Hidden Judgment

The Jamesons US Marshals #2

by Diane Benefiel

US Marshal Ellie Jameson has moved on since a one-night stand with hot law student Sam Creed, a night he’d made her believe was so much more. She hardly ever thinks of him. Really. When assigned to a new case, she’s blindsided and comes face to face with the man who broke her heart. Federal judge Sam Creed is being threatened by domestic terrorists, and guess who’s assigned to pose as his fiancée? Good thing thirteen years was long enough for him to forget she ever existed.

Nothing’s more important to Judge Creed than the rule of law. His focus is bringing an extremist militia group to justice. Having a marshal pose as his girlfriend was his idea, but when Eleanor Jameson moves in with him, he finds her damned distracting, and he’s having a hard time remembering their engagement isn’t real. As the stakes get higher, Sam finds that love has a way of changing life’s priorities.

213 pages, ebook

First published March 1, 2020

About the author

Murder? Stalker? Mayhem? Are bad guys coming to get her? Nope, Diane is just a retired school teacher with a laptop. She’s been married for decades. Decades. She walks Finn every morning (mostly). She FaceTimes with her grandkids. The most excitement she’s had lately is a bumpy ride on a plane, and that’s not the fun kind of excitement. But her heroines? They have all the thrills. Scary things happen to them. Hot, compelling men find them fascinating. And they always find their HEA.

An avid reader for as long as she can remember, Diane has always favored stories with strong female characters who go on adventures and can think themselves out of the most dangerous situations. It’s no surprise that those are the kinds of books she enjoys writing.

Diane’s love of the outdoors is reflected in her books. Born and raised in Southern California, family vacations meant camping in locations ranging from Big Sur to Death Valley to Zion. Two of her series are set in fictional towns in her happy place, California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. Her love of travel took her to Sweden as an exchange student when she was sixteen and backpacking around Great Britain (after a week in Paris) while in college. She and her husband have enjoyed pulling their little trailer to the National Parks, including Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Pinnacles.

Winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award in Romantic Suspense and a USA Today Bestselling author, Diane has recently retired from a career teaching high school history. She now has all the time in the world for writing, gardening, and travel. That's the theory, anyway. She is a member of the Orange Country Romance Writers.

***Note to readers: Looking for High Sierras, Book 4? Burnover, High Sierras Book 4, is a novella you can find included with Already Gone, Book 3.

Check out her website at dianebenefiel.com.

Reviews

[Heather W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hidden Judgment is the second book in The Jamesons US Marshals series and is a good addition to the series.

I enjoyed this second chance romantic suspense story. Elle and Sam have a past together but do they have a chance for a future? This story has danger, suspense, deception, kidnapping, and a second chance for love.

I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.

[Penny Leidecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by Diane Benefiel, but it definitely won’t be my last. I loved Ellie and Sam’s story. If you enjoy a second chance romance with a side of suspense, then you will love Hidden Judgment. This book had me flipping the pages as fast as I could, to see what was going to happen next. Thirteen years ago, Sam and Ellie had a one night stand. Now she’s a U.S. Marshal and he’s a federal judge. When he starts receiving threats, Ellie is assigned to play his fiancée. She’s still attracted to him and he doesn’t remember her. No spoilers, so grab your copy and fall in love with the U.S. Marshals and the hottie judge.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by Diane Benefiel, and I very much enjoyed it. Ellie and Sam have a second chance at love. Ellie is a US Marshall and Sam is a federal judge. Thirteen years ago, they had a one night stand, which Ellie believed was so much more. They never saw each other after that night
Now, Sam has started receiving threats and Ellie has been assigned to pose as his fiancée to protect him.
While she is still attracted to him, he doesn’t remember her. This story was full of suspense and romance. I was hooked right from the start and could not put it down. I truly enjoyed this story and I highly recommend you give it a try.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ronel Olver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, action packed with some twists and turns and family betrayals. The characters are well developed story line is smooth and flows well. This is the second book I have read by this author and I am looking forward to reading more. Ellie and her 2 brothers are all US Marshalls and on a team, when Ellie gets assigned to Sam Creed a federal judge to protect. Sam is arrogant, bossy and over protective and things get out of hand when he and Ellie get into an argument. Luckily for the judge Ellie is a forgiving woman and a HEA does happen for them.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book in The Jamesons US Marshals series and they just keep getting better.
Now we are seeing just how Elle and Sam's emotional development happens.
All the Jamesons are Marshals and Elle is no different, except this time she is protecting
Sam (now Federal Judge) once a law student with whom she had a one night stand.
Wonderfully written with strong, intriguing characters.
The chemistry was palatable.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diane has given another good book. The story line was very intriguing and it was very engaging. US Marshal Ellie Jameson gets totally surprised when she is assigned to pose as Sam Creed's fiancee. After the 13 years apart, he thought anything in their past was staying in the past, but I love how distracted Ellie makes her. His focus on his job gets deterred, and the suspense that you see when you read this book, had me eagerly awaiting what could come next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jan L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been waiting for the next book in this series and was excited when it came out. I wasn't disappointed! I enjoy the writing style of Diane Benefiel. Her characters seem written from the inside out, not just fleshed in. The fiery Eleanor's story as she guarded the federal judge as a US Marshall brought the romantic tension to the story and the violent militia members brought the danger and action. A page turner that I really hated to turn the last page on. I hope Seth's story is soon!

