Never Marry a Politician

It's so politically incorrect ...

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on Waterstones.com
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 7 Mar 2016 | Archive Date 4 Mar 2016

Description

'Never, under any circumstances, marry a politician … ‘

In trying to be the model wife to Ralph, a fiercely ambitious politician, Emily has betrayed her heart and her principles. Once she was a promising journalist, but now reluctant domestic goddess is more her scene.

When unexpected events lead to Ralph becoming a candidate for Prime Minster, Emily finds maintaining the façade of picture-perfect family life an increasing struggle –especially when her romantic past comes back to haunt her in the form of tough-talking journalist, Matt Morley.

Matt is highly skilled at ‘digging the dirt’ and, sure enough, Ralph has a sordid secret that is soon uncovered. In the aftermath of the discovery, will Emily finally find the courage to be true to herself, or is she stuck in the world of PR tactics and photo opportunities for good?

'Never, under any circumstances, marry a politician … ‘

In trying to be the model wife to Ralph, a fiercely ambitious politician, Emily has betrayed her heart and her principles. Once she was a...


A Note From the Publisher

Humorous British romance.

Humorous British romance.


Advance Praise

Witty comedy.

Good Housekeeping magazine.

Witty comedy.

Good Housekeeping magazine.



Average rating from 19 members


Featured Reviews

'Never, under any circumstances, marry a politician...'

This was the first line in the description, and I have to admit, it got my attention. A book about love and politics, and I knew I was about to read a great book! This was such an interesting read, and although this is the first book that I've read by Sarah Waights, it will not be my last.

Emily had a career as a journalist, but gave it up to be with her family. Her husband, Ralph, is a politician with big dreams...and is a candidate for Prime Minister. Emily tries so hard to be a great wife to Ralph, and Ralph wants that perfect family image every politician strives to portray. Portraying the perfect family does by no means mean that you have the perfect family. What is shown on the outside does not always show what is happening on the inside. Emily is trying so hard to live up to her husband's expectations that she soon forgets who she truly is. She continues to sacrifice her own happiness in order to play the politician's wife. To make matters even worse, a man from her past enters the story, and this is not a good thing. Matt is a political journalist and a man that knows how to write a story, and in this case, he has uncovered some things that could ruin Ralph's reputation and possibly even his career and marriage. Even though Emily and Matt share a past, at the end of the day, he still has a job to do. Emily is forced to make some difficult choices. She has unresolved feelings for Matt, which of course, complicates things even further.

I loved this story on so many levels! The writing is amazing and it was so easy to relate to Emily and the struggles she is facing. I also enjoyed the inside look on being a politician's wife, and the things expected when you are one. Emily is such an amazing character, one who deeply wants her family to remain intact, but she also knows she will be paying the ultimate price to do so. I felt the author was able to keep my attention throughout the book, and wrapped the story up in a way that left me happy when I finished reading it. I would highly recommend reading this book! I am looking forward to reading more by Sarah Waights.

I was given a digital copy of this book by Choc Lit and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Never Marry a Politician. It's so politically incorrect ... Sarah Waights

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews Genre:  Romance, Women’s Fiction
 What a great fun read this was, and a treat to find a book set in the UK. As a Brit myself brought up in a political, very strongly socialist home I know the UK system fairly well, and this book mirrors what I suspect happens much of the time, where its not doing the deed that's wrong, its getting caught! We see it all the while, the wife and kids trotted out, platitudes spoken and the impression it was just a minor aberration. His c ock just happened to slip in the wrong direction due to pressures of work, worries about health, family problems..... No-one is too precious to be sacrificed to a politician’s ambition. It always amazes me how they think they are going to get away with it but it happens time and time again. That makes me sound horribly cynical doesn’t it? I wanted to be an MP when I was a teenager, to change things for the good, to make a difference to people’s lives – that or a jockey...in the 70 ‘s careers for girls were still something of an oxymoron, and as there were few female MPs and no female jockeys our careers teacher was pretty sharp with me, told me to be a Nanny or something!
Back in the 80’ s there were two TV sit-coms about politics, the very funny Yes (Prime) Minister and The New Statesman, a much more sharp and cynical show. There’s shades of them in this book, with The Party being everything and nothing too great a sacrifice.

The characters are very good, feel very real. I adore Emily, and how she’s tried so hard to be the wife Ralph needs, and over time subjugated all her own needs and ambition. That's really sad, and when we learn more about what happened to her and how she met Ralph, its easier to understand how this confident, competent journalist could compromise her ideals this way. Matt, what a great man, he was so understanding, as time had passed he’d seen where he let Emily down, and really them parting should never had happened, if time and circumstances had been different...but she met Ralph, older, confident and ambitious, in need of a wife as he wanted to move more into politics, and before she knew it almost daughter Tash was about to arrive and they were married. Now they’ve Alfie too and live in a lovely rambling home in the heart of Ralph's constituency. He seems to spend more and more time in London though, and the plans they’d made for him to balance work and home seem to have been lost. He’s swiftly risen up the pole, now shadow Home Secretary, in no small part due to the work Emily does in the constituency and providing the right family image. I really didn’t like Ralph, found him a selfish individual, one of those married to his career. Nothing was too small or too private to use as political advantage, he never seemed to worry about how others felt, only if it could benefit him. When he gets the chance to stand as PM very suddenly – well, all the discussions he’d promised Emily got pushed aside and I so felt for her. She’s got pushed more and more into a mould that just doesn't fit her. Then someone from her past comes back, Matt, the guy she was in love with til it all went wrong. She hasn't realised how much she still feels for him, and its clear he still loves her. He’s a political journalist and shadowing Ralph, who of course thinks its a wonderful opportunity. When some big secrets come out that could scupper his chances at PM Emily has some decisions to make.

