Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

In the Midst of Justice

Rate this book
Two sides of the same coin...but with two different views on what defines justice.



Jani Diallo, ESQ
To the world he is cold, calculating and a beast in the courtroom. Launched into the public eye because of a tragedy, Jani attempts to keep his eyes on the destroying everyone who ever crossed his family. He learned early that he needed to game the system so it would bend to his will. But what happens when he tries those same tactics on a woman he shouldn’t look twice at?

Officer Avery Jenkins
Police work is a family tradition. One she had always been proud of. Until situations happen in multiple places that force her to look at the institution she has always held in the highest regard with a new eye. Her inability to conform to the status quo leaves her on the outs and she finds solace in the one place she shouldn’ with an enemy of the police. The same man she should avoid is the one she can’t help but be attracted to. What will become her priority? Her position, or her passion?

Twin flames drawn together by circumstance, but the sparks that are created by their initial meetings only increase their desire, leaving each one wanting more of the other.

Can he reconcile that the woman he wants is more than just her job? Can she look past the brass warning her away from him and his family? These two could be the instruments of major change in their small corner of the world, and those who thrive in the darkness will do anything to keep them apart. Will the love they share be enough to keep them safe from a world that doesn't want either of them to shine? Or will those with secrets to hide be able to silence this couple before their true potential is reached?

377 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2022

86 people are currently reading
39 people want to read

About the author

Dandridge Monroe

46 books188 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
156 (69%)
4 stars
58 (25%)
3 stars
10 (4%)
2 stars
1 (<1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Tina.
960 reviews157 followers
September 19, 2024
4.5 😍😲😢😠

I really enjoyed this story; I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Check Content Warnings

Trope: Black love, soulmate, found family, small town,

Enjoyment: 4 ⭐

Character development: 4 ⭐

Emotional: 3.5 ⭐

Sweet: 3 ⭐

Romance: 3 ⭐

Heat\steam: 3.5 ⭐

Intrigue: 4 ⭐

Action: 2.5 ⭐

Violence: 4 ⭐

Story\plot: 4 ⭐

World Building: 4 ⭐

Enjoy!!!
99 reviews1 follower
August 16, 2022
Let me get this off my chest. There are literary towns that have been created that I absolutely adore. With two books, Renton is right there with Henry Adams, the Heights, and MWalters’ Nome. IYKTYK.

Attorney Ajani Diallo and Police Officer Avery couldn’t be more alike and different to me. Almost like Malcom X meets a female MLK. Both are really stubborn…in protecting their POV and neither wanted to admit anything to themselves or to each other, both loved to deny the facts in front of them and know how to keep info to themselves. So much so, it felt like alka seltzer relief when they finally decided that they were on the same side! This caused much angst in a tug of war fashion and lots of begging for forgiveness. This is another great couple! This is so rare for me. Speaking of great couples…Mama and Papa Diallo shenanigans nearly had me in tears, Jani and his brothers relationship are sibling ideals. Nichelle is that chick and loyal friend who has me guessing who her sneaky link is. I have noticed the culture references here and there throughout the orphan and Desperados series, but this book really brought it home and I loved every one I caught. It made the story even more relatable. This story brings a conclusion to Mecca’s storyline that was introduced this “In the Midst” series, but it morphs into a bigger crime on a large scale that will continue hopefully into 2-4 books given the number of remaining siblings. With this larger crime emerging, I was thrilled to see a couple of our fav family members from the Orpahn/Negus series. I love when things begin to connect. I loved this book.
Profile Image for Shameka Erby.
Author 19 books83 followers
June 3, 2024
The second book in the Diallo family saga finds Ajani falling for the face of a fairy and the body of a goddess, wrapped in the blue uniform he fought against every day. Avery represented everything he stood against, but he couldn't help wanting her. They couldn't help wanting each other.

