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Court Ordered: An Unholy Triad Novel

Victoria Fenwick needs to escape the torturous nightmares that stem from the opulent part of Maryland she calls home, and her acceptance into Sloane Institute of Law in New York has finally made that possible. She’ll find the peace of mind she’s been working toward for so long. That is, until she starts her student internship at Laughlin & Laughlin, and the firm's ominous reputation of successfully defending New York’s most infamous crime bosses, along with the rumors surrounding the Laughlin family, begin to leech onto her name as well. It won’t be a big deal, right? It’s just one semester, she’ll be fine… But then she meets Shaelene, the oldest of the Laughlin triplets and the leader of the nefarious band of siblings dubbed “The Unholy Triad”. Victoria quickly learns of the unpredictable life they lead, and finds herself in the middle of a dangerous family feud full of gangsters, international crime, and revenge. Of all the things she’d expected to learn this year, love and how to dispose of a body hadn’t made the list…

449 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 28, 2025

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C. Jacoby

1 book30 followers

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5 stars
96 (46%)
4 stars
61 (29%)
3 stars
25 (12%)
2 stars
16 (7%)
1 star
7 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Marie K.
6 reviews2 followers
April 4, 2026
I’m even not joking when I say that this is the WORSE book I’ve ever read. I wish I could put 0 stars but I can’t because 1 star is more insulting somehow and I WANT the author to see this review and FEEL insulted!!!

First thing first, this book casually normalizes incest. Like, blood cousins being together is treated as completely fine. No questions, no pushback, just vibes. But sure, let’s keep going.

How tf are you writing a "sapphic" book but somehow the whole book is heteronormative??

The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking, there’s no way this author isn’t dating or married to a man and I was right!!! I went on instagram, checked and saw that she’s indeed married to a man with kids. And it shows. It shows badly. Because somehow, despite this book being about a sapphic relationship, men are still pushed into the center of everything. The author even goes out of her way to tie the only lesbian character to a man for no reason at all.

And then there’s the part that genuinely made me sick: the SA scene. One of the main characters, Victoria, is assaulted and it’s written in a way where she enjoys it???? She even climaxes??? I don’t even have words for how disturbing that is.

And it doesn’t even stop there, because the book is obsessed with making sure you never forget how “small, tiny, and delicate” the female leads are. Every five minutes it’s like: look at them 🥺 so fragile 🥺 especially next to the big, strong men. Because of course, even in a sapphic story, we still need that constant comparison to men to really drive the point home, right?

It gets worse. Shae’s brothers are constantly sexually suggestive toward Victoria—even after she’s with Shae—and it’s written like it’s normal. Worse than that, Victoria LIKES it. There’s literally a scene where she’s around Shae’s brother and his boyfriend, and instead of being uncomfortable, she’s flustered in a way that reads as attraction. It’s genuinely baffling. Let me quote the book directly:

"God, now they've both said my name in husky, post-sex voices! Each of them is attractive in their own right, but damn! Do they have to rub it in like this? Fuck, I'm so flustered.
Them staring down at me like that isn't helping. Don't look down again. Oh my- I need to get the hell away from here and find Shae."


Like WTF??????

And this isn’t even everything. At the beginning, Victoria assumes Shaelene is a man and keeps misgendering her. Fine, maybe that could have been handled carefully given the context but no. Their first sexual scene is literally Victoria misgendering Shaelene. It’s uncomfortable, it’s disrespectful, and it completely takes you out of the story.

Then, after multiple sexual encounters, when Victoria finally learns Shaelene is a woman, her reaction is “I’m not gay.” And Shaelene’s response? Something along the lines of “I don’t care if you’re not gay, I just care if you like me.” That alone told me everything I needed to know: this author has absolutely no real understanding of lesbians or sapphic relationships.

Also, these two barely talk. There’s no real communication, no meaningful conversations, especially not after the whole stalker reveal, which should have been a massive turning point. Victoria spends the entire book making terrible decisions, and somehow I’m supposed to believe they’re in love? They don’t even communicate during sex!!! let alone outside of it.

Oh this is a good one too at one point they were being intimate again and they started PRAYING (yes, praying… to jesus) during the act AND THEY WERE DEAD SERIOUS TOO!

