*Trigger warning: the focus is pedophilia, but there are no descriptive scenes dictating these acts.* 

Just an FYI, if you are looking for a romance, this is not the book for you. While there is mention of love and marriage, that's about as far as it goes. I never felt any connection or romance between Grace and Noah until close to the end. I also wouldn’t term this as a psychological thriller. At least, not in comparison to others I have read. While the theme is a darker theme, it isn’t very detailed in those matters. Nor are the murders detailed. This book is more suspense/investigative themed, think cop drama.

These Violent Roots had great potential to be a thriller and was overall a book I enjoyed. There were parts that totally worked for me and others not so much, which is what led me to my rating. 

I liked both Grace and Noah, at least in their professional atmospheres. Their home lives not so much. 

One thing that majorly worked for me was the play on one’s conscious and rational, especially with the antagonist murdering pedophiles. I was enthralled by the whole good vs evil theme. Our characters played their parts well. Grace is all about putting the pedophiles away and serving justice through the legal system. Noah is all about rehabilitating them, fixing their sickness, instead of them rotting away in a prison. He comes from a doctor’s perspective and doesn't hold the belief jail is the answer. While his wife is just the opposite, as a lawyer should be. Others are all about the swift death of these particular individuals, an eye for an eye, and believe there is no rehabilitating a pedophile. These Violent Roots centers on these three scenarios and the lack of consequences and repercussions of our justice system. This is a book that will have you questioning your own morals when it comes to the law, the crime committed, and its punishments; because let’s face it, some situations aren't so black and white. There is always a matter of gray. That one’s moral and integrity isn't always authority over another. Nicole Williams will have you asking yourself if it is okay for a citizen to take matters into their own hands, outside the means of the justice system, to save hundreds of innocent children. If this cape crusader should have to face the same justice as the pedophile. 

Oh!! And the journey to that ending was one hell of a ride. THAT. TWIST. I did not see that one coming. Whoa! Kudos to Williams for going out with a bang! 

Now on to the two things that didn’t quite work. First this book could be slow moving. It did take a bit to grab my attention, almost becoming a DNF. Glad I stuck with it. I would have missed a good read. 

Second, I did not understand the purpose of Grace and Noah’s daughter to the story. Most times Andee felt like an aftermath. Noah never interacted with her, and Grace never talked to Noah about Andee’s behavior. There is one passage way towards the end that mentions Noah and Andee. I thought that strange since Andee had no issues with her father, only her mother. Also Grace never actually talked to Andee or tried to figure it out, she just let Andee be angry and hate filled. My heart broke for their daughter. Their lives revolved around their work. Every spare second of their day. Their 16 year old never stood a chance. Again, she was an aftermath. A filler to the story with no real substance. I would have liked her story more fleshed out. It seemed like it was a quick resolution to a huge ass problem. Mom sees where the problem is coming from (close to the end), stands up for her daughter, and all of sudden things are all hunky dory. To be honest it was the same thing that happened with Noah and Grace’s marriage. Within a chapter or two the resolution is handed to us on both accounts and everyone is all lovey dovey. 

I needed so much more in both of these instances. 

Anyway, as I said, I did end up enjoying this one.