Nicole Sexton and Susan Johnston’s novel Party Favors is just about the perfect read for the days leading up to the next presidential election: funny, engrossing and full of all the slights, corruption and disillusionment synonymous with D.C. politics. But while Temple quickly discovers not everyone in the District can be trusted, she never does lose her ability to trust.
Party Favors follows dynamo fundraiser Temple Sachet, a young woman who makes a name for herself by becoming well-connected in the South throwing lavish parties and raising millions of dollars for local personalities. Temple comes from a long line of enterprising women — most notably her mother, who creates, runs and profits from creating her own real estate business in Louisiana. With the help of her stepfather, Temple meets powerful people and puts her abilities to organize and drum up funds for lawmakers to eventual good use: through her work with the Republican Party.
Temple begins to represent senators and other lawmakers, earning a position working with a man running for a seat on the national stage by impressing everyone around her with her natural ability to win over everyone — even many critics. She eventually makes her way to Washington, D.C. after a chance meeting with powerful fundraiser Prudence leaves an indelible impression on her. As she settles into her new life in Washington, begins sleeping on the floor of her office and can scarcely find time to even shower, Temple starts to wonder what it really means to raise millions and millions of dollars for a political candidate — especially one whose values she does not share. Temple learns the old adage “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” couldn’t be more true in politics — and it takes an old-fashioned backstabbing for her to finally recognize all she’s sacrificed and given up to get ahead.
I really, really liked this book — it was smart, funny and sophisticated, and all of the political jokes and behind-the-scenes glimpses were really fascinating to me. Co-author Nicole Sexton worked as a fundraiser for the Republican Party for fifteen years, eventually leaving her post as finance director to work with the ONE campaign. I don’t think it’s any secret that Party Favors probably closely imitates her own experiences as a fundraiser, and I have no problem with that.
Temple Sachet is, at her heart, a very good person — and even though she gets caught up in the scheming, lying and betraying rampant behind the scenes of political life, she never lets it change, at her core, who she really is. It was also incredibly refreshing to read a book that doesn’t center around, like, OMG, can Temple find herself A D.C. HOTTIE?!!? While Temple does meet men in the District, her love life is not the center focus of the novel. Temple’s journey to separate her life from her work, find out what really matters (it’s always family, right?) and finally shed the thick, unattractive skin she’d donned is what Party Favors is all about.
Exceptionally well-written and a perfect example of both showing and telling with writing, I loved this book. If you’re not into politics — and don’t follow senators or congressmen or whoever — I think there’s still plenty here to enjoy, but having at least a vague interest in the political world would really help draw you into the story. Living outside D.C. all my life, I also loved seeing all sorts of local places pop up in the story. Definitely a very worthy read!
4.5 out of 5!
ISBN: 1599214598 ♥ Purchase from Amazon ♥ Author Website
Review copy obtained as a perk of being a bookseller
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This looks great. I look forward to reading it.