I wanted to love "Sex with Presidents," but it just never really grabbed me like I expected. Almost too tongue in cheek?

Not my typical read. But I enjoyed this one still. Would definitely recommend to my friends. I enjoyed Eleanor Herman's writing quite a bit

dnf'd at 70%

some of the tidbits are interesting but i can't get past the early tone, as well as the "we can imagine/picture [insert totally made up scenario]". the latter happened a lot.

like a lot of readers, the Sally Hemings stuff really bothered me. she doesn't outright say that Hemings was in love w Jefferson but she implies that we can't rule it out. as Hemings was an enslaved teenager and Jefferson was her owner who was in his 40s - we can go ahead and rule it out, Eleanor. i gave it 2 stars because the premise sounded interesting and even fun! but so much of it didn't sit right with me.

I received a free advanced reading copy of this title through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This nonfiction title was a great peek into the lives of our presidents (and other government officials) and the sometimes scandals, sometimes best-kept secrets that affected their lives and careers. I would recommend for readers who like narrative nonfiction and/or are interested in American history.

This book is entertaining at best, salacious at worst. Sources are not discussed so it is hard to take the material seriously. One interesting point the book makes is how the media has shifted in its coverage of presidents' personal lives. Throughout history until LBJ, the romantic details of a president's life were not deemed ethically newsworthy. That ended with the adultery scandal of candidate Gary Hart, and since then, the public has become very aware of the sexual promiscuities of presidents (Bill Clinton comes to mind).

Parts of this book were fascinating but I was left very uncomfortable with the way issues of slavery, rape and love were covered. In the end it's not a book I can comfortably recommend, unfortunately.

I read this because, like most people, I love trash and smut. I read Sex with Kings maybe 15 years ago and enjoyed it. I'm not sure what my opinion of it would be if I read it now based on how I feel about Sex with Presidents. All in all, I'm not a fan.

Sex with Presidents is a fun enough read -- who doesn't enjoy reading about the private sex lives of other people? I definitely do. This was like reading a tabloid, and I don't mean that to sound insulting because I find those entertaining as well. Again, trash, I love it. The writing is accessible and very easy to read, which is more than many other history or non-fiction books can claim. It keeps your attention, I remember Sex with Kings doing the same.

My problem with this book is that it's not always clear where the information is sourced from, and a lot of the content is sexist. There's the fact that the author, who claims to be a historian, doesn't explicitly call Thomas Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings rape, but rather entertains the notion that Hemings may have been in love with Jefferson... the man who enslaved her and kept their children as property. This is NOT complicated. I lost all of the respect I may have had for the publication or the author in that chapter. This is a book published in 2020. Get your shit together.

Beyond that, the author loved to detail how "attractive" or "unattractive" a President's wife or mistress was or wasn't, or how they were a good wife or a bad wife or a dull wife (perhaps implying some may have deserved the treatment they were subjected to by their husbands). The author equated LBJ's abusive treatment of his wife as a "loving" relationship despite it... actually being an abusive relationship? "He was abusive to her, but was still actually super in love with her. You know, if you can ignore the abusive aspects of the relationship." I cringed. This is such a toxic and common belief within romantic (especially heterosexual) relationships. Strong pass.

How I would love to read these historical stories written by someone with a solid understanding of race, gender, and sexuality studies. The author seems to lack the necessarily understanding of these areas, and certainly the compassion needed to tell these stories well and with some depth of humanity. The whole vibe felt strange and off putting for me... it all felt so cheap. I enjoy books about sexuality, trashy romance novels... the TV show Harlots is a great example of smut done well. It's bawdy and fun and loud, and yet it still manages to treat its characters with dignity. I don't get that same vibe here. I don't think that will bother all readers, but it did for me.

For most of the individuals mentioned in this book I hold very little judgement (aside from rapists such as Jefferson & Cleveland, etc, obviously), and I'm not offended by the sexual acts themselves or the infidelity detailed in the book. It's the way they're told by the author. It feels cheap like clickbait, or simply a project that serves as an easy way for the author to make money off of salacious stories. Which like... fair enough, I can understand that. I just expected better.

Anyway, this book was trash (not in the good sense, as I was hoping). I don't recommend anyone waste their money on it. You can find much of the same content online or on Wikipedia, and it may even be less offensively written?

Thanks to #NetGalley and HarperCollins for sharing a copy of this book with me in exchange for an honest review.

The title of this book ... when I think about our Presidents... may be a bit offputting, that said, the stories inside were intriguing and so interesting. I learned things I never would have imagined about the men who have held the highest office in the land... most of it not great. This book had me turning pages as fast as I could though and I am looking forward to checking out her other books in this series! Thank you for an early copy!

