Independent journalist Liam Nussbaum has two problems: making his political blog go big time and getting socialite fundraiser Alyse Philips to notice him. When Alyse discovers a money-laundering scandal with her signature all over it, Liam has the perfect solution. They’ll investigate the seedy network of money and influence. Together.
But the stakes couldn’t be higher. If she can’t clear her name, Alyse will never work in non-profits again, and if Liam gets the story wrong, it could destroy his site’s reputation.
As they dig deeper, their hearts collide with their ambitions. Will they choose love or politics? Because in Washington, everything comes at a price.
Previously released as Private Politics
Kindle / Books2Read / Goodreads
- How long is The One You Need? 76,000 words, or on the shorter end of single-title length.
- What’s the heat level? It’s sensual but not erotic.
- Are there any content notes? On-page sex and alcohol use; profanity; mild suspense elements and peril. The afterward contains a discussion of infertility and pregnancy news.
- Why is it in Kindle Unlimited and not wide release? I moved the Political Persuasions series into KU in September 2022 as an experiment. Depending on how it goes, it may stay in KU or I may return to wide release. We’ll see!
- What inspired you to write the book? I love beta heroes and as soon as I met Liam in Special Interests, I knew he would get a book. The next time I heard the Stars song “Elevator Love Letter,” I had a plot. The Pinterest board for the book with more music and images is here.
- What was the writing process like? Scary but pretty quick! I sold the series but only had vague ideas about books 2 and 3 (see more here). I wrote Private Politics during the late summer/early fall of 2013, and it was originally published in 2014. I got my rights back from my publisher in January 2022, and I republished it the next month.
- Can it standalone? Yes. While it is the second book in a series, there’s no information that you need from the first book.
- I don’t like politics. Should I still read the book? I answered this question re: the first book in the series in depth here. The only thing I’ll add is that The One You Need doesn’t have any partisan politics. Nobody’s party affiliation matters; no one is looking for votes for a bill. It’s a good, old fashioned, money-laundering scandal, with longing and Mahler and suspense dropped in.
- How different is The One You Need from Private Politics? Not very. I updated a few cultural references and lightly edited a few important moments that weren’t quite clicking. I also included an afterward that I’d written for a Valentine’s Day blog hop with the book.
- I’d like to review the book. Awesome! I hope you love it, but if you don’t, I support your right to review it honestly however and wherever you want. Reviews are for readers not writers. While bad reviews are unpleasant, I’ll live and I won’t harass you about it. Promise.
Emma Barry 