Score: 4/5 Bookmarks

Steam Rating: 🍆🍆🍆 /5

Thank you to Berkley for gifting me a review copy of Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory. This one comes out on June 23, 2020!

I love a good romance, and this book didn’t disappoint. Olivia Monroe is a lawyer who has just moved from NYC to LA to start her own firm. She is NOT looking for a relationship, but she bumps into Senator Max Powell III in her hotel bar and the sparks start to fly.

This story is sweet and fun, and I liked both characters a lot. In addition to the fun and steamy sections, there are more serious topics touched on in the book too. Olivia volunteers at a local food bank and Max is trying to get his Criminal Justice Reform Bill passed, and is confronted with the damage he’s done to young lives in the past, as a Prosecutor. There are also discussions about how much harder it is for a Black woman to make it in her field, and both her and Max talk about privilege a few times throughout the book too.

I really liked how respectful both characters were to each other, and that they go out of their way to ask for consent and show genuine concern for each other’s feelings and emotions. Olivia and Max’s relationship is not without some challenges though, and I won’t spoil any of the surprises for you, but I loved the two of them together and the book overall.

This book fits into the author’s world of characters (also known as The Wedding Date series)...and I may have drawn myself a little character map to remind myself where everyone fits in together. If you’ve read The Wedding Date you’ll remember Alexa Monroe, who is Olivia’s sister. She also makes an appearance in this book.

In short, if you need a bit of romance in your life right now, definitely pick up a copy for yourself (and you’ll be supporting an indie bookstore if you use the button below).

Synopsis:

A chance meeting with a handsome stranger turns into a whirlwind affair that gets everyone talking.

Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe's mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. But when she meets a gorgeous man at a hotel bar and they spend the entire night flirting, she discovers too late that he is none other than hotshot junior senator Max Powell. Olivia has zero interest in dating a politician, but when a cake arrives at her office with the cutest message, she can't resist--it is chocolate cake, after all.

Olivia is surprised to find that Max is sweet, funny, and noble--not just some privileged white politician she assumed him to be. Because of Max's high-profile job, they start seeing each other secretly, which leads to clandestine dates and silly disguises. But when they finally go public, the intense media scrutiny means people are now digging up her rocky past and criticizing her job, even her suitability as a trophy girlfriend. Olivia knows what she has with Max is something special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight?