The GQ Candidate by Keli Goff

Title: The GQ Candidate

Author: Keli Goff

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: July 5, 2011

Rating: 3.5 out 5

Summary: {Goodreads}

After a sex scandal brings down a local politician, Luke Cooper finds himself catapulted into the Michigan Governor’s mansion, making him one of the few black and—by virtue of adoption—Jewish elected officials to hold such an office. His national celebrity is increased when he heroically saves the life of an avowed racist, and his good looks and charm earn him the nickname “The GQ Candidate.”

One day Luke stuns his inner circle by informing them that he has decided to run for president. His friends offer to help but a fundraiser, hosted by one, and a major scandal involving another, become the subject of negative gossip that threatens the campaign. Meanwhile, Luke’s wife is ambivalent about her husband’s political aspirations, and grows wary of life in the spotlight especially after a surprise from their past inconveniently reappears during his historic run.

The GQ Candidate gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at what happens in the lives of candidates, and the people closest to them, when the cameras aren’t rolling. In addition to the story of the campaign, the novel also follows the lives of Luke’s tight knit circle of friends and reveals how his amazing race changes their lives forever.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I'm giving this 3.5 stars, but I'm hesitant to round up for a couple of reasons.

"GQ magazine named him to its list of "Political Power Players," noting that 'the handsome governor is known so much for his debonair suits that some in the Michigan statehouse have been known to refer to him as Mr. GQ.'"

The Good:

As someone who studied politics in college and even worked on a couple local campaigns, I was excited with the premise of following Luke's presidential campaign behind-the-scenes. And on that front, it did not disappoint. Goff made it a point to show us a lot of what goes on. Fundraisers, stump speeches, media, scandals. All of it. I even appreciated several of the "media clippings" she inserted throughout the book.

Also, let's give it up for some strong female characters! I was a little worried that with Luke as a candidate, we'd be stuck with a bland carbon-copy Stepford wife. Instead, we got Laura! I loved Laura's character as Luke's wife. I think out of all of them, she was the most interesting as an educated, ambitious, and supportive wife and mother. Then we also had Brooke - Laura's best friend, who as a successful publicist, is great in her own right, but she's also a very supportive friend to Laura through the whole process. Finally, there's Esther, Luke's adoptive mother. She was a civil rights activist in her youth and still has a feisty, protective attitude towards Luke and her other sons. These three ladies on their own are interesting and strong characters, but their relationships with their husbands make them even better because they have positive relationships built on equality, mutual respect and support, and unconditional love.

The Bad:

Too many characters. Seriously, the first 100 pages or so are spent introducing characters in depth and, frankly, only about half of them are very important. I think at my last count I was at 11 - and it certainly didn't stop there. I thought that spending so much time on the back stories of the minor characters took away from proper development of the plot.

Which bring me to...the ending. I was a little disappointed at the end. It felt rushed and a little incomplete. Just when it had started to get exciting and the story was moving forward, it was all rushed to the end. It felt like some of the characters and some aspects of the story needed closure.

Finally, a special mention to Brock, one of Luke's best friends from college. Brock, you're an asshole. I'm sorry you had a tough life; I'm sorry you were poor and unpopular. However, that is no excuse to be a misogynistic pig! You made it in life. You're a big-shot attorney, you have a gorgeous ex-model wife, and two twin boys. What's wrong with you? There's no need to be so condescending and insulting to your wife. Talk about abusive relationship... I hated his character.

Overall, it was a good read. I enjoyed all of the campaign staff and I was surprisingly happy that it dealt more with the personal effects of a presidential rather than the issues. If I wanted tor read about the issues, I'd stick with non-fiction. It definitely took me a while to get through the first third of the novel (all those characters!), but once the campaign got underway, the story sucked me in.

** This review also found on Goodreads here.