Laura’s Review of Off the Record (Record, #1) by K.A. Linde

If you read and enjoyed Rock My Bed (Black Falcon, #2) by Michelle A. Valentine, Beauty From Pain (Beauty, #1) by Georgia Cates, and Beautiful Stranger (Beautiful Bastard, #2) by Christina Lauren then you will LOVE this book!!

Basic Summary

              Liz Dougherty has no idea a single question is about to change her life.  Her first big reporting assignment for her North Carolina college newspaper has her covering a state senator’s impromptu press conference.  Brady Maxwell may have everything it takes to be a politician—a winning pedigree, devastating good looks, a body made to wear suits—but his politics rub Liza the wrong way.  When Liza’s hard-hitting question catches the upstart senator off-guard, it impresses Hayden Lane, Liz’s editor who feels she’s headed for a promising career as a reporter.

          But Liz is also headed into a secret romance with Brady that could destroy both their ambitions.  Though he’s a bachelor, potential voters might frown on Brady cozying up to a reporter.  And Liz isn't sure sneaking around is enough for her –especially when things between her and Hayden might be less platonic than she thought.

          Sleek, sexy, and smart, Off the Record ventures into high-stakes campaign and an even higher-stakes affair to answer the question:  When politics and love collide, can there ever be a winner?

First Impressions

Brady

                I was so excited to start reading this freaking book!  I love K.A. Linde and I majored in political science as an undergrad in college so this book was right up my alley.  It’s also probably the first love story I've read that involves politics and politicians which separates this book from the rest.

          The chemistry between Liz and Brady is purely electric and I am loving every second of it!  I’m probably about 23% of the way through and it has already gotten hot and heavy.  Thank you very much for that Ms. Linde!  I really liked Liz so far, she’s pretty down to earth and her characteristics don’t seem exaggerated to me which is what I find with a lot of female characters.  Sometimes female leads are written to represent an extreme not a real human but I feel like Liz could actually have been someone I went to college with.   Brady at first comes off as way too arrogant for me and I hesitated a little wondering if this was a man I could really get into.  Right now he doesn't completely have my vote but he’s definitely got me interested!!!

What I Loved

Liz

             What isn't there to love is the real question?  This book is awesome, I’m actually mad at myself for reading so fast because now I’m done and now I have to wait for the second one to come out.  Like I said before I was a political science major in college and have always loved the political process and it was so great to finally read a romance book that involved politics!!!!  I could not have asked for anything better.  I know the blurb about K.A. Linde said she went to the University of Georgia, but damn the massive amounts of detail about UNC in this book had me convinced she was not only an undergrad there but was an avid alumni as well!!  I loved that there was so much detail about the campus and what life is like there during the school year and during the summer.  I recently went back to college and got my degree and although I just left about a year ago I miss college life already.  K.A. Linde really captured the general feel of how many students feel about politics, and I like that she was able to point out how even on a college level the voting process and political issues should be important. 

Hayden

          This book had me so freaking anxious, when Liz was getting nervous I got nervous.  When she was getting antsy I got antsy as well.  I could not put this book down; seriously I was up till 2:30 in the morning yesterday needing to read more!  There are so many elements in play in this book; so much is at stake for both of these characters it just keeps you wanting more.    I was very happy that as the female lead in this book at a certain point realized the power she had in her relationship and that at the end of the day it wasn't just him that had to make decisions about the future, it was her too.  That was so important to me to finally get to that in this book because I was beginning to lose faith in her in this book, I knew at a certain point this revelation would come but I kind of thought that she wouldn't realize this till the second or third book (depending how long this series will be). 

          This book had a great balance of drama, sex, love, and normalcy.  You get to see what Liz’s life is like without Brady around all the time, versus what her life is like when he is there.  I love Liz as the protagonist because she isn't the helpless damsel in distress woman trying to find her way in the world.  Liz knows what she wants, she has a plan and she goes for it.  She’s smart, she’s poised, and she’s organized, and has everything going for her.  Brady is such a great counterpart for her because he is probably just as poised and aggressive as she is just in a different field, his entire life he has wanted to be in politics and only at twenty-seven he is achieving his goals one by one.  The chemistry between them pours off the pages and I couldn't wait for the scenes when they would be together once again and I am counting down the minutes till book two. 

Not So Much

Calleigh

            I really don’t have a lot bad things to say about this book.  At certain times I felt like maybe it was a little slow but it didn't really bother me or bore me.  I did kind of get annoyed with Brady at a lot of parts for obvious reasons but I think at a certain point I wanted to see that he not only wanted Liz by his side but would make her feel like she was worthy to be there.  I understand why a politician wouldn't want his relationship in the spotlight especially during a campaign but to me at no point in the book did he make me feel like Liz would be worthy of being his partner.  He just kept on saying it wasn't ideal, never did he say though but if you weren't in college and a reporter then I would have a public relationship with you.  The ending where it went to his point of view kind of cleared that up for me, but he still didn't come off as being proud to have her by his side on stage, he said he wanted here there but never did he say she should be there.  He didn't even introduce her to his family and to me she did seem like a mistress that was hidden away from even his immediate family.  If he had made her feel worthy as a partner then I wouldn't have minded him hiding her away but he didn't do that.  I’m hoping in this next book we will get more into his feelings about things, since this book is from Liz’s point of view you don’t really delve deep into Brady and I definitely want to see more of that.  We know about his world of politics but I want to know more details about his life when he isn't running an election.

Overall

        There aren't words to express how much I LOVED this story!!  I cannot wait for the next book and I know it’s probably not coming out anytime soon and that totally makes me sad.  I am having a serious book hangover right now.  I thought the ending was great, a very nice kind of cliffhanger, keeping you wanting more.

          The sex scenes in this book are nothing less than steaming.  I never felt like they were all just kind of glossed over and not deemed important enough to go into detail about.  The desire between the two was magical and it came across every time there was a sex scene and I loved it.  Brady Maxwell III is beautiful and I honestly can’t get enough of him.  I honestly have no idea where this series will go, not knowing how things will work out is what keeps me on my toes and I love it.  I want a book that will keep me guessing and surprise me, and this one definitely delivers.   I definitely have theories on how things will turn out for Liz and I can’t wait to see if I’m right.  I kind of feel like in the end of all this that Liz will have to be the person to make the ultimate decision because I feel like right it’s her that will have to sacrifice for Brady.  I’m okay with that if it’s what will ultimately make her happy, but right now I do feel like she holds more power than she thought she did and I can’t wait for her to apply that her relationship with Brady.