Review and Giveaway: "The Life O'Reilly" by Brian Cohen

On the surface, Nick O'Reilly has it all. He's a partner at his elite law firm, has an apartment overlooking Central Park, and has the financial security that so many can only dream of. Sure, he works ridiculously long hours and is chastised for occasionally not coming in to work on the weekends, but he's living the dream, right? Wrong. Nick feels that something is missing, specifically a family and some reason to come home. His dissatisfaction remains vague and is easy to ignore until he takes on a pro-bono case at the urging of the senior partners at his firm. When he begins working on his case he meets Dawn Nelson and her son Jordan, victims of domestic abuse and violence. Dawn is desperate to escape from her former husband's clutches, and it is Nick that can offer her a way out of the situation. Little does Nick know that working on Dawn's case will highlight all that is missing in his own life, and will change him forever.

The Life O'Reilly captivated me from the beginning. I think that it was the character of Nick that sucked me in- he was so well-developed and relatable. Plus, it brought attention to something that I've always felt strongly about- that you can have all of the money and financial security in the world, and still not be happy. We have this man who's done so well for himself- he's a lawyer and has a beautiful apartment, job security, financial security, a few close friends and a loving mother. Yet, he's not truly happy. He realizes that something is missing from his life, and that "something" is having someone sepcial to share it all with. From the outside he has it all, but Nick has realized that "having it all" is not enough.

I'll admit that I did have a few minor problems with this book. There were a few chapters in the middle of the book that just didn't work for me as a whole. I felt that the events in these chapters were unrealistic, although they were necessary for the conclusion of the book. I would have liked for the middle to be more developed, character-wise. Thankfully, due to some clever foreshadowing early in the book and a multi-layered plot I was able to get through these parts and really immerse myself in the last portion of the book. I also found that the first person perspective didn't allow me to connect with a few characters who I felt were important, although this perspective did allow me to really get inside Nick's head.

Thankfully, these small problems didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book as a whole. The message was wonderful- it is never too late to change your life around for the better. Life needs to be lived to the fullest at all times, and if this means if you end up somewhere that you never thought that you would be, that's okay. We're not born with little instruction manuals that tell us what we're supposed to be (although that would be nice!) and as humans, we have the ability to grow and change in our everyday lives. That is what Nick's story taught me.

Thank-you to Brian Cohen for the sending me this review copy. You can read an excerpt here or the reading guide here. He has generously offered one signed hardcover copy of this book for giveaway! The best part? This giveaway is open internationally, to anyone in the world with reliable mail service. This giveaway runs until April 20, 2010, with the winner being notified after this date by e-mail. Here's how to enter:

1. Tell me what it is about The Life O'Reilly that makes you want to read it! Please leave me an e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win. No e-mail= no entry, so please include it!

2. *Bonus Entry* For one bonus entry, you can follow this blog through Google Friend Connect. Just let me know that you follow in a seperate comment. Current followers are eligible as well, just leave me a comment letting me know that you already follow.

3. *Bonus Entry* For one bonus entry, spread the word about this contest! Blog about it, add it to your sidebar, tweet it, Facebook it, whatever! You can spread the word in any way that you wish, and leave me a seperate comment letting me know how you did it.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fiction lovers, anyone who enjoys books that include legal perspective
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010