New to the world of Ashley Winstead, I was optimistic when I saw the review by Lynn Painter (one of my favorite authors) and was thrilled that it not only delivered, but overflowed with laughs, aww moments, and a ton of heart. The Boyfriend Candidate takes you behind the scenes of the insanity of the political life – from slimy politicians, to back room deals, to debates, to scandals, and all the insanity in between that it takes to create the perfect optics in the name of winning.

Alexis is the primary example of what happens when good girls try to go bad, and fail at it spectacularly! Celebrating the anniversary of her split from her ex (but still hearing and feeling the impact of his criticisms), Alexis is determined to prove once and for all that she can be desirable, spontaneous, passionate, and wild. Well she can fake it til she makes. Entering the Fleur, dressed to kill, she snags the attention of the last fish she would want – an overly loud and aggressive man who can’t seem to take no for an answer. Lucky for her, this fish was perfect bait for the gorgeous specimen that decided to come to her rescue. After buying him a drink to show her gratitude, Alexis and Logan hit it off and agree after a passionate kiss in the lobby that the night is not over. Apparently mother nature had a different opinion as a lightening strike causes a fire, requiring immediate evacuation of the hotel. A stair mishap and a rush exit, Logan finds himself partially dressed carrying Alexis out of the hotel. Unfortunately his heroic endeavor is caught on camera. Unbeknownst to Alexis, her dashing knight is no other than gubernatorial candidate Logan Arthur. Quickly thrown into the limelight on the brink of a scandal, Logan’s team orchestrates a counter attack – present Logan and Alexis as a couple, casting the intimate moment caught on camera as a mere invasion of privacy between two people in a committed relationship. Still determined to break free of the “Old Alexis” shackles, Alexis agrees to play pretend as long as they are willing to make a deal. As the two are forced to date, the lines between fictional and reality (with a little dash of fantasy) start to blur, leaving two people who are already in over their heads drowning in a sea of unknowns and what ifs.

What I like about it: There is a lot I liked about this book. First, the relatability of the characters. I felt like the author wrote about people we could meet one day and situations that more probable than possible. The incidents didn’t seem so outlandish that the reminder of fiction was front and center. The good guys didn’t always win, hearts were broken, bad things happened. I loved that the HEA wasn’t what readers may have expected but was perfect for not who Alexis and Logan were, but who they had become. I have been a magnet for super drawn out slow burns lately. Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying them. It is kinda nice to break free of the second act hook up, third act breakup formula. I had no idea what was going to happen from this book from one page to the next. One thing I did enjoy was the overlapping weekend at the winery. I knew I was invested when it was announced Will had arrived. I sat up and went “Ohhh!!” and had to stop reading because I was so afraid of what was about to go down. What kept tripping me up was Logan and how reserved he always came across in the moments where you were expecting him to be …well him. Those are the moments when you really saw the impact of the life he chose and the whispers that constantly screamed in his head “Behave. Play it cool. Stay reserved. Don’t lose control!” I swear every time he had to fight back and cage who he truly was, you saw him die a little inside.

What I love about it: I absolutely ADORED the supporting characters in this story. Zora was like Alexis’s fairy godmother. Nora was a powerhouse. Cary had me cracking up and I am now making it a life mission to chant Rudy at some point. Throw in her sister and her crazy antics (and Alexis’s desperate attempt to not learn more about what goes on behind closed doors between her sister and Ben – Captain Planet, really?) Her coworkers were just wonderful and prove that love is trans generational. I don’t know if the two gay weddings Alexis attended in a Texas was a passive statement of some sort by the author but I took notice and quite enjoyed how it wasn’t trying to be a profound, preachy moment – it was simply the wonderful experience of two people who were crazy about each other, uniting in front of friends, family, and loved ones. 

What I didn’t like about it: I do believe this is the first time I have ever felt the hot and heavy moment at the end of the book would have been better as a closed door moment. It was steamy and it was well written but it didn’t fit with the rest of the book. The entire book up until that moment had been chastened (with the exception of language). To have the intimate scene described between Alexis and Logan just felt out of place. It was as if the author forgot that the book was supposed to be a spicy and shoved it all in towards the end of it. 

Overall, I enjoyed the depth and development of the characters. Logan was determined to be whatever everyone wanted him to be, despite knowing exactly who he was. The fire and fury, the honesty and in your face attitude did not bold well for his constituents. To play the game, he had to suppress his true self – emulate the image and persona of the ideal character. For Alexis, it was just the opposite. She had no idea who she was so she, in turn, tried to be the one person everyone idolized – her sister. She never believed she was worthy, that she was enough. Instead, she constantly gave herself away, molded her image, her ideas, her beliefs, chipping away at the essence of what made her – well her until she was what everyone around her wanted, needed, and expected. 

Like two magnets with opposite polarities – Logan and Alexis were drawn to each other – not because of sheer attraction (although that didn’t hurt) but because once they got to know each other, they realized they pulled the true self of one another to the surface. Logan cleared the clouds in Alexis’s mind and made her more honest, upfront, and outspoken. Alexis was able to get through the determination and grit to that 10 year old boy in overalls who wanted to save the world, instead of being angry at it all the time.

The biggest theme of this book was the impact of the past on the present. With Logan, I felt as if he was trying to justify what happened with Holly. She wanted bigger, brighter, better for him and he was happy with what he was accomplishing – losing her in the process. When it came to the Governor’s race, it would not have been surprising if part of him wanted to show her what she gave up (as he was clearly still nursing a broken heart, shielding himself from relationships and gaining the playboy status). The other part wanted to be in the position to make a change, getting back at those who tore down the tree he once chained himself to (or be in a position to protect people like those who grew up around in Obejo). In either case, his loss and struggles from the past were the fixation of his present. For this reason, he was blindsided when the possibility of an alternative future came his way. Same from Alexis. Having lost her father – not once but twice. She never healed from that tragedy. Watching her parent’s divorce, hearing for her mother that she just wasn’t enough or couldn’t give him what he needed. Watching a rift grow bigger and bigger between her and her father as her sister pulled away – making her feel as if her love along wasn’t good enough for him – she carried a Grand Canyon size void around in her heart. To add insult to injury, she is cheated on not once BUT twice and told she wasn’t good enough – echoing what she not only felt but what had been proven to her time and time again. To have Logan come into her life and want to make her priority, wanting to put her first, wanted to see her happy – it was unimaginable. She was the people pleasure, she did what made others happy, she put other people first – why would anyone want to do that for her, what would they get out of it? That was her constant battle – anything Logan did had intention behind it because it couldn’t possibly be anything else. To have that type of damage to your self worth is devastating. The beauty of their twisted tale was that they planted seeds within each other that grew throughout the story. Logan learned the repercussions of being anyone but his true self. Alexis learned the uplifting truth about putting yourself first and actually going for what makes you happy. 

While this book was not down and out sad, the missed moments, the unspoken feelings, the longing just broke your heart. Normally miscommunication moments are frustrating in a book but here, you knew the reason why certain things went unsaid and it just create a melancholy feeling.

I can’t express enough how much I enjoyed this book. Throw in a love triangle, a zany political crew, topped with a grumpy vs. sunshine aura and you have a wonderful romance that keeps you thinking, smiling, and hoping that no matter what, everything will work out in the end.