Never Marry a Politician by Sarah Waights

The unusually named Emily Pemily has spent many years becoming the model wife. Married to a junior politician, she has allowed a political party to shape the way she lives her life, and now, as her husband's profile grows, she finds that she is having to make bigger changes, and sacrifice more and more, in order to remain the wife she is expected to be.

I can't say that I am ordinarily a fan of out and out romance novels. I prefer my romance to come as a side to adventure, or comedy, or history. So when I am presented with the chance to read a book like this, I sometimes have to think twice, but it does present the possibility for me to be pleasantly surprised, and that's what happened with Never Marry a Politician.

The story was engaging, and the characters easy to identify with. Emily is a heroine that the reader can quickly empathise with; she married Ralph (pronounced 'Raph') after a whirlwind romance, and as the book progresses, it becomes clear that she was on the rebound from a love affair that she never quite gets over, despite settling down to a happy life with Ralph. For his part, her husband is quickly established as the villain of the piece, but he's not a one-note antagonist. He's an ambitious man, who, through a series of events, progresses through the ranks of his party very quickly. His ambition doesn't leave room for Emily's doubts, so she is left to deal with the whirlwind changes on her own.

Part of the fun of reading a story like this, is knowing where it is going. I don't read books like this to be surprised by the twists and turns of the story. I enjoy reading a story where I know the eventual outcome within a couple of chapters, and the fun comes from seeing how the characters reach that point.

I read Never Marry a Politician in one sitting, last month, when I was trying to reach my yearly goal. A lazy afternoon between Christmas and New Year is the perfect time to read a book like this; without expectation that it is a literary masterpiece, it is able to pleasantly surprise.

Never Marry a Politician
First published: November 2014
ASIN: B00P9KVWA8
Choc Lit
Review copy provided by publisher