Ok this book is a hoot😄. Humor, sarcasm, chases (with a bum knee), speeding trains and the ‘brothers’ keep going. The author made me feel as if Amtrack Joe was really speaking. He captured The VPs voice—or what I would think his voice would be— beautifully. The Pres comes off a little too humorless and stiff but it works well with the storyline. The Medal of Honor parts were so heartfelt and the premise of Guy jealousy was sweet. A very unusual read so read it!
Provided by the publisher for an honest review

"This mystery thriller reunites Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama for a political mashup full of suspense, intrigue, and laugh out loud bromance.

Vice President Joe Biden is fresh out of the Obama White House and feeling adrift when his favorite railroad conductor dies in a suspicious accident, leaving behind an ailing wife and a trail of clues. To unravel the mystery, "Amtrak Joe" re-teams with the only man he's ever fully trusted--the 44th president of the United States. Together they'll plumb the darkest corners of Delaware, traveling from cheap motels to biker bars and beyond, as they uncover the sinister forces advancing America's opioid epidemic.

Part noir thriller and part bromance novel, Hope Never Dies is essentially the first published work of Obama/Biden fanfiction--and a cathartic read for anyone distressed by the current state of affairs."

I need an escape from the currents state of affairs...

If you enjoyed the Obama/Biden memes of the past, this book is for you, If you long for a simpler time when we all just wanted Uncle Joe to tell Dad jokes and Obama to look cool doing whatever it is he did- this book is for you. I hate to compare it to fan fiction, but it is some damn good fanfiction and I'm living in hope for a sequel right now.

3.5 Fabulously campy. The completely ridiculous guilty pleasure I needed right now while still dropping some truth bombs.

“The current administration knew how to do one thing right: if you wanted to push through an unpopular agenda with minimal resistance, distract the bastards. Do something everyday to grab the headlines - something big, bold, and preferably stupid - thereby banishing dull stories about how you were systematically dismantling the country to the back pages with the Hagar comics. “

Also that subtle nod to Zoolander with the orange mocha Frappuccino was fantastic.

This book is highly amusing, and will appeal to both conservatives and liberals. Politics plays a backseat, and the focus is on the relationship between Obama and Biden. The plot is fairly predictable, but still entertaining, and the tone has a noir feel. Biden is sometimes portrayed as a doddering old man, while Obama is portrayed as a ignorant of Biden's feelings of loneliness and abandonment. This will still have lots of appeal in libraries, as readers will flock to the title for the characters.

An entertaining read starring Biden and Obama, with a healthy dose of humorous snark. If this will be a series, I'd gladly read the next title..

Imagine you're former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. You're enjoying your retirement, watching TV with your wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and absolutely not looking at photos of who you thought was your best friend BASE jumping with Bradley Cooper. You find out your favorite train conductor has died, an old pal of yours, and said former best friend, President Barack Obama, informs you that there might be more to the story than just a weird death on the train tracks.
To say I jumped at the chance to read this book is an understatement. I want to first thank Andrew Shaffer for writing this novel and also Netgalley for approving me to get the ARC. I know it was made in good fun, but Hope Never Dies was honestly a really great and quick read. I got maybe 15% in before I started recommending it to friends.
Hope Never Dies had humor, heart, a great mystery where I didn't predict the ending, and, without knowing Biden personally, I feel like Shaffer got his personality exactly with this book.

From the publisher: Vice President Joe Biden is fresh out of the Obama White House and feeling adrift when his favorite railroad conductor dies in a suspicious accident, leaving behind an ailing wife and a trail of clues. To unravel the mystery, “Amtrak Joe” re-teams with the only man he’s ever fully trusted—the 44th president of the United States. Together they’ll plumb the darkest corners of Delaware, traveling from cheap motels to biker bars and beyond, as they uncover the sinister forces advancing America’s opioid epidemic.

A run of the mill mystery elevated by the fact that it's narrated by a (fictional) Joe Biden, kicking around with nothing to do and missing his BFF Barack Obama. When a friend from his days riding Amtrak is killed, Obama shows up at his house, secret service agent in tow (poor Biden no longer qualifies for secret service protection).

Biden and Obama (and the dour secret service agent) get pulled into solving the mystery and busting a drug running ring. Obama is cool but heroic; Biden is self reflective and self deprecating. Everything we loved about those Obama/Biden memes is captured in this book. Biden jokes with the clerk at a convenience store about the weather; when she responds with "global warming," Obama counters with a lecture on climate change.

Hope Never Dies got a big draggy, but it's worth continuing for those golden Obama/Biden moments. Recommended for those who miss their presidential bromance.

I read an advance reader copy of Hope Never Dies; it will be available at the Galesburg Public Library as an ebook and in print in July,

Well this book is just a lot of fun! Joe Biden, Barak Obama, a murder and two guys trying to solve it that have no business being within 100 miles of a murder. The mystery is not great but the bromance is still there and will make you all nostalgic.

