Senator Meredith Mitchell decided to run for the presidency after a seasoned colleague withdrew when her damaging emails were hacked. When she met public defender, Stevie Palmer, during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, both women were drawn to each other. This attraction led to several dates. But trying to date a potential history making first woman president proved to be difficult for Stevie who eventually broke up with Meredith.

I enjoyed the political and legal aspect of the story, and the media frenzy was right on point.
Meredith was a dynamic character, but Stevie’s character I felt lacked a sense of devotion to their relationship. I didn’t feel she was as fully invested in it as Meredith. On several occasions she was also too quick to end their relationship. Then all too soon, Stevie was all in and the story ended. I think this part needed to be developed further. That being said, I applaud the author for trying to correct a controversial election outcome and giving “the people” our historical ending, as least in print.
Overall, Pursuit of Happiness was an entertaining read…as is the case whenever Carsen Taite authors a book.

Carsen Taite's latest, "Pursuit of Happiness," was one of the must-read books in 2018 that I was looking forward to explore especially due to its subject matter. Having always been fascinated with and intrigued by the US political and justice systems (since they're so different from our own, in fact, most of the world's!) - the good AND the bad - and knowing that I can always count on Taite to give me a bloody good read about said subject matters, all wrapped in romance or thriller in lesfic to boot, I expected no less when I started reading this book. Let's just say...there's a reason why Taite is me go-to lesfic author for anything related to the US legal/political matters. Because she delivers. Every. Single. Time.

I'm glad I read "A More Perfect Union" not long ago so the story was still fresh in me head. I was delighted when Rook and Zoey showed up in this book! Not only that, but Addison and Julia (from "Courtship") also made an appearance, much to me heart's content! It was like meeting old mates after having not seen them a while, you know. So, I was feeling warm and fuzzy when these enchanting characters whom I really enjoyed knowing about from the aforementioned books, welcomed the two newest members (protagonists), Stevie and Meredith, into the fold, in the same universe Taite has apparently created for this political/legal team.

Back to this latest story, I was immediately hooked when Taite started with the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and witness testimony involving Meredith, senator and member of the Committee, and Stevie, public defender tasked to give testimony about federal sentencing guidelines before the Committee. The instant attraction between these two protagonists led to some friendly banter and inevitable flirting whilst talking shop. As you will discover when you read the book, these two had different perspectives about striking a friendship (and more, obvs!) with each other and the various different steps they decided to take to explore the possibilities despite some obvious obstacles. Their romance, from the start, Taite-style, was captivating to explore because Taite always mixed business with pleasure as far as her protagonists were concerned. So you're in for a treat if you enjoy politics/law mixed with romance! I, for one, loved it! In fact, I wanted more as my reading was coming to an end!

It was interesting for me to read about just how closely connected the legal/justice and political systems are with each other. Most attorneys from the Public Prosecutor and Defence offices have aspirations to become politicians. So how they manoeuvre their daily wranglings, dealings, cases, and networking efforts are pretty much tied to their agendas to become the next member of the Congress or higher office. Public service is no longer an honourable, selfless calling to serve the people but a stepping stone for self-serving political ambitions. Fascinating, really. Which brings me to Meredith. She used to be an AUSA before running and winning a Senate seat, came from a political family whose business was...well, you guessed it. Politics. So, everything surrounding Meredith always seemed to be tied to her political work, including but not limited to her dream of running for President of the US one day. With that in mind, obviously, her private life was shafted way in the background, such as it was. Well...until Stevie came into her life, that is!

In contrast, Stevie, a long-time public defender, but had no political aspirations whatsoever (a rare breed in her field these days, me reckons!), did not like the public scrutiny, the press, media frenzy. All she cared about was her work in defending her clients, fighting for justice and fairness in the system that she knew very well was inundated with politics and generally keeping her head down. All this notion of having to protect her privacy and from the beastly jaws of the media was solely because of her bad experience with them in one of her cases that made the headlines with dire  consequences. But with Meredith suddenly coming into her life with this attraction that she couldn't shake off, her life was about to be tossed into chaos.

