Just finished Presidential. This was an enjoyable read as it was different that I usually read. I like reading books set in a political background and not only is the president a woman she was bisexual. Connie ( madam president). Meets Dr. Lawerence a top heart surgeon after she has a md visit with her son. Sparks soon fly between the two. Although Connie is a widow who has gone years without a love life .she wants to pressure Dr. Lawrence ,but they have lots to navigate as the explore their feelings. I would say my one critique although small is the president son, with her deceased husband , seems a bit too mature regarding the conversation he has with his mother .

This book was a 'Did not finish' for me, I could not get into the writing style. THank you Netgallley for the ARC.

If you enjoy reading books where a woman is President, you need to check this book out!
It is a wonderful read and well written.
I highly recommend!

Presidential by Lola Keeley really hits the spot. It dives into relationships in the intense world of politics, and I had a super-fun time reading it.

From the start, I enjoyed the political setting. Getting a semi-realistic peek behind the curtain of the U.S. presidency is interesting, and Ms. Keeley did a great job making the political vibe feel legit and serious, but never boring or too complicated. If you're into politics at all, you'll likely enjoy this aspect of the book, which, I feel, adds so much to the whole story. Just beware … the hero politics here are liberal, and the right wing does get bashed a bit.

Politics aside, it’s refreshing to have two mature leads acting as adults all the way through. MCs Connie and Emily are both great. They felt like real people, and I found myself more than willing to get fully immersed and invested in their lives. Seeing both girls’ unique roles gives you a great sense of what makes them tick as well as making them fully rounded characters. Following their paths and how they crossed in such a high-pressure environment was a joy!

Maybe forgive the near insta-love here, since to keep the book on track and well-paced and allow for the really interesting environment to shine, the author loads the chemistry between Connie and Emily. I’ve read a few reviews that feel this is a bit lacking compared to other of Lola Keeley’s works, but not so for me. I’ve read Slammed and Her Royal Happiness, and the chemistry compares just fine. Every interaction, whether it was a small glance or a big moment, was packed with genuine emotion, ensuring Emily and Connie’s evolving relationship is super captivating, making this story shine and giving it so much heart.

All in all, Presidential is a fantastic book that perfectly blends a fairly gripping political world with a truly sweet and well-crafted romance. The characters are rounded and likable (and adults!), and their chemistry is undeniable. Highly recommended :).

Thank you to the author and the publisher, the amazing Ylva, and to NetGalley for a chance to vote this book a hit during its midterm ARC.

Presidential came into my life at just the right time. In a world where politics often feels exhausting and hope feels scarce, this book offered a refreshing and affirming escape. Set in an America led by its first woman President, who also happens to be openly bisexual, the story delivers rich LGBTQIA+ representation across the White House staff and inner circle, without ever feeling forced or tokenistic.

What I appreciated most was the way the author approached political and personal values. Rather than relying on the overused (and often unrealistic) "Democrat falls for Republican" trope, the novel explores what happens when two people who largely agree on the big picture still find themselves prioritizing those shared values differently. It was thoughtful, nuanced, and incredibly relevant. The characters were compelling, complex, and easy to root for, and the narrative held a twist toward the end that genuinely caught me off guard in the best way.

Overall, Presidential is a smart, heartfelt read that balances politics and romance beautifully. Highly recommend to anyone looking for representation, meaningful conflict, and a hopeful view of what leadership and love can look like.

I liked the premise of this book. A woman in power and a powerful doctor make for the basis of a potentially impressive story.

And it was impressive, if a little bit all over the place. The writing could have been a little more structured in this character-driven story. Lots of characters.

So many characters! This is a personal observation, but when so many characters are introduced so early in the story, I tend to forget who they are and what they do when they're mentioned later in the book. In a book about the President of the United States, there are bound to be a lot of staff serving that office, but they were peripheral most of the time, so I kind of ignored them. They weren't really germane to the story, for the most part.

The two main characters, President Constance Calvin and Dr. Emily Lawrence were well-written and a pleasure to get to know, as far as the reader was able to get to know them. There was little-to-nothing about Constance Calvin's background, her career path or what made her the kind of woman she is. Same with Dr. Lawrence.

But...

