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Purple State
The #1 bestselling author, popular Fox News host, and former White House press secretary, Dana Perino, reaches new heights with her first novel—a smart, politically and romantically charged story where red meets blue, and love is never black and white.
Dorothy “Dot” Clark, a buttoned-up PR professional from New York City feels stuck in her career and her love life. At twenty-five, she expected more from her choices. Seizing a chance to follow her passion, she’s sent to Cedar Falls, Wisconsin, a swing district in a swing state that could decide the next presidential election. Joined by her two best friends, Mary and Harper—both excited to escape the city for reasons of their own—Dot quickly discovers that small-town Midwestern life is far outside her urban comfort zone.
Nestled along the banks of the picturesque Cedar Creek, the charming town of Cedar Falls is everything the girls have been missing. The close-knit community takes pride in its cozy cafes, locally brewed beer, family farms, and, of course, the beloved Reader Falls Bookshop. There, Dot meets the mysterious Danny Dawson, a big-hearted, truck-driving guy who follows hockey, not headlines—a man so unlike anyone she’s ever dated that she finds herself falling fast. Mary and Harper, both tired of dating finance bros and influencer wannabes, soon also discover that guys outside New York might just be hotter, smarter, and more grounded than they’d imagined, even if they vote the other way.
But with the campaign heating up, how can Dot find time for Danny when she has a job to do, and what’s the point when she’s going back to New York City after the election? Can love really cross party lines, or will Dot filibuster her own feelings? And who says that two people from opposite sides of the aisle can’t eventually walk down one together?
Dana Perino makes her fiction debut with this witty and delightful romantic comedy—a small-town romance and touching story of self-discovery that asks if choosing love is the best decision after all.
Dorothy “Dot” Clark, a buttoned-up PR professional from New York City feels stuck in her career and her love life. At twenty-five, she expected more from her choices. Seizing a chance to follow her passion, she’s sent to Cedar Falls, Wisconsin, a swing district in a swing state that could decide the next presidential election. Joined by her two best friends, Mary and Harper—both excited to escape the city for reasons of their own—Dot quickly discovers that small-town Midwestern life is far outside her urban comfort zone.
Nestled along the banks of the picturesque Cedar Creek, the charming town of Cedar Falls is everything the girls have been missing. The close-knit community takes pride in its cozy cafes, locally brewed beer, family farms, and, of course, the beloved Reader Falls Bookshop. There, Dot meets the mysterious Danny Dawson, a big-hearted, truck-driving guy who follows hockey, not headlines—a man so unlike anyone she’s ever dated that she finds herself falling fast. Mary and Harper, both tired of dating finance bros and influencer wannabes, soon also discover that guys outside New York might just be hotter, smarter, and more grounded than they’d imagined, even if they vote the other way.
But with the campaign heating up, how can Dot find time for Danny when she has a job to do, and what’s the point when she’s going back to New York City after the election? Can love really cross party lines, or will Dot filibuster her own feelings? And who says that two people from opposite sides of the aisle can’t eventually walk down one together?
Dana Perino makes her fiction debut with this witty and delightful romantic comedy—a small-town romance and touching story of self-discovery that asks if choosing love is the best decision after all.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2026
About the author
Dana Perino
12 books408 followersDana Perino is an American political commentator and author. Perino served as the White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush, where she was the first female press secretary in a Republican administration. She was appointed to the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors in 2010 by President Obama.
Dana Perino currently anchors FOX News Channel’s (FNC) The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino and also serves as co-host of The Five (weekdays 5-6PM/ET). She also hosts a podcast Perino and Stirewalt: I’ll Tell You What.
Dana Perino currently anchors FOX News Channel’s (FNC) The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino and also serves as co-host of The Five (weekdays 5-6PM/ET). She also hosts a podcast Perino and Stirewalt: I’ll Tell You What.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 497 reviews
nope
January 15, 2026Can not say FUCK NO to this plot nonsense loud enough. Thinking a man who votes against human rights, against your own bodily autonomy, is attractive AND SMART? In what sane part of the world?!
Read
January 20, 2026Can love really cross party lines, or will Dot filibuster her own feelings? And who says that two people from opposite sides of the aisle can’t eventually walk down one together?
![](https://media.tenor.com/0NV9IIRfVVkAAAAM/meme-mood.gif")
Want to Read
January 21, 2026Wth is this
Read
January 25, 2026this book is already a waste of trees because of the plot
absolutely-not
March 29, 2026Yeah no. What we’re not gonna do is romanticize this nonsense.
May 1, 2026
Listen... I've read a lot of terrible books in my life. But this one... this was BAD. Granted, I am NOT the target audience for this book (not exactly sure who is... but it is DEFINITELY not me) BUT objectively, this book was atrocious. This book needed AT LEAST one more round of editing, AND it needed to decide what the tone was going to be. You can't have characters born in the early 2000s saying things like "you're so extra" (early 2010s lingo) AND making 6-7 jokes and then in the same breath have them reference Frank Sinatra and Audrey Hepburn. No 23 year old is referencing Audrey Hepburn.
