Flirting with Scandal by Chanel Cleeton (Capital Confessions #1)
Released: May 19, 2015
Contemporary Romance
Penguin Intermix
Reviewed by Mandi
Blurb: Jackie Gardner knows all about dirty little secrets. The illegitimate daughter of one of the most influential senators in Washington, D.C., she grew up surrounded by the scandals and shadows of politics. Now that she’s landed an internship with a powerful political consulting firm, she’s determined to launch her career and take this city by storm.
William Andrew Clayton was born for politics. He knows the drill: work hard, play discreetly, and at all costs, avoid scandal. At twenty-six, his campaign for the Virginia State Senate is the first step to cementing his future. It’s time for him to settle down, to find the perfect political spouse. He needs a Jackie Kennedy, not a Marilyn…
When Jackie meets Will in the bar of the Hay-Adams Hotel, sparks fly. But the last thing Will needs is to be caught in a compromising position, and an affair with a political candidate could cost Jackie her career. When what began as one steamy night, becomes a passion neither one of them can walk way from, they must decide if what they have is really love, or just another dirty little secret…
The blurb sets up the story pretty well so I’ll just dive into the review. This is my first time reading this author and I like her voice. I like political romance (see reviews of Emma Barry) so I wanted to give this one a try. I don’t think she dives as deep into the actual politics/campaign as Emma Barry does, but the politics are there and there is quite a steamy romance that develops.
William is a good guy hero. He isn’t a jerk, he isn’t an asshole. He is just a good guy and it’s sexy. He courts Jackie so sweetly in this book. He knows Jackie is afraid of commitment and does his best to work around that to convince her to give their relationship a chance. Jackie doesn’t want a political boyfriend for two reasons: One, her father that has never acknowledged Jackie is a big time politician. And two, Jackie secretly writes for a political gossip blog, and William has been appearing in said blog for some time now. Jackie isn’t contributing these posts, but she worries her name might be leaked one day. There is also the small problem that she is an intern responsible for helping to shape William’s image during the campaign. He is kind of her boss.
William doesn’t know about her father or the blogging, but he doesn’t care that she is working with his campaign. He just wants Jackie. He falls hard and fast for her and could give a crap about his reputation.
This romance is sexy (very sexy!) and sweet and I really liked both William and Jackie.
His hands moved to his wrists, removing his cuff links next and, holy shit, I died a little bit inside. His movements were unhurried and deliberate, and I saw an even more intimate view into his life. He gave me my own private striptease, but instead of sweat and spandex he oozed power and control.
He finished removing his cuff links, setting them in his jacket pocket, and then he rolled up his sleeves, the movement lazy, as if I weren’t standing there, lust raging through my body, waiting for him to make a move. I was treated to the sight of tan wrists and muscular forearms before he finished and turned his attention back to me.
His lips curved. “Come here.”
Oh – she went.
But there are a few things I didn’t like.
First, I felt like the gossip blog added silly, forced conflict not needed in this otherwise smartly written story. Jackie’s commitment fears and the camapign were enough to keep this story going. Also, we get both William and Jackie’s point of view in this story, but the author switches between the two a lot. More than once in each chapter. It pulled me out of the story. Whether it was a sex scene or them out to lunch, the author switches back and forth, back and forth and it was hard for me as the reader, to keep the momentum going, if that makes sense.
Otherwise this is cute. I’ll definitely read the next in the series.
Grade: B-
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