I will say that the authors signature writing style and storytelling ability saved this book for me because I still don't know how to feel about cop romance. It didn't make it any easier that Avery subscribed to that dangerous "few bad apples" mentality and doubled and even tripled down on it. She got on my nerves and I spent a good portion of the book hoping she was smarter than she seemed. But I did like the way she held her own and stood up for other people when she could. I like that she remained dedicated to making a difference and stood on business with Ajani. It was so funny that Ajani was a lawyer, smooth and calculated with his words and spent so much of the book putting his foot in his mouth, lol. That tickled me. He was stubborn but I knew he'd get it right, with the signature Diallo charm. The rest of the brothers were funny and as always the family dynamic was the underlayer that carried this to the end. I love how Ajani wasn't afraid to fight for Avery, not against anyone and made his presence known in all the ways it mattered. Good story.
Profile Image for Crimson.
615 reviews4 followers
May 29, 2025
Loving it!!!

I'm loving this series. This was another superb read!!! I'm making my way through this catalog. I cannot say this enough, "Dandridge can write her tail off." Y'all just read the damn book.
Profile Image for Enecia.
153 reviews2 followers
July 2, 2022
Dandridge Delivers

The Diallo family’s series continues with Ajani and Avery and I enjoyed their dynamic. Loved that Avery wasn’t afraid to stand her ground with him and that he was vulnerable when necessary. I enjoyed this story and the unexpected twist! I’m looking forward to more from this family.
Profile Image for 'The Book Queen'.
6,041 reviews115 followers
July 4, 2022
In the midst of Diallo-ville

I expected this next story to be dramatic, exceptional, and angst-ridden. I did not expect to need a fresh manicure after completing this story. Ajani Diallo was the target of the police this time. The small-town police force's hatred was compounded by the excess hatred for the transferred Black officer. Avery was introduced in the first book, which featured Mecca and Kasim. I did not expect her revisit would stir such emotions in the Diallo family. Ajani opened his eyes to the possibility of loving someone outside his norm. The story was well worth the wait.
Profile Image for Danielle Vaughan.
680 reviews4 followers
October 19, 2025
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Jani is THAT man. When o say he didn’t play about Avery, he didn’t play about Avery. I’m loving the realistic situations in this book.

I love how Jani handled business. The Diallo’s family bond is awesome. Something that I always desired.
Profile Image for Zulay.
63 reviews1 follower
July 5, 2022
3.5⭐️
Profile Image for Tracy - loves to read .
1,018 reviews
September 25, 2023
justice and blurred lines

First - I loved this story!!!!
It’s the Diallo men for me! Jani is the one! Thick, fione, educated, well spoken, a little hood, and protective.
Jani is the lawyer of the family and has to walk the line when it comes to justice considering his family’s history with the police and his actual profession. He’s fighting within the law but for the people and the system is setup separately for blacks and whites with blacks losing.
Avery is a police officer who is black, a woman, and comes from a family line of police officers. She has to tow the line between those three things while protecting, serving and abiding by the law. The issue is that it all conflicts.
These two have attitudes and misconceptions about each other, their careers, beliefs, and what they stand for which causes them to always be at odds and each other’s necks. But they’re really feeling each other on the low.
They go through a helluva alot in their lives, jobs, and relationships - very intense and a couple of times I found myself outraged.
Great writing, amazing plot and storyline, well developed characters and so on point for the current problems of today.
Excellent read!
Profile Image for Miranda Watkins.
453 reviews4 followers
June 20, 2023
Ajani & Avery

HIGHLY recommend reading in the midst of chaos FIRST & this book does end on a slight cliffhanger… The relationship between Jani & Avery & the adversity they faced was very realistic to me. Avery was just a black woman who was (lowkey) forced to be a cop by her dad & she kinda fell in love with that career choice but she don’t really get down with the cops on groveland. Meanwhile Ajani is the family lawyer who is doing his job & helping his brother & sister-in-law get the Justice they deserve. It’s frowned upon for Avery to associate with Jani because of their careers but neither really give a dang but it also does cause a hiccup in their relationship.

