Enemies of the State (The Executive Office #1) by Tal Bauer

Enemies of the State by Tal Bauer

SUMMARY

A rogue Black Ops unit with the president in their crosshairs.
A Secret Service agent who will break every rule.
A president falling for the one person he shouldn’t—a man.
Newly elected President Jack Spiers’s presidency is rocked from the very beginning, and he’s working furiously to keep the world from falling apart. Between terrorism attacks ripping apart Europe, Russia’s constant posturing and aggression, and the quagmire of the Middle East, Jack is struggling to keep his campaign promise—to work toward a better, safer world.

For Special Agent Ethan Reichenbach, Jack is just another president, the third in twelve years. With Jack’s election, he’s been promoted, and now he’s running the presidential detail, which puts him side by side with Jack daily. He’s expecting another stuffed suit and an arrogant DC politician, but Jack shocks him with his humor and humanity.

There are rules against a Secret Service agent and one of their protectees developing a friendship—big rules. Besides, Jack is a widower, and Ethan has always avoided falling for straight men. Ethan keeps his distance, but Jack draws him in, like gas to a naked flame, and it’s a lure he isn’t strong enough to turn away from.

As the two men collide, rules are shattered and the world teeters on the verge of war, and a rogue Black Ops unit bent on destruction sets Jack in their deadly crosshairs. Ethan must put everything on the line in order to save the man he’s come to love, Jack’s presidency, and the world.

MY REVIEW

The President and the Special Agent! Of course, I have read it! If anything, it is original.

I am not sure why this is happening lately, but I keep discovering great MM romance books. Maybe it is because my tastes have changed. Maybe it is because new great authors manage to get published. The result is me being a happy girl.

Take this book for example. It is extremely well written and it has the correct balance of romance and adventure. I loved it.

The love story described in this book cannot be more complicated.

Ethan Reichenbach is the head of Secret Service detail in White House. He has experience protecting and working for US presidents and a committed, enthusiastic team of agents who are mostly his friends and respect him. He never had to hide the fact that he is gay. Nobody really cared for his sexual orientation and he was never judged – although his best friends and team members were either single and straight or married and straight. The most important thing is that he never had a problem getting laid and he has been avoided relationships. No time actually. He was spending most of his time in White House or travelling with the President.

Jack Spiers is the President of the United States, a Republican who has just been elected. He is confident, nonjudgmental, charismatic and good looking. People love him. He is the most influential man in the planet the most powerful, but he is so so lonely. He is a widower for the last fifteen years and adored his late wife an Army Captain who was killed in Iraq during the war. Jack never had a relationship ever since.

When Ethan meets Jack, he is smitten with him. This is something normal, I guess. A lot of people (men or women) could fall in love with a charismatic, powerful, good looking president/leader. Jack also needs a friend and he keeps pushing Ethan to hang out with him. They talk, exchange texts, play pool. They are BEST FRIENDS. Ethan helps Jack to release his stress from his duties.

Ethan is in big trouble. Firstly he keeps company to the President and this is forbidden for his position as the head of Secret Service detail. Secondly, he is falling in love. The problems with this fact are three:
1. He is in love with the US President. If anybody ever finds out, they will eat him alive.
2. The President is not attracted to men. He was married before; he never had a relationship with another guy. If Jack finds out about Ethan feelings, Ethan may lose him from friend.
3. The President is celibate for 15 years, i.e. he had no sex life since his wife died. He considered himself “a celibate, warrior-politician dedicated to public service”. So he is living like a monk.

And then despite all this issues, Ethan kisses Jack. And Jack is gobsmacked. You can imagine the scene:

Jack: “Girlfriend?”
Ethan: “No girlfriend. Not that there would ever be. I’m gay, sir.”
Jack: “Cool. No boyfriend then?”

And I am thinking, laughing out loud ‘What are you doing man? That thing you are asking will change your life in the next 5 minutes. Are you sure you are ready for his answer?’

Apparently Jack is not ready. And neither is Ethan who has to learn that when you express your feelings you need to be ready for every possible result.

Obviously Jack will rip Ethan’s heart out for a while. It is not easy. Anyway, grown up men are allowed to cry!

The key questions that arise from this book are the following:
-Is the President allowed to make mistakes?
-Is the President allowed to have a personal life, if he is not married? It doesn’t really matter if he has a boyfriend or a girlfriend.

The main reason I read this book was to satisfy my curiosity. How the writer will handle these issues, how the American people will act?

Jack is very lonely. I suppose the burden he has to carry must be unbearable. He always goes back home alone. It is hard. He needs to have a family, someone he can go back home and talk outside politics. He is not even allowed to have a friend. Ethan is sneaking in to keep company to Jack. The company Jack craves.

Other issues arise are the following:
-Can a straight man fall in love with another man? The term is “Gay for you” - in case you don't know. Jack was not interested in men before he met Ethan. Only this can make things complicated enough.
-Can a man have a second chance in love after 15 years of loneliness? It is so cruel and heartless for Jack to be so lonely. Can he be strong enough and love again without feeling that he betrays his wife?

The love story, their relationship will come naturally. It does not monopolize the book. It is part of the whole world situation. There is: Fragile world peace. A bomb in Nairobi. Refuges. Terrorist attacks. Jack will be trying to make friends with Russia. South Arabians and Chinese will get involved. Ethan will be crazy with worry and “God help the man who will try to take Jack away from him.”

In the last part everything goes so fast. Try to think Jack Bauer (from 24) or Carrie Mathison, (from Homeland) trying to save the president in less than 24 hours. It was one of the few times I was actually biting my nails while I was reading a book.

Friends will become traitors and enemies will become friends.
The stuff movies are made of!