Quick Synopsis

Legally Blonde and Jury Duty meet The Real Housewives in this high-stakes courtroom love story—a sexy and sweet but heartfelt novel about friendship, romance, and reality television from the acclaimed author of Love Buzz and In a Not So Perfect World.

Publisher’s Synopsis

Sydney Parks thinks she might be the first person in the world to look forward to serving jury duty. When Margot Kitsch, an OG cast member of the hit reality show Authentic Moms of Malibu is arrested after the untimely death of her cast member husband, Joe, Sydney knows being selected for the jury is the most interesting thing that ever happened to her. 

However, it doesn’t take long for Sydney to realize that being part of a sequestered jury in a high-profile case is not at all what legal dramas had led her to expect—especially when she learns that her childhood best friend, Damon, whom she hasn’t seen in ten years, is also a jury member.

As the trial wears on, Sydney realizes there’s a lot more to the case than she first thought. And there’s also a lot more to Damon—she soon finds herself falling under his spell despite the court’s instructions not to fraternize. His tendency to break the rules and find adventure is hard to resist in their otherwise dull juror’s world. But getting close to Damon also means having to face the complicated reasons their friendship abruptly ended just when they were on the precipice of something more.

With all the drama in and out of the courtroom, how is Sydney supposed to ignore the fraught history between them? How is she supposed to avoid him when he’s sitting next to her in the jury box every day with his broad shoulders and intoxicating smell? And how is she supposed to ensure Margot gets a fair trial if her unfinished business with Damon causes the mistrial of the century?

Book Review

Courtroom Drama is a second chance romance that takes place during the trial of a reality star (à la the Real Housewives). Sydney is a huge fan of Margot Kitsch, OG cast member of Authentic Moms of Malibu, and wants to ensure she receives a fair trial. At jury selection, Sydney runs into her childhood best friend Damon, who broke off contact 10 years prior. They both end up on the jury and are forced to sequestrate for the high profile trial, providing a lot of time for Sydney and Damon to secretly become reacquainted.

First, I must comment on the unique and interesting setting for this novel. While I have never watched an episode of the Real Housewives (of any locale), I am still excitedly waiting to receive a jury duty summons. When I learned the premise of this book, I knew I needed to read it. Romance novels so often have very similar plots due to the nature of the genre. But when I hear about one that is completely new, I jump at the chance to read it. And Neely Tubati Alexander definitely delivered! She expertly crafted a story that built a romance and included the inner workings of being on a jury. The storylines were intricately woven so that it is hard to image one without the other.

If you often read my reviews, you will know that I am typically not a fan of a second chance romance. I find that authors too often rely upon what preceded the book (the first iteration of a romance) and fail to sufficiently build the on-page romance. Courtroom Drama is a second chance romance I could bite into, since the feelings and chemistry built overtime as the two protagonists became reacquainted. Because Sydney and Damon knew each other growing up but had not spoken in a decade, they needed to learn who the other person is as an adult. This provides the perfect opportunity for readers to learn about the protagonists, their past, and their present as well as Sydney and Damon to fall for each other.

This is the first novel I have read by Tubati Alexander and was impressed by her writing. In fact, Courtroom Drama is one of the best written romance novels that I have read in some time. The narrative flowed well without any uneven pacing. The characters felt like real people with distinct traits and personalities.

I do not usually expect a romance novel to make me think, but I found myself pondering while reading Courtroom Drama. The book brought to the forefront how odd I find people’s allegiance to celebrities, like these famous people have directly and purposefully gifted them something. Sydney’s parasocial relationship with Margot fascinated me and led me to question how common such feelings are. As someone who has never followed or fixated on a certain celebrity, I definitely reached a better understanding of others’ feelings and interactions with famous individuals.

Overall, Courtroom Drama is a quirky, unique romance with an engaging plot and an unusual setting. I really enjoyed all aspects of the book and definitely recommend it, especially if you have grown tired with the typical romance storylines.