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3.16 AVERAGE
3.16 AVERAGE
"Is it possible to love across the political divide?"
no ❤️
also it's incredibly interesting how the book never mentions the oppression BIPOCs face because I guess that wouldn't make this story as 'attractive', there's nothing gentle about the political divide, it's violent and romanticizing that is more so. and when it's mentioned, I kid you not it's treated like this:
“What about the border and migration?”
“Invite me back to talk about that,” Shelley said. “I don’t have it in me today.”
I'm sorry what? being neutral and going 'independent' isn't the character development the author thinks it is.
no ❤️
also it's incredibly interesting how the book never mentions the oppression BIPOCs face because I guess that wouldn't make this story as 'attractive', there's nothing gentle about the political divide, it's violent and romanticizing that is more so. and when it's mentioned, I kid you not it's treated like this:
“What about the border and migration?”
“Invite me back to talk about that,” Shelley said. “I don’t have it in me today.”
I'm sorry what? being neutral and going 'independent' isn't the character development the author thinks it is.
The Politics of Love by Jen Jensen really surprised me. Not only did we get a ton of character growth, no big misunderstandings during the romance, but we also got a very smart look into how to make a relationship work with contradicting stances on very big topics. I loved how the author was able to fluidly bring in clashing political arguments from both a very conservative side as well as a very liberal side and explain the issues between Shelley and Rand with very fleshed out and coherent thoughts that supported both sides without the book just being a constant debate. The ideas are smart and logical and well researched and added to the story without making the entire story about political ideologies. More so than that, both characters have big personal triumphs that they overcome. Shelley comes to terms with the fact that she is gay and her ideologies do not align with her evangelical parents and Rand comes to terms with her grief of realizing she was not in love with her partner Kim before she died and had wanted a divorce but stayed with Kim until the end.
Thank you to Bold Strokes Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely be purchasing this book once it comes out.
I really liked the idea of this novel and the thought it inspired. As an Australian, I have had difficulty with the differences between Republicans and Democrats and what I do know has been polarising. I found the philosophy incredible but in terms of the story-line and love-story, it was sub-par. The writing in the love-story was not great and by the end of the novel I wanted Shelley and Rand to be with other people and just remain friends. The development of the character of Shelley was excellent and a highlight of the book to me. If you're interested in thought provoking politics, I would recommend but if you're looking for an amazing love-story, you should probably pass.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC of this book.
I'd been wanting to read a political romance for a while, and I think this one was well done. I was unsure of how I'd react to Shelley, who comes from an Evangelical Republican family, but she was the standout character for me. Her personal growth arc throughout this book was wonderful to witness, and I was strongly rooting for her. Rand, the Democratic activist, was also likable, though not without issues. Shelley and Rand have erudite conversations and for the most part are great at listening to each other. This book isn't necessarily a fluffy, escapist romance -- I like those kinds of stories, too, but this one had more angst. This book also wasn't a formulaic romance novel, which was refreshing.
The Politics of Love had potential to be a five-star book, but I had three major gripes:
1. There was so much head-hopping in the last ten-ish percent of this book, which was jarring.
2. I felt like Shelley's arc was fully realized, whereas Rand's was lacking. I would have liked a bit more focus on Rand's growth at the end of the book.
3. There's one scene near the end of the book where Rand tries to show how much she cares for Shelley, and...I don't want to give too much away, but I thought Rand's move was lazy, performative, and flat-out unnecessary.
Overall, I enjoyed this read and will be looking forward to more from Jen Jensen.
I'd been wanting to read a political romance for a while, and I think this one was well done. I was unsure of how I'd react to Shelley, who comes from an Evangelical Republican family, but she was the standout character for me. Her personal growth arc throughout this book was wonderful to witness, and I was strongly rooting for her. Rand, the Democratic activist, was also likable, though not without issues. Shelley and Rand have erudite conversations and for the most part are great at listening to each other. This book isn't necessarily a fluffy, escapist romance -- I like those kinds of stories, too, but this one had more angst. This book also wasn't a formulaic romance novel, which was refreshing.
