*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I'm not going to lie; I saw the cover to this book and was so excited! I needed something new and funny. This book blends humor and a cozy mystery together for a fun bromance. If you were interested in the slightest then you should read it.

As a murder mystery novel, the plot is slow and honestly boring. But as a political fanfic, it's a masterpiece.
Obama and Biden, kicking ass and taking names? I will read 100 more of these.

This was ridiculous and silly but gave me such a giggle to read! It was such a fun story and for all of the cheesiness, actually a decent mystery!

This was the perfect one-sitting read and I’m so glad @rinceya covered it in one of her recent videos!

Thanks @netgalley and @quirkbooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fictional story of Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Joe conductor friend is found dead on the tracks and Joe sets out to find out what happened. While looking into his friends's murder he tells Barack about it and before you know it they are both going on this wild and crazy adventure with just one secret service.
Premise was interested but I felt the story did not fully come together. Review is on amazon and goodreads.

I wanted to love this one, really I did! I am an avid reader of supernatural fantasies, so this was FAR outside of my usual fare, but I simply could not pass it up. That cover! The bromance! The mystery! I was intrigued enough that I took a gamble and decided to request it, even though it was typically not something I'd be interested in. Thus, I should have known better, but I really wanted to try it - and didn't finish it, as I am just not the reader for this book.

That being said, we have already had 2 patrons request it at my library, and it is on order! I imagine this one will have a waiting list, just based off the number of purchase requests we have received for it.

This book was a page-turner from beginning to end. I'm so glad someone had this idea! The story is gripping and funny at the same time. I'm also glad I was able to snag a #hopeneverdies button at ALA.

Vice President Joe Biden is out of the White House and unsure what to do with himself. Having travelled for years on the Amtrak line to get to DC, he finds out that his favorite railroad conductor has died suspiciously, leaving behind clues involving Joe. Unable to leave the matter to the police, Joe teams up with Obama to solve the puzzle. Their search leads them to the seedier side of Delaware, in diners, biker bars and run down motels, as they discover the answers to the mystery.

The story is a suspenseful, yet light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek mystery, which is both entertaining and fun to read.

I mean this in the most positive and affectionate way, but this is book is UTTERLY BIZARRE but an absolute hoot too. Move over Batman and Robin, there’s a new crime fighting duo in town.

Yes, there is a whole whiff of implausibility about the investigation that the whip smart combo of Biden and Obama become wrapped up in, but that’s not really an issue. The absolute joy of the book is the ingenious hooking up of this completely original and left of field crime fighting partnership. The steady, obviously ageing, slightly resentful Biden, is a joy, with his penchant for ice cream, a quiet and sedentary life, his daily mission to not upset his wife, and his desperate need to build his bond/rekindle the bromance again with his former boss. Obama is this wonderfully sneaky, cool as a cucumber, cat burglar type figure, seeming to lead Biden into all sorts of trouble, but how far is Biden actually controlling this investigation, seeking the truth behind a friend’s mysterious death? I found it an utter joy to see Biden go from mild mannered ex-politician to slightly unsteady avenging angel, and loved the kickabout humour, and at times sheer silliness of the whole affair. I’m sure American readers will pick up on references to the Obama/Biden administration that may have passed me by, but I loved the subtle digs at the unnamed Tweeter-In-Chief, and other satirical sideswipes. Entertaining, laugh out loud funny, and a genuinely enjoyable read with a partnership as great in fiction as they were in the White House. Oh for those days…

I think Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer is an important book that everyone should read. It brings Obama back and even though it's an amusing fantasy it's a refreshing story and the friendship between two important political leaders. Shaffer did an excellent job of describing Obama's character, honesty and intelligence.. I miss him and probably many others who read this book do too.

100% campy fan fiction. 100% recommend to anyone missing Obama/Biden. 100% unbelievable but one can hope.

I was so excited to start this book, I got a free copy from NetGalley courtesy of Quirk Books.
Biggest this to take away from this is that the characters are a fictionalization of the real people! Don’t read too much into it!
This story was written from the perspective of the characterization of Joe Biden, which itself is just silly and so much fun. Everyone loves Uncle Joe and to have him as the main character, I knew I was in for some chuckles. Obama’s character was fun too- super sly, alway cool, so I knew there was so much potential for some great dialogue. However, this rift between them created by the distance between them after their term kinda took too much away from the story for me. They were constantly bickering which bored me after a while. There were moments that had me giggling, and it was still an entertaining read. If this is a series I will definitely give the next one a shot.

This book is hilarious. Anyone out there crying themselves to sleep at night missing the Obama/Biden bromance should definitely read this for its delightful campiness. What is a bored former vice-president to do when a friend dies under mysterious circumstances? Investigate, of course! And who better to team up with that his bff, number 44, the man himself, Barack Obama! (And his Secret Service detail, Steve. Steve is, in my opinion, the best character in this book. Poor Steve has to put up with a lot. Go Steve!)

