I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE LAST MINUTE FIRST LADY by Tinia Montford Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Author: Tinia
Montford
Pub. Date: December 22, 2022
Publisher: Emerald
Press LLC
Formats: eBook
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/THE-LAST-MINUTE-FIRST-LADY
WHAT’S ONE ITSY, BITSY, LITTLE LIE?
Cassian Anders will be the youngest
governor in Illinois history... If he wins.
That’s all everyone seems to talk
about these days. Jolie Coldwell isn’t one of them. As a journalist, her
priorities comprise digging up dirt on crooked politicians and local cover-ups.
When her latest exposé on a congressman lands her in hot water, her days are
reduced to covering the senior center’s casino night.
Unexpectedly, news breaks: the on-air
investigative segment needs a replacement. This promotion advance could her
career.
She needs a breaking story. She needs
it now.
The road to office is ruthless
compared to the courtroom. Without warning, Cassian Anders’ popularity rating
falls, threatening his position on the ballot. He will do whatever it means to
secure votes. Now, not only is he engaged, but he’s getting married to his
non-existent fiancée...
He’s never relied on luck, but when a
convenient but unorthodox wife falls into his lap? He makes her a deal.
He needs a wife. He needs it now.
Will Jolie and Cassian be able to
fool the public long enough? Can she handle the public poking around in her
past, one she would rather keep under wraps... Above all, can she be a model
first lady or are they destined to be a scandal?
THE LAST-MINUTE FIRST LADY IS A STEAMY MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE ROMANCE. PERFECT FOR READERS WHO LOVE OUTRAGEOUS IN-LAWS, HONEYMOONS TO NAPA VALLEY, AND CROOKED POLITICIANS. THIS NOVEL CONTAINS CURSING AND SEX SCENES, AND INTENDED FOR AUDIENCES 18 YEARS AND OLDER.
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eARC
Indie published books have the opportunity to be hidden gems, and Tinia Montford’s The Last Minute First Lady was one of my first entertaining reads of 2023. Cassian Anders is one of the hottest new things to hit the political circuit, and he’s a hair's breadth away from clinching the Illinois governor’s seat. One of the only issues? Voters don’t want to put their faith in a young unmarried politician like him. Enter Jolie Coldwell, an up and coming investigative reporter looking for her big break. The two make a deal to advance both of their interests, and must convince everyone of their fake love affair until after the ballots are counted. Sounds easy enough, right?
The political aspect of this book was a major part of the story. However, I was more intrigued to learn about Jolie’s side of things than Cassian’s. It was fun to get to see the election cycle from her perspective as an investigative reporter. A lot of time, effort, and research goes into all of those 500 words or less articles. It was exciting to get to see Jolie go after her leads with such determination and passion. She’s such a headstrong character that she keeps everyone on their toes, and I appreciated seeing her stick to her guns no matter how others tried to influence her reporting. I was also quite amused by her verbal sparring with Cassian’s staff, and how she proved those who only see her as arm candy wrong.
One of the only drawbacks for the book was the romance. I struggled to connect to Jolie and Cassian’s relationship, and I sadly never became invested in their romance. I did enjoy how realistic their relationship was - none of the big moments were ever picture perfect (think the opposite of a Hallmark movie). I’m also quite happy to see two strong BIPOC characters take center stage in a romance novel - I’m not sure if it was intentional on the author’s part, but they reminded me a bit of Barack and Michelle Obama. However, I think the storyline lost me with the two major tropes of marriage of convenience and forced proximity. When the two are combined, I’ve come to expect a lot of fake public displays of affection and off the cuff romantic moments. There was so much potential for that with the fake fiance situation. However, that didn’t really happen as much as I’d hoped in this book. Unfortunately, the missed expectations negatively impacted my overall enjoyment of the read and lowered the overall star rating.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book with a lot of humor and heart. If you like adult romance novels with a bit of steam and a happily ever after that are closer to reality than a Hallmark movie, you’ve come to the right place. I especially appreciate the inclusion of a successful black couple at the heart of the story.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, Book Sirens, and Jaime at Rockstar Book Tours for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review the book immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.
About Tinia Montford:
Tinia (TUH-NIA) Montford is a Pisces who’s a
sap for romance, especially when there’s (tons of) kissing. Loves eighties
sitcoms and will consume anything with chocolate. She graduated from the
University of San Francisco with a degree in English and Graphic Design.
She is a world traveler having climbed a volcano in
Nicaragua, scaled Angkor Wat in the blistering sun, and roamed the Acropolis of
Athens. Oh, she also dabbles in short stories occasionally.
If you can’t catch her writing, you can bet she’s
overindulging on poke bowls, listening to the same four songs, or chilling with
her adorbs doggie. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Fiction.
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Giveaway Details:
1 winner
will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International.
Ends December 27th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
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12/12/2022 |
Excerpt |
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12/12/2022 |
Excerpt |
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12/13/2022 |
IG Post |
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12/13/2022 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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12/14/2022 |
IG Post/TikTok Post |
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12/14/2022 |
IG Post |
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12/15/2022 |
IG Review |
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12/15/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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12/16/2022 |
IG Review |
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12/16/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
Week Two:
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12/19/2022 |
IG Review |
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12/19/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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12/20/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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12/20/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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12/21/2022 |
IG Review |
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12/21/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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12/22/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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12/22/2022 |
IG Review |
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12/23/2022 |
Review |
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12/23/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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