Our American Friend

An interesting premise - a former news reporter, Sofie Morse, is hired to write a biography of the First Lady, Lara Caine, who's a former fashion model from Eastern Europe, married to a controversial US President, with a young child (in this case, twin girls) and a shadowy past. (any similarities to a recent resident of the White House are obviously intended) Not much is known about FLOTUS and as Lara opens up to Sofie, we begin to suspect she has a hidden agenda we don't yet understand. And boy, does she ever. Before she knows it, Sofie's immersed in an international intrigue that could have far-reaching effects on world politics. Is she being used as a mere pawn in some game she doesn't understand? Should she trust Lara or start her own investigation into what she's being told? What is the truth?

I could have used less of the back story of Lara's previous life in Russia and in Paris, including an early tragic romance, because after a while it took me out of the story playing out in the present day which I found much more intriguing. Felt like much of it could have been condensed and I would still understand why Lara behaved as she did. Also, I longed to hear more details about how Lara met the man that became her husband and the bargain she struck there.

Parts of the novel rang a bit unlikely and convenient but I did enjoy the thinly-veiled peek behind the curtain of Washington and international politics. I wasn't sure Sofie would be that easily taken in although perhaps the lure of the big scoop plus a hefty paycheck was enough to sway her. But all in all, an enjoyable story. For fans of political intrigue and the machinations that occur behind the scenes in US politics. And it's fun to wonder how much of what's written might actually be true of a certain previous First Lady, who remains to this day an enigma.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.