Cover Image: A Case for Discretion

A Case for Discretion

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Member Reviews

The characters had good chemistry and I enjoyed that the author had avoided the cliched retelling of angsty we-can't-do-this storylines often found in workplace romances. The author had done a good job of building a believable connection within a short span of time. However, the main characters felt a little one-dimensional at times, especially the older character, and I wish we'd gotten a bit more insight into their characters and inner struggles.

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Thank you Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this copy in exchange for an honest review.
When Etta, a young and thriving law student, meets Gwen, an older woman in her 40s, at a bar, she does not know what is about to come. They hit it off, and after a while, both realise that Etta is an intern for a summer at Gwen´s law firm. They should end their relationship. But is it possible to simply turn off your feelings? This novel really throws you into its story, and you end up invested in their love story. It is a simple book for a beach or when you want to immerse yourself in imagination and forget your own problems. I would recommend it to those who are looking for a steamy sapphic novel with an age-gap couple with work setting.

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One night stand turns into workplace dalliance. It’s a tried and true recipe for a fun read. The age gap between the protagonists cannot stop the flame between them. With any good love story, inevitably there is a disaster looming and that is the case with this book too. Overall great, easy read. I felt the characters could have been more fully developed but it did not detract too much from the whole.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC ebook.

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Gwen Strickland is a no nonsense corporate attorney with a son in college. She is also, lonely and boring as stated by her best friend Grey. It is difficult not to like Grey, they support and give advice.
Etta Monroe, 2nd year law student and bartender working hard to make ends meet and looking forward to her summer internship. It is hard not to like Jorge, Etta's best friend. What a supportive and right there friend. Gwen and Etta meet and have one night together which turns into a steamy fling with no strings attached. Low and behold, Etta's internship is at Gwen's law firm and they continue to be very interested in each other. I really wanted to like this age-gap story based upon the description but I found the characters lacking in depth and it was hard to get to know their personalities. I also wanted more about Gwen's son. Why was he even in the story?

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Etta Monroe was in her third year studying law. Keeping herself going by working as a bartender, her scholarships just didn’t meet all her needs. With her family consisting of just her and her mother and her mother was constantly nagging her to do better, get herself a good job, hopefully working for one of the law firms in Atlanta but Etta wasn’t on board with that. She wanted to use her degree helping others with what legal issues they might have. One night, tending bar, a beautiful woman she’d never seen before. After some flirting she took the woman home with her for a welcomed one night stand.
Gwen Strickland worked at one of the best law firms in Atlanta but on this day she was visiting her son who was a student at the same college where Etta attended. Divorced, she wasn’t looking for a relationship but the bartender was awfully cute. A one night stand was just what she needed. But Gwen couldn’t get Etta out of her brain so after a two week period she found herself right back looking for another night with Etta.
Did I mention there are sixteen years between them? But here they are with Etta working a summer job at Gwen’s firm. No one can know about their relationship, it could mean the end of Gwen’s career. Problem is they can’t stay away from each other. Very, very nice read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

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A Case for Discretion is about a women named Gwen, who is an attorney, who doesn’t want anything in her way to becoming next justice for the Georgia state supreme court. When she meets Etta, a women fighting her way through law school, at a bar where she works, they hit off and have one night stand. The one night becomes a almost friends with benefits and both have fun in the meantime. Until Etta gets an internship at Gwen's law firm. Things get complicated when the two have to work together but they cant help but gravitate towards each other. This was overall, a nice, low angst book that became a lot of fun. This made for a compelling read that gives a little insight into the idea of a age gap and work place romance. Super fun and chaotic read

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A one night to forever, age-gap, workplace romance to absolutely fall in love with!

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Gwen is at the top of her game. A successful lawyer with an eye on a seat of the Georgia Supreme Court, she finds herself in a position she always dreamed of. At 45, divorced and with a 19 year old son, she finds herself at a bar in her old college town where she is on the board of trustees for her Alma Mater. Resigned to a night of awful karaoke and even more awful drinks, Gwen is surprised to be served an actual decent martini. When she goes over to the bartender to give her a compliment, Gwen can’t be anything but charmed. So charmed in fact, she does something wholly out of her normal routine, she takes the bartender up on her offer for a hot night in bed. It turns out to be so hot Gwen finds herself craving more than one night with young, irresistible Etta.

