Първата дама

Wynette, Texas #4

by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Мария Нешкова-Равен (Translator)

„Първата дама“ е една наситена с емоции история за себеоткриването, любовта и семейството.

Kрасивата млада вдовица на президента на Съединените щати смята, че вече е свободна от Белия дом, но обстоятелствата я принуждават да се върне в ролята на Първа дама. Не за дълго обаче, тъй като тя намира начин да избяга, за да може – макар и за кратко – да живее живота на един обикновен човек. Всичко, от което се нуждае, е идеална маскировка... и тя я намира в лицето на един привлекателен и интелигентен непознат и две очарователни осиротели деца, нуждаещи се от семейство, които изобщо не подозират коя е тя в действителност. И докато цялата нация, начело със Сикрет Сървис, издирва Първата дама, тя е на последното място, където някой би решил да я търси: обикаля пътищата на страната в едно щуро приключение заедно с новите си приятели, преследвайки собствената си американска мечта...

Книгата е отличена с наградата RITA – най-престижното отличие, присъждано в жанра на романтичната литература.

„Никой не може да разказва истории както Сюзън Елизабет Филипс. Нейното уникално умение да съчетава колоритни герои с неповторим хумор ги прави единствени по рода си.“ – РОМАНТИК ТАЙМС

„Любовните истории на Сюзън Елизабет Филипс на мига завладяват сърцето на читателя и остават незабравими завинаги.“ – ОУКЛАНД ПРЕС

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Fiction, Audiobook, Humor

372 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

SUSAN ELIZABETH PHILLIPS

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been called the “Queen of Romantic Comedy and is the creator of the sports romance, beginning with her 1989 bestseller, FANCY PANTS. An internationally acclaimed author, her books have been published in over 30 languages. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award, and a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.

Susan's newest book, SIMPLY THE BEST, is coming in hardcover, ebook and audiobook in February 2024. SIMPLY THE BEST is book #10 in the highly acclaimed CHICAGO STARS football series. Susan is also known for the Wynette, Texas book series and many stand-alone women's fiction/romance novels.

In addition to being a New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today bestseller, she is a hiker, lazy gardener, horrible singer, passable cook, passionate reader, wife, mother of two grown sons, and grandmother.

You can visit Susan on Facebook, Instagram or on her website.

https://www.facebook.com/SusanElizabe...

https://www.instagram.com/SEPauthor/

http://susanelizabethphillips.com/

Reviews

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My re-read was WONDERFUL! I loved it.



==============================================
ORIGINAL REVIEW:

Ok, I am going to sound like Karen and Sharon now - a broken record by saying how much I love this author and these books.

Mat Jorik. You hunk of Slovak manhood. No bloody Slovak hunks working in the building I work in even though the Slovakian translation division is working there.


This was a re-read and as I was reading, it all came back to me. I adored it. This author is so good, her wit, humour, love shines through on the pages of her books. She is somebody I would love to meet in real life.

"A perfect rose for a perfect lady."

Mat was brought up in a family with seven younger sisters. Yes, you heard me correctly, SEVEN. No wonder he wanted to play the playboy lifestyle and just be a man's man.

It was beautiful to take a journey through the Mid West with this gypsy family and their wonderful winnebago, Mabel.


It must be horrible to be in the limelight like Nealy was and have no privacy and have to live up to exceptions 24/7. I would hate it.

Lucy, it's tough being a teenager.

"Sometimes I dream about this, just holding your hand."

She shivered.

“Just looking at you shines sunlight on every moment I live. Before I knew you, I wasn't even alive. I thought I knew what I wanted, but I didn't have any idea. You barged into my life and changed it forever. I love you, I admire you, I lust after you, I adore you...”

"You're my resting place."

I could waffle on about this one forever but better shut up. I love this author. Her books are all five star reads for me and if you haven't read her books, get to it. NOW.


Nealy. Be Happy!!

[♥Sharon♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A perfect rose for a perfect Lady.”



Gosh, I really, really loved this book. First Lady just might be my favorite of this series thus far. This isn’t what I would call a traditional series. There isn’t a connection from book to book. Though one would think so when you see #1, #2, #3 etc. So if you are thinking of giving this author a try, all these books can be read as standalones and read in any order.

It never takes long for SEP to draw me into her stories. There is no delay in making a connection with the characters or figuring out whether the story line is going to work for me. She has the ability to peak my curiosity early on and I just love that.

In First Lady we get to meet Cornelia Litchfield Case, who is a First Lady and Mathias Jorik who is a Journalist and is “dealing” with his past. Both Carnelia and Mat are at turning points (kind of) in their lives and when their paths cross they start this little adventure that for one is a perfect distraction and for the other is somewhat of an inconvenience.

Mathias (Mat) Jorik ~ He was tall, dark and handsome. He was also very sweet (he won’t admit to it), sexy and funny. Mat was trying to get his life back on track as a Journalist and while he found himself in a bit of a predicament, he was going to make things work for him. Nealy Case would make getting his life back on track a little more difficult though. But I guess you could say that about Lucy and Button’s too. :)



Cornelia (Nealy) Litchfield Case~ was a princess, a very kind, warm and graceful one. Nealy was trying to escape her life as the First Lady which isn’t an easy task. Holding that title was wonderful honor and she knew that. She also knew she needed some freedom from it too. Nealy had a plan that she knew wasn’t perfect though it would buy her that freedom she wanted. But she had to make a deal that she wasn’t sure about but it would be a deal that would be hard to walk away from.



This adventure that brings Mat and Nealy together revolves around two other wonderful characters. One is Lucy, who is a bitter, a little misunderstood teenager. There wasn’t much she was happy about and I didn’t blame her. At 14 she had a lot resting on her shoulders. Her actions might have been a bit hurtful but her heart was in the right. She wanted happiness too. If not for her, for her baby sister Butt….Button…..Beatrice.



And this little bundle is Butt. Mat referred to her as a “demon baby”. Come on, does she look like a demon to you? Butt was the one that Lucy needs the assurance for. She wants Butt to have a family and people to love her. She wants that for herself too but she doesn’t want to wish for too much.



This was such a tender story. It was a little sad too. My heartstrings were tugged on many times. There so many moments that I enjoyed. And normally most of my love goes to the two main characters but in this one I found myself loving Lucy just a little more. There was something about her. She was such a strong young lady just looking for her rainbow.



If you are a fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and haven’t read this yet it is an absolute must that you do. If you have never read a book of hers then pick this one up. You will not be disappointed.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS


I don’t know how she does it. But she does. I know I sound like a broken record… but, I LOVED IT! This book had a bit of a different storyline. At first, I have to admit, I was skeptical that even SEP could create a feasible romance out of a grief-stricken First Lady, but as the story unfolded, I was just captivated by these endearing characters. Each and every one capturing my heart with their quirky personalities, and the heart wrenching situations that followed them through life.



Cornelia Litchfield Case, known to her close friends as Nealy , was born and bred for the political life. Growing up as the only daughter to the Vice President of the United States, how could she be otherwise. Always taught to carry herself with grace and poise, she was the ultimate icon for the American blue blood.



So when she married Dennis Case, it was no surprise that she would become the nation’s most beloved and admired First Lady to date. But when her husband, the current President of the United States was assassinated, it turned her world upside down.



But it also opened up a opportunity she hadn’t even known that she’d yearned for. Freedom. And just when she thought she could step away from the spotlight, and finally get the freedom she longed for, it was once again snatched away by the forces that had been running her life for as long as she could remember.

Well… not anymore. She had a plan.



To finally get the freedom and anonymity she longed for… at least for a while. What she wasn’t expecting though, was the crazy band of travelers that would join her on this flight for freedom she would take.



Mathias ‘Mat’ Jorik a dis-heartened journalist on a hiatus from his less than satisfying but highly successful career as a tabloid television producer, was looking for a story that would earn him back his credibility as a writer. But a huge road-block has just been thrown in his face… in the form of an orphaned fourteen year-old girl, and an adorable but very unhappy blue-eyed Demon in a diaper.



“What’s her name?” Another pause.
“Butt.”
“You’re a real comedian, aren’t you?”
“I’m not the one who named her.”

And if that isn’t enough drama to ruin his day… enter Cornelia Case.

“The Angel of Baby Death…”



This is such an endearing story. The drama runs deep. It is a sad story really, that turns out quite funny and really happy in the end. the dialogue is fabulous. The characters are all so incredibly sweet. You can’t help but fall for each and every one.



His lips brushed her hair.
“Will it make you feel better if I fight with you?”
“I think so.”
“Okay. Take off your clothes.”
If only it were that easy. She sighed. “We can’t solve this with sex.”
“Take ‘em off anyway. I need to be serviced.”
“Serviced? Is that any way to talk to a First Lady?”
“You’re my First Lady, and I’m just getting started.”

Mat is so surly and sarcastic. The perfect cynical journalist, dis-heartened by his job, and his big demanding family of seven sisters. He’s had about all the drama he can take. But somehow it keeps following him around like a lost puppy. And just when he achieves everything he’s always dreamed about, he realizes that it’s only left him empty and yearning.



“You make me see the world in new ways. You're the first thing my heart greets when I wake up in the morning. You're the last thing I see in my mind before I fall asleep.”

“Just looking at you shines sunlight on every moment I live. Before I knew you, I wasn't even alive. I thought I knew what I wanted, but I didn't have any idea. You barged into my life and changed it forever. I love you, I admire you, I lust after you, I adore you...”



Loved the book. It is part of the Wynette Texas Series, but it reads like a stand-alone. I’m thinking the connection to the series will reveal itself later on. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I haven’t read a bad SEP book yet. This one had me laughing out loud, and wanting to post updates every other page. So… what’s new. And as usual a lovely Epilogue for the HEA!!! Enjoy!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story Rating ~ 5 Stars!
Hero Rating ~ 5 Stars
Heroine Rating ~ 5 Stars
Secondary Character Ratings ~ 5 Stars
Romance Rating ~ 5 Stars
Heat Level ~ 2.75 Stars
Ending ~ 5 Stars
Overall Rating ~ 10 STARS! Because I can and because it deserves it!

