I am a big fan of Carsen Taite and I find that all of her books are good. This was no exception. The two main protagonists were lovely. I thought that Meredith was a cookie cutter sort of high powered character who would do anything to reach the top, and Stevie was the down trodden less wealthy love interest. All things we have seen in these books before, but what made this book interesting was the political intrigue. I thought the story was interesting if a little unbelievable, but it was nice to read a fairy tale.

One part of the book I did not like and thought wasn't as developed as it could have been was the court case, and the fact that it got resolved in the background with a little mention of it on inauguration day. I thought that part of the book was pretty sloppily put together and really only there to prove to the reader that Stevie was in fact a lawyer with her own life. I thought that this espionage arrest was the most compelling part of the book and it was never really flushed out, and the resolution was so quick it just felt a little unfinished.

Good story overall and I really did enjoy it,. I can't wait for the next one.

I was given this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review by Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley.

Politics befitting of the times. Senator Meredith Mitchell, member of an American political dynasty maybe ready for the political run of her life. Attorney Stevie Palmer refuses to be limited by low expectations directed at her by others. Two strong women that held my interest throughout the read. I thought the author did a good job weaving in the current political times without embellishing much at all. I was pleased that the politics was not over the top and heavy. I appreciate the main characters' self-talk because it provided a realistic look at the process people go through while making decisions.

Ahhh another beauty of a read by Carsen Taite!

Senator Meredith Mitchell and Attorney Stevie Palmer are already an unlikely match when they begin tentatively dating. Stevie is already cautious of Meredith money and high flying company she keeps when a shake up in the presidential race means that Meredith herself will be running for the highest office in the country. Can their budding romance survive the political and personal turmoil and lack of privacy?

I loved both Meredith and Stevie. They were both strong characters, beautiful and intelligent, and with real flaws. Their relationship developed slowly and tentatively and I thought that was really realistic given the situation they were in. It really did a lot to help connect the reader to their story.

This book flew by near the end, lots of skipping ahead a few months or weeks but nevertheless you still felt the connection between the two main characters. Casten Taite is a master at steamy chemistry, seriously incredible tension between our leading ladies. The dialogue is excellent as always, the court scenes were snappy, and the world Carsen Taite has created is a slightly romanticized version of politics that exciting and a breath of fresh air.

I liked catching up with a few other characters in the same world from "Courtship" and "A More Perfect Union" - you definitely don't have to read the other books to enjoy this one but its nice to see familiar faces.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.3 stars.

It's a solid read but I wasn't a fan of how the book focused mostly on politics that kept them apart rather on the actual romance. I wanted a romance first. So I guess the rating is lowered due to my wrong expectations. Otherwise, nothing much to mention. It's well written. The political side is executed well but it's outside my interests, especially for a non-American like me.

While the writing is good there's also nothing really memorable about this book. I finished it last week and I've already forgotten most things about it. It's good but not great.

Although this novel revolves around politics, there is romance involved too. You don't need to even be interested in politics. The main characters, Meredith and Stevie are wonderful characters. The plot is engaging from start to finish. If you were unhappy with the last election, read this and it will make you smile! Would recommend!

3.5 Stars. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. This story is about Meredith Mitchell, a senator from New York who is part of a political dynasty. She is becoming the focus of a run for president, especially after the other promising candidate has to drop out. During a Committee Hearing, Meredith meets Stevie Palmer, a pubic defender. Stevie asks Meredith to meet her for dinner to discuss their mutual hearing, and from then, they can't seem to keep away from each other. They both want to spend time with each other, even with their busy schedules. Meredith's even gets busier as she aims for a run for president. Stevie is unsure of how she will deal with Meredith being in the spotlight and Stevie wanting a quiet life.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought by the description. I wanted to keep reading because Stevie and Meredith did not have as many interactions as I would like and I kept reading to get to them. The interactions they did have were very good and had a lot of character development. They both developed as the book progresses. They have a lot of tension throughout the book, as they should and can't be together. It was a good book that I would recommend if you enjoy books about politics. It was a solid book, and I have never read this author before either. It makes me consider other books by Carsen Taite.

5/5

This book is a fast pace, incredible romance.

Meredith Mitchell has been groomed to one day become the president of United States. Attorney Stevie Palmer likes her life, a lot. While stressful, it is simple, and the last thing she wants is to lose her privacy. When Meredith and Stevie meet there is an immediate attraction but the high profile life Meredith lives might be the one thing Stevie can not accept.

This book hooked me from the first chapter. It was fast paced and it kept you engage every page. The characters had amazing chemistry. The story line of each character, separate from the romance story line, was also interesting.

Overall, this book was amazing and I really hope there is a second part to it (not that it needs it but I really would love to read about those characters again).

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A decent lesfic story but kinda superficial. Trying to fit a presidential campaign in one book next to a budding romance didn't work in my opinion. I had a hard time believing Meredith and Stevie could really love each other no matter what and have a happy ever after when they barely had time together and Stevie's past wasn't even mentioned. The only thing they really had was sexual attraction. Their problems weren't really resolved in the end.

If you are looking for a book with some political intrigue and lust between the main characters, Pursuit of Happiness is the right book. Don't expect any character development tho.

For the fans of Ms Taites books get ready for another great read. For those who haven’t read any of Ms Taite’s work be prepared to become a fan. Senator Meredith Mitchell’s family has always been in the public eye, her father has served as Governor of New York for three terms and now runs a non-profit. Meredith is already serving as Senator for New York but has her eye on becoming president, sometime down the road but after her friend has to step down from running Meredith’s ‘sometime’ is now. She has always been out so everyone already knows she’s a lesbian. Stevie Palmer works as a public defender, helping her clients have the best legal defence she can offer. She leads a quiet life, never seeking the limelight. Ms Taite also gives us fans a chance to reconnect with the characters from her earlier novels, ‘Courtship’ with Addison Riley and Julia Scott and A More Perfect Union’ with Zoey Granger and Rook Daniels. Simply a wonderful read. Very, very enjoyable.
ARC via NetGalley

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43157430-pursuit-of-happiness" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Pursuit of Happiness" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1544653378m/43157430.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43157430-pursuit-of-happiness">Pursuit of Happiness</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2829153.Carsen_Taite">Carsen Taite</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2625951270">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This is a political romance - heavy on the political (which I enjoyed but some may not). Leads Meredith (Senator) and Stevie (P.D.A.) have undeniable chemistry and there are a couple of characters from previous books. I found the storyline, however, somewhat up and down and the ending abrupt so while an interesting read I can only rate it 4 stars.<br />I rec'd an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

Pursuit of Happiness is my first time with a Carsen Taite book. I am definitely a big history and political buff so this was right up my reading alley.

Senator Meredith Mitchell is a presidential hopeful who comes from a long line of political royalty. She stands an excellent chance of being both the first female and, cue the drumroll, the first Lesbian president.

There’s some election shenanigans involving computer hacking, fake news, and ugly accusations which makes it sadly reminiscent of our recent times. In the middle of the politics is a sweet romance between Meredith and Stevie Palmer, a federal public defender. There was a bit of quick love but I never really mind so long as there’s something to smile or gush over. In this case, I liked both characters but I felt like I didn’t know enough about them to really feel their love and affection for each other. It’s still a really good, layered story but I just wish there were more Meredith and Stevie moments, individually and together. I’ve got another Taite book in my library and that one’s a courtroom drama so I’m looking forward to it now that I’ve read my first one.

I really love Carsen Taite and I really love romances that include politics. To me, both main characters are like-able and I could feel the chemistry between them. I liked the premise of the book...it's hard for me to not love a presidential romance. Also enjoyable is seeing characters from the author's past books.

That being said, I wish we would have seen more interaction between the two. By the end of the book they're coming out in a very public way and professing their love. Considering that they we apart for a good bit of the time that the book covered, it seems super quick to me. Like others, I wish the ending wasn't wrapped up quite so fast.

Although I have some gripes, I still highly recommend reading this.

(A copy of this book was generously given to me by the publisher via NetGalley)

I couldn't get enough of this book.

Meredith is a Senator. Stevie is a Public Defender. Their paths cross when Meredith has to question Stevie in regards to a minimum sentencing rule. Stevie wants more time to persuade the Senator in her favor so invites her to dinner. Thus begins their complex and challenging courtship. Stevie wants nothing to do with the public scrutiny that would come from dating the Senator/maybe presidential candidate.. Meredith isn't sure anything can work but she can't stay away from Stevie.

Sometimes I end up speed reading through parts of books. I never did that with this one. I digested each page slowly. Completely intrigued with the political backdrop. I loved the characters and was rooting for them despite not knowing how they could ever possibly make it work. This truly was so complex and seemingly impossible.

I almost didn't want to read this because another review said they didn't like the ending. I was prepared for something bad to happen to ruin the awesome experience I was having. Turns out, all that worrying was for nothing. Enjoyed this one from beginning to end. I was sad when it was over.

I would love it if the author made this into a series. It could be interesting to see what further challenges would need to be navigated and if they could be overcome.

I enjoy Taite’s books. I love the powerful, ethical women she creates and I wish the utopian world she portrays really existed. Senator Meredith Mitchell is taken with public defender Stevie Palmer from the moment she sees her at the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting. Stevie can’t believe her own boldness in asking the senator to dinner. Unfortunately their attraction will have to bridge some wide divides. Meredith comes from a well-known political family and is rumoured to be considering running for president. She’s used to the media and lack of privacy. Stevie has been burnt by the press and doesn’t feel she’s cut out for being in the public eye.

This is a bit of a slow-burn romance but more in time passing than in actually getting to know each other. Their respective jobs keep their liaisons limited combined with their wanting to keep their new relationship private.The politics is interesting but also simple enough to understand. Stevie’s case could have played a more important role. I wish the main characters had had more time together and more dialogue. That said, I still enjoyed it and liked the cameos of characters from some of Taite’s other novels.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Pursuit of Happiness was an enjoyable read. Senator Meredith Mitchell meets attorney Stevie Palmer during a testimony on Capital Hill. The two begin seeing each other, but because of both of their busy schedule they really can’t get a relationship going. During the course of the book, one of Stevie’s client may have some information on The Mitchell family that could end Meredith’s run for President.

So what worked? I love the political aspect of this book. I haven’t read a lot of romances involving Politics. It was fresh and new for me. Just different from the other books out there. What also worked is the attraction between Meredith and Stevie. It was instant attraction. They are able to go out several times before becoming intimate. The book moves quickly, but the Author balances the pace of the book with enough details.

There was only two small problems. At times I was confused with who the many other characters were. Lastly, I didn’t feel that the MCs interacted enough to fall in love.

I rate this one 4 stars.

Another great read from Carsen Taite. Loved the characters and enjoyed the storyline. The romance is always a plus but her writing and stories is why I keep coming back for more. I enjoy reading from this author because I like to escape from the realities of our crazy world. I can always count on Carsen for an escape. If you're looking for a book that will keep you interested and turning pages, this is it. I highly recommend.

Pursuit of Happiness is a love story about a presidential candidate (Senator Meredith Mitchell) and a DC public defender (Stevie Palmer). As a Carsen Taite fan, I was sadly disappointed. The concept was good, I could see a lot of potential in the story but it just was not executed well. First off, I totally did not believe that Stevie was that into Merideth. She was totally restrained and constantly in her head ending the relationship before it started. I, however, did love Merideth and totally bought her instant attraction to Stevie, too bad it never felt quite reciprocated. Also, the real conflict came at the 90% mark and was good, but totally resolved randomly and quickly. I was very confused by how both characters acted and reacted. Hopefully the next will be better.

3.5 stars. I am conflicted about this book. I have a deep admiration for this author and her body of work. I own all of her books. This particular book is as close to disappointment as I've ever read of hers. I agree with another reviewer about copying real life political events in what is supposed to be a fiction. This book read more like a historical account of Hillary Clinton's campaign with a lesbian twist. I also feel like just as the HEA happens the book slams shut. Literally in one page. This is indicative of many jumps in time, where your left questioning did you read that wrong or did the primary just become the election. No epilogue or hint that it might just be a series, nothing. I was so excited about this book because I love reading lesfic with broken glass ceilings, especially the presidential glass ceiling. I'm sorry I didn't like this more... I did enjoy seeing some loved characters from other books pop in.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.