Heather’s Bookshelf: Class Action
Author: Gail Ward Olmsted
Released: 12/11/25
Genre: Legal Thriller
“All of this drama left me no doubt whatsoever: My life was indeed a cheesy daytime soap opera. I took a long sip of my coffee and groaned as I heard the professor’s announcement. Pop quiz on this past weekend’s reading. Terrific, just what I needed.”
“Class Action” follows law student Lennon Gallagher as she struggles with the challenges of her life and the last year of law school.
Lennon had a challenging childhood. She never knew her father or even who he was and her mother was in and out of jail on various charges, often related to drug use. In and out of foster care, Lennon is represented by Miranda Quinn, a friend of her mothers who takes her under her wing.
Lennon hopes to pass the bar and pursue a specialty in family law to help children avoid her experiences in the foster care system. She interns at a local firm, joins a study group and spends every available minute studying. Her study group starts out as promising, but soon reveals lines she’s not willing to cross. Her internship introduces Lennon to a man that may have more connections than just a client as well. All the time away increases the space wedged between her and her boyfriend, Seth. But not all change is a bad thing…
Will Lennon get the answers she seeks, figure out who she can trust, and keep her dreams on track?
Trigger Warning: violence, sexual situations, reference to drug and alcohol use/abuse, adult language
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The tale is told through the POV of the main protagonist, Lennon. Lennon’s an intriguing and multifaceted character with a complex family history. She’s been adopted into a family led by Miranda Quinn, the main character in a series written by the same author. So, this is actually a spin-off, but it didn’t feel like it. I have read and reviewed stories from the main series, but this review was completed as a standalone and could absolutely be read as such. The tone of the story, though it contains some darker themes, is on the lighter side from the way Lennon thinks and relates information. Her past experience leaves her a bit pessimistic and sarcastic with a penchant for swearing. The author does a great job in developing Lennon’s character as well as many of the ancillary characters- including her relationship with “Randi”, Mark, and Nick. Everything feels organic and develops at a natural pace. However, I found the beginning of the tale to move at a much slower pace than the second half of the book. The story also does not focus a lot on law for a “legal thriller”. There’s no investigation or court scenes and the legal aspects are more related to education and deposition. The ending wrapped everything up in a way that felt complete and resolved. I could see some of these characters making another appearance down the road.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A legal thriller more focused on the complicated protagonist than the law. A spin-off from a main series that feels like a stand-alone.
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Check out my interview with Gail Ward Olmsted
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