It was a book that was meant to be fun, and very much a book of it's time. Would I ever read it again at this point? Absolutely not. But again, that wasn't point.

In Hope Never Dies, Joe Biden and Barack Obama's bromantic chemistry shines as they embark on a thrilling and humorous quest to unravel a suspicious death and expose the sinister forces behind America's opioid epidemic. This noir-inspired thriller offers a cathartic escape and a delightful dose of nostalgia for fans of the dynamic duo.

Although this book probably had more impact around the time of its publication (this review is a few years late to the party), there's something so Biden-esque about it. It's truly well-meaning, its heart is in the right place, and it reveres Barack Obama. There's some tough-guy stuff in this sweet mystery, but it's more about the bromance. The bromance and the trains. The actual mystery is executive well enough; it's fine. That's not why readers will pick up this book. They'll pick it up for a dose of Obama, and a sympathetic narrator. And they'll get exactly what they came for. It takes a pretty good writer to make good on what seems like a pretty jokey premise, and this was a bold endeavor.

picked up this book as a palette cleanser after a couple of really heavy reads and it was perfect for that. Hope Never Dies is in no way shape or form high brow literature, nor does it pretend to be. It kind of felt like a fan fiction, and I am here for that. Fun little romp of a book!

The premise of this book seemed fun & interesting, but the book read very much like “fan girling” to me! An ok book.

Andrew Shaffer is a master of two genres I never would have put together, mystery and comedy. A great book for the current time, it's a way to escape while reminiscing about our favorite bromance. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Incredibly entertaining read. Not high brow literature, by any means. But very entertaining. Anyone longing for the Obama/Biden days will enjoy the escapism.

This book has been on my TBR pile for a very long time. I finally figured that with the election so close, it was the time to bite the bullet. After all, we all need some hope right now.

So, Obama and Biden as amateur sleuths. I thought this would be a bit of a giggle wrapped up in a whodunnit. While I didn’t mind the story, the laughs I’d been looking forward to didn’t show up. Sure, it had its moments but maybe my hopes were set too high.

I loved the concept. I loved the cover. I loved the image of Biden surviving being thrown out of a speeding train by hanging on with his fingertips. I wanted more scenes like that.

I can’t claim to be an expert on how Obama or Biden speak or act. However, so many times as I was reading I was thinking that there was no way they would have said or done whatever their character had just said or done. Yes, I know this book is fiction and not to be taken seriously.

I probably wouldn’t have picked up this book to begin with if it wasn’t for the promise of some Obama and Biden fun. It was an enjoyable read but I won’t be diving straight into the sequel.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Quirk Books for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.

I was skeptical about this title. It seemed a hard sell to me turning two well known politicians into detectives. Somehow, this works. The mystery is sound and well thought out and it's a fun read. This is not a cozy mystery. It will satisfy people who like a bit more of a thriller, and who can't get enough of Obama and Biden.

This book is a lot of fun. At least, the premise is! What happens to Joe and Barrack is not fun, they're solving a murder after all. Shaffer had a lot of fun writing this though, you can tell as you're reading it. If you miss the duo of Obama/Biden then this book is absolutely for you. If you just enjoy a good mystery, you'll also enjoy this, even though the two main characters are former politicians it stays away from too political territory.

There was literally nothing about this book that I disliked! It made me laugh, and made me miss the days of the Obama/Biden White House bromance. Better times... highly enjoyable read!

This story was hilarious! I can totally see former Vice President Biden pining for the glory years and trying to contact Obama, the coolest guy he knows. A friend and I read it together. It was fun!

Being a fan of Barack Obama led me to read this book. I enjoyed the camaraderie between Obama and Biden and could picture them together although I was a little surprised how Biden was portrayed as a bit of a buffoon. The mystery was just okay. I enjoyed it for the humor in the characters but wouldn't highly recommend to others.

DNF: It was a cute concept but there really wasn't enough umph to keep me going. It was kitschy and cute until it wasn't anymore. By no means a bad book, but this wasn't something that I would highly recommend to suspense readers.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
When I first saw this book I squealed! Never could I imagine something like this being made into a book. Thank you, Andrew Shaffer! Hope Never Dies is right!

Reading this was the most fun I've had reading in a while. A bromance fanfic murder mystery starring Joe Biden and Barack Obama? Yes please! It was a little slow starting out, but once it hit its stride, it kept a good pace, then the last 50 pages or so were action packed and filled with suspense! The mystery was good, sucked me in, kept me guessing, wrapped up as nicely as an episode of The Rockford Files, and was just as cheesy (in a good way). The story is being told in first person point of view by Biden, and much of the book focuses on Joe coming to terms with his life- how it's changed since leaving office, how his friending with Barack has seemingly fizzled, how age is catching up with him. There are so many feels going on, and I could relate to so many of them; the estrangement of someone who was your best friend hit me especially hard- I've been there a couple of times, and it hurts. I just wanted to give Joe a hug, and commiserate with him. I totally get the "age is hitting me" feels too, and I know how much a torn ACL can hurt!
Now, do I think the real Biden and Obama are like the book Biden and Obama? I'm sure there's some truth in there, but I think it's more truthiness than fact. I want to believe they're portrayed accurately, so I will (mostly, sort of, who really cares?). All in all, a fun ride, and I'm looking forward to the sequel, Hope Rides Again!
#HopeNeverDies #NetGalley

How Never Died is a fantastic book. Wonderful characters and writing. I loved this book and hope to read more from this author.

As concepts go, this is stupendously silly but in the best possible way. In these chaotic political times what the world needs is this delightful mystery with the most unlikely gumshoes you are ever likely to meet. This was a joy to behold, I can’t wait to read the second adventure of ‘Amtrak Joe’ and his best friend.

This was an entertaining romp with 2 of my favorite politicians. Can't wait for the 2nd book! I enjoyed the detective work but more than that...the relationship between Joe and Barack. Comical and sweet.

This was just as over the top as I expected and it was fantastic. It was a very quick and easy read.