(3.75 stars)
My Secret Vice was a great light read for this political season - or any time. What happens when a new Congresswoman and the sitting Vice President fall for each other?

Cindy is a freshman representative in Congress, elected due to her activism over the years, with an emphasis on cannabis-related legislation. Alex is the establishment Vice President tasked with working on compromise legislation with Cindy. They are both mature people - she’s 45, he 50 - and neither has ever been married. As they realize their attraction, they also realize they need to keep their new relationship secret, for both their sakes, partly in terms of the pending legislation and partly in terms of their reputation - which, to be honest, is more of an issue for Cindy. Her situation highlights the double standard women still have to confront.

Written by a former Washington journalist, you can feel the authenticity of the settings. Each chapter included parts from Cindy’s POV and from Alex’s POV.

I was a bit disappointed in the epilogue - just a bit too neat and unrealistic.

Warning: more than one explicit scene between the two protagonists

Thank you to NetGalley, Literary Media Tours and Rocket Books for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

My Secret Vice is like the grown up version of The Boyfriend Candidate. It's smart, it's current and relevant, you find yourself rooting for the President and cackling at his wife- I adored it. I loved that you got both politics and romance, an intelligent, efficient and ambitious FMC, and a goofy, smart and dedicated VP for an MMC. The give and take and mutual compromise really sold this for me.

I loved this book. It was spicy and sweet and reminded us all that no matter what we do or who we are, we all
Have to learn to balance our relationships in life with who we are and what’s important to us.

Alicia Wilder's "My Secret Vice" tells the story of Cindy Wight, a newly elected Democratic member of Congress, and Alex Drake, the single Vice President of the United States. Cindy and the Freshman Six won on a platform advocating for the legalization, decriminalization of banking, and pardons for those previously convicted of marijuana offences. Despite bipartisan support for legalization, many people have been negatively affected by the criminalization of marijuana.

Cindy's known for being hot-headed, all too quick to speak before she thinks, and it seems everything she says to the Vice President sounds just a little bit flirty. But when she's championing a just cause there's no room for romance... or is there?

This was an enjoyable political romance. I liked both characters; they came across as genuine grown-ups who cared about their careers and each other. This was the first book I read by Alicia Wilder, and I will certainly look out for more.

Big thanks to Alicia WIlder, Rocket Books and NetGalley for the ARC! My Secret Vice is on sale September 17th, 2024

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I really liked the premise of this book, but it wasn't as much of a light heart escapist read as I was hoping. A little too much politicking and then you don't tell me what happened with the bill? I didn't care but I wanted to see how Alex and Cindy worked it out. The resolution also just came very quickly without us getting to see them resolve and compromise on all the conflicts that had been major plot points throughout the book. I'm glad their sex life is great but I wanted more emotional exchanges and them actually working to solve and overcome their competing needs. Side note: can the president really have a partner in the Senate or the House? That seems like a flaw in the system.

Cindy Wight was elected on a wave of activist support, sent to Congress to change the status quo. After a career of proving herself as more than just a pretty face, she is ready to hit the ground running. The last thing she wants is to fall into a man's shadow—especially the eligible bachelor VP.
Alexander Drake is in his second term as a loyal vice president, and everyone is waiting for him to announce his run for the top job. Alex knows his next election will be easier to win with a wife on his arm—but he wants someone for more than photo ops; he wants a partner.
Sparks fly when Cindy meets the VP in negotiations over contentious cannabis legislation. Conference room meetings quickly turn to late-night flirty phone calls. The heat between them grows until they finally agree to pursue their attraction in secret, even finding some time on Air Force Two. But such a high-profile relationship can't stay in the dark for long. When rumors start to swirl and Cindy becomes the target of harassment, the scrutinizing public eye puts pressure on their budding relationship. Can Cindy and Alex risk their ambitious careers for love?

I am very excited to be reading this book! My full review to follow.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and comments are my own.

A decent read but felt kind of cliche and I often felt annoyed enough that I didn’t really want to finish. I pushed through and did finish- the ending and a story were good but maybe the story just wasn’t for me? I wouldn’t discourage others from reading but definitely wasn’t my favorite romance of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this DC romance (former DCer here!) about a VP with Presidential ambitions who falls for a progressive Congresswoman when they meet while working on a bill together. While they’re from the same party, there’s a lot of complications for a sitting Vice President to actually date combined with the fact that she’s only in politics as long as it furthers the agenda she’s committed to. Dating him could make it impossible to pass the bill for the platform she was elected on. Meanwhile, he’s juggling competing priorities and hers isn’t the only political agenda he needs to pay attention to but when they’re alone and can forget about politics, things are perfect between them. I thought the characters in this were really well-developed and I loved the chemistry between the two. I would definitely recommend this and would read more by the author!

While the premise of mixing romance with politics is intriguing, the execution didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The tone often felt jingoistic, with a heavy emphasis on political rhetoric that overshadowed the romantic elements. At times, the narrative read more like a journalistic piece or a political article than a balanced romance novel. For those interested in the intersection of politics and personal relationships, the book does provide a detailed exploration of these dynamics. However, if you’re looking for a deeper romantic development, the political backdrop might feel overwhelming, with the focus leaning too heavily on political ideals at the expense of emotional depth.

With the political season in full swing this was such a great novel showcasing the relationship between two people of high positions of power. I loved it! I got Scandsl vibes. It was so good!

This book was full of everything I need. It kept me intrigued with all the political goings on, as well as, well and truly invested in the romance and Alex and Cindy’s story.

I love the idea of Cindy running for president later down the line.

I would have loved to have seen more about when the legislation got passed as well as a little more about Alex’s campaign for President.

That being said I still loved it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the politics of this book, but I also consider The West Wing to be the best TV show ever made! It was refreshing to have two middle aged people who had focussed on their careers at the expense of relationships and family life Seeing their internal struggles with what was expected of them by others, including society, and what they expected of each other and themselves was wonderfully done.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy of this tale- it intrigued me enough to break my limiting of ARCs for the year!

I love a strong woman, but in this case, the FMC stepped right over strong and went straight to bitter! I just could not tolerate her for 50% of the book! she was a complainer and a “woe is me” politician. I just could not relate to her and though this premise made me excited, it sadly did not live up to my expectations.

Cindy Wight is a newly elected Democratic member of Congress, one of the so-called Freshman Six who were swept in on a progressive three-pronged marijuana platform which seeks legalisation, decriminalisation for banking, and pardons for those previously convicted of marijuana offences. She knows that there is probably sufficient cross-party support for legalisation but that doesn't help those whose lives and incomes have been adversely affected.

Alexander Drake is dubbed the world's most eligible bachelor being the single Vice President of the United States. He's his party's inevitable nominee when the President's second term ends, provided he doesn't rock the boat. He sees the grass-roots support for legalising marijuana but getting anything else through risks alienating different factions, but he has a soft spot for the outspoken new representative so he's willing to try to reach a compromise.

Cindy's known for being a hot-heat, all too quick to speak before she thins, and it seems every thing she says to the Vice President sounds just a leetle bit flirty. But when she's championing a just cause there's no room for romance ... or is there?

But of course rumours abound in Washington and a single handsome man under sixty is a rarity sounds the rumours about Alex abound, is he gay? Is he dating a film actress? A member of the royal family? Any remotely single (or not) woman he sits next to at a formal dinner? So when Alex and Cindy are put together to try to find common ground on her bill the rumours are bound to fly.

This was an enjoyable political romance. I liked both characters, they came across as genuine grown-ups who cared about their careers as well as each other. This was the first book I have read by Alicia Wilder (I was drawn by the cover) and I will certainly look out for more.

I requested an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5 stars

A political romance where the love interests are from the same political side? Sign me up. I really enjoyed this story of newcomer Colorado congresswoman (think The Squad with AOC, Senator Rashida Tlaib and co) in town to shake up her own party and pass legislation regarding cannabis falling in love with the Vice President whom happily upholds status quo/the establishment. I really enjoyed the author's experience as a DC journalist which provided some authenticity.

So why only 3.5 stars? I thought the resolution to the legislation fell in the trap of essentially him passing it as a love letter to her instead of doing what was right. Then the epilogue pissed me off. There was already a sentence earlier with Cindy and Alex laying all their cards on the table about everything, including children given they were 45 and 50 years old, ergo Cindy was pretty much at the very end of being able to have kids, but no mention of the fact he was 50 and wanting to be president?! Then the epilogue they have a miracle IVF baby when she'd have to at least been 46 maybe 47 and he was over 50. COME ON why couldn't it have just been childfree characters especially given neither of them really gave any thought to kids. Why shoehorn such a boring and cliche ending here? Also, it seemed like Alex was only in politics because he was groomed by his parents and happy to just uphold the status quo. Surely a better ending would've been for him to quit and just support Cindy.

Overall though this was fun and I will read the author's back catalogue and any future work.

Thanks to Rocket Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

WHAT A DELICIOUS BOOK!
I’ve never read anything from this author before, and I was intrigued by the book description. So glad that I was approved!
The plot has already been shared by previous reviewers, and the part that I liked the most was the fact that it was a slow burn romance that felt organic and it featured a hero and heroine who are both 40-something.
In amongst the romance is an inside look at the Washington political scene, and the author did a great job of explaining the scene without overwhelming the romance.
If you’re a fan of “The West Wing” and the film “American President” then this book is for you!

I think this is a good romance book for fans of Red White & Royal Blue or other romances that involve political figures. I think the banter between the characters was enjoyable and the book is an easy but fun read as it follows the standard romance plot points. I did grow to really like Alex and I do like his relationship with the Secret Service and how his agents served as side characters that were either obstacles or help to him without the agents truly realizing it. Honestly I wish I got to see more interactions between Alex and his Secret Service because the few interactions they had and any scene that the agents were in was enjoyable and I thought it was really cute.

I do like the duel POV and even though the voices weren't all that different from one another I think seeing the perspective of either Alex or Cindy was fun and helped to show the back and forth between them and hidden feelings.

.Forbidden
.Workplace
.Lots of political intrigue
.Dual POV

When I first read the blurb, it gave me major Red, White & Royal Blue vibes but MF instead of MM, so of course I had to read it. And I'm glad I did, this book was a fun read, especially for its good representation of a successful woman in her forties. I love seeing more mature characters who make level-headed decisions and actually talk about their feelings. Though I will say, it got a bit shaky in this regard during the second half.

I don’t usually read books centred around US politics. Since I’m not from the US, I try to steer clear, it’s all a bit too much for me. And honestly, US politics creep me out; it doesn’t feel quite like the democracy people think it is, in my humble opinion. I expected a bit more depth, considering the author is a political journalist, but I guess that’s just me. Also, calling the US Vice President the second most powerful man in the world felt like a stretch. And don’t even get me started on the “leader of the free world” bit, so US-centric! It would’ve been nice to see a more realistic portrayal, but I understand that I’m probably not the target audience.

The plot was intriguing, and I was constantly on edge, waiting for things to blow up in Alex and Cindy’s faces. The romance started off strong, but I wish it had stayed a bit more central throughout. That said, the spice was top-notch, so no complaints there.

Spoiler alert: I wanted the ending to go in a different direction. Instead of having her get married, leave her job, and become a mom, it would have been refreshing to see a woman who’s perfectly happy not having kids, thriving in her career and relationship. But no, we had to go the cliché route and show that motherhood is the only path to happiness for a woman. (Cue the eye roll!)

Overall, I’m glad I picked this one up. It’s a fun, quick, escapist romance that you can easily read in one sitting, though definitely different from what I usually go for. This was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last. I’ve already got my eye on a couple of novellas about some side characters from this book, and I can’t wait to read their stories. Max, I’m looking at you!