Cover Image: Spirit of the Law

Spirit of the Law

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Member Reviews

love, love,love Carsen Taite's novels. This one has everything. The law, love, and a little bit of the psychic.

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I love all books by this author, can highly recommend. Just wonderful. The main characters are well developed and its so well written you feel personally involved in the journey.

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Not usually into stories with supernatural elements, but I really enjoyed this book. Well written and you can tell the author knows the legal system.

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Love a good lesbian crime/legal drama and this one is excellent, Summer has psychic powers and when called to jury duty, she hears the defendants plea of innocence and her actions catch the attention of the prosecutor; Owen, a sharp dressed, no nonsense lawyer. Thus is the meet cute and the tension begins between them both. I really enjoyed the novel twist on legal drama by having a medium involved. The characters are well rounded and there is much sparring between them, Owen and Summer, Owen and her colleague Mary, Owen and her ex Kira. There is also a lovely family dynamic between Summer and her daughter Faith and Nan. A highly enjoyable, recommended read.

With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an Arc in exchange for a review.

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Three and a half stars, mainly because the writing was good, but I put the book down for several days because I just wasn't captivated. The characters were fine. I liked Summer, but I thought Owen was a little flat. She didn't seem to have a distinct personality; I think the most memorable part of her character for me was the way she dressed. I didn't think she was necessarily a great match for Summer. Her lack of faith in Summer's abilities was totally understandable, but that theme dragged on for too long. I liked how that scene played out, though.
I have no complaints about the plot. I think Carsen Taite knows how to write a story. I would have liked a little more courtroom thrill, especially since we know the author has the background for it, but that's a preference. Overall, not my favourite of Carsen Taite's books, and not the most memorable, but probably still worth a read.

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This was an entertaining read with a twist that I did not expect from the author considering previous reads. After reading, I am glad the author challenged herself to take a unique approach with one of the main characters (well actually three of the characters).

I enjoy reads with a focus on law and order. I also enjoy getting an inside perspective of happenings behind the scene in the precinct and the court room. Summer Bryne, consultant with a 12 year old daughter, Faith and her grandmother Nan. Owen Lassiter, prosecutor with a perfect record and a protective persona. That record is perfect until she meets Summer. There was a connection from the beginning as the reader learned from each of their perspectives/self-talk. I especially like the contribution of Faith, she was a nice bridge between Owen and Summer. The family dynamics was warm and supportive as Summer, Faith, and Nan worked together to be there for each other and Owen.

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Really enjoyed this story! This is the first book I've read by Carsen Taite and, honestly, I am really looking forward to reading more of her books.

Spirit of the law is a story based around the courtroom, with a dash of paranormal activity mixed in. You don't need to know all the fancy 'law' words to read this book, it's really easy to read and not confusing at all
Although I felt that the main characters had some form of chemistry between the pair, it did lack something, as everything seemed to happen too quickly. The other point id like to make out is that the length of the book is slightly short, I prefer longer books and maybe this is a factor why I've not given it a higher rating.

Summer Byrne meets prosecutor Own Lassiter for the first time when Summer was the jury forewoman who delivered the verdict which ruined Owens winning streak. The pair never thought they'd meet again, but when Summer bumps into a stranger which draws her back into the path of the attractive prosecutor who refuses to accept any form of evidence that she cant see with her own eyes.
Owen Lassiter knows the law inside out, knows her own mind, and doesn't have time for theories from a woman who hears voices. When Summer Byrne offers a window into the murder case which Owens is getting ready to try, hell no doesn't begin to describe how Owen feels. But working with summer as a consultant reminds her that summer is as enticing as she is aggravating and promises to be a life-changing experience that neither is ready to embrace.

4 stars.

I was given a copy for an honest review.

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It was just superbly fun to read. Carsen Taite's books are always filled with good legal information, hot lawyers, savvy smart women and I wpuild always recommend her to readers in need for excellent lesbian fiction books.

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Owen Lassiter is good at her job as a prosecutor and she, along with her team were given the case involving the murder of County Commissioner Keith Adams wife. It looked like a burglar had entered their home and when Mrs Adams interrupted him in his quest he panicked and ended up shooting her. Even though everything looked good there was still something about the case that bothered her. They were missing something. What she didn’t know.
Summer Byrne moved from her home in Santa Cruz to live with her grandmother in Dallas. She loved S.C. but after making a mistake in providing info in the case involving a young girl she quit. So with her young daughter Faith they were here now and Summer was trying to find a job. Her previous work was using her ‘gift’. A gift she had since she was very young being able to see and receive messages from the dead. She was determined to make her way without using her ‘gift’.
When Summer is called in for jury duty she meets Owen. The very attractive prosecutor. At first Owen has a hard time believing Summer has the ability to talk with the dead. But when her supervisor hears of Summers talent she orders Owen to bring her in to work on her murder case. Summer doesn’t want to do it and Owen doesn’t want her to. But here she is.
Ms Taite has a firm grasp on just what makes a good story. Lead characters and supporting cast that you connect with. Very, very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

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Whenever I see that Ms. Taite has released a new book, I can expect it to be set in some kind of legal environment. Spirit of the Law opens with our two protagonists facing off with each other but from different areas of the courtroom – prosecutor and jurist. What I did not expect in this story was the paranormal element in the plot.

Owen Lassiter is a highly successful prosecutor with a perfect win record - until now. In a slam dunk case, or at least she thought it would be, Owen is confronted with a jurist, Summer Byrne, who convinces everyone to find the defendant not guilty. She is new in town and is trying to keep a low profile. After recently moving to Texas from California with her young daughter Hope, Summer moved in with Nan, her grandmother.

Owen’s attraction to Summer is immediate. However, once the case is over and she learns of Summer’s persuasion of the other jurists, she does not wish to pursue any interaction. What Owen does not know immediately is that Summer, and possibly her family, possess psychic powers.

The next case that Owen is assigned is particularly important. Her boss learns that Summer has previously worked with a California district attorney to solve cases. Owen’s boss hires Summer as a consultant for this case. Needless to say, this does not go over well with Owen since she does not believe in psychic powers.

Ms. Taite has developed warm and interesting characters for this story. I was not too sure about how Ms. Taite was going to have Summer’s psychic talent fit into this plot, but after reading only a few chapters I understood and was hooked. It certainly added a different twist to her story.

The plot is solid, and Spirit of the Law is definitely a fast read. The one complaint that I have, however, is that the book is shorter than the average length of Ms. Taite’s novels. I would have enjoyed having more written about the interaction between Owen and Summer. I also would have liked to know more about Nan and Hope.

I rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it as a fun read.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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I like Carson Taite's books - I always expect an enjoyable read from her. And I was not disappointed with this book!

Summer is a single mom who is psychic. She has dreams, waking visions and a strong intuition about people and events. Not everyone would call what she has a gift. Not everyone would believe in what Summer knows or can do with that knowledge.

Owen is an attorney used to winning. She is proud of her winning streak that is leading her to bigger and better legal opportunities. Owen deals in facts, things she can see, touch and hear - not dreams, not visions, not ghosts, not woo woo feelings.

Summer and Owen meet during a court case and the results of the case lead to animosity and distrust.
The plotline takes them through working together, learning to trust and keeping an open mind.

One of my favorite genres to read is paranormal mysteries and romance - which isn't common in lesfic- so this book is a treat!

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I'm always happy to see authors who normally stick to one genre, go outside their norm. Even though Carsen Taite is clearly the queen of legal lesbian books, this one had a first time twist inside the paranormal. I thought it was wonderful!

What I think was great about this book was it wasn't too far fetched. I use to watch the show "Medium" and it kind of reminded me of that. The character of Summer has a gift, and that gift puts her into Owen's world. And of course Owen is our token Lawyer!

I also really enjoyed Summer's daughter and her mother. They were quite the hoot, and some of my favorite parts was when Owen was almost forced inside their house. Good times.

I don't want to give away too much about the case that they work on kinda...together...but it wasn't too elaborate. The book really didn't focus on that much, to be honest. I think if the case would have been a bit more exciting, I would have maybe given it 5 stars. That, and it was a little too short for my tastes.

Overall, I still applaud Taite for dipping her toe in new water a bit and giving us something that felt different. I'd recommend a read.

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3.75 stars. I always like books where multiple things are going on and the paranormal and crime mystery genre are two of my favorite genres. This book has a bit of everything, a romance, court proceedings, a crime mystery and a paranormal touch, so it was right up my alley and I enjoyed reading it!

Owen and Summer start off badly. Owen is an assistant district attorney with a no-loss record until Summer is one of the jurors. Summer has certain paranormal gifts that allow her to interpret things differently than ‘normal’ people and Summer is convinced that the man accused of the crime is innocent. This results in the end of Owen’s winning record and you can imagine that Owen is certainly not happy when she is forced to work with Summer on a case not long after this disastrous meeting in the courtroom. Furthermore, Owen also doesn’t believe in paranormal gifts, further complicating their (working) relationship.

Knowing this, I was expecting an enemies-to-lovers storyline, but that’s not how I would describe this book. They rather quickly accept each other and develop a friendship. I really enjoyed their easy interactions during dinner together with Faith (Summer’s daughter) and Nan (Summer’s grandma). Owen and Summer are very different, but they seem to complement each other excellent and their attraction is believable. The book is written in the third person from the POVs of Summer and Owen, so you get good insights in their thoughts and backstories. I liked Summer’s backstory, explaining why Summer and Faith are making a fresh start in Dallas. Owen also has an interesting history and it takes longer for Owen to open up, but when she does we get to see the more vulnerable side of the confident attorney, which made me like her even more.

A large part of the book focusses on the developing friendship between Owen and Summer and on all the court proceedings concerned with Owen’s case. Due to the involvement of Summer I was expecting a mystery, but this only really takes off in the last part of the book. Unfortunately, also in this last part of the book the romance between Summer and Owen is taken from friendship to I love you’s and I felt that too much was happening in too little time. I would have liked it better if this was more spaced out and if a couple more chapters were added to let the story and the romance unfold.

All in all, a very entertaining book that will appeal to those who like a romance set in the world of legal proceedings, with a bit of a crime mystery. I enjoyed the paranormal touches, they are there, but not overly abundant. I think that even if you’re not into the paranormal genre you can still enjoy this very well.

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I picked it on the sole basis of its blurbs suggesting a romance-cum-law storyline. I wasn’t expecting the elements of the paranormal in it. However the story was interesting and the paranormal factor wasn’t that overwhelming.
Owen Lassiter had a perfect conviction record as a prosecutor until it was ruined by Summer’s jury verdict. Summer Byrne has an unusual gift as a psychic medium and she has recently moved to Dallas from Santa Cruz where she worked with the DA’s office.Owen and Summer run into each other again when Summer tipped off the police about a prospective crime. Owen doesn’t believe in her psychics abilities but she couldn’t ignore her attraction towards Summer.
While I really enjoyed the premise I can’t deny the few shortcomings. The romance started way too slowly and seemed rushed out towards the end. I couldn’t discern enough chemistry between the two main characters. Even though the law aspect was executed very well , the legal plot unravel too quickly. Overall it was a good read.


*𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣.

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Another solid and quick read by author Carsen Taite. Her books are ones that I can always count on to have that perfect fit of a little mystery and romance. Sometimes I wish this one was a little bit longer because it ends kind of quickly but overall a fun read.
I received this ARC via NetGalley and publisher for an honest review. Many thanks!!

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4 Stars

“Spirit of the Law” was a fun legal drama with a slight paranormal twist. Owen is a prosecutor with a perfect record in court. Summer is the foreperson on the jury of her current case and unbeknownst to the rest of court, she’s a physic medium. Owen blames Summer a bit when the case doesn’t go her way and when they later meet, she has doubts about her story.

