Stevie‘s review of Practice Makes Perfect (Legal Affairs, Book 1) by Carsen Taite
Contemporary Lesbian Romance published by Bold Strokes Books 10 Jun 19
Although I’ve read a number of Carsen Taite’s stand-alone legal romances, I’m yet to properly delve into any of her series, most of which are a little lighter on the lawyers than the books I have read of hers. To make a start on bridging the gap, I picked up this, the first in a new legal romance series, featuring three women setting up their own law firm after tiring of the demands made on them if they want to make partner by the more expected route. Conflict and a love interest are provided this time around by one of their law school contemporaries, who is working for a more traditional firm, giving us a great opportunity to see more of the situations our trio of friends are trying to escape from. Campbell Clark is the first of the three to take centre stage, and she’s also the original driving force behind their firm.
As our story opens, Campbell is meeting up with her two best friends at a reunion of her whole law school class. Nothing she sees or hears counts as encouragement for her to continue along her current career path, and when she broaches the subject with her besties, they’re up for taking the plunge into the unknown as well, even if they do have a few reservations about Campbell using too much of her inheritance to finance the venture. Plan in place, Campbell is preparing to leave, when she runs into a former classmate she doesn’t recognise. Five years earlier, Wynne Garrity had been the quiet brains of the class, and while she’s had a bit of a make-over, she seems as driven as ever.
Wynne has dragged herself up from a much less privileged background than Campbell and is prepared to put up with whatever her outdated bosses want to throw at her, if that means she has a steady income to bail her family out (sometimes literally), whenever they come crying to her for support (usually of the financial variety). Wynne’s firm represents the maverick genius behind a high-profit tech firm, and when he threatens to take his business over to Campbell and her friends, Wynne is instructed to do whatever is necessary to keep him with her firm, even while appearing to be cooperating with his request to work alongside Campbell.
The two women have very different styles, which fit very neatly with their firms, boutique versus traditional, but they find themselves drawn to each other as people even as their contrasting ways of working seem to be paying off. As they get to know each other, they learn the secrets behind each other’s public images, and are developing a strong bond of trust – until Wynne’s boss hears of their after-hours meetings and steps in to cause trouble. With their trust in each other shattered, it’s down to both of them to win the case and then win back what they had before.
I like the set-up for this series very much, and can see that the three recurring heroines are going to show very different strengths and skills within their new firm, as well as in their interactions with each other and with family and (new) friends or potential partners. There were times when I wasn’t entirely happy with the conduct of this book’s heroines towards each other, but I found the case and their various actions in working it up fascinating. I also liked the various secondary characters who stepped in to help or hinder our heroines at different points and hope that we meet at least some of them again as the series progresses.
Grade: B
Summary:
Meet law school friends Campbell, Abby, and Grace, law partners at Austin’s premier boutique legal firm for young, hip entrepreneurs. Or, it will be as soon as they score a victory for their first big client.
Campbell Clark wins the big pitch and lands the client, or so she thinks, until the internet start-up insists her firm work with the legal counsel Campbell thought they’d be replacing. Wynne Garrity has never been second best, and she’s not going to let anyone screw up her chance of making partner, but to do so she needs to hang on to her client and prove to everyone her firm isn’t stuck in the Stone Age.
Reluctant team players, Campbell and Wynne would risk everything by giving in to the attraction that flares between them. In the boardroom and the courtroom, only one can win, but the price of victory could mean losing at love.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