I still liked the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Presidential is a well written slow burn age gap romance between two highly powered women. President Constance Calvin aka Connie a proud bisexual woman develops a relationship with top heart surgeon Emily Lawerence. It was interesting to read how both women try to build a relationship with there busy schedule. It gace a some insight as to what limitations a president might have such as not being able to just walk into a restaurant and have a meal at will without precautions being made to accomodate their safety. Both MC communicated well adn I found it quite humorous at time. I enjoyed the story and would recommend..

Thanks to the publisher YLVA and NetGalley.

I first have to say that I didn’t appreciate the author’s take on the Republican Party. I realize this book is political, but I take offense because the author doesn’t seem to live in America. Believe it or not, conservative lesbians exist in this country.
That being said, I enjoyed the relationship between the M C’s, as difficult as it was for them to navigate. I appreciated all the intricacies described in the medical and presidential fields. I thought the story was well written, even with the political bias.

Presidential has a compelling premise and polished writing, and Lola Keeley delivers on the political backdrop with a solid blend of romance and drama. However, I found it difficult to fully connect with the characters. While their dynamic had potential, something about the emotional depth or chemistry didn’t quite land for me. That said, fans of slow-burn romances in high-stakes settings may still find a lot to enjoy here. It just didn’t resonate with me as strongly as I’d hoped.

This is my first Lola novel but I absoutely loved it. I wanted to keep turning the pages of his gripping book about heart surgeon Emily and the first female president Connie. The book has some sweet moment, full of life of a president and is perfectly set in terms of its pace. I wanted to keep on knowing what happened next.

Thank you for this free copy.

Presidential, is the second novel I have been given the opportunity to read by Lola Keeley and Ylva publishing. This by chance came up under NetGalley for review. I know I am a bit late to the party as this came out originally in 2020 then re-released in 2022 but was on my to read list so bonus!

We meet the first female President Connie Calvin, she has her son Zack, windowed prior to election and a bisexual. Dr Emily Laurence one of the top paediatric heart surgeons in America has transferred to Washington DC. Emily and Connie have a rather opinionated first encounter which sparks a budding friendship between the two. Texting and further encounters lead to a buzz of romance between the two women. Politics, secrets and hidden romantic dates could these two women make work against the odds?

This is enjoyable, a slow burn which I get, it can’t be all out in the public domain as there are a few red tapes of reelection, American views on not only a women in politics but a bisexual, both lead very busy and dominated jobs as well as dealing with an obvious power balance between the two. The book is very respectable, with lots of check ins between the two. Connie is very conscious of her age and throwing Emily into the political arena with their relationships.

The side character work well with the story, including the secret service element and Connie’s possible opponents for her Presidency. One is Emily’s ex’s mother and the other I think I would say has a ‘MAGA’ agenda.

For me this is a logical burn through the book to the conclusion. I understand that there are limits to what Connie can do so it does make sense as I’m guessing the President can’t just pop out and have a romantic public date! I enjoyed that they both knew what they want and that the attraction was there so extra points for no mind games! I am not a fan of political books but this does not shy away from tackling important issues that do cause tension between the two. The book does build up to a satisfactory conclusion but I did not feel blown away by it which was a bit disappointing.

This has been out for a while but definitely worth a read. A slow burn, age gap with two highly powered women at the helm. A good solid read again from Lola Keeley.

Lola Keeley's Presidential is a nice spin on the celeb/normie romance. Its probably as close to a royalty AU as you could get for us Americans. I also really enjoyed the behind the scenes of such a setting like the White House. Low stakes read that's enjoyable.

Thank you to Ylva Publishing and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

president constance calvin remarks to pediatric surgeon Emily Lawrence cut deeper than connie thought they would so when emily leaves the party abruptly... when connie realised she tries her best to make amends

and in so doing time spent with emily opens up a whole new world to her... one that she had shut down on after the death of her husband.....

but was the world ready for an acting president to be dating a woman.... time would tell...

an interesting read though not how i thought it was going to be but still enjoyable....

Dr. Emily Lawrence, a renowned pediatric surgeon, has recently moved to the DC area for a new job. In her first week, she treats a VIP patient but not just any VIP. It turns out that the boy is Zach Calvin, President Constance “Connie” Calvin’s son. After a comment she made gets passed to President Calvin…let’s just say she piqued the president’s interest.

Along with being POTUS, Connie’s a widow and single mother to twelve-year-old Zach. After she finds out Zach’s new cardiologist made a comment about healthcare, she becomes even more interested in meeting Dr. Emily Lawrence.