The kids were great too, just how children are, and felt well written for their age group. Sometimes kids are written as some kind of little adult, and it just doesn't feel right, but these two are spot on. Nessa, Emily’s friend is a great addition, as is TJ the local party agent. Its a good mix of people, a great story, and one that I could imagine happening only too well – that old “don’t get caught” adage certainly came into play, and once everything is out then the way its spun to present things in a way that is acceptable to the electorate Eurghh!! But so very real. As well as the everyday issues that affect the family, there’s the Matt issue and he was such a great guy, a journalist with integrity, and one who valued Emily for what she was and not just what she could do for him, as Ralph seemed to. Its a great read, one I really enjoyed and has a perfect ending.  Stars: five, a fabulous read, very true to life in UK politics. ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

Was this review helpful?

I was given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Emily gives up her journalist career to marry Ralph a rising star politician ten years older than herself. She becomes the "ideal wife", slightly neglected and down trodden. When Matt a political journalist comes to do an article on Ralph things become more interesting. He is a former boyfriend of Emily's, a fact not known by her husband or his advisers. There is obviously some history and feelings still between them. I really liked the way each chapter has a preface comment from a 1950s housewife. Totally outdated for the current modern woman but seemingly the sort of wife a politician should have. An eye opening reflection of public life, which I can only imagine has strong elements of truth. The dialogue is crisp, The portrayal of the individual characters insightful and very credible. I particularly liked the way Ralph is portrayed -an arrogant, insincere person to whom power seems to be all important. The book develops well with secrets being revealed. At times humorous, at times sad this book was a great read. 4.5****

Was this review helpful?

In Never Marry a Politician by Sarah Waights we meet Emily Pemily (yes really) a young woman who was on the verge of a successful career in journalism, until she hastily married ambitious and older man Ralph Pemily. Ten years on and Emily’s lost most of her individuality, given up her career and spends her days supporting her husband. But when her husband suddenly becomes a candidate for the next Prime Minister she begins to question exactly how happy she is with her life. Enter journalist and love of Emily’s life Matt Morley, who’s come to write about Ralph. Matt being the excellent journalist that he is uncovers a few secrets Ralph is hoping to keep out of the public eye. With her marriage not being what it seems and unfinished business with Matt, Emily has to decide to keep quiet for the sake of the country or to follow her heart to what really makes her happy.
I found Emily to be a really interesting character. She seemed to be really struggling with being the ‘perfect’ wife for Ralph as she is beginning to realise she’s just not cut out for a life of Politics. She doesn’t want to leave their idyllic home in Suffolk for a life at Number 10. When Matt comes back into her life she really struggles as he’s the one she’s always loved and the one she should have married. Reading how Emily begins to work out what she wants and how to get it without causing too much of an uproar was fascinating. I loved how she experienced such a wide range of emotions internally but on the outside remained the perfect docile wife. I even liked Ralph to an extent. Yes he’s arrogant, power hungry and doesn’t seem to take any interest in his family’s well-being but he seems genuinely oblivious to everything but the power he craves and I don’t really think that makes him that bad. All the other characters added to the very realistic portrayal of political life. All doing what they could to represent a stable united party to the media. This is a novel which gives us a glimpse into everyday political life and how it effects people on a more personal level, it’s a novel which I found to be full of varying emotions guilt, anger, remorse, embarrassment, sadness and even a little humour. I think Sarah Waights has done a brilliant job with the book as I couldn’t put it down as I was so engrossed in what Emily was going to do next. I am looking forward to see what she writes next as I’m sure it will be as equally compelling.
Thank you to the publishers Choc Lit UK and Netgalley for this review copy. I would like to rate Never Marry a Politician by Sarah Waights 5 out of 5.

Was this review helpful?

Captivatingly funny. Loved it. Hope Sarah Waights will write a lot more.

Was this review helpful?

This book was different to many I have read and was quite an interesting story. Emily is married to Ralph. He is a politician who has a hectic life and is rarely home. She spends her time looking after their two young children. Ralph becomes Prime Minister and Emily finds out he is having an affair. She is expected to carry on with normal life, as he is Prime Minister, even when the story of the affair is made public. The love of Emily's life is Matt who is a journalist and she hasn't seen him for ten years. When he comes back into her life and still loves her, does she have the strength to leave Ralph, for Matt, and have happiness for herself and the children?

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: