Devon Daniels debut novel, MEET YOU IN THE MIDDLE, is an enemies-to-lovers office romance with a political spin. Daniels has an engaging voice that drew me right into her story with laugh out loud moments and snappy back and forth dialogue between main characters, Kate and Ben. I was excited to read this book for a variety of reasons: the subgenre, adorable cover, and the idea that Kate, a Democrat, and Ben, a Republican, could find middle ground as they fell in love. This idea of taking time to see past political parties was intriguing but, in the end, not very well executed.

Ben and Kate really are adorable together. As mentioned, their witty banter was exactly what I’d hoped for as were the laughable moments. As both characters work for a U.S. Senator, there is a lot of insider-type info that Daniels weaves into the narrative in an informative way without dumping a lot of information. Their meet-cute is fiery and introduces readers to the steady, somewhat stoic Ben and Kate, a successful woman who has written her first bill for her boss to take the senate floor. With the bill basically dead in the water, Ben has no trouble letting Kate know she is wasting her time when she meets with him in order to procure his boss’s vote. This results in a hilarious month of pranks meant to embarrass each other. This leads to them eventually becoming frenemies.

As I read there were a few things that stood out in a negative way. Probably the most important is that MEET YOU IN THE MIDDLE should have had a dual POV narrative rather than the entire story being told by Kate. I have no issue with a single narrative, but this story needed to hear from Ben. Instead we get Kate’s perspective of Ben, which is that he’s a really steady guy who isn’t apologetic at all for his Republican beliefs while appearing to have an open mind. Usually this is a great thing! Swoony romance heroes for the win every single time—and make no mistake Ben is swoony. What he’s not is a hero meeting his heroine in the middle. At least that’s how Kate tells it.

MEET YOU IN THE MIDDLE is a slow burn romance as Kate battles with herself to see beyond Ben’s Republicanism. The further into the book the less we hear about Kate as a professional woman and more about all the reasons she can’t fall in love with Ben. There’s little substance to this battle as Ben and Kate don’t really talk about their differences. The focus is more on the fact that they happen to have different political beliefs. As Kate seems to unravel emotionally over this, the perception that Ben lacks any emotional vulnerability creates an imbalance. The fact that he sees no problem with Kate being a Democrat just adds to this, resulting in her appearing immature.

Overall, MEET YOU IN THE MIDDLE is entertaining with lots of laugh out loud moments, but fails to meet its potential.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an advanced copy of MEET YOU IN THE MIDDLE in exchange for honest feedback.

A good read for a difficult election cycle. This was a cute "opposites attract" romance, with a female lead who is a staffer for a Democrat Senator. She reaches out to a staffer for a super conservative Senator to try to broker bipartisan support for a piece of legislation. Their meeting is a disaster, and they embark on a whole frenemy thing that turns into more. I liked the attention given to their friends, who warn them away from continuing their relationship based strictly on their different political affiliations. A refreshing reminder that we don't have to hate people in other parties on principle, even though it's easy to feel that way right now.

Meet You in the Middle in concept is a cute idea. In Sorkin's world of the West Wing, this book concept would have likely been a hit. In a hyper-polarized 2020, however, many of the seemingly innocuous elements will likely be off-putting to many readers.

The foundational storyline is that a male Republican staffer and a female Democrat staffer find themselves at odds over a piece of legislation, and it's an enemies-to-lovers tale. The good news is that Daniels has a strong voice, and she's able to write some strong dialogue. The not-so-good news is that some of the topics covered are so raw (e.g., gun control) currently that it takes away from the rom-com levity I was looking for in a book in 2020.

I will look forward to more from this author and appreciate NetGalley giving me a chance to read this one.

I laughed out loud reading this book & the only reason I can't give it 5 stars that because Kate was too narrow-minded for too long in the book. It was fast-pasted and well-written and grabbed me at the very beginning. This is a great debut novel & I look forward to reading more by this author,

It's "Be Nice to Writers" Month, but I just... can't with this one. ARC and a quick read, but this book that looks bipartisan reads like a love letter to the GOP - the flighty, close-minded Dem femme is saved CONSTANTLY by the caveman-tactic Republican farm boy, after he pushes her to go to the gun range and heckles a finance speaker. The awful communication is just a side note. Not a favorite by any possible stretch.

I was so excited to finally be approved for a Berkley Romance novel. I mean, getting that email was like being told I won the lottery. I always request whatever they put up in the hopes of getting to read one early, so while I wasn't really keen on the subject matter of this book, I thought I'd give it a go. As I am not American, I figured maybe I can be a bit more objective.

Fact of the matter is I just can't. Republicans/Conservatives have become the scum of the earth in my eyes, being against everything I support and sticking their noses in things that don't require it and all in all having zero backbone. It's clear this is a representation of what is the current situation is in the States, and I cannot get behind a love interest who is for Trump and the Republican Party and simply ignores the backwards thinking they tout.

So DNF'd at 10%

Wow. This is Trump propaganda. There's nothing more to it, really. It was soooo bad... Cute cover, but that's it. My Canadian heart can't read that kind of stuff and like it. It's virtually impossible.

Far right propaganda. From the summary, I knew it would be a little polarizing but I deeply feel that a moderate-aiming romcom should've been set in a different time. Our current administration set up concentration camps. That isn't an exaggeration, and this cannot be defended. I hate to write a poor review but I also hate white nationalism.

Thank you to Berkley Romance, Netgalley, and the author for my gifted advance copy of Meet You in the Middle!
If you're looking for your next good rom-com, look no further!  Meet You in the Middle is it!
When I heard the premise of this story, I knew I had to read it!  I lived in DC for 7 years and my husband and I met while both working on the Hill, just like the main characters.  I also enjoy a good rom-com and this had everything I love in a good one!  If you like reading enemies-to-lovers, definitely pick this up!
Ben is a Republican and Kate is a Democrat.  This is Kate's number one issue for why Ben is horrible and why they would never work as a couple. Their first meeting definitely gets them started off on the wrong foot, and the tone for their relationship is set. Enter lots of banter and even pranks too!  The banter was fun and the pranks had me literally laughing out loud!
I loved Ben and Kate.  Kate is a strong, clever, independent character and Ben is SO swoon-worthy!  There was some depth to this story, but it did not at all compromise how light and fun of a read it was.
Let's talk about the elephant in the room...it's a tricky time to read/talk anything remotely political. That said, I recommend this read if you can handle political humor, which of course includes its fair share of stereotypes. I felt the author did a very solid job showing no partiality.  If you're going to overthink it, take things too seriously and/or to heart, this probably won't work for you.  It is meant to be a fun and light read.  I've been involved in politics at various capacities many times throughout my life, and I consider myself to be pretty thick-skinned when it comes to this stuff. I wasn't offended by anything the author wrote and found her comments about both sides humorous. On that note, you don't have to consider yourself as "political," or "into politics," to enjoy it!
I also really liked reading the author's note about her inspiration for this story and her hopes for people to see others beyond their labels. "Focus on what unites us instead of divides us."
TW: a couple of open door romance scenes, explicit language, sexual assault, one scene at a shooting range

Meet You in the Middle by Devon Daniels is a hot debut novel. There is a lot of intense banters between two enemies. One on each side of the political spectrum. A democrat woman is needing to go through a republican man to get her side's proposal back on the table. But he denies her request. Ben aggravates Kate like no other man does. His big frame and muscles self scares Kate. There is attraction from both of them. They feel it. Kate wants to deny it. Opposite sides makes them enemies not friends. The banters between is super fun. I enjoyed following their debates. Devon Daniels caught both political sides down perfectly. I love it! The characters' personalities made this an even better reading material. Readers, you are in for a delight! Devon Daniels can write well. Her writing is full of intensity, passion, and humor. Oh, and the story is full of action-packed scenes.

DNF at 22%. I was super bored and was not enjoying this. The pacing seemed so off. I read some reviews to see if it got any better and apparently it is thinly veiled Trump propaganda, so I stopped reading it.

Fun book about opposities and their meetings. This was a lot of fun to read and I found myself laughing out loud several times in the book.

These titles are fun and easy reads. During the pandemic it's nice to be able to live in a romantic fantasy.

I was looking forward to reading this book simply because of the concept: a romance/relationship between two people who have opposing political views. This happens in the real world, too. I am deeply disappointed that so many advanced readers trashed it on Goodreads without even reading it at all or finishing it. I do hope that the book finds its readers. We will certainly buy copies, since I've always believed as a librarian in providing a balanced collect

One of the most perfect modern romance books I have read in a long time! Kate is a down to earth feminist who works for one of the more liberal Democratic Senators on the Hill and Ben works for the opposition. Initially locked into an uncivil war between offices that increasingly becomes the highlight of many they declare a tentative truce after one crazy late night encounter. Put these two characters together and you have a classic example of enemies to more! Kate and Ben don't agree on many many political things but they do have a lot in common. Hopefully their differences won't bog them down!

I really enjoyed this book. I really appreciated the authors method of trying to unite us and not be so divisive. Politics have been so divisive and being able to humanize each side is really great. The chemistry was so great, I loved the romance and the sorta enemies to lovers trope, and it was just a well written book that clearly well researched both parties platforms to properly write these characters. Kudos to the author for writing such a great book and working to unite us all during such a divisive political climate. We could use more like this!

I want to be completely fair to this book, but to say I was disappointed is an understatement. I feel like there have been enough reviews calling out the author for the obvious bias and very problematic themes throughout the novel, so I thought I would talk about the other aspects of the book.

Why this book became such a disappointment is simple: from a literary standpoint, there was so much good.

The pace was spot on perfect for contemporary romance. It never dragged, it always brought more action or emotions.

the actual premise is a pretty beautiful idea. People with two different political views coming together, listening to one another, and being able to have a relationship is ideal; however, Meet You in the Middle fails horrifically at acknowledging even the inherent problems that will arise from such a relationship.

At no point in the story did the couple address and work through political differences, and what's worse, the author portrayed the woman as ridiculous for imagining that this would be an issue. As if she was close minded for not being able to put her political views aside for love. In fact, throughout the book Kate is portrayed as another hysterical, liberal, socialist while Ben is the clear headed, fiscally conservative, republican.

Here's where I ended any ability to think these two characters could be in a happy, loving, and honest relationship. Kate sees a picture of Ben celebrating at the inaugural Ball. He's smiling and happy while she is recounting the misery she felt in that same moment. Devon Daniels is clear that this book is based off of the current and recent past political climate as even the bills they were working on were purposefully correlated to real-life legislation.

Someone who loves Trump cannot fundamentally agree with someone who does not. I see it play out in my day to day life, and it's getting harder and harder to even be friends with people who can stomach the things he says let alone defend and promote his agenda.

There is no shade of gray to kids dying at the border because they were locked into cells.

There is not shade of gray on white supremacists.

There is no shade of gray on child molesters and sex traffickers.

I would love for someone to be explain to me how anyone can talk about these issues and come to a compromise. I'll wait.

In the meantime, Meet You in the Middle doesn't even try to address these obvious barriers, and in fact, jumps right over them. Ben is given exactly zero specific political views accept that he works for a republican senator and is redoing the tax plan. Oh yeah, he also loves guns and celebrated Trumps election, so...

The book and the characters needed to have those conversations otherwise you are left with a shallow attempt representing what a mixed political relationship looks like. Without these conversations, debates, or more likely arguments, the reader ends up trying to ship an almost impossible and unbelievable romance.

As for the writing, as I said before, I loved the pace and the dialogue was on point. Wity, smart, and funny all at the same time. However, I felt like the sex scenes needed some work. They were all super long, and simultaneously detailed and vague. There were multiple paragraphs devoted to uncontrollable lust kissing, in the same scene. I understand the idea of wild, crazy, mind fogging sex, where it feels like hands and lips are everywhere, but when writing for a reader, I need to be able to remember what body part we are talking about. Just a little more streamlined approach in the sex scene and the wildness could have been conveyed and I could have followed along better.

I actually hope Devon Daniels writes a different book after Meet You in the Middle because I would be interested in her story telling without trying to force this failed premise.

This book...isn't it. I understand what the author is trying to do, and I love a good enemies to lovers romance, but for me that means Red White & Royal Blue type enemies to lovers, not we disagree on basic human rights issues type enemies to lovers. There's a certain amount of privilege that comes along with being able to put aside your political views for the sake of a relationship, and this story's couple has that privilege. Kate is white and implied to be straight. From what I can tell, really the only thing that would personally affect her about Ben's beliefs are issues having to do with women's rights - and even on that, the author talks about how Ben is more of a "socially liberal, fiscally conservative" type (which... really isn't possible, but that's a different conversation) who would be happy to attend a women's march. Oh, and there's also that one line in the beginning of the book where Ben told Kate that she is, and I quote, "the perfect example of everything that's wrong with women." Kate is adamant about not dating someone who falls on the complete opposite side of the political spectrum as her, which makes sense? I also would not want to date someone who doesn't believe in what I think are basic human rights? But *of course* she comes to terms with her feelings for Ben, and then makes an exception for him. I knew perfectly well what I was getting into with this book and I really only read it because I got it for free off Netgalley, but definitely would not recommend paying money for this.

This book is absolutely adorable and has such a great concept that it lives up to. I'm a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers story, particularly if it comes with high quality witty banter. This knocked it out of the park for me. Kate and Ben have such electric chemistry and I adored how Daniels had them be incredibly different, but smart and capable. Told from Kate's point of view, you get to see the evolution of her assumptions about Ben. The cast of characters around them (PLEASE GIVE ME A BOOK ABOUT STEPHEN) was delight that made the world of legislative staffers feel more real. I think the idea of a cross-party romance, especially for people with deep political identifications, is brilliant and was deftly handled. While the book didn't delve too deeply into some of the divisive issues between parties, it showed that there's still significant overlap if we can find a middle ground.

Based on the description, I really wanted to like this book and it wasn't awful but it also didn't steal my heart.

I would have liked a prologue where we see Ben & Kate meet at that retirement party. It would have added more depth to his connection to her. As it is, he's obsessed with her but it never really seems to be about her but rather how attractive she is and that he wants to protect her. Why does he love her? If he really cares about her, why not casually say "if I were a democrat and I was writing a child care bill, I'd do XYZ things". She's new on the hill, give her some sneaky help while still being quippy and sarcastic.

Kate is such a disappointing democrat. She constantly accuses him of simply toeing the party line but she never backs up her arguments, she just spouts liberal quips that we've all seen on social media. "How does it feel to be on the wrong side of history?" Even if you're new you still have to be GOOD to work in a Senator's office. Especially one who seems to have as much clout as Sen. Warner supposedly has.
She seems so wishy washy, like the gun shooting range? She's terrified and then interested and then never wants to shoot a gun again. And I hate that he pushed her when she was terrified. I would have loved if he took her to a diner where a bunch of gun owners were and they had a discussion with her about why they want to be able to own guns. Have an actual discourse and learn about how the other side feels instead of "Republicans are the worst. Well, maybe they're not because Ben is hot and I don't hate him."

Reconnecting and making a spectacle at that party seemed super unprofessional to me, especially in a town that loves scandal.

What I did like? Ben waiting until he was ready to have sex with her. I loved that. And the line dancing date was pretty cute.

I wanted more depth from both of the characters but if want an easy enemies to lovers novel, this book could be for you.