Asylum by Betsy Adams | Review
A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me the information for this tour.
Asylum by Betsy Adams | Book Details
Asylum by Betsy Adams Published by Americans in Love on 11/16/2020
Genres: Fiction, Contempoary Romance, Political
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 252
Adela is an immigration judge from one of San Diego’s wealthiest Mexican-American families. She was raised to believe she has nothing in common with the asylum seekers in her courtroom.
Paul left behind his life as a Manhattan lawyer to volunteer at the border. He has lost faith in the system, but not those who still turn to it for justice.
Adela and Paul come to the Tijuana/San Diego border searching, but neither one knowing exactly what for—until they find each other.
Against the backdrop of the “Remain in Mexico” policy and restrictions on asylum, Adela and Paul fight for love in a system that seems determined to destroy it.
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Source: Goddess Fish Promotions, Received from the author or publisher for review.
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Purchase Links for Asylum by Betsy Adams
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Excerpt
Judge Adela Fernandez was curious about the new lawyer in her courtroom. It wasn’t what he said, or the high school Spanish she overheard from the bench. No, that didn’t impress her.
It was what he didn’t say. The way he listened to his client, the young man at his side with caramel skin several shades lighter than Adela’s. How he leaned in and his client didn’t back away. There was trust between them, that rarest of resources at the border these days.
Adela had never seen this kind of trust in the eyes of an asylum seeker. More common were blank, numb stares, or terrified eyes searching for answers. Those were the eyes she saw every day in her courtroom, and every night as she closed her own and tried to sleep.
It took time to build trust, time that the “Remain in Mexico” policy did not allow. This policy effectively ended legal representation for asylum seekers by forcing them to wait in Mexican border towns as their cases crawled through the U.S. legal system. Tens of thousands of migrants from all over the world were stuck in makeshift refugee camps, preyed upon by local cartels. Lawyers stayed away. Except this one, apparently.
“DHS Docket Number 19-24231.” The clerk’s announcement drew Adela out of her thoughts.
“Thank you, Gabe,” Adela said, glancing at the case file.
The lawyer’s name was Paul Carter, and he was the attorney of record for Adela’s first asylum case that afternoon. His client was Jorge Sanchez, a twenty-six-year-old asylum seeker from El Salvador. His collared shirt was way too loose and clearly borrowed for the occasion. Adela’s eyes lingered on the backpack at his feet. It held everything Jorge would carry with him into his new life if she granted his asylum claim.
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My thoughts on Asylum by Betsy Adams
Asylum by Betsy Adams reached deep into my soul and wrung many emotions from me. This well-researched book will touch your heart.
Adela and Paul are each searching for the missing piece to make their life better. For Adela, it’s trying to overcome her parents’ apparent white-washing of their Mexican heritage. Paul is looking to redeem himself after his high-powered law firm pushed him into betraying immigrants.
When they come together, sparks fly, not only between their hearts but also in the jobs they must perform. As a judge and lawyer fighting an apathetic and sometimes downright cruel system put in place by “Remain in Mexico,” they risk their jobs, security, mental health, and even their lives to protect those caught in the web of dysfunctional immigration policies.
Without the love interest between the two main characters, the book would still be interesting, but I believe it takes the edge off the hopeless feeling that the subject matter invokes. It might even make more readers aware of immigration issues.
At the end of the book, the author’s note explains that many of the cases discussed in the book are pulled from actual case files. Do not skip this section. I found it very compelling.
If you like your romance with a political, social justice twist. Pick up a copy of this book today!
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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About Betsy Adams
Betsy Adams is a pen name adopted to honor two smart, romantic women - Betsy Ross and Abigail Adams.
Betsy Ross chose love over her Quaker religion and her family. At the age of twenty-one, she eloped with fellow upholstery apprentice and non-Quaker John Ross. After their union, Betsy’s family and the Quaker community cut all ties with her. In her eighty-four years, Betsy was married three times and ran a successful upholstery business. There is much more to Betsy Ross than sewing the first American flag. Someone make a biopic, please!
The love between Abigail and John Adams is legendary, and documented in over 1,000 intimate and cerebral letters. In 1776, Abigail famously told her husband that the new nation must “remember the ladies,” but in the pages of their letters, these two lovers were equals in their passion for each other and ideas.
Betsy Adams lives with her family in a coastal town on Long Island (New York). She is the creator of the Americans in Love romance series. In these novella-length books, couples divided by the issues of our day try to find their happily ever after.
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Giveaway!
Betsy Adams will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn
winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Please visit more tour stops for extra chances to win!
May 19: Notes From a Romantic’s Heart
May 26: Our Families Adventure
May 26: The Reading Addict
June 2: Sandra’s Book Club
June 2: Gina Rae Mitchell
June 9: The Avid Reader
June 9: Bibliomanaic Aza
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Asylum by Betsy Adams | Review
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Sounds like a good book!
Is this Victoria Alexander the historical romance author? If so I am such a fan!!
Looks like a good book.
I think that the cover of your book is eye catching and striking in design.
I was thinking of changing the covers to be more like other contemporary romance novels, so thanks for your thoughts!
Thank you for this review! This is Allison Singh, the author (Betsy Adams is a pen name). Fortunately, the Remain in Mexico program has now officially ended, although as we all know immigration is still a complicated issue. You hit it on the head- the romance is to “take the edge off” and to remind us of the power of love and that at the heart of every headline are human beings. That is the mission of Americans in Love books. Thank you so much. Anything you can do to spread the word about the book is so deeply appreciated by this author! 🙂
Happy to help spread the word about Asylum. It’s an important story. Thanks for sharing it with me.
Thanks!!
Sounds like a great read.
I enjoyed it. Some parts made me angry, some broke my heart, and a few made me smile. Can’t really ask for more from a good book.
Thanks for hosting!