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The Easy Part #1
Special Interests
Compared to love, politics is easy...
Union organizer Millie Frank's world isn't filled with cocktails and nightclubs…until she's turned into an unwitting minor celebrity. As if being part of a hostage situation wasn't traumatizing enough, now her face is splashed across the news. But Millie's got fresher wounds to nurse—like being shot down by the arrogant bad boy she stupidly hit on.
Parker Beckett will do whatever it takes to close a deal for the senate majority leader, including selling out union labor. Charming and smart on the surface, he's also cynical and uncommitted—an asset on the Hill. But something about Millie has stuck with him and when negotiations bring her to his office, Parker breaks his own rules and asks her out.
Parker can't understand how Millie has retained her idealism in a place like D.C. Millie can't believe what Parker's willing to sacrifice in order to pass a budget. But as they navigate their political differences, what grows between them looks a lot like a relationship…and maybe even a little like love.
Union organizer Millie Frank's world isn't filled with cocktails and nightclubs…until she's turned into an unwitting minor celebrity. As if being part of a hostage situation wasn't traumatizing enough, now her face is splashed across the news. But Millie's got fresher wounds to nurse—like being shot down by the arrogant bad boy she stupidly hit on.
Parker Beckett will do whatever it takes to close a deal for the senate majority leader, including selling out union labor. Charming and smart on the surface, he's also cynical and uncommitted—an asset on the Hill. But something about Millie has stuck with him and when negotiations bring her to his office, Parker breaks his own rules and asks her out.
Parker can't understand how Millie has retained her idealism in a place like D.C. Millie can't believe what Parker's willing to sacrifice in order to pass a budget. But as they navigate their political differences, what grows between them looks a lot like a relationship…and maybe even a little like love.
201 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
8 people are currently reading
460 people want to read
About the author
Emma Barry
27 books223 followersEmma Barry is a teacher, novelist, recovering academic, and former political staffer. She lives with her high school sweetheart and a menagerie of pets and children in Virginia, and she occasionally finds time to read and write.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
March 7, 2021
3.5 stars.
Having worked as a Senate legislative aide in my past life, I've long been partial to politically-themed romances. The past four years...challenged that. But now that we have a President again, and our country is less of a mess, I decided to take a chance here.
It was worth it, because I very much enjoyed Special Interests. Set in the world of Washington D.C.'s movers and shakers, it follows the romance between Millie, an idealistic labor organizer, and Parker, a cynical staffer for the Senate Majority Leader. Emma Barry crafted a smart, funny, and charming story, principled without reading like an op-ed.
Millie, an unwilling local celebrity after her involvement in a hostage situation, was a great heroine. I appreciated how Barry featured Millie processing trauma; authors, please include MORE therapy in your novels! Millie and Parker’s “meet bump" at a bar, as well as their simultaneously awkward and adorable interactions, felt so genuine to 20s single life. Meanwhile, Parker was a classic case of "married to, and hardened by, his job", a wary commitment phobe whose internal struggle fueled the romantic angst. This was something of a disappointment to me. Although Millie and Parker are aligned politically, they find themselves in opposition regarding the upcoming budget, and I think that I would have preferred if that drove the conflict.
Alas, their chemistry was sweet, and this story was fun, relatable, and engaged my brain. Can't ask for more when it comes to contemporary romances, can you?
Having worked as a Senate legislative aide in my past life, I've long been partial to politically-themed romances. The past four years...challenged that. But now that we have a President again, and our country is less of a mess, I decided to take a chance here.
It was worth it, because I very much enjoyed Special Interests. Set in the world of Washington D.C.'s movers and shakers, it follows the romance between Millie, an idealistic labor organizer, and Parker, a cynical staffer for the Senate Majority Leader. Emma Barry crafted a smart, funny, and charming story, principled without reading like an op-ed.
Millie, an unwilling local celebrity after her involvement in a hostage situation, was a great heroine. I appreciated how Barry featured Millie processing trauma; authors, please include MORE therapy in your novels! Millie and Parker’s “meet bump" at a bar, as well as their simultaneously awkward and adorable interactions, felt so genuine to 20s single life. Meanwhile, Parker was a classic case of "married to, and hardened by, his job", a wary commitment phobe whose internal struggle fueled the romantic angst. This was something of a disappointment to me. Although Millie and Parker are aligned politically, they find themselves in opposition regarding the upcoming budget, and I think that I would have preferred if that drove the conflict.
Alas, their chemistry was sweet, and this story was fun, relatable, and engaged my brain. Can't ask for more when it comes to contemporary romances, can you?
August 13, 2015
2.75 stars rounded up
The Good Parts
I definitely thought there was chemistry between Millie and Parker; despite their arguments and his stance that he had become too cynical. As much as I usually despise hot & cold attitude in their relationship, I have to admit that some scenes amused the hell out of me. For example the part where Parker provides references to Millie when he asks her for a date. Man, that one was a hoot! Or when Millie and Parker go for their date. That one also quite entertaining. Other moments also provide tenderness -- like Parker helping Millie with her nightmare, or the parts with Parker with his grandfather. Thought the latter was more heartbreaking than sweet.
The Bad Parts
I have never cared about politics -- even my own country's. Being a non-American reader, I totally have no understanding about Parker and Millie's works. I have no idea what they are trying to do. I have no frame of reference about what they are talking about or referring to. My eyes just glaze over.
Unfortunately, their work is integral to who and what they are. I mean, when Millie snapped at Parker because she didn't like his decision, I didn't understand why. WHY would that make her angry? What was wrong with that policy? Why would a thing one character did made everyone went to frenzy? I. Just. Didn't. Get. It.
You could say that I spend most of the times crunching my forehead in confusion or well, skimming a lot. I tried not to let it get to me but it did dampen my reading enjoyment and I lost connection with the couples.
I might still consider book #2 though, because it looks like the topic is more about political scandal? Maybe that would be easier for me to understand...
The Good Parts
I definitely thought there was chemistry between Millie and Parker; despite their arguments and his stance that he had become too cynical. As much as I usually despise hot & cold attitude in their relationship, I have to admit that some scenes amused the hell out of me. For example the part where Parker provides references to Millie when he asks her for a date. Man, that one was a hoot! Or when Millie and Parker go for their date. That one also quite entertaining. Other moments also provide tenderness -- like Parker helping Millie with her nightmare, or the parts with Parker with his grandfather. Thought the latter was more heartbreaking than sweet.
The Bad Parts
I have never cared about politics -- even my own country's. Being a non-American reader, I totally have no understanding about Parker and Millie's works. I have no idea what they are trying to do. I have no frame of reference about what they are talking about or referring to. My eyes just glaze over.
Unfortunately, their work is integral to who and what they are. I mean, when Millie snapped at Parker because she didn't like his decision, I didn't understand why. WHY would that make her angry? What was wrong with that policy? Why would a thing one character did made everyone went to frenzy? I. Just. Didn't. Get. It.
You could say that I spend most of the times crunching my forehead in confusion or well, skimming a lot. I tried not to let it get to me but it did dampen my reading enjoyment and I lost connection with the couples.
I might still consider book #2 though, because it looks like the topic is more about political scandal? Maybe that would be easier for me to understand...
January 4, 2015
Favorite Quote: “You’re so damn adorable, Millie Frank, I can’t believe I’ve kept my hands off you this entire meal,” he said, reaching over the table and pulling her hand towards him.
I have so many good things to say about this book that I don’t even know where to start. Millie Frank works for the construction worker’s union in Washington, D.C. She is pretty passionate about her job, but likes to keep to herself. Unfortunately, she was the victim in a hostage situation at her local drug store, ending with her safe, but also has put her face into every newspaper and website around. Although held up by a man wearing a chicken suit and what she comes to learn was only a toy gun, the entire ordeal has rattled her greatly. When the book starts, she is struggling to find a ‘normal’ life again.
Parker Beckett is a senior aide for the Senate Majority Leader. The current upheaval over the budget is draining on him. He is working 24/7, doing his part to try to make sure the government doesn’t shut down. He meets Millie at a bar one night, and they have sparkling chemistry. But, neither are in a great place to commit to anything serious.
“I care about work. Work is all that I care about. I think about it every hour I’m awake. I go to the office early in the morning and I come home late night. I have no friends who don’t understand the minutiae of budget negotiations or who wouldn’t know which member I was talking about if I used a last name only. Not just know their names, but who challenged him in the last election and whether or not he had good GOTV. I can’t even remember the last conversation that I had that wasn’t about politics or policy or politicians or the history of politics. I don’t have time for a relationship.”
Now don’t fret! Parker does have time for a relationship. He is actually the one that pursues and is quite adorable. What the author excels at in this book is the courtship between Millie and Parker. They have all of this chemistry and yet they are mature enough to realize their current job and life situations aren’t ideal for anything serious. Yet, they know and respect each other enough to not just have a one night stand. They share a passion for the government. Even though their job is so stressful at the moment, they live and breathe it. While Millie is very outspoken for worker’s rights, Parker isn’t necessarily against it, he just wants a balanced budget. He would go to either side, and call in any favor just to get the votes. He feels this blackens his soul, and this weighs heavy on him throughout the book. The author allows these two to test each other – debate, poke, and be stubborn with their issues. Wait for it – these two fall in love not just because of hard abs and hot sex (don’t worry – both of those are in this book *wink*) but because they share a passion for politics and debating. Their arguing over issues gets them all hot and bothered.
Another thing I loved – Parker is very close with his mother and grandparents. His grandfather has advanced Alzheimer’s and is in a nursing home. He goes every week to visit and chat, even though it is one-sided. These scenes had such an impact on me. It really showed me his character and it’s a man I wanted to respect.
And yes, this book is so very sexy. The kissing – oh the kissing. The anticipation from Millie when Parker calls and asks her out to dinner. Parker’s pure terror that he will screw something up and she will leave. Their uncertainty over this brand new love that is building – I had all the feels. Millie is also dealing with some nightmares and lingering stress over her hostage ordeal, that Parker helps with a lot.
And then the epilogue just made me smile so hard.
I will say – it took me a chapter or two to really get into this one. There is a lot of political detail in it, which I enjoyed, but it’s a bit heavy in the beginning. But stick with it, and I think you guys will really like this one.
Rating: B+
I have so many good things to say about this book that I don’t even know where to start. Millie Frank works for the construction worker’s union in Washington, D.C. She is pretty passionate about her job, but likes to keep to herself. Unfortunately, she was the victim in a hostage situation at her local drug store, ending with her safe, but also has put her face into every newspaper and website around. Although held up by a man wearing a chicken suit and what she comes to learn was only a toy gun, the entire ordeal has rattled her greatly. When the book starts, she is struggling to find a ‘normal’ life again.
Parker Beckett is a senior aide for the Senate Majority Leader. The current upheaval over the budget is draining on him. He is working 24/7, doing his part to try to make sure the government doesn’t shut down. He meets Millie at a bar one night, and they have sparkling chemistry. But, neither are in a great place to commit to anything serious.
“I care about work. Work is all that I care about. I think about it every hour I’m awake. I go to the office early in the morning and I come home late night. I have no friends who don’t understand the minutiae of budget negotiations or who wouldn’t know which member I was talking about if I used a last name only. Not just know their names, but who challenged him in the last election and whether or not he had good GOTV. I can’t even remember the last conversation that I had that wasn’t about politics or policy or politicians or the history of politics. I don’t have time for a relationship.”
Now don’t fret! Parker does have time for a relationship. He is actually the one that pursues and is quite adorable. What the author excels at in this book is the courtship between Millie and Parker. They have all of this chemistry and yet they are mature enough to realize their current job and life situations aren’t ideal for anything serious. Yet, they know and respect each other enough to not just have a one night stand. They share a passion for the government. Even though their job is so stressful at the moment, they live and breathe it. While Millie is very outspoken for worker’s rights, Parker isn’t necessarily against it, he just wants a balanced budget. He would go to either side, and call in any favor just to get the votes. He feels this blackens his soul, and this weighs heavy on him throughout the book. The author allows these two to test each other – debate, poke, and be stubborn with their issues. Wait for it – these two fall in love not just because of hard abs and hot sex (don’t worry – both of those are in this book *wink*) but because they share a passion for politics and debating. Their arguing over issues gets them all hot and bothered.
Another thing I loved – Parker is very close with his mother and grandparents. His grandfather has advanced Alzheimer’s and is in a nursing home. He goes every week to visit and chat, even though it is one-sided. These scenes had such an impact on me. It really showed me his character and it’s a man I wanted to respect.
And yes, this book is so very sexy. The kissing – oh the kissing. The anticipation from Millie when Parker calls and asks her out to dinner. Parker’s pure terror that he will screw something up and she will leave. Their uncertainty over this brand new love that is building – I had all the feels. Millie is also dealing with some nightmares and lingering stress over her hostage ordeal, that Parker helps with a lot.
And then the epilogue just made me smile so hard.
I will say – it took me a chapter or two to really get into this one. There is a lot of political detail in it, which I enjoyed, but it’s a bit heavy in the beginning. But stick with it, and I think you guys will really like this one.
Rating: B+
November 29, 2014
I've been wanting to read this for a while, based on friends' good reviews and it did not disappoint!
It felt like a much more realistic view of your late 20's/early 30's than the vast majority of contemporary romances. Characters who don't have it all figured out, who are still kind of figuring out what they want and who they are! Soooo great.
It felt like a much more realistic view of your late 20's/early 30's than the vast majority of contemporary romances. Characters who don't have it all figured out, who are still kind of figuring out what they want and who they are! Soooo great.
August 23, 2014
Oh my goodness!!!! I'm in love with this book. If you like romance and you like politics, this is the perfect book for you. And by like politics I mean really like politics. If The West Wing was a show that sort of bored you and was hard to follow, this is probably not the book for you. But it was so the book for me. I really liked how both Millie and Parker had so much going on in there work lives and were far from perfect and happily successful. The disillusionment that comes from several years in the real world that can erase some of you idealism is presented so well. How that affects a person's perception of themselves and spills into their personal relationships is so well done. Millie and Parker both have things to work out and this was really a story about them figuring out whether or not they could work out their individual issues together and make a together work. I admired both of them and liked that all the bumps their relationship hit were realistic and made sense for their characters.
The best thing about this book for me is how smart they both are and the dialogue that results from that (and how much of it was political debate). That this was used as serious flirting by them was just perfect. Despite their instant attraction to each other this is a slow burning romance too, another favorite of mine. I am so happy that there is going to be another book that follows this about two characters introduced here. I already pre-ordered it. Hoping there will be at least one more.
The best thing about this book for me is how smart they both are and the dialogue that results from that (and how much of it was political debate). That this was used as serious flirting by them was just perfect. Despite their instant attraction to each other this is a slow burning romance too, another favorite of mine. I am so happy that there is going to be another book that follows this about two characters introduced here. I already pre-ordered it. Hoping there will be at least one more.
Did Not Finish
January 29, 2023DNF. Never going to be in the mood for Washington politics in romance.
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April 9, 2014
For various reasons, I don't often go for ARCs (in fact, this is my only one so far this year). However, I saw Emma Barry's tweet offering review copies of her upcoming contemporary polical romance when I was in just the right mood for it. I contacted her and immediately started reading the book.
Special Interests is a romance between two people who, although ultimately on the same side, have very real political differences. I really liked that the politics here seem to be more grounded in reality than I'm used to in romance novels. I understand why authors might prefer to not make their politician characters' party affiliation explicit, but that's a fiction that stretches credulity more and more. A principled politician in one of the big US parties would not believe the same things as one in the other party. Here, both characters are Democrats, but that doesn't mean that this won't be the source of some really fascinating conflict in their relationship.
Millie works as a labour organiser. She has a job with a union, and truly believes in the cause of defending workers' rights. It's frustrating work, because it feels like they've lately been perpetually on the losing side, but she feels good about doing it. Parker works as a senior staffer for the Senate majority leader. Millie's union are one of their core consituencies, but in Parker's view, his job is closing deals: making sure the next budget passes, keeping the government from coming to a standstill. And that might mean giving up things that are very important to Millie and her union.
The Washington DC in this novel is a vivid setting, and I liked that this is a novel peopled by characters who actually care and talk about politics and the nitty-gritty of budget negotiations and such. I mean, the external conflict is: will Parker manage to do a deal on the budget and what will it take! I'm not sure if it would be everyone's cup of tea, but as a government economist working very closely with the policy delivery function, it was definitely mine!
My government economist job not being for the American government, I can't know how accurately this shows what actually goes on, but it feels like a real world. There's internal coherence, and FWIW, from what I read about current American politics, it rings true.
I particularly liked the subtlety of the portrayal of the characters' different positions. The author's take on Parker and Millie's very different approaches was interesting and thought-provoking. Parker is focused on outcomes, on getting the deal now, and therefore feels everything has to be negotiable. Millie, on the other hand, feels that this is treating important things like a game, when they should be taken seriously. I feared Barry might overly bash Parker's position, but she didn't. They have some spirited discussions and both get in some zingers (including Parker's accusation that it's very easy to feel superior by holding onself above the system and not engaging). There is no big conclusion, no easy answer, and acknowledgement that Millie's and Parker's roles are important and necessary. It's great.
Heck, even the Republicans are subtly portrayed, and we all know how easy it is to make them into ridiculous figures. They're not portrayed as evil, but as firm believers in things that our protagonists disagree with. They're just refusing to play the game of compromising for the sake of keeping the country working, and this is a source of much frustration both for Parker and for his counterpart on the Republican side. There's a scene when these two characters make an unexpected connection, and that and what develops from it were some of my favourite sections in the book.
So, what about the romance? Well, at the core of it, this is a very traditional relationship arc. Millie and Parker meet and start dating and the relationship proceeds from there, basically. As I mentioned, when it comes to reconciling their political differences, the novel is great. The rest of the development is less great, definitely not as good as the rest of the book. Millie and Parker's relationship is very sweet, but I did have a niggling feeling that it was all a bit too fast. Parker goes from cynical guy who has no time or interest in relationships to someone totally up for falling in love and going to brunch on a Sunday with his new girlfriend, and this happens awfully quickly and without that much angsting about it. Parker's mental monologue is more about how to make Millie and the people around him see that he's not that guy any longer than about whether he's ready to change and stop being that guy and just go for it. And then there is Millie, who is just not sure about Parker and whether someone like him is the right guy for her. I kind of got what was worrying her, but in the second half of the book it sometimes feels as if we're going round in neverending circles and I lost track of what she was on about.
So, not perfect, but I enjoyed this very much, and will definitely keep an eye out for more books by this author.
MY GRADE: A B.
Special Interests is a romance between two people who, although ultimately on the same side, have very real political differences. I really liked that the politics here seem to be more grounded in reality than I'm used to in romance novels. I understand why authors might prefer to not make their politician characters' party affiliation explicit, but that's a fiction that stretches credulity more and more. A principled politician in one of the big US parties would not believe the same things as one in the other party. Here, both characters are Democrats, but that doesn't mean that this won't be the source of some really fascinating conflict in their relationship.
Millie works as a labour organiser. She has a job with a union, and truly believes in the cause of defending workers' rights. It's frustrating work, because it feels like they've lately been perpetually on the losing side, but she feels good about doing it. Parker works as a senior staffer for the Senate majority leader. Millie's union are one of their core consituencies, but in Parker's view, his job is closing deals: making sure the next budget passes, keeping the government from coming to a standstill. And that might mean giving up things that are very important to Millie and her union.
The Washington DC in this novel is a vivid setting, and I liked that this is a novel peopled by characters who actually care and talk about politics and the nitty-gritty of budget negotiations and such. I mean, the external conflict is: will Parker manage to do a deal on the budget and what will it take! I'm not sure if it would be everyone's cup of tea, but as a government economist working very closely with the policy delivery function, it was definitely mine!
My government economist job not being for the American government, I can't know how accurately this shows what actually goes on, but it feels like a real world. There's internal coherence, and FWIW, from what I read about current American politics, it rings true.
I particularly liked the subtlety of the portrayal of the characters' different positions. The author's take on Parker and Millie's very different approaches was interesting and thought-provoking. Parker is focused on outcomes, on getting the deal now, and therefore feels everything has to be negotiable. Millie, on the other hand, feels that this is treating important things like a game, when they should be taken seriously. I feared Barry might overly bash Parker's position, but she didn't. They have some spirited discussions and both get in some zingers (including Parker's accusation that it's very easy to feel superior by holding onself above the system and not engaging). There is no big conclusion, no easy answer, and acknowledgement that Millie's and Parker's roles are important and necessary. It's great.
Heck, even the Republicans are subtly portrayed, and we all know how easy it is to make them into ridiculous figures. They're not portrayed as evil, but as firm believers in things that our protagonists disagree with. They're just refusing to play the game of compromising for the sake of keeping the country working, and this is a source of much frustration both for Parker and for his counterpart on the Republican side. There's a scene when these two characters make an unexpected connection, and that and what develops from it were some of my favourite sections in the book.
So, what about the romance? Well, at the core of it, this is a very traditional relationship arc. Millie and Parker meet and start dating and the relationship proceeds from there, basically. As I mentioned, when it comes to reconciling their political differences, the novel is great. The rest of the development is less great, definitely not as good as the rest of the book. Millie and Parker's relationship is very sweet, but I did have a niggling feeling that it was all a bit too fast. Parker goes from cynical guy who has no time or interest in relationships to someone totally up for falling in love and going to brunch on a Sunday with his new girlfriend, and this happens awfully quickly and without that much angsting about it. Parker's mental monologue is more about how to make Millie and the people around him see that he's not that guy any longer than about whether he's ready to change and stop being that guy and just go for it. And then there is Millie, who is just not sure about Parker and whether someone like him is the right guy for her. I kind of got what was worrying her, but in the second half of the book it sometimes feels as if we're going round in neverending circles and I lost track of what she was on about.
So, not perfect, but I enjoyed this very much, and will definitely keep an eye out for more books by this author.
MY GRADE: A B.
December 7, 2014
Sometimes I think the voices in contemporary romance all sound the same. Then I remember the ones that didn't work for me.
I can't decide whether it's that I dislike happily-ever-afters (unlikely) or that I dislike even successful formula (possibly) or that I get bored of the same thing over and over (most likely). The politics mix it up a little, and I did like that, but most of the conflict is very, very familiar. I get it, they're gorgeous and committed and all, but at a certain point the happily-ever-afters make me distrust the realities of the conflicts that preceded it.
I can't shake the nagging feeling that I'm being too hard on this book. What do I expect from it, after all?
I can't decide whether it's that I dislike happily-ever-afters (unlikely) or that I dislike even successful formula (possibly) or that I get bored of the same thing over and over (most likely). The politics mix it up a little, and I did like that, but most of the conflict is very, very familiar. I get it, they're gorgeous and committed and all, but at a certain point the happily-ever-afters make me distrust the realities of the conflicts that preceded it.
I can't shake the nagging feeling that I'm being too hard on this book. What do I expect from it, after all?
March 15, 2015
Full review coming soon. I'm a sucker for flirting via discussions of the Democratic Party's increasingly shattered relationship with the unions (one of the many reasons I'm single) and there's a lot of charm here but the hot-cold relationship bits were so forced & felt like a lazy way to create tension where there was none. Still, I did enjoy it and will check out more of Barry's work because DC politics set contemporary romance is proper Ceilidh catnip.
October 20, 2020
This review is going to be a lot about me, but in case this becomes a tl/dr situation – I enjoyed these books very much and you might too.
I miss living in Washington DC so much. I miss the person I was trying to be in my late 20s-early 30s. I love a lot about who I am now, but I don’t feel like I personally can make the world a better place anymore. Reading Emma Barry’s The Easy Part series, Special Interests, Private Politics and Party Lines, sent me on a major nostalgia bender, each in it’s own way. The neighborhoods were familiar, down to some of the specific places I used to hang out (Tryst, it’s comfy couches, and indifferent coffee). Barry captured the way it feels to be in that late 20s/early 30s working in and around politics, not naïve, but not totally cynical yet, period of life. Washington DC is many cities coexisting in the same place, one of them is young, plugged into the machinery of government, and ready to take the world by storm.
Emma Barry has quietly moved onto my list of favorite authors. She makes work integral to her characters in a way that resonates with me. For all of the main characters in this series, their work is fundamental to who they are as a person, which makes how they balance romance and work life central to the story. I particularly appreciated the double burden that the women in Barry’s books carry – falling in love and making room for a new relationship in a career focused life.
Special Interests and Private Politics focus on roommates Millie and Alyce, both of whom work for non-profits. Before the series starts, Millie has had a couple of experiences that have shifted her sense of self – she turned down a marriage proposal, and she was taken hostage by a man in a chicken suit with a gun she didn’t realize was fake. When she meets Parker, who works for a ranking Senator, she’s still trying to understand this new version of herself. Once Parker settles into the idea of dating Millie, he goes from “let’s see if I’m still interested in a couple of weeks” to “she’s the one I’m going to marry” very quickly, while Millie is still figuring out how Parker fits with the new Millie and of course it’s temporarily a disaster.
I won’t spoil the scenario that brings Liam and Alyce together in Private Politics. Liam has been infatuated with Alyce for months, but Alyce hasn’t shown much interest. Liam is certain that Alyce is way out of his league and Alyce is too insecure to believe Liam could be interested in her beyond her shiny surface. She is also facing a possibly career ending situation. When they do hook up, they are so guarded and defensive that they almost torpedo the relationship before it has begun. Continuing the theme from Special Interests, Liam is much more certain of what he wants than Alyce, but like Millie, Alyce is worried she has more to lose – specifically her self and her ambitions.
Party Lines, written in 2015, was a tough read because it’s a romance between a Democrat and a Republican. The book isn’t dealing with the Trump version of the Republican Party, or the version that’s dominated by evangelical Christians and White Supremacists. Though I am very much to the left politically, I used to have Republican friends and I feel a nostalgia for a time when I could tell myself “reasonable people can disagree” about political positions. My bad feeling about Republicans really started in 1994 with Newt Gingrich’s Contract With America, or as my boyfriend at the time, a former Democratic Hill Staffer, called it, “The Contract on America.” I fully acknowledge that the nostalgia for a time when reasonable people could disagree is probably very white of me. I had to put this in an alternate reality where the Republican party wasn’t already showing signs of going full fascist.
Michael has been working on Democratic campaigns for years, but he was born jaded. Lydia is staffing her first Republican Presidential campaign and wants to prove she is more than a token for the campaign to trot out. They keep running into each other on the campaign trail, but Lydia can’t see how a relationship would work despite the sparks between them. Once I ensconced them firmly on a similar but separate Earth, Michael and Lydia were my favorites. Lydia has such a sharp sparkling light that it made complete sense to me that Michael would begin pining for her.
It felt very relatable to me that the men in these books were much more certain of what they wanted from their relationships than the women. It conforms to my experience of dating in DC and what I observed from others. A lot of my friends got married in that time when we were in DC. All of the women eventually gave up big pieces of their professional ambitions to marry and have families. Very few people end up having exactly the career they imagined at 25, and I suspect most of my friends are happy with the choices they made. That said, it always struck me as unfair that the women carried more of the burden than the men they married. Barry taps into that very real fear of compromising a woman’s professional ambitions for a man, and then she gives her women men who will do more of the compromising.
I miss living in Washington DC so much. I miss the person I was trying to be in my late 20s-early 30s. I love a lot about who I am now, but I don’t feel like I personally can make the world a better place anymore. Reading Emma Barry’s The Easy Part series, Special Interests, Private Politics and Party Lines, sent me on a major nostalgia bender, each in it’s own way. The neighborhoods were familiar, down to some of the specific places I used to hang out (Tryst, it’s comfy couches, and indifferent coffee). Barry captured the way it feels to be in that late 20s/early 30s working in and around politics, not naïve, but not totally cynical yet, period of life. Washington DC is many cities coexisting in the same place, one of them is young, plugged into the machinery of government, and ready to take the world by storm.
Emma Barry has quietly moved onto my list of favorite authors. She makes work integral to her characters in a way that resonates with me. For all of the main characters in this series, their work is fundamental to who they are as a person, which makes how they balance romance and work life central to the story. I particularly appreciated the double burden that the women in Barry’s books carry – falling in love and making room for a new relationship in a career focused life.
Special Interests and Private Politics focus on roommates Millie and Alyce, both of whom work for non-profits. Before the series starts, Millie has had a couple of experiences that have shifted her sense of self – she turned down a marriage proposal, and she was taken hostage by a man in a chicken suit with a gun she didn’t realize was fake. When she meets Parker, who works for a ranking Senator, she’s still trying to understand this new version of herself. Once Parker settles into the idea of dating Millie, he goes from “let’s see if I’m still interested in a couple of weeks” to “she’s the one I’m going to marry” very quickly, while Millie is still figuring out how Parker fits with the new Millie and of course it’s temporarily a disaster.
I won’t spoil the scenario that brings Liam and Alyce together in Private Politics. Liam has been infatuated with Alyce for months, but Alyce hasn’t shown much interest. Liam is certain that Alyce is way out of his league and Alyce is too insecure to believe Liam could be interested in her beyond her shiny surface. She is also facing a possibly career ending situation. When they do hook up, they are so guarded and defensive that they almost torpedo the relationship before it has begun. Continuing the theme from Special Interests, Liam is much more certain of what he wants than Alyce, but like Millie, Alyce is worried she has more to lose – specifically her self and her ambitions.
Party Lines, written in 2015, was a tough read because it’s a romance between a Democrat and a Republican. The book isn’t dealing with the Trump version of the Republican Party, or the version that’s dominated by evangelical Christians and White Supremacists. Though I am very much to the left politically, I used to have Republican friends and I feel a nostalgia for a time when I could tell myself “reasonable people can disagree” about political positions. My bad feeling about Republicans really started in 1994 with Newt Gingrich’s Contract With America, or as my boyfriend at the time, a former Democratic Hill Staffer, called it, “The Contract on America.” I fully acknowledge that the nostalgia for a time when reasonable people could disagree is probably very white of me. I had to put this in an alternate reality where the Republican party wasn’t already showing signs of going full fascist.
Michael has been working on Democratic campaigns for years, but he was born jaded. Lydia is staffing her first Republican Presidential campaign and wants to prove she is more than a token for the campaign to trot out. They keep running into each other on the campaign trail, but Lydia can’t see how a relationship would work despite the sparks between them. Once I ensconced them firmly on a similar but separate Earth, Michael and Lydia were my favorites. Lydia has such a sharp sparkling light that it made complete sense to me that Michael would begin pining for her.
It felt very relatable to me that the men in these books were much more certain of what they wanted from their relationships than the women. It conforms to my experience of dating in DC and what I observed from others. A lot of my friends got married in that time when we were in DC. All of the women eventually gave up big pieces of their professional ambitions to marry and have families. Very few people end up having exactly the career they imagined at 25, and I suspect most of my friends are happy with the choices they made. That said, it always struck me as unfair that the women carried more of the burden than the men they married. Barry taps into that very real fear of compromising a woman’s professional ambitions for a man, and then she gives her women men who will do more of the compromising.
April 8, 2014
This is a book about two people falling in love amidst the disillusionment that can happen in your 20s and 30s when you realize that you are, in fact, living your life. It's rare that people have a straight line to exactly the life they though they'd have and even when you do, it doesn't always look the way you thought it would when you get there.
And this was charming. The scene where Parker starts calling references so that Millie will go out with him made me laugh and want to clap my hands. And I liked the stuff with him and his grandfather, though that was far more sad. But it's realistic. As is that Millie's in her 20s in DC, with roommates.
Now, the ultimate political solution was a fantasy, but it was a nice fantasy and sometimes you want those too.
All in all, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a whirl if the setting is at all of interest to you.
And this was charming. The scene where Parker starts calling references so that Millie will go out with him made me laugh and want to clap my hands. And I liked the stuff with him and his grandfather, though that was far more sad. But it's realistic. As is that Millie's in her 20s in DC, with roommates.
Now, the ultimate political solution was a fantasy, but it was a nice fantasy and sometimes you want those too.
All in all, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a whirl if the setting is at all of interest to you.
April 8, 2014
If you love a good contemporary romance with politics thrown in, you will love this book. Our H/h Parker and Millie, are actually both Democrats, with Millie being the more liberal of the two. While they both have differences of opinions and stand up for what they believe, many concessions are made in DC to get bills pass. The story is fast pace with lots of details on the political side which I found very interesting. Parker and Millie are both idealistic when the story begins, but by the end both had matured and understood sometimes you don’t always get what you want, and if you are lucky you get what you need. This book contains a HEA which is always a pleasure to read in one book. The sex is hot but you will not find kink, nonetheless, well worth the read.
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reviewed by Geri
for more reviews visit welovekink(dot)com
reviewed by Geri
April 16, 2014
3.5 stars. I loved the first half of the this contemporary romance for its sparkling dialogue and potent chemistry between Millie and Parker. I was thrilled to see a Carina romance that featured intelligent discussion about the tough choices of modern politics. The second half is weaker; although Parker acts like a douche bag, Millie ends up having to apologize for pulling back from the relationship. And it seemed to me that she acted adorable and vulnerable more often than she was shown to be competent at her job. But still an impressive category romance, and an author to watch.
(Am I reading too much into the novel to wonder if the characters' names, Millie and Parker, are intentionally similar to Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers, the major producers of board games? As in, all politics is a game?)
(Am I reading too much into the novel to wonder if the characters' names, Millie and Parker, are intentionally similar to Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers, the major producers of board games? As in, all politics is a game?)
October 11, 2014
Gave this a try based on my friend Brandy's recommendation. I really enjoyed the slow burn romance and the complex characters. Both Parker and Millie have issues to deal with and I liked seeing them make room for each other in their lives. But my eyes glazed over when they started talking about their work and all the politics involved in it. I ended up skimming most of that in the second half of the book. This reminded me of why I didn't really love The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White. Seems like books heavy on American politics are not really for me, which is not surprising given that I don't know that much about it.
September 10, 2014
This was fun!
I liked that this was two people who are in sort of the prime years of their early start of their lives figuring things out. And that just because you imagined things to be one way years ago, it doesn't mean things now aren't just as okay where you ended up.
Plus setting it in DC was amazing to me. I could have done with a few more DC grounding details, but overall, it was really great atmosphere and witty one liners about the people you find in DC.
I liked that this was two people who are in sort of the prime years of their early start of their lives figuring things out. And that just because you imagined things to be one way years ago, it doesn't mean things now aren't just as okay where you ended up.
Plus setting it in DC was amazing to me. I could have done with a few more DC grounding details, but overall, it was really great atmosphere and witty one liners about the people you find in DC.
March 17, 2021
This was a difficult book to read. I actually liked the political elements better than the romance, unlike some other readers. However, I had a hard time focusing on the story, I struggled to keep being interested so it was quite a task to finish. This was the first book by the author I tried and I have no means to compare but the writing did seem very boring to me.
July 29, 2014
Maybe 3.5 or 3.75/5 because it fell apart a little bit for me around the 80% mark but overall a very enjoyable read about people in their 20s/30s who haven't quite found all the answers yet. Plus, city setting!
December 6, 2014
This is definitely more than a 3. More like a 3.5. I really liked the first half of this book a lot and overall I liked it quite a bit. I thought some parts were too "out of nowhere" though & the pacing of things was a bit off for me. Let's face it; I like political stories.
July 20, 2015
I really enjoyed the chemistry between them, and the pace at which their relationship developed. I thought the fight at the end was a little contrived, but their chemistry throughout was enough to overcome all that.
December 9, 2014
Eh, it was clunkier than I wanted it to be, but I appreciate what it tried to be, if that makes sense.
April 30, 2016
it was okay-good but i wanted more sparks? more bickering? more antagonist behaviours?
i wanted a dan and amy kind of relationship and this one was too 'mooshy goody'
i wanted a dan and amy kind of relationship and this one was too 'mooshy goody'
July 17, 2018
3.3 stars
Parker Beckett is a staffer for the senate majority leader, and Millie Frank is a lobbyist for labor unions. Millie is recovering from a trauma (she was taken hostage by an unstable man) when they meet at a club and Parker hits on her.
Very quickly, Parker realizes Millie’s appeal to him is too great. She won’t fit neatly into his lifestyle of one night stands and friends with benefits. So when she invites him to spend the night, he turns her down. And keeps turning her down, even after their jobs bring them into contact again.
Plus #1: Barry writes about the Washington, DC milieu with conviction. This setting really comes to life and feels distinct from other cities. The book doesn’t read as though it could take place anywhere else, and how many books can we say that about to the same degree?
Plus #2: I really like the way this author writes sexual tension and attraction, without resorting to the too obvious and overtly telegraphed mental lusting that some other books use. Instead of telling, she shows. For example, here’s Millie’s reaction when they’ve just met, after Parker has gotten her to order a drink at a crowded bar for him:
Plus #3: There’s a work conflict: Millie wants Parker to care about her cause, organized labor. Parker has to get a budget deal, and that may mean throwing labor unions under the bus. Both characters are vulnerable under their professional exteriors, so I should have loved the book.
So why didn’t I? Well, things would get brought up, and then dropped. Millie saw a psychiatrist, but it seemed all he was good for was telling her to cover her windows with light-proof shades. There were hints that Parker was commitment-shy because of his grandfather’s memory loss, but the connection between these two things was never explained.
But the biggest problem I had was with the development of the romance itself, which felt artificially extended. Parker kept turning Millie down even after it stopped making sense — almost as if he knew it was too early in the page count for a happy ending. This book was frustrating, like a tantalizingly spiced meal that turns out to be less than filling. I turned the pages eagerly, but was left hungry for more at the end.
