The Life O’Reilly: A Novel

Brian Cohen
iUniverse (2009)
ISBN 9781440150258
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (12/09)

 

What an incredible read! How many times have we all been in a job where the money is more important than the people we serve? Where politics play an important part of who you are? When do we decide that we can’t take the BS anymore and go looking for what is really important?

Brian Cohen has put all of us into this read. His ability to put you in the events and characters’ minds is haunting as it makes you look at who you are and how jobs can control one in every aspect.

Nick O’Reilly is what readers would call perfect in every aspect. He has a great job with a prestigious law firm, makes good money and thinks he is doing what he should do. However, due to the competition of other law firms, his firm decides to take on pro-bono cases and he gets the first one. Dawn Nelson and her son Jordan are victims of domestic violence. Nick’s job is to help her get finances and help set her life up in a good way. However, what Nick didn’t realize was that he was falling for Dawn personally. This is a big no-no in our corporate world. He has crossed the line.

He has a boss that looks at his dedication to the firm, his bringing in money and that he can’t do any wrong, until another lawyer starts putting negatives into the boss’s mind. This co-worker is jealous, vengeful and jealous.

Finally Nick decides that what he is doing is not worth the grief he takes. He finds that his relationship with Dawn is more important than money or being prestigious.  When you buck the system what happens?  You will need to read “The Life O’Reilly” by Brian Cohen to find out - it will make you question what you really want out of life. You will fall in love with Nick, hate his firm and find that we all can make the same decision.

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