I think I know who the brother is that steps up in the cliffhanger but I could be wrong but can’t wait for the next book.
93 reviews1 follower
April 27, 2023
Jani 💋❤️🥰😘

I love me some Jani! Smart, sexy, no nonsense kind of guy. Jani is the serious brother, probably the last one you would guess would fall for a cop. The fact that he was intrigued by Avery made this story more interesting. There is so much to tell but I won’t spoil it for others, just know that this story is just as deep as Karim’s and Mecca’s story. If you haven’t read their story yet you should read it before reading this story. Can’t wait for the next book please don’t make us wait as long as we had to wait for this one although it was worth the wait.
Profile Image for Kia.
1,159 reviews
October 13, 2023
The plot thickens

Now I did read the Blerd and the Babe so the scene with Avery getting shot really was emotional cause now you can see how Jani was about to lose it when he woman was seriously hurt. I love how these two series converge and we see how this group of friends are forming an tight knit extended family that will ride or die for each other. I am loving this all and I can’t wait to see how this all plays out
Profile Image for Tina Jackson.
615 reviews11 followers
July 4, 2022
Ajani Diallo and Avery Jenkins were different and yet the same, both were fighting for justice, within a system that was against them, trying to right wrongs. AJani fought his attraction to Avery Jenkins with everything in him because while the attraction was strong his total disdain for what she did for a living was always present in his mind . Avery knew that an attraction to Ajani Diallo was the last thing that she needed to be thinking about let alone entertain, she was already on the bad said with her fellow officers, and boss because of the previous help that she gave to his sister-in-law.  After a bad day at the station,  a desire to go out and have a drink lands Avery in Jani's town in an establishment partially owned by his family and of course he would be there working that night. That night was a catalyst to a true love that could save them both, but this love did not come easy,  there were issues on both family fronts as well as their jobs. AJani's family was unsure if Avery could be trusted because of her job, Avery's dad had a husband prepicked for her, because of his job and lawsuit his family had against the department Avery could not openly date him without facing more scrutiny from her job. While In the Midst of Justice is a love story it also it deals with the current social climate,  injustice and racism that we as a people face daily when dealing with the police. The level of hatred that Avery's fellow officers had for her was much deeper than I could have imagined I expected them to try to hurt her (maybe a staged car accident or an injury in the locker room at the station, but to send her in the line of danger with a faulty Kevlar vest and a planned shooter was COLD. I want Jani to make them all PAY. This is a great story Dandridge and an amazing follow up to Kasim's and Mecca's story. I was happy to see the strong Diallo family dynamic present in book two as it was in book one and I can't wait for the next story. I am still curious as to who Nichelle's mystery man is as well as extremely curios as to who the mystery person is that stated that he/she could get close to Persephone. 

I received this book as a ARC copy.
Profile Image for TheReaderVert .
818 reviews31 followers
July 12, 2024
Twists and Turns of the Justice System

An infuriating and, at times, frustrating read, this is a frenemies-to-lovers-to-barely friends-to mine romance with two hard-headed, stubborn, keep it close to the vest main characters. As always, Monroe is going to create great characters with funny scenes all while dropping knowledge, but this is a slow agonizing burn. Just when it felt like these two thick skulls were finally going to at least make a go, we had a 9 steps forward 10 steps back...literally. That moment felt like the author was playing in my face. By that point, as a reader, I snapped 😄. I no longer cared about the inevitable romance and stayed to get closure on the cop storyline. Even though I appreciated the realism behind the last 15% of the book cliffy, it did make the book feel like it was a filler setup book.

Jani was a different take on leading man; fione, smart, quiet stoicism ➕️ the honorable and noble cop Avery = simmering passion. I'm sure we'll see more of them in upcoming books. He's I'm standing for mine highly educated brother was a sight to behold. Even though the final grovel felt unnecessary, Avery gave as good as she got.
1,217 reviews10 followers
November 29, 2024
Loved It

This book was really good and it will keep your attention! Thanks for shedding light on the police brutality and the injustices that can come from some of those on the force, it was well written and provided both sides to the issues. Jani and Avery, wow their relationship was more complicated than Kasim and Mecca's. I love how Jani parents provided all of them with unconditional love and to reach their goals in spite of who may not be in agreement with their choices. Avery was strong and independent woman who had to learn at times to let the man take the lead, however Jani didn't make it easy for her, he was stiff at times it was a wonder he displayed any feelings. The father and son moments were the highlight of the story to me, along with the mother and daughter interactions. In spite of everything that they encountered, Jani and Avery managed to become one!
Profile Image for Lisareadsromance.
654 reviews16 followers
October 30, 2025
Rollerfucking coaster

