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When Lightning Strikes Twice
Having returned to his small town roots to salvage his father's ailing law practice, Quinton Cormak conquers reserved attorney Rachel Saxon in a courtroom encounter, but as they face off in another case, Rachel finds her icy veneer beginning to melt in Quinton's passionate embrace. Original.
379 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1997
5 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Boswell
122 books45 followersBarbara Schroeder was born on 28 October 1946 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, USA. She worked as nurse, before she married William P. Boswell, a attorney, and they had three daughters.
She has been a longtime romance novel fan, becoming hooked on the romances by Harlequin back in the mid-‘70s when she was home with her three small daughters. When the youngest reached school age in 1983, she wanted something to do with her extra time. She thought about going back to nursing, but didn't care to deal with hospital shifts. She'd often made up stories in her head and/or continued the stories that she'd read, so it seemed like a fun idea to try to write a story of her own. It took a lot more effort and organization than the loosely strung-together scenes she'd run through her mind, but she was right about the fun part! She enjoyed the whole process and wrote a story that she knew she would enjoy reading. She sent it off and was thrilled when it was accepted! It was even more exciting to see her name on the book cover. Some 50-plus books later, it's still a thrill to see her name on the book and it's still fun to make up stories — at least most of the time!
Barbara gets her ideas from everywhere but especially from reading, which she loves to do. Sometimes, just a sentence in a newspaper or a magazine will spark an idea to develop into a romance. Other times, she'll be inspired by another romance novel and she will try to put her own spin on a favorite old plot. Barbara believes that we all have our preferences — she's always been partial to the "secret baby" story line. That, plus the "marriage of convenience" and class or family conflicts are some of her particular favorites.
Her three daughters are all grown up now, and she and her husband are the proud grandparents of a beautiful little grandson. They also have three cats who seem to think that they are the rulers of their house. They are terribly spoiled, and they just might be right.
She has been a longtime romance novel fan, becoming hooked on the romances by Harlequin back in the mid-‘70s when she was home with her three small daughters. When the youngest reached school age in 1983, she wanted something to do with her extra time. She thought about going back to nursing, but didn't care to deal with hospital shifts. She'd often made up stories in her head and/or continued the stories that she'd read, so it seemed like a fun idea to try to write a story of her own. It took a lot more effort and organization than the loosely strung-together scenes she'd run through her mind, but she was right about the fun part! She enjoyed the whole process and wrote a story that she knew she would enjoy reading. She sent it off and was thrilled when it was accepted! It was even more exciting to see her name on the book cover. Some 50-plus books later, it's still a thrill to see her name on the book and it's still fun to make up stories — at least most of the time!
Barbara gets her ideas from everywhere but especially from reading, which she loves to do. Sometimes, just a sentence in a newspaper or a magazine will spark an idea to develop into a romance. Other times, she'll be inspired by another romance novel and she will try to put her own spin on a favorite old plot. Barbara believes that we all have our preferences — she's always been partial to the "secret baby" story line. That, plus the "marriage of convenience" and class or family conflicts are some of her particular favorites.
Her three daughters are all grown up now, and she and her husband are the proud grandparents of a beautiful little grandson. They also have three cats who seem to think that they are the rulers of their house. They are terribly spoiled, and they just might be right.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 6, 2012
Rating 3.5 stars
I enjoyed the various secondary romances, especially Wade and his falling for his best friend and also his aunt Eve's. The heroine's romance was good as well especially his son calling her mommy. What irked me was the heroine's tendency to be dramatic, she seemed too immature to be 28 and I had a hard time seeing her as a lawyer. She could be willfully blind and I didn't get it how she could think the hero would prepare a fake will, besides that an enjoyable book bot to be taken seriously.
I enjoyed the various secondary romances, especially Wade and his falling for his best friend and also his aunt Eve's. The heroine's romance was good as well especially his son calling her mommy. What irked me was the heroine's tendency to be dramatic, she seemed too immature to be 28 and I had a hard time seeing her as a lawyer. She could be willfully blind and I didn't get it how she could think the hero would prepare a fake will, besides that an enjoyable book bot to be taken seriously.
July 20, 2025
Highly entertaining, enemies-to-lovers, rival-attorneys romcom with a bonus secondary romance
Rachel Saxon is a 28-year-old junior partner in her family’s prestigious New Jersey law firm. She's contentedly single, focusing entirely on her career and her extended family, until Quinton Cormack throws her previously seamless life off track.
Quint is a seasoned attorney who returned to New Jersey from California a year ago to take over the moribund law practice of his alcoholic father, Frank Cormack, who received devastating injuries when he was (with karmic irony) run down by a drunk driver while walking across the street. Quint is financially supporting Frank’s current much younger wife, Carla, and his two half-brothers, seven-year-old Dustin and nine-year-old Austin, as well as serving a parental role to both boys. He also has full legal custody of his two-year-old son, Brady, the result of a brief, ill-fated marriage of convenience. Quint hasn’t been with anyone since his wife deserted him shortly after Brady was born.
Prior to becoming a father, Quint was well on his way to becoming a perpetual “love 'em and leave 'em” type, despite his vow to never become like irresponsible Frank. Over the past 30 years, in addition to Quint’s mother, Frank deserted at least two other wives and three other children before marrying Carla. For Brady’s sake, Quint has trod the straight and narrow, remaking himself into a sober citizen and dedicated family man.
Rachel and Quint meet for the first time as opposing counsel in a workplace harassment case. She tells herself she feels nothing but resentment toward charismatic Quint when he resoundingly defeats her, and the wealthy client she represented dumps the Saxon firm and hires Quint as his new attorney. But when a huge emergency with Quint's family occurs while Rachel is meeting with him at his law office, she impulsively offers him a ride and is precipitously drawn into his family drama, including babysitting his adorable toddler son.
In a cute romantic subplot, Rachel’s 28-year-old cousin, Wade, has been close friends with the large, boisterous Sheely family for decades. Dana Sheely, a 26-year-old paralegal who works for Quint, is Wade’s BFF Tim’s younger sister. Tim married his high school sweetheart, has two kids, and a military career, and for the past several years, Dana has become Wade’s substitute Sheely best buddy. They jog, swim, rollerblade, water ski, and snow ski together, and every Thursday night, they meet at a local sports bar for happy hour, where they share nachos and beer while watching whatever game is blaring from a wide-screen TV. Wade has no idea Dana has been in love with him for years, and he doesn’t realize she is his perfect match until the night they are jokingly wrestling and he instigates a kiss.
Quint’s relationship with Carla and his young brothers adds significant depth to the story, as does Rachel’s relationship with her 23-year-old sister, Laurel, and her three-year-old niece, Snowy. And the way that Brady clings to Rachel, calling her "Mommy," is humorously heartwarming. Scenes with these children are skillfully woven into the romance between Rachel and Quint. Each child is a three-dimensional character, not just a prop. Quint's protective attitude toward the children proves what a wonderful man he is, and Rachel’s sweet, nurturing presence shows she will be a terrific stepmother to Brady. It is very touching to see how she and Quint support each other in providing loving care for Snowy, Austin, and Dustin, and it is completely believable that they will follow through on their expressed willingness to care for any of Frank's abandoned children who might one day appear. One of my favorite romance tropes is when the FMC and MMC become a team in parenting the children of close relatives who are dead or have abandoned them.
Though the “promiscuous man with a virgin woman” trope is usually not one of my favorites, it works well between Wade and Dana in this novel. Wade is already part of the Sheely family, and the warmth and welcome he receives from his future in-laws adds a fun and reassuring dynamic. Their sensual scenes, like Rachel and Quint’s, focus much more on emotion than on graphic descriptions of body parts, which I greatly appreciate.
This novel was first published in 1997, and while there are a few telltale signs that date the book, such as the absence of internet and cell phones, the story feels surprisingly timeless. The humor arises from character and situation rather than slapstick, and there is a deep well of emotional connection running through the entire book. The writing is deft and confident, and the pacing never lags.
