Thirty-year-old Melina Radcliffe has a passion for politics. As the policy advisor to a Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate, she is determined not only to help him win the election, but also to make a real difference in people’s lives. After all, that’s what she wishes someone would have done for her family when their money ran out and they had to move into a homeless shelter. Melina has worked tirelessly to leave that part of her past behind, to catapult herself into a world filled with campaign rallies, program proposals, and initiatives that bring about lasting change. But when she loses a camera filled with photos that are vital to her boss’s bid for governor, everything she’s dedicated her life to could come crashing down around her.
As the speechwriter for the opposing candidate in the election, Bradley Williams should be happy about the camera’s disappearance. Having grown up in a family of politicians, he’s been taught that allegiance and duty must always come first. It doesn’t matter that he’d rather spend his life working in the culinary field and rescuing animals in need. He’s always put his own ambitions on the back burner and followed the path laid out for him … until now. Because he likes Melina, much more than he thinks he should – and that feeling is mutual. Though they try to fight it, the two fall into a flourishing romance, even as the campaign heats up and they’re pulled in opposite directions.
Then the pictures from the lost camera are released – and they have been doctored in devastating ways. Melina believes Bradley’s boss could be to blame and he agrees. Now they must find proof to support their suspicions. As Election Day gets closer and both candidates are rocked by the scandal, Melina and Bradley race to solve the mystery and save the election – but will piecing together the puzzle tear their relationship apart?
Shari Speaks 