The Politics of Love had potential to be a five-star book, but I had three major gripes:
1. There was so much head-hopping in the last ten-ish percent of this book, which was jarring.
2. I felt like Shelley's arc was fully realized, whereas Rand's was lacking. I would have liked a bit more focus on Rand's growth at the end of the book.
3. There's one scene near the end of the book where Rand tries to show how much she cares for Shelley, and...I don't want to give too much away, but I thought Rand's move was lazy, performative, and flat-out unnecessary.
Overall, I enjoyed this read and will be looking forward to more from Jen Jensen.
I was very intrigued by this concept and when reading immediately thought to myself: "I am really curious to see how the author places a queer woman within the Republicans and how the relationship between a Republican and a Democrat might look like."
Sadly, I have to admit that while there were a lot of concepts I loved (I am always SO excited when I can add a book to my "vegan-character" shelf), this wasn't a book for me.
I thought that the main theme, the politics, where dealt with only at the beginning and the end (properly) and in the middle there was a love story that I didn't get sucked into and that was riddled with drama. Somehow, I also felt completely disconnected by the fact that the story takes place over the course of a year and there were so many time jumps where I was left wondering "but wait, what happens in the middle of this?". Hence, I ended up being not at all invested in the love story, for me personally it could've gone either way and I also wasn't able to connect with the characters.
As for the politics and religion as themes... I ended up being even more atheist and democrat with the believe that no, I don't think being friends with a republican could ever be an option for me.
All in all, I am giving this two stars. I have to admit that the most exciting thing for me about this book was Shelley's veganism.
Sadly, I have to admit that while there were a lot of concepts I loved (I am always SO excited when I can add a book to my "vegan-character" shelf), this wasn't a book for me.
I thought that the main theme, the politics, where dealt with only at the beginning and the end (properly) and in the middle there was a love story that I didn't get sucked into and that was riddled with drama. Somehow, I also felt completely disconnected by the fact that the story takes place over the course of a year and there were so many time jumps where I was left wondering "but wait, what happens in the middle of this?". Hence, I ended up being not at all invested in the love story, for me personally it could've gone either way and I also wasn't able to connect with the characters.
As for the politics and religion as themes... I ended up being even more atheist and democrat with the believe that no, I don't think being friends with a republican could ever be an option for me.
All in all, I am giving this two stars. I have to admit that the most exciting thing for me about this book was Shelley's veganism.
This is a hard book to rate, because I really enjoyed the first half, but found myself struggling to finish it. We follow Rand, a democrat therapist, and Shelley, an ex-evangelical Republican lawyer, as they intertwine themselves into each other's lives. It is a love story, but also not, because it takes so long for Rand to stop shutting Shelley out.
There were some chapters that felt very disjointed, as if there was a chapter missing in between, and the timeline felt very confusing. Some moments the characters acted as if they barely knew each other, and others they thought about the countless emails they had sent each other over the last year and how much they knew about each other.
What I did like about this was the political aspect, the discussion of both democrat and republican American politics without the author picking a clear side. However, the pacing of this novel left me feeling like it dragged on, so I can't give it more than 3 stars.
There were some chapters that felt very disjointed, as if there was a chapter missing in between, and the timeline felt very confusing. Some moments the characters acted as if they barely knew each other, and others they thought about the countless emails they had sent each other over the last year and how much they knew about each other.
What I did like about this was the political aspect, the discussion of both democrat and republican American politics without the author picking a clear side. However, the pacing of this novel left me feeling like it dragged on, so I can't give it more than 3 stars.
I didn't think I would like this book as much as I did. The book is about a Republican and a Democrat falling for each other, and they're not just any random people -- they are people of political importance. So, they have to deal with the fall-out as well. They had to change their perspectives. You would think that this political saga would take place amidst debates and Twitter feuds, but it doesn't. It shows us the life of people who participate in anything related to politics -- which I sometimes forget exists -- the book shows the characters being vulnerable and uncertain and confused, and I think that's beautiful.
People are self-aware in this book. They know they are privileged and they know when they are being, well, a prick. They know when they need to ask for help. And they figure out when they need to speak up. And how not to hold back emotions.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC, in exchange of my honest opinion.
