Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Nancy is sick of living in the share house from hell, getting dumped by women who aren’t that into her, and being stuck in dead-end jobs. It’s time to chase her dream to become a political journalist, get her own funky inner-city Melbourne place, and meet Ms Right.

Instead, she meets cranky George, a butch, tattooed bus driver and party volunteer who’s dodging a vengeful ex-girlfriend. George thinks Nancy is stuck up; Nancy thinks George is the rudest woman she’s ever met. The warring pair is caught up in the crazy election campaign of Clara West, a maverick running on the bizarre promise to shut down the internet. Rich, sexy, and dangerous, Clara will stop at nothing in the pursuit of power.

Delightfully delicious! The quirky nature of these two and their chemistry shows that opposites DO attract! I had the best time devouring this story, and I loved both women for different reasons. I don't think the cover does this book justice. This is such a fun read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

That was a fun read, probably would have missed out if not for the arc received from publishers, the cover doesn't do it justice in my opinion. But it was worth the read really, it was funny and witty in a dry way with a seemingly dark twist going on. Not to spoil any further though but somehow I love the Clara character more than two main.

The cover says it best, this is a quirky romantic mystery. Nancy is a political science teacher who wants to be a political journalist. George is a campaign worker for the Labour Party. The two meet while in a train station and it is not love at first sight. The setting is Melbourne, Australia during an election for a seat in Parliament. There is murder and a little mayhem. And there is some downright silliness as Nancy and George try and work together to solve the mystery. Side characters include political workers who may go to any lengths for their candidates.

I really enjoyed the Australian expressions. And you don’t have to be up on current politics to follow the storyline. I may have enjoyed the story a bit more if it was not an election year where the crazies are getting more coverage than the facts. But I did laugh and enjoy the mystery. The romance is there but buried a bit under the other things going on. (3.5 Stars)

Dnfed. Honestly couldn't get past the whole making fun of leftist bull in the first few chapters. I am definitely not the target audience being a disabled nonbinary person with silly pronouns and hair.

What an absolutely wonderful read. Nancy works at the university but it’s only part time so she finds other ways to make a living. Such as writing for a local paper and when she just happens to see, or almost sees a murder, she has one hell of a story to tell. She thinks. But not everything is going the way she thought, everything gets mixed up with the local election.
Now she not only has the local election but a murder of one of the leaders of the party. She needs someone to help her. George would be perfect. She grew up in the community and knew everyone. But George didn’t quite believe the things Nancy was telling her until she started digging and she knew Nancy was onto something. Now working together they might find the murderer but staying alive is every bit important. Very enjoyable read.
ARC NetGalley/YLVA Publishing

Looking for Trouble was such a fun read!! I read the entire thing with an Australian accent in my head. I loved George’s character and the relationship she and Nancy had built, I’m always looking for lesbian stories. It took awhile for Nancy to grow on me but she went from a somewhat timid woman looking for a way out to a super sleuth ready to jump in the Mystery Mobile and make her life what she wanted.

The story kept me guessing “who dunnit” and the pieces fell into place for me at the same time they did for the characters. I didn’t see any of it coming!! As an American (lol), I couldn’t help but make comparisons between the fictional political race taking place and what’s happening in my own country.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

a politically minded book... and one i struggled with as all thinks with politics i struggle with... i cant help it ... it bores me...

but i wanted to know this storyline so i struggled on....

george is a character that i did enjoy reading about... she is a party activist, bus driver and grumpy butch woman who is also trying to dodge an ex girlfriend... who has become a bit of a nightmare

nancy has dreams that will get her away from her rut of a life... so with an idea of how to make those changes in her life and with her quirky idea about writing about the local elections for a renowned paper she embarks on her adventure only to bump into george... grumpy george who takes one look at nancy and decides is stuck up

as their lives get entwinned with the elections and the abuse that follows both george and nancy find themselves more and more pushed together realising that if they dont work together one of them could end up in serious trouble

as lovable as george was i still struggled with this book... politics bore me.. take that out of the equations and this book was entertaining both george and nancy were very good characters and so was the baddie but it was the politics that did my head in...

Wow. Just wow! I think I am in love with George 😊 George is a bit of a gnarly, old world, butch lesbian who is a bit jaded by the current generation. Solid build, sliding into middle age and feeling a bit lonely and frustrated with life, she is an active member of her respective political party and very giving of her support to it and the current running candidate, even though secretly she may think he’s not what he purports to be. George has traditional values and a high level of morals. People rely on George and she doesn’t disappoint.
Nancy accidentally runs into George and the instant dislike is palpable. Nancy is just flowing through her life with no real direction and no real ties. Living in a share house and working in poorly paid jobs she is not making the most of her Political Science Phd. She realises she is getting older and needs to take control but she’s not really sure how to do it. After meeting again, it turns out they actually have more in common than they thought, and an unlikely partnership develops as fate continually lands them together and so they combine resources to solve a mystery or two.

