"A winner"

Lilly Malloy sublimated everything she had into her law career even when she was a student. That is until she met reporter Mike Collier. Mike and Lilly share quite a heated love affair, but it went nowhere as both had ambitious dreams for their respective future.

Judge Lilly presides over traffic court in which Mike enters expecting to talk his way out of nineteen illegal parking tickets. Instead, Lilly decides to teach Mike a lesson about paying his fines, not that their past would influence her decision. Feeling the ice she sends his way, Mike asks for a change of venue and then challenges her authority so Lilly, following the letter of the law, sends Mike to jail. Now he wants to get even with the judge who he feels abused her power with of course his desire being a lifetime sentence with Lilly as the perfect venue.

The lead couple is a delightful pairing of two squabbling souls that make for a fun tale. Especially enjoyable is the opening courtroom scene as each slowly raises the ante until the judge trumps Mike with a weekend courtesy of the city. Though a subplot involving a crooked politician (oxymoron?) seems to take away from the gender war (they even team up), fans will appreciate this amusing second chance at love with a bit of pay back tale.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted May 2, 2004

Summary

As an ambitious and dedicated law student, Lilly Malloy had been quickly rising before a disastrous affair with equally ambitious reporter Mike Collier short-circuited her career. Now, finally, she's a judge, but she hadn't planned on presiding over a subterranean traffic court, where parking fines tip the scales of justice. All thanks to him.

So when two-time offender Collier saunters through her courtroom door, hoping to sweet-talk her out of a fine, Lilly has a chance to even the score. As fast as she can bang the gavel, she sends him to the slammer. Justice is definitely sweet.

Or is it? Even if the judge in Lilly wouldn't dream about breaking the law, the woman in her just might need to test the boundaries....