Why oh why did I wait so long to give a SEP book a try? I’ve had friends ragging on me for YEARS to read one. As a matter of fact, I never even read a review for one of her books until I read Sharon’s and Karen’s, which both reviews were for this book. So I though what the heck, I’ll give it a go. And you know what? I LOVED EVERY MOMENT and I LOVED EVERY CHARACTER! I’m not going to go into the details of this story, just my feelings because that’s the way I roll.

Mat, what an excellent character he was. He only did one teeny tinny thing that I thought was wrong, other than that, I loved how even though he did not want any woman in his life, he was surrounded by them. The way he treated them was really something special considering the circumstances. He was protective, caring and sexy as hell.

Nealy, what a wonderful character she was. I could totally understand why she ran. I loved how amazed she was about everything that we take for granted. How she took care of and how she treated Button and Lucy. She was smart, witty, caring and fun.

Lucy, she was a little spitfire. She really pulled on my heartstrings. I could feel how starved for love she was and how much it meant when someone was kind to her. Her matchmaking ways added so much to this book. But most of all, the love she had for her little sister button was something to behold.

Butt, AKA Button, AKA Beatrice, AKA Tracey, whew! That child sure had a bunch of names. She stole my heart with her cute and sassy ways. I adored how she called Mat Da and Nealy Ma. How she would bite Mat, hahahahaha, LOVED HER!

The sexual tension was really high between Mat and Nealy right from the start. Things did not heat up right away with the children and all. There were a few sexy times between them but nothing too descriptive. I usually like my romances to be scorchers but with a story and characters like this, I could care less. Every once in a while it’s refreshing to read a romance based on story line and characters alone.

Of course with most romances everything does not go perfectly. Mat made a HUGE mistake and the way he went about fixing it and the things he said were the stuff that romantic dreams are made of.

In the end the epilogue had me all watery eyed with tears of joy. Things work out better than I could have ever imagined. WHAT AN AMAZING READ!

So for all my SEP loving friends, when leaving a comment on my review PLEASE recommend me your favorite SEP read, I may just give it a go.

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

12 September 2022

Absolute perfection ... again.


*******************************************

Listened to this on audible through ...


I signed up for Scribd and found some audibles on there that are not available on my usual audible.com - was delighted to see a few SEP favourites there.

I just want to mention the narrator, Anna Fields. One of the best narrators I have come across. She will be sadly missed in the "audible world".

Of course, this was fantastic! One I will read and listen to again in the future!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A lovely story about a fictional widowed First Lady of the USA who is so frustrated by her life that she disguises herself and takes off in secret for some private 'alone time'. The political overtones of the book are a little out of date now, with a different political landscape these days. But it's easily possible to put all of that aside and just enjoy this book for what it is - a charming and romantic fantasy road trip.

Nealy manages to give her Secret Service minders the slip, and is enjoying her journey through America's heartland. She is loving all of the little day-to-day things that in her usual life as a famous person she does not get to experience. Then she meets up with Mat Jorik and his two 'daughters'. From then on, most of the book is an amusing and entertaining road trip with four very different people, who don't always see eye-to-eye. There are some funny situations, some hilarious one-liners, and a cast of eccentric secondary characters. The two girls are both delightful - the sullen but secretly loving teen and the extremely cute baby/toddler.

Inevitably the Secret Service catches up with Nealy and the game is up. Some hard decisions have to be made about the four people who have come to care so much about each other on their road trip. But the ending of the book is done well in my opinion. Within the fictional landscape of its setting, the ending feels right, and is very satisfying, kind of in the way of a movie happy ending that you know isn't real but you love it anyway.

This book forms a part of the Wynette, Texas series, because here we first meet the teenaged Lucy Jorik who features later in Call Me Irresistible and The Great Escape. But for those who don't wish to read the rest of the series, this one can easily be read as a standalone. And even though it was first published in 2000, it is still a very enjoyable read.

[Amber’s reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

SEP for President!

Susan Elizabeth Phillips can do no wrong. Another fabulous book by a phenomenal writer.

First Lady is the story of widowed First Lady Nealy Litchfield Case and her escape from DC to go on an unaccompanied tour of the USA. As the daughter of the former Vice President, she has always been in the political public eye and wants a taste of a normal life. While on her journey, she meets up with a grumpy journalist and his 2 (possible) children.

Another book full of laughs and heart. This story is inspirational as much as it is touching. The quotes that really resonated with me were Nealy’s political quotes. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have someone in the White House like her today!! She’s the complete opposite of Trump.

“Cynicism is nothing more than an excuse for underachievement. It’s easier to criticize others than to do your part to fix a tough problem.”

“Cynicism gives decent people an out. They can assume a posture of moral superiority without ever getting their hands dirty coming up with real solutions.”

“Partisan politics have stolen our politicians backbones.”

While I’m mentioning political quotes here, this wasn’t really a political book. It’s a love story and a story of personal growth, which is what all of SEP’s books are about.

I listened to the audiobook and loved it so much. It was narrated by Anna Fields/Kate Fleming. I believe it was one of the last SEP books she narrated before she died. Such a shame! She was such a talent.

[Grecia Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

AAAAHHH ESTÁ BELLO!!!

