What We’re Reading in November 2024

**CURRENTLY READING**

*The Boyfriend Candidate*
by Ashley Winstead

It’s election season. In honor of fulfilling our duty as Americans and practicing our right to vote this month, we’re reading a political romance! So get your vote on and tick this read off your list!

Get your copy of The Boyfriend Candidate (Amazon) and read with us.

What Victoria Loved

VICTORIA’S RATING: 4.5/5

I first read this book in the days leading up to our wedding… I was jet-lagged and up bright and early in Scotland, reading this book in bed (and so excited for the countdown to our big weekend). Given that romantic high, I wasn’t sure if I really was swooning over this book, or just overly giddy at the prospect of a lovely weekend. BUT I’m happy to report that upon a second read, this book stands. It’s witty, it’s flirty, it’s satisfying.

Alexis is living my dream — librarian / author. It’s so beautiful to watch her come out of her shell and emerge as a leader. She pushes out of her comfort zone, driven to live up to her role-model (aka her older sister, which I can totally relate to!) to achieve something bigger than herself. And Logan… well, he is my basically my ideal man (aka very much the brunette version of James): an animal lover, environmentalist, rule-abiding, passion-fueled / eager debater. So when you see Logan at the top of my favorite romance heroes, well… that’s why. And then when you mix in their friend group, it’s a cast you’ll wish existed IRL so you could hang-out and thrive alongside their collective powerhouse.

The only thing I would change about this book? I would’ve loved to have dialed up the spice, but is that a surprise? This story was ripe for sneaky around and way more risqué sneaking around between Alexis and Logan. It’s a bit of missed opportunity if you ask me.

Live out The Boyfriend Candidate and vote! Check your registration status and get out there (Vote.org).

What the Book Club Loved

FIREWORKS & STEAM: 3/5
NO STEAMY SCENES UNTIL 92%?! Victoria was lucky that we were rewarded with a great pay-off for reading that far along. This was truly a slow-burn, but it was appropriate for the story. We were thoroughly teased and it kept bringing us back for more — especially when there was a chance of them getting caught. This rating reflects the number of scenes in the book, “but when there were scenes, we enjoyed them. But also more. Thank you.”
WRITING STYLE: 5/5
Ashley might be one of our favorite authors to date! Her writing is so involved, you can tell that she is a mystery writer with the number of storylines she wove into the plot. Despite the short timeframe of the story, it didn’t feel forced or rushed, but it was still fast-paced and steady. It mimicked the energy of a campaign and the jumps in time were strategic, allowing the story to unfold rapidly within 300 pages.
This book needs to become a movie. Ashley wrote in such vivid detail that you could feel the swelling anxiety buzzing off the campaign staff, the crowd’s tidal wave of energy, the camaraderie among the characters. @Netflix — this has your name written all over it!
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5/5
This is our favorite book so far in regards to character development in the plot line as well as the author’s development of the characters. They’re full, robust — and not just the primary characters, but secondary and tertiary as well! She did a fantastic job of bringing them to life in 300 pages through little details (like “Rudy,” Twister and the commercial scene) and their general realness. All these characters were memorable!
“Give me another book on Nora and it better be gay!”
THE LOVE STORY: 4.75/5
We had mixed feelings about this love triangle situation, but we were unanimously team Logan! How do you not root for them from the start with that meet cute? We could’ve done without the miscommunication trope — we’re adults, let’s talk to each other. But also, how can one be so blind?! Who runs across the city to check on someone?! OBVIOUSLY there are feelings there. And when he says things like, “Please just let me keep her,” well, consider us goners.

“I feel like with some romcoms, you get frustrated. I get annoyed with protagonists; they don’t grow on their own, they get “fixed” by the love they receive. There was no point where I felt frustrated. It was just enjoyable — you root for them the whole time. ”

- HANA

If You Loved The Boyfriend Candidate, You’ll Love These

POLITICAL POLYAMORY + BDSM: Governor (Governor Trilogy #1) by Lesli Richardson (Amazon)
Trigger Warning: abusive backstory (and definitely NSFW!). This trilogy goes behind the scenes with a gubernatorial candidate and his lovers — his best friend and his wife (MMF). This high-stakes political friends-to-lovers romance is on the darker side, intense, and full of twists, including power exchange. I think I would rate this higher if I was better prepared for what I had read, so maybe a re-read is in order!
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5
POLITICAL SPOTLIGHT: UK + US ROYALTY: Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (Amazon)
A love so big it can’t be contained to one nation. You’ll laugh, you’ll sigh, you’ll cry. Red White and Royal Blue will take you on a journey of a hesitant friendship that blooms into a heartwarming love.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 5/5
POLITICS, BUT MAKE IT MYTHOLOGICAL AND SEXY: Cruel Seduction (Dark Olympus #5) by Katee Robert (Amazon)
You’ll want to read this series in order (and there’s definitely a lot of political drama ahead of this book), but this is where things start to really amp up on the political dynamics. But let’s be real… if you’re reading this story, the politics is really taking a back seat to the full on spice — you’ll want to
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3/5

A LIBRARIAN FIGHTS FOR HER RIGHT TO EDUCATE: Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti (Amazon)
A Regency romance featuring an underground librarian whose mission is to educate the women of the ton about their bodies and sexuality, who is asked to help a Duke (of radical politics) gain custody of his half-siblings. With everything on the line, they have to figure out how to balance their chemistry and remain proper or risk losing everything in a scandal. It’s unsurprisingly predictable because it’s a historical romance, but it’s cute.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5

A LIBRARIAN AND A FAKE RELATIONSHIP: The Next Best Fling (Librarians in Love #1) by Gabriella Gamez (Amazon)
Sports + books + hidden feelings for other people… and then for each other — what more can one ask for? Well, there’s a wedding, messy family dynamics and simmering chemistry (in the library!!!!).
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3/5

BY THIS AUTHOR: Fool Me Once (Fool Me Once #1) by Ashely Winstead (Amazon)
This is the first book in the series and highlights Lee’s story to her State Senate seat (and her romance with Ben). It’s a stand-alone and can be read out of order, but once you’ve met Lee in The Boyfriend Candidate, I guarantee you’ll want to read more about her — she’s a force to be reckoned with!
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5