I am going to try to tap dance around spoilers. As a realistic Scottoline fan, I'm not going to be steady stars across this series. I've read them from the Rosato series and seen the storyline pull me in, the characters develop as they have matured into the series Rosato DiNunzio. I married into a large Italian family and this stuff is "if you know you know" and it's comical. This book also covers some real heartbreak. Grandparents raise small children for much less reasons than found here. Our schools are under budget. Disadvantage youth are taken advantage of and Mary is giving a voice to many social injustices. This book got tense, it has lighter humor, I just went with it. It made me think about the foster care system and many real life topics herein. A deeper courtroom battle I'll probably get in the next book. Scottoline often has a way to make me research topics after I've closed her book. I have respect for that. She keeps me from being a fairweathered fan. ( )

I'm a huge Rosato series fan, but this book left me indifferent. Previous books always had a "fun" feeling, but this one did not. Little boy with learning disabilities, no parents, no friends, bullied at school, and so much more. Reminded me of Ms. Scottoline's other line of novels, most of which I end up not finishing when the struggles and strife overwhelm me. Let's get the real Bennie, Mary and Judy back in the game! ( )

slower than I thought it would be ( )

DNF 35%!

Damaged's blurb made the book out to be really interesting and thrilling. However, it turned out to be a silly story with a naive and irritating main character. Mary just doesn't seem to be a very competent lawyer and the whole wedding businesses is ridiculous and boring to read about. And, the characters felt like silly caricatures from her colleagues to her friends. I should have known something was amiss when I learned that the lawyer she would be facing in this book is named Machiavelli. Seriously, that's his real last name.

I'm sorry, I have a lot of books to read and this one just didn't rock my boat! ( )

Back to the Mary DiNunzio family after an exciting Bennie Rosato novel. Mary is getting ready for her wedding to Anthony when she is contacted by an elderly gentleman about his grandson, who is struggling in school with dyslexia and is then sued by a teacher's aide who quit supposedly after being attacked with a pair of scissors. One of Philly's sleaziest lawyers, Nick Machiavelli is Mary's adversary. Just as Mary is developing a relationship, the grandfather dies in his sleep and Mary decides to become the boy's guardian. At the custody hearing, the police reveal that the grandfather may have been murdered and the boy is a prime suspect. Mary starts to investigate, and gets too close to the truth. As always, too much DiNunzio family drama, but the ending was a surprise, at least to me. 3.5 stars. ( )