I know some people who have written books, but few who have written novels and fewer who have written books with big buzz before they even publish! I met my friend Lindsay on our 2 year-old sons’ first day of pre-school (I use that term loosely as it was more like daycare for a few hours a couple days a week). Having each just had our second babies, we quickly became friends (we decided we were the two most normal moms on the Upper East Side) and would meet a few times a week for coffee or lunch throughout the year. Eventually we even double dated and our husbands became friends. I knew Lindsay had been a lawyer in her pre-mommy life, but it wasn’t until one of our lunches in the spring of that year she told me she was writing a novel.
Because I was interested, I wanted details, but she gave me little. I would, however, hear about the countless edits and rewrites she had to do for her editor. She wouldn’t tell me much more about the book other than it was a novel about working at a big law firm. Something along the lines of The Firms meets The Devil Wears Prada, both of which I loved reading. However, was practically living at Starbucks for seemingly years (I would meet her at times) to get work done worth it? I told her she’d have to thank them in her dedication for their coffee and free Wi-Fi.
A couple of months ago Lindsay was kind enough to send me a pre-published copy (OK I bugged her for one) and for the first time in I don’t remember how long, I was reading a page-turner I could hardly put down. I could not be more proud of my friend and since the book has already been optioned for a movie/show, it’s obvious it will be a monster hit. I can say I knew her when…
Well the book officially came out yesterday (September 7, 2015) so here is a bit about the story-line of BIGLAW: A Novel to get you interested (most is on Amazon anyway). As a girl young lawyer Mackenzie Corbett dreamed of living living the dream in NYC. Now, nearly two years into her job as an associate at a huge, highly regarded Manhattan law firm, she’s living her fantasy life. She has a big salary, high profile deals, a great apartment, a cute boyfriend and an enviable collection designer bags and shoes. The fact that she works for a tyrannical moron and has giant bags under her eyes from lack of sleep weren’t part of the ideal, but come with the territory at a large firm. Additionally, she’s being tormented by a bitter, mean and bitchy senior associate and her boyfriend is growing impatient she never has time for him. Now she’s stuck on the deal from hell with a partner whose biggest claim to fame is throwing a stapler at a cleaning lady because she touched his beloved ficus plant.
However, with the opportunity to secure a prestigious secondment, this determined overachiever decides to endure whatever it takes to close the biggest deal in the firm’s history. Then Mackenzie finds herself the focus of a devastating investigation and the fear she has been set up. Now her dream job begins spiraling into a nightmare.
That’s all I’m telling…I’ve already said too much!
BIGLAW: A Novel, $19.86
– Lauren Dimet Waters
