4 stars I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. With a name like Madame President, you might expect it to be overtly political, but it is not. In fact, the author goes to the effort of describing President Anna Elizabeth Fitzpatrick as an Independent candidate who, unbelievably, receives over 50% of the popular vote. She is, naturally, the exact kind of leader we need because she is intelligent, compassionate, thoughtful, confident, and driven by a desire to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, she is also the kind of leader we will rebuff, and I don’t think I’m saying anything too controversial when I blame it on misogyny. Although, the fact that she was single may have been a point in her favor, since she didn’t have to deal with her opponents and the media blaming her for her husband’s behavior. This is a second-chance love story and the President’s love interest is Navin Hazar, the “one who got away” while they were in law school at Harvard. From the outset, it’s unlikely the two of them can find a workaround for a relationship because he works for a major news network. That automatically makes him a potential enemy and undermines trust. On top of that, there’s a mole in the administration, who is never actually identified (which I found disappointing). Navin has the utmost respect for Anna and cautions (in his thoughts): “But never forget that she is dangerous and can cut you into shreds while being so charming, you won’t know you’re bleeding until she’s gone.” Anna’ best friend is very concerned about how Anna will be able to date, asking her, “How are you going to have sex while in office?” When Anna says she wasn’t planning on having any, her friend is aghast, asking, “For four years?” Anna’s response is priceless, “Eight if I’m lucky.” One of my favorite scenes from the book is the one in which Navin is preparing to interview Anna before the camera crew. When he asks if she’s ready, she says, “As much as I could be prepared to be drilled by you.” She is unaware of the double-entendre until he responds by sucking in a breath, shifting uncomfortable in his chair, and muttering, “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” Not to be outdone, he responds in kind during the interview, thanking her for taking the time for the interview and telling her, “I know it’s hard for you,” placing emphasis on the last three words. One of the things that made Anna so relatable from the beginning was her admission that she never intended to run for office and said “no sane person ever ran for political office.” Never say never, as they say. After stewing on it for a while, she realized that she could never make the kinds of changes she desired without expanding her platform. It’s one thing to fight for clients and their rights under the law; it’s another to have a direct effect on the law, to actually shape it. Her philosophy is an admirable one: “There’s a place for each of us at the table, but we must all move a bit closer to the middle to ensure everyone gets a seat.” I liked the book, which, in addition to being a contemporary romance, might alternately be classified as a fantasy. There are many reasons I say that. For one, it’s hard for me to imagine a reality in which Americans set aside their differences and overwhelmingly vote for a woman, especially one who is strong, confident, and doesn’t hesitate to point out corruption where she sees it. Once she’s in office, she manages to convince “both sides” to work together for the American people. Ha. The other part that’s inspiring, while at the same time barely believable, is the idea that anyone would set aside their own personal happiness for the greater good. Lately, I’ve become a bit cynical. I want to believe in this kind of a scenario, but for now, I’ll have to rely on fiction to paint the picture. January 4, 2021
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