Who says jury duty has to be a bore? Cameron: Jury duty is a complete waste of time. One, unfortunately, I have already had to endure four times in the past nine years because I am one of those lucky people who gets summoned every two years like clockwork. Do not get me wrong, I think jury duty is an important part of the judicial process which is why I am prepared to report for my fifth summons. Even if I still think it’s a waste of time. My mood isn’t improved by the dreary February weather in which I’m forced to wait, nor by someone bumping into me and sending my coffee flying. But when I turn to vent some of my frustrations on the idiot, I’m met with the biggest, bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.
Tyler: I’m hurrying up Bryant Street outside the Hall of Justice when I get hit by the most amazing idea for my webcomic and have to write it down. Which explains why I end up blundering into the back of someone already waiting in line and sending his travel mug right into the oncoming path of a truck. My attempts to apologize only deepen my embarrassment, and I slink to the back of the line. But then we not only end up on the same jury, we end up seated right next to each other. I can’t hep but think fate is playing a role in our meeting, especially when it looks like the trial is going to end on Valentine’s Day.
Author's Note: for the benefit of my readers who may be unfamiliar with the American jury system, the title - Voir Dear - is a play on "voir dire" which is the process by which potential jurors are questioned to determine their suitability for a particular trial. It translates to "speak the truth."
The cover made me think this was gonna be something dark and angsty. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Voir Dear was all cuteness, a sweet little novella, two jurors falling in love. A touch spicy, lots of chemistry, no angst. I usually complain that I hate novellas ‘cause they’re too short, but for once the length was perfect. Just enough to get a full love story, from meet cute to first date and a romantic epilogue, but not too long to get bored of the simple plot.
A short fun time, and now I want more romances with legal settings.
“God, Ty, what I want to do to you.”
NSFW info (spoilers): - Vers MCs - Phone sex - Semi-public sex - Toys - 69
This was the absolute perfect novella today, and really probably one of my favorite novellas ever. For such a short story, the UST is so so good and it was impossibly sweet and steamy. I found myself grinning stupidly though the whole thing, especially at the end.
This was so stinking cute with these two. Great meet cute, awesome friend group, a trial, some steam, and an adorable relationship. It's a fun and quick read.
Super cute, awkward at times but it came off more as endearing and I LOVED the amount of hand-holding there was🥺
Short, no angst, decent steam at the end, super cute epilogue 🥰 I just wasn’t that interested in the court process/plot but I loved the rest. For $1? I’ll take it 😌
Tyler Grosford (24), graphic designer / webcomic artist Cameron Reese (27), product development at Gangway
I'm ages late finishing my review but I was going through my 'Currently Reading' list and this was still on it so I figured I should write some quick observations and move it to my 'Read' pile... Let's see... - I LOVED the meet-cute - I gasped when Cam's coffee mug got ruined, even though I knew it was going to happen from the synopsis. - The info dump of personal details during the voir dire process was a clever way to allow the characters to get to know each other quickly. - I enjoyed the best friend banter between Cam and his bestie/roomie, Marney - they are definite #friendshipgoals. - The cast of characters got a little unruly and confusing when Tyler's friend group was introduced and the bet side-plot felt a little out of place and unnecessary. It seemed like that author was about to try and do too much within the constraints of a novella format. - The sweet way Cam and Tyler danced around each other was adorable, especially how they could communicate without saying a word. - Given the timing of the release (February 14th) I though Valentine's Day was going to play a bigger role and I'm not going to lie, I was disappointed that it didn't. - The spice was surprisingly good given the length of the story, it suit it well. - I liked how the rest of the jury knew what was up and were shipping them and thought the epilogue was the perfect cherry on top of a lovely novella.
Note: I usually read pretty exclusively in KU but I'm a fan of the author's work and this wasn't enrolled so I purchased it from Amazon for a lower pre-release price of $1.50 plus tax (.ca market). Subsequently, it was included in The Marie Sinclair Reader, released seven weeks later, which was enrolled in KU so I'm feeling some kind of way about that.