They don’t teach you about this in your normal history courses.

For those of you who are unaware of American history, the sex lives of the presidents have merely been summed up here. You can read brief inclusions in many of their biographies, hear about it mentioned in passing amongst academics, or, like the current administration, it will be trending at least once a week on social media. It’s a fun and quick read for anyone looking for a distraction and possessing a desire to learn something new.

Yes the title grabbed my attention, but the description pulled even harder. This was such an interesting (and disturbing at times) book. I knew about some of the scandals but there were so many that were new to me. It's hard to believe how many men - powerful men- have been involved in such scandals. I learned a bit about history as well and you can tell the author sure did her research. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my. The people that the citizens of the United States have elected president, and the men who have sought this office. Best presidential lover: Bill Clinton - he always tried to satisfy his (many) partners and make sure they had a good experience with him. Worst presidential lovers: it's a tie between Kennedy and Trump. One actress noted that her sexual encounter with JFK was "a memorable minute." Full of trivia about presidents and First Ladies, this is a fun light read to take your mind off the pandemic.

Sex with Presidents...the title itself was intriguing. After looking over the table of contents, I was pulled into wanting to know more. With the Broadway show, Hamilton, being such the rage over the last few years, I wanted to know more factual information that what the adaptation for the show revealed. From there, I wanted to know more. Books about Presidents of the United States have been around for many years, but this book gives you a whole different perspective of them...especially ones you don't expect.

I enjoyed the majority of the book. The last few chapters about the more modern presidents, I could've passed on, but the final chapter concerning leaders from the rest of the world paints a perspective of how different our societies are.

I loved it! This is what I like in nonfiction, entertainment, easy to read, I learned something. I really want to read the rest of Herman's books now.

Highly entertaining! I know powerful men often have lots of friends on the side, but haven't read about many of these ones! It certainly was well researched! Anyone interested in history, or just plain fun reading, will enjoy this book. This actually was a pretty timely book! It's release is just coinsided with the Harding's descendants opening a new presidential center in Marion, Ohio and Nan Britton and Hardings grandson demanding his body be exhumed to establish scientific paternity, and that his family be included in the new exhibits! Fun times we live in! Not as easy to get away with stuff, or hide it, in this new world! Hope it helps Ms. Herman promote her book!

4 stars

Eleanor Herman has done it again: Sex with Presidents is a delightful look into the private assignations of the most powerful men in our history.

I had read Herman's previous books in this loose series (Sex with the King and Sex with the Queen) a few years ago and absolutely loved them. This newest addition retains both her razor wit and dedication to research with the added bonus of being immensely topical. There were moments when my jaw hit the floor and moments when I laughed out loud. This is non-fiction at its best.

My only complaint about this book is completely out of Herman's hands: it made me so sad for the women of this country. This book shows how from its inception, our country's leaders have failed 50% of its population by continually treating them like objects. There are certainly instances in this book of deep love between a president and his mistress, but for the most part, it was love em and leave em. Herman does inspire some hope at the end with the fact that more women are seeking political office and her belief that this will hopefully change things for the better. That is a hope that I cling to these days.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Found this book to be quite interesting and a fun, light read. Some parts had me laughing out loud. Definitely much more happened behind closed doors at the White House than I thought!

Sex with Presidents
The Ins and Outs of Love and Lust in the White House
by Eleanor Herman
HarperCollins Publishers
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
William Morrow
History
Pub Date 22 Sep 2020 | Archive Date 17 Nov 2020

I found this book highly entertaining and well researched. Thanks to Net
Galley and Harper Collins Publishers for the ARC.

4 star

My 17 year old daughter introduced me to this author after she read Sex with Kings. Sex with Presidents was an enjoyable romp through history.

DNF’D this one pretty quickly, realizing it wasn’t one for me. I don’t like the ton about sex or adultery. I thought it was just going to be a quick and fun read but, eh. Unfortunately not what I thought it would be. Thank you for the ARC from NetGalley though!

I was familiar with Eleanor's work on King Peggy, and will definitely keep an eye out for her other titles. Entertaining book, and a heck of a lot of stuff you never learned in history class. Distressingly repetitious patterns of men in power, which is addressed in the book. Covers Hamilton through Trump, with a final chapter on how vastly different such affairs are viewed in other parts of the world. I was familiar with Eleanor's work on King Peggy, and will definitely keep an eye out for her other titles. Thank you for the ARC!