I’ve reread this book many times over the past 28 years and have thoroughly enjoyed it every time. It is a reliable comfort read.
Rachel Saxon is a 28-year-old junior partner in her family’s prestigious New Jersey law firm. She's contentedly single, focusing entirely on her career and her extended family, until Quinton Cormack throws her previously seamless life off track.
Quint is a seasoned attorney who returned to New Jersey from California a year ago to take over the moribund law practice of his alcoholic father, Frank Cormack, who received devastating injuries when he was (with karmic irony) run down by a drunk driver while walking across the street. Quint is financially supporting Frank’s current much younger wife, Carla, and his two half-brothers, seven-year-old Dustin and nine-year-old Austin, as well as serving a parental role to both boys. He also has full legal custody of his two-year-old son, Brady, the result of a brief, ill-fated marriage of convenience. Quint hasn’t been with anyone since his wife deserted him shortly after Brady was born.
Prior to becoming a father, Quint was well on his way to becoming a perpetual “love 'em and leave 'em” type, despite his vow to never become like irresponsible Frank. Over the past 30 years, in addition to Quint’s mother, Frank deserted at least two other wives and three other children before marrying Carla. For Brady’s sake, Quint has trod the straight and narrow, remaking himself into a sober citizen and dedicated family man.
Rachel and Quint meet for the first time as opposing counsel in a workplace harassment case. She tells herself she feels nothing but resentment toward charismatic Quint when he resoundingly defeats her, and the wealthy client she represented dumps the Saxon firm and hires Quint as his new attorney. But when a huge emergency with Quint's family occurs while Rachel is meeting with him at his law office, she impulsively offers him a ride and is precipitously drawn into his family drama, including babysitting his adorable toddler son.
In a cute romantic subplot, Rachel’s 28-year-old cousin, Wade, has been close friends with the large, boisterous Sheely family for decades. Dana Sheely, a 26-year-old paralegal who works for Quint, is Wade’s BFF Tim’s younger sister. Tim married his high school sweetheart, has two kids, and a military career, and for the past several years, Dana has become Wade’s substitute Sheely best buddy. They jog, swim, rollerblade, water ski, and snow ski together, and every Thursday night, they meet at a local sports bar for happy hour, where they share nachos and beer while watching whatever game is blaring from a wide-screen TV. Wade has no idea Dana has been in love with him for years, and he doesn’t realize she is his perfect match until the night they are jokingly wrestling and he instigates a kiss.
Quint’s relationship with Carla and his young brothers adds significant depth to the story, as does Rachel’s relationship with her 23-year-old sister, Laurel, and her three-year-old niece, Snowy. And the way that Brady clings to Rachel, calling her "Mommy," is humorously heartwarming. Scenes with these children are skillfully woven into the romance between Rachel and Quint. Each child is a three-dimensional character, not just a prop. Quint's protective attitude toward the children proves what a wonderful man he is, and Rachel’s sweet, nurturing presence shows she will be a terrific stepmother to Brady. It is very touching to see how she and Quint support each other in providing loving care for Snowy, Austin, and Dustin, and it is completely believable that they will follow through on their expressed willingness to care for any of Frank's abandoned children who might one day appear. One of my favorite romance tropes is when the FMC and MMC become a team in parenting the children of close relatives who are dead or have abandoned them.
Though the “promiscuous man with a virgin woman” trope is usually not one of my favorites, it works well between Wade and Dana in this novel. Wade is already part of the Sheely family, and the warmth and welcome he receives from his future in-laws adds a fun and reassuring dynamic. Their sensual scenes, like Rachel and Quint’s, focus much more on emotion than on graphic descriptions of body parts, which I greatly appreciate.
This novel was first published in 1997, and while there are a few telltale signs that date the book, such as the absence of internet and cell phones, the story feels surprisingly timeless. The humor arises from character and situation rather than slapstick, and there is a deep well of emotional connection running through the entire book. The writing is deft and confident, and the pacing never lags.
