Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Review of Statures of No Limitations

In this novel, three lawyers with image problems embark on a risky venture.

When Waukegan, Illinois, defense attorney Heather Hightower first meets her two co-counsels on a fraud case, they’re not what she was expecting. Marnie Ames is a woman of “exceptional heft,” and Danielle Dooley—Danni to her friends—is only 3 feet, 8 inches tall. While both have achieved self-acceptance and are highly accomplished, they’ve also been shunted into lesser roles at their law firms and kept out of courtrooms. For her part, Heather is conventionally hot but is sometimes dismissed as an “‘airhead and a Barbie.” Knowing how fulfilling it is to argue cases in court, Heather is outraged on her new friends’ behalf and proposes a bold plan: start their own law firm. Hightower, Dooley, and Ames, LLC faces struggles; few clients want Marnie and Danni to represent them. Their office manager, the elegant and somewhat mysterious Jeanne Coopersmith, assures them that “joy and harmony will abound in this place,” but the odds don’t seem good. Nevertheless, the three attorneys persevere and slowly turn things around in both their work and romantic lives. Jeanne could be right. In her engaging second novel, Helms draws on her experience as founding partner of a law firm to give the book authenticity and a firm grounding for its warmhearted emotions. An especially well-handled theme is how Heather grapples with her beauty privilege: “How could my two closest friends, who suffer the real trauma of everyday indignities, ever accept me? How could an oppressor ever be a true friend with one who is oppressed?” …Readers will empathize with the vivid characters.

An entertaining, feel-good tale that’s also deeply thoughtful about alliances.

Kirkus Review of Grudge Tiger

A woman and her daughters fight to save their tiger and their zoo following an animal attack in this novel.

The Warrens run a zoo in Southern Illinois where the big draw is their Bengal tiger, Ms. Benni. Carolyn, the family’s matriarch, started the business with her husband, now dead. Marietta, Carolyn’s elder daughter, is a flight attendant in her early 20s; Kenny, her sister, is an accomplished high school student. Kenny has a crush on Dean Alcott, the young man who delivers feed to the zoo—often shirtless—which is what leads her to film him on her phone the day he walks into the tiger enclosure and is mauled by Ms. Benni. As a result, Dean sues Carolyn for $3.8 million, which would certainly finish the Warren Family Zoo. The Warrens are quickly supplied with a lawyer by their insurance company. Jackie Bauer—with Kenny’s aid—wastes no time in discovering that two weeks prior to the attack, Dean kicked at Ms. Benni’s head; that he was spurned by Marietta before he unlocked the animal’s enclosure; and that there are tigers who hold grudges. While the case gets underway, Carolyn worries about the family’s finances; Kenny expands her social circle; and Jackie’s trip to London for a tiger expert’s deposition may lead to more than just pertinent testimony. This story can best be described as wholesome. Helms’ writing style, with accessible but detailed prose, gives the tale an overall feeling of nostalgic comfort, a warmth and simplicity that’s present in animal-centered family movies like Free Willy and Homeward Bound. These traits pop up in much of the dialogue as well, as when Marietta tries to cheer up her sister after it becomes known that Kenny liked to secretly film Dean: “I would’ve been a jerk about it—especially because I’d have been secretly jealous of your good grades.” This simplicity is a strength and is partly what makes the story enjoyable. Another high point is the trial, particularly when Dr. Nigel Lucas, the English tiger expert, delivers passionate, clever testimony….

A charming tale about a loving family and their beloved tiger.

Kirkus Review of The Toronto Embryo

A 16-year-old girl weighs her options after a surprise pregnancy hits in this YA novel.

In January 2020, Eve Geraghty flies from her home in Chicago to spend her winter break in the Dominican Republic, where she’s volunteering at an orphanage for a church mission. One of her fellow volunteers in Adam, a tall, brown-haired 18-year-old from Cologne, Germany. Eve feels lucky when she’s assigned to work with him; besides his good looks, she likes Adam’s hearty laugh, his natural ease with the kids, and his altruistic commitment. When he invites her to stargaze with him, she gladly accepts, enjoying their conversations about constellations and mythology. They become close, and, finally, have a sweet sexual encounter, Eve’s first. When she returns home, she discovers that even though they used a condom, she’s pregnant. She’s torn about what to do, especially because her parents have opposing views: Her mother is a “pro-life feminist” and her father is an abortion-rights advocate. Diligently researching the best arguments on both sides of the issue, Eve is still undecided. Then she learns of an experimental procedure that could give her the best of both worlds—but it’s not without risks. In her novel, Helms uses Eve’s analysis of her situation to skillfully educate readers about such matters as conception, pregnancy, and abortion….

A thoughtful…tale about the abortion debate.