First Lady

• Unabridged

Daughter of a powerful politician and widow of an assassinated president, Cornelia (Nealy) Litchfield Case has spent her entire life under Secret Service and media scrutiny. When her father insists that she continue the first lady's social duties for the new bachelor president, she instead resolves to break out of her glamorous prison and live life as a normal American. She knows that she can't elude the Secret Service forever, but every moment of anonymity is priceless.

Mat Jorik is a pushover for a female in trouble. When his ex-wife dies and leaves him her two daughters, he agrees to drive them from the East Coast to their grandmother's Iowa home. They haven't gone far when he takes pity on another female and offers her a ride in return for her care of the baby and teenager. Nealy accepts his offer. Little does she know when she climbs into the Winnebago that she's about to lose her heart to two kids and a handsome man who she thinks is a steelworker. When Nealy discovers his real job, Mat may wish he'd confessed earlier. In the meantime, they're off on an adventure, the likes of which Nealy's never had before. But the Secret Service is hot on Nealy's trail and despite her best efforts, she's bound to be caught. The question is, what will happen to this slapdash family when they're found?

Wonderful characters are what you expect from Phillips, and that's exactly what you get here: a heroine with strong convictions about everything from letting a baby eat cheese curls off the floor to morals in politics; a hero who adamantly denies that he likes females even as he's saving and taking care of them; and two children that will pluck your heartstrings like they've never been plucked before. They spar their way through a wild trip on the road to happiness, making for a book that's funny, romantic, and just plain fun to read. --Lois Faye Dyer