Charlotte wants to have it all. As a high powered Silicon Valley exec she decides to move back to her hometown to run for Senate. This book is a realistic picture of sacrifice, family, and friendship.

A woman running for Senate. Political family drama. She is driven to change the world. This book was just okay for me, but then again, this was a break from my normal genre.

This is a very light, unchallenging take on the women trying to success in the politics. While I recognize that the idea behind the story had been influenced by the then political situation in the U.S. (namely the previous presidency period), I also think that the characters are very shallow and the plot very much stays on the surface (while promoting all the *right* ideas). The protagonist, Charlotte Walsh, is running for the Senate position in the (as described) rural Pennsylvania where she hails from, but has never visited after making it big in the Silicon Valley. But now, as the candidate, she has to play her part in the political mimicry and she hates it (but she still does it). Also, her marriage to (too) easy-going Max seems to be falling apart under the pressure.
I have asked myself if I would follow and vote for someone like Charlotte and my answer is no. She is only playing the game as the other politicians do, while the authoress is feeding us with promises that she is different from the others. How, dare I say. She pretends to be someone else to get the votes, she lies - and more importantly, her personal growth is very, very limited. I do not believe that she can understand the soul of her voters, that she genuinely likes them, that she is ready to fight for anyone else than herself. She is ambitious, yes. But why should anyone care about her ambitions?

But maybe all this mental process can lead to greater clarity and sorting out what the readers want from their politicians - which is always a good thing.

I found this book fascinating, and I liked Charlotte as a main character. I would read more about her if it were written.

Charlotte is one of the country's top women in business, has a handsome husband, and adorable children. She seems to have it all, and her business savvy has launched her a political career. The book follows Charlotte on the campaign trail and shows you that behind the scenes of politics can be quite ugly. I was torn because I really liked the main character, but I think after reading a few really good books this one was just okay too. I also wanted more closure from the ending than I got. I won't spoil it, but I needed just a teeny tiny bit more.

Great idea for a book and really well executed. A thoroughly good read. Highly recommended. Empowering .

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2468056900
I truly enjoyed this book. Charlotte worked hard to get where she was in her career, to have her family and with her relationship with her own husband. Like many women I know, she was not willing to let it crumble and she was going to do what she thought it would take to save it all. I understand the decisions she made even though I may never have made those myself, and found myself rooting for her even though I despised some of the decisions she made. Although I really wish I knew the final outcome, I understand how the author choose to end the book and it gives you hope in humanity...

I read Fitness Junkie back in the day and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to get to Charlotte Walsh Likes To Win. And in true Jo Piazza fashion, she made this book relatable, fun, and serious all at the same time. This was the perfect book to read during an election year and even though I'm sad I didn't read it sooner, I'm also kind of glad I waited until 2020. Charlotte and other characters could be related to people in the real world, and I found her opponent sounding a lot like a certain someone whom I won't name. I liked the book as soon as I started it, and I really liked Tavia Gilbert's narration for the audio. She is a little weird with some of the side characters, but I loved the way she read Charlotte and a couple of others specifically. I also thought this was a page turner, and I found myself not wanting to stop listening.

Charlotte Walsh Likes To Win felt really quick, and even though our main character is running for senate, this book never felt overly political and definitely not preachy. I thought it was a very smart and compelling novel, and if you like Piazza's writing style I think you will like this book. Even though it is 2020 and this book came out in 2018, it still seems like an accurate portrayal of politics, and especially women in politics. This author is such a great writer, and I just loved how much I connected to the book and the characters. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to the publisher for my advance review copy via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Though this has some wit and humor to it, mostly is was depressing. Too many characters with victim complexes drove me crazy. I was hoping Charlotte would be strong (at times she was) but most of the time I felt she was wallowing. A good story, especially for anyone that is interested in politics.

If you want to read a book that is perfect for today's political climate -- this is the one for you!! The ending had me in tears -- I loved her writing so much!! I thought she nailed how women are still viewed in politics and I loved Charlotte. My hope is that she is writing a sequel so we don't have to give her up.

I don't know that everyone will love this book, but I couldn't put it down. I found it so fascinating, so smart, and even when Charlotte Walsh did stupid things, I liked and identified with her in so many ways.

