They're wrong for each other, but the chemistry is
undeniable.
It's not personal
It's business. Sort of…
But it's just one date -- a wish fulfillment -- for
philanthropist and single mom Eva DeLongpre's charity and a PR opportunity for
Mayor Joe Aguirre's reelection. Giving in to their mutual attraction was just a
spontaneous, delicious one-off. But as the election turns ugly, Joe is forced
to declare his intentions for Eva. When the votes are counted, she's hoping
love wins in a landslide.
Good book. This is the story of Joe, a small-town mayor,
and Eva, a single mother and the recently discovered twin sister of Lacey
(Cooking Up Romance). Eva runs a charity called Dreams Come True that grants
wishes to older people. She received a request from an 84-year-old woman in the
early stages of dementia. Savannah wants a date with local mayor Joe, who she
compares to Jack Kennedy. Joe is a little hesitant as he is very busy with his
duties and his own law practice, plus running for re-election. However, his
campaign manager insists it would be a good idea, so he says yes.
I loved Joe. He is an all-around nice guy. A first-generation American, he was raised by hard-working immigrant parents who passed
their work ethic on to him. He is in a tough race to keep his job, against an
opponent who wants to open the town to chain businesses. I loved seeing his
campaign appearances, as he ran a clean, issue-driven race against an opponent
who wasn't anywhere near as honorable.
The date with Joe and Savannah was adorable. Eva was
there as a sort of chaperone to look after Savannah, so she tried to stay in
the background. It was sweet to see the genuine attention that Joe gave
Savannah and the effect it had on her. It was the beginning of a beautiful
friendship, and Savannah made regular appearances throughout the book.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Joe
and Eva. Both of them had past issues that caused them to pre-judge each other.
Joe was burned by a woman he loved, one with money and who ultimately decided
that he wasn't good enough for her. It left him distrustful of women with
money. Eva was betrayed by a boyfriend who turned out to be using her to score
points with his friends. As a result, Eva is distrustful of all men. Despite
all of that, the sparks between Joe and Eva flared fast and hot, surprising both
of them. Neither of them was interested in a relationship, but they couldn't
deny the pull between them. I loved seeing Joe's determination to get to know
Eva better. However, trying to date during a re-election creates unforeseen
problems. Adorable and heartwarming moments between Eva, her son Noah, and Joe,
are willfully misinterpreted by his opponent. I was impressed by how well Joe
handled it all. I liked watching the feelings between Eva and Joe grow
stronger, and how they slipped into feeling like a family. There were some
stressful moments at the end as Joe's attempt at romantic fell a little flat.
The trust issues from their pasts flared up causing some heartache for both. I
liked the insight into Eva's battle with those issues and loved how it turned
out. The election night scene was fantastic, but one of my favorite parts was
the last chapter. I shook my head a little at Lacy and Eva's actions, but Zack
and Joe got through it with flying colors.
A subplot in the book was Eva and Lacy's curiosity about
their birth mother. They waffle a bit back and forth over whether to pursue a
search for her. I loved Joe's support and willingness to help. It looks like
the two women have quite a surprise waiting for them in the next book.
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