"Beyond Justice" by Cara Putman

About this book:

  “Hayden McCarthy is on track to become the youngest partner in her prestigious D.C. law firm . . . if the case she's just been handed doesn't destroy her first.

  Hayden McCarthy knows firsthand the pain when justice is not served. It's why she became an attorney and why she's so driven in her career. When she's handed a wrongful death case against the government, she isn't sure if it's the lucky break she needs to secure a partnership—or an attempt to make sure she never gets there. She keeps the case alive through sheer determination and more than a little creativity, but then she's fired by a partner with a vendetta.

  Further complicating matters, Hayden keeps finding herself completely distracted by Andrew, her roommate's cousin. But his father is a Congressman and she's currently taking on the government. Could the timing be any worse?

  The longer she keeps the case active, the higher the stakes become. Unknown enemies seem determined to see either the case—or her—die. Should she fight alone for the dead young man by launching her own unfinanced firm, or abandon the case in order to save her own life?”


Series: Book #1 in “Hidden Justice” series. 

Spiritual Content- Prayers & Thanking God; A few talks about God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Hayden has a faith; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of faiths; Mentions of churches, church going, & worship services; A couple mentions of Christian Fiction authors (Colleen Coble & Denise Hunter); A mention of a Bible verse; A mention of a blessing; A mention of Sunday School; A mention of going to a mass & begging forgiveness; A mention of a priest; A mention of the pope; A mention of a devotional; A mention of Corrie ten Boom;

*Note: A dog is named Zeus (after having a Percy Jackson phase); A mention of Dr. Pepper being the “nectar of the gods”; A mention of el jefe being like a god; A mention of a pair of demon shoes (heels); A mention of global warming.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blasted’, a ‘dumb’, and two ‘idiot’s, A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); A bit of sarcasm & eye rolling; Two chapters in the beginning are of a man beating up a youth, threatening, & hinted of killing him (we don’t see it, but there is mentions of blood/bleeding, injuries, pain, & a knife; semi-detailed; He feels guilt over taking a life); Watching three people shot & killed (up to semi-detailed); Being held at gunpoint (three times) & being kidnapped (up to semi-detailed); A car accident & cut brakes (up to semi-detailed); Pain (barely-above-not-detailed); All About mentions of a murder/wrongful death of a 17/18 year old & finding the killer; Many mentions of entering the US illegally & detention centers; Many mentions of drug cartels, drugs, & a drug boss/lord; Mentions of two people shot & killed, it being considered murders, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of orders to kill someone; Mentions of threats & being killed; Mentions of crimes & criminals; Mentions of domestic violence & keeping a woman from being killed by her ex; Mentions of a woman being beat up in an assumed burglary & her injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of assaults & injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of cut brakes, car accidents, & being held at gunpoint (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of break-ins & intruders; Mentions of stalkers; Mentions of violence; Mentions of jails; Mentions of blackmail; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of divorces & exes; Mentions of tattoos; A few mentions of a picture of the murdered body & how it happened (semi-detailed); A few mentions of deaths from illnesses; A few mentions of wars; A few mentions of a wife beat up & her kids forced to watch; A few mentions of nightmares of a murder & blood (up to semi-detailed); A few mentions of gangs; A few mentions of stealing & a robbery; A few mentions of embezzlement; A few mentions of alcohol; A few mentions of hunting & a hunter; A few mentions of rumors; A couple mentions of infants/toddlers who died on a journey; A couple mentions of cigarettes & smoking; A mention of terrorist threats; A mention of marijuana; A mention of a urinal;

*Note: Going to Starbucks; Mentions of brand names (cars & designers); Mentions of celebrities, actors/actresses, movies, & TV shows; A few mentions of GQ; A few mentions of Starbucks; A mention of Boy Scouts; A mention of a zombie in a horror movie.

Sexual Content- a not-detailed kiss, and two barely-above-not-detailed kisses; A bit of wanting to kiss (not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, & Warmth (up to semi-detailed); Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); a ‘hunky’; Mentions of dating & dates; A few mentions of staring; A few mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of staring at lips; A couple mentions of wanting to touch; A couple mentions of winks; A mention of being shown as a playboy; A mention of a man’s come-hither eyes; A mention of honeymoon love;

            *Note: A mention of a buxom woman; A mention of a woman filling out a dress in all the right places.

-Hayden McCarthy

-Andrew Wesley, age 30
                         P.O.V. of switches between them, {8 chapters in Rafal’s}
                                                     343 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

{Add up to a star and a half for older girls interested in law or a legal profession.}

When I think of the author Cara Putman, I think of a historical book by her that’s on my TBR or the contemporaries she’s written.

But, a legal thriller?
Can’t say that’s crossed my mind before now.

I think it’s no secret that I enjoy criminal justice books. I’ve done quite a few college courses in that field and also in government type topics, so the fact that this is my first legal thriller is a bit shocking.

I’ll admit that starting this book with that opening chapter, I was wondering just what in the world I got myself into. I will say, though, that was the bloodest/gorest it gets, while still not insanely over the top. (Which I appreciate.)

This book is very much legal words and parts, so while some things I didn’t know about fully, I was able to understand most and follow along pretty well thanks to the courses I’ve done in these topics.
I have to add though: I’m completely jealous that Hayden went to the Cherry Blossom Festival. Haha! I want to go to that so bad! ;)

Overall, I can’t recommend it fully because of the content, but those older girls interested in law and criminal justice might be okay with it. I have to say, though, I’m interested in the next book of the series and may pick it up when it releases in December.

See y’all on Friday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Thomas Nelson) for this honest review.

"An Amish Summer" by Shelley Shepard Gray, Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, & Kelly Irvin

About this book:

   “A new novella collection of sweet, summer romances from some of our favorite Amish authors!”

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“A Reunion in Pinecraft” by Shelley Shepard Gray

About this book:

  “When sisters Sharon and Sherilyn Kramer attend a wedding in Shipshewana, one of them returns with a new penpal while the other returns to her job at the bakery. After sending weekly letters back and forth, Sherry and Graham Holland arrange a reunion in Pinecraft. Upon Graham s arrival, however, he realizes he s been writing to the wrong sister. He decides to use the reunion as a way to get to know both sisters, but can he sort through the confusion in time to turn the worst vacation ever into something truly wonderful?”

Spiritual Content- Luke 6:37 at the beginning; A Scripture is remembered; Talks about God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; A few mentions of giving thanks to God.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: an ‘idiot’, and three ‘stupid’s; A bit of Sarcasm;

Mentions of pain, blood/bleeding, injuries, stitches, scars, burns, & how it happened (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of throwing up.

Sexual Content- a semi-detailed kiss; Touches, Shivers, Embraces, & Hand Holding (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing; A bit of Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of dating/courting, dates, & boyfriends; Mentions of a breakup & cheating; Mentions of flirting & flings; Mentions of falling in love; A few mentions of blushes; A couple mentions of married couples kissing; A couple mentions of jealousy; Love, falling in love, and the emotions;

            *Note: A couple mentions of a guy thinking a girl looks really nice in a bathing suit.

-Sherilyn Kramer, age 20

-Sharon Kramer, age 25

-Graham Holland
                                         P.O.V. switches between them

                                                        100(-ish) pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

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“Summer Storms” by Amy Clipston

About this book:

  “Arianna is counting down the days until her wedding to Jesse. They have been friends longer than Arianna can remember, and that friendship turned into love over the past couple of years. But when Arianna s brother Isaac, who happens to be Jesse s best friend, gets them both into trouble, Arianna s father puts an end to her engagement to Jesse. Some summer storms pass quickly, but Arianna is afraid the damage from this one may be too much to repair.”

Spiritual Content- A few Prayers; Church going (once); ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; A few mentions of church, church going, services, & a youth group; A couple mentions of Christians; A couple mentions of a bishop.

Negative Content- Many mentions of alcohol, bottles, drinking, drinking problems, getting drunk, & a drunk; Many mentions of buggy races, accidents, injuries, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); A few mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of a nightmare; A mention of a hunting trip.

Sexual Content- a cheek kiss, a not-detailed kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; A bit of wanting to touch; Touches, Tingles, & Hand Holding (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing, Staring, Smelling, & Butterflies (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of dating & a boyfriend; A couple mentions of a crush; A mention of stealing a kiss; Love, being in love & the emotions.

-Ariana Smucker

-Jesse Zook, age 24
                                         P.O.V. switches between them

                                                        100(-ish) pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

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“Lakeside Love” by Kathleen Fuller

About this book:

  “Esther has always lived in the shadow of her beautiful younger sister Sarah. Even the boy she has known and loved her entire life, Judah, only has eyes for Sarah. But when a handsome young Englischer comes to live with the family for a summer, everything begins to change.”

Spiritual Content- A few Prayers; Church going (once); Mentions of God & His help; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, services, & a minister preaching; A few mentions of faiths; A couple mentions of blessings; A mention of missionaries.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘stupid’s, and a ‘wimp’; A mention of a curse (said, not written); A bit of eye rolling; A few mentions of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding; A few mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of saying something hateful; A couple mentions of throwing up.

