Visual Novel / Laws of Attraction (Pixelberry)

Quinn Michaels and Gabe Ricci

Laws of Attraction is one of the many books released under Pixelberry's Choices: Stories You Play collection.

As a new hire at a major law firm, a young lawyer will face new challenges involving stakes higher than they can possibly imagine. Book 1 was released from April 2021 to August 2021. Book 2 began releasing on September 30, 2022. The series ended on January 13, 2023.

Not to be confused with the 2004 film Laws of Attraction.

Laws of Attraction includes examples of:

• Always Second Best: A diamond-paying Quinn who makes the right choices will always be on top, while Martin languishes in second place at best. By Chapter 16, the final ranking shows Martin is still at number two.
• Big Bad Ensemble: Book 2 has Martin Vanderweil, the dictatorial senior partner of McGraw Byrne, and Calvin Colby, Martin's client, New York mayoral frontrunner and a Corrupt Politician who kidnaps rich elders under the guise of conservatorship in order to steal their assets.
• The Big Damn Kiss: In a premium scene in Chapter 11, if Quinn has been romantic with Gabe from the start of the book, they can finally have their first kiss with him.
• Big Fancy House: Chapter 6 has the team going to the Rothswell mansion. It's large enough to have an indoor pool with a dolphin^note Specifically a bottlenose dolphin. in it, a ballroom, and a bowling alley.
  • Sadie’s lakeside mansion in upstate New York also qualifies, being big enough that none of the eight people staying there at the time has to share a bedroom, and fancy enough that even partners in a top-tier Manhattan law firm covet an invite.
• Bookends: Chapter 3 has the team celebrating the class-action suit at the Brass Monkey. Chapter 16 has the team return there to celebrate after clearing Marcus of Aliana's murder.
• Bookworm: In Chapter 10, if you go with Gigi to the bookstore, she's upset that she's read just about every book in the store. She loves books, but hates rereading, which she calls her gift and curse. She finds a book called "The Stars are Watching" by Bjorn Halfodsson, who wrote that the the stars are the eyes of a cosmic horror. Quinn is more shocked at the price, thinking it was the year it was written. You get relation points with her for buying it.
• The Cameo: In Book 2 Chapter 13, a trip to the art museum allows you to buy a painting of Lord Pompadour.
• Campfire Character Exploration: Book 1, Chapter 8 has the team chatting over a campfire making s'mores and sharing stories. Quinn can say they prefer civilized camping (working electricity and Wi-Fi) or rustic camping (basic supplies and whatever you brought).
• Con Man:
  • Book 1, Chapter 7 reveals that Joey, Lydia's boyfriend, had wooed and married millionaire heiresses before, with Lydia being his latest victim.
  • Book 2 has Calvin Colby, one of the Big Bads of the book, who kidnaps rich elders under the guise of conservatorship in order to steal their assets.
• Content Warnings:
  • Book 1 Chapter 14 opens with a warning, stating that the chapter contains a scene involving gun violence.
  • Book 2 Chapter 12 and 13 open up with a warning, stating that the chapters contains references to suicide.
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: Both books have this as (one of the) Big Bads:
  • In Book 1, there's Peter Koenig, a greedy and selfish businessman with no regard for the environment and is willing to commit crimes (including murder) to stop anyone who threatens his business (similar to Warner Rafferty).
  • In Book 2, Martin Vanderweil is this of the law firm partner variety. He's an Amoral Attorney who only cares about rich and powerful clients and only wants to accept those with shining academic records into the firm, preferably Ivy Leaguers.
• Darkest Hour: The end of Book 1, Chapter 14. Just when it seems that Quinn, Gabe, and Aislinn have the evidence to take down Aliana's real killer, a masked man bursts into the office, shoots at Quinn, and escapes with the evidence. Then, Sadie announces she's dropping the case, meaning that the killer will likely go free.
• Dating What Daddy Hates: Lydia Rothswell is a teenage heiress who acts out against her father in several ways, including dating a shady man in his twenties.
• Detectives Follow Footprints: Although they are lawyers, the team did an excellent job of gathering evidence to find Aliana's killer.
• Domestic Abuse: Book 1, Chapter 6 shows Philip Rothswell believes his daughter Lydia's boyfriend, Joey, is emotionally abusive by talking down to her, but she's too young to understand.
• End of an Era: This is the last series to have its first book released for everyone before the new VIP plan began, which saw the first book of every new series go through a VIP phase before being released publicly about 2 months later.
