With Good Behavior by Jennifer Lane 
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Release Date: 13th July 2010
Rating: 4/5
Books in the “Conduct Series” Trilogy: With Good Behavior (#1) | Bad Behavior (#2) | On Best Behavior (#3)
Source: Received from Jules at A Tale of Many Reviews for review during the Conduct Series blog tour, thank you!
Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | BookDepository
Amazon Summary:

In a world gripped by organized crime, family dysfunction, and dim hopes of redemption, can true love persevere? For Sophie Taylor, a beautiful psychologist who lost everything when she violated an ethical boundary, and Grant Madsen, a handsome naval officer who sacrificed everything to protect a loved one, finding that love may carry an unbearable cost.

Starting their lives over in Chicago, both are fighting influences from their family and running as fast as they can to escape the past. When their paths cross outside the parole officer’s door, the attraction is instantaneous. But a hidden connection may not only shatter their fledgling love, but prove deadly to them both.

When I was asked to be part of Jennifer Lane’s blog tour for her “Conduct Series” novels, I said yes to participating, but I was hesitant because, well, it’s always hard to know how you feel about a book until you’ve read it, and obviously blog tours want good reviews (there’s really no point in having someone write a bad review during a blog tour that’s ostensibly there to get an author more sales!). I chose to read the first “Conduct” novel With Good Behavior and although I started it with trepidation, it was actually a really, really good novel.

I talk a lot about how I like books that surprise me. Books that I end up enjoying without knowing prior to reading that I will like it for sure (like when I pick up a new Kinsella novel, I pretty much know it’s going to be awesome) and for me With Good Behavior was one of those novels. It surprised me. It made me care for the characters, it made me want to just read one more chapter because it was so darn addictive and just so good! While With Good Behavior probably isn’t strictly a Chick Lit novel – erring more on the crime side of things, it has to be said – the romance aspect, between Grant and Sophie, helps to bring it around from being a straight up crime novel. I never knew a romance between two convicts could be so exciting, could be so enticing, so dramatic, so romantic. Yet it was.

The crime side of the novel provided a lot of suspense – a lot, a lot, a lot! Grant’s family, whom he’s trying his hardest to not be a part of at all, in any way, are basically the Mafia in Chicago, running the town without a care in the world and they aren’t happy that Grant doesn’t want to be a part of their life and they certainly aren’t happy that Grant’s brother Logan has gone AWOL, too. Sophie, too, has criminal ties, after landing herself in jail after inexplicably violating her code as a psychologist (but not just for that reason). Both have reasons to not let their past catch up with them again, but both find it hard to escape and a tie that binds them both could prove fatal (in the literal sense as well as the figurative sense). I can’t say for sure if pure Chick Lit fans will get on board with the criminal aspect, but as I like crime myself sometimes, I loved it and I found it very addictive and well presented by Lane.

With Good Behavior was surprising in the best way possible. It was well-written, it was edgy, it was compelling and the romance was totally believable, even if Sophie and Grant were both cons. (I mean, cons have hearts, too right?) I cared about the characters massively, because despite their history, despite their criminal past, Sophie and Grant were decent people, were really lovely characters and they sparked off each other nicely. The book was also helped by the addition of some awesome supporting characters. Jerry Stone, Sophie and Grant’s PO; Joe Madsen, Grant’s Uncle, Roger, who owns the architectural cruise where Sophie and Grant get jobs and Kirsten, Sophie’s best friend all add another dimension to the novel and Jerry and Roger in particular really made an impression on me. I found myself completely lost in the world of With Good Behavior and I can’t wait to dive in to Bad Behavior, the sequel, and be back with these wonderful characters again. This novel was a triumph, and I am so glad I took the chance on it.

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Bio for Jennifer Lane
After surviving the rigors of writing a psychology dissertation, the author known as Jennifer Lane has happily turned to writing fiction. She still maintains her psychology practice in Ohio, but please rest assured that she’s not psychoanalyzing you right now. The tales of healing and resilience from her career have inspired her to write her own stories: The Conduct Series. With Good Behavior began with two cons trying to make it on the outside: running from the Mafia, joking about sexy vegetables, and just maybe falling in love. Bad Behavior, the next in line, reveals that it’s not so easy to escape the past, but the plucky parolees once again strive to persevere. Jen is currently at work on the third and final installment of the series: On Best Behavior. She’s found that whether writing or reading, she loves stories that make her laugh and cry. In her spare time Jen enjoys competitive swimming, attending book club, and hanging out with her sisters and their families in Chicago.

Author information:
Jennifer Lane, Author
Romantic Suspense featuring Healing and Redemption
With Good Behavior (The Conduct Series #1) released July, 2010
Bad Behavior (The Conduct Series #2) released March, 2011
Summer Breeze Anthology (short story Swim Recruit) released July, 2011

Tags: Jennifer Lane