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Tuesday 11 August 2015

A Perfect Ambition

http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/a-perfect-ambition/349190



Back Cover

As the firstborn son of an old and powerful family, William Jennings Worthington VI knows what it’s like to be under pressure.  Groomed from birth with the relentless message that he was destined for greatness, Will has always pushed himself to succeed—nearly as much as his never-satisfied financial tycoon father pushes him. Becoming CEO of the world’s largest and most adventuresome oil company seems the next logical step on the success ladder.  But when circumstances turn, Will finds himself staring down a road that leads to Capitol Hill.  Can he trade the board room for the Senate floor?  Or will family secrets keep him from his destiny?

Review

I don’t normally reach for political novels.  Amidst the never-ending back-biting, under-handed deals, two-faced politicians, endless talk of polling, and votes, etc., I often find them rather dull and depressing read. Perhaps partly due to being centralized in a world that I’m quite foreign in, (legal thrillers on the other hand…haha), or the story just doesn’t move along fast enough; and I rather read suspense novels wherein the characters pursue justice – not a place on a pedestal. 

However, A Perfect Ambition doesn’t restrict itself to politics, campaigning, and back-room deals.  Its battles are not only waged on Capitol Hill, but also in the boardrooms of billion dollar oil companies, on the Arctic Ocean’s waters between the Navy and environmentalist groups, and even around the dinner table amongst the prestigious Worthington family members.  A Perfect Ambition sheds some light on how these battles are won and lost, and what a person stands to gain or lose. 

Another prominent theme throughout the story was the characterization of Will, Sean, and Sarah amongst their “birth order”.  The author carefully paints their motives and actions based upon the birth order theory in which your position amongst your siblings can dictate or influence your personality traits.  It was quite interesting to read.  Being one of three siblings, I can attest to some truth to the descriptions while others I disagree with.  But it’s intriguing nonetheless, and I may have to pick up Dr. Kevin Leman’s The Birth Order Book to learn more about the theory. 

While at times I found the writing a little stilted (a problem I’ve often noticed with a book that is co-authored – it’s like a battle as to whose “voice” is going to come out on top!), the story  moves along at a fairly fast clip, and various suspenseful moments kept me intrigued.  To sum it up, A Perfect Ambition is a multi-faceted, interesting novel that is more than meets the eye – and may make me a fan of political novels yet!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

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