Cleo is a US Senator from New York living in suburban Virginia and working in DC. She tries very hard to fight against the double standards and differing expectations facing women in power. She is no nonsense, no looking backwards, and no regrets. Except... she kind of has a lot of regrets. Some are frivolous - no bourbon. Some are more serious - should you reckon with your MeToo moment, should you tell your child who his father is? Her list of regrets comes to the forefront when her ex-best friend decides to air her grievances 20 years later just as she’s about to start her campaign for president.

Cleo is a deeply flawed person, but I just like her. I like her a lot. She’s an empowered and strong woman who tries very hard not to compromise her values and give in to the pressures of her life. She’s worked so hard to get to where she is. She has a vision for her life and refuses to bow to the men who resent her accomplishments and try to minimize her because she is a woman. She tries to elevate the younger women on her staff and mentor them. But she’s also a single mom who is figuring out that you can’t do everything by yourself forever without a strong support system, and sometimes that means you have to make yourself vulnerable.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

An original and very enjoyable story about a female senator that is planning to run for President of USA. It touches on a lot of current affairs such as the #metoo movement, single parenting, politics, women in politics, how to be a strong and assertive woman and obviously on the subject of life regrets. I especially enjoyed the character of Cleo's teenage son. A satisfying read.

I was really intrigued by this one, but it failed to live up to expectations. Details repeated themselves and it didn't continue to capture my attention. I put it down less than half way through.

This book was super good. It was super original and I flew through it. It didn't feel like anything I've read in the past. Can't wait to read more from the author!! This book was unputdownable.

Cleo McDougal is the youngest woman to have earned a seat in congress, and like other successful women in politics, she's an overachiever (and a bit of a control freak). But just as she was considering running for president, her old best friend from high school writes a viral piece about her entitled "Cleo McDougal is Not a Good Person". ⁠In order to do damage control, Cleo turns to a list of regrets she's been writing since she was a teenager, and starts (publicly) tackling them in the hopes of proving everyone - but mostly herself - that she is, indeed, a good person.⁠
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I really enjoyed this book! Cleo was a flawed protagonist, someone I actually related to and cared about. It was easy to see Cleo's development as the book progressed and she fought demons from her past, especially since her own growing insightfulness made sure the reader was there by her side while she worked things through in her mind.⁠
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I especially loved how this book addressed the way women still have to fight to earn a fair shot in politics in this day and age - the condescending comments from older male colleagues, the way people can be ruthless about a woman's appearance when she's a public figure (or not), and how young women still feel like they need to apologize their way to the top were all elements that made the whole story come to life because, unfortunately, they all happen in the real world.⁠
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I felt like some stories were repeated a little too often and the younger characters were sometimes unconvincing, but other than that, it was a lovely, heartwarming read about a woman making peace with her past and trailing a new path for herself.⁠

An aspiring senator is tossed into a media frenzy which affects more than just her. Angst ridden, driven by choices she has made and coming to terms with them while evolving as a different person make this an excellent offering to read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Well this book packs a punch! I follow this author on twitter and often share in her rage and angst that she tweets about. I like this author’s books - she’s an auto buy for me. This is a departure from her last one and I went into this one knowing nothing about it. I have to say the plot of this book doesn’t surprise me. Cleo is a senator and is planning a run for president. The book is so on point for where we are in history.
The plot takes on a lot of issues - regrets, #metoo, politics, single parenting, female empowerment and more. Cleo is not always a likeable character but she is intent on correcting and making some changes on the many regrets she has. Before going forward on her plans for running for president she wants to make amends for some of her past mistakes. Her motto and mindset have always been Only Forward so this is quite a change for her. Cleo has a lot of personal growth while also paving the way for women in politics and in life. She is all for female empowerment and makes sure everyone knows it. She also is single parenting her 14 year son and is very cognizant of what values and ideas she is instilling in him regarding girls and women. This is a book with a very intelligent and strong female character. She definitely becomes a more well rounded person by the end of the book.

A delightful romp through the cutthroat world of national politics, following Cleon McDougal on her journey to right her regrets before running for President is such fun! For fans of Sophie Kinsella and Meg Cabot.

Cleo McDougal Regrets nothing was completely unpredictable--which I love in a book. I couldn't anticipate what Cleo would do next and in short, I simply loved Cleo McDougal!

Synopsis: Senator and single mother Cleo McDougal has her eye on the White House—but an estranged childhood friend shreds her in an op-ed hit piece gone viral, causing Cleo to travel back to her hometown for major damage control. As Cleo begins a journey of recognizing regrets, a list of 233+ long, she comes face to face with relationships from her past and she slowly begins to make amends.

Cleo is an awkward main character, completely flawed with her own self-imposed expectations. As she begins to face her past, her wit, style, her ability to be tough and vulnerable was so refreshing. She begins putting the pieces of her failed relationships together and notices some pretty great things along the way.

I honestly loved this book which I was able to read thanks to the generosity of the publisher and NetGalley!!

The title and cover are reminiscent of other books I have read ("Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine," for example, and which I also enjoyed), but that's really where the similarity ends. The author's voice, the writing style, and the story are all pitch perfect. I love the blending of Me Too, Regrets, Politics, and Personal...it is exactly what I needed to read in these dark (honestly, so dark) days. MY only regret s after finishing this book are 1) that I can't pick up the phone and invite Cleo McDougal (or Allison Winn Scotch, for that matter) out for a drink (not bourbon!) or coffee (hold the cashew milk, please), and 2) that Cleo McDougal's name will not be on the presidential ballot in November.

I hope this book gets big press, but just in case it doesn't...trust me, you won't be sorry that you read this thoughtful, unpretentious, book. And by book's end, I dare say that you'll have absolutely fallen in love with Cleo!

We all know that politics can get messy. If you run for a position, you better be prepared for at least a few visitors from your past, and the odds aren’t great that you’ll have their vote. Senator Cleo McDougal has her eye on the White House but an old childhood friend doesn’t think that she’s fit for the job. She isn’t afraid to yell this from the rooftops either, or make a viral post about it on the internet. Cleo’s chief of staff has a fantastic idea. Why not make a list of the senator’s regrets, pick ten to make amends with, then smooth over her spoiled reputation? What results is pages of laughs, honesty, confrontation, humility, and entertainment. The author crafts a strong, independent, and hardworking character in Cleo that I absolutely love reading about. With themes of friendship, parenthood, and a little bit of romance, Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing is a winner for me and gets my vote! 4/5 stars for this new release!

Cleo, a female politician, finds out that an old high school friend has made a post on Facebook giving reasons that Cleo shouldn't be president.

The overall premise of this was interesting to me - how perfect and likable does a woman need to be to be a public figure? Can a woman be both as "nice" as society requires and also successful and powerful?

But somehow this morphed into a bucket list book. Cleo had been keeping a list of like 200 "regrets" (!!!) including stuff like dancing in public but also true regrets, like confronting a married professor she had an affair with in law school. She decides to address some of these as both a way to reckon with them but also (sort of) a way to boost her image with voters. So that was a little ... regrettable.

For me, this book felt unfocused, especially toward the middle. Was this a comic bucket list book, or a more serious book about taking ownership of real mistakes, or just a f-you to all the people out there who think women have to be perfect. Just when I thought the book had picked a lane, it swerved into another one.

I did really love Cleo's relationship with her teenage son. For me, that was the best part of the book!

This was a fun political story; the main character is sympathetic and believable and the storyline flows seamlessly. Highly recommended.

As someone who loves everything to do with American politics, I couldn't wait to get my hand on this book. It was a great story and I loved how the Senator was portrayed. Having Cleo run for President would be great in real life! Really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to everyone in the library in the run up to the actual American elections!

Thank you Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Alison Winn Scotch for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I just binge read/listened to Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing and I only regret that there isn't more Cleo. I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Cleo, a young senator who is planning a presidential run. She is a single mom of a teenage boy named Lucas. Cleo's kept a list of regrets since she was a young age and when a former friend airs some grievances about Cleo in the media, Cleo and her chief of staff, Gabby, plan to use the regrets to humanize Cleo for her upcoming campaign.

This book is very relevant for the current political climate and the new announcement of our potentially first female Vice-President. There were lots of me-too elements and despite not being perfect (but who is) Cleo is a feminist. Cleo was so real to me. She did not always make what seemed like the best or safest decisions, but she is such a strong kick-ass woman. If she was real, I would totally vote for her. I loved how the book wrapped up and I'd love more of Cleo's story. She was already a strong woman but she learned about herself so much throughout the book.

I will share the link for my review when I post on bookstagram.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

I love Allison Winn Scotch's books and this just jumped to the top of my favorites list. I couldn't put this book down! Cleo McDougal is one of my new favorite characters.

A Senator about to start a Presidential run decides it’s time to sort out her list of regrets. Is that wise? Is it the right thing to do? Senator McDougal decides yes, now is the time. Things get messy before they get better, her teenage son gets caught in the middle, but in the end, Cleo makes some good decisions that bring her some peace and closure, and maybe even make her a better person.

It’s an interesting premise in this new release. I wasn’t sure where it was going at first or if I wanted to follow this pushy politician on her quest, especially if it was going to turn into a liberal propaganda platform, but then the author introduced us to the real Cleo, the one under all the politics. Turns out, that Cleo is pretty likeable, and I found myself rooting for her. I try my hardest not to talk politics, it just stresses me out, so I was wary of this novel, but once it got a little more personal, I found it funny and relatable outside the political scene. Really, Senator McDougal is just a single woman in a high-pressure job trying to do the best for her son and her personal life, and if she uses her prominence to help others along the way, so much the better.

This was a good read that may not be all that memorable but was enjoyable enough. There were too many asides that mimicked real life but served no real purpose like Gaby realising the muffin flavour after one bite - this might happen in real life but wasn't really needed in the book.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'll just be up-front here: I loved this book. It was wholly original, and so refreshing in how it captured the heroine for who she is: smart, complicated, brave, loving - and always changing. Yes, there are moments where I couldn't stand her, moments where I wanted to shake sense into her, but there are also moments where I rooted so hard for her. And she came through, she grew to see beyond herself, her regrets and problems. This was a fantastic read in a time when politics are so overwhelmingly and depressingly male. The heroine gives me hope that the politics of the future can look different than what we are going through today.