(72)The First Affair by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

The First Affair

by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus

@NannyDiaries

Pages: 256

Publication Date: August 27, 2013

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Jamie McAllister is just like thousands of other recent college graduates, in debt up to her eyeballs and desperate for a job.  She does what many other college grads do and accepts an internship to pad her resume while she continues looking for a paying gig. Only the internship she accepted is at the White House.  Working at our nations's capitol is an exhilarating, yet overwhelming experience for Jamie, especially when the very handsome Commander in Chief shows interest in Jamie, and even more so when they kiss in a clandestine meeting.  What happens after that is a whirlwind romance that turns Jamie upside down. The emotions of a new relationship can be tough for any normal twenty-one year old, but when the new boyfriend is married and the President of the United States, well it brings with it a whole new level of issues.  Jamie does the only thing she thinks she can do and tells her closest friends about her new beau.  Only what she said in confidence does not stay confident and soon Jamie is involved with the FBI and a special committee  is threatening to bring down the President and ruin their lives.

The concept behind The First Affair is not a new one.  The authors "borrowed" a lot of material from our country's history.  A charismatic President, an "irresistible" intern, a piece of clothing with an irrefutable DNA stain. (Ahem.) Some of the issues the President is dealing with in his Presidency will also seem familiar, like Government furloughs and budget issues.  I will be honest, I found myself rolling my eyes at several of these similarities, yet I still couldn't stop reading.   Jamie's naivete is both refreshing and annoying.  She has a never-ending belief in the man who told her "I love you."  no matter how much evidence stacks up against him.   There is also an interesting family dynamic between Jamie, her sister Erica, and their parents.  It is a subplot that is a bit of a train wreck in nature. I will say that my favorite part of the whole book was the Epilogue, it wrapped everything up fairly neatly, but not in a way that I expected.

Bottom line, if you are looking for a literary masterpiece, then you need to put this book down and pick up Night Film.  If you are looking for fluff and keep your expectations low (or non-existant ) then The First Affair might be the right book for you.