State of Affairs by Marie Force @marieforceauthor @evakaminskyaudiobooks #FirstFamily #StateOfAffairs

the setup…
This story opens one minute after the end of the final book in the Fatal series…when Vice President Nick Cappuano receives the call that the President has died. In that one moment, everything changes for him and his wife, Metro Police Lieutenant Samantha (Sam) Holland. The Secret Service detail doubles, they’re hustled to the White House and plans for the swearing in are immediately underway. Sam worries about moving her family from the home they love and figuring out how she can continue her career and be First Lady. Not to mention, Nick’s facing his first crisis when a diplomatic trip to Iran turns to a potential hostage situation. Happy Thanksgiving.

the heart of the story…
I was happy that the focus was mostly on the transition from the family’s perspective. The first reactions of friends and extended family members, the deer-in-the-headlights existence as Sam and Nick must absorb tons of information requiring instant decisions all felt realistic. The cold case Sam had initiated and the domestic violence assault on one of her detectives was secondary but enough to satisfy the procedural aspects. I was fascinated by it all.

the narration…
Eva Kaminsky continues as the narrator and I couldn’t be happier. She also has rounded Sam’s edges some, a sign maybe of things to come.

the bottom line…
It felt right to have this first book in the spinoff be more about the initial couple of days in the transition because I wanted to know everything about that. I also learned a lot about the White House residence, how the family is served and other protocols. My interest in what comes next is certainly piqued as Sam has put her husband first more unselfishly than I’ve ever seen! I had a good time with the new First Family.

Book Info

• Release Date: April 20, 2021
• Series: First Family #1
• Narrator: Eva Kaminsky
• Audio Length: 10 hours, 49 minutes
• Publisher: HTJB, Inc.

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