Book Review: Compromising Positions by Mary Whitney

Posted March 11, 2014 by Rosette in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

compromisingpositionscoverTitle:Compromising Positions

Author: Mary Whitney

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Publication Date: January 23, 2014

Rating: 5 Out Of 5 Stars 

Synopsis

We weren’t supposed to be friends. We weren’t even supposed to like each other.

I’m Michael Grath. I’ll admit I was elected to Congress on my Republican family history. I was out to make a name for myself, until I met Jessie Clark, a spitfire Democrat.

She’d be my nemesis, if I could just stop thinking about her. We’ve got nothing and everything in common, and one big issue that divides us. All of this is going to land us in more than one compromising position.

And like I said, we weren’t supposed to be friends, we weren’t even supposed to like each other, and we certainly weren’t supposed to fall in love.

Robbie’s Review

Will the gentlewoman from Arizona yield to the gentleman from Illinois or will the gentleman from Illinois yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona?  Or will the gentleman and the gentlewoman find themselves in Compromising Positions?  In her novel by that name, Mary Whitney writes a story that is not only about relationships, love and compromise, but also gives readers a fascinating look at the workings of Congress.  Jessie Clark is a young woman who has dedicated her life to the causes she believes in and she is a Democrat.  Michael Grath is a young man with a long family history of public service and he is a Republican.  Jessie’s constituency is in a rural area and Michael’s is urban. Jessie was raised in a military family…Michael was raised as the son of a governor.  Michael has a dog…Jessie has a cat. Could these two be more opposite?  They first meet at a social gathering for freshman members of congress when the men Michael is chatting with mistake Jessie for a waitress and order drinks.

My eyes widened. . .Two Republican congressmen had just mistaken a female member of Congress for a waitress, plus she was a Democrat.  It was an unpardonable gaffe that could end up in the gossip section of The Washington Post.

When the irresistible force meets the immovable object Michael and Jessie fall in love and light up the pages with their chemistry.  However…this paradox comes to pass too early in the book to be a true HEA and their differences explode over the opposing positions of their respective parties on a bill to defund Planned Parenthood, an issue in which Jessie has a painful personal interest and one about which Michael is ambivalent but feels obligated to follow the party line.  A frustrated Michael turns to his mother for advice and I think readers will love her character…she is one smart lady!

You should focus on what’s important.  Relationships are like legislation.  They won’t be strong if only one side supports it.  There needs to be a compromise, so both sides are invested.  It’s the only way.

As the time draws near for a vote on the legislation, Michael’s mom continues to support him with her message of hope.

Yes, you are members of Congress, but you’re still people.  I promise you the day after this vote that the sun will rise again and life will go on.  I’m guessing you’d want to live it together.

Author Mary Whitney has written a fun and funny story with grown up characters who are well-developed, likable and are facing grown up problems. There’s Trish, Jessie’s chief of staff and her husband Larry, who is an NFL star.  Of course there’s Michael’s mom whom I’ve already mentioned and Daisy the dog and Severus the cat.   As if their politics isn’t enough, the author adds a little stress to their relationship by giving Jessie and Michael each a rival for the other’s affections. Written from both Michael’s and Jessie’s POV’s, Compromising Positions is a very sensitive portrayal of the dilemma elected officials must face when they have to compromise between their personal experiences and beliefs and the interests of the people they represent. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy a love story written against the backdrop of  a world most of us don’t see except in newspapers.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book directly from the author.  I was not paid to read or review this book.  All opinions are my own, and I was never influenced by anything or anyone.

Click on picture to add to your TBR list
Click on picture to add to your TBR list

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

About the Author

Mary Whitney

Even before she graduated from law school, Mary Whitney knew she wasn’t cut out to be a real lawyer. Drawn to politics, she’s spent her career as an organizer, lobbyist, and nonprofit executive. Nothing piques her interest more than a good political scandal or romance, and when she stumbled upon writing, she put the two together. A born Midwesterner, naturalized Texan, and transient resident of Washington, D.C., Mary now lives in Northern California with her two daughters and real lawyer husband.

Connect with the Author:Blog |Twitter|Facebook |Amazon Author Page | Pinterest |Goodreads


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