Parker Beckett is a staffer for the senate majority leader, and Millie Frank is a lobbyist for labor unions. Millie is recovering from a trauma (she was taken hostage by an unstable man) when they meet at a club and Parker hits on her.
Very quickly, Parker realizes Millie’s appeal to him is too great. She won’t fit neatly into his lifestyle of one night stands and friends with benefits. So when she invites him to spend the night, he turns her down. And keeps turning her down, even after their jobs bring them into contact again.
Plus #1: Barry writes about the Washington, DC milieu with conviction. This setting really comes to life and feels distinct from other cities. The book doesn’t read as though it could take place anywhere else, and how many books can we say that about to the same degree?
Plus #2: I really like the way this author writes sexual tension and attraction, without resorting to the too obvious and overtly telegraphed mental lusting that some other books use. Instead of telling, she shows. For example, here’s Millie’s reaction when they’ve just met, after Parker has gotten her to order a drink at a crowded bar for him:
“Thanks,” he said as they elbowed their way through the crowd. “I would’ve been dehydrated all night if it hadn’t been for you. Now I guess I owe you something. “ He dropped a hand on her lower back to direct her away from the bar.
Millie scuttled out of reach. “I’m glad I could use my powers for good.” She hoped he could feel her disdain rather than her attraction.
Plus #3: There’s a work conflict: Millie wants Parker to care about her cause, organized labor. Parker has to get a budget deal, and that may mean throwing labor unions under the bus. Both characters are vulnerable under their professional exteriors, so I should have loved the book.
So why didn’t I? Well, things would get brought up, and then dropped. Millie saw a psychiatrist, but it seemed all he was good for was telling her to cover her windows with light-proof shades. There were hints that Parker was commitment-shy because of his grandfather’s memory loss, but the connection between these two things was never explained.
But the biggest problem I had was with the development of the romance itself, which felt artificially extended. Parker kept turning Millie down even after it stopped making sense — almost as if he knew it was too early in the page count for a happy ending. This book was frustrating, like a tantalizingly spiced meal that turns out to be less than filling. I turned the pages eagerly, but was left hungry for more at the end.
April 9, 2019
3.5 stars
I liked that this book had a different setting: DC politics. Our hero lives and breathes his job and his encounters with women are only the sexual kind so when he sees the heroine and they have sparks he walks away as she is everything he isn't looking for: serious, nice and sweet. Of course he can't keep his mind of her and the scene where he is basically making people give testimonials for him, for the heroine to date him are hilarious. I did like how cautious the heroine was with him, given his history and her doubts seemed genuine unlike when in all romances the heroine easily swallow the line you're different.
I liked that this book had a different setting: DC politics. Our hero lives and breathes his job and his encounters with women are only the sexual kind so when he sees the heroine and they have sparks he walks away as she is everything he isn't looking for: serious, nice and sweet. Of course he can't keep his mind of her and the scene where he is basically making people give testimonials for him, for the heroine to date him are hilarious. I did like how cautious the heroine was with him, given his history and her doubts seemed genuine unlike when in all romances the heroine easily swallow the line you're different.
August 28, 2025
After re-reading it because I added the book to my shelves but forgot exact details which went down. So here I come with my review.
First of all this book will always be one of my comfort books. I think Parker wasted too much time vacillating at the beginning and also the relationship should've been given bit more time before break-up. But except this, I think everything else was pretty solid. Really perfect.
Love that they actually talk about a lot of their personal and workplace stuff thruout the book.
Am I also going to reach my 30s and have a mid-life crisis. Because rn in my early 20s, I think I can do a lot, tho not in terms of my impact on the world but in terms of my personal career. And well, I am cynical but growing up. Also the part abt him being close to his family was so sweet. Really loved that and wanted more scenes with them with Millie.
First of all this book will always be one of my comfort books. I think Parker wasted too much time vacillating at the beginning and also the relationship should've been given bit more time before break-up. But except this, I think everything else was pretty solid. Really perfect.
Love that they actually talk about a lot of their personal and workplace stuff thruout the book.
Am I also going to reach my 30s and have a mid-life crisis. Because rn in my early 20s, I think I can do a lot, tho not in terms of my impact on the world but in terms of my personal career. And well, I am cynical but growing up. Also the part abt him being close to his family was so sweet. Really loved that and wanted more scenes with them with Millie.
July 6, 2017
cute, breezy, easy and fun - it was all i was looking for when i picked up this book, and it delivered on every front. the internal conflicts didn't always make a lot of sense - this was a classic "all of this could have been resolved with one conversation" kind of thing - but the characters were winning and as a former congressional nerd myself, my heart went pitter-patter at a plot point that hinges upon the continuation of the davis-bacon act and the intricacies of a budget negotiation.
August 30, 2021
Why were there loads of Britishisms in this? Unfortunately I have read better Josh/Donna fic. I didn’t hate this! I didn’t feel like there was any real conflict in here other than this man never having a serious relationship - I wanted proper betrayal! Nice to read about a trade union organiser though, and as always, we love when men give things up for women!
September 7, 2021
I always enjoy Emma Barry‘s books, and the Washington DC setting is enjoyable, if a tad naive-feeling after *gestures broadly* everything. I felt like it was in the same world as the Alan and Shelby MacGregor Nora Roberts, and that‘s one of my favorite romance worlds!
November 10, 2017
Never thought I would enjoy a book that dealt with politics as much as I did this one.
Smartly written, great, witty dialogue and sexiness. ;)
October 28, 2019
Boring.
April 9, 2020
This had the potential to be my favorite book of all time, but the characters fell flat. I enjoyed the policy discussions more than the actual romance.
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