Lieutenant (Governor Trilogy 2)

SPOILER ALERT: IT’S ESSENTIAL THAT THIS SERIES BE READ IN ORDER. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SLIGHT SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN’T READ GOVERNOR (BOOK 1). As with Governor, I can’t summarize this book and do it justice. There are blurbs on all sellers’ websites. Several chapters of Governor (Book 1) are available for free on Ms. Richardson’s Tymber Dalton website. I’m going to TRY to tell you how this book made me feel and how it totally blew me away. As with Governor, this may seem like a simple political romance story. I guarantee you, it’s far more! This is Susannah Evans’ story. And, as much as you might think it’s a repetition of Governor from Susa’s point of view, you’d be VERY wrong. This story is all Susa…her beauty, unique spirit, driving ambition, what made her who she is, and why. It’s also the story of how Susa meets Carter Wilson and Owen Taylor. As much as the first book focused on Owen and how Susa and Carter flipped his world upside down, Lieutenant is about how Susa meets Carter and Owen, how her world tilts on its axis, how her life is never the same. This story is every bit as riveting as Governor. Lesli Richardson crafts characters so rich and complex, woven into a storyline that’s simultaneously simple yet labyrinthine. That sounds impossible. Believe me, it’s not. It’s remarkable that some of the characters I passionately hated in Governor are presented in a whole new light in Lieutenant. Are they still the same people? Yes. Did they still make me angry, outraged, and furious? Maybe. You learn so much more in this book, and not just about Susa. I felt such pain and joy at Owen’s experiences in Governor. But I fell in love with him all over with Susa’s telling of her story. And this is HER story. Again, it’s not just a retelling of Owen’s story from Susa’s standpoint. The emotions in this book are a roller coaster. Attraction, expectation, hope, amazement, ambition, power, joy, love, hate, submission, and dominance all exist side-by-side. And there are more emotions I just don’t have words for. Again, this story wouldn’t exist without the presence of Carter and Owen. As Owen was the heart of Governor, so too is Susa the heart of Lieutenant. But without Carter and Owen, this book would have no soul. It simply wouldn’t work. These two books together comprise the most powerful story I may have ever read. That’s no exaggeration. I don’t have the words to express the power of this story and what it made me feel. Susa, Owen, and Carter are spellbinding! Just like Governor, this book pulled me in so quickly and deeply, I was lost in seconds. I can’t overstate just how powerfully captivating this book is. Lesli Richardson has again written Lieutenant from a first-person point of view. That she pulled this off with such perfection in Governor was impressive. I’m astounded that she did it again. It’s utterly flawless! The emotions are overwhelming, the relationships incredibly complicated, convoluted. The political machinations would make Machiavelli proud. Lieutenant and Governor are quite possibly the most impressive books I’ve ever read. I wasn’t sure Ms. Richardson could equal, must less top, Governor. She’s done both. As I said about Governor, I wish there was some special rating I could give this. No five-star rating system can do this book justice. In fact, no simple review can do it justice. You simply HAVE to read both these books. Congratulations, Ms. Richardson! I adored this! Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!