Jaded New York City Public Defender Liana Cohen would give anything to have one client in whom she can believe. Dozens of hardened criminals and repeat offenders have chipped away at her faith in both herself and the system. Her boyfriend Jakob’s high-powered law firm colleagues see her do-gooder job as a joke, which only adds to the increasing strain in their relationship.Enter imprisoned felon … imprisoned felon Danny Shea, whose unforgivable crime would raise a moral conflict in an attorney at the height of her idealism – and that hasn’t been Liana in quite a while. But Danny’s astonishing blend of good looks, intelligence, and vulnerability intrigues Liana. Could he be the client she’s been longing for – the wrongly accused in need of a second chance? Is he innocent? As their attorney-client relationship transforms into something less than arm’s length, Liana is forced to confront fundamental questions of truth, faith, and love – and to decide who she wants to be.
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The old saying that the law is a jealous mistress takes on new meaning in Reyna Gentin’s exciting new novel Unreasonable Doubts. It’s an interesting tale, well-told, about justice… and the human heart.
Can head and heart possibly make the scales of Justice balance, or must one prevail? Reyna Gentin’s first novel is not only intelligent, but deeply moving. She knows the law and she knows her characters. Well done!
I enjoyed reading this book but I felt mislead by the description. It was not a Legal Thriller but a Romance with a Legal background. Liana is a burned out attorney who defends convicted criminals during their appeals. Her boyfriend works for a high powered corporate firm. The book explores their relationship while they deal with their career choices. The legal background was interesting and I liked the characters but I kept waiting for the mystery. Overall it was an enjoyable read.
I admit to a hopeless book addiction and there’s no definitely no cure. This novel is one of the subgenres I can’t resist—a novel by a professional woman writing about her career. I love the way the details and settings from a writer’s work experience render a story authentic, nuanced and believable. In Unreasonable Doubts, Gentin, an attorney who spent years working as a public defender, uses her intimate knowledge of the legal system to bring the reader deep into this world many of us hope never to see.
The story centers on Liana Cohen, a twenty-nine-year old public defender living in Manhattan. When we meet her, she’s beginning to lose faith in both her job and her relationship. When she chose her career path, she was wide-eyed and idealistic, believing everyone had the right to a quality defense. Whether they committed the crime was irrelevant. Years later, her idealism has worn thin, giving way to cynicism and negativity. She now knows her clients are nearly all guilty, and she isn’t sure she can spend the rest of her life trying to defend their innocence.
Meanwhile, her long-term boyfriend, Jakob, works endless hours at his corporate law job, forsaking all else to impress his boss and earn partnership. Though he is ready for marriage, Liana isn’t sure if she can play second fiddle to his career for the rest of her life, and whether he’s even the right match for her at all. When Liana accepts a new client, her doubts further multiply. Could Danny Shea finally be the client she’s been waiting for, the innocent man amongst the sea of criminals? Surely this charismatic, intelligent and personable man could not have sexually assaulted a woman on a rooftop. Dedicating everything she has to winning Danny’s appeal, Liana finds her feelings for him crossing the invisible line between attorney and client. She finds herself fantasizing about being with him and wondering how her life would be different with him as her partner.
I flew through this book, longing to see how Liana’s life would change and what resolution she would find at the end. Gentin’s writing is witty, smart and easy to read and she has created a whole set of wonderfully varied characters. I will surely pick up whatever she writes next.
Unreasonable Doubts
A Novel
By: Reyna Marder Gentin
Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
I am shocked that this is Reyna Marder Gentin’s debut novel! Unreasonable Doubts is a smart legal thriller with a romantic thread woven into the story. Liana is burning out. Tired of defending those she feels may be guilty, she longs for that one appeal that would help to restore her faith that the innocent has been wronged. When Danny Shea’s case appears on her desk, she finds a charismatic, intelligent man has been put in jail. Surely he can’t be guilty. This plot right there had me captivated, and wanting to know more. Liana’s boyfriend Jakob is climbing the ladder of success so he can provide a good life for Liana, but the spark for her is not burning brightly. Can he ignite it? I loved this story. Liana is smart, yet blinded by the case. I find her a little naive, but more interested in finding that spark that made her love her job to begin with. Danny is charming and smart. He is the character I love to hate, with that too good feeling. And Jakob I felt bad for. He has that difficulty of balance, and I can feel his pain and frustration. Gentin’s style of writing is exactly what I love. The suspense was high, the characters well developed and the story kept me engaged. She writes with intelligence, but has a good balance of emotion. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.
Narrated by Tavia Gilbert, the story comes to life. Gilbert is amazing, as she understands the story and puts the perfect voices with the characters. She also creates that suspenseful feel, as well as finds the way to capture our emotions of all the cast. It’s an amazing listen.