Etta is 28 and works hard to become the best lawyer she can be. She works a college job at a bar. While bartending she meets an irresistible older woman. After a very hot night in bed, she can’t believe her luck when Gwen comes looking for her again….and again.
Under pressure from her mother Etta applies for a summer internship with a top notch firm in Atlanta. She knows it’s good experience, but she can’t believe when they actually offer her the job. She’ll spent a summer in Atlanta, the city Gwen also lives in. Etta looks forward to a few weeks of hard work and even harder play. With Gwen that is. One morning she is ushered into the office of one of the partners to deliver a folder. There, behind the desk, sits Gwen. They both know they should stop their relationship immediately, but somehow they can’t seem to stay away.

This story is so delicious! Knowing you shouldn’t but you just can’t help yourself. We probably all have experienced that feeling in one way or another. Ashley Moore writes the dilemma to perfection. The story is told from both Eta’s and Gwen’s perspective and for both of them it’s the same: they can’t help but be drawn toward each other. I love that Gwen is utterly defenseless against Etta’s charm. Nowhere in the story does their relationship seem uneven. That makes the drama that it causes all the more conflicting.

Unbeknownst to them Etta and Gwen share a friend, Grey. They eventually get stuck in the middle because both women come to them for advice. Luckily they can see exactly what is happening between the two and when push comes to shove they are the best friend they could wish for. Etta’s relationship with her best friend Jorge is charming. He is there for her when she needs it most and won’t let her stew. That’s exactly what a friendship should be in my opinion.

A Case For Discretion is a very good one in this genre. Hot lawyers, a lot of spice and feelings that won’t be ignored. If you’re in to all that, then, what are you waiting for?

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Ice queen and an age gap romance? It’s hitting all the boxes for me!

After a one night stand that turns into a casual sexual relationship, potential judge candidate Gwen Strickland and summer law school intern Etta Monroe discover that they are working at the same Big Law firm.

It’s a quick, low stakes read. My only complaint is that there is a lot of fade to black sex scenes!

Thanks to Net Galley and Bold Stroke Books for the ARC.

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This was my first book from Ashley Moore and i have to say it was okay, but not exactly what i expected from a book published by Bold Strokes Books. The book was very well written, dont get me wrong, you can see its edited and put much work into it. The storyline was also interessting but nothing realy new. I feel like i have read similar storylines over and over again within LGBTQI fiction, Age gap, intern & higher up employer(or boss), one night to relationship, secret relationship.

In this age gap storyline between the sucsessfull Gwen Strickland who wants to be the next justice for the Georgia State Supreme Court and student Etta Monroe, who wants to make it trough law school and is the newst intern at Gwens workplace.

A two night stand that gets more complicated thanks to that. Since the blurb promissed " Sneaking about, clandestine dating isn’t a long-term solution, but the promise of a future with Etta means Gwen must risk her biggest goal for a younger woman whose life—and plans—could change." i expected some more sneacking around, some more fun scenes where these 2 have to hide, just a overall different direction that it took.

We dont get to know the characters really, barly any facts about there past and the few we get are randomly thrown into the mix and have no concequences or reason to be named for the curent storyline.

It was a fun and quick read, well written but that was if for me.

Thank you to Netgalley & Bold Strokes Books for this eARC, in exchange for an honest review.

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When Gwen Strickland and Etta Monroe agree to a steamy anonymous fling, they make three promises: No names. No details. No feelings. Gwen’s a prominent Atlanta attorney who wants nothing more than to be the next justice on the Georgia State Supreme Court. Etta is fully focused on getting out of law school unscathed. A relationship is not on the agenda, but somehow, they can’t help totally falling for each other.

Then Gwen discovers Etta has accepted a summer internship at her law firm. Logic and ethics say they should end their relationship. But logic and ethics are no match for their unstoppable attraction. Sneaking about, clandestine dating isn’t a long-term solution, but the promise of a future with Etta means Gwen must risk her biggest goal for a younger woman whose life—and plans—could change.

This book had some of my favorite tropes. I love the law firm vibe, the age gap, and the forbiddenness of it all. I loved the characters in this novel, but I felt like the risk factor could have been amped up a bit. Overall though, this was a quick, fun, enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

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An enjoyable read. The author did a great job with the story line. I loved how mature and strong both main characters are with their situation. I recommend 4stars.

Thank You, Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley.

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Secret from the office, FF age gap with some steaminess thrown in. One spicy scene, but the rest were pretty closed door.
These two boss ladies had some fun chemistry. I could have stood for more, but I'm also kinda greedy that way. Give me one lil eye glimmer and suddenly I need to hoard them all.