• Enigmatic Minion: Joaquin to Martin. He ultimately serves as The Mole to Quinn and co and defects to their side in Book 2, Chapter 16.
• Epic Fail: In Book 1, Chapter 5, if you declare yourself today's winner in moot court, the paralegals talk about another lawyer who said the same thing.
  Ilona: Last time I saw someone that confident about moot court was seven years ago.
  Jamie: Oooh... Richard Whistler... Most epic crash and burn in firm history.
• Ethical Slut: As in most Choices stories, Quinn can be this if they choose to with no penalty. Ironically so if the player is pursuing Gabe as their main love interest, since he says that one of the things he’s looking for in a long-term relationship is 100% from his partner. The player can continue to take every opportunity to make love other individuals, and it will never come up as far as Gabe is concerned.
• Fake Relationship: A premium scene with Marcus in Chapter 10 reveals his "perfect couple" relationship with Aliana was a PR façade. The two had broken up a year ago but kept up appearances for their careers. They realized they were Better as Friends.
• Faking the Dead: In Book 1, Chapter 10, a paparazzo asks Marcus if he faked Aliana's death.
• Firemen Are Hot: Tyler, who first appears in Chapter 5.
• Flyover Country: Chapter 14 has the team go to Oklahoma to speak to Alejandro Velasquez, Aliana's brother.
• Fish out of Water: Lina Reyes is the only lawyer hired by Ricci & Associates who did not work for McGraw Byrne, different from your colleagues.
• Foreshadowing: There are subtle hints that Sadie is in cahoots with Koenig, such as her giving up on Koenig's lawsuit rather easily and her suggestions on handling the Sharpe investigation.
• Frivolous Lawsuit: Book 2, Chapter 1 has Quinn assigned to a case where a man is suing his wife because he thinks their baby is ugly. The wife argues he's been looking for an excuse to divorce her so he doesn't have to pay the prenuptial agreement.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Quinn Michaels starts the game as a small town lawyer from “Podunk, Nowhere.” By the end of Book 1, they are instrumental in winning a major corporate class-action suit (and getting the CEO sent to prison for murder). By the end of book 2, they are the lead prosecutor on a racketeering case involving a mayoral candidate and helped establish their own firm in Manhattan.
• Gold Digger: Joey Swift charms and manipulates heiresses into marrying him so he can divorce them and get their assets.
• Have We Met?: One of the choices to ask during Quinn's first meeting with Gabe is this.
• Hello, Attorney!: Quinn Michaels, Gabe Ricci, Aislinn Tanaka and Lina Reyes.
  • As of Book 2, Joaquin Morales and Gigi Sinclair.
  • Notably averted with Beau McGraw. Most likely because you can sleep with his aunt, Sadie.
• Hello, [Insert Name Here]: As always, you can name your character whatever you wish. The default name in this case is Quinn Michaels.
• History Repeats:
  • In Book 1, senior partner Lev Abelman retires abruptly, a new hire shakes up the firm (Quinn Michaels), and by the end of the book, the powerful and respected Sadie McGraw is publicly humiliated by the efforts of scrappy do-gooders.
  • In Book 2, a new hire shakes up the firm (Joaquin Morales), senior partner Gabriel Ricci resigns abruptly, and by the end of the book, the powerful and respected Martin Vanderweil is publicly humiliated by the efforts of scrappy do-gooders.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Martin proves to be the author of his own undoing after he becomes senior partner and makes his vendetta against Quinn too obvious. Both clients and attorneys leave the firm in droves throughout the course of the book and Quinn ultimately demolishes Martin in court.
• Hollywood New England: Book 1, Chapter 8 has the team go to a conference in Boston, but first head to a ziplining team-building exercise in Massachusetts.
• Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Each chapter is named after legal terms.
• I Need a Freaking Drink:
  • In Book 1 Chapter 2, the party spends hours looking over legal depositions until they agree they need a drink or two to take a break.
  • In Book 2 Chapter 1, after the first meeting with George and Lurleen Armstrong, your partner on the case (Gigi or Beau) decides they need a drink after work at the Brass Monkey.
• The Jailbait Wait: Played with. Since the age of consent in New York is 17, the relationship between 17-year-old Lydia and 23-year-old Joey is perfectly legal. However, Joey waits for the minute Lydia turns 18. Because she was born in Hawaii, she wasn't actually 18 at the time of marriage and the union is annulled.
