Delayed Justice (2018) — A Celebrate Lit Tour: A Guest Post, My Thoughts, and 2 Giveaways

About the Book

Book Title: Delayed Justice

Author: Cara Putman

Genre: Legal Romantic Suspense

Release date: October 15, 2018

She had long given up the desire to be loved. Now she only needed to be heard.

Jaime Nichols went to law school to find the voice she never had as a child, and her determination to protect girls and women in the path of harm drives her in ways both spoken and unspoken. As Jamie, now a criminal defense attorney, prepares to press charges against someone who wronged her long ago, she must face not only her demons but also the unimaginable forces that protect the powerful man who tore her childhood apart.

Chandler Bolton, a retired veteran, is tasked with helping a young victim who must testify in court—and along with his therapy dog, Aslan, he’s up for the task. When he first meets Jaime, all brains, beauty, and brashness, he can’t help but be intrigued. As Chandler works to break through the wall Jaime has built around herself, the two of them discover that they may have more to offer one another than they ever could have guessed—and that together, they may be able to help this endangered child.

This thrilling installment of the Hidden Justice series explores the healing power of resolution and the weight of words given voice. And as Jaime pursues delayed justice of her own, she unearths eternal truths that will change the course of her life.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Since the time she could read Nancy Drew, Cara has wanted to write mysteries. In 2005 she attended a book signing at her local Christian bookstore. The rest, as they say, was history. There she met a fellow Indiana writer Colleen Coble. With prompting from her husband, Cara shared her dream with Colleen. Since those infamous words, Cara’s been writing award-winning books. She is currently working on book 30 and 31.

Cara Putman is an active member of ACFW, and currently serves on its Executive Board. She has also been the Indiana ACFW chapter president and served as the Area Coordinator for Indiana.

Cara is also an attorney, lecturer at a Big Ten university, active in women’s ministry, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, her husband and her kids that is. She graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!) and George Mason Law School, and Krannert School of Management.

You can learn more about Cara at www.caraputman.com.

Guest Post from Cara Putman

Delayed Justice was a hard story to write.

I’d known from Beyond Justice that Jaime had a hard story, but I wasn’t sure exactly what it was. She tried to hide from her past. She tried hard, but in the end it slowly spilled out. A young girl wounded deeply by someone who should protect her. And now as a professional young woman, Jaime is still fighting the shadows.

She believes she’s okay, or as okay as she’ll ever be.

Instead, she has to learn that there’s so much more waiting for her. Freedom from the chains of a past she didn’t choose. A love that will never end. And a God who has always loved her even when she questions His existence because of her past.

I think we’ve all lived that. There’s a place in our hearts that seems beyond His reach. For some of us, it’s a barrier to knowing Him. To others of us, it makes us question what we thought we knew about God. And for others of us, it presses us deeply into Him. Jaime’s book, Delayed Justice, explores this space. The space where some days we scream at the heavens Where are you, God? And the days we just curl into ourselves because life is too hard.

And in that space of shadow and light, God ultimately shines brightest. This is a truth that is slowly revealed through friends and The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe.

My Thoughts

I love Cara Putman’s novels. I think she has immense talent, and I always look forward to her latest story. I have very much enjoyed the novels in her Hidden Justice series, and recommend them wholeheartedly. Delayed Justice is the third novel in this series, and my favorite so far. As much as I enjoyed this story, I will say that it is a really tough novel in the sense that it deals with child molestation, PTSD (various kinds), and pure evil. Putman deals with each topic honestly and respectfully, but I did have to set the book down a few times and pray and smother my child in hugs and kisses.

In this novel there are two female characters who deal with the after-effects of sexual abuse. One, our heroine Jaime who was badly abused at eight, is an adult who is dealing with PTSD because help was not available to her as a child. She has severe trust and fear issues, which is completely understandable. She often mentions her therapy treatments from previous years, but these were treatments she sought when the sexual assault was in her past. What struck me so hard about Jaime is how alone she has been and continues to be all because she didn’t have anyone to turn to when she was a little girl. Jaime’s experience is juxtaposed with Tiffany’s, one of Jaime’s clients in this story. Tiffany experiences the exact same mistreatment as Jaime at the exact same age, but has an amazing support team. While it is an awful, evil ordeal that Tiffany is struggling through, the immediate and real help that she receives from her mother, doctors, lawyers, judges, and a comfort animal illustrates a girl who will come through this event scarred but not destroyed. This spoke volumes! Getting people, especially our children, immediate help after trauma of any kind can be the difference between being able to move on and live life or not.

I appreciate that Putman tackles some tough God questions too in this story, but doesn’t give answers. Several times, Jaime asks, “Why did God allow this bad thing to happen to me?” It’s a fantastically OK question to ask. I’ve asked it several times in my lifetime! But, as in real life, Jaime never gets an answer. I think this is very realistic. Sometimes, especially with the deep questions, our answers will only come once we are in Heaven with Jesus. Right now on earth, we are in the “Trust-In-God” time. We have to trust the path He’s put us on. And, we have to trust that one day in Heaven He will reveal everything. It’s so super hard, especially when the question is connected to deep pain and/or violence, but we have to put our trust in God. He does know what He is doing!

I love all of the characters in this story, but Chandler is my favorite. He is a super excellent hero, and the perfect guy for Jaime. He’s all man, dependable, and true to his word. He pays attention and notices details, then he reacts (or doesn’t) based on what he gleaned from paying attention. A man who pays attention and then acts accordingly is super attractive in my book! But what I really love the most about Chandler is his love for Jesus. Because Jaime is not in a relationship with Christ, Chandler will not let things move out of the “friend” zone. I have read many, many Christian novels where the heroine refuses to romantically entangle herself because she cannot be in an unequally yoked relationship, but I haven’t seen a hero do that lately. I found this refreshing, and it made Chandler all the more swoonalicious!

I very much enjoyed my time with this book, and I highly recommend it. The writing is stellar, the plot is full of suspense, the characters are realistic and endearing, and the romance builds well. I will definitely miss my time with these characters. If you are looking for a nail-biting, suspenseful, romantic page-turner then Delayed Justice is definitely the book for you!

I received a review copy of this novel in paperback form from the author via Celebrate Lit. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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GIVEAWAY

To celebrate her tour, Cara is giving away a grand prize package that includes a Courage Dear Heart bracelet, a The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe print, a copy of Delayed Justice, and a box of Turkish Delight!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway!

Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/d5c4/delayed-justice-celebration-tour-giveaway

GIVEAWAY #2

I am giving away ONE (1) paperback ARC of Delayed Justice by Cara Putman. The giveaway begins today, 9-29-18 at 5:00 am (PST) and ends on Wednesday, 10-3-18 at 12:00 pm (PST). To enter, click on the Rafflecopter link below. Good luck!

CONGRATS TO KAREN K.!

YOU HAVE WON THIS GIVEAWAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.

IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

***Please Note: Open to Continental U.S. mailing addresses only.*** One winner will be notified via email at the end of the giveaway, and will be announced here on this page. For full giveaway disclosures and policies, click HERE.

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