Says this book made my eye twitch in my a** itch... There was so much in this book that gave me a headache that really had me fighting for my life... Nonetheless that does not take away from how much I enjoyed everything about this book. Ajani and Avery's love story was not easy, definitely super complex and complicated and in the end it worked out in their favor but the trials they had to go through to make it work Woo exhaustive. There were points when Ajani made me mad and then there were points when Avery pissed me the f*** off... Needless to say they both were giving me whiplash but when they got it together they got it together. I can't wait to see the next coupling and I think that's going to be Persephone and Kyan... I feel like they both are around the same age and he just seems like a wild card That can really get her to where she needs to be. Is love town Midas and dawn popped up in this. All in all this was a solid book 2
Profile Image for Onehellofalady.
185 reviews3 followers
August 2, 2024
Just read it!

This was a good follow up to the midst of chaos. I liked seeing more of the mother her accent and personality are everything, and her boys well her whole family knows her and mercy don’t play lol. Jani’s walls get broken down by Avery (sug) when in book one he was portrayed as a man of steel. They both continue their fight of just while fight the connection they have with each other. I don’t want to give too much away but this was a great read. Now on to book 3 in the midst of hell 🤗
Profile Image for Patrice Latimore.
632 reviews
October 17, 2025
I’m loving this series

I like how the MMC was all about his business when it came to his family and how he protected them. He held nothing by back when he let people know what type of man he was. I didn’t like Avery for him tho. She straddled the likes both professionally and personally. She wanted to do the right thing and help the community but at the same time didn’t want people to help her help that same community. Ajani was very clear with her about playing with his feelings and she turned around and did just that. Good series however.
125 reviews
October 6, 2024
YESSIR!!!!!

Listen to me!! At the end of book one, I was hoping this was the couple for the next book and screamed with excitement once it was confirmed. Jani did NOT play about his Sug!! This book did not disappoint. I’m enjoying how the story unfolds and getting to learn about the brothers while still getting updates from Mecca and Sim. This series has me on stuck and I’m here for all of it!!
40 reviews
June 20, 2025
A loaded read.

Whew, this book tugged at me.
Both passionate individuals about seeing the world a better place even though at times it seemed they were at opposing ends, it was towards the same goal.
Jani created a safe place for to be her to just be and Avery saw Jani.

This book tugged at my heartstrings.
Profile Image for Erica.
45 reviews
October 27, 2022
I enjoyed it just as much as the first one, in the midst of chaos. I love the Diallos brothers, their relationship within their family and their community, and how each book gives them their own story. I look forward to the next!
Profile Image for Mia Morgan.
1,144 reviews34 followers
June 9, 2024
Whew

Well, this was very word. It wasn't enough dialogue for me. There were so many parties to keep up with. It has been so long since I read the first book. It was hard to remember characters.
Profile Image for Shakela.
636 reviews5 followers
July 5, 2024
this is getting juicy

Ajani and Avery are everything!! She was not playing with him at all! He had to come correct!! And he did!! Love this series and how all the stories intertwine together!
Profile Image for Echanele517.
73 reviews1 follower
July 22, 2025
Heavy!!

These Diallos gone give me a heart attack. This corrupt department had me wanting to pull up to groveland. You evoked so many emotions and outburst from me. Well done. I love these ppl
Profile Image for Lynn Lewis.
324 reviews5 followers
October 19, 2022
Really enjoyed this one as much as "In the Midst of Chaos". All the errors were distracting, but the story was so good, I just had to overlook them.
Profile Image for Shelby.
2,439 reviews5 followers
November 24, 2024
🔥🔥🔥

This was soo damn good and I enjoyed it soo damn much! I loved Jami finally realizing his feelings for beautiful ass Avery
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.