Her first big reporting assignment for her North Carolina college newspaper has her covering a state senator’s impromptu press conference. Brady Maxwell may have everything it takes to be a politician—a winning pedigree, devastating good looks, a body made to wear suits—but his politics rub Liz the wrong way. When Liz’s hard-hitting question catches the upstart senator off-guard, it impresses Hayden Lane, Liz’s editor who feels she’s headed for a promising career as a reporter.
But Liz is also headed into a secret romance with Brady that could destroy both their ambitions. Though he’s a bachelor, potential voters might frown on Brady cozying up to a reporter. And Liz isn’t sure sneaking around is enough for her—especially when things between her and Hayden might be less platonic than she thought.
Sleek, sexy, and smart, Off the Record ventures into a high-stakes campaign and an even higher-stakes affair to answer the question: When politics and love collide, can there ever be a winner?
4.5 Smoldering Stars
Review by Nicole Lorenzo
Liz Dougherty
is on her first big assignment as a Reporter for her college newspaper. She’s
at a political press conference for Senator Brady Maxwell III. She’s a bundle
of nerves and excitement, hoping she gets the chance to ask the Senator a
question. Liz doesn’t really agree with the young Senators, politics,
especially his work in cutting money in Education. But the second Brady Maxwell
walks on stage her mind goes completely blank and for a moment she forgets
about his politics and focuses on the man, and quite a man he is. He’s gorgeous,
sexy and wears a suit like no one else.
“His voice was like an addiction-
pulling you in, making you crave more, making you feel as if you could never
get enough.”
Senator
Maxwell called this press conference to announce his intention to run for The
House Of Representatives. After his speech the time has come for questions, and
would you believe, Brady calls on Liz for the last question of the day. The
second their eyes connect, there is an electric current that runs between them.
It’s as if they are the only two people in the room. Somehow Liz manages to
compose herself and ask her question, and what a question it is. She catches
him off guard and catches his interest as well. Later that night Brady seeks
her out in a club and has her brought up to the VIP section. There he expresses
his interest in seeing her again and gives her his business card.
"You want to see
me. I want to see you. Call me. If you don't, you'll regret it."
Liz wants to
see Brady again, she really, really wants to, but as strong as the attraction
between them is, she knows it’s a bad idea. When she sees him again at a Gala
she knows there is no chance in hell that they can resist the pull towards one
another a second longer, and to be honest Liz doesn’t want to resist. After an
amazing night together Brady makes it clear that he wants to see her again, but
in private. With her being a Reporter and him running for office both of their
careers could be in jeopardy if they are not discreet. Liz is hesitant at first
but knows there is no way she can stay away from Brady Maxwell, so she finds
herself agreeing to a secret affair with the State Senator.
"This is almost
whatever you want it to be. It's not public. It's not in the news. It's not a
point the campaign can use against me. It's a woman and a man taking what they
can in a world where it's not feasible for us to be together."
Brady calls
the shots in this relationship, if you can call it that. When he calls she
comes, when he doesn’t call, she waits. But every moment they do spend together
is amazing and becoming so much more than she thought it would originally. And
as the days turn into weeks and the weeks turn into months Liz realizes she has
fallen for Brady Maxwell. The problem is that she is starting to want more than
just secret moments behind closed doors. She wants their relationship to be
public, so they can be together whenever they want. But Brady has worked too
hard to be where he is and even though he loves Liz, he won’t give it all up
for her. So everything has to remain a secret.
Secrets were going to be her
downfall. Her secrets now had secrets... And all of it together felt as if it
wasn’t just caving in on top of her, but it was crushing her. Worst of all...
it felt as if by holding on to all of her secrets, she was losing a part of
herself.
The longer
it goes on the more Liz starts to resent the fact that they cannot bring their
relationship out in the open. But with the election drawing close they have to
be more careful than ever, barely seeing each other at all. Liz is starting to
wonder if they will ever be able to have a public relationship, and even though
she knows Brady loves her is it enough?
"So...that's it
then? You're choosing the campaign."
"It's never been a
choice. I'm stubborn. I want both."
I’ve been a
big fan of K.A.Linde since the Avoiding Series, so I couldn’t wait for this new
book to come out!! She didn’t disappoint me!! Off the Record was a story about
a forbidden romance that was supposed to be just a fling but turned into so
much more. I loved Liz, I liked that she
was strong and smart, and not willing to give up her career for Brady no matter
how much she liked him. Brady was drawn to Liz from the first time he laid eyes
on her. He liked that she was strong, had her own opinions and didn’t just fall
at his feet because he was a Politician, but he definitely didn’t expect to
fall I love with her. Their chemistry was off the charts from their first meeting
and I am very excited to where their story leads them. I especially enjoyed
getting a small glimpse into the mind of Brady Maxwell, I hope we get more of
that in the next book!!
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