While politics and romance are odd literary bedfellows this book pulls it off perfectly. Super fun read!

Running Mates

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars

This is a really funny and heartwarming read that YA and romance readers alike will enjoy.

Anna, our protagonist, provided some real laugh out loud moments. Even though she’s a little annoying at the start, kind of bullish in her beliefs, we get to watch her evolve over the course of the book to become a more open and thoughtful person.

Gabe is a hottie (though I feel bad saying it considering this is a high school novel). He has an equanimity that Anna sorely needs, and meanwhile, her confidence helps him develop a strong backbone in his own life.

The side characters here are great as well. I really hope the author continues this as a series so we can see what happens to them!

The world building is also great, in that I developed a clear image of this North Carolina town, and came to love the little shops and small town feel.

Overall, if you want a light, heartfelt, and funny read, I recommend picking up Running Mates.

This was a bit politics heavy but it wasn't too bad. The scenes with Anna practicing with Gabe and Sam gave off kind of wattpad self insert vibes for me. In all it was a pretty enjoyable read, and Sam was a pretty standout favorite character almost instantly.

Personally I just don’t think this book was for me. I think the characters were really difficult for me to connect with. I found Annabelle’s character to be too over the top with everything she is involved in and how she reacts to things. This book very much reads like a 2013 Wattpad novel, and while that is good for some, I do not think it suits my desires any more. However, I do think this is a book that people who want that teenage angst would really enjoy and I do think it has potential