Voir Dear by Marie Sinclair is a novella about how love can find you in very strange places. Voir dear is a take on voir dire where a person who might be selected for a jury is questioned about his/her personal life so it can be determined if they will be a fit for the trial. This plays an important part in this story as you will see. Cameron Reese works at a tech firm and lives with his best friend Marney who also works there. Cam has had the unfortunate luck to be summoned to be on a jury just about every two years and he uses the fact that his father is a lawyer to get him out of actually serving. He has once again been summoned for the 5th time and is not happy about it. While waiting outside the courthouse he is suddenly run into by Tyler Grosford who makes him drop his travel mug and it is run over by a truck. This is quite the introduction as Tyler tries to make it up to TDH (tall, dark, and handsome) but they get separated as they find their way inside. Tyler is a graphic designer but also has a webcomic that he is working on and it is becoming quite well known but not enough to quit his day job so he can focus full time on it. Once he sees Cam he gets all kinds of ideas and starts drawing him to use in his webcomic. While waiting to be sent to see if they will be chosen for a jury they eye each other and can’t stop staring which continues during lunch. Then they are both called to the 3rd floor to be questioned and during the voir dire they learn lots of information about each other and lo and behold not only are they chosen for the same trial but they also sit next to each other. This causes them to question their friends about what they should do and a little stalking on social media which they confess to as they start talking, then hold hands, and share a kiss which leads to some hot love scenes. They try to restrain themselves during the trial but once it’s over it’s no holds barred as they act on their desires and know they want to follow the advice of a fellow juror to love, respect, and support each other as they pursue their dreams and the epilogue shows that that is exactly where they are headed. I really enjoyed this short story. Both men were cute and very surprised that they found each other while waiting to be on a jury. Cam was tired of it all and it was Ty’s first time so that made it even more special. They were both enamored from the moment they met and that only grew as the trial continued and they learned more about each other. There were some very fun scenes as they attempted to act out their desire, and their friends were there to help and also to egg them on. I highly recommend this book, especially if you like stories of unexpected meet-cutes where liking quickly morphs into love between two men who were meant to be together.
For Cameron, jury duty is old hat, this is his fifth go round. In line he’s bumped and his coffee travel mug is destroyed by a beautiful man.
Tyler is on his way to jury duty and has an idea for his web comic, bumping into someone as he jots it down. He’s mortified, but doesn’t get a chance to do anything but apologize before the line moves.
All day he sketches Cam because he’s mesmerized, but they don’t get to talk. Each listens carefully to the other’s voir dire, and they learn more about who each other is.
They’re put into a trial and Ty replaces Cam’s mug and again apologizes. They talk and stalk each other online, and Cam joins his Patreon, really enjoying his work.
Their friends see their attraction and come up with ways for them to be together without endangering the trial they’re involved in.
Other jurors think they’re cute together too, and by the time the trial ends they’re just waiting to have a real date, though they’ve met with friends and lunched during the trial. The date, on Valentine’s Day, is the start of something real.
I enjoyed this book, jury duty is an interesting premise, and their friends are all fun people who care about them and see their relationship potential. There wasn’t enough about the trial since it’s the focus of their meeting, but a novella only has so much room for plot.
I received this ARC for free and am pleased to give it my honest review with thanks.
Cameron dreads yet another round of jury duty, and a spilled coffee on a cold February morning only makes it worse — until he turns around and meets the blue‑eyed guy who bumped into him. Tyler, a distracted webcomic artist, is mortified by the accident, but fate isn’t done with them. They end up on the same jury, seated side by side, and their awkward encounter slowly turns into something warm and promising as the trial moves toward Valentine’s Day.
This was such a sweet novella, and the instant attraction between Cameron and Tyler gives it a lovely spark right from the start. Even while they’re trying to stay focused on the trial, their awareness of each other never really fades — it’s always there, warm and steady, threading through every interaction. I really enjoyed how they balanced their growing feelings with the responsibility of serving on a jury. It made their connection feel grounded and genuine, not rushed. The story keeps things light, charming, and heartfelt, making their slow build toward something real especially satisfying. A quick, cute read with great chemistry and a gentle romantic pull. This was an MM story with mature content
A fairly cute story with an interesting twist on jury selection and it's opportunity for getting to know someone. The two guys who have a meet cute/disaster are attracted to each other and sort of use the information told in jury selection to cheat and learn more about each other. That does have the potential to be creepy, something they even say, but it wasn't used maliciously or in an intrusive way. Balancing being on a jury and needing to make a big decision about a court case along with having an attraction to someone near and wanting to pursue that is also discussed and it was done in a balance of not being too heavy, but also not avoiding the subject. Overall it was a fairly nice and easy read with a cute couple at its core.
First in series (Legal Briefs). Novella. Slow burn. Dual POV.
Cam’s coffee gets demolished when a cute graphic designer bumps into him, but maybe jury duty won’t be such a chore if he gets a chance to talk to him. Cam gets his chance when he and Tyler are put on the same jury, and Tyler is just as interested in getting to know Cam.
