Book review: The Boyfriend Candidate

I was intrigued to read a rom-com book written by one of my favorite thriller authors, Ashley Winstead. She wrote THE LAST HOUSEWIFE. That book left me reeling, I couldn’t imagine how she could write a rom-com. This book is also a political romance trope, I always find those fun to read as long it’s not too political… this one was just perfect!

Synopsis:

As a shy school librarian, Alexis Stone is comfortable keeping out of the spotlight. But when she’s dumped for being too meek—in bed!—she decides she needs to change. And what better way to kick-start her new more adventurous life than with her first one-night stand?

Enter Logan, the gorgeous, foul-mouthed stranger she meets at a hotel bar. Audacious and filterless, Logan is Alexis’s opposite—and boy, do opposites attract! Just as she’s about to fulfill her hookup wish, the hotel catches fire in a freak lightning storm. In their rush to escape, Logan is discovered carrying her into the street, where people are waiting with cameras. Cameras Logan promptly—and shockingly—flees.

Alexis is bewildered until suddenly pictures of her and Logan escaping the fire are all over the internet. Turns out Logan is none other than Logan Arthur, the hotshot candidate challenging the Texas governor’s seat. The salacious scandal is poised to sink his career—and jeopardize Alexis’s job—until a solution is proposed: he and Alexis could pretend to be in a relationship until election day…in two months. What could possibly go wrong?

Review:

I’m in disbelief that the author of THE LAST HOUSEWIFE wrote this rom-com! This book, THE BOYFRIEND CANDIDATE coming out on May 9th, is one of my favorite reads of 2023. I loved all of the humor, banter, the friendship development, and the slow burning romance. The characters Alexis and Logan felt real because of all their flaws. These two encouraged each other to achieve their goals while learning about themselves individually. I appreciated how the topics of librarians, school budgets and book bans were discussed in the book. All of these elements gave the book a very realistic feel, but it is fun because of the chemistry and sparks flying! I devoured this book in one sitting and Logan Arthur… whew! I officially will read everything by Ashley Winstead, she is a talented author!

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing/Graydon House and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.