The Hopefuls

A novel

By: Jennifer Close

Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie

A brilliantly funny novel about ambition and marriage from the best-selling author of Girls in White Dresses, The Hopefuls tells the story of a young wife who follows her husband and his political dreams to Washington, D.C., a city of idealism, gossip, and complicated friendships among the young aspiring elite.

When Beth arrives in D.C., she hates everything about it: the confusing traffic circles, the ubiquitous Ann Taylor suits, the humidity that descends each summer. At dinner parties, guests compare their security clearance levels. They leave their BlackBerrys on the table. They speak in acronyms. And once they realize Beth doesn't work in politics, they smile blandly and turn away. Soon Beth and her husband, Matt, meet a charismatic White House staffer named Jimmy, and his wife, Ashleigh, and the four become inseparable, coordinating brunches, birthdays, and long weekends away. But as Jimmy’s star rises higher and higher, the couples’ friendship—and Beth’s relationship with Matt—is threatened by jealousy, competition, and rumors. A glorious send-up of young D.C. and a blazingly honest portrait of a marriage, this is the finest work yet by one of our most beloved writers.

a fun and cute story

loved the story - a little of an unexpected ending. I will probably read again.

Meh

This book feels like a whole lot of nothing until the final few chapters. The main character, Beth, is negative, judgemental, and passive, making it difficult to like her or really care about what happens. She seems determined to dislike everything about DC, and though she resents her husbands career motivations, she doesn't seem to have any herself. Rather, she's one of those people who seems to just let things happen to her, and complains the whole time. Beth and her husband befriend a charming Texas couple, but even then I'm not clear why they're friends.

Honestly, there isn't much plot to speak of for about the first two thirds of the book, and I almost gave up on it. When the drama finally did happen, it was interesting enough to listen through. I'm just not convinced that it made up for how boring the book was before!

The narrator speaks very slowly, but did a good job with the voices and handled the emotional parts well.

Im sure there are people who would like this book - probably if you're from around DC or into politics, but I wasn't a fan.

Slow predictable story

This turned out to be a relatively plain, vanilla story. Glad when it ended. Predictable.

Accurate depiction of DC

pretty accurate description of DC. I have lived here so long that I had forgotten all of the nuances of being a young professional in the nation's capital.

Predictable storyline. Narrators voice awful.

If the reader had a cold, they should have delayed production until she was well.