I really wanted to like this. The premise was promising - spouses/partners on opposite sides of political spectrum is very intriguing. And I'm sure it's becoming more and more prevalent. But one of the spouses running for office??? Yes, please! 

It started great, the plot was contemporary and juicy, but at 40% I started to lose interest. It felt like the characters were revisiting the same thoughts and judgements over and over again. As the reader you kinda knew where you were headed, but the story was dragging itself to the finish line.

The characters felt like who they needed be to push the plot, as in the plot was the overall goal, and not the character development. Which is great for some books, but the whole point of this book is to challenge the reader to be thoughtful of their own principles and values, and how it impacts their relationships with others.

Ethan's character in particular was frustrating. We were to believe that he's been a conservative/centralist Democrat his whole life until recently started to embrace MAGA ideals. I understand this happens ('The Quiet Damage', by Jesselyn Cook), but the author doesn't provide any substantive backstory into how this swing happened. But his character needed to be this way to create the tension. Also the idea that skeletons in your closet may impact your political career is so silly!! That doesn't matter anymore!! In fact, it's preferred! All the better to keep towing the MAGA party line.

Anyway, I was underwhelmed. This book was fine. I can see it working in a bookclub setting as it does push the reader to consider controversial and challenging relationship dynamics. You can't help but wonder what you'd do in the same situation.