Series: The Fearless Heart
Volume: 1/?Publisher: KDP Amazon
Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance
Length: -
Read in: English
Review copy format: epub
Rate:✮✮✮✮✮✮
Being shot almost cost him his life so after that event Colin takes off his police blues and retires. He puts his energy, strength and ambition into the law school he's just started. It turns out, however, that while Colin knew the limits of his endurance while working in the police, now he must learn them from the very beginning. The day has only 24 hours and even the Colin Campbell is not able to change it. And in his case the temptation of demanding more and more from himself to prove something to himself and the world is huge. Colin Express has left the station and rushes forward. But will he be able to stop when this speed becomes dangerous for him and his loved ones?
"Love's Lawyer" is the first volume of a new series by Janice Jarrell entitled "The Fearless Heart", which is a direct continuation of "Revolutionary Heart". Just like in the previous books, also in this one our protagonists' main opponent is their normal, everyday life. However, I have to admit that for some reason in this volume we see it even more clearly than in the author's previous works. How is this possible? Well, I have a theory. Our adventure with "Revolutionary Heart" began from volumes in which a crime was the main source of the problems our characters had to face. The part that followed largely focused on the topic of wedding, but the previous events were still strongly affecting our boys. Thus, the story was fueled by occurrences that, although related to everyday life, most people don't perceive as the ordinary ones. In "Love's Lawyer" the source of all the problems is school, so something that the vast majority sees as part of our boring daily existence. Therefore, this volume even more than the previous ones gives the reader a chance to identify with the characters.
In the previous paragraph I've mentioned school and now I would like to focus on this topic. In "Love's Lawyer" I really loved the fact that Janice Jarrell put so much emphasis on the problem of being a student. On one hand, she showed us an adult who goes back to school. Although this is quite common, we usually associate studies with youth, and this in turn raises the level of stress the older people feel, as they don't want to be inferior to those who are younger. What's more, the author in an excellent way showed the rat race which is an integral part of studying some academic disciplines considered elite or studying at some universities. Even if we don't want to participate in this race, there's a great possibility that at some point we will somehow get involved in all this madness just like the others. Let's add ambition and ego to this equation, and now we have a recipe for some serious problems. Well, that's what it looks like in real life, and that's exactly what Janice Jarrell shows us in her book.
To be honest, the subject I probably love the most in "Love's Lawyer" are the psychological problems, the source of which is something seemingly ordinary, something that is part of everyday life. We see that more and more often great dramas don't really need great dramas, as something that doesn't matter to one person to someone else is like the end of the world, things that motivate some people can be a cause of someone else's breakdown. What I believe is very important in this case, the author shows us how little it takes for a man to have a mental breakdown and as an example she uses a protagonist as strong, but at the same time susceptible as Colin. Imagine a demon who can see the greatest weaknesses of a man and use them to lead to this person's undoing. This is how I would describe the process in which many psychological problems, such as, for example, depression occur. Something that constitutes our weakness, even if it does not seem to be a weakness at all, is stimulated in a way that ultimately evokes a psychological reaction leading to a problem or even illness. Believe me, Janice Jarrell showed it clearly, comprehensibly and perfectly in her story, which is a clear evidence of her devotion to the novel and characters, but also makes "Love's Lawyer" a really valuable book.
Finally, I would like to write a few words about the dynamics of the relationship between the characters of the novel, which for some time has been solid, unchanging and brings to mind the image of a family. Reading this volume I had the impression that Colin is like a small child, the apple of the whole family's eye, while Joshua is a mother who, although she wants to be tough and unyielding, always gives in to her kid. David is a reasonable grandfather who, using his experience, tries to help the mother raise her child by talking, explaining, suggesting some solutions. Nate and Trent are like older brothers who always say what they think, however, Nate often gives in to Colin while Trent follows the rules – I'm the eldest, so you have to listen to me. In this "family" only Jeff doesn't play his role because he doesn't have one. In this volume we see very little of him, so it is impossible to compare his relationship with Colin and Josh to any within the family.
