Love and the Divorce Lawyer

by

Barbara Newhart

Clever plot, engaging characters, and a heck of an entertaining tale!

Love and the Divorce Lawyer is a new legal thriller by author Barbara Newhart and with its clever plot full of devious twists and turns and engaging and vulnerable characters, it is one heck of an entertaining tale. It's been four years since divorce lawyer Josephina Jensen appeared in a courtroom, which was when she was shot multiple times by her own client. Now, as a favor to her brother, Josie takes on a problematic case to compel a woman's stubborn ex-husband to comply with the court's orders for their divorce settlement. Unfortunately, the man's attorney is Richard Diamond, an old rival who handed her a most humiliating defeat years earlier and one of the best in the business. Reluctant to return to the work and place of her injuries, Josie also discovers her husband, one of the medics who rushed to save her life that awful day, is now cheating on her. 

Josie's past is tragic, but she persevered, healed, and built a new life as a law professor with her new husband. It was achingly sad when Luke's infidelity was revealed to her in such a spectacularly hurtful manner. The clients who come her way, too, have their own stories of betrayal and loss of love and shared futures. I liked how Josie's unusual and supportive family, her faith, and her synagogue work helped sustain her through her hard times. 

Opposing counsel Richard Diamond is a complex and driven man. Coming from a hard childhood, he's determined to create the most successful and lucrative practice possible. His clients come from the wealthiest sector of society, where failure is not an option, so many of his strategies seemed downright cold. Many of his clients are calculating jerks, bordering on unhinged. Unknown to most of his acquaintances, Rich is also Jewish and is a new member at the same synagogue as Josie. 

The plot is deceivingly clever, with twists and turns at every corner. There are attacks and dirty tricks aimed at Josie that could have come from more than one possible suspect; trying to intimidate her from acting on more than one possible case had me on the edge of my seat, and Luke's deplorable behavior and text messages had me seething on Josie's behalf. And then there was the mysterious reappearance of the former client to puzzle out. I could not stop reading this book and finished it in just one evening, staying up late with zero regrets. This is perhaps one of the best books I've read this year. 

I recommend LOVE AND THE DIVORCE LAWYER to readers of legal thrillers who enjoy twisty, turny plots, strong female protagonists, and slow-burn romantic attractions between characters. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.