People are self-aware in this book. They know they are privileged and they know when they are being, well, a prick. They know when they need to ask for help. And they figure out when they need to speak up. And how not to hold back emotions.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC, in exchange of my honest opinion.
Thanks to the help of NetGalley I have been working on expanding the genres that I read. Romance is not a genre I usually gravitate towards, but a goal of mine this year is to choose my books more deliberately and make sure I am supporting all voices.
Well let me tell you, I love this story. I love Shelly, I love Rand - I love every moment that these two independent women show their strengths and weaknesses. I love the way politics are effortlessly woven into a story that educates you, breaks your heart, and then puts it back together again. I absolutely adore this story.
CW: homophobia
Well let me tell you, I love this story. I love Shelly, I love Rand - I love every moment that these two independent women show their strengths and weaknesses. I love the way politics are effortlessly woven into a story that educates you, breaks your heart, and then puts it back together again. I absolutely adore this story.
CW: homophobia
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"If I am who you want me to be," Shelley said, "I can't be who I am. It's killing me."
★★★★☆
The Politics of Love is a new, opposites attract lesbian romance novel by [a:Jen Jensen|13856186|Jen Jensen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1572106726p2/13856186.jpg], out July 14th from Bold Strokes Books. It follows two characters - Shelley Whitmore, a closeted lesbian who is sick of hiding who she is for the benefit of her powerful Evangelical Christian Republican family, and Rand Thomas, a therapist and prominent transgender rights activist - who first meet by way of a television appearance wherein they’re placed on opposite sides of a political debate.
The romance between Shelley and Rand seemed at first like it would be fast moving, but then settled into a leisurely slow-ish burn pace for the majority of the novel. At times, the romance felt like an addendum to the larger, overarching themes of the book, but I didn’t mind that at all. I can appreciate when romance novels aim to be something “more”, and The Politics of Love does just that. I found both of the leads likable in their own way, for completely different reasons. There were absolutely a few times when I wanted to take Rand by her shoulders and shake her, but the angst felt logical, rather than unnecessarily inserted by the author to spice up the plot.
To be totally honest, after I was approved for an ARC of The Politics of Love, I began to panic. “Why didn’t I just wait and read this on my own?” I groaned to my friend via Messenger. “Politics are so divisive right now, and this book has the potential to be a PR minefield!”
“You’re overthinking,” she replied. “Just read the book.” So I did. And I loved it, and now that it’s over, I realized the irony of the entire situation. My own anxiety about reading a romance that crosses the political divide in our hyper-polarized society because of our hyper-polarized society is, in fact, peak irony.
I suppose now is as good a time as any to mention that I myself am a Democratic Socialist, but, like Shelley, I was born and raised in the Bible Belt, and have lived here for my entire life. My mother is a Baptist Sunday school teacher. I grew up going to church multiple times per week, hearing myself damned to hell by our fire and brimstone Southern Baptist preacher. I knew I was a lesbian from fourteen on, and cried myself to sleep each night, praying to at least be bisexual instead of a lesbian, so that I’d have a chance of falling in love with a man and making my family happy.
So, unlike some other reviewers, I went into The Politics of Love fully expecting to identify with Shelley, the closeted gay Republican, at least on a base level, and I was not disappointed. At some points, I related to her inner dialogue so much that I was practically highlighting entire pages. I would be remiss not to mention that The Politics of Love also includes really excellent anxiety representation. As someone with multiple anxiety disorders, the way Jensen wrote Shelley’s anxiety really rang true for me.
In the end, I think a lot of my worry about this book was unfounded. After seeing a lot of negative commentary accusing the YA M/M romance The State of Us of trying to humanize the Right without expecting them to humanize the LGBTQ+ community (and that’s not even touching the racism issues), I feared The Politics of Love might fall prey to the same mishaps, reworked for an adult audience, but that wasn’t the case at all. It was obvious that Rand and Shelley respected and learned from each other, genuinely finding middle ground on which to build their relationship.