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Gwen Strickland is the head of the appellate section of her law firm and is acknowledged to be one of the best appellate lawyers in the state, if not the country. When she reluctantly agrees to have drinks with colleagues and a client, she knows she’ll have one drink and disappear. But she can’t even last through the one drink and heads for the bar. The bartender, Etta Monroe, makes the best martini Gwen has had. Then, before she can talk herself out of it, Gwen agrees to go home with the young bartender. She has no idea how that chance encounter will upend her life.

Moore has written an outstanding age-gap romance that once started is very hard to put down. It may end up on your short-list of the best lesbian romances - ever.

Both of the author’s main characters are well-drawn, sympathetic, and likable. The pacing is impeccable from start to finish without sagging to accommodate tons of unnecessary angst. There is angst to be sure, but it is subtle and doesn’t go on for three-quarters of the book. After the one-night stand, the feelings between the two women become much more than can be contained in a single night. But then Gwen chooses the opportunity to be appointed to the Georgia State Supreme Court over being with Etta.

The author doesn’t dwell on the age-gap issue, but it is there in Gwen’s head nevertheless. A less talented author would have devolved into a several-chapter angst fest, but Moore acknowledges Gwen’s concerns and moves the story on.

If you love a well-written romance between two strong women that has some twists and turns in the storyline, this may very well be the book for you.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC.

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Thank you for the ARC. I found in general the characters to be likeable but felt they made some dubious choices and the plot was hard to follow timeline wise. Some date headings might have been nice.

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Gwen Strickland is a successful Atlanta attorney who wants to be selected as the next justice on the Georgia State Supreme Court. She takes a trip to Cartersville, GA, for some school fundraising activities and to see her son who is a student. She stops at a university bar where she meets bartender and L2 law school student, Etta Monroe. Etta prepares a delicious martini for Gwen in a beer/wine bar. They immediately hit it off and have a one-night stand. Their one-night stand turns into more and eventually Etta gets a summer internship where Gwen practices law, unbeknownst to Gwen. They aren't in the same department nor is Gwen Etta's supervisor, so after some discussion on the topic they continue their situationship. Eventually with only a couple of weeks left in Etta's internship, someone reports their relationship to the firm.

This was a nice age-age (28 - Etta to 44 - Gwen) with one really solid spicy scene. I would have liked to see a few more given how their relationship began. I would have also liked to know who reported their relationship to the law firm given that they kept it pretty quiet. 4 stars

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

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Enjoyable read! I liked that this book had both an instant attraction factor but also a slow burn romance. I appreciate that there's enough scenes and dialogue between the two main characters to show how their casual affair builds into a real relationship, so it felt more believable than some other books I've read. As well, the book had not just one, but two, awkward disasters for our main characters, and it felt very fun being in the know about what was coming! Overall, would recommend giving this one a try. 4.5/5 stars rounded up!

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This was really good! I loved the build up of this relationship! Etta and Gwen definitely approached their relationship in a mature manner and even though there weren’t very detailed description of their sexual encounters you could still feel the tension between them.

I would have like to have known who started the rumor but that’s ok I still really enjoyed this books!!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

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Steamy, fun novel. Strong main characters, although they did frustrate me at a few points in the story.

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Gwen Strickland (an established lawyer and possible GA Supreme Court justice) and Etta Monroe (a law student) hook up in the spring and are shocked when Etta becomes a summer intern at Gwen’s law firm. Is it a spring fling? Do they have feelings for each other?

Thank you, NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, for a copy. A perfect read for the pool or beach!

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Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for sending me an ARC. It is much appreciated.

Gwen, an attorney in her 40’s meets Etta, a law student working at her University bar. Their attraction to each other is apparent resulting in a one night stand that progresses as they learn more about one another.

This was a simple, non-toxic age gap romance. Gwen and Etta navigated their relationship with maturity, and communication, even when they faced complications. While said complications were predictable, I really enjoyed how nice their relationship was. Seeing an apprehensive Gwen come out of her shell a bit and then both learn more about one another was enjoyable to read. They balance each other out which is demonstrated throughout.

Unfortunately, this book falls short for me in the ‘discretion’ department. Throughout, there are a few scenes where they are not so discreet about their relationship, i.e. Kissing in the university parking lot, at a cafe. This does not echo the implications made by the title, it would have been far more intriguing if there were more elements of secrecy and risk regarding their situation, it is due to this that I found myself bored more often than not.
Moreover, the fade to black sex scenes and then the jump to scenes where they are in the middle of intercourse made no sense to me. It would be nice to have seen the build up and foreplay as that is what their relationship was built on in the beginning. It read more like a Y/A sometimes.

Overall, sweet and binge worthy, but could be better.

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