To sum up, "Love's Lawyer" is another greatly written novel by Janice Jarrell, which reaches deep into the characters' psyche and shows their life as it is – ordinary, therefore full of everyday challenges. This is really a book worth recommending and the beginning of the promising series.
Headcanon: At least once a month, Colin brings Josh a large bouquet of flowers as a symbol of gratitude that Josh cares for him and helped him go through yet another month of his life.
Fanfiction idea: To check Colin's sensitivity to touch, Josh covers his eyes and touches his skin in various places on the body with various objects (feather, silk handkerchief, flower, ice, etc.). Colin must guess what he was touched with.
AU idea: Josh is a superhero at night and a regular guy by day. One day he rescues Colin from oppression and their life changes forever.
Here's some more about:
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Book Title: Love’s Lawyer
Author: Janice Jarrell
Cover Artist: Janice Jarrell and Robin E. Vuchnich
Release Date: May 11, 2020
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Would law school do what a drug lord’s bullet could not?
Blurb
Blurb
Colin Campbell had been a champion all his life. Nothing had ever beaten him, not even a drug lord’s bullet. And he approached law school the same way he approached everything in life, with cocky confidence fizzing through his veins like ginger ale. He had it all. He had the looks, the brains, the experience, the know-how and he also had the love of his life at his side. He couldn’t be defeated.
But he hadn’t counted on the gravitas of law school, the reading, the preparation, the cases, the competition, the Socratic Method, the concepts, the grading curve, the expectations, the finals, memos, study groups, outlines... all of it piled and heaped upon those preparing for a career as an attorney until it wasn’t surprising that some of them simply imploded under the weight of it all.
Suddenly Colin was scrambling to keep up and rarely ever seeing Joshua. His grades slumped as he tried desperately to balance the opposing forces in his life, but his only solution was stretching himself thinner and thinner, until he feared he’d be torn in two. Joshua pleaded with him to slow down, but Colin refused to lighten his load and the path before them grew darker and darker.
They’d been through so much and survived. Would law school be the storm they could not weather? Would it do what a drug lord’s bullet could not and hand Colin Campbell the bitter defeat he never believed he’d have to face?
Or would the man he loved find a way to draw him back from the abyss.
But he hadn’t counted on the gravitas of law school, the reading, the preparation, the cases, the competition, the Socratic Method, the concepts, the grading curve, the expectations, the finals, memos, study groups, outlines... all of it piled and heaped upon those preparing for a career as an attorney until it wasn’t surprising that some of them simply imploded under the weight of it all.
Suddenly Colin was scrambling to keep up and rarely ever seeing Joshua. His grades slumped as he tried desperately to balance the opposing forces in his life, but his only solution was stretching himself thinner and thinner, until he feared he’d be torn in two. Joshua pleaded with him to slow down, but Colin refused to lighten his load and the path before them grew darker and darker.
They’d been through so much and survived. Would law school be the storm they could not weather? Would it do what a drug lord’s bullet could not and hand Colin Campbell the bitter defeat he never believed he’d have to face?
Or would the man he loved find a way to draw him back from the abyss.
Excerpt
Joshua nodded again, then turned to face his husband, his jaw clenched tight. “I know all about this kind of study, Colin,” he hissed out. “I’ve done them myself. Two credit hours equals out to at least six or eight hours a week of research, analysis, and in your case, detailed legal writing.”
He leaned toward Colin and when he spoke, his voice was a hoarse grate in his throat. “And just where the fuck are those hours supposed to come from, Colin? I never see you as it is! And now what little time we did have together will be sucked down the drain because of this… this…” he hissed out a disgusted breath and slapped at the papers in Colin’s lap, spilling them onto the floor.
He shot to his feet and stalked toward the kitchen, then spun back to face Colin, who gathered the wrinkled pages into his hands. “I can’t imagine why you thought I’d hate this,” he said. “Why would this bother me? It’s not like I give a flying fuck about ever spending any time with the man I married! I enjoy living alone.” His voice cracked with barely controlled emotion, and his hands suddenly balled into fists. “Goddamn it, Colin!” he cried out in anguish. “How could you dothis?!”
