I am guessing based on other reviews I have seen that I am not supposed to like this book? Because God forbid two people with different political leaning have the audacity to fall in love... I will start this review by saying that the first time my husband and I voted, we voted for different political parties and I pushed him to vote knowing he was going to vote differently than I did. Why? Because exercising that right is important. So maybe it is based on my experience that I think differently.

What I liked:
The banter and chemistry between Kate and Ben was great and I had a few laugh out loud moments. I liked the main characters, Kate is smart and tough but willing to show her vulnerability. Ben is super protective and you do get to find out why he is that way and that just made me like him more. The pacing was great and I just wanted to keep going which resulted in a quick read. The secondary characters were also likeable, especially Kate's mom. Kate's mom was one of my fav characters, she needs her own love story 🙂 . This was good writing by the author.

What I didn't like:
I like a slow burn but I was craving some action before I was 60% into the book. I would have loved Ben's POV, especially because of how charged of a topic the story covered.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing for an ARC for an honest review.

“There’s a special place in hell for people who waste my time.”

Katie and Ben are both great at their jobs working for politicians. What they aren’t great at, is getting along when they are on opposite sides of the aisle. Well…until they become to good at getting along. Katie has always had a rule when dating though…no Republicans. Will Ben be able to change her mind?

When I read this first line, I knew I was in for a great read! This book could not have started more perfectly! Katie girl, I feel ya! Before 2016 I’m not sure I would have the same rule, but if I was dating now and someone was all “I love Trump!” I’d be all…”BYE!” I have a lot of people in my life that I love and care for that are republicans/voted for him, but I just don’t think I could handle “my person” being a supporter of his. That aside, this was such an adorable rom com. I loved that it was political without being too political. I think we have all had enough politics recently for at least a few months, so I loved that this didn’t go to hard into the political aspects. I did feel like Ben went a bit too far at times with the protector role, I understood why, but like tattling on her to her mom was a low blow. Overall I really enjoyed this read and highly recommend it if you are looking for a wonderful enemies to lovers romantic read!

I enjoyed this book. The characters were compelling and the romance was swoon-worthy. Kate and Ben make a cute couple and I enjoyed watching them fall in love. My only issue with it is that this book takes place in today's real political climate. I wish it had happened in a fictional world where there weren't allusions to the 2016 election and Donald Trump. Setting the book in real-life Washington D.C. was unnecessarily polarizing. It felt tone-deaf to all the ways people suffered in the last administration and dumbed the issues down to taxation.
All in all, it was a fun read, but I'm not sure I could recommend it to another person because of the real-life politics.

This is an enemies to lovers romance, which is normally my favorite. However, this one did not work for me. I had a hard time connecting with either of the characters and at times found myself really irritated with them.
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This was a quick read and has some good banter. I can see why some people have enjoyed it. I just don’t think it was the right book for me.

This was a great read! I could not put this book down. It did take a little to get into it but once it picked up a little it was obsessive! I was so sad when the book was over. I loved how it incorporated a couple with big political differences and different affiliations but still managed to make you fall in love with the characters. By the end of the book I was like "who cares what party you like! Clearly they're in love!" Would love a sequel checking up on Ben and Kate in a few years... maybe about their wedding or having kids and whether or not they're both still working in Politics in DC or if one or both of them has moved on to something bigger and better or even altogether different!

This book was pretty stinking cute and I love all the DC landmarks used. I found Bens character to be charming (noted in the book as one of his key characteristics) and Kate to be relatable yet modern. There is mild language and two bow chicka bow wow scenes. This story is refreshing in today’s climate.

Unfortunately, I decided to DNF this at 25 percent. I wasn’t enjoying what I was reading and after seeing other reviews from people that I trust, I couldn’t make myself continue. Meet You in the Middle was not the book for me. Thank you for the opportunity to review!

Despite the negative reviews for this book I was so excited to read it. I just knew I’d love it. I was right. I LOVED this book. So much. I love politics and while I feel very strongly about certain issues it’s not enough to ruin a good book for me. This book is fiction. And it’s a rom-com. It hit all my favorites...funny, witty banter, sweet, romantic, etc. I enjoyed the writing and the characters. I think it did a great job of reminding readers that you can love a person, respect a person and not agree with them on everything. It also highlights that no one party has it all right. And that if you peel back the layers more people agree on certain things than disagree. But regardless, it’s a fictional book and if you don’t take everything so seriously you’ll love it!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for the digital copy. I loved it!

I received this book a while ago and after the election I just didn’t have it in me to read anything remotely political. However, this adorable cover kept staring at me and I just had to pick it up and I’m so glad I did.
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Yes, it is political at times but it’s so much more then politics at play. Liberal Senate staffer Kate goes head to head with Ben Mackenzie who works for one of the most conservative senators. What starts after a disagreement over proposed legislation leads to a series of disagreements, but what Kate can’t help but realize is there is a hint of attraction there and she cannot stop thinking about him.
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In a politically charged climate she questions herself and if she can really fall for someone who doesn’t share the same political alignment. If you are not interested in the political aspect
Of the story it is still a fun run com and I loved the scene at the ball.
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I also loved that Kate mentioned that he could be her Jim to her Pam! On a particularly down day she was watching the office reruns and mentioned that there is very little Michael Scott can’t fix, and you know what? She is 100% right!
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Thank you to #NetGalley and #BerkleyPub for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow wow wow wow wow wow! I adored this book! A love story set in DC of opposite political parties, what’s not to love? Kate and Ben are on different sides of the isle. A Republican and Democrat couldn’t work could they? It was such a joy to see them navigate their relationship to where it ended. This is majorly swoon worthy and Ben has raised my standards for men.

I think the premise of this book is great: putting aside differences and respecting someone for their good qualities, recognizing that you don't have to have the exact same thoughts to be in a relationship. However. And it's a big however. Realistically it is very hard to be in a relationship with someone whose ideals are fundamentally different than your own. Not impossible, of course, especially if you both lean more toward the moderate side of things which is I think what was going on with these two characters. But the fact is that there are certain political views that you will have that are complete deal breakers and I don't think that Ben ever acknowledges that, and Katie starts to have that conversation and then just gets distracted by his muscles... Because of this, I found it hard to completely suspend my disbelief that these two characters could really have a lasting relationship (although, like they mention, the hate sex would probably be fantastic). I think the toughest thing about this book is that it is based off of the actual current political climate and bills that were being passed rather than just them debating vague political ideologies of their parties, which can be very contentious for a reader who swings either way, right or way left. Also, the fact that they just decided to ignore the fact that they have different political beliefs rather than communicate about it and actually find middle ground is not ideal. But other than that, their little mail war was cute, and they had some fun banter. I definitely felt a super slow burn steam by the end. I was able to enjoy it, but I can definitely see some of the more problematic elements to it and totally understand why a lot of people would be closed off to even finishing it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Enemies to lovers but make it Political!

I feel like this book will not be for everyone, I don’t agree with everything that was said and done but I was still able to put my feelings aside and really enjoy this story.

Although it’s never specifically said, you can read between the lines and deduce that the story takes place in 2017 after he who shall not be named is elected. There are a lot of very real and relevant issues covered in the book and I think the idea for this story was really original.

This is definitely a slow burn but the banter is off the charts!

If you are okay with adding politics into your rom com reads I encourage you to give it a try.

This was a fun give and take, and an interesting premise given the political climate in this country. It was well written and fun, and I appreciated the steps they characters took to understand each other’s differences and perspectives. Looking forward to the next one by this author.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! As a DC local, this was such a fun read, with great characters, and a very, very very good romance plot! Cannot recommend this enough!!!

I wanted to give this book a try but other reviews were right and the premise was too infuriating. While this country does need unity, it doesn't need vapid romances about conservatives taking away people's right but still being appealing to liberals because they are hot

This is one of the best rom-coms I've read in some time! Political opposites....could they be friends, or perhaps even more?! Timely in today's climate and might even give a little hope for the future.

When Kate Adams meets Ben Mackenzie, it’s hate at first sight. She’s a democrat, he’s a republican, the enemies-to-lovers basically writes itself. Kate Adams needs the support of Ben Mackenzie’s boss in order to pass the legislation she’s been working on for months.

Honestly, this book was fine. I was really intrigued by the premise, and there were some really great elements to the book. The inter-office feud via mail was hilarious, and individually I really liked Kate and Ben. I’m just not sure that I loved them together.

I didn’t think that any particular political agenda was being pushed, but there was a lot of internalized misogyny throughout the book. Ben was seen as put together, successful and strong whereas Kate was emotional, blonde (with great hair, something that was stressed pretty heavily) and killer shoes. She’s your stereotypical raging liberal feminist - never a bad thing, but the way that she’s written makes it seem like she’s naive and ill-educated.

I think the part of this that really irked me was the fact that we find out Ben had been watching Kate for months in her office (their office windows conveniently face each other). There was something super creepy and voyeuristic about it - by the time they met each other, Ben already knew all these intimate details about Kate and she had no clue.

I don’t know, maybe I would have appreciated this more if I was American...

Thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am obsessed with this book! I was planning on reading a few chapters and stayed up super late to read about 70% and then was upset I had to wait the whole next day to finish! I could not stop thinking about this one and the story. ⁣
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Enemies to lovers is my favorite romance trope and it feels like any book in this trope is automatically compared to The Hating Game, but for me, this has been the only one that is a true comparison! ⁣
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Devon Daniels can write banter so well!! I LOVED their interactions and I stopped and chirped back several lines out to my husband. I was cackling at the hate mail they sent each other, Kate's dating app, Donkey Date, and Ben's amazing one liners had me laughing so hard I almost cried. ⁣
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I did find Kate to be short sighted at times and makes generalizations but both characters seemed like such real people. There are political stereotypes in this story and proposed legislation (which were inspired by true legislation) but this did not read like a political book to me; it is just set in a political environment. ⁣
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A few more things I loved about this book - I connected really well with these characters since my husband and I are politically mixed. This story is about being able to respect others' opinions, beliefs, and values that are not your own; neither character was trying to change what the other believes, but to be more open and understanding, and to aim to be collaborative, not combative. I also loved the message that you may not love 100% of the things your political party stands for but you can still love your party. ⁣
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Thank you to @devondanielsauthor, @berkleypub, and @berkleyromance for my advanced copy! Stay tuned for a GIVEAWAY of this next week as part of #RomComFebruary!! ⁣
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Was very nervous to read this book because of all the bad reviews for it. But I can definitely say that I was surprised with how much I enjoyed it. While I am not one to talk about politics because of how messy it can get, and I was super concerned about it with this book, overall it was a great read. There was a lot steam and I loved the enemies to lovers troupe, would definitely recommend and read again.

Meet You in the Middle was one of my most anticipated romances of 2021 and it certainly did not disappoint. This book was witty, intriguing, heartfelt, and a new favorite romance of mine! I've never read a romance novel that was centered around politics so I wasn't sure how it was going to play out but it's definitely worth the read. I was hooked from the very beginning and was laughing out loud at every interaction between Kate and Ben. Once I picked this book up, I did not want to put it down! I was invested from the very start in Kate and Ben's hilarious prank war, and the sweet heartfelt moments they shared when talking about their lives growing up. Kate and Ben are polar opposites and I loved getting to see how they worked out their differences, not just politically, but personally and "meet in the middle." Their chemistry was absolutely amazing and this book will definitely be one that I will recommend to anyone who is a fan of slow burn enemies-to-lovers romances!

If you are looking for a romcom that will rival books like The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners, look no further because Meet You in the Middle is the perfect mix! This book will give you all the feels and is perfect if you're looking for a fast paced book with an incredibly slow burn romance and the best banter. I highly recommend this book if you want an incredibly swoon-worthy romance, with hilarious banter, and an epic prank war!