Academic

Lately I've been reading foreign mysteries - I totally get why The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was the second best selling novel in the world last year, and the latest Boris Akunin was pretty good.  But lawyer novels set in real life are also an interest.  That often leads to what you might call chick lit.  Jill Davis?s Ask Again Later fits the bill: work is at a law firm, father is a lawyer, as is protagonist.  I can relate to that.  But in between bursts of witty dialogue is a plot that kinda meanders around prosaic family and therapist issues and that features an utterly unconvincing breakup with a lovely boyfriend at the beginning.  Of course, they get back together at the end, the way they did in Julie Buxbaum?s novel on the same sort of subject (lawyer, unconvincing early breakup, therapist, &c).  I sense a trend.  Maybe these authors want to think about a what if: what if I chucked my generally nice guy?  But I say boo to it.  There?s no drama ? the only question is whether after the older and wiser reunion there will be a chapter on the new baby.  And the random early breakup makes it hard to understand the main character.  While real, flawed protagonists are fine, overcoming pointlessly self-inflicted wounds is less fun to read about than, you know, making one?s way in the outside world.