I loved that Taite provided a dual POV so that I could delve into both Stevie and Meredith's psyche, what they were going through mentally and emotionally, how they perceived each other as they tried to figure out what to do with their growing attraction and desire for each other. Having both of their POVs described and portrayed throughout the story was especially beneficial so the reader would have a better understanding about what Stevie and Meredith were going through and thinking because of how different they both were, in terms of their character, personality, their lives, their perspectives, family, relationships. Meredith was close to her family, wealthy and ran in rich, influential and powerful circles (if having mates who were the President's Chief of Staff, Supreme Court justice, White House communications director, and a colonel teaching at the war college were any indication!), whereas, Stevie was estranged from her family, left home at 18 and had to work her way up to where she was now. She didn't care much for image or money or status. And Stevie's social circle was amongst her mates in the public defender's office and the shelters, so very different than Meredith's, obvs! So, it was through these polar opposite traits that made Meredith and Stevie's love story intriguing to explore. Hey, as they say, "Opposites attract," innit?

But what truly appealed to me in this story was how Taite mirrored Meredith's presidential campaign to Hillary Clinton's, with all the scandals surrounding hacked e-mails, Russian meddling, and Stevie's criminal case involving a whistleblower who sent classified documents to the media - reminiscent of Edward Snowden/Chelsea Manning's case - whom she was tasked to defend. Taite really delved into the behind-the-scenes activities involving the running of a presidential campaign, including power struggles between those who managed it, and what entailed in the discovery phase of a Manning/Snowden-like case, legal investigations and exploration of evidence, and the legal manoeuvring between Stevie's public defence office and the prosecutor's. Taite obviously had informative insights and an abundance of knowledge in the inner-workings of the political machine that ran a national campaign, and the legal procedures, proceedings of a federal case, not to mention all the creative steps taken in the effort of maintaining security and privacy of the political candidate. It was fascinating to learn how these actions and efforts were made through Meredith and Stevie's journey! I felt like I was reading a true story about a presidential candidate used to living under public scrutiny and a very private public defender with no love for the limelight who, despite all obstacles thrown at them, couldn't stop their feelings for each other as they slowly fell in love with each other. How they made it work was a real treat for me to uncover as Tatie's brilliant story-weaving made me believe and invested in their journey. Although, I had a different ending in me head but Taite's decision to go all the way (perhaps to make it simpler and more straightforward?) also worked. To be honest, either way worked well for me as a reader. All's well that ends well and all that, innit?

All in all, I enjoyed this political romance immensely. If I had one wish, though, it is that I wish the story were longer! I really wanted to delve even more into Stevie's back story and her hard life in the past, getting into the nuts and bolts of Meredith's campaign trail, how the scandal came about (ooo, I was really curious to know about the thing that happened which thrust Meredith into a headspin before her presidential run!), Stevie and Meredith's states of mind in terms of how the two crucially relevant events (presidential campaign and Stevie's whistleblower case) that were occurring concurrently affected their journey toward each other in the end. I somehow have a feeling that Taite still had some nuggets in her basket of research and knowledge about the plot/subplot which she decided not to expand or elaborate or perhaps she had but they ended up in the "cutting room floor," so to speak, eh? I don't know. Sometimes I wish books had a "director's cut" like some movies do when they're released in DVD/Blu-ray format! I know, wishful thinking. Oh well... But, don't let this stop ya from reading this book because for me, it was a bloody good read! I learned a lot from Taite's descriptive plot laced with nuances of American politics and the law (as I always do whenever I read her books) that she skilfully weaved into the romance. Meredith and Stevie were another two captivating characters worth discovering and I'm delighted that they're now part of the Julia/Addison, Rook/Zoey universe! Yay!

Sidenote: I was intrigued by a secondary character featured briefly in the story: Erica, Meredith's personal driver. She was a compelling character that captured me attention, thanks to Taite's brilliant portrayal. Hmm...wonder if she'd ever be given her own story, eh? I always hear that it's the drivers, assistants, housekeepers/butlers, security personnel of powerful people like politicians who have their ear to the ground and are usually in-tune with their employers' related field of work. Hence, their lives, by proxy, would be interesting to explore, too, eh? Oh well....just a thought! But thank you, Ms. Taite, for including this fascinating side character in Meredith and Stevie's story for me to enjoy! Much obliged!

Anyway, I recommend this book to anyone who loves political/legal romance. And whilst you're at it, if you haven't already, I'd recommend Taite's brilliant "Courtship" and "A More Perfect Union," especially if you're wondering about the genesis of Julia/Addison and Rook/Zoey's stories. Trust me, their stories are fantastic to uncover and absolutely enjoyable to read!

I was given, with much thanks and appreciation, an ARC of this book from BSB via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Senator Meredith Mitchell, member of an American political dynasty, is expected to become the first American female and openly lesbian president. When she meets public defender Stevie Palmer their mutual attraction is undeniable. Stevie is dedicated to her job and has strong convictions. Trying to date a presidential candidate gets tricky when her privacy is threatened but it becomes impossible when one of Steve's clients might implicate the Senator's family in a corruption case. But even the potentially most powerful person in the world needs a chance at love, doesn't she?

This book is part of a group of political-themed thrillers written by this author along with 'Courtship' and 'A more perfect union'. The main characters of those books make an appearance here which is good to catch up with their stories.

There's a huge amount of political content in this book, I wouldn't recommend it to people who aren't interested in the issue. Even for a person knowledgeable in politics it might be too much as the romance is left in the background. The chemistry is limited because the mains are separated most of the book and, unfortunately, the sexual tension isn't hot on the scale either.

The novel also introduces a subplot with one of Steve's cases with potential legal implications for Meredith's family. At parts it is full of legal jargon hard to follow for the rest of us and feels a bit rushed at the end. The political plot follows the Senator's bid for the presidency which is a bit simplified but not enough to avoid some technicalities that might confuse some readers. I personally enjoyed it but I have a degree in political science and an interest in American politics.

Overall, an entertaining read for anyone interested in American politics and its legal system but a bit lacking in the romance department. 3.5 stars.

ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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3.5 Stars. This was another enjoyable read by Taite. I would not put this in my favorites of Taite pile but I did like this book. A nice little surprise was we get to spend some time with characters from her books Courtship and A More Perfect Union. This book does standalone so you don’t have to read any other first. However, it was nice seeing what Addison and Julia from Courtship was up to so reading Courtship first would be a bonus.

The best way to describe this book would be fluffy politics. It takes place in a wonderful world were most of the highest power positions are run by lesbians. How wonderful to be true, but it’s not and you have to suspend disbelief a bit. Don’t read this book expecting a hard hitting political drama-romance, that’s not this. This is fun politics to keep you mind off of what’s going on in the real world.

The two main characters are Meredith (a presidential candidate) and Stevie (a public defender). I thought Meredith was well written and I enjoyed watching her navigating a run to try to become president. I was totally hooked into her story. I do feel like Stevie’s character was not as well put together. Taite writes lawyers better than most authors, but I felt Stevie’s roll didn’t add much until the end. I felt it was a missed opportunity. I also had a hard time seeing exactly why Meredith was so enamored by Stevie. Stevie was missing that punch for me to make her irresistible. I believed they cared for each other, I just didn’t get the chemistry I really wanted.

My last little quibble is I thought the ending was too short. Other reviewers have mentioned this and they are right on. It was too quick and I needed another chapter or two to really warp up the ending. Luckily this didn’t ruin the story but it does add to why this was not a full 4 star book for me.

I have lost count but I think this is around the 17th full length book I have read by Taite. That’s a lot when you really think about it. And in all that time I have never rated one below 3 stars. Her writing career is pretty amazing. If you are a Taite fan you will probably enjoy this. If you just want some happy politics to take your mind off the real world, this book is for you. If Taite keeps writing, I’ll keep reading.

Another great romance from the gifted writer Carsen Taite she never disappoints her readers. This is a quick read but from the very beginning it pulled me in. I couldn't put it down. I loved how this could be so real to be with someone like Meredith always in the public's eye and fighting for just one night together. This book is fantastic ..........I vote Meredith Mitchell for president.

'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for a fair review'

**'A writer writes not only with their ideas but also with their instincts and their intuition..The skill of writing is to create a context in which many readers can think...'

4.5stars!
Taite's bibliography has been increasing quantitatively and qualitatively year by year and a few months by a few months but for me this her latest effort is far beyond anything she has indulged in. Honing her considerable writing skills and knowledge into an arena fill of politics,romance and legal dramatics that might either send some readers scurrying or taking a chance with this impeccable,fast-paced and at the same time unimaginable well written story.
From the enthusiastic campaign staffers and door knockers to the hardcore Chief of staffs and state or national conventioneers,Ms.Taite brings into vivid focus what its like to work for a candidate anyone support and all the cause in which she (Meredith) truly believe in -- all of which said author explored thoroughly and candidly on these pages that reads like an op-ed to an intriguing story. The complex and sometimes complicated relationship between Meredith & Stevie is both informative and exciting. Also the varied characters mingle with the times and each other,constantly will remind readers of the link between Presidential candidate and Public defender,and also all the dealings with political friends and foes alike. Connections to her family is plentiful throughout this storyline as it features valuable materials drawn from her interactions with them.
With her sister (Jen),Stevie and closest friends by her side,Meredith will rely on all their support,trust,friendship and even their collaborative skills that grew into a strong mutual admiration from all their combine talents which eventually might lead her right to the Oval Office.
The rewards,frustrations,highs,lows,lack of sleep,conflicting thoughts,finding Love and passion for something or anything in which someone truly believe in then this book could not have been better written by anyone but Carsen Taite. Recommended read!

An out presidential candidate (Meredith Mitchell) who is not afraid to follow her heart during campaigning. That is truly utopia. A public defender (Stevie Palmer) who is leery about getting involved with the would-be president. The two women are very interesting characters. The author does an excellent job of keeping their jobs in focus while creating a wonderful romance around the campaign and intense media focus.

Meredith is portrayed lovingly as a mature person with her heart leading her one way while her circumstance is driving her another way. Yet, she is never shown to falter in following her heart. Stevie, on the other hand, is tentative about their relationship, unsure about whether she wants to get drawn in the drama.

Both the women are humanised and their character arcs are consistent. Their feelings for each other are well documented…though they actually only meet about half a dozen times before expressing their love for each other. But since we believe in love at first sight, that is hardly an impossibility for us.

We were a little uncertain about the book when we started precisely because of the context, but Taite has written a book that draws you in. It had us hooked from the first paragraph to the last.

We thoroughly enjoyed this book and would unhesitatingly recommend it.

I loved everything. the story was Not fast not slow it was just perfect. I honestly wished she'd lose the whole thing because it seem so far fetched to believe something as big as thins in reality yet at the end thankfully she stoped and left it to the imagination in some certain way.
Very recommended

I was giving free copy in exchange of honest opinion

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is political book with a bit of romance.

Senator Meredith Mitchell is a successful and popular senator because she seems to do the right thing for the people. When she get a chance to run for presidency she take it but it comes at a cost as much she like politics she wishes she had someone to share her life with.

In comes Stevie Palmer a public defender attorney who works for the federal government. Stevie knows what hard work is because she had to work to make a life for herself with no support.

When they meet there is a attraction but because Meredith is in the public eye Stevie doesn't want any part of it but as they settle for a friendship the line is drawn between being friends or something more.

