Thursday, April 15, 2010

Review & Giveaway: The Life O'Reilly by Brian Cohen


Hardcover: 276 pages
Publisher: iUniverse.com (October 21, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1440150273
ISBN-13: 978-1440150272

For the last twelve years, Nick O'Reilly has had it all materially wise. He's a lawyer for the high powered Wall St. firm of Williams Gardner and Schmidt. Recently, Nick has been feeling much disquiet in his life thinking that something valuable is missing. He spends close to all his time working and he realizes how much he would like someone special in his life. Unfortunately, the law partners frown on any kind of outside life. They are only interested in billable hours.

Now that the media has castigated the firm for not doing any pro bono work, the powers that be decide to pick up a case and Nick is given the assignment; Dawn and her young son Jordan are victims of domestic violence. This action is not through any magnaminity, it is virtually a public relations move to give the firm better press. The partners remind Nick that his first loyalty is to the firm's clients. The paying ones, they stress!

When Nick and Dawn begin to work on her case, nature takes it's course and the two start to have feelings for each other. Nick, being the conscientious man that he is, tries to behave in an ethical manner but somehow Dawn's husband sees them together and decides to use this information to his advantage. After much stressful negotiation, Nick thinks things are finally going well for him, Dawn and Jordan. This is when life throws them all a very surprising curveball.

For a debut novel, this is quite good. Just a little tighter editing would have easily fixed the plethora of superfluous sartorial descriptions and a few grammatical mistakes. Since the author himself is an attorney, the book has the feel of authenticity to it. Overall, once I started the book, I was hooked on the characters and the story.

You can read more about this debut author, Brian Cohen, at his website.

Giveaway details:
2 autographed hard cover copies up for grabs
Open internationally!
P.O. boxes are okay for this one.
Be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment.
+ 3 Bonus entries can be earned by putting a link in your sidebar or tweeting . Please do not leave me three comments saying you tweeted. I promise once is enough and I'll give you the three extra entries. :)

Deadline is April 25th at 6 P.M. EST. Good luck!!

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks, Brian!

54 comments:

  1. I'm glad you liked this one...I will be reviewing this one next month. I thought it would be fun to read since my son is in law school right now.

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  2. I've read several good reviews for this novel, including yours. Don't enter me in the giveaway as my tbr mountain experienced an avalanche and there's nowhere for me to put another book at the moment.

    ("plethora of superfluous sartorial descriptions" - thanks for starting my day with a grin!)

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  3. I love the story line and cover for "The Life O'Reilly". I am always excited to discover promising new authors. I visited Brian's website and learned that he is at work on a second novel.

    I am sort of fond of superfluity : )

    Please enter my name in the drawing. US Resident, Follower, Subscriber.

    gcwhiskas at aol dot com

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  4. I think this sounds very interesting. Please enter me.
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

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  5. Your last paragraph was exactly what I thought but just couldn't find the words to express myself...excellent review!

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  6. Oh when it says camp or whatever blogger has shortened it. Meant contest. Lol.

    Anyway this one sounds good, and I am fine with errors, I read so fast so I tend to miss them. So would love to be in

    blodeuedd1 at gmail dot com

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  7. Thanks for the giveaway.
    +3 Tweeted:
    http://twitter.com/LibbysLibrary/statuses/12231621629

    libneas[at]aol[dot]com

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  8. Please count me in. Thanks for the chance.
    I follow.

    lizzi0915 at aol dot com

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  9. After the few reviews I've read for this book, I do want to read it.

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  10. I want to know how that gorgeous cover fits into this novel! I'd like a chance to win, thanks!

    I follow and will post here.

    wanda_waiting[@]hotmail[.]com

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  11. Sounds like an interesting read!

    lead[at]hotsheet[dot]com

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  12. Sounds like this one would make a good movie too. No need to enter me, just wanted to leave a comment.

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  13. Sounds like a good book and I do like an international competition. Can I be entered too please.

    vivienne_dacosta(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  14. It's always fun to discover a good new author. Too bad it wasn't edited a little bit better.

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  15. Interesting! I've read a book about lawyers ( I believe it was written by one, too) and it was definitely a different kind of read. Glad you like this one!

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  16. I love the sounds of this book and would love a chance to win. Thanks for the chance.

    sharon54220@gmail.com

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  17. Please enter me I am a follower on google

    mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

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  18. I have your button on my side bar http://edna-myfavoritethings.blogspot.com/



    mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

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  19. No need to enter me ... I'm overloaded with books as it is.

    And every time I read books about how long lawyers have to work, I realize I never ever would want to be one.