RATING: 2 STARS
2018; Simon & Schuster

Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win seemed to be on EVERY reader's bookstagram, or Goodreads pages. I was so excited to read this one, but for some reason this one did not work for me. I could not get into the writing, story or characters. I did finish the book, but really had to push myself.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

I DNF'd this. I tried really hard to get through it, but I couldn't connect with the characters. It did attempt some mystery by way of a presidential candidate with secrets, but it was taking it's time to bring these to light.

Women politicians are certainly a subject worth studying. From getting hassled about their choice of footwear to exposing their family to all sorts of invasive behaviors, they're definitely a unique breed. "Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win" follows a woman running for Senate in her home state of Pennsylvania. After majorly succeeding in the male-dominated tech world in Silicon Valley, she's decided to uproot her family, move back to the heartland, and battle an aging, sexist incumbent politician. She subjects her husband, children, and herself to the hungry press - full of smear campaigns and misogynistic drivel. The fight takes a particular toll on her marriage (although it turns out there were plenty of problems lurking before the campaign even began). I enjoyed learning more about what life on the campaign trail is like (particularly for a woman), and Piazza does a great job capturing the monotony and exhaustion of Charlotte's experiences. Overall, this was a four-star read for me....UNTIL THE END. I absolutely hated the ending, and to be honest, I ended up feeling like my time reading the book had been totally wasted. Unless there's a sequel in the works, this book offered absolutely no resolution, leading to an infuriating response to an otherwise interesting book.

Charlotte Walsh is leaving Silicon Valley for the Potomac as a woman in politics. Great, strong character and an illustration of life for every woman trying to break through the glass ceilings that they find everywhere.

Charlotte Walsh is every woman convinced she can have it all. As Charlotte's political career takes off, she faces more than her share of challenges. Her journey from a corner office in Silicon Valley to Senate candidate batters her happy family. She faces her husband’s resentment, convoluted maternal expectations, and threats of scandal, making her wonder if a Senate seat is worth it.

In today’s gloves-off political climate where women are all too often treated as the lesser sex, Piazza writes a beautiful tale, providing readers an intimate view of the messy fallout that comes after a woman breaks that glass ceiling.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

I would change the title to "Charlotte Walsh Did a Really Despicable Thing".

This book was rough to read, as it really delves deep into politics and the disgusting realities of running for office, especially when you're a woman. Some people might not have believed how disgusting it is a few years ago, but nowadays we are inundated with the stink of politics every day. My personal life can't take politics seeping into my relaxing/reading life at this time. But that's not why I gave it 3 stars.

The book follows Charlotte Walsh as she runs for senate in Pennsylvania, and shows the toll it takes on her family. Honestly I wanted to write a letter to every female candidate in the US thanking them for taking on the vile reactions so many Americans have at the very idea of a woman running for office. Through most of the book we are occasionally reminded that Charlotte has a terrible secret that could ruin her chances of winning.

Well, I mean, JEEZUS. I was horrified when I found out the secret. I'm not sure, is the reader supposed to think this secret is something a marriage could get over? Something forgivable? A simple mistake anyone could have made? I found it unforgivable. Apparently Charlotte Walsh really does like to win, and will attempt to do so at any cost.

In the end I gave it 3 stars because there is no real ending. Everything is up in the air at the end, there is absolutely nothing resolved. Not one thing. We went on this vile journey with Charlotte, we find out she's a disgusting power-hungry person as well, and then we read "The End".

There are reasons to leave some story lines open at the end of some books, but this book wasn't enough to be just a journey. In the end I felt like I had gone through this particularly terrible journey for nothing.

Charlotte Walsh is an utterly believable, utterly human candidate for the US Senate from Pennsylvania. She has all of the baggage you would expect of a Silicon Valley Exec, born in PA daughter, sister, wife and mom. Charlotte believes that she can do a better job in government than the aging man who currently holds the seat, and it is impossible to think that she is wrong.

Piazza’s novel, dragged from today’s headlines, was a solid 3.5* read for me. I would have given it a 4* up until the end. Argue with me if you want, but I want my authors to take a stand!

With more women running for public office than ever before, this is a perfect book for the current political situation. With platforms reduced to sound bites and every second of a candidate's life fodder for the public eye, Jo Piazza has placed a more human face on all the candidates and shown us what it's like for a woman to run for office. As with all of her past books, I really enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at politics (and have a whole new understanding of those many fundraising emails I receive!)