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A review by brandypainter
Party Lines by Emma Barry
5.0
Love!!!!
Do you know how difficult it is to write two protagonists who are in direct opposition to each other and still make them both relatable and work as a romantic pairing? It's so hard that there aren't a whole lot of people who even attempt it. Emma Barry pulls it off and does it incredibly well. There is banter. There is lust. There is a crazy affair that's impractical for so many reasons. Because this takes place over the course of an entire election season from the Iowa caucus to the Presidential election, it spans a lot more time than most romances do. I loved that this gave Michael and Lydia more time for their relationship to develop even though they weren't face to face for much of it. There were emails, texts, and phone calls. I felt like they really truly knew each other by the end of the book, which made the struggle for both of them to decide what they wanted and what they were willing to compromise on that more real.
I really like Michael. I like that he knows what he wants and is willing to try for it, but he also knows how and when to back off. How to respect a woman's responses. His cynicism about politics and the system is tinged with enough humor that he doesn't seem like a typical jaded hero. His final confrontation with his candidate is one of the funniest scenes I've read in quite some time.
And then there is Lydia who I LOVE. I lover her ambition, ruthlessness, drive, vulnerability, and prickliness. I love how hard she tries and how she keeps pushing. She is not nearly as cynical as Michael, but neither is she a wide-eyed idealist. She sees the realities of her candidate and the system, but is still willing to work within that system and push hard to achieve what she desires. My one small small quibble with the book is that I wanted more time in Lydia's head, more time with her in general, just because I loved her so much.
Sexy, smart, with great dialogue, and plenty of humor, this is the perfect end to a wonderful series in every way.
(I want more.)
Do you know how difficult it is to write two protagonists who are in direct opposition to each other and still make them both relatable and work as a romantic pairing? It's so hard that there aren't a whole lot of people who even attempt it. Emma Barry pulls it off and does it incredibly well. There is banter. There is lust. There is a crazy affair that's impractical for so many reasons. Because this takes place over the course of an entire election season from the Iowa caucus to the Presidential election, it spans a lot more time than most romances do. I loved that this gave Michael and Lydia more time for their relationship to develop even though they weren't face to face for much of it. There were emails, texts, and phone calls. I felt like they really truly knew each other by the end of the book, which made the struggle for both of them to decide what they wanted and what they were willing to compromise on that more real.
I really like Michael. I like that he knows what he wants and is willing to try for it, but he also knows how and when to back off. How to respect a woman's responses. His cynicism about politics and the system is tinged with enough humor that he doesn't seem like a typical jaded hero. His final confrontation with his candidate is one of the funniest scenes I've read in quite some time.
And then there is Lydia who I LOVE. I lover her ambition, ruthlessness, drive, vulnerability, and prickliness. I love how hard she tries and how she keeps pushing. She is not nearly as cynical as Michael, but neither is she a wide-eyed idealist. She sees the realities of her candidate and the system, but is still willing to work within that system and push hard to achieve what she desires. My one small small quibble with the book is that I wanted more time in Lydia's head, more time with her in general, just because I loved her so much.
Sexy, smart, with great dialogue, and plenty of humor, this is the perfect end to a wonderful series in every way.
(I want more.)