I feel like I am drawn to the middle-aged women’s fictional books that touch on complex yet easy-to-poke fun at topics; Cleo McDougal did not disappoint.

Set in Washington D.C. and Seattle, Senator McDougal is a single mom raising an appropriately moody teenage boy. The senator, through no real desire of her own, finds herself traveling down a path to correct her list of regrets; one of which was her ex-best friend, another the man who is unknowingly her son’s father. Through the usual twists and turns that make a novel good, Cleo McDougal was a smooth read and quite enjoyable. Nothing was of real surprise, but the writing style made up for any potential shortcomings.



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I was never one to pick up a book with politics as its theme, even though I follow it IRL when I can. But this is primarily a story about a single mother struggling to make it in a man's world, a Senator with a laundry list of regrets and mistakes she's made in her life, who start to address them in a bid to become the Presidential nominee. I thought it was great, plenty of feminist themes that I think a lot of working women can agree with, on some level.

Even though she isn't likeable in the beginning, ruthless and having stepped over toes and over people to get to where she is, she eventually learns what it means to be...well...a decent human being. The only thing I didn't like, personally, is the *reason* why she chose to change, because she pretty much was forced to, to win points over for her presidential bid. So, I didn't agree with her motive for change.

But the lessons she learns along the way are valuable. And it's a story of how people can change, when they want to. And having grown up with a single mother myself, it was nice to see that the main character was a single mom, and I thought it was pretty realistically portrayed - a woman juggling her career and family life.

It ended on a good note, and I did enjoy reading about Cleo's character arc and the positive changes she makes along the way. It was written in third person from Cleo's POV. Overall a good story and well-written. ( )

I was never one to pick up a book with politics as its theme, even though I follow it IRL when I can. But this is primarily a story about a single mother struggling to make it in a man's world, a Senator with a laundry list of regrets and mistakes she's made in her life, who start to address them in a bid to become the Presidential nominee. I thought it was great, plenty of feminist themes that I think a lot of working women can agree with, on some level.

Even though she isn't likeable in the beginning, ruthless and having stepped over toes and over people to get to where she is, she eventually learns what it means to be...well...a decent human being. The only thing I didn't like, personally, is the *reason* why she chose to change, because she pretty much was forced to, to win points over for her presidential bid. So, I didn't agree with her motive for change.

But the lessons she learns along the way are valuable. And it's a story of how people can change, when they want to. And having grown up with a single mother myself, it was nice to see that the main character was a single mom, and I thought it was pretty realistically portrayed - a woman juggling her career and family life.

It ended on a good note, and I did enjoy reading about Cleo's character arc and the positive changes she makes along the way. It was written in third person from Cleo's POV. Overall a good story and well-written. ( )

Not bad for an Amazon First Reads book. Ending felt rushed, and I would have liked some more resolution. Very close to being really excellent.

NB: I rarely read the AFR picks, but I went to college with the author and have to support a fellow Penn KAT. ( )

This was my July 2020 Prime pick. Frankly, I don't normally prioritize reading of my Prime picks, but this one I dug into. It's a fast read and relatively inconsequential though I was intrigued by the book's premise.

Cleo is a senator, a single mother, and highly self-absorbed. A BFF turned frenemy posts a takedown of her on Facebook and follows that up with a full-page op-ed character critique. Fearing it might harm her chance at winning the presidency, her campaign director comes up with the idea of videoing Cleo rectifying her top 10 regrets to up her likability and empathy among female voters and moneyed supporters. In theory, what starts as political theater to gain populace points, becomes a path to growth and a better life for Cleo.

I say in theory because...it doesn't quite work out as planned for Cleo or with this reader.

Lots of (superfluous) cursing, if that bothers you. To me, it was the book equivalent of tossing in unnecessarily 'edgy, adult' language to draw an older audience. Underneath the veneer and despite Cleo being 40-something, this reads like a Millennial/YA political chick-lit (not that there's anything wrong with that, if that's your thing).

If Cosmo Magazine still exists and has book recos, this strikes me as one that'd be on it. Thank u, next. ( )