"Serious issue of the death penalty is prominent in this compelling romance."

Val Covington thinks she's happy working as a litigator in a prestigious Baltimore law firm until an unexpected windfall allows her to start her own practice, where she can choose her own cases and causes. While looking for office space, she meets Rob Smith, and soon the two become much more than lessor and lessee. For his own private reasons, Rob joins in Val's first solo case as Val and her assistant, Kendra Brooks, work to free an innocent man - the father of Kendra's son - from Death Row, only days before his execution. As they race against the clock, Val and Rob's initial attraction deepens and grows, but their relationship is complicated by issues from the past on both sides - almost as complicated as the legal system they're fighting.

I'm a big fan of Mary Jo Putney, but this isn't one of my favorite books of hers. I felt at times the characters were a bit preachy, everyone seemed to have a troubled or tragic past and the story was more concerned with social issues than I generally like in leisure reading. Having said that, however, I admire Ms. Putney for eloquently expressing her views on a controversial subject, even though she had to know her views may offend some readers. If you are against (or neutral about) the death penalty and like a serious, more socially conscious tone in your books, I'd recommend this story. But it's not for everyone.

Reviewed by Lenore Howard
Courtesy Old Book Barn Gazette
Posted July 14, 2003

From the bestselling author Mary Jo Putney comes an emotionally charged story of a man and a woman brought together by a passion for justice, a hunger to change, and a ... Twist of Fate

Summary

Corporate law has given Val Covington high profile success—and no time for a life. Recklessly, she walks away from her uptown job and starts her own practice, determined to do work that matters. Renting a remodeled church gives her an added bonus in the form of her landlord. Rob Smith is the kind of guy Val is always attracted to: mysterious, handsome and haunted. Which means, based on her track record, that he is also a loser; but this time, she's smart enough to avoid involvement with the wrong man.

Then Val's assistant makes a desperate plea for help in saving her one-time lover from being executed for a crime he didn't' commit. Val agrees to try, but success seems impossible. Then Rob, who has private reasons for wanting to work with Val, offers his formidable investigative skills in the quest of justice. Working against the clock, Rob and Val discover irresistible passion as well a s long hidden secrets. But can two very different people change enough to build a life together?

Perhaps they can, when fate takes a hand...