Sexual Content- three barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and a semi-detailed kiss; Remembering a kiss (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss a girl (barely-above-not-detailed); A bit of Judah staring at girls’ lips; Touches, Nearness, Embraces, Hand Holding, & Warmth (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); Butterflies & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of jealousy; Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of dating, dates, playing hard to get, boyfriends, & girlfriends; Mentions of flirting & flirts; A few mentions of wanting to kiss someone; A couple mentions of Judah finding the perfect place to kiss a girl on her neck; A couple mentions of nearness; A couple mentions of swooning; A couple mentions of romantic moments; A mention of Judah noticing a girl’s lips that beg to be kissed; Love, falling in love & the emotions.

-Esther Coblentz

-Judah King
                                         P.O.V. switches between them
                                                        100(-ish) pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

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“One Sweet Kiss” by Kelly Irvin

About this book:

  “Everybody in little Bee County, Texas, can see the obvious: Jacob King and Martha Byler are meant to be together. Everyone, that is, but Martha. Ever since her mother died when Martha was a young girl, she has taken over the role of caregiver to her large family. And reckless Jacob, who has had a little too much fun on his rumspringa, only seems to add to the list of people to manage. But one summer changes everything, and these two may just find a way to meet in the middle and share one sweet kiss.”

Spiritual Content- Proverbs 3:5-6 & Jeremiah 17:7-8 at the beginning; Prayers; A Scripture is referenced; Talks about God, His plan, & trusting Him; ‘H’s are capital; Mentions of God; Mentions of talks about God; Mentions of churches, church going, services, singings, & hymns; Mentions of baptism classes; Mentions of bishops, deacons, & pastors; A few mentions of prayers & praying; A few mentions of a youth group; A few mentions of faiths; A few mentions of blessings & being blessed; A couple mentions of Jesus; A mention of Praising God; A mention of sin.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, a ‘son of a gun’, a ‘sucks’, a ‘what the—‘, a ‘wuss’, two ‘idiot’s, two ‘stupid’, and three ‘shut up’s; Mentions of curses (said, not written); A bit of Pain & Blood/Bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); A riled alligator & being near it (barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of alligator hunting & the possibility of drowning or getting eaten; Many mentions of alcohol, kegs, drinking, underage drinking, a drunk, & drunk driving; Mentions of a car accident & death; Mentions of parties & partying; A few mentions of blood/bleeding; A few mentions of jails & a prison; A few mentions of smoking & tobacco; A few mentions of throwing up & burping; A few mentions of divorcing; A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of lies & lying; A mention of using the bathroom outside.

Sexual Content- a fingers-to-lips touch, two almost kisses, three not-detailed kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and two semi-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, & Hand Holding (barely-above-not-detailed); Nearness & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); four ‘baby’s; Mentions of dating/courting, liking someone, & a girlfriend; A few mentions of kisses, kissing, & wanting a kiss; A few mentions of staring; A couple mentions of hand holding; A mention of a girl producing a child at age 16; A mention of exes; Love, falling in love & the emotions.

-Martha Byler, age 22 (?)

-Jacob King, age 20
                                         P.O.V. switches between them
                                                        100(-ish) pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

This was a decent novella collection! Let’s give some thoughts on each one:

Shelley Shepard Gray: Some parts seemed a little unrealistic from other Amish books I’ve read, (but I am in no way claiming to be an expert about the Amish) like in the case of an Amish man taking off his shirt to show a girl his scar (& by default, his muscles). I pretty sure I read something very similar in another Amish book I read earlier this year. It was overall an okay novella.

Amy Clipston: Ooooh, I wanted to slap Ariana’s father. Not a good thought, I know, I know, but I’m sure it’s a common thought for those reading about him! I enjoyed seeing these new characters and seeing these first two in a new series being in love. :)

Kathleen Fuller: Wasn’t a fan of Judah because of his major jealousy, but by the end he grew on me and I did really like that last chapter!

Kelly Irvin: I couldn’t follow along as well as the other novellas due to all the characters mentioned. I did love Simon & Amanda (not the main two) and found them to be precious. They’re the only reason the rating went up a bit for me. I really couldn’t get into this one.

Best guy out of these main heroes is: Jesse! (Amy Clipston’s novella) I really enjoyed his caring heart and how much he wanted to prove himself to Ariana’s father.

There wasn’t really a main girl I thought was the best, but I would say out of the four, Ariana (Amy Clipston’s) was my favorite.

See y’all on Wednesday with a new review! :)

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) for this honest review.