Diplomacy by Zahra Owens is a story of love, politics, and difficult choices. Jack Christensen an American career diplomat who is serving as the Ambassador of Belgium during the beginning of the war in Iraq. He has a beautiful, perfect wife and a brilliant career. Lucas Carlton is a young British national who is just beginning his life in Foreign Service. They meet during a diplomatic function and are drawn to each other immediately, and although they initially try to deny their attraction, they soon find themselves involved in an affair that leads to love. Both men have a lot to lose, both personally and professionally, if their association is discovered, but neither is willing to turn away from the affair. Once their secret is discovered, however, Jack and Lucas each have to make the choice between the love they have for each other and the duty they owe to their families and their positions. And sometimes the right choice is not necessarily the choice that leads to happiness.

This is an entertaining and interesting story, and it features two heroes that will capture the reader’s heart. Throughout the story, Jack and Lucas struggle with their feelings for each other and with their conscience, and the reader cannot help but empathize with them. They understand that their actions and choices will affect people other than themselves. Jack has a 15-year marriage that he is threatening with this affair, and Lucas does not want Jack to suffer and doesn’t want to damage his own career either. The reader doesn’t have to be a political junkie to enjoy this story, but the political angle does lend a lot of interest without being overwhelming or boring, and it gives the story a little more substance than simple romance might otherwise have. The viewpoint is slanted towards Democrats, since Jack is a Democrat and voices quite a few sentiments that are attributed to his political party. This is not overwhelming or preachy or pedantic, however, and it does not detract the story. The only aspect of Diplomacy that might be a little difficult to process is the timeline, which gets to be a little confusing at times. The first half of the story involves diplomatic discussions about the war in Iraq; however, the entire story spans nine years. This would place the end of the story after 2010 – well after the publication date of the story. This isn’t really an issue if one doesn’t insist on the story ending in the present – it merely causes the picky reader to wonder a bit. Overall, Ms. Owens has done a great job of creating a story and characters that capture the reader’s interest and hang on to it until the very end. Nicely done!

Reviewed by: Whitney