APPROACHING THE BENCH (Conflict of Interest #3) by Chantal Fernando-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 19,2018

A tenacious, resilient female judge must find a way to work with her carefree clerk as they find themselves in danger when a fugitive sets his sights on revenge in the third book in New York Times bestselling author Chantal Fernando’s sexy and thrilling Conflict of Interest Series.

Trinity Williams, known as “Medusa” for her stony expressions and unyielding reputation, constantly has her guard up—how else is the youngest female judge in the country supposed to survive in such a male-dominated profession? She made the decision long ago that laughter and a carefree attitude have no business in a courtroom and achieving her professional goals is the only thing she has left. It’s just her luck that her new law clerk, Callum Hopkins, believes the exact opposite.

Callum Hopkins thinks that nothing should ever be too serious in life—why can’t he mix business with pleasure? When he first starts working for his hot new boss, they clash at every turn. He makes it his mission to get Judge Williams to see things his way for once.

But when Callum finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time as an escaped convict comes after Trinity, he realizes it’s not all fun and games anymore. Now in witness protection together until the authorities can catch the fugitive, this unlikely pair must learn to trust one another and work together to stay alive. Far away from the courtroom, Trinity and Callum are suddenly free to stop butting heads, and stop fighting the growing attraction between them.

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REVIEW: –APPROACHING THE BENCH is the third instalment in Chantal Fernando’s contemporary adult CONFLICT OF INTEREST erotic, romance legal novella series. This is thirty-one year old judge Trinity Williams, and twenty-five year old law clerk Callum Hopkins’ story line. APPROACHING THE BENCH can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Callum was first introduced in books one and two- Breaching the Contract and Seducing the Defendant.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Callum and Trinity) APPROACHING THE BENCH follows the forbidden relationship between Judge Trinity Williams, and her law clerk Callum Hopkins. Since her early career Trinity Williams has had a reputation as a cold and calculation person, something that does not go unnoticed by our story line hero but when a threatening letter lands on her desk, Trinity is willing to dismiss even if Callum suspects something more sinister is going on. An attempted kidnapping of Trinity Williams finds both Trinity and Callum in protective custody, where their attraction to one another will grow into something more. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Callum and Trinity, and the potential fall out when their whereabouts are discovered threatening any semblance of peace and security that was slowly beginning to build.

The relationship between Callum and Trinity is one of forbidden attraction as Trinity is Callum’s boss, and workplace romances are frowned upon even in the legal system. Callum continues to push the boundaries of a working friendship as Trinity struggles to remain professional in the face of their growing attraction. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Callum’s father Richard, his half-brother Justin, and best friend Eddie. The requisite evil is a familiar face to our story line heroine.

APPROACHING THE BENCH is a quick read; a reversal of power structure in that our heroine has all of the control at work while Callum has all of the control in the bedroom. The premise is entertaining; the romance is sexy and hot; the characters are energetic and inspiring.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Breaching the Contract
Seducing the Defendant
Approaching the Bench
Leading the Witness (April 2018)