The Senator's Wife: A Novel Mass Market Paperback – 9 March 1999

I stumbled onto a copy of this book some 10 years ago when I was given the paperback edition. Being a young mum the plot sounded interesting enough however once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I bought the Kindle edition today as it's a daily deal and once again flew through it while the house sleeps. Fans of suspense, political thrillers, and mainstream relationship dramas will relish Karen Robards' THE SENATOR'S WIFE. Initially, the characters are not very appealing, but as the story unfolds, readers will empathise and become fully engaged. Ronnie was raised in a poor, torn-up family, with little love. She set the goals of marrying wealthy so she would never have to do without again. In her college years she met a wealthy older man that had it all. He offered Ronnie a job in his political arena and started pursuing her heavily. Finding out that it was going to take marriage before he could get her in bed he made the offer. Marriage! Thinking he would have a young, beautiful, "trophy" wife. He continued having other woman, though. By their third year Ronnie was no longer giving him rights to her bed due to his affairs. THE SENATOR'S WIFE, Ronnie Honneker, is young, beautiful, and oozes considerable sexual appeal. As she is three decades younger than her spouse voters see her as an ornament. Ronnie knows what people think of her and does not care at all. However, she does not want to lose the accompanying power and prestige associated with being the spouse of a national lawmaker. To counteract the negative polls, The Committee To Reelect Senator Honneker hires political consultant Tom Quinlan to make her more palatable to the voters. At first, it is all business between the two of them. However, soon they become lovers, unable to deny their deep feelings for each other. As things become intense and Tom wants more... there is a murder. Political intrigue and scandal propel the plot forward, while a secondary sub-tale offers a unique twist to this complex novel. 10 years on - it's still great reading. 4.5 Stars.

Ronnie ist in ärmlichen Verhältnissen aufgewachsen. Schon in ihrer Jugend faßt sie den Beschluß, einmal anders leben zu wollen. Sie möchte einen wohlhabenden Mann, in der Öffentlichkeit stehen und in gewissen Maßen wichtig sein. All das erreicht sie, indem Sie den viele Jahren älteren Senator Lewis Honneker heiratet. Doch sie ist nicht glücklich. Lewis betrügt sie von Anfang an. Seine Kinder, allesamt älter als sie selbst, lehnen sie ab. Die Öffentlichkeit und die Medien mögen sie auch nicht. Um ihr Image zu verbessern heuert man den politischen Berater Tom Quinlan an. Tom ist auf dem Gebiet ein Profi und weiß genau, was getan werden muß, vom Inhalt von Ronnies Reden über ihre Kleidung bis hin zur Farbe ihres Nagellacks, alles läuft über seinen Tisch. Und er hat Erfolg - Ronnies Ansehen steigt. Gleichzeitig wird Tom für Ronnie immer wichtiger in ihrem Leben und sie läßt nichts unversucht, ihn zu verführen. Tom wehrt sich, doch er muß mehr und mehr erkennen, daß er auch nur ein Mann ist.Ronnie wird zu Anfang des Buches etwas berechnend und materialistisch dargestellt, Tom ist ganz der harte Politprofi. Im Verlauf des Buches werden beiden weicher, menschlicher und auch sympathischer. Auch das Ende ist spannend und beinahe eines Action-Thrillers würdig. Insgesamt ein Buch, das den Leser in seinen Bann zieht und nur schwer wieder aus der Hand zu legen ist.

I get that Ronnie was poor and grew up in a "broken" home but could not empathise with her decision to use her good looks to marry money and marry a unpleasant man some years older than her. She was at university and could have become a strong independent woman in her own right. Once the physical marriage was over she could have just ended it. Instead she just immaturely embarked on an affair with Tom.I gave up at that point. I would have been interested in finding out the mystery of the murders but had enough and deleted it from my Kindle.

Great read. Good suspense. Great characters. Well written and edited. Kept the interest throughout. Will read more from this author.

Good story, good characters.