Aside from that, Dot, Mary and Harper were all caricatures of archetypes of women. This was a Republican man's dream scenario for women. Dot, our corporate baddie, is stripped of all her ambition and is even given advice by the PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE THAT SHE IS CAMPAIGNING FOR to reconsider her goals and is ultimately told to choose love because "she would have done the same." No you wouldn't have, Lucia Lopez. You are running for President. You are very obviously committed to your career. Dot ultimately becomes a tradwife, having abandoned her life and career in New York, after spending the whole book talking about how she would "never leave New York." Mary, our rebellious bad bitch character, spends the entire book slowly chipping away at everything that makes her independent. She becomes less fashionable, starting the book out only wearing designer, to at the end of the book ordering leggings from Amazon and then being gifted a Carhartt jacket and farm boots she would never wear and "loves." Mary is stripped of all her autonomy by the end of the book and ends up being a bootlicker. Finally... Harper, the only character who somewhat kept her hopes and dreams. Harper's main characteristic is that she was fat, heartbroken and had allergies. Throughout the whole book "The Crew" (no friend group of 20 somethings is calling themselves "The Crew" by the way), laughs and makes fun of Harper for being "the curvier" one, for having allergies, and one specific event, Harper gets sick from mixing her allergy medication with alcohol and Mary goes, "It could've been me!" and everyone laughs. Harper is the designated, ugly fat friend. It was VERY evident throughout the ENTIRE book. Harper still ultimately abandoned New York for the midwest but still pursued her writing career.
On top of the dehumanization of women, the end of every chapter read like a 2000s sitcom episode. You expected every scene to end with a response from a live action audience. The book was also (predictably) racist. We have a handful of latine characters aside from our Democratic nominee, Lucia Lopez. We have Manny Rios and Rafael Hernandez, who both work at the Family Court office. And then on page 65 we can't decide if Mary's boss' name is Sofia Garcia or Maria Garcia. That's just the tip of the racist iceberg. Very obviously, the book has a huge underlying issue of casual misogyny. This is seen when "The Crew" very often describes icks they get from the male characters doing things in this book "like a girl."
This review doesn't include the casual Super PAC and China mentions, AND the stupid fuck ass establishment names she creates for Cedar Falls that pissed me off to no end.
To top everything off, they drink unpasteurized milk. More than once.
This book gets way worse, but it has already taken 10 years off my life. But ultimately that was my decision, and I had a GREAT LAUGH making fun of how terrible this was!
Buddy/Hate read with Caleigh <3
Aside from that, Dot, Mary and Harper were all caricatures of archetypes of women. This was a Republican man's dream scenario for women. Dot, our corporate baddie, is stripped of all her ambition and is even given advice by the PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE THAT SHE IS CAMPAIGNING FOR to reconsider her goals and is ultimately told to choose love because "she would have done the same." No you wouldn't have, Lucia Lopez. You are running for President. You are very obviously committed to your career. Dot ultimately becomes a tradwife, having abandoned her life and career in New York, after spending the whole book talking about how she would "never leave New York." Mary, our rebellious bad bitch character, spends the entire book slowly chipping away at everything that makes her independent. She becomes less fashionable, starting the book out only wearing designer, to at the end of the book ordering leggings from Amazon and then being gifted a Carhartt jacket and farm boots she would never wear and "loves." Mary is stripped of all her autonomy by the end of the book and ends up being a bootlicker. Finally... Harper, the only character who somewhat kept her hopes and dreams. Harper's main characteristic is that she was fat, heartbroken and had allergies. Throughout the whole book "The Crew" (no friend group of 20 somethings is calling themselves "The Crew" by the way), laughs and makes fun of Harper for being "the curvier" one, for having allergies, and one specific event, Harper gets sick from mixing her allergy medication with alcohol and Mary goes, "It could've been me!" and everyone laughs. Harper is the designated, ugly fat friend. It was VERY evident throughout the ENTIRE book. Harper still ultimately abandoned New York for the midwest but still pursued her writing career.
On top of the dehumanization of women, the end of every chapter read like a 2000s sitcom episode. You expected every scene to end with a response from a live action audience. The book was also (predictably) racist. We have a handful of latine characters aside from our Democratic nominee, Lucia Lopez. We have Manny Rios and Rafael Hernandez, who both work at the Family Court office. And then on page 65 we can't decide if Mary's boss' name is Sofia Garcia or Maria Garcia. That's just the tip of the racist iceberg. Very obviously, the book has a huge underlying issue of casual misogyny. This is seen when "The Crew" very often describes icks they get from the male characters doing things in this book "like a girl."
This review doesn't include the casual Super PAC and China mentions, AND the stupid fuck ass establishment names she creates for Cedar Falls that pissed me off to no end.
To top everything off, they drink unpasteurized milk. More than once.
This book gets way worse, but it has already taken 10 years off my life. But ultimately that was my decision, and I had a GREAT LAUGH making fun of how terrible this was!
Buddy/Hate read with Caleigh <3
May 8, 2026
IM FREE!!!! WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY FUCKING LIFE!!!!!!
Where do I even begin…maybe let’s start with the premise. A group of Democrat women go to Wisconsin to get ppl to vote blue in the next election and then throw away their morals over some Republican dick. Fantastic, thank you. Just what we need in this political climate. Wonderful work, Ms. Perino.
The thesis of this book is basically “we can allllll get along! Democrats and Republicans CAN be friends! We’re all too divisive!” Maybe this argument could be made in a pre-Trump world, but in no fucking UNIVERSE can you make nice with maga freaks. If you can look past their “politics” of hating immigrants, women, and really minorities as a whole you’re just a shitty person, I’m sorry 😭😭. These characters who claim to be left leaning forget the concept of having a back bone the SECOND they and the republican men start fucking. Which, do I have to explain why that’s disgusting? It plays into this porn-brained idea that leftist women can be “fixed” by maga men having sex with them. Just look at the way Twitter talked abt Alysa Liu during the Olympics. Prime example.
It’s not helped by the fact that this book never once goes into detail on the specific politics of these men other than “they’re republicans”. Don’t be shy, Dana! Spell out what they really think!
Shitty politics aside, this book is terrible. It’s horrifically boring and Dana Perino is a terrible fiction writer. Entire chapters in the first quarter are the epitome of digging in our butts. Absolute word vomit of nothing—and for PAGESSSSS. The first chapter is literally NINE PAGES of the mc thinking abt how much of a beta chud her bf is. NINE FUCKING PAGES.
Another thing is, who is this even for? Who tf is the target audience? Large portions of this book is just Dana Perino spitting out American political verbiage with no explanation of what any of it means. What’s the ROJ? PAC? DNC? I have no fucking idea. Now granted I’m Canadian. Maybe I’d know if I was an American, but does the average not-fox-news-host American know? It’s not like there’s a glossary or anything.
Overall this just fucking sucked. If I could give this 0 stars, I would.
And before you ask, no, I didn’t pay for this ebook.
Where do I even begin…maybe let’s start with the premise. A group of Democrat women go to Wisconsin to get ppl to vote blue in the next election and then throw away their morals over some Republican dick. Fantastic, thank you. Just what we need in this political climate. Wonderful work, Ms. Perino.
The thesis of this book is basically “we can allllll get along! Democrats and Republicans CAN be friends! We’re all too divisive!” Maybe this argument could be made in a pre-Trump world, but in no fucking UNIVERSE can you make nice with maga freaks. If you can look past their “politics” of hating immigrants, women, and really minorities as a whole you’re just a shitty person, I’m sorry 😭😭. These characters who claim to be left leaning forget the concept of having a back bone the SECOND they and the republican men start fucking. Which, do I have to explain why that’s disgusting? It plays into this porn-brained idea that leftist women can be “fixed” by maga men having sex with them. Just look at the way Twitter talked abt Alysa Liu during the Olympics. Prime example.
It’s not helped by the fact that this book never once goes into detail on the specific politics of these men other than “they’re republicans”. Don’t be shy, Dana! Spell out what they really think!
Shitty politics aside, this book is terrible. It’s horrifically boring and Dana Perino is a terrible fiction writer. Entire chapters in the first quarter are the epitome of digging in our butts. Absolute word vomit of nothing—and for PAGESSSSS. The first chapter is literally NINE PAGES of the mc thinking abt how much of a beta chud her bf is. NINE FUCKING PAGES.
Another thing is, who is this even for? Who tf is the target audience? Large portions of this book is just Dana Perino spitting out American political verbiage with no explanation of what any of it means. What’s the ROJ? PAC? DNC? I have no fucking idea. Now granted I’m Canadian. Maybe I’d know if I was an American, but does the average not-fox-news-host American know? It’s not like there’s a glossary or anything.
Overall this just fucking sucked. If I could give this 0 stars, I would.
And before you ask, no, I didn’t pay for this ebook.
authors-behaving-badly
January 23, 2026Absolutely not!
May 1, 2026
I swore off Contemporary Romance, but how can I resist a Rom-Com written by one of my most favorite people in the whole world? Dana Perino brings a smile to my face every time I watch her on TV. I do have to say that at 384 pages that is waaaay to long for a romance and this book got lost in the whole run up to the romance. I did enjoy the insider feel of the politics but was a little disappointed in how adamant Dot was about the Democratic party. But I guess if you are willing to uproot your life and move to another state, you had better be all in. I loved her friend's characters, Mary especially. I heard Emily Compagno's voice every time Mary opened her mouth! I found Cedar Falls, Wisconsin to be an absolutely wonderful small town, and I loved how the town took in Dot, Mary and Harper and make them feel welcome.
At twenty-five Dorothy “Dot” Clark is on the fast track at her high-powered New York City Public Relations firm, but even though she loves New York, she isn't really feeling it for her career. When a college friend contacts her with a way to help the Democratic Party retake the White House, Dot is more than interested. She convinces her two best friends, Mary and Harper (who are also dissatisfied with the way their lives/jobs are going), to go with her and move to Cedar Falls, Wisconsin.
They find a different pace of life in this small town and a different breed of man. Dot meets Danny, who is wonderful, hot, smart and real in a way that she never expected. But he could not care less about politics and that is all Dot is into right now. Her friends Mary and Harper also meet great guys and get involved in this community in ways they never expected to be. This whole move was supposed to be temporary, but the people of Cedar Falls have worked their way into the hearts of these three women and leaving may prove to be the most difficult thing they ever do. If they can do it.
At twenty-five Dorothy “Dot” Clark is on the fast track at her high-powered New York City Public Relations firm, but even though she loves New York, she isn't really feeling it for her career. When a college friend contacts her with a way to help the Democratic Party retake the White House, Dot is more than interested. She convinces her two best friends, Mary and Harper (who are also dissatisfied with the way their lives/jobs are going), to go with her and move to Cedar Falls, Wisconsin.
They find a different pace of life in this small town and a different breed of man. Dot meets Danny, who is wonderful, hot, smart and real in a way that she never expected. But he could not care less about politics and that is all Dot is into right now. Her friends Mary and Harper also meet great guys and get involved in this community in ways they never expected to be. This whole move was supposed to be temporary, but the people of Cedar Falls have worked their way into the hearts of these three women and leaving may prove to be the most difficult thing they ever do. If they can do it.
August 2, 2026
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 0.5/5
yeah, no.
"even if they vote the other way"
That was verbatim from the blurb by the way....and ummmm, I think it's a little more complicated than that. I have one question and I mean this with absolutely no malice, but who's the target audience? 😬
anyways, the rating is more because there were too many simultaneous love stories and I wasn't able to connect to the writing because the pacing was off, but I also wonder if this was the right time for a book like this. I just think it's out of place given the current geopolitical situation.
yeah, no.
"even if they vote the other way"
That was verbatim from the blurb by the way....and ummmm, I think it's a little more complicated than that. I have one question and I mean this with absolutely no malice, but who's the target audience? 😬
anyways, the rating is more because there were too many simultaneous love stories and I wasn't able to connect to the writing because the pacing was off, but I also wonder if this was the right time for a book like this. I just think it's out of place given the current geopolitical situation.
April 30, 2026
this was insanely bad. like genuinely the worst book ive ever read. lowkey it's my fault for hate-reading this knowing i wasn't the target audience. but then again, i truly could not tell you who was the true intended audience. because it definitely wasn't anyone born in the early 2000s! bc who (born in 2002) is named dot & mary. maybe in 1962 but definitely not in 2002. i honestly don't believe that the author knows anyone born after the 1980s because this was insanely inaccurate for anyone born in 2001-2003. what do you mean we have a character born in 2002 that is MOURNFUL of 9/11?..... i honestly cannot express how bad this book was and i don't even know how on earth it was published.
hate read with aimee <3
hate read with aimee <3
April 26, 2026
DNF at like 20%.
Although the whole “oh repubs and dems are both bad and we all have more in common than not” messaging is dumb as hell and incorrect (last time I checked, democrats aren’t killing civilians in the streets or terrorizing immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community but ok), but the actual writing and story telling was just bad. The blurb has you believe you’re picking up a book with a single main character but when you begin reading, there’s actually like 4? POVs that the author just info dumps the hell out of. The way the young women were characterized was also pretty inaccurate. Young women in their mid-early twenties don’t act or present themselves in the way the author wrote her characters - it felt a bit like a caricature at times, and I say this as someone not even in that age group. I literally spent a week trying to talk myself into picking this back up to finish it but I couldn’t do it. Don’t waste your time, this author should prob just stick to misinformation and wildly inaccurate takes rather than branching out into romantic fiction.
Thank you to Harper, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy.
Although the whole “oh repubs and dems are both bad and we all have more in common than not” messaging is dumb as hell and incorrect (last time I checked, democrats aren’t killing civilians in the streets or terrorizing immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community but ok), but the actual writing and story telling was just bad. The blurb has you believe you’re picking up a book with a single main character but when you begin reading, there’s actually like 4? POVs that the author just info dumps the hell out of. The way the young women were characterized was also pretty inaccurate. Young women in their mid-early twenties don’t act or present themselves in the way the author wrote her characters - it felt a bit like a caricature at times, and I say this as someone not even in that age group. I literally spent a week trying to talk myself into picking this back up to finish it but I couldn’t do it. Don’t waste your time, this author should prob just stick to misinformation and wildly inaccurate takes rather than branching out into romantic fiction.
Thank you to Harper, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy.
April 17, 2026
Out April 21. I just finished Purple State, and wow, what a read!! I loved it so much and the ending made me tear up!! 💕💕💕 Thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley for the advanced reading copy.
April 19, 2026
Thank you to Harper for the gifted book. I was actually shocked that the Goodreads rating was so low. It's apparent there are a ton of people reviewing this book based on idealogy. This is disappointing.
Truthfully, this is a 3.5 rounded up romance about a trio of besties from NYC that spend a "political gap year" in the small Wisconsin town of Cedar Falls. The main character, Dot, scores a postition for a year in a swing county working for a Democratic PAC in Wisconsin.
I think there is a lot to like here. It is interesting seeing how alike we all are despite huge political differences. And, in purple areas like Cedar Falls, it's amazing how well even mismatched policies align when they all dine at the same restaurants, etc.
This is the author's first attempt at fiction. I felt the characters felt a bit flat and didn't feel real. But, I think its a great first attempt at fiction and I think a lot of reader will enjoy this!
Truthfully, this is a 3.5 rounded up romance about a trio of besties from NYC that spend a "political gap year" in the small Wisconsin town of Cedar Falls. The main character, Dot, scores a postition for a year in a swing county working for a Democratic PAC in Wisconsin.
I think there is a lot to like here. It is interesting seeing how alike we all are despite huge political differences. And, in purple areas like Cedar Falls, it's amazing how well even mismatched policies align when they all dine at the same restaurants, etc.
This is the author's first attempt at fiction. I felt the characters felt a bit flat and didn't feel real. But, I think its a great first attempt at fiction and I think a lot of reader will enjoy this!
jail
March 17, 2026euughhhhhhhhhkkkkk !!
April 22, 2026
This is a book not to judge by its cover or blurb. It's more than a romance. Yes, there are moments it gets political, but not just in terms of Blue vs. Red. There are nuances in there, and it's so important to pay attention to really understand matters and debates.
The characters could have been fleshed out more, and I'd have loved to see more of the friendship between Dot, Mary, and Harper, but this is Dana's fictional debut and I can see future books working on these.
The plot was there, and the genuine friendships were there. Plus, it was a believable story that makes you think a little about yourself. Some of the negativity is so unfair, because it's clear people haven't actually read the book.
The characters could have been fleshed out more, and I'd have loved to see more of the friendship between Dot, Mary, and Harper, but this is Dana's fictional debut and I can see future books working on these.
The plot was there, and the genuine friendships were there. Plus, it was a believable story that makes you think a little about yourself. Some of the negativity is so unfair, because it's clear people haven't actually read the book.
April 21, 2026
Great beach or weekend read! Emily Henry vibes with multi-dimensional characters that are relatable and easy to root for; the writing is charming, fun, descriptive, and quickly pulls you in. It’s not overly political and is a fun read whether you are interested in politics or not. This could be made into a great rom-com movie or short series!
April 21, 2026
PURPLE STATE by Dana Perino is on the shelves today. It’s a romantic comedy with a political theme simmering below the surface. The characters hooked me within the first few chapters. Meet the The Crew, 3 girlfriends since their freshman year at NYU: Dot, who works for a high-pressure PR firm in Manhattan, lawyer Mary, and Harper, a teacher at The Van Buren School. Together, they walk each other through both career and relationship struggles.
As luck would have it, all three women need a change. An offer comes from For the Win campaign to help the Democratic National Committee. They are in need of workers in purple states, those crucial areas that switch back and forth in elections between red and blue. For volunteers who move to one of these key battlegrounds for a year, the campaign is willing to pay for housing, transportation, and living expenses while the participants collect on-the-ground info to help win the needed 10 electoral votes. The girls are off to Cedar Falls, Wisconsin.
Before anyone gets his or her tail feathers ruffled, this isn’t a political exposé. It’s fiction—warm, witty, and well-written. Must every mention of politics be contentious? How refreshing that this author can write about both parties with respect and civility. Let’s lighten up a little bit. Dana Perino is a consummate storyteller, a master at character development and descriptions, so readers can sit back and enjoy a good story. I can still picture the characters’ dress, the foods, the men (oh, my…), and the charming small town in Wisconsin.
As she does in her previous books, the author scatters life lessons within the narrative, encouraging readers to build belief in themselves, to be willing to take risks, and to always choose to be loved.
As luck would have it, all three women need a change. An offer comes from For the Win campaign to help the Democratic National Committee. They are in need of workers in purple states, those crucial areas that switch back and forth in elections between red and blue. For volunteers who move to one of these key battlegrounds for a year, the campaign is willing to pay for housing, transportation, and living expenses while the participants collect on-the-ground info to help win the needed 10 electoral votes. The girls are off to Cedar Falls, Wisconsin.
Before anyone gets his or her tail feathers ruffled, this isn’t a political exposé. It’s fiction—warm, witty, and well-written. Must every mention of politics be contentious? How refreshing that this author can write about both parties with respect and civility. Let’s lighten up a little bit. Dana Perino is a consummate storyteller, a master at character development and descriptions, so readers can sit back and enjoy a good story. I can still picture the characters’ dress, the foods, the men (oh, my…), and the charming small town in Wisconsin.
As she does in her previous books, the author scatters life lessons within the narrative, encouraging readers to build belief in themselves, to be willing to take risks, and to always choose to be loved.
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authors-behaving-badly-dnr
June 13, 2026Absolutely the fuck not.
April 28, 2026
This was an easy read and not political (although it does center on characters working on a presidential campaign.) It does not choose sides (which might annoy hyper-sensitive readers who want something political to complain about) and instead is just a cute story about friendship and making decisions. It’s a fast read for someone who doesn’t want a story that stresses them out. It’s not a literary masterpiece, but just fun. If it’s not for you, totally okay…move on. For me, it was a nice break from the daily grind. The author is not out to change the world or your opinion. I think she really just felt like writing a story. If you’re into screaming about politics and people who don’t agree with your view, I’m sure there are lots of other options out there.
Review of advance copy
3⭐️
I loved the Midwest setting, found the premise interesting, and enjoyed the characters.
I found the writing very reporter like with a little too much description. (I don’t care what people are wearing.) I wanted more show and less tell. I also wanted to know the characters more.
Overall, this was an enjoyable debut. Also, can I just say I’m thankful it wasn’t spicy at all?! I wouldn’t have been able to watch Dana report the news again if it had been. 🙃
I loved the Midwest setting, found the premise interesting, and enjoyed the characters.
I found the writing very reporter like with a little too much description. (I don’t care what people are wearing.) I wanted more show and less tell. I also wanted to know the characters more.
Overall, this was an enjoyable debut. Also, can I just say I’m thankful it wasn’t spicy at all?! I wouldn’t have been able to watch Dana report the news again if it had been. 🙃
April 22, 2026
An absolute delight.
It’s light, fun, vivid - an excellent change of pace for people looking for a fun summer read that also carries depth and purpose.
Dana uses her own experience in the political world to create an engaging backdrop for a great little love story. I hope she writes more.
It’s light, fun, vivid - an excellent change of pace for people looking for a fun summer read that also carries depth and purpose.
Dana uses her own experience in the political world to create an engaging backdrop for a great little love story. I hope she writes more.
Did Not Finish
March 24, 2026I honestly thought this book was going to be a cute little rom-com about the couple of the book cover but I honestly didn’t see the friends being apart of the story and getting apart in the book. I DNF it at 15% I can’t read a book about politics.
June 5, 2026
This was, psychologically, the longest reading experience of my year, and that's saying something when I also read Les Mis this year. This book isn't good. It isn't good as a book, content aside. I kept up a running commentary of the content that got to me as I was reading it, so I will only dive into that a little bit at the end of this review. But first, let me tell you why this is a bad book.
1) This book isn't a romance.
I don't demand that books be romances, but this book is marketed as a romance. The cover is designed like a romance. The blurb reads like a romance. That's what the publisher/author are capitalizing on, and it just isn't a romance. There's no chemistry. There's no flirting. There's no will-they-won't-they. It's full-send from the beginning, and that's just not how you write a romance. It's more akin to women's fiction set in a Hallmark-style small town, the story of three women discovering themselves (with romantic partners as a bonus). If it were marketed this way, it might work better. But even then, I don't think so.
2) The prose is stilted.
It's obviously written by someone who does more technical writing than fiction writing. Every time a character walks into the scene, we get to know what her shirt, pants, shoes, and accessories look like in the way you might catalog the appearance of a suspect in a police report. This isn't good writing, and it pulls you right out of the scene. Are we reading a book report, or are we reading the book?
3) The politics isn't the point.
This book pitches itself like "Hallmark romance but if you asked those icky, sticky questions about politics between the big city girl and the small town boy." And that's just... not what happens. This book doesn't engage with politics in any meaningful way. It doesn't offer any debate. It doesn't even indicate that the three pairs of love interests would be interested in discussing politics. They just... don't really talk about it.
So, overall, this book has a marketing problem. It has a writing problem. And it has a content problem (in that the content it promises to deliver it very much does not). It isn't fun to read. It isn't plotted well. And even fans of Dana Perino will be disappointed in that, because what is this? If you're going to write a propaganda book, you should endeavor to make it a good book first. And we didn't do that.
Now, when it comes to the content, I had a lot of problems. Not just because, politically, this book falls far from my own personal ideology. No, my problem stems from so much more than that. Because this book doesn't engage with politics in any meaningful way. Because it doesn't take seriously the effort to understand the "liberal" young women it centers. And because it very clearly highlights the gulf between Right and Left instead of, you know, any half-hearted propaganda-y attempts to ameliorate this gulf. I won't dig too much into this, because I don't have the time or the mental bandwidth to do that. But some highlights of weird assumptions and absurdities:
* a 25-year-old mid-career lawyer (what are we, a prodigy? when exactly did we go to law school??)
* a 25-year-old NYC native preoccupied with not being married yet (keeping in mind the average age of a *first* marriage in NYC is 30-yos for women)
* a lactose intolerant woman who isn't *really* lactose intolerant but has only been convinced she is by TikTok (raw milk cures her of this delusion)
* a cop love interest whose profession none of the liberal protagonists take issue with (like, we don't even *mention* that this might be an issue, it is so far from the radar of the average conservative POV)
* a backstory involving going out on a "mission trip" right after graduating from a liberal university (a phrasing that bears quite a bit of religious subtext for the supposedly-not-religious MCs)
* a demeaning commentary on publishing trends toward romantasy/fantasy erotica (while also somehow encouraging one of the women to keep writing this because it is too trendy not to get published immediately)
* a last-minute addition of some mean local girls because women have to always be women's biggest enemies, right?
This is a book full of weird delusions about liberal women and assumptions about the "universal" preoccupations of women that just aren't universal. It's so conservative-coded, right down to the assumptions it makes about the hopes, dreams, and desires of its female protagonists (which are not ever questioned, just assumed to be universal). This is a book that comes with absolutely no introspection, even before it gets to the blatant propaganda. Instead of seriously considering whether political divides can be conquered by interpersonal connections (which I didn't honestly have much hope it would do, going in), this book just highlights the differences between political stances right down to the core. So, you know, not great at even accomplishing the kinda garbage goal it sets out to accomplish.
1) This book isn't a romance.
I don't demand that books be romances, but this book is marketed as a romance. The cover is designed like a romance. The blurb reads like a romance. That's what the publisher/author are capitalizing on, and it just isn't a romance. There's no chemistry. There's no flirting. There's no will-they-won't-they. It's full-send from the beginning, and that's just not how you write a romance. It's more akin to women's fiction set in a Hallmark-style small town, the story of three women discovering themselves (with romantic partners as a bonus). If it were marketed this way, it might work better. But even then, I don't think so.
2) The prose is stilted.
It's obviously written by someone who does more technical writing than fiction writing. Every time a character walks into the scene, we get to know what her shirt, pants, shoes, and accessories look like in the way you might catalog the appearance of a suspect in a police report. This isn't good writing, and it pulls you right out of the scene. Are we reading a book report, or are we reading the book?
3) The politics isn't the point.
This book pitches itself like "Hallmark romance but if you asked those icky, sticky questions about politics between the big city girl and the small town boy." And that's just... not what happens. This book doesn't engage with politics in any meaningful way. It doesn't offer any debate. It doesn't even indicate that the three pairs of love interests would be interested in discussing politics. They just... don't really talk about it.
So, overall, this book has a marketing problem. It has a writing problem. And it has a content problem (in that the content it promises to deliver it very much does not). It isn't fun to read. It isn't plotted well. And even fans of Dana Perino will be disappointed in that, because what is this? If you're going to write a propaganda book, you should endeavor to make it a good book first. And we didn't do that.
Now, when it comes to the content, I had a lot of problems. Not just because, politically, this book falls far from my own personal ideology. No, my problem stems from so much more than that. Because this book doesn't engage with politics in any meaningful way. Because it doesn't take seriously the effort to understand the "liberal" young women it centers. And because it very clearly highlights the gulf between Right and Left instead of, you know, any half-hearted propaganda-y attempts to ameliorate this gulf. I won't dig too much into this, because I don't have the time or the mental bandwidth to do that. But some highlights of weird assumptions and absurdities:
* a 25-year-old mid-career lawyer (what are we, a prodigy? when exactly did we go to law school??)
* a 25-year-old NYC native preoccupied with not being married yet (keeping in mind the average age of a *first* marriage in NYC is 30-yos for women)
* a lactose intolerant woman who isn't *really* lactose intolerant but has only been convinced she is by TikTok (raw milk cures her of this delusion)
* a cop love interest whose profession none of the liberal protagonists take issue with (like, we don't even *mention* that this might be an issue, it is so far from the radar of the average conservative POV)
* a backstory involving going out on a "mission trip" right after graduating from a liberal university (a phrasing that bears quite a bit of religious subtext for the supposedly-not-religious MCs)
* a demeaning commentary on publishing trends toward romantasy/fantasy erotica (while also somehow encouraging one of the women to keep writing this because it is too trendy not to get published immediately)
* a last-minute addition of some mean local girls because women have to always be women's biggest enemies, right?
This is a book full of weird delusions about liberal women and assumptions about the "universal" preoccupations of women that just aren't universal. It's so conservative-coded, right down to the assumptions it makes about the hopes, dreams, and desires of its female protagonists (which are not ever questioned, just assumed to be universal). This is a book that comes with absolutely no introspection, even before it gets to the blatant propaganda. Instead of seriously considering whether political divides can be conquered by interpersonal connections (which I didn't honestly have much hope it would do, going in), this book just highlights the differences between political stances right down to the core. So, you know, not great at even accomplishing the kinda garbage goal it sets out to accomplish.
April 29, 2026
PURPLE STATE by #1 bestselling author and Fox News host Dana Perino is a must-read for both sides of the aisle. The story follows three smart, stylish, and engaging twentysomethings at a crossroads in their professional and personal lives in New York City. Dot takes a year-long job with the For the Win campaign to assist the Democratic Party and moves to Cedar Falls, Wisconsin—a swing state that could decide the next presidential election. She brings along her two best friends, Harper, a teacher, and Mary, a lawyer, who are more than happy to leave their city lives behind.
I love the premise of the book, especially how Dana weaves together politics, small-town charm, and love without losing sight of the book’s central theme: that people with vastly different political views can still find common ground and even fall in love. As a Hallmark Channel fan, I can easily picture this story as the perfect movie for the mid-term election season.
For anyone who enjoys romance novels but also has a taste for politics, this book strikes a wonderful balance. If only life could mirror such a delightful story. I hope Dana is already working on a sequel because she has clearly found her niche.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love the premise of the book, especially how Dana weaves together politics, small-town charm, and love without losing sight of the book’s central theme: that people with vastly different political views can still find common ground and even fall in love. As a Hallmark Channel fan, I can easily picture this story as the perfect movie for the mid-term election season.
For anyone who enjoys romance novels but also has a taste for politics, this book strikes a wonderful balance. If only life could mirror such a delightful story. I hope Dana is already working on a sequel because she has clearly found her niche.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 28, 2026
this is a lovely book
It only works, though because it is three New York ladies going to Wisconsin. The midwest is open to accepting people as individuals apart from their politics. It would not have worked in the reverse. I love that she does not say how the election turned out. That was never the point of the story.
It only works, though because it is three New York ladies going to Wisconsin. The midwest is open to accepting people as individuals apart from their politics. It would not have worked in the reverse. I love that she does not say how the election turned out. That was never the point of the story.
Did Not Finish
April 29, 2026I really wanted to give this a chance because of the awful reviews from people who haven’t even read it, but unfortunately this one was just too slow for me & I could not connect at all to the characters.
June 15, 2026
I read this book knowing nothing about it and expecting to dislike it for being overtly conservative. Instead, I found this book bad because it is bad. The story is poorly constructed and - weird for what is essentially a Hallmark movie - very unromantic. None of the characters talked like or acted like any 25-year-old liberal woman I’ve ever met. since this takes place in 2027-2028, the girls are all supposed to be Gen Z, but they’re giving Buzzfeed millennial. The only good thing about the portrayal of young women, I guess (?) is that it introduced the phrase “he’d been icked” to my vocabulary which is such an embarrassingly non-Gen Z attempt at incorporating real slang that it at least is endearing.
I also dislike the book’s treatment of its love interests, namely Fletcher. I was primed to dislike Fletcher, who is a nepo baby wannabe podcast bro. But he and Dot at least have chemistry? He makes her laugh. They even do the “one bed” trope except he gallantly takes the too-small sofa and then they yearn on opposite sides of the hotel door - very fun stuff. But Dot instead falls for the small town hunk with a dead wife and kid, and he truly has zero personality or interests, and is so deeply boring that I could neither tell you his name, his appearance, or his job. Maybe construction?
And when Dot inevitably moves to small town Wisconsin out of deep, deep love for her conservative boyfriend (happily ignoring her job offer in that nasty swamp DC or her established life in Mamdani’s New York) apparently his big romantic gesture is… making her the owner of a new, unestablished cafe, even though she has no experience owning a business or even making coffee? Just “thanks for moving here! Take this job and responsibility that you didn’t ask for and never wanted.” It’s so weird.
Dot, obviously, loves this, because none of the characters in this book act normally. All this to say: Justice for Fletcher in 2032.
I’m not even getting into the other relationships (there are three main couples in this book) because they are somehow even more unremarkable than Dot and what’s-his-face. I will share that one of the relationships is based at least partially out of a shared love of raw milk, because it’s incredible. Apparently, in this universe, raw milk cures psychosomatic lactose intolerance. God bless America’s dairy industry.
To conclude, I really respect the author for trying to write about an uncomfortable subject and really sympathize with supporters of an opposite party. It’s a worthwhile endeavor and a daunting subject for a debut novel. Sadly, this book is so poorly constructed that I don’t even have the energy to unpack its political statements. If this book really wanted us to see the other party as human, maybe it should’ve tried to explore the humanity of its characters.
Instead, Purple State refuses to engage in real politics, any politics, after 2016 (notably, it mentions that Hillary Clinton lost that election but neglects to say who won…). This oversight makes the entire point of the book fall flat. Who cares if a Democratic woman falls in love with a Republican man in this book? Or multiple Democratic women, with multiple Republican men? Of course they can make it work! This book is a fantasy world absent of Truth Social conspiracy theorists or youthful Tumblr communists or any idealogue in-between. It is so far removed from reality that its central argument is its own counter-argument. I came away with the impression that the author truly believes we can all get along, even fall in love, with a member of the opposite party - but only for as long as nobody says our president’s name out loud. Was that her intent? I dont know, but I doubt it.
I also dislike the book’s treatment of its love interests, namely Fletcher. I was primed to dislike Fletcher, who is a nepo baby wannabe podcast bro. But he and Dot at least have chemistry? He makes her laugh. They even do the “one bed” trope except he gallantly takes the too-small sofa and then they yearn on opposite sides of the hotel door - very fun stuff. But Dot instead falls for the small town hunk with a dead wife and kid, and he truly has zero personality or interests, and is so deeply boring that I could neither tell you his name, his appearance, or his job. Maybe construction?
And when Dot inevitably moves to small town Wisconsin out of deep, deep love for her conservative boyfriend (happily ignoring her job offer in that nasty swamp DC or her established life in Mamdani’s New York) apparently his big romantic gesture is… making her the owner of a new, unestablished cafe, even though she has no experience owning a business or even making coffee? Just “thanks for moving here! Take this job and responsibility that you didn’t ask for and never wanted.” It’s so weird.
Dot, obviously, loves this, because none of the characters in this book act normally. All this to say: Justice for Fletcher in 2032.
I’m not even getting into the other relationships (there are three main couples in this book) because they are somehow even more unremarkable than Dot and what’s-his-face. I will share that one of the relationships is based at least partially out of a shared love of raw milk, because it’s incredible. Apparently, in this universe, raw milk cures psychosomatic lactose intolerance. God bless America’s dairy industry.
To conclude, I really respect the author for trying to write about an uncomfortable subject and really sympathize with supporters of an opposite party. It’s a worthwhile endeavor and a daunting subject for a debut novel. Sadly, this book is so poorly constructed that I don’t even have the energy to unpack its political statements. If this book really wanted us to see the other party as human, maybe it should’ve tried to explore the humanity of its characters.
Instead, Purple State refuses to engage in real politics, any politics, after 2016 (notably, it mentions that Hillary Clinton lost that election but neglects to say who won…). This oversight makes the entire point of the book fall flat. Who cares if a Democratic woman falls in love with a Republican man in this book? Or multiple Democratic women, with multiple Republican men? Of course they can make it work! This book is a fantasy world absent of Truth Social conspiracy theorists or youthful Tumblr communists or any idealogue in-between. It is so far removed from reality that its central argument is its own counter-argument. I came away with the impression that the author truly believes we can all get along, even fall in love, with a member of the opposite party - but only for as long as nobody says our president’s name out loud. Was that her intent? I dont know, but I doubt it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2026
2.5 stars. Good enough to read to the end without skimming but it was just OK.
Positives:
- I liked the main characters and their love interests as well as the supporting cast of characters.
- I liked the premise of the overall story.
- I liked the mystery subplot about the farm and the government.
- No profanity and closed door romance. The author left the love scenes up to the imagination of the reader.
Negatives:
- There was a few places which felt uneven and choppy. A situation would be introduced to the story but then there was no follow-up. For example: One early scene could have been a setup for blackmail. The behavior of one of the supporting characters was suspicious but it was never fully explained.
- Although this book was not preachy in any way, I remain convinced that any type of underlying agenda takes away from my enjoyment of the story.
In my opinion, this is worth borrowing from the library and reading as there were enough positives to make it worth my time. Probably not a re-read. Also, given that this is Perino's first novel, even though she's written a bunch of non-fiction books, I would be open to reading her next effort if she decides to write some additional fiction.
Positives:
- I liked the main characters and their love interests as well as the supporting cast of characters.
- I liked the premise of the overall story.
- I liked the mystery subplot about the farm and the government.
- No profanity and closed door romance. The author left the love scenes up to the imagination of the reader.
Negatives:
- There was a few places which felt uneven and choppy. A situation would be introduced to the story but then there was no follow-up. For example: One early scene could have been a setup for blackmail. The behavior of one of the supporting characters was suspicious but it was never fully explained.
- Although this book was not preachy in any way, I remain convinced that any type of underlying agenda takes away from my enjoyment of the story.
In my opinion, this is worth borrowing from the library and reading as there were enough positives to make it worth my time. Probably not a re-read. Also, given that this is Perino's first novel, even though she's written a bunch of non-fiction books, I would be open to reading her next effort if she decides to write some additional fiction.
April 22, 2026
Not good at all
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