This is apparently a two-book series, and at this point, I genuinely would not be surprised if the sequel goes even further off the rails like having Shaelene get assaulted by her own blood cousin (who she’s somehow married to, and I repeat it again: SHAELENE IS SUPPOSED TO BE A LESBIAN!!) and then writing it in a way where she enjoys it. Because clearly, nothing is off-limits here.

I truly do not understand the praise this book is getting. Yes, the writing at the very beginning showed potential, especially for a debut, but it falls apart so fast it’s almost impressive.

At this point, I genuinely think the author should just leave sapphic stories alone and stick to straight romance, because this was a mess from start to finish.

*edit* I just remembered that part where they literally started SINGING… like it randomly hit me in the middle of the day and pissed me off all over again.
Profile Image for Mackenzie Deeb.
3 reviews
January 11, 2026
OH MY This book was a masterpiece! I felt all the emotions going through from holding the book out to “eeek” giddily, to being aroused to the final complete SHOCK (a few actually)! The way this book wraps up, I need more!! Wonderfully written- “THATS MY FAVORITE AUTHOR!!! “
Profile Image for Solely Sapphic Reads.
194 reviews52 followers
February 2, 2026
Duel 1st Person POV. 5🌟 5🌶️. 449 pages.
11 Spicy Scenes + Cliffhanger

Do you ever pick up a book, read the first chapter and instantly know it will have you in a choke hold with the inability to put it down. Well that’s Court Ordered! If you want something dark, but not pitch black with a morally grey FMC who becomes obsessed at first sight, then this is the book for you!

The book follows Shae the daughter of a top corrupt mafia lawyer in New York, when she’s tasked to confirm the attendance of law student Victoria at Sloane University. From the instant she sets eyes on her, Shae becomes ensnared and a game of cat and mouse ensues.

There’s stalking, voyeurism & exhibitionism, dub-con, a butt load of organised crime dealings, murder and so much spice. 11 spicy scenes to be precise, that the entire story is one big delicious hot bed of darkness.

Only 2 things I didn’t love.
1) lack of dialogue during spice, this freaks me out because I just imagine them staring at one another, and you mean to tell me she isn’t talking her through it.
2) the inclusion of the Irish Republican Army at the end. Being from Northern Ireland means I hear enough of those horrors without it appearing in an American book.

Other than that this book was outstandingly good, I couldn’t put it down and I need book 2 yesterday because that cliffhanger was cruel and unusual punishment!

Read if you LOVE:
✨Dark Romance
✨Mafia Esq. Romance
✨Stalking & Obsession
✨Voyeurism & Exhibitionism
✨Dub-Con
✨💦💦 + 🐱✋+ 🍑👈
✨Inappropriate use of Pool Cue & Knife
✨Murder
✨Kidnapping
✨BRUTAL CLIFFHANGER
1 review
May 26, 2025
I absolutely enjoyed this book. I would have finished it sooner if I had more time to read on my hands lol.
Definitely read the trigger warnings before you start and consider them, however there were never long scenes that warranted the warnings.
The characters were believable and relatable, satisfying my want for plot. The storyline also flowed nicely.
But the spice!! Be ready!! It’s so good!
It ends on a cliff hanger which is the only complaint I have. And it’s not even a complaint at all just me being curious and need to know what happens next!

Happy reading!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for ⁺₊☽⋆Shayla⋆☾⁺₊.
109 reviews1 follower
September 9, 2026
Court Ordered by C. Jacoby Story: ★★★☆☆ Narration: ★★★★☆

Come for the sapphic dark romance, stay because the audiobook cast is absolutely carrying.

I was hooked at the beginning of Court Ordered. The premise was strong, the blurb had me intrigued, and those first few chapters had me thinking I was in for something deliciously unhinged. Unfortunately, as the story progressed, it started losing me.

For a WLW dark romance, I expected to feel much more invested in the sapphic relationship itself. Instead, some of the dynamics left me more confused than satisfied, and there were moments that completely pulled me out of the story. And yes, I need to mention the musical moment. Girl, when did we get transported into Hairspray or Mamma Mia!? I was genuinely sitting there wondering what was happening.

There is still a lot of potential here, which is why I landed at 3 stars rather than lower. The beginning is genuinely compelling, there are interesting ideas throughout, and that cliffhanger absolutely did its job because I will be looking for the next instalment. I just wanted more development and cohesion from the romance and story along the way.

