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Meet You in the Middle
What happens when the person you find MOST impossible becomes impossible to resist? Opposites distract in this hilarious romantic comedy about America's least likely couple.
There's just one thing standing between liberal Senate staffer Kate Adams and passage of the landmark legislation she's been fighting for all year: Ben Mackenzie, intimidating gatekeeper for one of DC's most powerful conservative senators. After Kate and Ben lock horns in a meet-not-so-cute, they vow to take each other down--by any means necessary.
She thinks he's arrogant (and doesn't deserve those gorgeous green eyes). He thinks she's too quick to judge (and irresistibly distracting). But as their endless game of one-upmanship becomes Kate's favorite part of the day, she starts to wonder if her feelings for Ben are closer to attraction than animosity...and maybe their sparring is flirting. And when Kate realizes there's more to Ben than meets the eye, she's forced her to confront her biggest fear: In her sworn enemy, she may have found her perfect match.
There's just one thing standing between liberal Senate staffer Kate Adams and passage of the landmark legislation she's been fighting for all year: Ben Mackenzie, intimidating gatekeeper for one of DC's most powerful conservative senators. After Kate and Ben lock horns in a meet-not-so-cute, they vow to take each other down--by any means necessary.
She thinks he's arrogant (and doesn't deserve those gorgeous green eyes). He thinks she's too quick to judge (and irresistibly distracting). But as their endless game of one-upmanship becomes Kate's favorite part of the day, she starts to wonder if her feelings for Ben are closer to attraction than animosity...and maybe their sparring is flirting. And when Kate realizes there's more to Ben than meets the eye, she's forced her to confront her biggest fear: In her sworn enemy, she may have found her perfect match.
365 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 2, 2021
228 people are currently reading
17276 people want to read
About the author
Devon Daniels
4 books627 followersDevon Daniels is a born-and-bred California girl whose own love story found her transplanted to the Maryland shores of the Chesapeake. She loves writing contemporary rom-coms with all the witty banter & slow-burn tension readers can handle. Her debut novel Meet You in the Middle was chosen as one of the Best Books of 2021 by USA Today. When she's not writing, you'll find her clinging to her sanity as mom, chef, chauffeur, and referee to four children, or sneaking off with her husband for date nights. instagram.com/devondanielsauthor
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May 20, 2020
here's what I want to know: does the heroine fall in love with the hero before or after he aids in the profiteering off a global pandemic and thousands of American lives?
I'd like to specifically note that with a Sept. 2020 release date, this is just thinly veiled Trump reelection propaganda designed to make the 53% of white women who voted for him in 2016 feel okay about doing it again. Or to let them know that it's okay to staying married to men who are voting for him, or to stay friends with other white women who are voting for him. That's why we come for it so hard. You want me to collect my people? Then let me go after the things that are lovingly designed and perfectly crafted to make them believe that their vote doesn't hurt anyone.
UPDATE. I READ THIS BOOK.
you know, I honestly expected it to be bad. But it was worse. I am actively upset that this book is in the world.
I'm going to stand by my assertion that this is just Trump propaganda. The entire message of this book is that Republicans care about tax reform, and there's nothing unreasonable about that. Although Kate feels kinda icky about dating a Republican, for him it is simply work, a difference of opinion, and it ultimately doesn't matter that they are on opposite sides. In fact, although they don't really talk about real meaty topics -- abortion, the environment, civil rights -- Ben is firmly pro-gun and owns three of them because, as he explains, his sister was date raped in college and now he's going to protect what's his. He takes Kate to a gun range to force her how to learn to fire a gun, and you know, it's kind of fun for her.
What I find particularly abhorrent at every level is the author's inability or unwillingness to follow through on her own premise. For example, at the beginning, it's clear that Trump is president and the favored woman candidate lost in the last election. And yet, the book elides and ignores all the real human misery that Ben not only supports but actively works for. Reading this, you'd think that Rs are just about tax reform and liking guns bc bad things happen to women--which, hey, seems reasonable, right? Never mind the fact that guns never made violence against women better, and Ben as a Senate staffer would have the ability to influence something like...say....renewing the Violence Against Women Act. But no, he's got 3 guns and now can protect what's his.
Let me give a very specific example of how this works in the text. SEVERAL TIMES, Kate mentions watching CNN, but Ben only cops to watching the Fox business channel and ESPN. However, when these two finally are overtaken by their lust at 70% (more important to develop the sympathetic gun owner storyline, I guess), they go back to Ben's apartment. The TV accidentally gets turned on (eye roll) and an unnamed conservative cable news show comes on, the "brash male host of this particular news show is shouting down a female guest." Why not say Fox News? After all, that's what Ben is watching. Likely this was his regular morning viewing, given it was what was on the TV when he left in the morning. Does this change the way we think about Ben? It should. And yet our author doesn't even have the nerve to name that. (The fact that three or four lengthy paragraphs of anti-Welfare propaganda are quoted but are never refuted, given the way the scene plays out, is just a bonus, I guess.) Then, when Kate puts on the brakes, Ben is upset. "While we were doing all that, you were thinking about work?"
Throughout the text, Fox News-watching Ben is presented as reasonable and logical, while Kate's portrayal is that of a silly, unprofessional woman who is worried about the wrong things, and in the scene I mentioned above, "hysterical." Her internalized misogyny is unbearable to read.
Great. Just fucking great.
As you have no doubt come to understand, the conflict of the book is not that Ben is a Republican (issues with which are enumerated above in a very long list if you don't understand why that's a problem), but that SHE wants to keep him a secret! Kate likes him and thinks he's a great guy, but worries that dating an R will hurt her at work. He's upset about this and doesn't want to be her dirty little secret. This problem is fixed after he gives her a file full of articles about people in mixed political marriages because you should not "judge each other's character on a difference of opinion" and then she calls her Mom, who reassures Kate that it's no biggie and go for it because life isn't black and white. (it goes without saying that there's no discussion of race in this book, making that turn of phrase a little more galling, If I can be honest.)
Then, at the 90% mark, they finally have sex and talk about their rough first meeting. And he tells her he was just mean to her because he liked her.
The book is all from Kate's point of view, except the epilogue, where we get Ben's POV. He retells their first meeting from his point of view, explaining to us/himself that he just liked her a lot which is why he called her a "ball busting liberal feminist" and an "uptight entitled princess" who wants everything to be free. And that now he's going to quit his government job for one where he can make money. Because he'll have a family to support one day, but it will be fun for them to argue about inconsequential stuff.
Tl;dr: This book is morally bankrupt at every level. As far as I can tell, the goal is to reassure white women readers that if they do have friends/loved ones who are Trump supporters and Republicans that it is really okay. Just a pesky difference in opinions, one that could easily be solved if liberals would just give a little and not make such a big deal about everything. It's all fine.
In her author's note, she says she tried to make the book as "politically neutral" as possible. But I would like to be clear with you: there is nothing neutral about this book.
I'd like to specifically note that with a Sept. 2020 release date, this is just thinly veiled Trump reelection propaganda designed to make the 53% of white women who voted for him in 2016 feel okay about doing it again. Or to let them know that it's okay to staying married to men who are voting for him, or to stay friends with other white women who are voting for him. That's why we come for it so hard. You want me to collect my people? Then let me go after the things that are lovingly designed and perfectly crafted to make them believe that their vote doesn't hurt anyone.
UPDATE. I READ THIS BOOK.
you know, I honestly expected it to be bad. But it was worse. I am actively upset that this book is in the world.
I'm going to stand by my assertion that this is just Trump propaganda. The entire message of this book is that Republicans care about tax reform, and there's nothing unreasonable about that. Although Kate feels kinda icky about dating a Republican, for him it is simply work, a difference of opinion, and it ultimately doesn't matter that they are on opposite sides. In fact, although they don't really talk about real meaty topics -- abortion, the environment, civil rights -- Ben is firmly pro-gun and owns three of them because, as he explains, his sister was date raped in college and now he's going to protect what's his. He takes Kate to a gun range to force her how to learn to fire a gun, and you know, it's kind of fun for her.
What I find particularly abhorrent at every level is the author's inability or unwillingness to follow through on her own premise. For example, at the beginning, it's clear that Trump is president and the favored woman candidate lost in the last election. And yet, the book elides and ignores all the real human misery that Ben not only supports but actively works for. Reading this, you'd think that Rs are just about tax reform and liking guns bc bad things happen to women--which, hey, seems reasonable, right? Never mind the fact that guns never made violence against women better, and Ben as a Senate staffer would have the ability to influence something like...say....renewing the Violence Against Women Act. But no, he's got 3 guns and now can protect what's his.
Let me give a very specific example of how this works in the text. SEVERAL TIMES, Kate mentions watching CNN, but Ben only cops to watching the Fox business channel and ESPN. However, when these two finally are overtaken by their lust at 70% (more important to develop the sympathetic gun owner storyline, I guess), they go back to Ben's apartment. The TV accidentally gets turned on (eye roll) and an unnamed conservative cable news show comes on, the "brash male host of this particular news show is shouting down a female guest." Why not say Fox News? After all, that's what Ben is watching. Likely this was his regular morning viewing, given it was what was on the TV when he left in the morning. Does this change the way we think about Ben? It should. And yet our author doesn't even have the nerve to name that. (The fact that three or four lengthy paragraphs of anti-Welfare propaganda are quoted but are never refuted, given the way the scene plays out, is just a bonus, I guess.) Then, when Kate puts on the brakes, Ben is upset. "While we were doing all that, you were thinking about work?"
Throughout the text, Fox News-watching Ben is presented as reasonable and logical, while Kate's portrayal is that of a silly, unprofessional woman who is worried about the wrong things, and in the scene I mentioned above, "hysterical." Her internalized misogyny is unbearable to read.
Great. Just fucking great.
As you have no doubt come to understand, the conflict of the book is not that Ben is a Republican (issues with which are enumerated above in a very long list if you don't understand why that's a problem), but that SHE wants to keep him a secret! Kate likes him and thinks he's a great guy, but worries that dating an R will hurt her at work. He's upset about this and doesn't want to be her dirty little secret. This problem is fixed after he gives her a file full of articles about people in mixed political marriages because you should not "judge each other's character on a difference of opinion" and then she calls her Mom, who reassures Kate that it's no biggie and go for it because life isn't black and white. (it goes without saying that there's no discussion of race in this book, making that turn of phrase a little more galling, If I can be honest.)
Then, at the 90% mark, they finally have sex and talk about their rough first meeting. And he tells her he was just mean to her because he liked her.
The book is all from Kate's point of view, except the epilogue, where we get Ben's POV. He retells their first meeting from his point of view, explaining to us/himself that he just liked her a lot which is why he called her a "ball busting liberal feminist" and an "uptight entitled princess" who wants everything to be free. And that now he's going to quit his government job for one where he can make money. Because he'll have a family to support one day, but it will be fun for them to argue about inconsequential stuff.
Tl;dr: This book is morally bankrupt at every level. As far as I can tell, the goal is to reassure white women readers that if they do have friends/loved ones who are Trump supporters and Republicans that it is really okay. Just a pesky difference in opinions, one that could easily be solved if liberals would just give a little and not make such a big deal about everything. It's all fine.
In her author's note, she says she tried to make the book as "politically neutral" as possible. But I would like to be clear with you: there is nothing neutral about this book.
Read
September 29, 2020If you think in the year of our lord 2020 I'm going to want to read about a Nice White Lady liberal who realizes the rich, conservative is her perfect match you have another thing coming. Awww, isn't it sweet how he rolls his sleeves up to his forearms while forcing Americans to go out and vote during a pandemic?
No.
No.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2020
Lolno. There IS no "meeting in the middle" when it comes to human rights.
May 20, 2020
See my livetweeting of when I read this book: https://twitter.com/meags/status/1250...
***
I used to think that you could be fiscally conservative and socially liberal. That was how I based my political decisions when I was newly of voting age. It seems clear to me, however, that most “conservatives” are not actually fiscally conservative. They equate conservative values with morality, and it’s a very specific type of morality. It’s the same thinking that lends itself to sexism, slut-shaming, fatphobia, and the war against drugs. It’s a “we’re better than them” mentality. It’s a “some people should be billionaires because they are morally better than we are”. It’s the American boot-straps metaphor, spread large on a political stage, that doesn’t take into effect any social or cultural disadvantages that permeate society.
This has never been so obvious to me as in this book. Ben and Kate are on two opposite sides, the book tells us. But are they? There are so many red flags in this book as to what a Nice White Lady thinks a feminist Democrat is. (Including a use of “triggering” that is the way Fox News uses it and not the actual correct way to use the term.) There’s much in the text that emphasizes Republican values without even challenging them. Right in the first chapter, when Kate brings her childcare bill to Ben to drum up bipartisan support, he states:
Nothing in Kate’s inner monologue or reaction refutes that claim. It leaves it on the page as fact that job growth has been paralyzed because of Democrat spending. And really, Kate never comes up with actual arguments for Ben’s claims throughout the entire book. It really sets up their entire political conflict as economic. (Abortion and incarceration rates are never even mentioned.) And that is why I believe that fiscal conservatism is a completely false narrative, because the economic conflict is just the set dressing to what is going on behind the scenes, which becomes clearer as the book goes on. Despite their rivalry, Ben’s behavior becomes increasingly patriarchal toward Kate, decrying her walking home alone after work and giving her possessive looks. It’s creepy, but the text implies that it’s nice that he cares. He acts like he knows better than her how to keep her safe, that she doesn’t know how politics work, that he is just overall more capable than she is. Over and over, the message is clear: Kate is a mess. (Because of her daddy issues.)
The “meet in the middle” charge is not ever directed toward Ben to change his views. Again and again, Ben tells Kate that she’s closed minded. That she exists in an echo-chamber. That she refuses to date or have friends outside of her political bubble. But Kate never explains to him why it’s easier for him to be friends with Democrats than it is for her to be friends with Republicans (because the author doesn’t understand). Because the fact is, for someone who believes that human beings have rights beyond economic morality, it is PAINFUL to be friendly with someone actively trying to dismantle those rights. Republicans can be friendly with people who don’t agree with them politically because those beliefs are harmless to them. Those values are silly. They believe that those idealistic dreams will disappear once they get older and wiser. They look down on Democrats with moral superiority. It doesn’t actively hurt them to be a patriarchal elder, stretching out a friendly hand while legislating against human rights with the other.
As an aside, the one LGBTQ character in the book is a caricature. Stephen is almost a literal accessory to Kate. He has no personality other than to be a sounding board for Kate. It was so much like a Carrie Bradshaw trope that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, also because Stephen ended up being a spy for Ben because PATRIARCHY I GUESS.
I knew going into this that it wouldn’t be great, but I was very hopeful that maybe the Republican character could see the harm they were putting into the world. He did not. Conservative women are going to eat up this book. There are some funny moments, particularly when Kate sends Ben a tampon through interoffice mail and he dumps it on his desk in front of everyone. That made me chuckle. And the writing style is decent. But the content of this book is harmful. You can’t have a book that purports to meet in the middle when it’s so far to the right, the middle is on another planet.
***
I used to think that you could be fiscally conservative and socially liberal. That was how I based my political decisions when I was newly of voting age. It seems clear to me, however, that most “conservatives” are not actually fiscally conservative. They equate conservative values with morality, and it’s a very specific type of morality. It’s the same thinking that lends itself to sexism, slut-shaming, fatphobia, and the war against drugs. It’s a “we’re better than them” mentality. It’s a “some people should be billionaires because they are morally better than we are”. It’s the American boot-straps metaphor, spread large on a political stage, that doesn’t take into effect any social or cultural disadvantages that permeate society.
This has never been so obvious to me as in this book. Ben and Kate are on two opposite sides, the book tells us. But are they? There are so many red flags in this book as to what a Nice White Lady thinks a feminist Democrat is. (Including a use of “triggering” that is the way Fox News uses it and not the actual correct way to use the term.) There’s much in the text that emphasizes Republican values without even challenging them. Right in the first chapter, when Kate brings her childcare bill to Ben to drum up bipartisan support, he states:
"The last thing Hammond would support is more regulations. We’re pretty busy dismantling the last eight years’ worth that completely paralyzed job growth throughout the state."
Nothing in Kate’s inner monologue or reaction refutes that claim. It leaves it on the page as fact that job growth has been paralyzed because of Democrat spending. And really, Kate never comes up with actual arguments for Ben’s claims throughout the entire book. It really sets up their entire political conflict as economic. (Abortion and incarceration rates are never even mentioned.) And that is why I believe that fiscal conservatism is a completely false narrative, because the economic conflict is just the set dressing to what is going on behind the scenes, which becomes clearer as the book goes on. Despite their rivalry, Ben’s behavior becomes increasingly patriarchal toward Kate, decrying her walking home alone after work and giving her possessive looks. It’s creepy, but the text implies that it’s nice that he cares. He acts like he knows better than her how to keep her safe, that she doesn’t know how politics work, that he is just overall more capable than she is. Over and over, the message is clear: Kate is a mess. (Because of her daddy issues.)
The “meet in the middle” charge is not ever directed toward Ben to change his views. Again and again, Ben tells Kate that she’s closed minded. That she exists in an echo-chamber. That she refuses to date or have friends outside of her political bubble. But Kate never explains to him why it’s easier for him to be friends with Democrats than it is for her to be friends with Republicans (because the author doesn’t understand). Because the fact is, for someone who believes that human beings have rights beyond economic morality, it is PAINFUL to be friendly with someone actively trying to dismantle those rights. Republicans can be friendly with people who don’t agree with them politically because those beliefs are harmless to them. Those values are silly. They believe that those idealistic dreams will disappear once they get older and wiser. They look down on Democrats with moral superiority. It doesn’t actively hurt them to be a patriarchal elder, stretching out a friendly hand while legislating against human rights with the other.
As an aside, the one LGBTQ character in the book is a caricature. Stephen is almost a literal accessory to Kate. He has no personality other than to be a sounding board for Kate. It was so much like a Carrie Bradshaw trope that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, also because Stephen ended up being a spy for Ben because PATRIARCHY I GUESS.
I knew going into this that it wouldn’t be great, but I was very hopeful that maybe the Republican character could see the harm they were putting into the world. He did not. Conservative women are going to eat up this book. There are some funny moments, particularly when Kate sends Ben a tampon through interoffice mail and he dumps it on his desk in front of everyone. That made me chuckle. And the writing style is decent. But the content of this book is harmful. You can’t have a book that purports to meet in the middle when it’s so far to the right, the middle is on another planet.
January 19, 2021
Edited 1/19/21 to add: So, is this hero pro-insurrection or.......?
What?
"Rom com" between a democrat and a power broker who is an advisor for one of the most powerful conservative senators in Washington. Advisor to a senator who voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh. Advisor to a senator who voted to strip healthcare from hundreds of millions of people. Advisor to a senator who wants to roll back Roe. Advisor to a senator who turned a blind eye to the Trump administration separating babies from parents at the border. Advisor to a senator who refuses to revisit the Equal Rights Amendment. Advisor to a senator who wants to bail out airlines and not millions of working poor during a PANDEMIC. Advisor to a senator who gutted funding for the CDC. Advisor to a senator who wants to gut the Environmental Protection Agency. Advisor to a senator who takes tens of millions of dollars from the NRA and won't enact gun control policies to protect children in schools.