I liked that Connie was proud of her bisexuality and never hid it, not even from her voters. Their debates were entertaining as well as the banter. I wished there was more tension, but either way, Connie and Emily made for a good couple. Was it spicy? Just a few scenes and some of that faded to black. I loved the side characters because they were really sweet and supportive. The book was political, which obviously was expected, but I really hoped for at least a little more romance. It wasn’t bad, but a lot of it was political, and I would’ve liked at least a balance.


*Age gap
*Femme/Femme
*Past Trauma
*Homophobia 

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the arc. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Not my cup of tea
(Reviews from December 13 2022 and August 31 2020)
There is humor and drama along with the romance in this story, all elements I typically enjoy in wlw stories. This book was an exception which is unfortunate because I am a fan of nearly everything else the author has written prior to this and recommend those stories ahead of this one. Having a female US president fall for another woman is a novel twist and the diversity in the cast of characters is appreciated, but I found the words and actions of several characters (mains and secondaries) off-putting, character reactions to certain events and realities uneven and some minor plot threads abandoned rather than resolved or revisited by the end of the book. I read this story when it was first released several years ago (2020) and found the original iteration problematic (that review is below) and while this is a revamped version of that story now being published in 2022, the problems here overshadow what could have been a much more enjoyable read for me. I actually enjoyed reading the original version more than this one while expecting the opposite to happen. The issues for me remain in both versions despite revisions to the story. There were moments when I was invested in Connie and Emily's relationship but the continuous reminders of Connie being president and the power that office holds (real or assumed) overshadowed that more often than not. The politics in the story are unappealing as every character regardless of their profession (or political affiliation/leaning) is political at one point or another in the story and not in a good way. The power dynamic is less an issue and is addressed more directly here than it was in the previous version however the imbalance is still there and is rarely far from the mind of the reader or Emily who seems to remember or forget about it when it's convenient to plot requirements.
I really wanted to like this story and to enjoy it as much as others by the author and kept hoping the issues would somehow resolve or I would be pulled into the story enough to overlook them but instead I found it difficult to invest in wholly. The subject matter and characters may appeal more to others but it was clearly not my cup of tea and suspension of disbelief did not take me where I needed to be in order to love and recommend this story.

My review for the 2020 version of this book:
Diverse political romance for those in the mood for it (3.5 stars)
Presidential is a well written romantic drama with lots of humor and levity, no shortage of women in positions of power/authority (several lesbians, a bi main character and one nonbinary with some straight characters for diversity) and a variety of relationships to love and root for (friends, lovers, family, work colleagues, etc) throughout the book. I liked the main characters, Connie and Emily - and many of the secondary characters (even the well written villains who were so easy to root against) - and cheered for their relationship as it progressed, up to a point. Near the end of the book I was less invested in them being together and more concerned with the power dynamic that put Emily at a disadvantage (with the media and the public at large primarily) in terms of her being able to live her life in a normal and safe way, separate from Connie. It felt as though Emily had no option but to be with Connie no matter what (not in a romantic way); there were also a few romance/fanfiction cliches that cropped up in close succession at one point that felt over the top.
The other issue for me is that the story is set in Washington DC in part during presidential election season and is highly political so for escapist reading it does have an element of wish fulfillment with a queer female president of the USA but it's also got enough 'too close to reality' details about certain characters and 'how the sausage is made' in DC to be more a grim reminder of reality for some readers. Some of what's brought up in this book may hit too close to home - gun laws, gun violence/deaths, environmental issues, manipulative power hungry folk in politics - right now regardless of where you live in the world. The resemblance between some secondary characters and real life public figures was more of a distraction for me than anything else and not in a positive way.
I did manage to lose myself at times in the chemistry between main characters and the progression of their relationship, the relationships between family members and work colleagues and so on but then there would be a reminder of the ugly side of DC and how things get done there, at the expense of regular people who do not attend the parties and meetings in the Capitol where it all happens.
If you're not already oversaturated or exhausted by current US politics/elections and are a fan of fictional shows with a political theme set in Washington DC then this book is for you. If you are not then I'd suggest either waiting a while to dip into this story or giving it a miss and reading the author's other wonderful books instead. This was my least favorite book by Lola Keeley mostly due to its subject matter and the issues that stem from it.