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A review by thebakersbooks
Pursuit of Happiness by Carsen Taite
4.0
*I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
3.5/5 stars
In this high-powered romance, defense attorney Stevie Palmer meets Senator Meredith Mitchell as the latter is considering a presidential bid. While the pair experience immediate mutual attraction, each is forced to decide whether it's worth pursuing a relationship in the face of her busy professional life.
Pursuit of Happiness provided a welcome dose of political wish fulfillment featuring 'will they or won't they' romantic tension between two career-driven women. It's my first Carsen Taite novel, and her legal expertise shines in the sections told from Stevie's point of view.
Although this is billed as a love story, the political plot takes center stage. I appreciated that Stevie and Meredith were portrayed as adults who were willing to spend time considering the potential ramifications of entering a relationship rather than diving in immediately. However, I would've liked to see the chemistry between them developed further--they're constantly thinking about each other, but the romantic tension feels stated rather than shown in a few places.
In part, the limited chemistry between the characters may be a result of failure to develop strong character voices. While most of the dialogue between the main characters is the rapid-fire result of two strong personalities learning how to fit together, their internal voices fall flat. For this reason, it ends up appearing that Stevie and Meredith are trying to force a relationship based on physical attraction despite how much it's inconveniencing them.("Could she handle this kind of pressure and the affect [sic] it would have on her own life? If it meant having more nights with Meredith like the one they'd shared last night, she was willing to try.")
I rated this book 3.5/5 stars but was happy to round up to 4 because the premise was strong even if the execution didn't quite land. This was a quick, straightforward read with an ending that was happy within the bounds of realism; I'd recommend it to anyone who wants political and/or legal drama with plenty of lesbian characters in main and supporting roles.
3.5/5 stars
In this high-powered romance, defense attorney Stevie Palmer meets Senator Meredith Mitchell as the latter is considering a presidential bid. While the pair experience immediate mutual attraction, each is forced to decide whether it's worth pursuing a relationship in the face of her busy professional life.
Pursuit of Happiness provided a welcome dose of political wish fulfillment featuring 'will they or won't they' romantic tension between two career-driven women. It's my first Carsen Taite novel, and her legal expertise shines in the sections told from Stevie's point of view.
Although this is billed as a love story, the political plot takes center stage. I appreciated that Stevie and Meredith were portrayed as adults who were willing to spend time considering the potential ramifications of entering a relationship rather than diving in immediately. However, I would've liked to see the chemistry between them developed further--they're constantly thinking about each other, but the romantic tension feels stated rather than shown in a few places.
In part, the limited chemistry between the characters may be a result of failure to develop strong character voices. While most of the dialogue between the main characters is the rapid-fire result of two strong personalities learning how to fit together, their internal voices fall flat. For this reason, it ends up appearing that Stevie and Meredith are trying to force a relationship based on physical attraction despite how much it's inconveniencing them.
I rated this book 3.5/5 stars but was happy to round up to 4 because the premise was strong even if the execution didn't quite land. This was a quick, straightforward read with an ending that was happy within the bounds of realism; I'd recommend it to anyone who wants political and/or legal drama with plenty of lesbian characters in main and supporting roles.