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This is a great debut novel by Reyna Marder Gentin a captivating, complex, and well written legal thriller. Liana is an interesting character, but she acts with naivety, recklessness and impulsiveness. The secondary characters are great and have an important part in this story. Jakob, her boyfriend, is so selfish and self-centered. Danny Shea is a suspicious and intriguing character. Deb is a beautiful character. I love the scenes with the Rabbi. This story unfolds at a great pace, filled with many aspects in Liana’s professional and personal life. Tavia Gilbert did a great job with the narration! I enjoyed this story. Looking forward for more books written by this author and narrated by this narrator. I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Lianna is a public defender working on appeals for the convicted. She has becomes dissatisfied with her work, and it shows! Her best friend and work partner gives her Danny Shea’s appeal. Danny gives Lianna the inspiration she is looking for but, he also puts her judgement at risk. Lianna is a tough, no nonsense attorney. I found her very intriguing and her job is not something I would find enjoyable. And, she is struggling. As a matter of fact, she starts to unravel. She has lost her focus. The Danny Shea case is starting to turn this around. Jakob, her boyfriend sees the change. As a matter of fact, everyone, including her Rabbi sees the change in Lianna. There is a lot going on in this book. Not only is it a legal thriller but it has a lot about friendship and love. I did think the story had too much of a religious aspect. I enjoyed reading about the Jewish faith. I just felt there was too much of it and not enough that really pertains to the story. I have not had a good legal thriller in quite a while. This hit the spot. I loved the way this story unfolded. Is he guilty or not? And you really hope he is not. Danny has a magnetism that attracts not only Lianna but the reader as well. I enjoyed this one! Grab yours today!
Congratulations to the author on a wonderful debut novel! This is a well-written blend of suspense and romance, with complex characters that are unforgettable.
WOW I never expected this book to pull me in like it did mainly because I’ve been in a weird mood read lately BUT it did and I loved every thing about this book. First of all legal thrillers/ true crime are my jam. I think secretly I was suppose to become a lawyer or I was one in my past life because everything legal/law intrigues me so much and this book had it all. It had testimony that was so well written it was almost as if you were sitting right there in the courtroom watching it happen. It had the little bit of romance to keep the book pulling you in for more AND it has amazing character development. The author practiced law for many years and it definitely showed that with how real it all felt.
Although this book is a legal thriller it is not at all boring and offers much more than courtroom drama and legal jargon. It brings romance, suspense, twists and more.
For fans of legal thrillers I highly recommend this one as I found this to be very enjoyable.
I will definitely look forward to more books by this author.
If you are in the mood for a great legal thriller then grab this roller coaster of a read! It starts off a little slow, but hang in there & hold on for a suspenseful book filled with a lot of detailed legal situations, courtroom excitement & a splash of romance too! Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours @reynamardergentin and @shewritespress for this fun opportunity!
An intriguing blend of romance and legal suspense from a new writer to watch.
It was a good read. Did like the leading characters .
Reyna Marder Gentin’s passion for the law shines in her debut novel. And Gentin’s deft exploration of justice, love, and tradition sets Unreasonable Doubts apart. A new talent has arrived!
I totally enjoyed the legal suspense in this book, but I loved following Liana as she faces all the real life events that occur in our lives – love, family, carreer, friendship, religion, and death. The characters are diverse and well developed. The situations are realistic and thought provoking. Unreasonable Doubts is a great read!
If you are the parent of a 29-year-old trying to find her/his way in the world, and you are familiar with the challenges of reconciling professional goals and personal relationships at that age or any other, and you enjoy a shot of exploration of Jewish life, and you welcome a finely written legal thriller, even if it departs from your normal genre, then you will join me in delighting in Reyna Marder Gentin’s Unreasonable Doubts. If none of those conditions apply to you, then enjoy this debut novel for its look at the world of appellate law, a young woman’s friendships and family, it’s well developed plot, and the moral and emotional challenges that surround them. If you’re an audiobook listener, this is a good one!
Was very predictable and lost interest half-way through. Skimmed the last half to have my prediction confirmed. Maybe I have just read too many stories like this to know how they will end!
Expected more nuanced plot. Pretty predictable
It is an exceptionally good first-time book, but suffered in my opinion due to its comparison with the work of author Lisa Scottoline. Scottoline is a stellar author of legal thrillers and Reyna Marder Gentin simply isn’t in the same category, at least not yet. Unfortunately, there is little in common between their books other than the law and some female lawyers. I found the plot implausible and still have no idea what the surprise was that some other reviewers mentioned. Perhaps if it had been positioned simply as a romantic novel with aspects of the law, it would find readers that appreciated the book’s merits more. It was an easy read and didn’t suffer from the usual errors of first-time authors.
It’s an easy read but it’s rather shallow. The author’s attempt to combine legal, romance, dealing with life’s tragedies … just unmoored the book from any solid genre. A bit too disjointed. I was hoping for a decent legal thriller, alas, the legal details read as if they were written by someone with no real trial attorney experience. I didn’t find much about the book to feel realistic (in any area of its multi-genre) so, I was a bit disappointed with the book. Having said that, I admire all authors who work so diligently at such a difficult skill.
Downloaded it based on reviews. I couldn’t wait to finish it to be done. Completely ridiculous happenings.