This first novel by Al Gore's daughter is a fun, fast read, anchored by likable heroine Samantha Joyce, who spends her days toiling as domestic policy adviser to the noble Ohio senator Robert Gary, while neurotically carving out a social and romantic life. Just 26 and amazed that she's the senator's go-to girl on health policy, Samantha thinks she's gotten another lucky break when she meets Aaron Driver, speechwriter to Democratic presidential front-runner John Bramen. Aaron is "hot, and not just D.C. hot," and Samantha falls hard for him. Early on in their relationship, a Blackberry mishap—she mistakenly sends a message featuring whipped cream and video cameras to a list of important Washington players—gives Samantha her first taste of D.C. scandal, but it's soon eclipsed by politics and deception on a grand scale. As Gary goes up against backstabbing Bramen, eventually accepting the vice-presidential spot on Bramen's rival's ticket, Samantha learns of Aaron's epic infidelities. Samantha's whimsical asides and long-winded explication of political matters give the novel an awkward bulkiness, but her self-deprecating sense of humor and idealism will keep readers entertained.
"Laugh - out loud funny."
--San Francisco Chronicle--
"A beltway Bridget Jones."
--Elle--
"A smash debut... Her light and juicy tale is an absurd and convincing rendering of everyday life in the political jungle."
--O, The Oprah Magazine--
"Hilarious...a laugh-out-loud literary debut."
-- Newsweek--