Review: Campaigning for Christopher by Katy Regnery

Campaigning for Christopher by Katy Regnery

(The Winslow Brothers #4)

November 17, 2015

231 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance 18+

Contains: sex, language

Source: eARC for Honest review

Christopher Winslow, the youngest of the four Winslow brothers, was born with a silver spoon in his privileged mouth, which has made it difficult for him to establish his credibility in the fast-approaching congressional race. Working against the clock to assure Pennsylvania voters that he is forthright, trustworthy and able has been an exhausting challenge, but Christopher's chances at beating the incumbent look good.

Julianne Crow, a plus-size model struggling to make ends meet, jumps at the chance to make a little extra cash on the side. What does she have to do? Slip something into Christopher Winslow's drink and take some very naughty pictures with him.

But Christopher is nothing like Julianne expected, and when her actions sabotage his hard-earned campaign only a month before the election, her guilt is overwhelming. She offers Christopher her help in an effort to repair the damage she's caused, but can anything change the fact that he sees her as an opportunist and a mercenary? When she starts campaigning for Christopher, he may find out there's more to her than meets the eye.

It's no secret that I am a fan of Katy Regnery. The way she strings a romance together, and the family and friend relationships she creates, just hits the spot with me. Now I have my favorite books of hers, and have worried that she would run out of material to create that "magic" I always look forward to. But I needn't worry, because as it turns out, 'Campaigning for Christopher' has actually joined ranks amongst my favorite Regnery novels.

One thing that made this story particularly special was our heroine, Julianne Crow. Julianne is not only a plus-size model, but an American Indian as well, Lakota specifically. I love diversity, but it helps when that diversity is well written. And Julianne was very well written. You couldn't put her in a box. She wasn't just Indian. She wasn't just plus-sized. She wasn't just a model. And she wasn't the just the perpetrator of sabotage she inflicted at the beginning of the book. She was so much more. And I loved getting to know her. She was an incredibly strong character, who despite my initial reservations about due to her misguided treatment of Christopher, truly won me over. I don't know what I liked more, her humility in the beginning of the novel, or her personal integrity at the end. She has to be one of my favorite heroines Regnery has created.

I also loved Christopher. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Chris could not have had a more different upbringing than Julianne. But for all the wealth and privilege he had, Christopher was surprisingly well grounded. He was almost too perfect, which made the situation with Julianne quite awkward, but in the long run, actually quite good for his character. He needed to be shaken up a bit, and though that may not have been her intention, it sure worked out. If I loved Julianne's humility in the beginning, I also loved Christopher's stubbornness. I liked that he needed to learn how to trust, how to forgive, and how to give his heart. Chris's journey was just as important as Julianne's.

And then there's the romance. This was a lovely slow-burn, and I soaked up every minute of it. I loved that they had an intense chemistry to start with, but such unique and fascinating circumstances made the build-up of their relationship truly engaging. The trials and situations they dealt with made getting to their hearts and their feelings that much better. The struggle was realistic and meant something. But the payoff was totally worth it. I was truly enchanted by Christopher and Julianne. They were the perfect end to the Winslow Brothers quartet (though I hope they will make appearances in any spin-off series).

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Award-winning and Amazon bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract for a winter romance entitled By Proxy.

Now a hybrid author who publishes both independently and traditionally, Katy claims authorship of the six-book Heart of Montana series, the six-book English Brothers series, and a Kindle Worlds novella entitled Four Weddings and a Fiasco: The Wedding Date. Katy’s short story “The Long Way Home” appears in the first Romance Writers of America anthology, Premiere, and she has published two stand-alone novels, Playing for Love at Deep Haven and the Amazon bestseller The Vixen and the Vet, which is book one in Katy’s a m o d e r n f a i r y t a l e collection. The Vixen and the Vet was nominated for a RITA® Award in 2015.

Katy lives in the relative wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children, and two dogs create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories begin at home.

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About The English Brothers series:

*All books in The English Brothers series are approximately 200 pages. The RWA classifies this as "Mid-length Contemporary Romance."

THE ENGLISH BROTHERS

Breaking Up with Barrett, The English Brothers, Book #1
My Review --  Amazon  -- Goodreads

Falling for Fitz, The English Brothers, Book #2
My Review -- Amazon -- Goodreads

Anyone but Alex, The English Brothers, Book #3
My Review  --  Amazon  --  Goodreads

Seduced by Stratton, The English Brothers, Book #4
My Review -- Amazon --  Goodreads

Wild about Weston, The English Brothers, Book #5
My Review -- Amazon --  Goodreads 

Kiss Me Kate, The English Brothers, Book #6
My Review ~ Amazon  ~  Goodreads

About The Winslow Brothers series:

*The Winslow Brothers books are a companion series to the English Brothers books, but all can be read as standalones. All books in The Winslow Brothers series are approximately 200 pages. The RWA classifies this as "Mid-length Contemporary Romance."

THE WINSLOW BROTHERS

Bidding on Brooks, The Winslow Brothers, Book #1
My Review ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

Proposing to Preston, The Winslow Brothers, Book #2
My Review ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

Crazy about Cameron, The Winslow Brothers, Book #3
My Review ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

Campaigning for Christopher, The Winslow Brothers, Book #4
My Review ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads