Lee RobinsonCritiques

A humorous romance with a cute dog to boot.

I picked this up off the library sale shelf because I was intrigued by the title. I did not read the first book in the series ("Lawyer for the Dog") so it can be read as a stand-alone, though as always, there may be things about the characters's backgrounds that you would better understand if you read the series in order.

I'm not quite sure how I'd categorize this book if I needed to. It's not courtroom fiction like Grisham. It is legal fiction in the sense that Sally Banyard is tasked with fulfilling the requirements of a trust set up to care for the cat, Beatrice. Though there are relationships, it's not really a romance: Sally seems incapable of committing to a mature relationship (which makes me angry that she's apparently sleeping with Tony). Though, given that most of the marriages we hear about in this book are/were not happy ones, it doesn't sound like she has a good role model for marriage. (her mother and father apparently had marital problems because her mother keeps saying she should have "married Ed Strand", Lila's marriage seemed more one to please her parents and/or keep the land she loved though her relationship with Simon might have been love, Gail's in an abusive relationship though they aren't married, Gina's beau is convinced he needs a prenup because women always betray him, Mandy's pretty much dismissed the boy who got her pregnant from her life other than wanting him to contribute money toward their child's upbringing...)

Sally does finally commit to adopting the dog Tony has been after her to adopt. Maybe that is a start toward progress in her character.

Sally interviews several people, some identified by Lila and some not, for the position as Beatrice's caregiver. I didn't guess correctly who she chose--I was expecting her to pick a different character than she did--though the character I expected her to pick does seem like he might get to stay involved with the house and Beatrice, just in a different way that I expected.

A warmhearted, amusing story about Sally Baynard, a sharp and witty attorney whose aging mother lives with her in Charleston, her ex-husband who is the judge in her current divorce case, the divorcing couple who are fighting over custody of their dog Sherman, and his charming vet. When you want a light, entertaining read with a satisfying conclusion, pick up this novel. If the title doesn't do it, the dog on the cover will convince you to read this book.

This is the second Sally Baynard book, the first being Lawyer for the Dog. I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read with quirky characters and lots of sentiment. The story centers around Sally Baynard, an attorney who is appointed enforcer of a trust. Her responsibility is to decide who would be the best caretaker for Beatrice, the cat. The trust stipulates that whoever is chosen to look after Beatrice must live int the old plantation house. They also get $50,000 a year. When the cat dies, Lila's son will inherit the plantation. Needless to say, he is not happy. Sally has a lot going on in her life. She divorced her husband years ago, and he is not a family court judge. He wants to be appointed to circuit court and is pressuring Sally to support him. Sally's mother Margaret is living with her in her apartment. She has Alzhiemers but Sally will not put her in a home. This wreaks havoc with her budding romance with the vet, Tony. She met Tony when she was acting on behalf of Sherman, the dog in her previous animal rights case. Not only is all that going on in her private life, but she is also a busy family attorney and is juggling her caseload while trying to determine who will be the caretaker of Beatrice.

Thiswas a quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I did not know what to expect when I started this book, but it was surprisingly fun. We really got to know Sally. Through her interactions with her secretary/assistant, her friends, her mother, her mother's caregivers and even the people she met to interview for the trust case showed a smart, caring, and loyal woman with a little inferiority thrown in. Even though Beatrice was the object of the trust case, she played a small role in the book. I liked the ending of this story. It was unexpected but I think it was just right. I actually learned a little about trusts and family court while reading this book. I recommend this book to cat lovers, those interested in animals rights. I am going to have to to and get Lawyer for a Dog to read now to see what I missed in Sally's life. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

This is the second Sally Baynard book, the first being Lawyer for the Dog. I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read with quirky characters and lots of sentiment. The story centers around Sally Baynard, an attorney who is appointed enforcer of a trust. Her responsibility is to decide who would be the best caretaker for Beatrice, the cat. The trust stipulates that whoever is chosen to look after Beatrice must live int the old plantation house. They also get $50,000 a year. When the cat dies, Lila's son will inherit the plantation. Needless to say, he is not happy. Sally has a lot going on in her life. She divorced her husband years ago, and he is not a family court judge. He wants to be appointed to circuit court and is pressuring Sally to support him. Sally's mother Margaret is living with her in her apartment. She has Alzhiemers but Sally will not put her in a home. This wreaks havoc with her budding romance with the vet, Tony. She met Tony when she was acting on behalf of Sherman, the dog in her previous animal rights case. Not only is all that going on in her private life, but she is also a busy family attorney and is juggling her caseload while trying to determine who will be the caretaker of Beatrice.

Thiswas a quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I did not know what to expect when I started this book, but it was surprisingly fun. We really got to know Sally. Through her interactions with her secretary/assistant, her friends, her mother, her mother's caregivers and even the people she met to interview for the trust case showed a smart, caring, and loyal woman with a little inferiority thrown in. Even though Beatrice was the object of the trust case, she played a small role in the book. I liked the ending of this story. It was unexpected but I think it was just right. I actually learned a little about trusts and family court while reading this book. I recommend this book to cat lovers, those interested in animals rights. I am going to have to to and get Lawyer for a Dog to read now to see what I missed in Sally's life. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

I have not enjoyed a book as much as I did this one in a long time, and, if you have ever checked my reviews, you can see I have read and do read a lot of books. The story centers on a Charleston Lawyer, Sally Baynard, ex-wife of Family Court Judge Joe Baynard, who hails from a well-heeled, well-known Charleston family. Though divorced, both continue their respective careers in Charleston, maintaining a professional, though not close, relationship. Judge Joe assigns Sally to be lawyer for a miniature schnauzer, Sherman, whose custody remains the big bone of contention in a lengthy, contested divorce between two older Charleston citizens. In addition to this, Sally is grappling with an aging, Alzheimer's-ridden mother, a potential relationship with Sherman’s vet, her mother’s caretaker who is planning to move on to care for her cancerous significant other, and a plethora of friends and associates who think she and Joe should reconcile or that Sally should move on to another man. Some also think Joe, who has recently separated from his squeeze, is out to get Sally back in his life, using every trick he has to do this. The story is fun filled, but serious at the same time. The author addresses a myriad of issues that are current today: how two exes who work in the same profession manage to continue a professional relationship/association after their split, how a child handles and deals with an aging parent, how someone who has not had a dog since she was a child learns to care for one, how a single professional woman forages her life as time passes, etc. The author does a magnificent job in all this.

I enjoyed Sherman, but I am an avowed dog person myself, so that part was easy for me. The author handed all the issues surrounding him and his situation very well. The author’s writing style is smooth and makes for pleasant reading. The story flows smoothly and easily. The characters, including Sherman, as well done and memorable. This is a book I will keep and re-read again when I have time and when I am looking for something fun to read. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story. There is some romance but not too much. The plot is interesting and intricate enough so that the ending is somewhat of a surprise (at east it was for me). If I could give it more than five stars, I would. I hope there will be more books in the series, and I eagerly look forward to reading them. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Thoroughly enjoyable! The author seems to care about the characters and has given them a realistic depth; I particularly liked the very natural way the main character falls in love with the dog. I'm not particularly fond of lawyers but I did enjoy the way the main character talks to herself: it's as if she's writing a brief.

This summer, I was talking to Harriet McDougal Rigney, who is not only a friend, but an editor I respect a great deal. The subject was novels set in Charleston, written for a middle school/YA crowd. Harriet asked if I'd read this book, which had somehow gone completely beneath my radar. I found a copy, and curled up on this rainy Sunday to read a book set in my beloved Charleston.

The author used her experience and familiarity with the Charleston legal system (she was a public defender here for many years, and very active in the legal aid program) and a keen eye for both the beauty and quirks of Charleston to good use. The book is the story of a custody battle told from a teenager's point of view. There is wisdom in these pages, and a true sense of Charleston. Part of the story (including the title) takes place in one of my favorite spots in all of Charleston: the gateway garden walk leading from King Street, behind the apartments and houses I have longed to live in, to the gloriously overgrown, ramshackle garden/graveyard of the Unitarian church. Anyone I've taken on a walk around Charleston can testify to my love of that walk and graveyard. It's a must see on the private czukie tour, and a place where I can often be found on Sundays, curled up on a bench, reading before choir practice starts at the church I attend.

I particularly liked the end solution of this book. Mac's experience of being shuttled between the homes of two warring parents is one I saw happen to friends whose parents divorced. I always thought custody considerations particularly unfair to kids, what with all the too-ing and fro-ing. I liked the way this worked out.