The Shepherd family is going through some tough times. Their son, Brandon, is one of two Army doctors taken prisoner by Iraqi insurgents. Their daughter, Kristen, almost marries a man who was stealing their money, and runs into the childhood friend who broke her heart. And that’s just the beginning of their week.

I’m a big fan of stories with disparate, related storylines that eventually coalesce, so I loved the way these two storylines were woven together. I also really liked how realistic Julie made both main characters and their professions—I know she did her research on Iraq with people on the ground there, and, being a political type (former American Heritage TA, what can I say?), I found Kristen’s job as a political strategist fascinating.

I was, of course, all ready to lecture the Iraqi insurgents about the Human Predicament—the cycle between anarchy and tyranny. This was a textbook example of that cycle (skip to the next paragraph if you don’t want to hear it!): tyranny leads to discontent and revolution, which leads to anarchy. In the power vacuum, the people struggle for basic needs and safety. Groups compete for power, often promising to restore order. Eventually one group emerges supreme and assumes the role of tyrant all over again. (They didn’t listen to me, either, even though I can offer a few solutions.)

I read this book in one evening. However, I wouldn’t have minded if it had been a bit longer—I would have liked more development in the romantic storylines, especially the one in Iraq. Two full storylines like this is a lot to handle in less than 200 pages, of course.

All’s Fair was a fun, fast read—I even got my husband to read it. (I’ll let you know what he thinks.)