3 stars. It was good, but nothing really stood out to me. I found the FMC a little unlikable. I did like the dynamic between the characters and the overall story.

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes, and this book was such a fun read. It combined a second chance love story with a courtroom case full of drama and mystery, making for an engaging mix. I loved all the little details, from the funny freeway signs and animal origami’s to the wrong song lyrics and the back and forth notes between Sydney and Damon. There was definitely an emotional side to the story, and it had me tearing up more than once. I also enjoyed the side characters and the touch of spice woven into the book. While I liked Sydney and Damon’s relationship, I wanted just a bit more chemistry, and I really missed having a dual POV. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and that ending still has my mind turning! If you are a fan of the Real Housewives series, this absolutely needs to go on your TBR. If you have read this one, let me know because I need to discuss that ending!

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💕Second Chance romance
💛Childhood best friends
❤️First loves
👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻Forced proximity
🎭Complicated family dynamics
📺Real Housewives meets Legally Blonde
⚖️Murder trial
🥹Emotional and funny
🤯That ending!

⚖️𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾⚖️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕Q U O T E: “𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝐼'𝓋𝑒 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝓌𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒾𝓃𝒹𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝑒 𝓉𝓇𝓊𝑒 𝒶𝓉 𝑜𝓃𝒸𝑒. 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒 𝒷𝓇𝑜𝓀𝑒𝓃 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝒶𝓁𝓈𝑜 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝑔𝑒𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝑒𝓁𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒽𝑜𝓁𝑒.”

🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Harper Perennial , and Neely Tubati Alexander for this eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have really mixed feelings about this one. It was slow at times but pretty engaging for the most part. I liked the witnesses and I really enjoyed the last few chapters. I was a bit torn on the chemistry and the breaking jury rules since I am a stickler.

As a Real Housewives fan, I would love to be on a jury of any franchise.......0hhhhh, especially the OGs of the OC! I found it an interesting look at celebrity culture and dissecting the mistakes/regrets of the past. Fun read! 4 stars, legit!

I live the legally Blondie movies and this book felt like that movie in a cute romance book! Would highly recommend!

This was a fun book, as someone who has always wanted to serve on a jury- it gave a funny view of it . Sydney works at a law firm but she wants a break, and gets one by being slected as a jury in one the hottest celebrity murder trial Hooloywood has seen -a reality star is accused of murderi g her famous husband (if your a bravo fan you assign people in your head for this part of the story- Sydney is ecstatic to be chosen as she's a big fan of the accused reality show- she shows up with her roller bag as she know they will already be sequestered- as she is sizing up her competition for jury forperson a man from her past walks out of thr elevator- her long time neighbor until her dad messed that up ( another story all together) Damon is just as shocked to see her this is a fun book I enjoyed the murder story within the story and the of course second chance love -- if you like a love story, the law (i like the law language explained before each chapter), reality TV, and love this is going to be a great pick for you

Thank you net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars rounded up 💫 thank you harper perennial for the ARC of this book!

the premise of this book was right up my alley. a high profile court case where the suspect accused of murder is on a reality show? (think real housewives). sign me up! i loved the whole “behind the scenes” look at things and the story was written in a way that made me question what would do/think if i was on that jury too. cam and tamra were my favorite side characters by far!

i liked the main characters but they did annoy me a tiny bit with their thought processes and the toxicity between them. don’t get me wrong, i love a good toxic relationship from time to time lol but this one wasn’t doing it for me and overall felt a little dragged out in the middle.

this book didn’t blow me away (i think i like ‘in a not so perfect world’ a little more) but would be a fun beach or vacay read. it has a light feel but then some deeper thoughts sneak in too.

This one was pretty good! I don't even know how to describe this book- it's like if "Jury Duty", "RHONY" and any second-chance romance novel had a baby. Two estranged childhood friends find themselves on the same sequestered jury for a murder trial centering around a Bravo-esque celebrity housewife. Hijinks ensue outside of the courthouse with a quirky cast of characters and rekindled feelings, with dramatic reveals along the way inside the courtroom as each new witness takes the stand. Would recommend!

Net Galley/Harper Perennial and Paperbacks ARC

This was a really fun read. I found myself more interested in the courtroom drama side of the story rather than the MMC/MMF storyline though. I also really didn't like how the child died so dramatically, I would have rather kept the story that she had a heart condition. That left me with weird feelings for the MMC at the end of the book.

I saw Neely advertise this on instagram, and was obsessed with her highlights. I have a legal background and love all books that showcase some legal drama. This is a low spice book with a few trigger warnings. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This was my first novel I’ve read by this author, and I really enjoyed it! The book surrounds a group of jurors that are housed in a secluded location due to the nature of the trial they are apart of which is a murder trial involving a popular reality star. This book not only goes through the jury process, but the FMC and the MMC reconnect ten years later.

Will their friendship bloom into something more, or are they only acquaintances? I highly recommend this second chance, Legally Blonde meets The Real Housewives. This novel had me laughing and rushing through to find out what happens next. Highly recommend this for those that love legal settings, and a good romance!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC opportunity!

The friendship history, plot, romance, all of it perfect. I loved this unique amazing book. It really made me so emotional.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me! I didn't dislike it but I had a very hard time feeling pulled to pick it up. I kept falling asleep because I expected a lot more action.

The courtroom parts were good for me but not GREAT. The drama is almost there but nothing salacious.

I really didn't think the two main characters had that much chemistry. They weren't awful for each other but I wasn't really rooting for them.

