Charlotte Walsh Likes To Win

As a note, a copy of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.


Okay, okay--here we go: this was such a fun book and not at all what I was expecting! Although, I'm not sure what I was expecting to begin with. So, there's that. It's possible I picked this book because of its minimal but still cute cover, but we're not going to talk about that. Whatever it was that I had been expecting, was not what the book served me and at the end of the day I'm 100% okay with that.

I've only read one book of Jo Piazza's in the past and that was, of course, The Knockoff. Which was fun in its own right. I found Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win to be just a bit better and a lot smarter than The Knockoff but, ultimately, they are entirely different stories with entirely different meanings. Both are of the same vein and are quick, light reads to finish in one--or a few--sittings. Piazza takes a bit more of a political stance in her premise of Charlotte and I adored this quality.

In this day and age, it's always powerful to see women shaking up the political game. Fiction or not, I am here for it. It provides a nice and even, temporary, distraction from the present trashfire that is the U.S. government. Plus, you have to respect and appreciate the pure ambition of the characters in this book.

There's this underlying tone of honesty and frankness towards our own political climate in Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, and that would definitely be my favourite part about the novel. It's in-your-face with its honesty and if honesty isn't what you like, then this book isn't for you. For me, it makes me wish our beloved narrator was real. She shows us a reminder that sexism is still highly prevalent in our modern world, but I think--at this point--it's fair to say that we don't need a reminder.

I thought that Piazza really nailed it with tone in this book and balanced everything quite evenly. There was a lot to it that I would have changed, or added, but that's more-or-less about personal preference, not a defining quality of the book. I'd still recommend it in a heartbeat because it's an escape, but it's also very true-to-life and that's essential to making a good novel with such a premise.

Overall, I enjoyed Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win much more than I expected. Fun, honest and to the point, you really can't miss--or go wrong--with Jo Piazza's latest release.

Is there a more timely fiction plot than an infuriated woman returning to her hometown to run for Senate against an old, white man who has held the job, nearly unchallenged for decades? In the days before the IRL midterm elections I'd say the answer is no. I'm so glad I made time for this book since Piazza has such a talent for writing relatable characters and throwing in current events to enhance an addicting storyline.

Charlotte Walsh is successful. During her campaign she will literally pen an article defining "having it all" since, she does. She and her husband, Max, both work for a booming tech company in Silicon Valley, and she is an executive, one of Max's bosses. She's written a book about how she's implemented strategies and contingencies to keep more women in the company by covering costs of family planning, but she's taking a sabbatical to move her family of 5 across the country back to Elk Hollow, PA (where the couple grew up), so she can throw her hat in the ring against the woman-hating walking stereotype Senator Tug Slaughter (R).

There is no shortage of obstacles thrown at her, including Slaughter's slimy tactics, and large bumps in her relationship with Max, as the poll number dip and rise over the course of a tumultuous year. Seems like Piazza did a great job capturing the weariness of a campaign a candidate truly believes in. It was a pleasure to read.