Definitivamente este libro tiene el sello de made in SEP , lo adoré.

Aunque al principio no me llamaba la atención mi amiga siempre confiable Viri me lo recomendó mucho.
Tiene una de las premisas más entretenidas, una primera dama viuda decide tener un poco de libertad y escapa de la casa blanca, un periodística que se queda a cargo de las hijas de su ex esposa una adolescente y una bebé, por azares del destino sus caminos se cruzan y juntos se embarcan en un viaje de carretera.

Está lleno de aventuras, diálogos chispeantes y unos personajes maravillosos que hicieron de esta historia un deleite.

Tan Nell como Mat me encantaron, ella con sus ganas de ser ella sin la presión social va teniendo un gran crecimiento y un redescubrimiento personal y Mat todo grump, que no quiere saber nada de hijos y mujeres, se da cuenta que es lo importante en la vida.
Como pareja fueron estupendos tenían una gran química, demasiada tensión sexual como todas las de SEP.

Las niñas también me encantaron, le dio ese vibe de Single Dad.

El epílogo me encantó.

[Yolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pero cómo he tardado tanto en leerme este libro? Con lo fan que soy de la SEP.
MARAVILLOSO de principio a fin. He disfrutado lo que no está escrito con la historia. Cornelia y Mat me han dado unos rato fantásticos y las niñas....
Me he emocionado al final. Me ha encantado.
Disfruto muchísimo con sus libros. Adoro a la SEP, no lo puedo remediar.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★½
I love, love, love Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck's 1953 movie Roman Holiday. So imagine my very pleasant surprise when I began to realize that First Lady is nothing short of a modern day, grown up, retelling of one of my favorite films. Sigh...



The widowed first lady of the United States White House desperately needs a respite from her role. She just needs a bit of ordinary for a while - her duty to America is draining the life out of her. But if she wants a break, she has to make it happen herself. She has to escape...literally!

Susan Elizabeth Phillips offers enough original details to make First Lady its very own story but the subtle similarities between the two storylines were such fun! It's funny, sexy, and incredibly sweet, with an appropriate touch of patriotism. If you're a fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips or if you happen to enjoy the Oscar-winning film as much as I do, then check out First Lady. It's a winner!

My favorite quote:
"'You bought white underwear.' 'Only because I wanted to irritate you. If you hadn't been there, I would have chosen something more exotic.' 'Like what?' 'Like none of your business.' 'No, I'm serious. This is an important question. The kind of underwear a woman buys reflects her character.' 'I can't wait to hear this.' 'That's why the idea of you wearing white panties bothers me.' 'I seem to be having trouble keeping up.' 'Isn't it obvious? That's the favorite underwear of female serial killers.'"

First Lady is the fourth installment in Susan Elizabeth Phillips's adult contemporary romance series titled Wynette, Texas. The series contains the following installments as of January 2016. In my opinion, they can each be read in any order as standalone novels.
#1-Fancy Pants
#2-Lady Be Good
#3-Glitter Baby
#4-First Lady
#4.5-My Secret Service Valentine
#5-What I Did for Love
#6-Call Me Irresistible
#7-The Great Escape

[Geo Just Reading My Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cornelia Case, Prima Doamnă a Statelor Unite, se simte încorsetată de obligațiile și regulile impuse, mai ales după ce soțul i-a fost asasinat. Deși le comunică celor din jurul ei că nu își dorește să rămână la Casa Albă, inclusiv tatălui ei, nimeni nu o ia în seamă.
Dar totul se schimbă când tânăra fuge pe neașteptate, fără escortă, nespunând nimănui unde merge. Este hotărâtă să-și savureze libertatea, să profite de normalitate atât cât va putea, deoarece este conștientă că până la urmă va fi găsită.
O tânără de viță nobilă, puternică, curajoasă și învățată să poarte măști zi de zi pentru a face față vieții publice, chiar și lumii politice.
Dar nici un minut nu se gândește că va ajunge să călătorească alături de un munte de om — Mat Jorik,,de cele două fiice ale sale — Lucy și Button— care erau, de fapt, fiicele lui doar cu numele... Mat este reporter, un jurnalist care este hotărât să lase fetele pe mâna bunicii materne, nefiind dispus să le crească după ce trăise alături de cele șapte surori ale sale.
Treptat, pe parcursul unei călătorii fascinante, toți patru își schimbă modul de a gândi, se cunosc mai bine unul pe altul, se înfiripă prietenii și se nasc emoții. Unele mai profunde decât s-ar fi așteptat oricare dintre ei.
“Prima Doamnă” este o poveste de dragoste care aduce în plin plan nu doar romantismul, ci și viața de pe scena politică, iubirea care se poate destepta în inima unui adult față de un copil care nu este sange din sângele tău, dar și curajul de a lupta pentru visele tale sau de a recunoaște atunci când greșești.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips m-a încântat cu fiecare nouă poveste a acestei serii deosebite.
În timpul călătoriei lor, adevarul despre identitatea lui Nealy iese la iveală, iar acest lucru creează o barieră între cei doi. Cu toate sentimentele lor profunde, lipsa comunicării dintre cei doi își spune cuvântul, apar neînțelegeri; iar când sosește momentul despărțirii, Mat este cel lăsat în urmă, singur.
Spre surprinderea tuturor, Nealy este hotărâtă să adopte fetele, dar Mat nu este capabil să înțeleagă că în urma lor, va rămâne un mare gol în viața lui.
Dacă își va conștientiza greșeala și va reuși să se împace cu Cornelia puteți afla citind cartea.
Mat și Nealy nu fac excepție de la galeria de personaje - model, care pot inspira cititorii, curajoși, capabili să lupte pentru idealurile lor.
O lectură absolut captivantă!

[Viri · Rating 5 out of 5]

No volver a amarlo nunca fue una opción.

Este libro es maravilloso, como los de antes, como los que ya no se escriben y te dejan con la cara llena de corazones en los ojos.

Amo cada una de las interacciones entre los protagonistas, la MEGA HIPER ROMÁNTICA DECLARACIÓN DE AMOR.

Y sus personajes chispeantes, divertidos y extraordinarios.

Fin, no hay más... me gustó incluso más que la primera vez.

Aunque no suelo ser muy objetiva con mis favs de esta autora Jijiji

Matt y sus hijas postizas me conquistaron al igual que Nell y su capacidad de luchar por MÁS.

Además tiene escenas sexys... ¿qué más se le puede pedir a la vida?

[Dija · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to become Susan Elizabeth Phillips when I grow up some more. She writes the sort of books I really, really wish I had written. Not because they're sheer genius, or the characters are phenomenal, or the plot's epic, or anything extraordinary like that, but simply because they comfort me. They actually matter and make a difference in my opinion of little things like love, happily ever afters, second chances, and the power of fate.

Call me cheesy, but it's true. I read SEP's novels, and they instantly put me in a good mood. No matter how tough or tiring the day is, SEP never fails to put a smile on my face. The world needs more books like these. Books that serve a purpose, make a difference, have some sort of moral story as well.

Now, about First Lady in particular. I began the book praying for a swoon-worthy hero, because I didn't find him in the first 3 books, and ended the book head over heels in love with Mat. He's such a man! And I don't say that lightly. There's nothing feminine about him at all, but he still manages to be sweet and emotional when the situation calls for it. A more perfect fictional man I have yet to come across.

Nealy is also an extremely capable and admirable woman, but all my love is still reserved for Mat, which is a nice change from the first 3 books where I rated the books mostly because the heroine was so wonderful.

Lucy and Button complete this impossible family. Lucy's the kid I wish I'd been and Button's the kid I wish I had. I'm so glad there will be more of Lucy in Call Me Irresistible.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book, and how I loved reading it even more, but I'll stop now and let this suffice:



Favorite Quotes:

1. The final few years before his escape from the Hell House of Women had been especially bad. His father had died by then, putting an end to the fantasy Mat had entertained that he'd come back and take charge. The girls were growing older and more temperamental. Somebody was always getting ready to have her period, going through her period, getting over her period, or sneaking into his room late at night in quiet hysterics because her period was late, and he was supposed to figure out what to do about it.

2. "You bought white underwear."
"Only because I wanted to irritate you. If you hadn't been there, I would have chosen something more exotic."
"Like what?"
"Like none of your business."
"No, I'm serious. This is an important question. The kind of underwear a woman buys reflects her character."
"I can't wait to hear this."
"That's why the idea of you wearing white panties bothers me."
"I seem to be having trouble keeping up."
"Isn't it obvious? That's the favorite underwear of female serial killers."

3. How could he have been so blind? From the moment they'd met, he'd been drawn to her like hot fudge to ice cream. He'd never enjoyed a woman's company more, never been so
aroused by one. And not just physically, but intellectually and emotionally. If some evil genie came up to him right this minute and said he could have Nealy forever, but they could never make love again, he'd still take her. And what kind of thing was that?

He had it bad.

4.5/5 stars

[Charlotte Lays · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meraviglioso.
Superlativo!
La SEP in tutta la sua sfolgorante vena artistica!

Mi è piaciuto così tanto che ho dovuto centellinarlo. Non volevo finirlo!
Una protagonista stupenda (l’autrice ha avuto coraggio da vendere ed è stata AVANTI anni luce! Ricordiamo che è uscito nel 2000....) e un protagonista maschile che trasuda testosterone da tutti i pori, ma mantiene quell’aria di adorazione e rispetto verso le sue donne.
Le “bambine” sono adorabili! La piccola, ma soprattutto la grande! La ribelle Lucy (che sappiamo già cosa farà...), è un personaggio fondamentale già in questo capitolo della storia.

Lo rileggerò sicuramente per gustarmelo in tutta calma ❤️

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tra i migliori...

[Ingie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars - A perfect cozy, fun and lovely romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gosh, a SEP romance is always a good book choice. This one (#3 in the Wynette, Texas series) is, in my opinion (right now at least), one of her very best.

A First Lady (Cornelia Nealy Litchfield Case a widow and former US President wife), a wonderful (Matt Joric a journalist) grumpy tall gorgeous (very sexy and manly) SEP-books hero, a adorable cute kid (Baby Butt) and a responsible, hopeful and dearly, but in the start obstinate, poor motherless teen girl (Lucy 14) and it all will be a hilarious emotional adventure story. — Loved every single minute. Heartwarming good romance stuff ... Add a always FABULOUS audiobook narrator in Anna Fields.

❤️ I LIKE - ... SEP romances so very much!!

Read May 24, 2020

[Milica's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Svidela mi se ova zabavna priča o Corneliji Case koja je rizikovala sve da pobegne iz svog uobičajenog života kao Prve dame SAD koji ju je počeo gušiti. U potrazi za avanturom, u svakodnevnom normalnom životu, Cornelia slučajno nailazi na više nego što je očekivala kad se pridruži Matu, zakletom neženji, Lucy, 15-godišnjoj tinejdžerki i bebi Button, na putu do bake devojčica.

[Xoaniña · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otro libro de SEP que cierro con una sonrisa en la cara, adoro a esta mujer y su forma de contar historias!!!!
Me cautivó mucho el personaje de Lucy, esa adulta en cuerpo de niña que la vida la hace ser una gran luchadora ;)

[lavale_aroundthecorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

proprio non riesco a capire come questo libro possa avere di media un punteggio di 3.9.
non che sia basso ma secondo me dovrebbe essere assolutamente più tendente al 5 che al 4.
se c'è una categoria di romanzi rosa che adoro è quella in cui i protagonisti si ritrovano insieme in una macchina (o in un camper) viaggiando attraverso stati americani e nel mentre imparano a conoscersi e a conoscere se stessi.
esattamente un po' quello che succede in questo capolavoro.
bellissimo!!! Susan Elizabeth Phillips è fantastica.
cinque stelline tutte meritate.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mumu' - per RFS

Finalmente! Finalmente una storia che esce dai meandri delle ovvie banalità! Erano mesi che non riuscivo ad appassionarmi a un buon romance; ultimamente sembrava che uscissero tutti dalla stessa fabbrica, che cavalcassero la stessa onda di mediocrità e seguissero tutti lo stesso algoritmo. “First Lady” è un romance che ha decisamente rotto quegli schemi ormai fissi e per nulla originali.

Cornelia Case (Nealy per gli amici), la First Lady degli Stati Uniti D’America, con la morte del Presidente vede una via di fuga dalla gabbia dorata che la tiene rinchiusa da tutta la vita; ma non ha fatto i conti con l’esigente padre, il Vicepresidente, che le impone di continuare a rivestire questo ruolo, non ascoltandone bisogni e necessità.

Nealy sente il peso della vita pubblica schiacciarla sempre più, sino a quando mette a punto un piano per staccare la spina. Come? Travestendosi e scappando via! Inutile dire il trambusto che crea nello staff della Casa Bianca la sua scomparsa, ma lei, incurante di tutto e di tutti, decide di prendersi il tanto agognato periodo di libertà, anche solo per pochi giorni. Nella sua rocambolesca fuga, inciampa nella vita di Mat, July e Bottoncino; le ultime, sono due sorelle che Mat sta consegnando alla nonna materna e, per farlo, si ritrova in un improbabile viaggio attraverso diversi Stati in una sgangherata roulotte. Cornelia, che si presenta al trio sotto le mentite spoglie di Nell, coglie al volo questa occasione e impersona senza esitazione questo nuovo personaggio… Vi ho incuriosito almeno un po’?

Ho amato tutti i personaggi, a cui l’autrice conferisce carattere e spessore, nessuno viene trascurato, neanche quelli secondari, anzi ognuno di essi ha un proprio spazio, seppur piccolo.

La storia si presenta ricca di avventure e credo sia questo che ho maggiormente apprezzato: l’autrice si è realmente concentrata sulla vicenda, senza usarla semplicemente come contorno per sviluppare una storia troppo melensa o troppo spinta.

Il libro mi ha tenuta incollata, mi ha fatto desiderare in un film o in una serie tv, che avrebbero sicuramente successo! Seguire l’improbabile famigliola fino a destinazione è stato esilarante. La trama non presenta buchi narrativi, non lascia nessun filo narrativo indietro, ma delizia il lettore dalla prima all’ultima parola.

Lettura assolutamente consigliata!

[Vivi220414 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cornelia Case detta Nealy, è chiamata a rivestire ancora i panni di first lady dal nuovo presidente degli Stati Uniti , lei accetta anche dietro l'insistenza del padre senatore, ma più il tempo passa, più nasce in lei la voglia di scappare ed è quello che fa, fugge per prendersi un periodo di pausa dalla gabbia dorata in cui è sempre vissuta sin da ragazzina, lei desidera solo una vita normale e il suo desiderio viene esaudito, quando durante la sua fuga, rimasta senza macchina e soldi, incontra Mat Jorik, che in un camper sgangherato, sta accompagnando le figlie della sua ex moglie deceduta dalla nonna; piuttosto che concludere lì la sua avventura, decide di unirsi al terzetto e da qui inizia il loro viaggio on the road, sotto le mentite spoglie di Nell... Questo libro finora per me è il più bello della serie Wynette, forse perché in questa storia sono racchiusi gli ingredienti che io amo di più in un romanzo, oltre alla storia d'amore tra i protagonisti, la loro ironia e i loro battibecchi, troviamo una bambina adorabile che si fa subito amare e un'adolescente difficile che mi ha intenerita e rubato il cuore, soprattutto vediamo nascere e formarsi una famiglia che non ha legami di sangue, ma vengono uniti insieme dal cuore, dalla generosità, dalla scelta di stare insieme! Certo il fatto che questo romanzo l'abbia scritto la SEP, lo rende unico, per le forti emozioni che ha saputo suscittarmi e per ogni personaggio che ha saputo caratterizzare in maniera sublime 😍...Come non amare Nealy, con la sua voglia di normalità e libertà di essere se stessa o Mat deciso a non volere una famiglia, ma il suo cuore verrà scosso da questo trio femminile fino a far cadere in lui ogni barriera; ma chi mi ha emozionata più di tutti fino alle lacrime è stata Lucy, conosciuta nel libro a lei dedicato, che qui incontriamo come una quattordicenne un po' ribelle che vuole solo proteggere la sorellina, ma che dentro di sé ha tanto bisogno di affetto e di una famiglia e che per questo cercherà in tutti i modi di fare da cupido tra Nealy e Mat...Una storia divertente, romantica e commovente, con un bellissimo epilogo che mi ha lasciata con il cuore leggero e felice 😍❤️

[Christel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute story.

Mat worked in LA for a tabloid TV show and he was sick of it. He wanted to get back to newsprint in the worst way. Well a few years ago he met and married a women named Sandi, they soon divorced but she kept his last name. Well lo and behold he finds out that he now has 2 daughters, one 14, Lucy, and the other 6 months, Button. Well Sandi dies in an automobile accident along with Button's true father. But Mat is on the birth certificates as father for both girls.

Cornelia Case, is the widow of Assinated President Dennis Case and is not unfortunately the first lady to his successor. And she is sick of it. Her marriage was an actual lie and she is tired of being in the prublic limelight. So what do she do, she runs away.

These 4 people meet after unfortunate circumstances happen at a truck stop in Pennslyvania. I really enjoyed the way the author seemed to research all of her characters and the storyline is really good. How this one lady evades the Secret Service and all of the Unted States Media for one week is pretty cool.

[Антоанета · Rating 3 out of 5]

Не е от най-силните книги, които съм чела на СЕФ. Прекалено нереална ми беше историята и доста монотонно ми вървеше въпреки, че имаха много приключения. Имаше си разбира се остроумните реплики и забавни диалози:
"-Как да го обясня на Луси?
-Кажи й, че си родила през нощта, после си продала бебето на семейство цигани, защото ти напомняло за нея."
Много ми хареса образа на Луси, само той ми беше така свеж и непредвидим.

[Giulia · Rating 5 out of 5]

La SEP si distingue sempre, con la sua ironia e i suoi uomini burberi dal cuore tenero ti fa adorare ogni storia... passi le ore immersa nei suoi libri e non te ne accorgi! E adesso che finalmente è completa mi ha fatto venire voglia di rileggermi in fila tutta la serie 🙈

[Julz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I rounded up because I really liked the beginning.

I got sucked in listening to this story on Book-Radio in my car (Yay SiriusXM!) This is the epitome of all things sweet and nice, which would normally give me a sick headache. However, I like this author's writing (the two I've read), which has a comic slant, so I put up with things like the sugary comments from the uber-tall(6'6"), uber-beta hero such as "We fit like hot fudge on ice cream" and him being addicted to root beer (UGH!!! Grow some nads, dude!). Plus, there was the most sickening declaration of love by the hero, complete with him imagining them growing old and grey in rocking chairs. (Seriously!?! Totally, made my ears bleed and my eyes roll out of my head--maybe I'm too cynical ;D) The epilogue? Waaaaayyyy over the top PC but not surprising (with scenes that are no longer historically correct, interestingly enough.)

That being said, it's actually an ok book. I definitely agree with another reviewer who gave the beginning 5 stars, but the ending--not so much. At the start, the heroine had run off from the White House and was living incognito when she hooks up with the hero and the two kids he was trying to dump onto their grandmother. Lots of saucy; lots of cuteness and funny. Then the author jumps track towards the end, with the heroine diving head first and submerging herself in the very existence she fought against so fervently. But she had to have her epilogue she ran for president, so what's a girl to do.

Definitely a feminist, I-am-woman-hear-me-roar kind of book.

PS, can anyone tell me why this story is labeled Wynette, Texas #4? They never touched foot in Texas the entire book. Hmmm?

[Nihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tam bir klasik SEP kitabı ama daha duygusal versiyonuydu.
Ben çok beğendim.
bu tarz kitapları bitirdiğimde hep hüzünlü hissediyorum.

this book is one of the sentimental version of completely SEP style.
I love this story.
I feel sadness when I finished these books.

[Twiggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this immediately after finishing the chicago stars series ( which I loved) and was a little disappointed.


The story line involving the first lady was unusual and the interaction between Neally, Lucy and button was nicely written.

Think roman holiday set in an American camper van with a difficult teenager, a vomiting baby and a surly romantic lead, hiding the fact that he is a journalist.

I think my problem was that I did not really believe in the romance between Neally and Jorik. They only spent a week together and then months apart, before he realised that he was in 'love'.

Also Neally started off as such a weak, naive and downtrodden character, it was hard to believe that she would ever end up as president.

Pleasant but not a stand out read.

Probably one for the charity box.

[Andzhelika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ох, не знам какво да кажа. Току що я привърших и вече ми е мъчно за героите..

[Giooo35 · Rating 5 out of 5]

lei sempre la migliore ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would review this on the eve of the worst presidential election I can recall. Okay, first the series. This is part of the Wynette, Texas series the same way the previous one was: i.e. a kid present in this one grows up to feature in one of the later books that actually has anything at all to do with Wynette, Texas. As such, you really, really don't have to have read any of the actual Wynette books before this one. Unlike the previous one, this one didn't suck.

There are a lot of potential backgrounds for heroines, but I don't recall any other contemporary romances that feature a (former, obviously) First Lady of the United States. I mean, that's just so very, very unlikely. Particularly if she's going to be under 45. There have been exactly two First Ladies that young in the last century (and one of those was 44, the other was Jackie Kennedy). So SEP is being daring. She's also creating an alternate universe and that has its own challenges.

Fortunately, SEP pulls off the daring pretty well. She doesn't bother explaining how such a young couple were elected (boring and unimportant) and she doesn't bother explaining how Nealy's father could be a former vice-president we'd never heard of while still maintaining all the surrounding politics more or less in tact. Which means I was able to be pulled into this story without straining credulity beyond the setup. Nealy feels like a woman pushed too far who just needs a chance to be on her own for a while, out of the public eye. I like how smart she is to get there and how realistic she is about how long she can stay hidden. At any rate, Nealy is just full of win and I loved getting to know her and the pressures she is under. Better, I liked seeing how she was taking this time to figure out how she'd be able to go back without breaking again. Particularly poignant (in a way that could have come off as check-your-privilege moments but didn't) was her delight in every-day things that she'd been denied by her upbringing and expectations.

And I liked Mat, too. I liked that he had his own reasons to hide who he is in a way that made him more, rather than less, authentic. And while I had a tough time with his resistance to the needs of two children, I at least understood where he was coming from and why he'd feel that way. And I'm pretty certain I'll always fall for the big tough guy who can't help protecting and helping those more vulnerable than himself. Yeah, he's resistant, but watching him fall for the kids in spite of himself was a lot of fun.

I had two problems with the book and one real win. The win was when Nealy made the choice to adopt the two kids, even though it'd seriously complicate her future life. The best part of that is how careful she was explaining to Lucy the consequences of that choice, complete with the illustration of the press/security circus that was happening even as she did so. I love how she explained her love for the girls even as she had to explain why Lucy might not want to make that choice. It was a poignant moment and, being me, tears flowed..

But problems. They both happen after the big win and dragged a probably-round-to-five down to four stars. The first is Mat and being unaware he was in love. For three months. That was beyond lame and a degree of un-self-aware that frankly, strains credulity. I'm sorry, but that is beyond reason and it made me lose all my respect for the guy. Fortunately, that detail is easy to edit in my head down to something more reasonable. Even so, it was jarring.

The second drawback is the epilogue and is harder to explain (and suffers an unfortunate feedback loop from the current election). It's one thing to announce that Nealy is going to run for office. It's another to show her winning the presidency ten years down the line and in such a handy way. That tripped over everything I know about politics and politicians and elections. I'm sorry, but people just don't vote for the better person and no collection of policy positions appeals that strongly to a huge majority of the American people. You can tell that's true because if there was such a collection of policies, a political party would be all over them already (even if it had to spontaneously generate to do so). I guess what I'm saying is that the optimistic happy ending tripped over my more cynical sense of the realistic and that broke the ending for me. Win after a long, tough fight? Sure. Win handily and absolutely everybody loves her? Not so much.

Anyway, disappointments aside, this was a lot of fun and kept me riveted to the end.

A note about Politics: One of the things that SEP does to engage readers is that she keeps Nealy's political party (and that of her father) ambiguous. It's never named and you couldn't identify it by policies mentioned either for or against. And when Nealy establishes that she calls someone the Secret Service has access to every day to keep the urgency of the search for her down, SEP mentions both Hilary Clinton and Barbara Bush as folks she's called in that endeavor. Further, when Mat questions her about her personal politics, SEP pulls back and describes it as a mix of right, left and center without being specific of what that means. Which is frankly brilliant because even people lodged deep in the U.S. party system have the exact same positions personally (a mix of right, left, and center, I mean). It's just the particulars where we all diverge. I can imagine an author being tempted to designate winners in this book and I'm so glad SEP resisted that temptation. Fantastically well-done.

A note about Steamy: Nealy and Mat don't have a ton of time to get together. They manage two explicit sex scenes (and one near-miss) and it ends up on the low side of my middle tolerance. And I really liked how this was one of the background-establishing details for Nealy (being so sheltered and functionally a virgin due to her former husband's secret homosexuality).