Where this audiobook really shines is the narration. Lyra Blake, Skye Lark, Fallen Scynclair, Sylas Ward, Tim Paige, Grayson Owens, and Silas Hart bring a huge and diverse cast of characters to life through a fantastic duet multicast performance. The voices feel rich and distinct, which made following such a large character group significantly easier.

I had already heard Fallen and Lyra's work before this, and they continue to impress me with their performances and range. The rest of the cast were equally strong, and I'll absolutely be keeping an eye out for their future work. There were a few places where I noticed shifts in audio quality between performers, but they were minor enough that I doubt most listeners would notice unless they were specifically listening for them.

Honestly, I'm glad I experienced Court Ordered as an audiobook. The cast elevated the material and changed how I absorbed the story. Had I read the book instead, I think my story rating might have fallen below the 3 stars I'm giving it. The narration saves this one for me.

tl;dr: A promising and occasionally unhinged sapphic dark romance that lost me in the execution, but an excellent duet multicast performance gives the story a serious boost. Story gets 3 stars, narration gets a well-earned 4.

I received an ALC copy of this book. This review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

Profile Image for Armando Ramirez.
303 reviews25 followers
September 1, 2026
Court Ordered by C. Jacoby was my first venture into dark romance, and I went in unsure whether it would be for me. After seeing the trigger warnings and reading the author’s note, I was a little hesitant, but I had also been craving a layered, plot-driven story. Let me tell you: this book absolutely delivered.
The author’s note mentions writing a book with smut, but Court Ordered is so much more than that. This is a dark, gritty crime-boss story that tackles sensitive topics while building an immersive, emotionally charged plot. Yes, there are triggering moments. Yes, some scenes are uncomfortable. But they serve the story and the characters rather than existing simply for shock value.
I was fortunate enough to experience this through the audiobook, and it was truly chef’s kiss. The multicast narration made the entire experience feel incredibly vivid and immersive. I found myself sitting on my couch with my eyes closed, completely able to picture the story unfolding like a movie in my mind.
What I loved most was the way the relationship was established and allowed to develop throughout the book. Once you dig beneath the surface, it becomes clear that these characters are shaped by trauma, grief, and pain. They are imperfect, complicated, and deeply human; and that made it so easy to become invested in them and fall in love with their journey.
Books should make you feel something, whether that is joy, passion, discomfort, heartbreak, or rage. When a story can stir up that many emotions, it has done its job, and Court Ordered definitely made me feel all the things.
If you enjoy dark, character-driven stories with a strong plot, intense themes, and an audiobook cast that brings every moment to life, this one is absolutely worth your time. Just be sure to check the trigger warnings before diving in.
2 reviews
September 10, 2026
Holy hot, this sapphic romance story has all the best elements. Stalking, masks, sexy
suits, and a dark romance with an edge. The audiobook is a must get, performed in
multicast with fantastic narrators. Shae is the morally grey gives no fucks love interest you
can not help but fall for. Lyra Blake expertly brings her character to life with her sultry
smooth narration. Victoria is the charming intern portrayed by Sky Larke, she has an
emotional background you can not help but feel in her voice. If you enjoy spice, this book
brings it in spades, the scenes are fist biting and positively toe curling. Even with all the
spice the plot is rich and complex, not put on the back burner. I was on the edge of my seat
the whole book. It ends in a wild cliffhanger and I am biting my nails in anticipation for the
next book. This book does contain heavy topics so be sure to check your trigger warnings
before diving in!!
Profile Image for Courtney Pelfrey.
70 reviews
February 4, 2026
Kinda reminds me of Tryst six venom, collateral damage book. But I really enjoyed the book. I would like a little more communication between main characters
Profile Image for Layna Leighann.
304 reviews12 followers
March 4, 2026
5⭐️/5🔥

The Unholy Triplets!