It reads like a comedy that I definitely would love if it became a movie series on Netflix.. Obama should make it happen

Interesting concept. Good mystery, grabs your interest. The stereotypical cranky, old, white man is a little disappointing.

I will admit I only downloaded this because of the incredible cover—but it fully lived up to all its promise. It is basically the Obama/Biden bromance meme in book form. Joe Biden's voice is captured so effectively reading it almost feels like fan fiction. As well as being ridiculously entertaining, it also dealt with some pretty serious themes of legacies lost and times changing—cleverly, without ever mentioning the White House's current resident by name. The plot is not the most devilishly twisty or original, but it doesn't matter in a book this charming.

Honestly, if you loved the memes about Obama and Biden's bromance, then you need to read this book. Seriously, it's freaking hilarious. The jokes range from in-your-face to dry, passing remarks that leave you in stitches. I particularly loved the bit about the Geico gecko. We got in a physical copy of the arc at work and I read that part out loud and started crying from laughter. Not sure if my boss' wheezing laughter was from the bit I read or because I was cracking up, but it generated positive reactions. Every employee wants to read it now, Sisterhood-of-the-Traveling-Advanced-Readers'-Copy style.

A silly, lighthearted book highlighting the bromance between our two favorite political dudes. It's a quick and easy read and will leave you smiling. Seriously, I see no reason why you *shouldn't* read this book.

Thank you, Quirk Books and Netgalley, for the pre-pub ebook!

I'll admit that when I first saw this cover, I laughed and got excited. It looked amazing and campy and I expected it to be over-the-top funny. I can't say I was disappointed, but my expectations were off.

Despite being published by Quirk Books, this book takes itself rather seriously. There are funny parts, but not on the level of the bromance memes for Obama and Biden. It wouldn't have hurt to have been a bit campy, in my humble opinion, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

The idea of a book starring the former Vice-President as an amateur detective was intriguing, but the mystery itself could have been stronger.

Hooked by the amazing description and cover, I was just a little disappointed by this - it ended up being a little too campy for my taste. Also, there were a lot of moments, particularly in the beginning, where Barack and Joe's characterizations just didn't feel right to me. The plot is fast-paced and fun, but wildly unrealistic. Ah, but it was a lovely distraction. Was trying to decide between 2 or 3 stars and am leaning towards two right now.

Embracing the book's intentionally ridiculous premise, Shaffer has crafted his Obama/Biden bromance directly in the story of classic crime noir mysteries--complete with mystery, chase scenes, and sometimes corny dialogue.

Truthfully, the book is more restrained than I expected, drawing its humor from the premise and characters while keeping the events and tone somewhat within the bounds of realism. It's an effective balance between the absurdity of the ideas, the realism of the actual mystery, and the fun inherent to Shaffer's conception of these characters.

Shaffer isn't aiming for high art here--he admits as much in the opening author's note--but the book does treat itself with an assumed level of seriousness. It balances the humor and adventure with an awareness of politics, social commentary, and nostalgia for one of America's favorite political bromances.

In short, "Hope Never Dies" is a fun read that delivers what it promises--an amusing noir mystery centered around "Amtrak" Joe and his friend/partner ex-President Barack Obama. The book embraces itself for what it is and manages to convey sincerity and heart amidst the hunt for clues, car chases--and, yes, a brief appearance by a unicorn.

A fun read, Hope Never Dies is an enjoyable way to pass a couple of hours. Those of us who sigh wistfully when remembering the halcyon Jobama days will be more appreciative of this book. Former Veep Biden is bored in Wilmington after leaving office, and feeling resentful of his (former?) BFF Barack's jet-setting vacation, hobnobbing with stars, Prime Ministers, and, it feels like, everyone who isn't named Joe Biden. When news comes to him of an old acquaintance's odd death, Biden begins to investigate, much to the lament of his 75-year-old knees. Will Joe solve the mystery? Will he and Barack ever again be as close as they were in DC? Will he decide to make another presidential bid? The answers to all these lie within.

This is an adorable, smile-till-your-face-hurts buddy mystery starring one Joe Biden (yes, THAT Biden) and his bff, Barack Obama. The text is loaded with policy references and personality quirks that will make anyone who misses the Obama years even more nostalgic for the past than we already are. In short, I loved it and it made me remember again why these two were such beloved leaders.

HOPE NEVER DIES had me at the start, with the cover showing Joe Biden driving a powerful-looking convertible with Barack Obama riding shotgun. The former President and Vice-President team up to investigate the suspicious death of Amtrak Joe's favorite conductor and try to do it while staying under the radar of the Feds, the Wilmington PD, the news media and even a motorcycle gang. Hopefully, the first in a series of Obama/Biden mysteries.