A "hero" so committed to his racism, misogyny and hate that he has actually become one of the most powerful people in a party now built on the backs of white supremacy.
But so funny! So light hearted!
Eff this unless the hero fills his pockets with rocks and walks into the Potomac.
What?
"Rom com" between a democrat and a power broker who is an advisor for one of the most powerful conservative senators in Washington. Advisor to a senator who voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh. Advisor to a senator who voted to strip healthcare from hundreds of millions of people. Advisor to a senator who wants to roll back Roe. Advisor to a senator who turned a blind eye to the Trump administration separating babies from parents at the border. Advisor to a senator who refuses to revisit the Equal Rights Amendment. Advisor to a senator who wants to bail out airlines and not millions of working poor during a PANDEMIC. Advisor to a senator who gutted funding for the CDC. Advisor to a senator who wants to gut the Environmental Protection Agency. Advisor to a senator who takes tens of millions of dollars from the NRA and won't enact gun control policies to protect children in schools.
A "hero" so committed to his racism, misogyny and hate that he has actually become one of the most powerful people in a party now built on the backs of white supremacy.
But so funny! So light hearted!
Eff this unless the hero fills his pockets with rocks and walks into the Potomac.
October 3, 2022
“Meet You In the Middle” by Devon Daniels has no “middle ground”. Ben and Kate decide at some point to ignore their completely different morals and just.not.talk.about.it. Ugh.
The head scratcher for me when I began reading this book was “why, oh, why would you choose to write about the current administration? You are a novelist with, one would hope, an imagination full of wonderful worlds to pull from! Why, would you set yourself up for the battle that will come (surely the author and publishers saw it coming?) over this book, when you have one of the main love interests as a MAGA Republican and the other as a “feminist” Democrat staffer.” This is an incredibly polarizing issue! I do not understand. But I leave my impressions of this book for you. What would have been interesting for me would have been a fictitious administration with a male, feminist, Democrat and a female, moderate, Republican. I could see that working. This is too fractious a set-up for it not to create prejudices right off the bat.
Nevertheless, I persisted. (wink) Ben, as I mentioned, is a MAGA Republican. It’s never stated as such, it’s heavily implied. You can read between the lines. He loves guns. He’s fiscally conservative. Screw health care, etc, etc,. Kate is a “feminist” Democrat staffer. I keep putting feminist in quotes because I want to quote Inigo Montoya and say to the author, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Kate is a parody of a feminist. She’s a shrieking, I-know-everything, crying, but-I-can’t-really-take-care-of-myself joke. Ben berates and lectures her several times. They have a bet, Ben appears open-minded, except for his grumbling about “who’s going to pay for this?” about Universal health care (as a Canadian, it’s called taxes you nincompoop) and Kate freaks the f*ck out when Ben insists that she go to a gun range. Creepily, after the gun range, he mutters to himself that “she’s already so much safer now”. He pretty much stalks her for a year. She can’t seem to do her job. She’s a terrible feminist. The whole time she is, of course, in hate/lust with gigantor-man mountain Ben, who is some kind of Hulk as described in this book. She particularly likes him in the color green which he wears a lot. (Money? He IS the Hulk?)
Ben wants to protect Kate. We learn his sister was date raped in university which led to his increased interest in guns because a GUN would have helped a date rape situation so much. Anyhow, Ben is bothered by the fact that Kate walks home in dangerous Washington, DC. That she seemingly puts herself in dangerous situations. So am I, Ben. Apparently Kate can’t adult. Or Woman. She can only lust after Ben. She throws her morals out the window to ignore them to be with Ben. La dee da, Happy Ever After. There’s no compromise. No discussion. Like I said, they stop talking about politics. That’s healthy. I can’t recommend this book. I have no idea why this book exists. What political motivations or agenda the author might have. It’s just very strange. Ben is a giant man who is a gentleman and gets to make speeches on his issues. Kate can’t take care of herself and exists only to lust after Ben. Just, no thank you.
WRITING STYLE: 2/5
PLOT: 1/5
WORLD-BUILDING: 1/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 1/5
ROMANCE: 1/5
HEAT: 2/5
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Berkley for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review of “Meet You In the Middle”. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.
The head scratcher for me when I began reading this book was “why, oh, why would you choose to write about the current administration? You are a novelist with, one would hope, an imagination full of wonderful worlds to pull from! Why, would you set yourself up for the battle that will come (surely the author and publishers saw it coming?) over this book, when you have one of the main love interests as a MAGA Republican and the other as a “feminist” Democrat staffer.” This is an incredibly polarizing issue! I do not understand. But I leave my impressions of this book for you. What would have been interesting for me would have been a fictitious administration with a male, feminist, Democrat and a female, moderate, Republican. I could see that working. This is too fractious a set-up for it not to create prejudices right off the bat.
Nevertheless, I persisted. (wink) Ben, as I mentioned, is a MAGA Republican. It’s never stated as such, it’s heavily implied. You can read between the lines. He loves guns. He’s fiscally conservative. Screw health care, etc, etc,. Kate is a “feminist” Democrat staffer. I keep putting feminist in quotes because I want to quote Inigo Montoya and say to the author, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Kate is a parody of a feminist. She’s a shrieking, I-know-everything, crying, but-I-can’t-really-take-care-of-myself joke. Ben berates and lectures her several times. They have a bet, Ben appears open-minded, except for his grumbling about “who’s going to pay for this?” about Universal health care (as a Canadian, it’s called taxes you nincompoop) and Kate freaks the f*ck out when Ben insists that she go to a gun range. Creepily, after the gun range, he mutters to himself that “she’s already so much safer now”. He pretty much stalks her for a year. She can’t seem to do her job. She’s a terrible feminist. The whole time she is, of course, in hate/lust with gigantor-man mountain Ben, who is some kind of Hulk as described in this book. She particularly likes him in the color green which he wears a lot. (Money? He IS the Hulk?)
Ben wants to protect Kate. We learn his sister was date raped in university which led to his increased interest in guns because a GUN would have helped a date rape situation so much. Anyhow, Ben is bothered by the fact that Kate walks home in dangerous Washington, DC. That she seemingly puts herself in dangerous situations. So am I, Ben. Apparently Kate can’t adult. Or Woman. She can only lust after Ben. She throws her morals out the window to ignore them to be with Ben. La dee da, Happy Ever After. There’s no compromise. No discussion. Like I said, they stop talking about politics. That’s healthy. I can’t recommend this book. I have no idea why this book exists. What political motivations or agenda the author might have. It’s just very strange. Ben is a giant man who is a gentleman and gets to make speeches on his issues. Kate can’t take care of herself and exists only to lust after Ben. Just, no thank you.
WRITING STYLE: 2/5
PLOT: 1/5
WORLD-BUILDING: 1/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 1/5
ROMANCE: 1/5
HEAT: 2/5
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Berkley for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review of “Meet You In the Middle”. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.
August 27, 2020
Buckle up, kiddos, because I write about politics for a living and I've got #THOUGHTS on this book.
The second I saw Meet You in the Middle on Goodreads a few months ago, I knew it was going to be polarizing. Romances that have any political bend to them are hard to pull off no matter what, and I was afraid that this novel was going to turn into a big ball of "Why can't we just sing Kumbaya and get along?" messiness.
First, the good news: Devon Daniels is an incredibly talented and funny writer. She's got a real knack for the pacing of a romance, and she interpreted the enemies-to-lovers and forbidden love tropes so well; there was some real sizzle on that front. I'm interested to see what she comes out with next, because from that perspective, this is one of the stronger romance debuts I've seen. And to her credit, she did a solid job trying to unpack the intricacies of loving someone you know you shouldn't.
Now, the bad news: I don't know if the superficiality of how good the romance was can undo the larger implications of this book. To say that core values and politics are somehow separate entities (when politics are just the institutional embodiment of what your core values are) is problematic. Anything that plays into this notion of both sides-ism is going to get an eye roll from me. (Daniels' author's note at the end of the book shows very clearly that this was her intent too, so it's not like I'm making assumptions here.)
I'd say on the writing front, including Ben's POV throughout the book would've been useful, because all we got was a Democratic woman deciding to change her standards for a Republican guy. Those optics are just hard to overcome, no matter how magical that guy is supposed to seem, and the lack of real unpacking on political issues also didn't help. When it comes down to it, Kate and Ben never had substantial conversations about their differences, and even the "happy" resolution at the end fell flat because of that.
It's obvious that the play here was to have this book come out before the 2020 election. But the pandemic has further complicated many things about our world, and I think the ire towards Meet You in the Middle is understandable considering what we're seeing happen both in our government and on streets across America.
Most people would agree that romances are supposed to make us feel warm and fuzzy. This book just left me feeling guilty and weird. No amount of pithy banter can overcome that.
The second I saw Meet You in the Middle on Goodreads a few months ago, I knew it was going to be polarizing. Romances that have any political bend to them are hard to pull off no matter what, and I was afraid that this novel was going to turn into a big ball of "Why can't we just sing Kumbaya and get along?" messiness.
First, the good news: Devon Daniels is an incredibly talented and funny writer. She's got a real knack for the pacing of a romance, and she interpreted the enemies-to-lovers and forbidden love tropes so well; there was some real sizzle on that front. I'm interested to see what she comes out with next, because from that perspective, this is one of the stronger romance debuts I've seen. And to her credit, she did a solid job trying to unpack the intricacies of loving someone you know you shouldn't.
Now, the bad news: I don't know if the superficiality of how good the romance was can undo the larger implications of this book. To say that core values and politics are somehow separate entities (when politics are just the institutional embodiment of what your core values are) is problematic. Anything that plays into this notion of both sides-ism is going to get an eye roll from me. (Daniels' author's note at the end of the book shows very clearly that this was her intent too, so it's not like I'm making assumptions here.)
