Pride and Precedents by Katherine E. Webb

Henry Park is a no-nonsense divorce attorney at Bannister, Banks, Smith and Park or BBS&P for short. Henry lives his life strictly by the rules and doesn’t get personal with his staff or coworkers. However, Camila Sanchez, his paralegal, is the opposite. She’s warm, caring, and personal. She always making small talk, asking about his day or his weekend, but she’s also one of the best paralegals in the firm. She’s his right hand. So, it shouldn’t have been such a surprise when he found himself making out with her at a bar one night. But now things are complicated, and with an old flame signed as his client, can Henry still keep it professional and be with Camila? Or will the pressure of it all tear everything he’s work for apart?

I really did like this story. I couldn’t put it down until the ending, when it felt cliché and that the story was just trying to wrap things up without following through on the character development. Plus, I felt the prologue and the epilogue weren’t necessary for the story. But that’s a small thing.

I liked the chemistry between these two. Henry and Camila don’t start off at the bat having an attraction to one another. Henry is very much focused on work and because Camila dresses like a frump, his attraction doesn’t come until after the kiss and her change of clothes. That feels realistic because men fall through sight first, then personality. Also, Henry and Camila have worked together for over six years, so they know each other well enough that this attraction doesn’t come out of the blue like some office romances.

However, Henry’s refusal to be open about their relationship at work was troubling. As a lawyer, he should know that there would be consequences for office relationships if not shared with the employer. And for him to break his strict “no office relationships” rule but not tell the firm about, it felt like Henry was playing with Camila’s emotions. It made Henry come across as childish and that seemed out of character for him.

And Camila came across as childish in her own way. She liked him but refused to flat out ask him if he felt the same and if he would take their relationship into the open. They’re both adults and it felt like they were both too scared to say how they were feeling.

Writing wise, the pacing of the story is good. Time doesn’t pass too quickly, leaping months between chapters without letting the reader see the characters fall for one another. Also, there is enough inner monologue from both Henry and Camila to help understand the two whether they are together or apart.

Pride and Precedents is a 3 out of 5 stars.