Laura’s Review of More Than Rivals By Mary Whitney

Synopsis

When is a chance meeting not by chance? Maybe when you hide who you are.

The night before Lily Robles announces she’s running for Congress, she meets a handsome stranger at a coffee shop. Their chemistry is strong, and not wanting to scare him off, she avoids telling him she’s a local politician. She doesn't want the night to end—until she realizes he’s one of her opponents in the primary.

Jack Bengston can’t place where he’s seen Lily’s pretty face. He's taken with her, and he's sure the feeling is mutual—until she leaves him hanging and without her number.

When Jack and Lily meet again as candidates, California State Senator John Bengston and Sonoma County Supervisor Ursula Robles, they find an awkward romantic encounter is no way to kick-off a campaign, but how do you stop an attraction once it starts? There are times when politicians want to put their identities aside.

What I Loved

         This was a cute quick read that I really enjoyed.  Lily Robles an educated strong single mother is running for a seat in the US Congress only find herself falling for one of her rivals Jack Bengston.  From the very start there wasn’t much I didn’t like about both of these characters.  Jack, although young has the drive and expertise to have a full life in politics while at the same time is personable and lovable.  Lily is a determined woman who has shit together, I love that she broke the mold of a typical inexperienced woman falling for a rich powerful man. She had a mind of her own, and knew what she wanted in life.

          For me the way both of these characters were written made it easy for me to be captivated and stay that way.  I liked the balance of passion and common sense between them because it made the story more realistic and grounded. I certainly liked the twists and turns the plot took as well because although the ending was predictable how they got there certainly wasn’t.

Not So Much

          Although this was a really quick read, I felt like it kind of skimmed the surface of Lily and Jack’s relationship rather than delve into it when there should have been more details. They did get to spend a lot of time together and it was obvious the commitment they building for one another but at the same time those scenes were only touched upon when I would’ve liked to have seen more passion and emotion between the two.  There were times I felt like they were both robotic rather than human and it would take me out of the story rather than sucking me in further.  The beginning of the story had a lot of details and but the second half of the book didn’t really follow through the same when it came to their growing feelings for one another.

To Sum It All Up!

         I was looking for something quick and easy to read and I’m glad I chose this book.  I’m a huge politics fan (I was a poli sci major) and of course I love romance so I was excited to start this.  I really liked both Jack and Lily equally because they both added so much to the story.  I admire the type of woman Lily is and how she goes after what she wants.  She’s learned to build a life for herself after suffering a terrible devastation and not only has moved on, has decided on a life in politics! Jack, although is cut from that typical rich upper-class white male political figure is still complex and easy to love.  The ending was a little predictable when it came to their relationship, but there were other aspects of the plot that weren’t and I liked that.  The beginning and end of the character development was right on point, but I wish the middle was more detailed, it could’ve added more gravity to the overall plot.  If you’re looking for something fun to read that is mostly light-hearted and lovable then this is totally the book for you!