This quick read has an unusual meet cute that pairs a maybe not so fun obligation with a super lucky connection that lasts. I enjoyed that both Cam and Tyler were equally infatuated with each other, and they had supportive friends that helped their budding relationship along. A cute little read that pairs likable characters, a not glamorous but unusual setting, and a Valentine’s day celebration that leads to a sweet HEA.
Alaskan cold front, Mr TDH, the notebook, self-flagellation Red Bulls, purple stone, courthouse bathroom BJ, $15/day!, mushroom risotto, sunflowers, raccoon
For a novella, this is a great story! Courthouse + meet-cute combined is the main trope. It's fun to read and a good take-a-break with the feels.
Cameron and Tyler are madly attracted to each other and Surprise! they end up being jurors in the same case and even sit next together in the juror box. Afraid they'll cause a mistrial, they agree to date after the trial and try to keep their flirting on the down-low. This is sweet and delightful book. I recommend it.
Cameron and Tyler are both called for jury duty. Cameron is the veteran who has been called for jury duty multiple times and sent home each time. He's hoping it turns out the same this time. Tyler is the newbie who doesn't know what to expect and is kind of excited. Meeting sets these two on the path of what is the beginning of the rest of their lives.
This is a fast paced (on page), no drama romance. There was no excitement or spark IMO. It dragged and I was glad it was short. The two MCs have chemistry but it wasn't very interesting or exciting, more like two friends getting to know each other. There's an epilogue that's short and not needed IMO. 🤷♀️
Cameron and Tyler were so cute together. The hesitation, the fumbles and the awkward moments made them so adorable. I never thought a novella could be kind of a slow burn. This was perfect.
And to think they met their future wedding guests the same day they made was beautiful. I really liked it.
If you are looking for a short cute read with a little bit of slice, you should definitely give this book a chance.
I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was so stinking cute! The play on words, the adorable meet cute, low key stalking, and the dozen little details! It’s so cute! And their fellow jurors… especially David! Their friends were great, but I think the cure friendship with their fellow jurors made this even better. Super cute, fast read, insta love that you can believe, a HEA that makes you smile, and connections all around that are what makes this cute story even better, like the judge on the epilogue. Really, really cute. Loved it.
Marie Sinclair is one of my favorite authors, so it was disappointing to discover that even with its clever premise, Voir Dear just doesn’t live up to expectations.
The first half of the book is focused on the introduction of several fascinating characters and a perfect description of serving as a juror. Unfortunately the second half is nothing but one sexual encounter after another. They’re well written encounters, yes, but not all necessary to the story line.
4 stars Very sweet story of an unusual meet cute: both Tyler and Cameron have been summoned on jury duty and Tyler crashes into Cameron outside the Hall of Justice. They're instantly attracted each other and they have the opportunity to get to know one another better during the day of the trial. It's a simple story, filled with blushing, sweet talking, little gesture and a little bit of spice and I liked it. I really appreciated that the author wrote an epilogue set 2 years later.
This sweet book is my feel good book of this week. It had me from the start (and it is not long, so an easy fun read) as fellow jury members, Cameron and Tyler, meet with instant connection. It is a sweet love story, a slow developing love with some steam along the way. This is the first in the series and I am so ready for the next one as this one left me smiling and all warm inside. A must read.
Very cute, low angst, easy to read, short story! I loved this book, both main characters are so cute ans sweet, and their interactions were so genuine and relatable. Their meet-cute is adorable and they go so well together. I enjoyed very the writing, the pace and even being a short story, I got enough character development. Perfect quick read that will leave you with a smile.
Tyler and Cameron meet up during jury duty selection and quickly connect. What follows is a sweet and steamy novella that’s a good short read when you need a pick-me-up. Works great at the length it is – often not the case with novellas for me – but I was curious about the trial as well.
Although this is a short story it didn’t feel that way and I felt that I got to know Cam and Ty as well as in a longer one. They are adorable together and their story was sweet with heat. Highly recommended.
3.5, rounded up - This was a different take on a meet cute, with the two MCs meeting as being on the same trial. Everyone has to give a statement about themselves, so they get to know about each other and their interests in a way that is a bit fast tracked. Quite enjoyable!
So sweet. Two wonderful yet quirky main characters. I loved how they met while serving on a jury. I loved the banter between them and their friends. This would be a cute " made for TV" movie. Just not a movie in Hallmark.
Short and sweet. Cameron and Tyler were so perfect for each other. I loved all the displays of affection between the two. The story didn't grab my attention the way I would have liked, but it was still quite enjoyable.
What a gorgeous, sweet read! It's touching, funny, and of course sexy. Who knew jury duty could be so much fun! This author does write some amazing plots, this one is no exception, short but perfect.