I think if you really love Bravo, you can probably get into this one but for me, it was missing something :(

Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this advanced copy of this book! The first thought I had when I read the synopsis is that’s so different! I was intrigued at the courtroom aspect of the plot as it reminded me of Law & Order. The characters are very touch and go. Very will they won’t they type of situation going on. I found them quite unpredictable and nostalgic. It’s clear their past with each other and individually haunts them. I didn’t like how the book focused on the characters’ past SO heavily though. The way the outcome of the case lets the characters as well as readers make their own verdict was a nice touch. Court case decisions are not cut and dry but I would like to gloat a bit because I was right about Margot Kitsch.

Overall, I believe the story incorporated the characters as well as the courtroom drama in the plot in a unique mix.

What an interesting premise for a romance novel!

Imagine being selected to serve on the trial of the decade -- a reality TV star accused of murdering her husband with a tainted smoothie. As a longtime fan of the show, Sydney wants nothing more than to be part of the group of twelve selected for this sequestered jury pool. What she never in a million years expected was for her ex-best friend, Damon, to also be a member of the jury.

This bubble-like existence gives them the opportunity to apologize for the decade-long separation and begin to re-learn one another as adults. Through passed notes and charged glances, they are able to replace feelings of guilt and anger over the last time they spoke with feelings of attraction and admiration. But they cannot get too close, as jury qualifications strictly forbid any kind of relationship to occur between jurors, or else put the proceedings in jeopardy.

Some parts of this were cheesy, some parts were deeply relatable and heartfelt. Sometimes I really liked these characters, other times they felt too one-dimensional to me. But overall, I really enjoyed the setting and the drama of watching this reunion take place through a trial process! Would definitely read more from this author.

This book was such a delightful read! From the very first page, I found myself completely immersed in the story. The writing was so approachable and warm, making it easy to connect with the characters and the plot. I loved how the book felt both inviting and engaging, without ever being too complex or hard to follow. It was just the right mix of comfort and intrigue, and I truly enjoyed every moment of it. It’s a wonderful read that I’d happily recommend to anyone looking for a heartwarming escape!

Sydney and her best friend and Mel met in a very unusual way. They found each other in a Reddit thread for reality tv show, Authentic Moms of Malibu (AMOM). They were instant online friends chatting online during shows and hey became real life roommates within the year,
Sydney hasn’t had a best friend like that in 10 years, not since Damon. The two have faithfully watched (and rewatched) every season of the show together and are enthralled with the scandal when one of the OG cast members from the show is arrested and set to be put on trial for murder.
Sydney happens to be selected for jury duty and when she is chosen, pieces together that is going to be part of the jury for Margot Kitsch, “the Malibu Menace”. Because of the popularity and media frenzy, she and the other jurors will be sequestered for the duration of the trial.
Sydney is happy to be part of such a high profile trial, and has followed the jury instructions to the letter, hoping that she might be elected foreperson so she can convince the others of Margot’s innocence. Sydney is brimming with excited for the trial to begin, that is until Damon, yes that Damon, her childhood neighbor, best friend who just walked out of her life a decade age, steps off the elevator and joins her as a juror. What she thought would be one of the most exciting and memorable times of her life has now been ruined. What is she going to do being sequestered with Damon for all this time?
This book was an absolute joy! It drew me in just like a celebrity trial, and it gave that peek behind the scenes we all want in that situation. While it was just as captivating as watching a trial it was also a story of second chances and redemption. It was easy to lose myself in the story, following the back and forth of the trial, feeling like part of the jury myself, while perfectly balancing everything that was happening with Sydney and Damon. Neely has written a uniquely compelling story that any pop culture fan will love!
Thank you to Harper Perennial for the advanced copy of this book, it will be on shelves May 20th.

I loved this book so much!
At first I thought this would be a cutesy, reconnected friends, courtroom romance but it was SO MUCH MORE.
I was obsessed with the case, Margot and trying to figure out if she was or wasn't guilty. The last chapters when the jury finally goes into deliberation had also had me thinking of what side I would've chosen had I been another member on the jury. AND THE ENDING, gurllll, why would you do that to me?!?!
(Also loved Stanley and all the side characters, it was so random but added something to the general vibe of a courtroom jury setting, it really did feel like the show Jury Duty)

On the romance sideee, the tension was everything. The random touches during court, the looks, nightly escapades. THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT when I saw I miss books with a slowburn. It made it believable when they finally got together because we saw it slowly play out in front of us.

Overall, I think this book was such a good read. My one con was the length of some of Sydney's monologues but there were so much positive that more than made up for it.

This book was so fun and so intriguing! I truly had such a fun time reading this while learning about Sydney, Damon, and their history, the actual case they were jury members for, and Sydney’s complicated family relationship. I did have to suspend my belief a little for the actual courtroom proceedings but it wasn’t too bad because I was immersed in the drama and parasocial relationships. I loved the sneaking around and the little intimacy moments Sydney and Damon go while being jurors. The side characters were so amazing too and the friend group they made amongst the jurors was so sweet to see. This was such a good read and I’m so glad I got the chance for an ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Perennial, and the author for an ARC :) This book is expected to be published on May 20, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC. I really enjoyed this book. I was so invested in the romance AND the case. I loved how well the two were balanced. I felt like Sydney and Damon were fully developed characters while also being able to focus on all of the details of the case. I found the case so interesting. I still don’t know if she did it and I reallyyy want to know. I was coming to my own conclusions and making guesses as to what happened. On the romance side, Sydney and Damon were so cute together. I love a good estranged childhood best friend trope. The way they overcame the difficulties surrounding their relationship and came together in the end was so beautiful. 5 stars!