Baby Vs. The Bar, by M.J. Rodgers

After reading the very neat mystery in The Dream Wedding, last month, I decided to look for M.J. Rodgers' backlist. A friend happened to have Baby Vs. The Bar, part of the Justice Inc series, which received a good review at AAR.

She had a billion-dollar baby . . .

Remy Westbrook didn't want a man in her life-she wanted a baby. But the sperm bank made a big mistake ...and now Remy's baby is heir to a billion-dollar fortune and Remy is up to her ears in men.

Attorney Marc Truesdale was prepared to pull out all the stops to protect the interests of his cute eighteen-month-old client. But the confirmed bachelor was not prepared to fall for the little guy or his contrary mom. Nor was he prepared to enter a courtroom where conspiracy was the name of the game ...and love and honor were best left unspoken.

Not bad at all. A B-.

The legal mystery, thriller, or however I should call it, was very nicely done. It was interesting and compelling, and quite twisty. That part of it was enjoyable.

The characterization, however, was a little lacking, especially Remy's motivations. I really didn't get why she ended up cooperating, when she actually would have prefered for Marc to lose the case. I'm not saying she should have boycotted his case, but to actively help him, when there was no need for it and it went against her own interests (or rather, her child's interests, as she saw it), was incomprehensible to me. And don't get me started on the way she rejected the possibility of the money out of hand, without even considering it. At least, though, she had better rationalizations than these hard-headed heroines usually have.

The romance itself was nice, if not too remarkable. I kind of liked Marc, even if it did bother me the way he pretty much butted into Remy and Nicholas' life, all intent on what he thought should be done and never even considering their POV. Oh, I musn't forget: there was a moment where I despised the guy: when he was destroying on the stand a person who to me was quite sympathetic, and completely for nought.

All in all, quite all right. I think I'm giving this one to my lawyer sister to read :-)