Final thoughts: The word politics might be in the title, but The Politics of Love was far from a manifesto or evangelism for either side of the aisle. Instead, it was a sweet, slightly angsty romance about finding love and acceptance in unexpected places.
Let's be friends!
Bookstagram | Book Blog | Twitter
The Politics of Love At A Glance
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Themes/Tropes: Opposites Attract, Age Gap (< 10 years), Coming Out, Slow burn
LGBT Rep? Yes!
OwnVoices? Yep
Content Warnings (CWs): Non-consensual public outing, homophobia, death of family member, grief
ARC Note: Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
★★★★☆
The Politics of Love is a new, opposites attract lesbian romance novel by [a:Jen Jensen|13856186|Jen Jensen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1572106726p2/13856186.jpg], out July 14th from Bold Strokes Books. It follows two characters - Shelley Whitmore, a closeted lesbian who is sick of hiding who she is for the benefit of her powerful Evangelical Christian Republican family, and Rand Thomas, a therapist and prominent transgender rights activist - who first meet by way of a television appearance wherein they’re placed on opposite sides of a political debate.
The romance between Shelley and Rand seemed at first like it would be fast moving, but then settled into a leisurely slow-ish burn pace for the majority of the novel. At times, the romance felt like an addendum to the larger, overarching themes of the book, but I didn’t mind that at all. I can appreciate when romance novels aim to be something “more”, and The Politics of Love does just that. I found both of the leads likable in their own way, for completely different reasons. There were absolutely a few times when I wanted to take Rand by her shoulders and shake her, but the angst felt logical, rather than unnecessarily inserted by the author to spice up the plot.
To be totally honest, after I was approved for an ARC of The Politics of Love, I began to panic. “Why didn’t I just wait and read this on my own?” I groaned to my friend via Messenger. “Politics are so divisive right now, and this book has the potential to be a PR minefield!”
“You’re overthinking,” she replied. “Just read the book.” So I did. And I loved it, and now that it’s over, I realized the irony of the entire situation. My own anxiety about reading a romance that crosses the political divide in our hyper-polarized society because of our hyper-polarized society is, in fact, peak irony.
I suppose now is as good a time as any to mention that I myself am a Democratic Socialist, but, like Shelley, I was born and raised in the Bible Belt, and have lived here for my entire life. My mother is a Baptist Sunday school teacher. I grew up going to church multiple times per week, hearing myself damned to hell by our fire and brimstone Southern Baptist preacher. I knew I was a lesbian from fourteen on, and cried myself to sleep each night, praying to at least be bisexual instead of a lesbian, so that I’d have a chance of falling in love with a man and making my family happy.
So, unlike some other reviewers, I went into The Politics of Love fully expecting to identify with Shelley, the closeted gay Republican, at least on a base level, and I was not disappointed. At some points, I related to her inner dialogue so much that I was practically highlighting entire pages. I would be remiss not to mention that The Politics of Love also includes really excellent anxiety representation. As someone with multiple anxiety disorders, the way Jensen wrote Shelley’s anxiety really rang true for me.
In the end, I think a lot of my worry about this book was unfounded. After seeing a lot of negative commentary accusing the YA M/M romance The State of Us of trying to humanize the Right without expecting them to humanize the LGBTQ+ community (and that’s not even touching the racism issues), I feared The Politics of Love might fall prey to the same mishaps, reworked for an adult audience, but that wasn’t the case at all. It was obvious that Rand and Shelley respected and learned from each other, genuinely finding middle ground on which to build their relationship.
Final thoughts: The word politics might be in the title, but The Politics of Love was far from a manifesto or evangelism for either side of the aisle. Instead, it was a sweet, slightly angsty romance about finding love and acceptance in unexpected places.
Let's be friends!
Bookstagram | Book Blog | Twitter
The Politics of Love At A Glance
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Themes/Tropes: Opposites Attract, Age Gap (< 10 years), Coming Out, Slow burn
LGBT Rep? Yes!
OwnVoices? Yep
Content Warnings (CWs): Non-consensual public outing, homophobia, death of family member, grief
ARC Note: Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.