• Law Procedural: What this series is about, even starting with Quinn's first case being a property dispute. Even further, one of Quinn's personality traits is going for perfection of law, titled "Pure Law"
• Made of Incendium: Koenig's water treatment of Sweetbrook is so bad (besides getting people sick), it can be lit on fire from the tap that it's become an in-universe meme.
• Meaningful Name: Lucy McReady seems... ready for action, which is why she's considered the "better" first employee, requiring 18 diamonds to recruit, while the free choice, Daniel Fong, "has some growing to do", according to Gabe.
  • Beauregard (literally, “good-looking”) McGraw.
• Mister Muffykins:
  • In Book 1, Chapter 6, while touring the Rothswell mansion, one of the things that can be observed is a painting of a Pomeranian. It's called Mr. Wellsey Rothswell II. He has descendants, with the current one being Wells XVII.
  • After her death, Aliana Velasquez left behind dogs named Gucci and Creme Brulee.
  • Bernard Coombes, a multi-billionaire Quinn meets in Book 2, has pugs named François and… Princess Fluffybottom.
• The Mole: Joaquin Morales comes to be this for Quinn after Quinn leaves McGraw Byrne. His reason for this? He knows Martin from law school and despises him. He’s only at McGraw Byrne for the substantial paycheck. By the end of the book, even that’s not enough to keep him there, and he comes to work for Gabe.
• Noodle Incident:
  • During Book 1 Chapter 8, Sadie goes into a story about Farnham in Family Law during the last retreat who got drunk, had a Necktie Headband and was shouting Madonna lyrics. Talking to Gabe reveals mini-pizzas were involved.
  • During Book 2 Chapter 10, a premium scene has Sadie call up Eli to get him to allow Aislinn visitation rights to her grandmother's nursing home, threatening to tell Quinn about Eli's trip to Cabo. Eli asks if she brought up the cabana.
• Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: Quinn describes their last firm as this, being a big fish in a small pond.
• Not What I Signed Up For: In Book 1, Chapter 15, Martin quits the Aliana Velazquez murder case after the law firm is shot up by a gunman who wanted to steal the evidence.
  Martin: I'm a lawyer, not an action star. I didn't sign up to get shot at. The firm should drop the case, but either way, I'm out.
• Real Life Writes the Plot: An in-universe example happens with the Show Within a Show, Varsity Murders, after Aliana Velasquez's murder, forcing the writers to rewrite the show.
• Sand In My Eyes: In Chapter 5, if you win moot court, Sadie gives the team a So Proud of You speech which includes her nephew Beau, which he plays off like it's allergies.
  Beau: Whatever. My allergies flare when I'm tired.
• Scotireland: In Book 2, Chapter 6, when Quinn and Aislinn question the hospital orderlies who took the latter's grandmother to the nursing home where she was placed under conservatorship, they mistake her nationality, saying she is Scottish while Aislinn says she's Irish, but they don't seem to care.
• Sequel Hook: Book 1 ends with Martin revealing he bought the senior partnership left by Sadie, and that he’ll be making big changes to the firm.
• Shout-Out:
  • In a premium choice in Book 1, Chapter 7, while looking at wedding themes with Gabe, one of them is for Blades of Light & Shadow, which is treated as a Show Within a Show. Alvin the Elvis Impersonator gives Quinn a Cool Sword to pose with for their fake wedding.
  • In Book 2, Chapter 2, Gigi brings up the Free Aria movement, which is a reference to the Free Britney movement, and also foreshadows the conservatorship scheme, which the main plot of the book is about.
• Start My Own: At the end of Book 2, Chapter 4, Quinn, Aislinn, and Gabe leave McGraw Byrne to start their own firm, sick of Martin's manipulative ways.
• Story Branch Favoritism: Book 1 favors the "Little Guy" route, as there are more options for that route than the "Anti-Bully" or "Pure Law" routes. However, if you didn't play Book 1, Book 2 assumes you went down the "Anti-Bully" route.
• This Is a Competition: Beau takes credit for finding the information that proves Lydia and Joey's marriage was not legal and shows no remorse when he's called out.
• Viva Las Vegas!: Book 1, Chapter 7 involves the team going to Las Vegas after Lydia Rothswell gets married to Joey, hoping to find a way to annul the marriage.
• Wacky Fratboy Hijinx: Talking to Beau in Chapter 2 has Gigi reveal during his time at Cornell, he was part of the "One-L Bacchanalia." He gets flustered that she even heard about it, since it wasn't public information.
• Water Source Tampering: Book 1, Chapter 2's case is a class action lawsuit against Koenig Chemical in Nebraska. The whiteboard in the chapter shows that people and animals in Sweetbrook are sick at best or dead at worst.