Holy shmokes, that was a wild ride! I immediately loved Shae as a wildly tough and confident FMC! She fell hard for Victoria, and that spice was spicing alllll over the place! The story was thrilling and left me hanging off the cliff at the end! Lawyers, mafia, arranged marriage, and a whole 🔫 out! I look forward to book 2!
2 reviews1 follower
May 19, 2025
This book got me out of a reading slump. A wonderful balance of plot and spice, a great representation of pan-awakening (and at some points pan-ic), enthusiastic consent, open communication, and phenomenal plot twists and cliffhangers I didn't see coming. Our MCs, Shae and Victoria have some AMAZING chemistry but also a partnership that has you rooting for them from the get-go. I couldn't recommend this more highly.
Profile Image for Remi Valyn.
Author 4 books11 followers
July 27, 2025
ONE OF MY TOP READS SO FAR OF 2025

This book doesn’t slip under your skin—it seeps in like ink and stays there. From page one, it doesn’t politely introduce itself...it drags you straight into the storm and dares you to survive it. This isn’t just a romance. It’s a beautifully chaotic descent into obsession, betrayal, loyalty, and something sharp-edged that still somehow manages to feel soft when it counts.

The relationships aren’t polished. They’re not sanitized. They’re real. You feel every stolen glance, every bad decision, every too-long silence that means way more than it should. The romance? Sapphic and scorching—but layered with the kind of emotional depth that refuses to be boxed in. This isn’t just representation, it’s raw, human connection that just happens to be between women. And thank god for that.

And then there’s that ending. The kind that doesn’t so much close the book as rip it out of your hands and throw it off a cliff. I stared at the last page like it owed me money. Then I opened TikTok like my life depended on it, searching for any sign that C. Jacoby had mercy in her soul and a release date for the next one.

If you want something predictable, move along. But if you’re ready for a romance that wrecks and rebuilds you, Court Ordered is waiting.

4 reviews
May 16, 2026
Shae Shae Shae 😍

For this to be the first book from the author, you couldn’t even tell. This first book is better than a lot of established authors.

One of my favorite things about this book is there isn’t any filler content. There’s no drawn out explanations or overly descriptive scenes. It gets to the point but the suspense is built up and you don’t feel like there’s missing info or unsolved plot points.

Shae is an ice queen that isn’t afraid to be vulnerable with ones she loves and that was what I enjoyed the most. It was refreshing. Victoria never had to really guess how she felt about her. If anything, I wish Victoria would’ve opened up more. But I loved her growth throughout the book and the way she was the rock when times got hard.

The relationship between the siblings was beautiful and hilarious. I’m glad the author show different aspects of them all. It rounded out their characters.

Can’t wait for the next installment!!!
4 reviews
June 17, 2026
A Dark, Twisting Read That Kept Me Hooked

Court Ordered: An Unholy Triad had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, another twist would come along and completely change my perspective. The story is fast-paced, suspenseful, and full of tension that kept me turning pages late into the night.

The characters were engaging, the plot was unpredictable, and the author did an excellent job building anticipation throughout the book. I found myself fully invested in what would happen next and genuinely surprised by several of the revelations along the way.

If you enjoy dark suspense, mystery, and stories that keep you guessing until the very end, this is definitely a book worth reading. I can’t wait to continue the series!
Profile Image for Ashton Treadaway.
7 reviews1 follower
August 27, 2025
I was extremely impressed with this book! As a fantasy and sci-fi reader, I was interested in dipping my toe into the world of romance, and some friends recommended this book to me. I must say, I get the hype! The pacing in this book will keep you hooked until the last page, and leave you begging for the second one. The writing itself is also extremely impressive, especially for a debut novel. I thought it had a perfect amount of spice. It starts early, and any time you start wishing for another scene, the author delivers. I highly recommend this book, even for those unfamiliar with the romance genre like myself.
Profile Image for Sarah Rutch.
2 reviews
June 24, 2026
Truly truly loved this book! I started and finished it in two days because I just couldn’t put it down. I loved the book’s balance between a good fun/spicy romance and actually having an interesting plot. Each chapter keeps you on your toes and I loved that! The characters created like Shae and Victoria are already so so beautiful and emotionally complex With that, I am excited to see what happens in the next book. Sapphic romances are such a limited genre of books and it’s hard to come by a well written one. However, this one knocked my socks off with its original story and the author’s ability to portray real human emotions into fictional characters. Really really recommend it :)
Profile Image for Alexis Marie.
1 review
September 10, 2026
ALC listener!! 🎧 thank youuuu!!
4 ⭐️ curse you cliffhanger!! I love Victoria and SHAELENE🤤 (love the name cause I was such a shailene woodley stan in middle school)
4 🌶️ my god 🤤 🎱
The narration was great! I normally speed up my audiobooks and stay within the 1.2-1.5 range. For Court Ordered I did speed it up to about 1.7 and that seemed to be best for me :)
The character distinction was great and I loved how many narrators were involved
Narrated by Skye Lark, Lyra Blake, Fallen Scynclair, Sylas Ward, Tim Paige, Grayson Owens, Silas Hart
1 review
April 19, 2026
OMG… I didn’t know what to expect when I bought this book, and I loved it!! I’m a straight female, but I loved the back and forth of the two main characters as they explored a world of darkness, love, strength, power and vulnerability. This book is well written and I can’t wait to read the sequel and find out what the next chapters will unveil about these two characters, and the way their lives are intertwined and unfold! Hurry and finish the next book please!!!!
16 reviews3 followers
September 4, 2026
I was lucky enough to get an ALC of this book and I absolutely loved it. Lyra as Shae and Skye as Victoria were wonderful choices for the FMCs. Along with the rest of the cat being fantastic in their roles. As an audiophile, I did notice a few spots where the audio quality was not cohesive, however for the average listener I'm not sure they would notice. All and all I loved the book and can not wait to get my hands and ears on book two.
3 reviews2 followers
July 12, 2025
If you like legal dramas, mafia movies, the west side story, romance and spice… this is the book for you. It follows two FMC Shae and Victoria as they navigate their new relationship and professional responsibilities. Oh did I mention Shae is the daughter to an infamous crime boss? This is an excellent, occasionally gut wrenching, dark romance story. Do yourselves a favor and give it a read!
Profile Image for Courtney .
1 review
December 9, 2025
Phenomenal book. Read it in less then 24 hours. Perfect mix of spice and danger. The chapter ending hooks have your jaw on the floor. The spice is HOT. I also really admire the main relationship in the book. With out spoiling it. They build each other up. You dont even feel the slow burn parts, The words flow so well. 100000 percent recommend.
Profile Image for Mc Mary.
101 reviews
June 28, 2026
must read

Found out about the book from Tiktok. The author jumped in on a thread about recommend reads. Highly recommend to those reading the reviews- excellent characters dialogue & story.
Profile Image for BookNerd88.
1 review
September 8, 2026
I was lucky enough to get the ALC audiobook from the author and I swear it’s better than reading. If you like dark smut with a plot this is book it for you. I can’t wait for book two to come out because that cliffhanger was brutal 😈
Profile Image for Ashley Artechi.
37 reviews14 followers
September 11, 2026
Talk about a book that hooks you from the beginning and makes it so hard for you to out down. Shae is my favorite character in this book shes the obsessed FMC. If you love sapphic, mafia, dark romance then this book is definitely for you.
Profile Image for Elyse Valentine.
1 review1 follower
August 27, 2026
I was lucky enough to get an ALC. Such a fun listen! The story was super entertaining and I DEVOURED the audiobook in a couple of days! I love a full cast audiobook😮‍💨
Profile Image for G.
199 reviews
September 7, 2026
3.25⭐️. Lots of potential in the beginning and then i just got bored
Profile Image for Brittany Lake.
1 review
September 29, 2026
I finished this book in DAYS. Love love love it, I can’t wait for the second to come out!!
Profile Image for Paola.
38 reviews2 followers
August 26, 2026
ALC REVIEW 🎧

🎧: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I got the opportunity to receive an ALC and the audiobook did not disappoint. Narrated in Duet Multi-Cast this book follows Victoria Fenwick, a student intern and Shaelene, the eldest triplet in a powerful family of mafia lawyers. Shae Shae Shae😩😍 a strong bad*ss FMC that knows what she wants and goes for it and what she wants is Victoria the student intern her father ask to keep tabs on. The instant she saw her it was instant obsession! The book follows their new found relationship as the struggle with past trauma and new obstacles. This book has queer awakening, stalking, voyeurism plenty of spice🌶️ ,family betrayal and ends with a huge cliffhanger. Can’t wait for book two to come out and see where this story takes us! Definitely read trigger warnings before reading as this is a spicy FF mafia dark romance and it contains some heavy topics.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews