Statures of No Limitations

COMING SOON: September 3, 2025

When beautiful Heather meets two fellow female attorneys, one a dwarf and the other morbidly obese, she is shocked to learn they are hidden away at their respective law firms simply because of their looks.

Her yearning for true friendship propels her to concoct a far-fetched plan which her new friends find laughably impossible.

Once they finally agree to partner with her to start their own firm and, in spite of their formidable legal talents, a tsunami of failures sweeps over them. Their desperate struggle against professional failure is fueled by the passion behind their war on bodyism and the inexhaustible nourishment (and abundant humor) their friendship provides.

"We were all in the presence of unconditional love."

Three female lawyers give up their comfortable, though stifling, jobs at prestigious firms to start their own law firm in hopes of being recognized and respected as professionals despite prejudices against their various appearances. One lawyer is an achondroplastic dwarf. Another is obese, and the third is so drop-dead gorgeous she is often assumed to be a Barbie.

This book is about overcoming obstacles. It addresses sexism, weight bias, and related topics, but the author handles these subjects without being overly pedantic. The plot is engaging and wholly entertaining. Helms skillfully handles heavy themes but with a beach read style, engrossing readers with an optimistic story of can-do women. Every chapter has women holding others up and shining a light on them. For example, Danni says to her friend and law partner who feels guilty about her advantages, "You’ve been blessed with a form that guarantees you a certain amount of privilege in our society. But you used your power for the good."

A good book is both entertaining and thought-provoking, and so it is with this one. Readers may often relate to certain scenes. One partner, questioning her friend who just asked someone where they were from, asks, “Do you mean, is he an immigrant?" Asking where someone is from may seem innocently curious, but what some people hear in the question is, "You don't look like us." Readers gently get the hint here without being scolded. Because of the author's mastery of character development, the main characters in the novel are easy to adore. They are bright, funny, kind, and brilliant. Readers are bound to miss these clever ladies after the story ends.

— The U.S. Review of Books

“A cleverly-crafted legal novel with a strong bodyism message. Highly recommended!”

Star Rating: 5

It's always fun to find a novel that's a little bit, well, novel. You know, different. And this is what I discovered here. Statures of No Limitations is the story of a group of women who set up their own law firm. Why? Well, this story is very much an exploration of ‘bodyism’, and the three women have all suffered from being treated differently because of their physical makeup. In this book, one of the characters is a dwarf, another character is obese, and the third is so hot, men can't stop drooling over her – metaphorically, of course! So, they start up a law firm with the intention of doing things very differently.

I must say, I very much enjoyed this novel. The author not only worked hard to explore the way a person is welcomed - or not welcomed - in the workplace depending on how they look, but she's also put together an interesting legal novel as the characters attempt to find work and develop the new company.

Helped along by a character-driven plot and a simple, workmanlike writing style, I suspect many readers will find this a gripping read.

So, can I recommend this book? Totally. Who to? Well, if you enjoy legal dramas, I think you will find this book of interest. It's not plot-driven like the John Grisham books, but the legal terminology seems to be spot on, and the legal work the characters do is interesting. But it is the bodyism aspect of the story which is the big hook; personally, I think any novel which attempts to highlight discrimination in any form for whatever reason should be applauded. There's definitely a place for Statures of No Limitations on my bookshelf.

— A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review

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

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.

— Kirkus Reviews