Love, Hate & Clickbait

December 13, 2021
Bowery’s promising debut has handsome political consultant Thom Morgan anxious to propel California governor Leonora Westwood to the White House. But “Lennie” is adept at putting her foot in her mouth and is often sabotaged by a leaker. As damage control for Lennie’s most recent gaff—a homophobic comment to a reporter—Thom is asked to fake-date his colleague, Clay Parker, a data analyst. Clay and Thom hate each other, but their unlikely “Schrödinger’s Relationship” becomes an internet sensation, thanks in part to a photo of them kissing at a charity basketball game. Soon the guys are playing footsie under the table and spending quality time together. As Clay falls for Thom’s “intoxicating smile, infuriatingly perfect body, and easy charm,” he fears their fake relationship is going to end in heartbreak. Then Lennie asks the guys to get married to help her campaign, and things go into hyperdrive. Bowery keeps the romance light and engaging, with some delightfully cheesy moments and domestic scenes, and delineates the politics in a subplot about a student loan reform bill that Thom is pushing. With political intrigue, social media virality, fake dating, and an enemies-to-lovers romance, there’s arguably a bit too much going on here. Still, it’s a charming, breezy rom-com. Agent: Laura Zats, Headwater Literary.

January 1, 2022

DEBUT Thom Morgan is a suave and sophisticated political consultant on his way to the top. He is also a rigid perfectionist who would do anything it takes to get his governor to be the next resident of the White House. Thom cannot stand campaign data analyst Clay Parker, whom he considers an egotistical, clumsy, unkempt mess. When a photo of the two in a heated argument gets misconstrued as a lover's tryst and quickly goes viral, the governor makes Thom and Clay enter into a fake relationship for publicity to benefit her campaign agenda. However, this "fake" relationship might not be so fake when the sparks start flying, and their encounters out of the public eye turn red-hot. How far will they take the charade? What if those feelings become all too real? VERDICT Bowery's debut is a great read with a wild ride through hate, lust, and love in the world of political social media influencing. Highly recommended.--Bridgette Whitt

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February 15, 2022
All's fair in love and politics when two staffers fake date in order to save their boss's presidential prospects. For Los Angeles-based political consultant Thom Morgan, who possesses "effortless confidence and a bottomless appetite for crushing his enemies," nothing is more important than getting ahead. He ditched his girlfriend at her sister's wedding for a Politico interview and gets off (literally) on orchestrating major political wins before noon. He works for ruthless California Gov. Leonora "Lennie" Westwood, and rumor has it she's thinking of running for president. All that stands in Thom's way of D.C. glory is Clay Parker, the campaign's new data analyst, a Silicon Valley hopeful who was embarrassingly (and publicly) ousted from the multimillion dollar tech company he co-founded. Thom can't stand how vulnerable Clay is; in fact, he literally throws Clay up against a wall and screams at him over a Wi-Fi mix-up. After footage leaks of Lennie murmuring something homophobic, Thom and Clay are inevitably thrust together to help salvage her diversity cred when pictures of their, er, intimate-looking office spat go viral. Perfect timing! The campaign uses the fact that the internet thinks Thom and Clay are dating as leverage, and despite their initial horror at being entangled with each other, the two soon realize they might feel something other than hatred under the surface. How are they supposed to decide when to end the charade if deep down they both wish it were real? Bowery's debut novel offers all of the electric, budding sexual tension that comes with fake dating, but it's hard to root for the relationship when Thom is rightfully described as a "charming sociopath." He borders on scarily emotionless at times and repeatedly uses sex to avoid attachment in such a way that you can't help but sympathize with Clay's permanently dazed expression as Thom bulldozes in and out of his life. An enemies-to-lovers debut with a love interest who lacks public approval.

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