I’ve done something stupid.And I’m not even all that mad about it.I’ve got a crush on my best friend’s sister.No, we’re not five.Though with the way we argue, it’s debatable.Half the time I don’t like her.She always says the wrong thing.But I’ve got a soft spot for her and her little boy.Yeah, me. One of the toughest defense attorneys in the city.I never lose.This might be a first.Because I can’t … lose.
This might be a first.
Because I can’t compete with a dead man.
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I first met Patrick in Andrew and Trish’s book and I knew there was more to him than just the carefree rich lawyer he’s made out to be. I really liked the chemistry between him and Marlow from the first.
Honestly, I found it very hard to like Marlow, we know she’s been through tragedy but in each book, she gets more nasty and cutting, to the point that you almost stop sympathizing with her and just dislike her.
But as always, Grahame Claire pulls it out in the end and you can really see how she grows and changes as she lets go of her trauma. I hope this won’t be the end of the Dixon’s, they are a great family!
All I can say is wow! I am not sure where Patrick got the patience to deal with Marlow but he was amazing. He was the only one who seemed to truly understand what she was feeling and why she was behaving the way she was. It wouldn’t be easy to be around someone going through that but and acting that way but she still needed help to get out of the phase she was in. She was a great mother to Blake and Patrick was quickly taken with Blake as well. Marlow’s mother rears her ugly head again and causes trouble for the family as well as things from Patrick’s past. We find out Patrick’s back story as well and how that may help him connect with Marlow the way he does. I wasn’t sure anything could make me like Marlow or feel sorry for her, but I understand her so much better now and see the traits she has that make her worth having in your life. A lot of angst but definitely worth it.
I received and ARC copy of this book through BookFunnel for my honest review.
Grief is like wearing a pair of glasses that you can turn and see shards of angry colors, sad colors and sometimes clear and depending on the shards you are seeing is what your heart is feeling and whether you will say things you shouldn’t, hide or feel bad about the things you’ve done. Sometimes there is a person that sees your heart regardless of what you say or do. Can Marlowe see Patrick for who he really is as he sees her thru her difficult times and defend him as he does her? I loved this romance I volunteered an honest opinion for this book
This was book 3 I the Free series.
The stand out thing for me in this was was character development.
Marlow was not so likeable in the previous books and the changes and growth in her thanks to Patrick (whom I adored) was amazing.
I feel it was our hero Patrick that saved Marlow in this one. A refreshing change from it mainly being the girl who saves the guy.
This was a very emotional journey being that this book was dealing with grief and technically Patrick competing with the memory of her dead husband. But I felt that this was handled extremely well and with care.
Prepare yourself for a whole range of emotions.
This is a great series with a fantastic cast of characters… I mean can I come to Sunday’s family dinner
Must read
I was given an ARC but voluntarily chose to review
These Dixon Family characters are great. Patrick and Marlowe get their ending, however it is not an easy road to it. I have enjoyed every book this author has written! High recommend this book. I hope we continue to read more from the Dixon Family!
Man, while reading this book you can’t not fall in love with Patrick and Marlow. Their story shows how much work actually goes into a relationship and the choice to continue or end it at every bump. Marlow and Patrick had a lot of huge bumps that I never saw coming and the book is written so well that you won’t want to put it down. I also loved the mini plot lines throughout the book that keep you hooked including a trial, secret text messages, a crazy mom and so much more. I definitely recommend this book and this series because each story is just as good as the previous one!
Patrick and Marlow are perfect for each other, even though Marlow doesn’t realize it. It’s about Marlow is finding her way after the loss of her husband. She tries, but everything out of her mouth alienates her family more. There were times I just wanted to yell at her, “Keep your mouth shut, I really can’t believe you said that!”
Patrick knows she’s still feeling loss. He understands her, tries to ground her and smooth a way between her and her family. He’s not without secrets from his past. An unknown person brings forward those secrets to destroy his reputation and life.
And don’t get me started on Marlow’s mom, after being absent in her life, needling her way into their lives only to cause havoc and disruptions.
She gets her due. How it went down was priceless.
No matter what happens in life, Marlow realizes that the love and forgiveness from family is the best gift she could ever have. It took me a while to write this review. There was a myriad of emotions going through me. What a rollercoaster ride this story is. Grahame Claire has written a story that kept me wanting more. Defend Me is a standalone, but characters from The Free Me series and Paths to Love are intermingled within both series.
Thank you for giving me an ARC , this is my honest review of this amazing story. I recommend it.
So I finished reading Defend Me, Book #3 in the Free Series, late last night and I’m still absolutely totally speechless because I want to write a review worthy of this book, but I can’t seem to find the words to adequately express my love for Grahame Claire’s writing. Every book just keeps improving upon the previous one and if possible, keeps getting better and better.
Defend me is Patrick and Marlowe’s story, or I should say journey, because this book takes you on quite the emotional journey. I think we’ve all experienced grief in our lives at one point or another and this book handled it perfectly — as the authors say, there’s no right or wrong way to handle grief, but the Dixon family remarkably stays bound together through all the ups and downs that life throws at them. I wanted to slowly savor this read, but that’s nearly impossible with a Grahame Claire book because I literally could not put it down. These characters! Wow, I adore Patrick and at times I wanted to throttle Marlowe, but you’ve got to love that Dixon family — they always have your back no matter what. And reading Patrick’s interactions with little Blake–OMG, he’s so darn charming and sexy! There’s always an unexpected twist that you don’t see coming and the twist in Defend Me will have you reeling. This family and these books have wrung out every emotion in me – from anger to happiness, from tears to laughter — the writing is spectacular! And when these authors get invited to the Dixon’s Sunday dinner at Dino’s, I want an invite too!
As always, their stories leave me feeling hopeful, grateful and thankful. Defend Me has another beautiful message to share so don’t miss out on it–I highly recommend reading the entire series and anything and everything else that these authors create. Grahame Claire has set the bar quite high in the contemporary romance genre. Their writing is simply brilliant and I wish I could give this a 100 stars!