Owen is later forced to bring in Summer as a consultant on the biggest case of her career. Owen is not a big believer in anything that isn’t cold hard facts. She has doubts about Summer abilities but she’s attracted to her finds that she likes her anyway. Summer has recently moved to Dallas from Santa Cruz where she worked with the DA’s office there. She’s reluctant to start again in Dallas but knows she won’t be able to live with herself if she doesn’t use her gifts.

I really liked both Owen and Summer and their interactions. They butt heads at first but came to mutually respect one another as they got to know each other. The scenes with Owen and Summer and Summer’s family were some of my favorites. It showed Owen wasn’t the uptight hotshot lawyer that’s first portrayed to be. Summer’s daughter Faith and her grandma, Nan, were both a delight to read. They held Summer accountable and showed her more normal side beyond just her gifts.

This is part romance and part legal drama but I felt both fell a little flat. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the story overall. I felt the romance started out nice but then was rushed. There wasn’t enough build up and tension to make me believe in the depth of their feelings. The legal drama surrounded a mystery and it had a nice build up to it. I was disappointed because when it was solved it mostly happened off page and we’re just told about it later, so it felt anticlimactic in the end.

Other than the rushed ending, I recommend this to fans of mystery and legal dramas. I think the paranormal twist added a bit of fun to it to make it an unusual read if this is a normal genre. This was my first book by Taite so I’m pretty excited there’s a large back catalogue to go through.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

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This has been another story based on the judicial field which this prolific author knows and describes so well. It cannot be said to be a story centered entirely on a judicial plot, although that plot plays a relevant role in it. But the plot focuses on the relationship between the two protagonists, Deputy Prosecutor Owen and Summer, an advisor to the prosecutor a little sui generis.

I would not want to delve too deeply into the plot itself, because it is simple but still interesting. Like most of this author's books, it has thrill and a bit of scheme that adds excitement to the relationship that is forming between the two protagonists.

It is also fast-paced and many things happen that make the legal plot unravel too quickly and also that the part of the romantic relationship is too short, which I am not very grateful for, because I would have liked to know more about this relationship. It’s not unusual either, though.

But I can say that i’ve had a really entertaining time reading it and the love part is of those who do not disappoint.

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This is a bit of a departure for Ms Taite and her legal background as we are venturing into the world of psychics and jury selection - I enjoyed it a great deal. As ever with Ms Taite, it is well written and paced perfectly, the characters are credible - even if they do have “special powers” - and the plot keeps you turning pages.

Summer meets Owen when she is elected foreman of the jury on a case that Owen is prosecuting. Neither can really get past that first initial spark but Owen does not believe or accept that Summer can pick up signs and signals until she starts to understand the ability and how it can help with a complex case that Owen is working on. Everyone believes that Owen’s current case is cut and dried especially the good looking cop Owen slept with, but Owen herself has a niggle that something isn’t quite right about the case.

Summer helps Owen see the truth and they develop an understanding and face up to that initial attraction. The side characters here - especially Summer’s daughter - are excellent and add to the overall narrative giving the story depth and pathos.

A solid story from Ms Taite and an interesting addition to her oeuvre. I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

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Summer has special powers and when she is selected as part of the jury on the case that Owen is prosecuting, Summer's powers cause Owen to register the first loss ever. Although Owen is initially attracted to Summer, being dealt with the loss does not sit well with her. However, their paths are destined to cross again and this time, will Summer be able to help Owen win her case.
Spirit of the Law was quite an unexpected read and definitely off the beaten path! Carsen Taite did a great job of adding a interesting twist to the story.

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4.5 stars
Carsen Taite is one of my favorite authors and this is another one of her good stories.
It's a fun read using a psychic medium as one of the main characters. I liked the character and her family so much that I allowed myself to suspend my disbelief for 200 or so pages. The characters are great, the romance is warm, the mystery is minor. The building relationship between Summer (the psychic medium ) and Owen (the attorney) was clever and cute. Just a nice well written story.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review

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