They are Florida’s most mismatched legal duo–one a glamorous Miami blue blood, the other a Coconut Grove beach bum. And when they get together, you can throw every law right out the window….
What do you get when you mix beautiful people, family secrets, and a yacht washed up on Sunset Key with a hundred grand in cash and a dying man? If you’re Steve Solomon, you see a case that can get Solomon & Lord off the ground. If you’re Victoria Lord, you see a golden opportunity to go out on your own. With her uncle a murder suspect and her hunky ex-boyfriend back in the picture, Victoria is pushing to take control as Solomon struggles to keep from losing it.
As an explosive trial looms, they’re fighting against time, the law, and each other–to expose a killer who came to paradise…and hasn’t left.
This novel needs a bright yellow label on the front with "Beach Read!" in big black print. I'm nowhere near a beach, but this sequel to invokes a deep longing for the scent of cheap tanning lotion.
In my opinion, this has a darker theme than its sequel, Solomon vs. Lord, and it has lost some of its slapschtick edge I found so amusing. Maybe it's because I'm accustomed to a slower character development in a series -- usually the dark storylines don't appear until 3 or 4 books down the road, with a heavy foreshadowing on an impending split-up of the couple.
But that concept doesn't much matter to me, since I'm still not in love with the main characters.
As much as I adore series reading, I'm not willing to follow this pair on the next misadventure for one simple reason: they fight too much. The two lawyers do not seem to be compatible on any level, even in the practice of law. Too much contention, and the belief factor falls through the floor along with my interest. If it is meant to portray the squabbling couple in a more contemporary, realistic light, I'm afraid that concept doesn't work for me either. Perhaps I've read too many romance novels -- or live a very full life -- and I have certain expectations. If ordinary couples squabbled this much, the divorce rate would be much higher than the current percentage.
This novel has its high points. The story is solid, the plot development zings along at a good clip without any holes along the way to yank me out of the story. The return of favorite secondary characters was a must for a successful sequel, and Levine delivered on that promise. If you are willing (or don't care) about an unrealistic love match hanging by a thread, I'd suggest this book for a day at the beach.
---------------------------------------
Publisher: Bantam (January 31, 2006)
ISBN: 0440242746