Read More Sleep Less Blog: Off the Record by K.A. Linde

Off the Record by K.A. Linde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

★★★★ 4 stars!

Off the Record was a refreshing, fast-paced, sexy story that I really enjoyed reading. Once I started it, I could not put it down and I was anxious to find out how the storyline would develop. The fascinating political aspects of the story and the many deliciously forbidden encounters made the story all the more fun to read!

When young college reporter Liz Dougherty asks one question at State Senator Brady Maxwell III at her first press conference ever, she never expected her life to change so drastically. Her question managed to both impress the senator and catch him off guard. She intrigues him and when she runs into him later that day, he makes her a proposition.

"You want to see me. I want to see you. Call me. If you don't, you'll regret it."

At first, Liz is hesitant at pursuing an affair with such a public figure, especially since she doesn't exactly agree with many of the senator's public point of views on in his campaign. Still, the moment she first laid eyes on him she felt an instant attraction to the handsome eligible bachelor and the fact that he obviously felt the same way, makes it almost impossible for her to turn down his offer.

And so their relationship begins. Or is it a relationship? The lines are a bit blurry seeing as everything has to happen on Brady's terms. He decides when and where they can see each other and they can never, ever be seen in public because then both of their careers would likely be destroyed.

"This is almost whatever you want it to be. It's not public. It's not in the news. It's not a point the campaign can use against me. It's a woman and a man taking what they can in a world where it's not feasible for us to be together."

What did bother me sometimes about Liz and Brady was their lack of communication and the fact that there was a case of insta-lust/love. At first it was lust and then it quickly turned into love. The first I could understand but I failed to see their strong emotional connection…at least during the first half of the story; after that their relationship did start to grow deeper even though there still wasn't a lot of talking.

"Why does it always have to be sex first and talk later?"

And then there's also Hayden Lane, the chief editor at the college newspaper where Liz works. For the past two years Liz has had a crush on him without him ever returning the sentiment. Now since she's started seeing Brady, Hayden has been showing more of an interest in her as well and her old feelings toward him bubbling up again only makes matters more complicated. I wouldn't say there was a full on love triangle between Brady, Liz and Hayden but there were some conflicting emotions and tough choices to be made.

The story does end with a bit of a cliffhanger, but not the kind that makes you want to pull your hair out and regret you started reading the book before the sequel was out. It just leaves open a lot of possible outcomes for the future. Still, from now on I'll be anxiously awaiting the sequel and I do hope (view spoiler).