I'd say on the writing front, including Ben's POV throughout the book would've been useful, because all we got was a Democratic woman deciding to change her standards for a Republican guy. Those optics are just hard to overcome, no matter how magical that guy is supposed to seem, and the lack of real unpacking on political issues also didn't help. When it comes down to it, Kate and Ben never had substantial conversations about their differences, and even the "happy" resolution at the end fell flat because of that.
It's obvious that the play here was to have this book come out before the 2020 election. But the pandemic has further complicated many things about our world, and I think the ire towards Meet You in the Middle is understandable considering what we're seeing happen both in our government and on streets across America.
Most people would agree that romances are supposed to make us feel warm and fuzzy. This book just left me feeling guilty and weird. No amount of pithy banter can overcome that.
April 9, 2020
"I know they support caging & kidnapping children by the thousands, want to let the most vulnerable ppl die off during a pandemic, & want to strip basic rights from minorities and women, but wealthy white men, but they're just so cute!"
FUCK THIS BOOK!
FUCK THIS BOOK!
June 3, 2020
Why are white women?
December 1, 2023
This book is an example in how to be tone-deaf.
Nope. No way. Not today. Not happening.
No. No. Hell No.
Nope. No way. Not today. Not happening.
No. No. Hell No.
March 3, 2020
Every once in awhile I come up for air from historical fiction, and for MEET YOU IN THE MIDDLE: I'm so glad I did! What a hilarious, thrilling, sexy read! Friends, this kind of story will take you back to the golden age of Rom-Com. Pure joy from start to finish.
March 12, 2021
4 stars
When I read the blurb for this one, I honestly wasn’t too interested. The last thing I want to read is a romance that constantly talks about politics amiright? Anyway, a friend read it and loved it so I decided I would give it a try and got the audiobook from my library. I’m so glad I did! This one was so fun and had the best banter, and honestly, there wasn’t a huge focus on any actual politics. They both worked for senators on different sides, but aside from a few things brought up by the heroine, it wasn’t mentioned too much.
Now, speaking of the heroine. She did drive me a bit bonkers at times. The hero though, I loved him. I loved how much he loved the heroine. He was so sweet and romantic and I would call this an opposites attract romance, but they weren’t as much opposites as they initially thought.
I was surprised this was a debut novel. I think the writing was really strong. If you love a good enemies to lovers story that will leave a huge smile on your face, I would recommend this one. I enjoyed it so much!
When I read the blurb for this one, I honestly wasn’t too interested. The last thing I want to read is a romance that constantly talks about politics amiright? Anyway, a friend read it and loved it so I decided I would give it a try and got the audiobook from my library. I’m so glad I did! This one was so fun and had the best banter, and honestly, there wasn’t a huge focus on any actual politics. They both worked for senators on different sides, but aside from a few things brought up by the heroine, it wasn’t mentioned too much.
Now, speaking of the heroine. She did drive me a bit bonkers at times. The hero though, I loved him. I loved how much he loved the heroine. He was so sweet and romantic and I would call this an opposites attract romance, but they weren’t as much opposites as they initially thought.
I was surprised this was a debut novel. I think the writing was really strong. If you love a good enemies to lovers story that will leave a huge smile on your face, I would recommend this one. I enjoyed it so much!
Audio book source: Libby (library borrow)
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Brittany Pressley and Mark Deakins
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Enemies to lovers)
Length: 11 hours and 2 minutes
May 22, 2020
DNF 32%.
Abhorrent.
Trump propaganda disguised as a rom-com.
Just. No.
It might seem a little bit dramatic when you don't live in America but everything in this book is wrong. Obviously, the author has no idea what a liberal woman is and what she does with Kate is PURE travesty. For the male character, even though it is not clearly stated, he is obviously a (gag) MAGA fan. The scene in the gun range was absolutely horrific. Kate was never arguing despite being said liberal. I don't know any liberal women who would have accepted any of the things Ben was spitting during the whole book without punching him in the throat.
How can you make your male character likable when he is supporting this government (putting kids and babies in cages, suppressing minorities vote, abortion rights, etc.)???
This is a hard pass!
Abhorrent.
Trump propaganda disguised as a rom-com.
Just. No.
It might seem a little bit dramatic when you don't live in America but everything in this book is wrong. Obviously, the author has no idea what a liberal woman is and what she does with Kate is PURE travesty. For the male character, even though it is not clearly stated, he is obviously a (gag) MAGA fan. The scene in the gun range was absolutely horrific. Kate was never arguing despite being said liberal. I don't know any liberal women who would have accepted any of the things Ben was spitting during the whole book without punching him in the throat.
How can you make your male character likable when he is supporting this government (putting kids and babies in cages, suppressing minorities vote, abortion rights, etc.)???
This is a hard pass!
August 10, 2021
I LOVED THIS BOOK
What is going on? Have I really been lucky with my contemporary romance selection so far, especially Rom-Com.
“Meet You In The Middle” is a hilarious slow burn novel with A LOT of tension between the two main characters who are from different opposition’s, one being a liberal and the other being a republican. They meet for the first time when Kate goes to Ben to pitch a bill she has worked hard on, however that meeting ends up with both of them exchanging some not so nice words to each other, thus igniting an office rivalry.
The rivalry started with mail feuds to having home cooked meals together. When the lines began to blur between them, Kate started to question whether it’s really that wrong to date someone from a different political party and Benjy being the most patient fictional being ever, waiting for Kate to realise that what they both have is special. Even when Kate pissed him the fuck off, he would walk her all the way home just to make sure she reached safely 😭😭😭
The chemistry between these two characters was off the charts and I absolutely loved their banters. I was either laughing or giggling like a 10 year old because of Ben. God I loved him so much.
When both of them would discuss politics or the passing of bills, everything would just go over my head but it was fun trying to pretend that I understood what was going on there 😂.
Side Note: I noticed many people having an issue with the book just because of the political aspects mentioned and relating it to the REAL world and I just want to say that if you do decide to ever pick this book up then you need to try to separate your real life beliefs and remember that this is fictional and doesn’t promote or advocate to support a specific party, it’s just a hilarious rom-com book.
April 14, 2020
I am madly in love with MYITM! So much so that I'm writing my first ever book review to sing its praises :)
It's quite obvious that the negative reviews are from readers who haven't actually read the book - which ironically is one of the book's themes: how we all judge books (and people) by their covers. There is so much more to this book than what meets the eye!
I hardly know where to begin in sharing all the ways I adore MYITM. The characters are lovable, multi-faceted & anything but stereotypical. The banter between the leads is laugh-out-loud funny, sharp & smart. The slow-burn chemistry will melt even the most jaded hearts. The pacing of the book is utter perfection ... Each chapter zips along with both purpose & pleasure. I can't get enough of the author's fresh voice, pop culture references, "golden egg" clues & surprises you never see coming.
I read this book while on a trip with my husband. Seeing how I devoured it (and laughed, swooned, cried & aaaaah'ed throughout), my husband asked to borrow it. Mind you, he had never read a romance before & he was skeptical to say the least. Well, let's just say I caught him many nights staying up to finish the next chapter ... Even he was utterly hooked!
I wasn't in a hurry to read anything remotely "political" given today's climate, but this book was a totally consuming delight in every single way. It's the definition of a modern rom-com, and its message is more important & relevant now than ever.
Highly encourage you to read this book! Get ready to fall in love ... and maybe even learn something about yourself (as I did) in the process.
It's quite obvious that the negative reviews are from readers who haven't actually read the book - which ironically is one of the book's themes: how we all judge books (and people) by their covers. There is so much more to this book than what meets the eye!
I hardly know where to begin in sharing all the ways I adore MYITM. The characters are lovable, multi-faceted & anything but stereotypical. The banter between the leads is laugh-out-loud funny, sharp & smart. The slow-burn chemistry will melt even the most jaded hearts. The pacing of the book is utter perfection ... Each chapter zips along with both purpose & pleasure. I can't get enough of the author's fresh voice, pop culture references, "golden egg" clues & surprises you never see coming.
I read this book while on a trip with my husband. Seeing how I devoured it (and laughed, swooned, cried & aaaaah'ed throughout), my husband asked to borrow it. Mind you, he had never read a romance before & he was skeptical to say the least. Well, let's just say I caught him many nights staying up to finish the next chapter ... Even he was utterly hooked!
I wasn't in a hurry to read anything remotely "political" given today's climate, but this book was a totally consuming delight in every single way. It's the definition of a modern rom-com, and its message is more important & relevant now than ever.
Highly encourage you to read this book! Get ready to fall in love ... and maybe even learn something about yourself (as I did) in the process.
April 12, 2020
I was hooked by the opening sentence. Although stuck at home, I wasn’t planning on killing my whole day yesterday, but that I did. Daniel’s writing style is REALLY good. I rarely laugh out loud reading any book, but with this one I sure did.
I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying this delightful story. I’m trying to find any prior works by Daniels, but so far to no avail. If anyone knows of others, please publish those titles.
I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying this delightful story. I’m trying to find any prior works by Daniels, but so far to no avail. If anyone knows of others, please publish those titles.
May 12, 2022
I contributed this review to Really Into This
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
Special thanks to Berkley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
Lots of reviews coming in for this book. While I certainly don't make a habit of writing reviews for books I don't enjoy, I'm making an exception.
I started by reading the author's note. While this could (and likely is) a divisive book, I wanted to get a feel for the author's intentions. Based on the 2016 election, she was inspired to write a romance starring a couple from each side of the political aisle. My opinion is a romance set within the current discord of our political climate has little chance of working as an escape as a love story across the aisle. Still, I'm hopeful Daniels can make it work.
My thoughts
1. I don't like either character. The hero & the heroine are thinly veiled caricatures of the "typical" Liberal & Conservative. What really irks me here is we only get her (the liberal's) viewpoint for the vast majority of the story. She comes across as whiny, weak & clueless. Good thing she as this big caveman of a character to help set her straight. How dare she walk home without a gun? Doesn't she know how she comes across when trying to deliver legislation to a representative's office? Good thing she has this big strong conservative Texas man to help her see the error of her ways. (cue the eye roll)
2. This book is not based in reality. Now, hear me out. That usually doesn't bother me. Yet, when you're using our current political climate as your setting, we have to be real about things. If this was based in 2000 or 2008 or 2015, fine. The hero (as well as the author) makes the assumption that political parties are simply a "difference of opinion". For me, this does not ring true. Many political differences stem from differing morals, ideals & values. Now, had the author opened up the dialogue between the characters to truly discuss some of the long, hard & difficult discussions that people of differing ideals have, we may have a totally different story here. Yet, she skims the surface. She treats each party's decision as flippant. This just doesn't sit well with me. It's not believable, authentic & a real missed opportunity.
3. The love story doesn't work. Take out the politics & let's dissect the love story. It's a no from me. Our heroine has all the makings & descriptions of a strong, ideological feminist, but she sure throws it all out the window for a man who loves to argue and wants to have hate sex. She's not comfortable around guns, but they have an outing/date at a gun range. Guess what? He gets an erection & she is just fawning all over him. Then they have their first kiss - at a gun range. (eye roll again)
4. This story feels like it's definitely geared towards a more conservative-leaning audience. I head back to the author's note again. She wanted to write a story that "both sides" could enjoy. I'm sad to say I don't really think she achieved that. We see this through the heroine's actions & verbiage. As she argues or attempts to defend her ideals to the hero, his rebuttal is condescending & rooted in a sense that she is the one who should cross the aisle not him. She's the one not making great decisions & acting on emotion while he is stable, rooted & able to sweep in & rescue her. For me, it definitely has a feel of, these crazy liberals just need to see things from our side.
5. Bottom line - decide for yourself. If you enjoy it, that's great. It does have some open door romance towards the end. Overall, the story didn't work for me.
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
Special thanks to Berkley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
Lots of reviews coming in for this book. While I certainly don't make a habit of writing reviews for books I don't enjoy, I'm making an exception.
I started by reading the author's note. While this could (and likely is) a divisive book, I wanted to get a feel for the author's intentions. Based on the 2016 election, she was inspired to write a romance starring a couple from each side of the political aisle. My opinion is a romance set within the current discord of our political climate has little chance of working as an escape as a love story across the aisle. Still, I'm hopeful Daniels can make it work.
My thoughts
1. I don't like either character. The hero & the heroine are thinly veiled caricatures of the "typical" Liberal & Conservative. What really irks me here is we only get her (the liberal's) viewpoint for the vast majority of the story. She comes across as whiny, weak & clueless. Good thing she as this big caveman of a character to help set her straight. How dare she walk home without a gun? Doesn't she know how she comes across when trying to deliver legislation to a representative's office? Good thing she has this big strong conservative Texas man to help her see the error of her ways. (cue the eye roll)
2. This book is not based in reality. Now, hear me out. That usually doesn't bother me. Yet, when you're using our current political climate as your setting, we have to be real about things. If this was based in 2000 or 2008 or 2015, fine. The hero (as well as the author) makes the assumption that political parties are simply a "difference of opinion". For me, this does not ring true. Many political differences stem from differing morals, ideals & values. Now, had the author opened up the dialogue between the characters to truly discuss some of the long, hard & difficult discussions that people of differing ideals have, we may have a totally different story here. Yet, she skims the surface. She treats each party's decision as flippant. This just doesn't sit well with me. It's not believable, authentic & a real missed opportunity.
3. The love story doesn't work. Take out the politics & let's dissect the love story. It's a no from me. Our heroine has all the makings & descriptions of a strong, ideological feminist, but she sure throws it all out the window for a man who loves to argue and wants to have hate sex. She's not comfortable around guns, but they have an outing/date at a gun range. Guess what? He gets an erection & she is just fawning all over him. Then they have their first kiss - at a gun range. (eye roll again)
4. This story feels like it's definitely geared towards a more conservative-leaning audience. I head back to the author's note again. She wanted to write a story that "both sides" could enjoy. I'm sad to say I don't really think she achieved that. We see this through the heroine's actions & verbiage. As she argues or attempts to defend her ideals to the hero, his rebuttal is condescending & rooted in a sense that she is the one who should cross the aisle not him. She's the one not making great decisions & acting on emotion while he is stable, rooted & able to sweep in & rescue her. For me, it definitely has a feel of, these crazy liberals just need to see things from our side.
5. Bottom line - decide for yourself. If you enjoy it, that's great. It does have some open door romance towards the end. Overall, the story didn't work for me.
July 9, 2020
White liberalism at its finest, I cannot.
I can't even thank NetGalley for this because that would be dishonest, I am not grateful.
I can't even thank NetGalley for this because that would be dishonest, I am not grateful.
April 12, 2020
I don’t typically read a lot of romance, but I was intrigued by the blurb and how the author could pull off a bipartisan romance. Reading this novel was such a positive experience. Though fiction, it broadened my hope and gave me joy to see that political opposites can actually dialogue on intensely emotional issues. If you’re someone who’s tired of the political nastiness, definitely pick up this book for a shot of optimism.
Read
May 21, 2020Alternate title:
SEE YOU IN HELL
SEE YOU IN HELL
April 15, 2020
Woobifying the gop in 2020, nothx
Also did Kelly Anne Conway or w/e write this
Also did Kelly Anne Conway or w/e write this
April 12, 2020
Wow. Just wow. I had my doubts about a politically based romcom given the world we live in today - how could anyone take on such an explosive topic and build a romance (and steamy one, to boot) out of it. Well, Devon Daniels is pure genius in her debut book. From the very first chapter, the quick and witty banter had me on the edge of my seat, and just how were these two polar opposites ever going to end up together.
Told entirely from Kate’s POV, "Meet You in the Middle” has one of the best slow burn relationships I’ve ever read. The creativity and unexpected ways these two come together is perfection - believable, inspiring, and had me filled with butterflies!
This slow burn of slow burners had me rethinking many of my own preconceived notions of the other side. This book is steamy, fast paced, fun, and somehow also got me out of my comfort zone (in a good way) when it comes to how we view the other side. I just can’t thank Daniels enough for this journey. I couldn’t put the book down - I was up until 2:30 in the morning. Now, when can I reread?!
Told entirely from Kate’s POV, "Meet You in the Middle” has one of the best slow burn relationships I’ve ever read. The creativity and unexpected ways these two come together is perfection - believable, inspiring, and had me filled with butterflies!
This slow burn of slow burners had me rethinking many of my own preconceived notions of the other side. This book is steamy, fast paced, fun, and somehow also got me out of my comfort zone (in a good way) when it comes to how we view the other side. I just can’t thank Daniels enough for this journey. I couldn’t put the book down - I was up until 2:30 in the morning. Now, when can I reread?!
May 20, 2020
Did not read but I figure I need to balance out all the fake accounts that posted five stars!!!
January 26, 2021
Would you ever date someone outside of your chosen political party? That is the question at the center of Meet You in the Middle. Liberal Kate thinks the answer is no. She views her cohorts across the aisle as incompatible opponents. That is until she meets Ben, a fiscally conservative Republican. The two have instant chemistry. But can two political opposites ever be compatible?
I've seen several terrible reviews for this novel because of the political nature. First of all, this is first and foremost a romance and an excellently written one at that. Second, you do not need to enjoy politics to enjoy this book. Meet You in the Middle is about just that, finding the things that we all have in common that unite us, even across seemingly uncrossable lines. It's about the values that we all share, a commonality for all of us. In the author’s note at the back, Devon Daniels discusses the derision after the 2016 election and the desire to only date within one's political party. She wanted to explore that and see how it would play out between two rivals. The result: a thoroughly well-written romance riddled with sexual tension and tender moments.
Simply put: I loved this book. I loved the chemistry between Kate and Ben. The story is filled with sexual tension and steam. It’s told entirely in the first person from Kate’s perspective as she struggles to rationalize her feelings for Ben with her morals and professional reputation. Ben is the perfect male lead. He’s charming, attractive, intelligent, respectful, and funny. You can tell how deeply he respects Kate. He brings out the best in her and challenges her in all the right ways.
Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I've seen several terrible reviews for this novel because of the political nature. First of all, this is first and foremost a romance and an excellently written one at that. Second, you do not need to enjoy politics to enjoy this book. Meet You in the Middle is about just that, finding the things that we all have in common that unite us, even across seemingly uncrossable lines. It's about the values that we all share, a commonality for all of us. In the author’s note at the back, Devon Daniels discusses the derision after the 2016 election and the desire to only date within one's political party. She wanted to explore that and see how it would play out between two rivals. The result: a thoroughly well-written romance riddled with sexual tension and tender moments.
Simply put: I loved this book. I loved the chemistry between Kate and Ben. The story is filled with sexual tension and steam. It’s told entirely in the first person from Kate’s perspective as she struggles to rationalize her feelings for Ben with her morals and professional reputation. Ben is the perfect male lead. He’s charming, attractive, intelligent, respectful, and funny. You can tell how deeply he respects Kate. He brings out the best in her and challenges her in all the right ways.
Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
December 22, 2020
I have a whole lotta things to say about this title. I think this was a HUGE missed opportunity that falls extremely, exceedingly, flat. It not only missed the mark, the mark wasn't even aimed at.
There was no meeting in the middle in this book. There was only the self-proclaimed "liberal feminist" (who didn't actually act like a liberated woman, and constantly judged other female characters for being forward and strong) completely setting aside her beliefs for the God Among Men that is Ben. Ben did no improving. His character did not change. He was always portrayed as perfect. There were no actual discussions about their political beliefs - even though Ben seemed more fiscally conservative than anything, there were still pivotal morality issues THAT WERE NEVER ADDRESSED. Ben's stance on abortion? LGBTQ marriage? Any social issue? Nothing. Nada. If there had been actual scenes where each of the leads actually sat down with each other and talked about their differences like actual humans, this might have been better. But no, Ben's beliefs were always portrayed as perfectly fine and he had no "growing" to do, whereas Kate is portrayed as being a deeply flawed and close-minded Democrat that has to get with the program to be with Ben. Let me reiterate: Ben, the conservative, never has his flaws called into sharp relief. Kate, the liberal, is harangued at every opportunity. Even Kate's liberal friends are annoying. Ben's friend? Genial and kind. Also, the fact that Ben 'pops one' at the GUN RANGE after seeing Kate fire a gun is one of the more ridiculous things I've ever read.
If this had been a rom-com where it actually addressed real political differences and had the leads work through them, that would've been a different story. Instead, Ben's weird stalker behavior of watching Kate through the office windows is deemed "romantic" and Kate, at the end, instead of having her fear of her relationship going public justified AT ALL (c'mon, y'all...it would be a legit concern. The fact that Ben didn't see that or really make an effort to understand where Kate was coming from and just dismissing her for the hesitancy was #rude) Kate throws caution to the wind, belittles her Democrat friends - they were being annoying, guys, like all Democrats! - and makes out with Ben at a fancy ball. The longer I type this the more I want to give it one star. I wish that this had been executed better. Alas.
There was no meeting in the middle in this book. There was only the self-proclaimed "liberal feminist" (who didn't actually act like a liberated woman, and constantly judged other female characters for being forward and strong) completely setting aside her beliefs for the God Among Men that is Ben. Ben did no improving. His character did not change. He was always portrayed as perfect. There were no actual discussions about their political beliefs - even though Ben seemed more fiscally conservative than anything, there were still pivotal morality issues THAT WERE NEVER ADDRESSED. Ben's stance on abortion? LGBTQ marriage? Any social issue? Nothing. Nada. If there had been actual scenes where each of the leads actually sat down with each other and talked about their differences like actual humans, this might have been better. But no, Ben's beliefs were always portrayed as perfectly fine and he had no "growing" to do, whereas Kate is portrayed as being a deeply flawed and close-minded Democrat that has to get with the program to be with Ben. Let me reiterate: Ben, the conservative, never has his flaws called into sharp relief. Kate, the liberal, is harangued at every opportunity. Even Kate's liberal friends are annoying. Ben's friend? Genial and kind. Also, the fact that Ben 'pops one' at the GUN RANGE after seeing Kate fire a gun is one of the more ridiculous things I've ever read.
If this had been a rom-com where it actually addressed real political differences and had the leads work through them, that would've been a different story. Instead, Ben's weird stalker behavior of watching Kate through the office windows is deemed "romantic" and Kate, at the end, instead of having her fear of her relationship going public justified AT ALL (c'mon, y'all...it would be a legit concern. The fact that Ben didn't see that or really make an effort to understand where Kate was coming from and just dismissing her for the hesitancy was #rude) Kate throws caution to the wind, belittles her Democrat friends - they were being annoying, guys, like all Democrats! - and makes out with Ben at a fancy ball. The longer I type this the more I want to give it one star. I wish that this had been executed better. Alas.
April 16, 2020
Seriously I LOVED THIS BOOK! The witty writing and humor sets the stage for 2 amazing characters that at first you really don’t expect to fall for each other. This is a story that we all need right now – it’s important to look beyond the labels of who we think someone is and give friendship and love a chance. The writing is so well done and the humor in the book will have you laughing out loud. It’s also rare to find a romantic book where you are surprised several times about a twist and turn in the story – this book delivered some amazingly unexpected moments. The realistic characters, the amazing back drop of Washington DC, the slow-burn enemies to friends to lovers …. Everything was PERFECT. I went to Georgetown, this book really brought me back to my time in college in DC.
This has been the best book I’ve read in a long time. Can’t wait to see what comes next from this amazing author. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romance!
This has been the best book I’ve read in a long time. Can’t wait to see what comes next from this amazing author. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romance!
April 17, 2020
I couldn’t put this book down! It reminded me of The Hating Game and was just so good. The humorous voice, the swoony love interest and quirky cast of characters, the witty banter. Simply put: I loved it.
The writing made me laugh out loud, and the slow sizzle of the romance had me eagerly turning pages. Highly recommend!
The writing made me laugh out loud, and the slow sizzle of the romance had me eagerly turning pages. Highly recommend!
April 3, 2021
I know this book has received very mixed reviews. I went into it with no expectations either way and I ended up really liking it. Here are some things you should know.
This book is set in the world of American politics, the main characters being a Democrat and a Republican. It's pretty obvious that the intended take-away from the book was that you can have very strong political opinions without making a sweeping judgement about the character of a person on the opposite side as you. The book attempts to do this by highlighting certain hot-button political topics and showing you both sides of that issue. It doesn't quite hit that mark. The reader gets to see the more human side of 1-2 of these topics, but always from the male lead's standpoint. THAT is why many reviewers are saying this book favors Republican politics. We don't really get the same from the (Democratic) female lead's perspective. Having said that, I am a very firm Democrat, but I'm someone who doesn't get very riled up by opposing political views. Therefore, this aspect of the book didn't really bother me. I don't feel like the author "had an agenda". I think she tackled an insanely touchy topic and didn't quite even out all of the perspectives.
The other thing worth mentioning about this book is it shares many of the same story points as The Hating Game. I loved The Hating Game and really liked this book, so it worked out for me. But there are many very similar parts...
- hate-banter at work
- a main character's signature color (based on their eye color)
- the other character seeking out and purposefully wearing that color
- a scene after the first cracks are starting to show in the HATE portion where the male lead takes care of the female lead during illness (this time she's very drunk) including her revealing feelings while delirious, him catching her vomit in a container and cleaning it, him spending the night, etc.
- his repeated use of her parent's nickname for her (Katie Cat instead of Shortcake)
- their much discussed height discrepancy
- her over-compensating for her stature by using high heels (rather than flamethrower red lipstick)
- her repeatedly smelling him
- him holding off on sex until she is over her relationship issues
- a revelation that one of them had strong feelings for the other long before they actually interacted (this part bordered on slightly creepy in this book)
Just like the politics of this book, these similarities didn't ruin this book for me. I really liked it, but I can also see why it might rub other readers the wrong way.
I found it hilarious, sweet, really hot, and totally engaging.
This book is set in the world of American politics, the main characters being a Democrat and a Republican. It's pretty obvious that the intended take-away from the book was that you can have very strong political opinions without making a sweeping judgement about the character of a person on the opposite side as you. The book attempts to do this by highlighting certain hot-button political topics and showing you both sides of that issue. It doesn't quite hit that mark. The reader gets to see the more human side of 1-2 of these topics, but always from the male lead's standpoint. THAT is why many reviewers are saying this book favors Republican politics. We don't really get the same from the (Democratic) female lead's perspective. Having said that, I am a very firm Democrat, but I'm someone who doesn't get very riled up by opposing political views. Therefore, this aspect of the book didn't really bother me. I don't feel like the author "had an agenda". I think she tackled an insanely touchy topic and didn't quite even out all of the perspectives.
The other thing worth mentioning about this book is it shares many of the same story points as The Hating Game. I loved The Hating Game and really liked this book, so it worked out for me. But there are many very similar parts...
- hate-banter at work
- a main character's signature color (based on their eye color)
- the other character seeking out and purposefully wearing that color
- a scene after the first cracks are starting to show in the HATE portion where the male lead takes care of the female lead during illness (this time she's very drunk) including her revealing feelings while delirious, him catching her vomit in a container and cleaning it, him spending the night, etc.
- his repeated use of her parent's nickname for her (Katie Cat instead of Shortcake)
- their much discussed height discrepancy
- her over-compensating for her stature by using high heels (rather than flamethrower red lipstick)
- her repeatedly smelling him
- him holding off on sex until she is over her relationship issues
- a revelation that one of them had strong feelings for the other long before they actually interacted (this part bordered on slightly creepy in this book)
Just like the politics of this book, these similarities didn't ruin this book for me. I really liked it, but I can also see why it might rub other readers the wrong way.
I found it hilarious, sweet, really hot, and totally engaging.
December 5, 2020
If you're into romantic comedies with a slow, sizzling burn, snappy dialogue, lovable secondary characters, a strong heroine, a hot AF and sweet hero, and a grand gesture to swoon over, look no further than Meet You in the Middle. Running through this debut by Devon Daniels is the ongoing theme that sometimes you need to look beyond labels to see the person inside, and that love doesn't always appear in the expected package. As a democrat and Trump hater, I wasn't sure how a bipartisan love story in today's political climate would work, but I tried really hard to compartmentalize my own feelings and read this book as pure fiction. Thankfully, I was able to do that and as a result was able to truly enjoy it. I look forward to the author's next book!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for my complimentary arc. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for my complimentary arc. All opinions are my own.
June 28, 2022
I do political science things for a living, so I know I'm going to enjoy hate-reading this (if I can find it for free).
UPDATE - 28/06: After the egregious and harmful decision by the conservative SCOTUS to overturn Roe v. Wade, I want to reiterate how problematic this book is, and that when it comes to human rights, there's no "meeting in the middle".
--
It's a year later, and I still do political science (and policy) things for a living. There's all of one copy of this book available in the local libraries near me (fortunately, all things considered), and that's why I'm late to this party.
But first, let's talk about tax reform. You might think I'm joking, but tax reform, and generally funding public policy measures forms such a big part of this story that I genuinely think it's important to discuss tax reform for this review. Without going into too much detail, generally speaking, the two main political parties in the United States have different (to say the least) stances when it comes to who should be taxed, how much they should be taxed, and what these taxes should pay for. I have friends who're fiscally conservative, and I'm still friends with these people. That is not to say that I agree with them, but I guess in theory, I can understand why people think that a trickle-down system would work.
The difference in the approach to public policy in this book, however, is kind of a deal-breaker for me because honestly, the way that it's structured reads a little bit like Republican propaganda. Let's take the issue of tax reform. Our very strong feminist (tm) protagonist Kate has to meet Republican policy-bro Ben to discuss a Child Care Act, and this is sort of the meet-cute setup. The problem honestly starts right from there because Ben immediately disregards the Act, because well, there's the extremely, very important tax reform to work on, and there is no way in hell the Republicans would favour actually spending some money to help people who need it. Especially since they now have an opportunity to undo the good policies from the previous 8 years (Ben's words, not mine). God forbid they do and people forget to lift themselves up by the bootstraps!
The singular idea that the rich are rich because they work hard and thus we should not tax them is very simplistic and egregious. It disregards the hundreds of thousands of people that work for the aforementioned rich, and on whose back the billionaires earn their billions. That's more or less the stance that Ben seems to take anytime Kate says "hey, maybe taxes can be used to help people" - his immediate response is always "but who's going to pay for it?" The notion that we're all a few steps away from being billionaires if only we work hard enough is one that really grinds my gears. It refuses to take into consideration the myriad of social, socio-economic, systemic, historical issues that an overwhelming majority of people will have to overcome to even start thinking about being billionaires. But this dream, I guess, is more important to preserve than the reality of providing universal healthcare.
In the context of this story, in fact, even Kate's mother flippantly remarks that she "[has] never understood how [the Democrats] became the party of higher taxes" . An astute observation! The moment is used to show how amazing it is that she can criticise her own party and also for purposes of humour, which I don't seem to get. Honestly, I would have let Ms Daniels get away with this had she allowed for similar criticism from Ben (or his people) about Republican policies, especially under a certain former President. But alas, we don't really get that. We do get to know the fun fact of Ben having attended one of the inaugural balls, and beaming happily in it, so do with that information what you will.
What we do get is that Ben is only a fiscal conservative who could be making millions, but instead, look how noble he is, helping the little man with his tax reform. He doesn't have a problem with "the gays" (quelle surprise), and that *must* mean that he's one of the good Republicans. It isn't that Ben doesn't get learning moments in the story; it's that these a-ha moments are used to show how much smarter he is than those dumb people who believe in higher taxes. There's an instance in the book where Kate takes Ben to a seminar about how taxing the rich can pay for universal healthcare, and because the Republicans are so open-minded, of course Ben agrees to go. But oh no, the democratic socialist is stumped by Ben's simple numbers question because for whatever reason, he didn't prepare for it. Those dumb Democrats!
Before I forget, Ben also mentions that he's sure the Republican President would win the next term as well: “Careful, Kate. You’re gonna need my help over the next eight years a lot more than I’ll need yours.” So, you know, considering the reality of what happened, that much has definitely aged like milk.
There's another teaching moment where the Republican senator that Ben works for waxes poetic about the Second Amendment and how it's oh-so-important to own guns. Kate wants to know what Ben thinks about that but he toes the party line (pretty much), and only gives the vaguest of responses when it comes to whether people should be allowed to own automatic weapons, and whether universal background checks should be introduced. We're expected to believe that Ben is a moderate Republican who really cares for the little man because the most "Republican" thing about him is that he owns guns and doesn't believe in taxing the rich. But the thing is, in the timeline that he works in, Republican policies caused some real problems for real people in a way where claiming that you don't just toe the party line and can actually think for yourself is no longer a valid argument. Pretending that you can pick and choose what specific Republican traits you can claim towards your moderate Republicanism so casually is dangerous.
On the other hand, Kate, who claims to be "very progressive" makes moves towards the right side of the political spectrum. She finds herself defending Ben's tax reform law to her progressive friends because "tax cuts [for the rich] are supposed to help the middle class", or so Ben says. Spoiler alert, they don't actually help, but that goes against the messaging of this book. Similarly, Kate's "progressive" friends are shown as being in echo chambers, and only favouring relationships with progressive people, whilst Ben and his Republican comrades (heh) are portrayed as VERY OPEN MINDED, and so friendly to those uptight, stuck up Democrats please and thank you.
Then comes the whole guncident (I am shamelessly borrowing from the infamous GBBO bincident). Kate walks home from work every night, as most of us do, and Ben does not like that. Even in the beginnings of their friendship, he patronisingly presumes to know better about the risks involved in doing that than Kate, a woman who actually walks home every night. Because women who walk home alone every night have never once thought of the risks that walking alone at night would entail. We always have our headphones on and are VERY distracted. So he starts sending her articles about how crime rates in D.C. are high, and also encourages her to pack heat (aka carry a gun).
There is so much to unpack here, but let's start with the D.C. crime rates. Most of these crimes that Ben seems to talk about are committed with … guns. Gun-violence is one of the biggest contributors to this high-crime rate that he talks about. Also, I used to live in D.C. and like most people who live in D.C., I can tell you that there is more nuance to this crime rate/high crime phenomenon. What Ben also fails to mention is that a LOT of these "crimes" are bias-crimes or hate-crimes, mostly directed at LGBTQ+ and non-White residents. I also think that there's an element of racism and classism that comes with making such a blanket statement about crime rates in a city like D.C., but maybe that's overthinking it.
However, what I can say for sure is that carrying a gun isn't really likely to make her life that much safer. There is ample research from around the world that shows that gun control is better for reducing crime and violence as opposed to the lack of it. But, as we've established, all-American boy Ben is pro the Second Amendment, and he himself owns three guns. He takes Kate to a gun range so she can learn how to shoot, and lo and behold, the once vehemently anti-gun Kate begins to think maybe guns are not so bad after all. She has one errant thought of whether he may be trying to "convert" her, but brushes it under the carpet and everything is fine.
But anyway, as the story progresses, we learn that the reason why Ben is so overprotective is because his sister was date-raped when she was in college and he fears for Kate's safety. Which, I guess I understand fearing for the safety of someone you care about but are guns really the solution? I think not. Especially because it's been established that Ben is not only a policy advisor, but a policy advisor with some clout, and so he could have, I don't know, taken the legislative route to women's safety (like re-introducing the Violence Against Women Act with stricter provisions and better recourse)? But oh hey, he only likes showing he cares if he's also able to toe the party line whilst doing that.
We also learn that Kate's Child Care Bill dies in Congress. Look, I get it. Passing legislations in an increasingly partisan world is really hard, and a progressive bill as hers was made out to be, would not have survived a Republican Congress. What irks me is that the way this works out. Turns out that while Kate's bill has failed, Ben's tax reform is a huge Republican success (which only makes me wonder how many people it fucked over). And then, Ben uses his policy-bro clout to get an amended version of Kate's Bill (possibly with some terrible, useless, and terribly useless rider attached) to the Republicans' attention, so it can pass. And then Kate is so. fucking. grateful. There's the obvious white male saviour vibe here, but honestly that's not what pisses me off the most. See, I know policy-bros like Ben here. I've worked with them, and the fact that I have to read about them in works of fiction is the equivalent for me, of nails on a chalkboard. Just, the blatant and constant Republican victories, and the almost worshipful behaviour towards someone who worked for such a dangerous, atrocious administration makes me speechless.
So, to sum up here's how the policy making/working across the aisle issues have been worked out here:
1. There's no real debate or discussion about the really controversial topics, like defunding the police or protecting trans rights or even whether climate change is real. It's assumed that Ben is actually a totally chill dude because he buys into all of this, and really, he's just fiscally conservative.
2. The following topics have been discussed: taxing the billionaires and gun control.
2.a. Kate initially believes in taxing the billionaires to help pay for children's needs but then goes on to defend the Republican tax reform plan, which Ben was an architect of, to her friends.
2.b. Kate, who was anti-gun, after going to a gun range all of once, becomes more open minded about gun-ownership.
3. Where there's an actual possibility of Ben maybe having to change his opinion on something, it is on the same two topics of taxing the rich to pay for healthcare and gun ownership.
3.a. He concludes that the person arguing for taxing the rich to pay for healthcare is unsure about the numbers, and two whole lines are dedicated to this line of argument.
3.b. When questioned about his party's stance on guns, based on a statement his Senator made, he brushes it off by saying that Kate should not want to argue the Second Amendment with him.
This kind of narrative may have actually worked 10 years ago. But, Ms Daniels, baby, please read the room. There has been so much death and destruction caused by the last administration that a sunny, cute, "oh we should all get along" outlook is the last thing anyone wants or needs.
I don't normally get political in my reviews. This is what I for a living, and honestly, for the most part, Goodreads is the one part of my life I like keeping separate and away from all of it. However, the tone and the timing of this book are all wrong, and in this case, it contributes to how I feel about this book. I am, generally speaking, a pacifist, and I believe in bipartisanship. However, this book does not feel like bipartisanship. It feels like a certain agenda is being pushed in the form of a fluffy romance, and that, I am uncomfortable with.
*All of the facts regarding the political and policy issues I've spoken about can be cited, and when I find the time, I'll put up all the links in the comment section.*
UPDATE - 28/06: After the egregious and harmful decision by the conservative SCOTUS to overturn Roe v. Wade, I want to reiterate how problematic this book is, and that when it comes to human rights, there's no "meeting in the middle".
--
It's a year later, and I still do political science (and policy) things for a living. There's all of one copy of this book available in the local libraries near me (fortunately, all things considered), and that's why I'm late to this party.
But first, let's talk about tax reform. You might think I'm joking, but tax reform, and generally funding public policy measures forms such a big part of this story that I genuinely think it's important to discuss tax reform for this review. Without going into too much detail, generally speaking, the two main political parties in the United States have different (to say the least) stances when it comes to who should be taxed, how much they should be taxed, and what these taxes should pay for. I have friends who're fiscally conservative, and I'm still friends with these people. That is not to say that I agree with them, but I guess in theory, I can understand why people think that a trickle-down system would work.
The difference in the approach to public policy in this book, however, is kind of a deal-breaker for me because honestly, the way that it's structured reads a little bit like Republican propaganda. Let's take the issue of tax reform. Our very strong feminist (tm) protagonist Kate has to meet Republican policy-bro Ben to discuss a Child Care Act, and this is sort of the meet-cute setup. The problem honestly starts right from there because Ben immediately disregards the Act, because well, there's the extremely, very important tax reform to work on, and there is no way in hell the Republicans would favour actually spending some money to help people who need it. Especially since they now have an opportunity to undo the good policies from the previous 8 years (Ben's words, not mine). God forbid they do and people forget to lift themselves up by the bootstraps!
The singular idea that the rich are rich because they work hard and thus we should not tax them is very simplistic and egregious. It disregards the hundreds of thousands of people that work for the aforementioned rich, and on whose back the billionaires earn their billions. That's more or less the stance that Ben seems to take anytime Kate says "hey, maybe taxes can be used to help people" - his immediate response is always "but who's going to pay for it?" The notion that we're all a few steps away from being billionaires if only we work hard enough is one that really grinds my gears. It refuses to take into consideration the myriad of social, socio-economic, systemic, historical issues that an overwhelming majority of people will have to overcome to even start thinking about being billionaires. But this dream, I guess, is more important to preserve than the reality of providing universal healthcare.
In the context of this story, in fact, even Kate's mother flippantly remarks that she "[has] never understood how [the Democrats] became the party of higher taxes" . An astute observation! The moment is used to show how amazing it is that she can criticise her own party and also for purposes of humour, which I don't seem to get. Honestly, I would have let Ms Daniels get away with this had she allowed for similar criticism from Ben (or his people) about Republican policies, especially under a certain former President. But alas, we don't really get that. We do get to know the fun fact of Ben having attended one of the inaugural balls, and beaming happily in it, so do with that information what you will.
What we do get is that Ben is only a fiscal conservative who could be making millions, but instead, look how noble he is, helping the little man with his tax reform. He doesn't have a problem with "the gays" (quelle surprise), and that *must* mean that he's one of the good Republicans. It isn't that Ben doesn't get learning moments in the story; it's that these a-ha moments are used to show how much smarter he is than those dumb people who believe in higher taxes. There's an instance in the book where Kate takes Ben to a seminar about how taxing the rich can pay for universal healthcare, and because the Republicans are so open-minded, of course Ben agrees to go. But oh no, the democratic socialist is stumped by Ben's simple numbers question because for whatever reason, he didn't prepare for it. Those dumb Democrats!
Before I forget, Ben also mentions that he's sure the Republican President would win the next term as well: “Careful, Kate. You’re gonna need my help over the next eight years a lot more than I’ll need yours.” So, you know, considering the reality of what happened, that much has definitely aged like milk.
There's another teaching moment where the Republican senator that Ben works for waxes poetic about the Second Amendment and how it's oh-so-important to own guns. Kate wants to know what Ben thinks about that but he toes the party line (pretty much), and only gives the vaguest of responses when it comes to whether people should be allowed to own automatic weapons, and whether universal background checks should be introduced. We're expected to believe that Ben is a moderate Republican who really cares for the little man because the most "Republican" thing about him is that he owns guns and doesn't believe in taxing the rich. But the thing is, in the timeline that he works in, Republican policies caused some real problems for real people in a way where claiming that you don't just toe the party line and can actually think for yourself is no longer a valid argument. Pretending that you can pick and choose what specific Republican traits you can claim towards your moderate Republicanism so casually is dangerous.
On the other hand, Kate, who claims to be "very progressive" makes moves towards the right side of the political spectrum. She finds herself defending Ben's tax reform law to her progressive friends because "tax cuts [for the rich] are supposed to help the middle class", or so Ben says. Spoiler alert, they don't actually help, but that goes against the messaging of this book. Similarly, Kate's "progressive" friends are shown as being in echo chambers, and only favouring relationships with progressive people, whilst Ben and his Republican comrades (heh) are portrayed as VERY OPEN MINDED, and so friendly to those uptight, stuck up Democrats please and thank you.
Then comes the whole guncident (I am shamelessly borrowing from the infamous GBBO bincident). Kate walks home from work every night, as most of us do, and Ben does not like that. Even in the beginnings of their friendship, he patronisingly presumes to know better about the risks involved in doing that than Kate, a woman who actually walks home every night. Because women who walk home alone every night have never once thought of the risks that walking alone at night would entail. We always have our headphones on and are VERY distracted. So he starts sending her articles about how crime rates in D.C. are high, and also encourages her to pack heat (aka carry a gun).
There is so much to unpack here, but let's start with the D.C. crime rates. Most of these crimes that Ben seems to talk about are committed with … guns. Gun-violence is one of the biggest contributors to this high-crime rate that he talks about. Also, I used to live in D.C. and like most people who live in D.C., I can tell you that there is more nuance to this crime rate/high crime phenomenon. What Ben also fails to mention is that a LOT of these "crimes" are bias-crimes or hate-crimes, mostly directed at LGBTQ+ and non-White residents. I also think that there's an element of racism and classism that comes with making such a blanket statement about crime rates in a city like D.C., but maybe that's overthinking it.
However, what I can say for sure is that carrying a gun isn't really likely to make her life that much safer. There is ample research from around the world that shows that gun control is better for reducing crime and violence as opposed to the lack of it. But, as we've established, all-American boy Ben is pro the Second Amendment, and he himself owns three guns. He takes Kate to a gun range so she can learn how to shoot, and lo and behold, the once vehemently anti-gun Kate begins to think maybe guns are not so bad after all. She has one errant thought of whether he may be trying to "convert" her, but brushes it under the carpet and everything is fine.
But anyway, as the story progresses, we learn that the reason why Ben is so overprotective is because his sister was date-raped when she was in college and he fears for Kate's safety. Which, I guess I understand fearing for the safety of someone you care about but are guns really the solution? I think not. Especially because it's been established that Ben is not only a policy advisor, but a policy advisor with some clout, and so he could have, I don't know, taken the legislative route to women's safety (like re-introducing the Violence Against Women Act with stricter provisions and better recourse)? But oh hey, he only likes showing he cares if he's also able to toe the party line whilst doing that.
We also learn that Kate's Child Care Bill dies in Congress. Look, I get it. Passing legislations in an increasingly partisan world is really hard, and a progressive bill as hers was made out to be, would not have survived a Republican Congress. What irks me is that the way this works out. Turns out that while Kate's bill has failed, Ben's tax reform is a huge Republican success (which only makes me wonder how many people it fucked over). And then, Ben uses his policy-bro clout to get an amended version of Kate's Bill (possibly with some terrible, useless, and terribly useless rider attached) to the Republicans' attention, so it can pass. And then Kate is so. fucking. grateful. There's the obvious white male saviour vibe here, but honestly that's not what pisses me off the most. See, I know policy-bros like Ben here. I've worked with them, and the fact that I have to read about them in works of fiction is the equivalent for me, of nails on a chalkboard. Just, the blatant and constant Republican victories, and the almost worshipful behaviour towards someone who worked for such a dangerous, atrocious administration makes me speechless.
So, to sum up here's how the policy making/working across the aisle issues have been worked out here:
1. There's no real debate or discussion about the really controversial topics, like defunding the police or protecting trans rights or even whether climate change is real. It's assumed that Ben is actually a totally chill dude because he buys into all of this, and really, he's just fiscally conservative.
2. The following topics have been discussed: taxing the billionaires and gun control.
2.a. Kate initially believes in taxing the billionaires to help pay for children's needs but then goes on to defend the Republican tax reform plan, which Ben was an architect of, to her friends.
2.b. Kate, who was anti-gun, after going to a gun range all of once, becomes more open minded about gun-ownership.
3. Where there's an actual possibility of Ben maybe having to change his opinion on something, it is on the same two topics of taxing the rich to pay for healthcare and gun ownership.
3.a. He concludes that the person arguing for taxing the rich to pay for healthcare is unsure about the numbers, and two whole lines are dedicated to this line of argument.
3.b. When questioned about his party's stance on guns, based on a statement his Senator made, he brushes it off by saying that Kate should not want to argue the Second Amendment with him.
This kind of narrative may have actually worked 10 years ago. But, Ms Daniels, baby, please read the room. There has been so much death and destruction caused by the last administration that a sunny, cute, "oh we should all get along" outlook is the last thing anyone wants or needs.
I don't normally get political in my reviews. This is what I for a living, and honestly, for the most part, Goodreads is the one part of my life I like keeping separate and away from all of it. However, the tone and the timing of this book are all wrong, and in this case, it contributes to how I feel about this book. I am, generally speaking, a pacifist, and I believe in bipartisanship. However, this book does not feel like bipartisanship. It feels like a certain agenda is being pushed in the form of a fluffy romance, and that, I am uncomfortable with.
*All of the facts regarding the political and policy issues I've spoken about can be cited, and when I find the time, I'll put up all the links in the comment section.*
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