Hope Never Dies (An Obama Biden Mystery #1) by Andrew Shaffer

* * * *

This mystery thriller reunites Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama for a political mashup full of suspense, intrigue, and laugh out loud bromance.

Vice President Joe Biden is fresh out of the Obama White House and feeling adrift when his favorite railroad conductor dies in a suspicious accident, leaving behind an ailing wife and a trail of clues. To unravel the mystery, “Amtrak Joe” re-teams with the only man he’s ever fully trusted—the 44th president of the United States. Together they’ll plumb the darkest corners of Delaware, traveling from cheap motels to biker bars and beyond, as they uncover the sinister forces advancing America’s opioid epidemic.

Part noir thriller and part bromance novel, Hope Never Dies is essentially the first published work of Obama/Biden fanfiction—and a cathartic read for anyone distressed by the current state of affairs.

Source: purchased


I had two reasons to read this book. One, Andrew Shaffer is incredibly funny. Two, Barack and Joe together again - heck yeah

If you're used to all the Obama-Biden bromance memes and you're expecting that right off the bat, you're not going to get that. This is the post-presidency, and Barack and Joe have gone their separate ways doing their own thing. The entire story is told from Joe's POV and let me say, Uncle Joe actually sounds kind of mopey at first. It's mostly that he's hurt that Barack is off doing these amazing things now that he's out of office and Joe hasn't been included. You can understand why after they've been working side by side for 8 years. What does bring them together is the death of a train conductor, someone Joe knew personally. Barack flagged it as suspicious because the deceased had something connected to Joe. Nothing lifts your spirits during retirement like a murder mystery to solve. Things don't automatically go back to normal between Barack and Joe but that awkwardness will have to take a back seat to the more important task at hand.

I enjoyed reading Hope Never Dies and there's no way you can read it without hearing either Barack's or Joe's voice in your mind. I think we could all use a little lightheartedness (yes, I know they're solving a murder) but you know, seeing them back together in action even in fiction form is the hope that most of us want and need right now. Shaffer doesn't veer towards current politics too much, maybe an allusion to it here and there but not enough to derail the story and take it in a different direction.

The story starts out a bit slow as Joe reminisces about his youth, friendships and the White House days. The pacing makes sense for this dynamic duo and reminded me a little of those old-timey black and white detective shows. It's all about nostalgia and if you're feeling sentimental for the ultimate bromance, make sure you read Hope Never Dies and then eagerly wait for the next book coming out in 2019!

~ Bel

Fifty Shames of Earl Grey by Fanny Merkin (a.k.a. Andrew Shaffer)

Young, arrogant, tycoon Earl Grey seduces the naïve coed Anna Steal with his overpowering good looks and staggering amounts of money, but will she be able to get past his fifty shames, including shopping at Walmart on Saturdays, bondage with handcuffs, and his love of BDSM (Bards, Dragons, Sorcery, and Magick)? Or will his dark secrets and constant smirking drive her over the edge.







Nat's Review

Bel and I have both read the Fifty Shades trilogy.  It’s not the type of book you will see us review on Bibliojunkies so you don’t have to worry about being bored to death by my very mixed feelings.  Let’s just say I both enjoyed it and had major issues with it.  But those mixed feeling really left me quite open to appreciating a parody.  When I saw this book highlighted on a few blogs I was intrigued and told Bel about it.  She quickly suggested we both read and review it.  And all I have to say is that I am so happy we decided to do this.  

I was pretty afraid of how this book would read.  It could be funny or it could just be painfully embarrassing.  In the end, it was so ridiculous that I couldn’t put it down.  I think this would be a funny read for anyone regardless of their Fifty Shades knowledge.  But if you DID read Fifty Shades of Grey, you probably won’t stop laughing.  

To give you some spoiler-free info on this hilarious parody, Anna picks her nose instead of bites her lip and Earl Grey finds it a major turn on.  And the very naughty Earl Grey tries to make everything a sexual innuendo.  And I mean EVERYTHING.  Oh and did I mention that he practices BDSM?  Bards, Dragons, Sorcery and Magic – An erotic role playing game where he dresses up as an elf and punishes faeries. 

But one of my absolutely favorite things about this parody was Earl Grey’s ability to do anything.  One of things that I found both amusing and frustrating about Fifty Shades of Grey was Christian’s numerous hobbies.  He is only 27 yet he runs a multi-billion dollar corporation that he built from the ground up.  He is an expert in everything he does which includes kickboxing, piano playing and speaking French. Oh, and he can also fly a helicopter, sail a boat and fly a glider.  Yeah, I was never able to buy it.  That is just too much to MASTER at that young of an age while working a ridiculous number of hours building a Trump-like empire.  And apparently Andrew Shaffer – ahem, I mean Fanny Merkin – felt the same way.  Because Earl Grey can do everything too.  Including bartending (he learned from watching Cocktail), jet flying (he learned from watching Top Gun) and emptying the Pacific Ocean (which he learned from….I really have no idea where he learned that one). 

If you enjoy a light read and a good parody, I highly recommend this book. 

Nat

Bel's Review

Okay, parodies can be iffy. When you’re spoofing a very much talked about book, it’s even riskier. I’d read a parody of the Twilight series called Nightlight a while back. It started out fine but ended up being just meh. So when Nat told me that there was a Fifty Shades parody, I was both curious and slightly mortified.

Let’s start off by saying that I consider the Fifty Shades trilogy to be fun, unsettling and “educational”. That last part depends on your perspective and where you fall on the open-minded and curious spectrum going from Amish to Lady Gaga. Just as the Twilight series isn’t the greatest writing in the world but still tells a compelling enough story, Fifty Shades is much the same way which is why so many of us were hooked. So when I started reading Fifty Shames I had to give the writer props for spoofing not only the story but the writing as well.

Anna Steal and Earl Grey are outrageous caricatures of the original characters. I don’t think I was able to get through a single page without rolling my eyes, shaking my head or laughing uncontrollably. Anna relies on her "inner guidette" as opposed to the other Anna's constant reference to her "inner goddess". Christian Grey’s stalking tendencies are taken to the extreme when Earl Grey shows up everywhere including appearing from under Anna's bed. His extravagant wealth and influence are ridiculed to the max e.g. when he drains an ocean for her. Seriously, that happened. These people are definitely not bright which makes them exceptionally comical.

Fifty Shames picks its way through various scenes in the book, highlighting the iconic moments and incorporating the endless Twilight comparisons. It’s non-stop from one sensational situation to another. I have two favorite scenes in the book. The first is the breakfast scene after Anna wakes up from her drunken stupor at the nightclub Eclipse (see? I wasn’t joking about the Twilight references). Fans of the Fifty Shades series will appreciate how this very awkward scene is turned into something of a National Lampoon sequence as Anna and Earl take on a conversation about his perversity while eating pretty much everything from lobster tail, to asparagus (rude gestures included) to a McRib. If this becomes a movie, I picture someone with Steve Carrell’s comedic timing to pull this off.

My other favorite scene – when they finally role play, the costumes are more ComiCon than kinky. I was in hysterics! I'll leave it at that.

So should you read it? HELL YES! It's quick, it's entertaining and it's harmless. It'll certainly brighten up your day .

~ Bel

A Peek in the Biblio-Bin (33)

Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the Biblio-Bin) has been created by the lovely ladies at Tynga Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This is what we have in our bin this week. Tell us what's in your Biblio-bin!

For Review

Fifty Shames of Earl Grey by Fanny Merkin (aka Andrew Shaffer)
They City's Son by Tom Pollock


Bought/Borrowed

What a Boy Wants by Nyrae Dawn
The Misfits by James Howe