A gripping novel that will keep readers engaged from beginning to end. McNellis does an excellent job of capturing the intensity of the legal world and the challenges that lawyers face.
Many thanks to Julie Ink/82 Stories and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

At first I was unsure if I was going to enjoy this type of book. It seemed more of a "mans book" but after reading it I found to be a a quick read and enjoyable read. The characters and plot make it a must read.

F. Michael O'Brien is a new lawyer. Mr. McNellis has set this delightful story in the San Francisco of the 1970s. Michael has just been dumped by his girlfriend when he is assigned to work with John Buckley on a case.

This is a quick read. It has a great leading man, plot twists, bad guys, and a cute romance with a baker. I want to see more of Michael O'Brien!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. The review is my own.

A book that was very enjoyable to read. A protagonist that everyone likes is a lawyer who is great at everything except practicing law finds himself given a case he’s expected to lose. Mixing in romance, office politics, and a scummy client gets you a recipe for an excellent story.

This is an author I haven’t read before with a story about a young attorney trying a case the managing partners have dumped on him. The setting in seventies San Francisco was well incorporated and lent a historical element.
Michael O’Brien is extremely inexperienced and focused on drinks with his buddies and chasing skirts. He hasn’t developed a work ethic and is quickly way over his head. His firm’s original attorney presumably lost or stole a fifty million dollar estate. The executor, Malcolm Knox, is a bully, a liar and probably a criminal. He’s the client any law firm should avoid at all costs.
O’Brien falls for a former model, coffee shop/bakery entrepreneur. Marybeth is smart, beautiful and already engaged to someone else. The romantic component was well intertwined with the overall plot. The case takes many dark turns, complications with Knox depositions and hearings, then his love life fizzles. O’Brien is in over his head and now lives are at stake. Will he recover and win the case or run home to Boston?
I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this story, the character development is good, wonderful setting and uniquely framed plot. I will certainly recommend and would read this author again.
Thanks extended to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “O’Brien’s Law” by John McNellis published by Hubbard House. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

O'Brien's Law was delightful. It was the story of Michael O'Brien, aka Flipper, who was an attorney, and Marybeth Elliot, who owned a couple of bakeries and a restaurant or two. Flipper had an obnoxious client, Mal lol I'll lcolm Knox who tried to kill him twice, and tried to kill Marybeth. All of his attempts failed.

Flipper had been unlucky in love. When he met Marybeth he fell instantly in love, but she was engaged to someone else, a military man. Flipper dated her anyway. Then one day she told him that her man, Mr. Land, was coming for her. When he came, he had no job and was only interested in her money. So she got rid of him.

Flipper decided that he wanted to do Knox in because of the two attempts on his life and the attempt on Marybeth's. So he had his friend, JR, who looked like him, go to his hometown of Boston and pose as him. That was his alibi. He then rented a hotel room and set out following Knox. The night of the assault he followed him from a bar and attacked him in front of his house. He used brass knuckles to hit him in the throat and crushed his wind pipe. Knox had pulled a gun on him but got only one shot off that went askew. When he was hit he dropped to the ground and died almost instantly. Flipper had not meant to kill him, but kill him he did. He took his Rolex watch and his wallet to make it look like a robbery gone bad. He threw them in the San Francisco Bay. Later he realized he'd lost his crucifix necklace. It was found by his detective friend, who obviously knew what had happened but didn't tell anyone. He returned the necklace to Flipper. Marybeth also knew Flipper had killed Knox and she was ok with it. She knew he had done it for her

One more thing. Flipper decided he didn't want to be a lawyer anymore. He was no good at it. Marybeth offered him a position working with her.., which I assume he accepted.

I very much like the way the book ended. It was a sweet romance. The author did a fine job developing the characters; the story was easy to follow. I give it five stars.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with the discovery of a man in a posh suite who was found dead in his bath tub. The police are on the scene and checking it out. The book then introduces F. Michael O'Brien who has just started as a lawyer. He is playing basketball on the D.A. team in a league. Michael has just protected a member of the team who was being choked when he punches the one doing the choking. As a result he and the person he punched are tossed out of the game plus the one Michael punched made a report to the police and later placed a lawsuit against Michael and the D.A.'s team.

The next morning Michael discovers that he has been assigned to work with John Buckley on a lawsuit that the nephew of the man who died at the suite had against the executor of that peson's estate. It seems that a large amount of money disappeared. Michael was handled the job of taking a deposition from the defendant. He was new to this and the other lawyer put him to shame. Michael later developed a plan and brought a motion before the judge which would have the individual answer question before a judge.

At the time that this was going on, Michael had been dumped by his girlfriend and was down in the dumpd. He eventually wound up at a bakery where he became enamored with the owner. She asked him what he thought of her cookies. This went on for awhile and Michael finally told her what she needed to do to improve her cookies and make them a winner. Michael later was told that they needed to stop meeting and she was going to be with her fiancé who was leaving the Army.

Learn how Michael's part in the executor's case went and how some questions posed to his client create quite a mess. Learn if Michael and the bakery owner were able to work things out. The ending will resolve a lot of open questions.

The book is definitely worth reading.

Michael O’Brien is a confirmed bachelor and playboy. He passed the bar by having a surrogate take the bar exam for him. A prestigious firm in San Francisco is letting him work his first case. Fifty million dollars in bearer bonds and federal certificates went missing.

The law firm gives him this assignment because they are sure he will fail. Remarkably he applies himself and with the help of his assistant is able to adjudicate the case and is on the verge of winning. One of the senior associates of the firm steps in to claim the victory and the commission. Michael will be shown the door for his trouble.

The loser in the case decides he must die in retaliation for taking the purloined nest egg of $50,000,000 and assigning it to the nephews. Michael and his lady, Marybeth, the owner of a local cookie franchise, are targeted for elimination but the owner of the cookie franchise, is not the least bit interested in a relationship with this never do well. O’Brien’s life is in for a drastic change as he begins to court Marybeth.

This story moves quickly and is both engaging and entertaining. Marybeth is smart to stay away from this player. Read and enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Julie Ink/82 Stories and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A story that may just grab you from the start.