I’ve reread this book many times over the past 28 years and have thoroughly enjoyed it every time. It is a reliable comfort read.
life-is-too-short
November 6, 2012I'm not going to give this a star rating, because I quit reading fairly early on, but it would be fair to say I didn't like what I read.
This book seems to be aiming for "spirited battle of the sexes" as a trope, but unfortunately the characters are so horrible I want them both to lose.
The heroine is (like the hero) a lawyer. Unfortunately, she's presented as a bigoted nitwit who goes off half-cocked at every little thing. When she is notified that a new will was written by a client, she freaks out and goes charging over to the hero's place (because he has the new will and sent her the notification). When he points out he would've thought she would just make an appointment to discuss matters, she resents the implication that her unprofessional behaviour is unprofessional. She's weirdly snobby about the class of people she deals with, and her one sexual experience came at 25, when she "allowed" her long-term boyfriend to have sex with her. Naturally, it didn't meet expectations, so she's been keeping herself sacrosanct since then.
The hero at first seems better, a little warmer in terms of personality. But then after a long scene with his perfectly nice client (a former lap dancer who is the beneficiary of the new will), his secretary makes a comment calling the woman a slut. His response is merely a facetious one:
So, if she weren't paying them buckets of cash, it'd be ok to call her a slut, then. Other instances of slut-shaming (from various parties) go unremarked.
In contrast, the heroine is an ice queen. In fact, she's Lady Antarctica. I know this because a character says it. And then, in case I missed it, the narration a little bit later lets me know that the character called her Lady Antarctica.
When the prose isn't repetitive, it's an info dump. And the info being dumped just reinforces that this is not a book I want to read. According to it, women are either sluts, "freezer queens", flakes, neglectful and selfish moms, or snobs. The only "good" one is the judgmental Sarah, who is presented as great because she's focused on getting married and is a good nanny.
This book is not for me, clearly. I like a world-view that isn't so narrow.
This book seems to be aiming for "spirited battle of the sexes" as a trope, but unfortunately the characters are so horrible I want them both to lose.
The heroine is (like the hero) a lawyer. Unfortunately, she's presented as a bigoted nitwit who goes off half-cocked at every little thing. When she is notified that a new will was written by a client, she freaks out and goes charging over to the hero's place (because he has the new will and sent her the notification). When he points out he would've thought she would just make an appointment to discuss matters, she resents the implication that her unprofessional behaviour is unprofessional. She's weirdly snobby about the class of people she deals with, and her one sexual experience came at 25, when she "allowed" her long-term boyfriend to have sex with her. Naturally, it didn't meet expectations, so she's been keeping herself sacrosanct since then.
The hero at first seems better, a little warmer in terms of personality. But then after a long scene with his perfectly nice client (a former lap dancer who is the beneficiary of the new will), his secretary makes a comment calling the woman a slut. His response is merely a facetious one:
"Sarah, please. Misty is a client," he scolded with mock severity. "Her checks for legal services rendered pay a lot of bills, and included among them is your salary. Now repeat after me - she is the lovely and charming widow of the late Mr. Tilden Senior."
So, if she weren't paying them buckets of cash, it'd be ok to call her a slut, then. Other instances of slut-shaming (from various parties) go unremarked.
In contrast, the heroine is an ice queen. In fact, she's Lady Antarctica. I know this because a character says it. And then, in case I missed it, the narration a little bit later lets me know that the character called her Lady Antarctica.
When the prose isn't repetitive, it's an info dump. And the info being dumped just reinforces that this is not a book I want to read. According to it, women are either sluts, "freezer queens", flakes, neglectful and selfish moms, or snobs. The only "good" one is the judgmental Sarah, who is presented as great because she's focused on getting married and is a good nanny.
This book is not for me, clearly. I like a world-view that isn't so narrow.
November 19, 2010
Cheesy, but fun read overall. No deep thoughts about this one. I just found it in my "old books" pile and thinking about giving it a re-read. I like to revisit romance novels from time to time.
December 27, 2016
I really liked it.
June 20, 2015
Multiple romances in small town.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews