement with the courthouse.
When Reggie shows up for jury duty, she meets Brooke, another potential juror, and they instantly connect. Brooke is a single mother struggling to make ends meet while also trying to finish her education so she can get a better job than waitressing.
Needless to say, the courtroom drama that kicks off once the trial starts is both entertaining and varied. It's not deep or detailed, but it's more than enough to create an interesting and engaging story.
Regina quit her job at the courthouse after a shooting she going try her hand at being a private investigator. She is shock when she is pick for jury duty she is not happy about this. Brooke is a single mother to a son she working going to school she doesn’t have time to be a jury but she doesn’t have a choice because someone is threatening her son to make sure she can convince the her fellow jurors to vote not guilty. Reggie and Brooke are both pick for the same case neither wants to be there but when they meet there an attraction but Brooke doesn’t know if she can trust anyone. Enjoyable legal romance it’s has danger intrigued I love seeing the previous characters Wren, Lennox, Frankie, Nina, and Skye and how they fit into the story.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
Trial Run is the third in series, meaning there is a lot of back story to be filled in. Reggie Knoll has left her job at a Dallas courthouse following a shooting. Improbably she finds herself called for jury duty at the exact same time as the trial of the msn thought to be behind the incident.
Reggie is selected for the jury of a different trial and falls for a fellow juror, but Brooke is being blackmailed to ensure the defendant gets off. Their attempts to get out of the situation and their nascent relationship get in the way of each other.
Trial Run is more romance than legal thriller, and the twists are all rather obvious. It's a short and easy read but not a standout.