If your life is anything like mine, your mailbox is inundated with campaign flyers, your TV watching has political ads every commercial break. This election is critical for the future of our country, and I encourage all my fellow U.S. citizens to vote!
All that to say, that it’s all A Lot and a break may be warranted. Necessary even. A fic I read this year that I would classify as both escapist and healing, both from TROS and the 2016 election. The fic is Nevertheless, She Persisted by dawninthemtn. Nevertheless, She Persisted is a modern AU Reylo fic where Rey is a junior staffer for Leia Organa’s presidential campaign and Ben Solo is Leia’s spoiled, entitled son. Somehow, Rey manages to get results with Ben that the campaign finds useful, and before you know it, Ben and Rey are fake dating. And from then on out the story is a fun and adorable, trope-filled, banter-rific story. This was a story in intended to read slowly but I couldn’t stop hitting “next chapter.” I just felt so happy after reading it.
A comparable read alike for Nevertheless, She Persisted is a must-read on its own: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. This book has a political setting as well as being tonally similar to Nevertheless, She Persisted. It tells of Alex, who is the First Son and Prince Henry of England who must stage a fake relationship after a diplomatic faux-pas. But soon feelings are caught and things snowball from there. It’s a fluffy book I found charming and read through so quickly!
Another read alike is by one of my favorite authors, Sandhya Menon. 10 Things I Hate About Pinky is another story where two opposites find themselves in a fake dating situation. Pinky is a rebel who fights for causes and wants to forge her own path, much to the chagrin of her mother. Samir is the perfect son with a perfect and ordered life. They’re too different to do anything other than fight, right? You know where this is going!
Have you read Nevertheless, She Persisted or the read alikes I recommend? Come chat books with me @AmyWishman.
The Ramblings of a Jedi Librarian 