Review: Sweet and sassy, sexy and serious
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 23, 2014
"Legally Wed" is the latest edition to the "Lawyers In Love" series by NM Silber.  It’s essentially Lily’s account of the events leading up to her and Adam’s wedding, and although it’s a novella – a mere 107 (or so) pages – it has the same wonderful blend of sweet and sassy, sexy and serious, that I’ve come to love and expect from all of NM Silber’s books.Adam and Lily were childhood sweethearts…. no, wait… that’s not right.  Let me start again.Adam and Lily were childhood enemies.  That’s better.  You know the type: the boy dips the girl's pigtails in ink and punches her in the arm as a show of affection.  THAT kind of enemy.  Except Lily is, and always was Adam’s equal:“Our history together wasn’t exactly filled with lollipops and rainbows. He wrote in my name on our class election ballot as Queen of the Harpies.”“How do you know that was me?’“Who else would have done that?”“Well, you sent forged documents to nurse’s office claiming I needed to give a stool sample.”“You have no proof.”We have met Adam and Lily in previous books from the "Lawyers In Love" series, and Volume 3, "Legal Briefs," was the full length novel that brought us their story.  It accounts the evolution from childhood animosity (a euphemism for attraction) to adult adoration, not to mention all the outrageous antics and amusing repartee that NM Silber does so well.Wedding planning can be stressful under the best of circumstances.  Factor in Lily’s insecurities, the pressures from Adam’s stereotypical Jewish mother and sisters (he’s the only son), and Lily’s “Ice Queen” mother, and the tension may be almost unbearable.  Fortunately, Lily has discovered a very effective method for relieving tension – it may kill Adam in the process, but he’ll definitely die a happy man."Legally Wed" is so much more than the sexual escapades of Adam and Lily; however, there’s definitely no shortage of that.  It’s also infused with humorous banter, some serious adult conversations (and even a little drama), and some absolutely touching and tender moments between the characters.  Admittedly, I’m an emotional reader, but more than once I felt my eyes sting and well up.“You know, when we graduated from high school and you went to BU and I went to Tufts, there would be times when I would be in Boston and I would think I saw you and my pulse would shoot up and I would feel excited. It was never you, though. Stupid, huh?”It was a small thing that I had confessed, nothing like telling him I had been fantasizing about him the first time I came, but somehow it was even harder to tell him. Sexual attraction was one thing, but admitting that, even then, I had deeper feelings for him made me feel more vulnerable. I kept staring at my fingers, twisting on my lap, wondering if he was imagining me as a pathetic schoolgirl.“I used to look forward to going to synagogue when I was home on break because I was hoping to see you there. One week, I went twice. My sisters started calling me ‘rabbi’.” I looked up at him and my chest felt tight.“Why didn’t we just …?”“It doesn’t matter anymore. Now, we’re getting married and we are going to spend the rest of our lives together, blissfully bickering, bantering and banging.”Although "Legally Wed" is short, it’s the perfect conclusion to Adam and Lily’s love story.  However, I have it on good authority that we can look forward to more from this couple in the future.  In the meantime, however, "Legally Wed" left a smile both on my face and in my heart.Five sexy but ultimately tender stars.