Party of Two

Starred review from May 15, 2020
Best-selling Guillory specializes in tales of modern love featuring high-powered professionals' relationships. The fifth installment in her multicultural romance series, kicked off with The Wedding Date (2018), features Olivia Monroe, big sister to the series' first heroine, Alexa. Olivia recently moved back to California from New York to start a new law firm, and on her first night in L.A., she strikes up a conversation at the hotel bar with a very handsome, oddly familiar stranger. Assuming that he's just another L.A. actor, Olivia is surprised to see him on the news and to realize that she was flirting with hotshot U.S. Senator Maxwell Stewart Powell III. Luck brings them back together at a fundraiser where Max, who was immediately smitten with Olivia, vows to win her heart, sending her baked goods and promises that they can keep their fledgling romance a secret until Olivia is ready to go public. Being in the spotlight is not her cup of tea, but she's willing to sacrifice some privacy as long as Max can control his impulsive nature while on stage. Perfect for readers who enjoy uplifting, steamy, and diverse romances similar to those of Jamie Pope and Talia Hibbert.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2020

Recently relocated lawyer Olivia Monroe connects with Max Stewart Powell III over their shared love of uncomplicated desserts while she enjoys a drink at a hotel bar. They part as strangers but Olivia discovers via the nightly news that Max is the hot new senator from California. They meet again after Max is the speaker at a luncheon Olivia attends, and they start secretly dating. Olivia's reluctance to be thrust into the spotlight as a Black woman dating a white politician and Max's tendency to jump headfirst into any cause he believes in with little thought of the consequences lead to struggles in their budding romance, especially when Max uses a secret from Olivia's past for political gain. VERDICT Guillory's latest in the "Wedding Date" series (after Royal Holiday) will tie in nicely to the 2020 political season and is sure to be on many reading lists, but overall the focus on the characters' internal struggles, work, and food descriptions, plus the vagueness of Max's political affiliation make for an uneven romance. Still, Olivia's shining character will ultimately please readers who have enjoyed Guillory's other popular works.--Elizabeth Gabriel, Milwaukee P.L.

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