This book is set in some sort of political utopia where the upper echelons of power (the chief justice, multiple White House staff, and potentially the next president) are crawling with relatively young, good-looking lesbians, the current president is a Democrat with the highest favorability ratings in history, and Texas has a female Democratic senator. On one hand, I suppose that sounds like a pretty nice world to live in! Given the current state of affairs, I can understand wanting to escape into that. But on the other hand, I think I prefer political books to reflect and comment on our current reality. After just having read Charlotte Walsh Likes To Win and seeing how that book explored the realities of being a woman in a stressful campaign during the 2018 midterms, this book's take on politics seemed almost unbearably fluffy at times. Also, I thought it was very weird that despite the political landscape in the book looking nothing like the real one, the author inserted several real-life problems (Russians infiltrating social media, a WikiLeaks-like organization releasing hacked emails), which caused a bit of scandal, but nothing like the systemic issues and huge consequences they have in reality. So, that rang a bit false to me--why inject these major real-life issues into a world that doesn't have the consequences that we're facing because of them? Yes the characters face some issues throughout the book, but at the end of the day everything is fluffy and wonderful for both them and the country.

However, I don't mean to be too hard on the book--it's a romance, so it can be forgiven a bit of fluff, and I can understand why someone would enjoy escaping into a world that is full of successful, good-looking lesbians and Democrats enjoying tons of political success, and where we don't have a narcissistic buffoon in the White House. I think I am too much of a hardened political junkie to really take all that very seriously (though I would certainly trade our current government for it if I could!), but the romance was cute and enjoyable. I won't read any other books in this series, but I would recommend this for readers who want a light romance and don't mind a lot of details about a political campaign set in a fantasy political climate.

Two women meet by chance and find there's an instant connection however both women know that nothing more can come from this strange an instant attraction. The first woman is Stevie Palmer, A public defender attorney working for the federal government. Stevie learned at an early age that it was up to her to work hard to make a life for herself as she had no support or encouragement from her family. So all she knows is hard work with little time for anything else. The second woman is senator Meredith Mitchell, a successful and popular senator because she seems to do the right thing for people, she's kind and considerate and well bred into politics. Meredith comes from a successful political family and she has worked hard her whole career because she believed representing people was an important job and needed her full attention . However lately Meredith is tired of having her personal life take a backseat to politics and she wished she had a partner in her life. She believes Stevie is that person, however given Meredith's rise in the political system and the notoriety that is attached to it Stevie wants no part of that type of lifestyle. Meredith and Stevie develop a very sweet friendship that suddenly changes with a kiss. Is it possible for these two to have a relationship against all odds or is the political system with all of its ramifications too much for the two of them?

This is a terrific book and Carson Taite is a very gifted writer. She does not let her writing get distracted by non-relevant information that does not lead to store forward forward she does not let her writing get distracted by non-relevant information that does not lead to story forward . The way she developed the two characters of Meredith and Steve he drew me in from the very beginning of the story. When I finish the story I immediately re-read it because it was just that good.

This was a quick, fun and sexy read. The time jumps were a little jarring, but the story was interesting enough to make it easy to keep reading. It was enjoyable to read about a political landscape filled with out-and-proud LGBTQIA+ folks winning elections. I hope we can really have a President Mitchell someday!

This book is dense. And my lack of interest in politics make me the very last person who should be speaking about it.  But I will give my opinion anyway,  with all the respect this author deserves.

I do not want to go into much detail. I would love to live for real the situation this story raises, really, but many times I've found myself a bit lost in the thickness of the language, making me unfocused. The case that Stevie is defending in court is confusing and unintelligible for me. And Meredith forced by the events must take some difficult decisions but sure she could handle some of them much better. And the development of the story is a bit in the run, with jumps in time, sometimes it seems that things are missing.

So, mainly because I would like the issue to come true sometime and as a thank you to the author for giving us hope in the midst of the current situation, I will not value it in a negative way.

I am a big fan of Carsen Taite's books. I love the plots she writes, I love practically everything about her books. Color me biased, but I'm in love with all the expert terminology in law and the cases she presents in the books. This book is no exception! Plus, her characters are always likeable and they seem real.
I was very fond of Stevie and Meredith and their relationship, the way it was developing seemed real and down to earth; it was some fatal love on first sight, even though there was attraction between these two from the beginning.
One thing I wasn't very fond of, however, was the end. It seemed abrupt, rushed and somehow cut short. I am partial to more rounded, more detailed endings, and this one wasn't like that. Besides that one point, the book is fantastic! 4.5 stars