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  20. Sounds great. I'd love to be entered into this.

    yvone473[at]optonline[dot]net

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  21. This one sounds like a good read. Please enter me for it.

    mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

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  22. Please count me in for this - thanks for the chance
    msboatgal at aol.com

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  23. Sounds like a good one, thank you for the chance!
    mstlee2000 @ hotmail.com

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  24. This book sounds good. I would love to be entered.
    +3 I tweeted http://twitter.com/bangersis/status/12299974748
    Thanks!
    email bangersis(at)msn(dot)com

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  25. Count me in, I love the cover!
    resident of US

    bookmagic418@gmail.com
    I tweeted at https://twitter.com/bookmagicdeb

    Thanks for awesome giveaway!

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  26. Please enter me. Also tweeted, though I'm not sure how to post the link to it. My user name is Teawench. And email is teawench (at) gmail (dot) com.
    Thanks!

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  27. Every time I turn around, I see this book mentioned, and I like what I read about it. Your review is another example of why I want to read it. They say you don't pick books, they pick you. This is one that is definitely following me. Please enter my name. Thank you!

    cyeates AT nycap DOT rr DOT com

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  28. Thank you for hosting this giveaway and for making it open for international readers. Much appreciated!

    mystica123athotmaildotcom

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  29. Sounds like a great read!

    hewella1@gmail.com

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  30. Hi Kaye :)

    Just wanted to let you know I have this giveaway posted at literarylitter.blogspot.com

    Good luck :)

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  31. Please include me! this looks so good!

    Thanks

    dcf_beth at verizon dot net

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  32. Awesome review, babe!

    No need to enter me (as usual. Stupid TBR -- and you see my mail call posts, too, so you know it's not shrinking as fast as I'd like it to!).

    I'm dropping in to say thanks for the e-mail. I've got this posted at Win a Book for you.

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  33. I too have read some good reviews. Thanks for the giveaway.
    mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

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  34. Always like Lawyer stories...

    Bill ;-)

    billsmith2003 (at) gmail (dot) com

    Hope you'll check out my book giveaway:
    http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-giveaway-moonlight-falls.html
    http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/

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  35. This sounds like a great read!
    dmkayes@gmail.com

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  36. This book sounds good and I would like to win and read it.

    I follow by google reader.

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

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  37. i saw this cover once, and now i do really like to read this book !

    i tweeted here : http://twitter.com/becunique/status/12485397993

    uniquas at ymail dot com

    - international reader :)

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  38. thanks for this great giveaway. The reviews are wonderful. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  39. I have read a couple reviews of this title. Your's was great. I think I would love this book. Please enter me. Thanks
    I follow through google friend connect!
    I know this won't count but wanted to let you know that I posted about this on facebook.

    lovemykidsandbooks AT gmail DOT com

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  40. I would like to be entered!

    delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  41. I am in two minds about this book after reading your review. I am not sure if I would like it or not.

    However I have not heard of the author before and as I am always open to trying something new, I would like to be entered in the giveaway.

    Thank you.

    Carol T (International entry)


    buddytho {at} gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  42. Please enter me in the contest & Thx..
    thehighflyer3(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  43. I would love to read The Life O'Reilly by Brian Cohen.

    teakettle58(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  44. +3 I blogged about the giveaway in my sidebar and linked back to you.

    http://readwithtea.blogspot.com

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  45. I have been a lawyer working long hours and am now a musician, writer, mom, daughter, wife, and hopefully friend to those around me. I would be interested in how this lawyer works things out. You are in my sidebar as a blog I follow. Thanks for the giveaway and I love the title of your blog and the pictures of the cute little penguins. Yours truly, From Houston, another air-conditioned place.

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  46. The book sounds really interesting.

    my email address is

    imposterwho at gmail.com

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  47. Sounds like a good read!

    word_trix (at) yahoo.com

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  48. This sounds like a fun read.

    onecrazycalico at yahoo dot com

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  49. Sounds like a good read, esp. given that I am a lawyer.

    JHS
    Colloquium

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  50. This book seems to be getting good reviews - should be interesting a book about lawyers by a lawyer.

    I'm a follwer and I tweeted
    https://twitter.com/EVA_n_essence/status/12586533038

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  51. The mother of a Canadian lawyer hoping to snag a copy of the book.

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  52. Ooo, this sounds really good. Would love the chance to read it. I'll have to get used to reading my own name, though. LOL. I don't see it used that often.

    Thanks! :0)
    librarygrinch at gmail dot com

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  53. This book really sound interesting! Please sign me up!

    darlyn225@gmail.com

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  54. Boo Hoo, I guess I did not win. Now if the book would stop following me...

    ReplyDelete

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