NetGalley Review: Party of Two – Jasmine Guillory

My rating: 4/5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Dating isn’t on Olivia’s radar when she moves to LA, she is far too busy starting up her law firm. But then she meets a gorgeous man at her hotel bar and they spend the entire night flirting and talking about cake. Little did she know that he is no other than junior Senator Max Powell. Olivia knows what she has with Max is something special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight?

My thoughts

I requested this on NetGalley because nice weather puts me in the mood for easy romance reads and sunbathing. I was surprised and happy to be accepted so quickly and got straight on to reading it. I received this free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I didn’t realise that this was actually the fifth book in a series until I was about halfway through. That instantly had be worried because I hate jumping into series in the middle and was worried that there would be parts that I didn’t understand because I had not read the other books. I was pleasantly surprised that the book stood on its own and there was not a point were I felt like I needed to read the others for a complete picture. After doing some research it seems that the others in the series are following the love stories of other characters in the novel.

This book is such a sweet romance story. But be warned, it will make you hungry! There is constant mention of food throughout this book, the cakes and pies particularly got me. The characters instantly get on and bounce off each other and it creates a great dynamic and base for the novel. Olivia is a powerful, female lead character and is really independent which I loved about her. Max is sweet and respectful and I loved reading their journey.

I wouldn’t necessarily describe the relationship between the characters as having sizzling sexual chemistry. Their love is cute and although not a slow burner I didn’t find that there was loads intense sexual moments like I assumed there would be. The story was well balanced and I never felt like I was getting bored with the story line, I just would have personally preferred more passion. I did, however, like the dual narrative aspect even in the third person point of views, it really helped to understand the characters.

There was a great blend between the drama and the dialogue in the book and there was a fair bit of humour too. I also liked the mention of some of the struggled a black, female lawyer may face in her workplace and I felt this added depth to the novel, it made it more real.

It has to be said that it is not my favourite romance that I have ever read but it is a lovely summer read. It is lighthearted, predicable and made for easy reading. I would recommend it to those who are just looking for something to read for relaxation, there are no major twists in the story and it is easy to follow.