“Josh, listen to me!” Colin cried, rising to his feet. “I can say no. I don’t have to…”
“Oh God, Colin, just shut up!” Joshua spat out, spinning away from him to stride toward the kitchen. “If you were going to say no, you would have done so, and I never would have heard about this goddamn project. Every fiber of your being is leaping with joy about it. You think I can’t see it? You think I don’t know you well enough to…” He shook his head, his teeth clenched in frustration. “Fuck it,” he said. “I’m done. I’m not saying another word.” He careened into the kitchen and fell against the counter, leaning on his elbows. His hands lifted to cover his face. “Fuck it,” he said again, his voice husky. “Just fuck it all!”
Colin came up behind him and stretched out a tentative hand to touch his back. “Josh, please. Just talk to me for a second.”
“Why?” Joshua asked. “Why bother? Your mind is made up, and you damn well know it.” He turned to face his husband. “Don’t play me, Colin,” he demanded. “Just don’t fucking do it.” Joshua’s face was damp with tears, and Colin bowed his head against a storm of pain and guilt.
“Josh, okay. I understand why you’re upset. I do. But we can talk this through. It isn’t going to be the way you… the way you described it just now. I promise you.”
Joshua’s laugh was a sob in his throat. “Right.”
“Josh, I promise!”
“Stop saying that!” Joshua cried out. “Stop making promises you know damned well you can’t keep!”
“I-I can make it work,” Colin said. “I can!”
Joshua stared at him, his huge brown eyes misty with tears. “You can’t make the schedule you’re on now work, Colin,” he whispered, his voice strangled. “We pretend it’s working, or rather I do by not complaining about—” He stopped, and his voice trailed off. He shook his head, staring silently down at the floor beneath their feet.
“Josh, please talk to me,” Colin begged. He grabbed Joshua’s wrists and tried to draw him into his arms, but Joshua jerked away.
“Not now, Colin,” he replied, moving away. “I can’t right now.” He stumbled toward the stairs, his hand gesturing back at Colin as if dismissing their conversation. “I’m done. I’m going upstairs.”
“Josh, please,” Colin implored, stretching out his hand.
“Do what you want,” Joshua muttered, his voice leaden. “You will anyway.”
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*It's the publishing anniversary of Love's Magic AND the release week for Love's Lawyer*
This is a RE-RELEASE of the KINDLE version of Love's Magic
with a NEW cover, NEW format, and NEW content.
Grab your brand new release of Love's Magic on Amazon for FREE
from May 10 through May 14.
FREE ON AMAZON AND ON KINDLE UNLIMITED
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About the Author
I wrote slash fanfiction for 30 years, writing over 337 stories, some as short as 100 words (a drabble) some as long as a series which was over 119,012 words. I enjoy writing my stories. I enjoyed the feedback I received from my readers. It was a creative release I’d been searching for my entire life and I blessed the Internet for leading me to this artistic oasis for my spirit.
Love’s Magic was my very first step into writing my own characters. I will always be grateful the slash fanfiction community for nurturing the budding author until she was ready to blossom into a fully realized novelist. It’s been an amazing thing to watch the gay community’s growth over these past twenty years. My own journey has echoed theirs in many ways, and I’m grateful to all those gay activists who fought to give the gay community the rights and privileges they always deserved. Love’s Trials and Love’s Glory were the second and third books in the series and both Love’s Magic and Love’s Trials are available in audio format on Audible.
I’m also grateful to the gay romance community, readers, authors, publishers and promoters, who are making these, my retirement years, the most creative ones of my life. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling, walking, hiking, knitting, crocheting, and weaving.
I'm very excited about the upcoming release of my fourth contemporary gay romance novel, Love's Lawyer. Those of you who fell in love with Joshua and Colin in the three previous books in this series are in for a treat because they are in rare form in Love’s Lawyer. Colin takes on way too much, and his obsessive drive to succeed proves almost as deadly to their relationship as a drug lord’s bullet. But despite their struggles there are still many passionate, loving moments and the friends they treasure will be there to help them find their way.
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