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book two in this series and it is Ellie and Sam's story. Ellie and Sam have a past with each other and they are both shocked to find themselves in each other's lives year's later. Will this be there second chance or has too much time passed. This book was well written and a really enjoyable read and i recommend it as it is definitly worth reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirteen years after a one night stand with law student Sam Creed U.S. Marshal Ellie Jameson is told that she has to be now Judge Sam Creed fake fiancée . When Judge Creed is threatened by domestic terrorist he asks for a female marshal to play the part. What he does not expect is the heat between them. This is another excellent story by this author and will continue to look forward to reading more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in The Jamesons US Marshals series a well written story that I was not putting down until I had finished it. Deputy US Marshal Eleanor Jameson and Federal judge Sam Creed's story there is suspense, shooting, drama, danger, kidnapping, villains and one of them is a surprise to Ellie, and a fake engagement that becomes so much more. This story is well worth reading. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific read

## Another great read by Ms. Benefiel. The plot was interesting, and the characters likeable (mostly). There were a few times I really disliked this hero, but the rest was really good, so I tend to forgive. I didn't like that he didn't even remember sleeping with the heroine back in college. He did have a good reason for not calling her, but not even remembering her name or recognizing her? Cold. Anyway, still a fantastic read. I will read again.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden Judgement is my first book by Diane Benefiel. I was pleasantly surprised that it was so good! The characters and plot were very engaging. I finished the book in 2 reading sessions. I did not want to put it down. There is a lot of action, suspense, and romance. It has very minimal spicey romance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good read

I liked this one a little more than book 1. Not sure why, but the story line seemed a little cleaner. Sam is a federal judge and he's been getting threats. Ellie is a US Marshall like her brothers and they are all on his protection detail. A fake engagement leads to their HEA.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I couldn't put this book down. I thoroughly enjoyed the story line and the characters. Diane Benefeil does a great job bringing her characters to life, and weaves a compelling story. Looking forward to the next installment of this series!

[tburbr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story line was good, the character work was terrific and the book had a fairly smooth flow to it. This was a great addition to the series and kept me entertained from beginning to end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the one-night stand that reappears years later. U.S. Marshall Ellie had a one-night stand years ago with Judge Sam and now that he is being threatened she is assigned to be his fake fiance. What could go wrong with this situation?

[Sheila Padgett Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Diane has quickly become my favorite author. This book has a lot of heat and witty banter. The story moves fast and captures your attention. I can't wait for Seth's story.

[Ruth Gowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diane Does it again, with another excellent US marshals story. Romance mystery and suspense, the lot. I had to finish it in almost one go till my eyes got too tired. An enjoyable read well worth getting.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than book #1. Would have liked to see Ellie show more strength and ability in protecting Sam. I think they easily could have overcome Drew and Sarge. I like that it wasn’t “insta-love” but an old crush that became more.

[Linda Landers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Ellie and Creed’s path was full of potholes. The twists kept coming. Family dynamics can be rough to live through. Would love to know what happened to Rex.

[Meryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

I really enjoyed this story. It’s full of action and intrigue. It held my attention the whole way through. The characters felt real and believable.

[Linda Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

Interesting characters and story line, though the latter was somewhat far-fetched. The resolution was rushed and wrapped-up too quickly.
3.5 stars.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice romantic suspense. Looking forward to the next book in the series. A light and entertaining read.