My only complaint was that the Obama character often didn't seem very Obama-like. Like, I had a hard time hearing his voice in my head as I read his lines. And he was much more in the background of the story that I would have liked. But Joe - Joe I frequently thought was spot-on. :-)

I surely hope there are more Obama-Biden mysteries in the future!

The concept of this book was so funny that I was really worried the text wouldn't actually be able to deliver, but I wasn't let down. These versions of Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and others are certainly closer to how internet memes would describe them than they probably are in real life, but even so, the characterizations, speech patterns, and interests were spot on. The mystery was satisfying but kind of beside the point; more fun was watching these characters we think we know doing something wholly unexpected. May Amtrak Joe and Barack have many more adventures together.

This won't win any awards for great writing, but it's loads of fun and a better story than I was expecting. Were our heroes two random fellows rather than our former President and Vice President, I'd likely be more critical of the loopy, predictable plot and sometimes-clunky writing. But as Obama/Biden fanfic, it actually plays really well.

While the buddy comedy vibe is strong, I'm not sure I buy all the inadequacy issues driving Biden's inner monologues. A little of that provides a nice humanizing touch, but this was laid on a little thick.

Still, it's a much better story than I expected, and it's cute, likeable, and funny. And of course, who doesn't love the idea of Obama and Biden as action heroes? This is some solid, campy fun.

Andrew Shaffer had a very funny idea. Why not write a mystery with Barack Obama and Joe Biden as amateur detectives? If you’ve ever seen some of the Obama-Biden “bromance” memes (click here for a few), you’ll know this pair has plenty of rapport to wrap around a good story line. Who better to solve a mystery than the former President and Vice President of the United States?

The story begins soon after the 2016 election. Obama has adjusted nicely to a new life filled with adventure. He’s windsurfing, kayaking and hanging out with celebrities. But Biden is at loose ends and is a little stung by Obama’s new life and friends. “Why doesn’t Barack ever call me, his best friend?” he wonders.

The pair reconnects when Biden’s favorite train conductor dies under suspicious circumstances. “Amtrak Joe” senses there is more to the story. Biden has been a regular on Amtrak for decades and he knows that Finn Donnelly was a good, family man. But questions arise when Obama shares what police know. Could there be a national security interest at stake? Is Donnelly’s death connected to opioid trafficking?

Biden takes the lead and jumps straight into the case in his full-force, pantser style. And before long, Obama and his cool and calm self are part of the team. As the pair bumbles through their undercover investigation, in caps and shades, it becomes clear that this case is big and that not everyone is on the same team. Can the Obama-Biden team sort it out?

I thoroughly enjoyed imagining Obama and Biden as they adjust to their new lives as regular citizens. And seeing them operate as amateur detectives makes for many hilarious scenarios. Shady characters and a few false leads make the mystery an enjoyable puzzle to solve and, while the crimes and consequences reflect grim problems, the story is light and great fun to read.

I recommend Hope Never Dies to all readers. It is pure entertainment, with a few political jabs and a lot of laughs.

BEST BOOK EVER! This was just such a funny read! Shaffer is a great writer! I'm so glad I was able to read this before he comes for an event at my store! Highly recommend!

Hope Never Dies has a delightful premise, amusingly and cleverly executed. I loved the cover--it made me smile--and the book had many passages that made me chuckle. I thought the voices and personalities of former Vice President Biden and former President Obama were lovingly captured--or, at least, reflected what we think we know (or would like to think is true) about their personalities and relationship. I'm a huge fan of both of them, and this time spent with the imaginary versions of them was enjoyable and rather comforting--kind of took me back to a happier time. A perfect light read for the summer!

Don't know about you, but when I see the occasional news story about former President Obama and his Vice President Joe Biden getting together at some public event, I feel a sentiment akin to that which used to accompany rumors of a Beatles reunion--an intense longing for the good old days. And, really, what's not to like about two guys whom you can trust who led the free world but are also genuine friends who also remind us of a time when the world made sense?

Sigh . . . I really miss those guys.

So, I had to request an ARC copy of Hope Never Dies which puts Obama and Biden at the heart of a mystery involving the death of an AMTRAK conductor whom Biden had befriended during his Senate commuter days. Biden is feeling a bit left out of Obama's post-presidency celebrity lifestyle when Barack shows up with a clue that puts them in the middle of a whodunit that involves drug running, an outlaw motorcycle club, and a much put upon Secret Service agent named Steve who repeatedly finds himself on the receiving end of Biden's impulsive decision making.

The result is a laugh aloud farce that puts Obama and Biden in situations that require action hero antics. No literary classic but a fun read--maybe even enough to tide us over until 2020.

Full Disclosure--Net Gallery and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

I'm a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes/Watson relationship and stories. This is a fun modern spin but with more of focus on Biden, maybe a closer comparison is Archie Goodwin/Nero Wolfe. I'd recommend it for anyone that enjoys mysteries and wistfully remembers the days of Obama/Biden as a golden age as compared to the dark ages we have been beset with thanks to help from Putin and Co.

This book is awesome! There are no other words to describe it! It is just what you would think, a fun and campy read! Perfect for summer! And I loved the cover!