Party of Two

I decided to explore Instagram for real recently (a thousand years after everyone else, I know) and of course I love it. That's probably where I first heard about this book. I don't remember what people said about it, but it doesn't take much to convince me. American romantic books, light and with a little touch of eroticism from time to time, are my guilty pleasure.

I tend to approach these kinds of books like little candies, easy to eat and quickly forgotten, but I always find myself having a very strong opinion of them and still thinking about them several weeks later. This was the case with Party of Two, by Jasmine Guillory.

Summary

Olivia has just moved to Los Angeles to start her firm with her best friend. She plans to work even harder than usual, which is saying a lot, and her love life is the least of her priorities.

But when Max Powell, the year's hottest senator, sends her a delicious chocolate cake in the mail, she begins to wonder if it's worth rearranging her schedule. On the one hand, this man is not only drop-dead gorgeous, he's also attentive, committed, funny, and crazy about her. He's more than the classic white, privileged, smooth-talking politician he may seem. But on the other hand, being a senator's girlfriend involves media attention she's not at all used to, and isn't sure she wants. Will she be willing to put herself in the spotlight for the sake of love?

Impressions

The book begins exactly as you would expect. A well-to-do, intelligent and attractive woman meets a man who looks douche, but who is not. He pursues her with class and she lets him while keeping a respectful distance at first. Small twist: the woman is black, and a bit plump. We leave the stereotypical frame of the white and thin girl, which feels good.

There aren't many obstacles to their first date. In fact, everything conspires to make it happen, so the suspense is not there. Their dates are going swimmingly and both are wonderful. The suspense isn't there either. Their first sexual encounter, described with surprising accuracy, is transcendent. Still no suspense.

About three-quarters of the way through the novel, I started to wonder if I was wasting my time. It's not bad to read a love story that's going well, but aside from Olivia's quickly overshadowed little hesitations, there are absolutely no obstacles to their relationship. It's a bit weird. There's no drama! It never rains in this town. All the couples you meet are totally happy. Money is no problem for anyone. Max and Olivia's friends are always there for them. There are surreal scenes where everyone is laughing out loud for obscure reasons. Some social causes such as racism and feminism are addressed just enough to make you realize that this is a novel of our time but not enough to break the mood of this paradise on earth. Max is always in the best mood in the world, and if he isn't, it's just an opportunity to create an even deeper connection with Olivia.

Finally, it is Olivia who creates the first and last real problem. She decides one night that she can't stand the media, and brutally rejects Max. But both are miserable, and after several constructive discussions with their friends, they meet and get married in Hawaii (or honeymoon there, I don't know), with a bright future ahead of them.

This novel is special. It is so ordinary that it is out of the ordinary. I was blown away. And in the end, of course, I really enjoyed it.