Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Press

SERIES: White House Men #1

AUTHOR: Nora Phoenix

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 365 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 21, 2020

BLURB:

Henley is off-limits for Levar. So why can’t he stay away?

Five years ago, Levar survived a terrorist attack. The bombing left its scars, but he’s picked up his life. He loves working for the vice president—who is openly bisexual—as his press secretary.

Levar can’t afford a pesky attraction that proves to be frustratingly stubborn. Worse, those highly combustible sparks are with the very last person he should be falling for: Henley Platt, a well-known reporter covering the White House.

Henley may not be Levar’s enemy, but he’s definitely not his friend. He can’t be, not when their jobs put them on opposite sides. Henley is absolutely off-limits, even when he shows his appreciation for the sexy lingerie Levar loves to wear.

When the terrorists strike again with a devastating blow to the White House, Levar and Henley lean on each other for support. The sparks become a raging fire that won’t be doused, but what happens if they’re found out?

Press is the first book in the White House Men series, a romantic suspense gay romance series set in the White House. Think The West Wing but gay, and with less politics. Each book has a new love story with a happily ever after, but the suspense plot will continue throughout the books, so the series needs to be read in order. Press has 100k words. TW for terrorism and violence.

REVIEW:

I have to say, I was completely surprised by this book. Totally. I love pretty much anything Nora writes, but this is definitely out in left field of what she normally writes and I was happily surprised it turned out the way it did. I almost felt like I was reading a James Patterson book for a minute. She nailed the story, the way things work, the interplay for the White House. The emotions, the PTSD, the after story, just everything pertaining to the bombing. It was just an amazing shock to see how well she nailed this story. And I’m happy I got to read it.

As a new reporter, more or less, Levar was just filling in commentary for the Pride Parade when life for him changed in ways he never thought of. And across the way, the same could be said for Henley, who was taking pictures that day. The bombings, the pictures, the stories live that day, the heartbreak and everything in between, left devastation in it’s wake. No one could have imagined this. And yet, both are almost outside themselves as they are reporting this live. But after all the heat has settled down, their lives have changed in other ways as well. Levar is the VP’s press secretary, Henley, the White House correspondent. But things are about to take another turn that neither were expecting. They can’t stay away from each other, although it’s forbidden and Levar could lose everything. But what they claim is nothing between them, is quickly becoming an issue of falling in love. But another bombing and other things are happening that cause the heat to be turned all the way up. And now it’s being said to them, they can’t stay together. Both are miserable, and both have things they have to work through, especially Henley. But can they stay apart like they are supposed to or is someone going to have to do something drastic in order to get what they need?

That’s the one thing that sucks about being a part of the White House. Everything has to remain hush hush, certain relationships can not happen, NDAs have to be signed, it’s one thing after another. But it’s understandable because there are so many things that could go wrong. And in this book, Nora points out several things that could and did go wrong because of rules not being followed. Because greed and pettiness, jealousy and so much more, a good presidency and vice presidency ended up being separated instead of joined together in a united stance. And it ended bad. You’ll have to read to find out. The point is, life in the White House is not easy. And being in the positions Henley and Levar were in, made it even harder. Henley could have used things Levar said so many times in his paper, but because they had struck up a friendship that had set boundaries in things like that, they knew when they needed friendship, not to be on the record. Also, with things they had been through with the bombings and such, they knew how each other and sometimes quiet was all they needed. Someone who got it, without it having to be explained. And I get why they got together, despite the danger. They were everything each other needed, even when they didn’t want to admit it. Henley need someone he could lean and rely on, where he didn’t have to be ‘on’ all the time, and Levar gave him that. And for Levar, Henley gave him life. He appreciated EVERYTHING about Levar, especially his little secret, and because of it, Levar had more confidence in who he was. He didn’t have to hide for Henley. 

But it still meant their jobs. Or Levar’s. Or could have. Like I said, not an easy thing. And unfortunately, in this interest, it took several drastic things to make things finally come to light about how happy they really were and what it was going to take to change it all. It was a rough journey for the both of them, but then again, sometimes the best relationships come out of the hardest things. Look at a diamond. Or a pearl. The stuff, the pain it takes to make one, but the beauty being worth every bit of it in the end. 

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

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