Thinly - very thinly - veiled Melania Trump fanfiction, at its heart.

Sofie Morse, a journalist covering the White House, gets tired of i all and decides to retire. She's invited, however, to write a biography. Of the First Lady, Lara Caine, by the First Lady, Lara Caine.

Lara Caine is simply Melania, with some details altered (Caine was born in Soviet Russia; Melania in Slovenia), some not (both are former models). Caine has a whole pack of baggage, including a former KGB dad (Putin) and the whole thing was unpalatable, really.

Morse, of course, as a reporter, gets wrapped up in the story, which runs from the 70s to current times, and stops being able to tell where the line should be.

I finished it, grudgingly, to see where the mystery slash thrillerish thing went. There aren't a lot of twisty turns or things that make you go hmm. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, as the ending wasn't worth the buildup.

If you think you admire the former First Lady, it may be more your style. It certainly was not mine.

One star out of five.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the reading copy.

I always find historical fiction books about Russia very interesting. Lara the FLOTUS has a journalist, Emily, write her biography. Lara tells Emily about her life during the Cold War era, being born in Russia, and raised in Paris. The suspense as to why Lara is wanting to tell her story had me turning the page. Anna Pitoniak did a wonderful job and if you enjoyed The Secrets We Kept, you will enjoy this book.

If you were a fan of the tv show The Americans, you will definitely like this book. Russia vs. America. It's been going on for decades. This book bounces back and forth between the two worlds from the 1980s to the present day. Oh, and did I mention it includes the First Lady? Yea. she is originally from Russia. And her husband is a terrible person. And she doesn't like him very much. Sound familiar??? The similarities are sad, crazy and good all at once. I think that is what makes this book even better.

There are a bunch of twists, so it is hard to reveal the plot. You don't know where it is going right away. And then you think you have a handle on it, and it changes again.

Thanks so much to Net Galley and Simon and Shuster for my gifted copy of this e-book. I am rounding my rating up to 3.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of Our American Friend in exchange for an honest review. This was a good one! I loved the history and all the espionage.

This is a political thriller you will find irresistible.# Our American Friend by author #Anna Pitoniak is wonderful.A fictional account of a foreign born First Lady.
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley and #Simon & Schuster

My thanks to @Simon & Schuster, as well as to @NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Our American Friend.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

White House correspondent Sofie Morse quits her job and plans to leave politics behind - right up until she gets an intriguing call from the office of First Lady, asking her to come in for a private meeting with Lara Caine. When Lara asks Sofie to write her official biography Sofie’s curiosity gets the better of her and she agrees.

Much has been made over the similarity between the Trumps and the Caines but I felt Our American Friend was much more about Russia than the Trumps. It was quite the dynamic Cold War-era spy novel. The book spanned from the 1970s to the present day, traveling from Moscow and Paris to Washington and New York. I found most of the book fascinating, especially the parts about Russia, but I really wish that when the book was jumping to a different place and/or time that there had been headings of some sort stating where or when the next page or chapter was taking place. I wanted to just read what was happening next, rather than wasting time figuring those things out. Otherwise, my review would have been 4.5 stars.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and Netgalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for a unbiased review of these works.

A political read about a president's foreign wife that hits close to home. I liked how the book wove some sense of reality into the story. I don't think this one would be for all readers, but for those engaged in politics and scandal it would be enjoyable.

Loved this!! Anything with politics is usually something I'm willing to try. This was well constructed, well written, and overall a great read. Did it hit a little too close to home? Yes!! But I think that helped me like it even more.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

First Lady Lara Caine has a secret - a big one. However, writer Sofie Morse has no idea what she is coming her way when she agrees to write a biography on the First Lady. Our American Friend is a look at the Soviet Union, then Russia, through the eyes of the First Lady and what she went through growing up in the cold war in a family that is part of the KGB. As Lara tells Sofie about her first love, only true love, Sofie realizes she is going to learn more than that and what should she do with this information.

This is my first book by this author- I look forward to reading more by her..

An absolutely compulsive read. I enjoyed reading Lara's story slowly unfold throughout and the ties to our previous president.

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I found the storyline interesting (and relatable due to recent USA politics), but at times I found myself having to flip back and forth to remember a time frame or location. The characters were pretty one dimensional but interesting nonetheless.

Overall though, I felt it was boring. This book was tagged as a Thriller and Mystery but yet I found I was missing both of those vibes throughout the book. It was a fictional story told as a story - straight and eventually to the point.

Interesting premise, but felt the execution lacking. Needed more details and more fleshing out of the characters.

This book was fascinating, It was obviously based on Melania Trump, but I was interested in all of the characters and wanted to know their secrets. The plot was propulsive and the writing kept my attention the entire time. I would highly recommend this to other readers.

Wasn’t a favorite - too close to real life. Could’ve been a great story had it not mimicked real life.

I received this book from Netgalley to review. I really tried to like this book, but just couldn't seem to get into it. The story started slow and continued to bounce around slowly. I stopped reading this book less than half way into the story.

I loved this perspective of a certain First Lady’s true motive for being in the White House. Much more sympathetic than the real-life spectacle we were all forced to watch in 2016-2020.

It was also my perfect set up: a scrappy journalist’s insider look of high-society. Reminded me a bit of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, one of my all-time favorites. Definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy!

First Lady Laura Caine calls former White House News correspondent Sofie Morse in for a lunch meeting, shocking Sofie because the First Lady is usually private and elusive. Laura tells Sofie that she wants her to write her official biography. They set about meeting weekly and Sofie starts to write, unearthing a spy tale she would have never guessed and leaving her wondering where all this is leading.

I loved this book. Part drama, part romance, part spy novel, Our American Friend is emotional, suspenseful and shocking. The story engrossed me and I couldn’t put it down. The characters are rich, endearing, and sometime annoying. If you loved the television shows West Wing or Scandal, this is the perfect read for you!

Our American Friend is the story of an American journalist, Sofie, who gets access to the reclusive First Lady, Lara, in order to write an authorized biography of her life. Lara is the daughter of a KGB agent who was killed by the Russians as a spy for the Americans but there is more to the story. As Sofie learns more of Lara's life will she be able to hold back what she knows until the President is out of office.

This is a story about growing up and learning to survive in a repressive culture and finding your voice even if it comes years later. While there are clearly tones of a recent first family this is not a story about how awful or great a person maybe but at what point someone stands up and tells the truth. I found Our American Friend to be a fast read that kept me coming back to find out what happens next.

Part love story and party mystery spy story- perfection! This was the first Ive read of this author but I will be looking into her other works as I really enjoyed this book and think it would make a great movie or Netflix series- I kept picturing certain people in my mind who could play these characters.
All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.