Enter Clara … the devious sociopath who is hell bent on winning the local seat at all costs. Unfortunately, George and Clara share a past and George is still recovering from Clara’s venomous ministrations. Clara is like the evil puppeteer, trying to manipulate people and situations for her own amusement. That is until the dynamic duo George and Nancy, combine their efforts and soon Clara meets her match.

This book is a wonderful story that is so very captivating. It’s written with humour and lightness, and although the plot is quite intricate, Jess Lea keeps it all under control and running smoothly on track. There are so many colourful characters, each playing an important role in progressing the story. It really gives a realistic insight to the true multiculturalism and diversity that is suburban Melbourne.

What a fun cozy LGBTQIA+ read! Mystery and murder, politics and power, and two amateur sleuths combining forces to solve the death of a politician. The two women, George and Nancy, are total opposites, each caught up in their individual lives, and of course are attracted and intrigued with one another. A wonderful addition to any library. Well done Jess Lea.

This has gotta be one of the most bizarre contemporary romances I've ever read, but it was kinda awesome? It definitely has romance as a more secondary main plot but it was weaved in pretty well with the political drama.

Every character was just so weird and almost caricatures of the types of people they were inspired by but somehow the author rode the line nicely so that it felt like a lot but never 'too much'. I really liked George in particular as it's not often we get these kinds of butch characters in romance books, she was funny, brash and charming and I do wish we got a litttttle more romance.

This is definitely one worth picking up if you want a romance with slightly older characters and like the idea of a local political conspiracy as the backdrop for a story!

Thank you to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Very funny take on political campaigns that gets darker later on
You don't need to know anything about politics (or even like them) to get something out of this story. It's set in Melbourne Australia but the similarities between the political candidates (and their supporters) in this story and those in other countries is often uncanny. There's plenty of humor, lots of things to laugh at and about, but the story does take on a darker tone later on.
The story touches on gentrification, generational and class divides and conflicts, woke politics, cult of personality and worship of an individual candidate over focus on their party's platform and policies, political theater and the shenanigans of campaign volunteers; the role of legacy and social media during an election season is well depicted here as well. Amidst the political shenanigans is the romance that kicks off between George and Nancy despite their unusual first meeting. There is also a mystery and some dark deeds that take place that I enjoyed reading about less and less as the story went on. Several of the plot twists I did not see coming and while the multiple layers of intrigue and mystery kept me curious and guessing until their reveals, the ending ultimately was less satisfying thanks to a lingering question or two. The romance is unconventional and at times I found Nancy to be a frustrating character but they do make a good team when they're communicating with each other. Aspects of each character (mains and secondaries) are relatable but they all have their particular quirks and with few exceptions none of them has a glamorous high paying job. This is not my favorite story by the author but I was still entertained and pulled into the story more often than not. If you're wanting to read a really funny sendup of political campaigns the first part of this book will satisfy that wish perfectly and if you're up for it getting darker from there you'll likely love the entire book more than I did. I do however look forward to reading whatever the author publishes next.
(Reviewed August 14, 2021)

**Book Review: *Looking for Trouble* by using Jess Lea**

*Looking for Trouble* by using Jess Lea is a clean combo of romance, mystery, and humor, set in opposition to the backdrop of an eccentric Australian election. The tale introduces us to Nancy, a reporter with desires of creating it huge in political journalism, and George, a tough, tattooed bus motive force volunteering for a political campaign. Their relationship starts offevolved on a rocky notice, with every brushing off the opposite as traumatic and hard. However, as the weird and perilous election marketing campaign of Clara West unfolds, the 2 are compelled to enroll in forces and get to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding Clara's radical political aims.

Lea’s writing is sharp and witty, resultseasily weaving together the chaos of a political marketing campaign with the non-public struggles of her protagonists. The tension between Nancy and George offers a dynamic contrast, making their eventual collaboration all of the extra gratifying. George’s gruff exterior hides a vulnerability that Nancy, regardless of her preliminary disdain, begins to understand. As the stakes upward thrust, so does the depth of their interactions, main to moments of true warmth and connection.

The person of Clara West, the so-called "ice queen" of the election, is particularly charming. Rich, ruthless, and inclined to do whatever it takes to win, Clara provides an detail of hazard that continues the plot shifting at a brisk tempo. The idea of a candidate walking on the promise to shut down the internet provides a quirky, almost absurd twist to the narrative, reflecting the unpredictability of the political landscape.

What makes *Looking for Trouble* stand out is its ability to balance humor with suspense. Jess Lea crafts a story this is as plenty approximately personal boom and finding love as it is about navigating the complexities of an uncommon political marketing campaign. The chemistry between Nancy and George evolves evidently, and their journey from mutual dislike to reluctant allies, and probably extra, is both engaging and believable.

For readers looking for a quirky, interesting examine with nicely-drawn characters and a completely unique plot, *Looking for Trouble* supplies. It's a story that reminds us that from time to time, the maximum surprising partnerships can cause the most profitable adventures.