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The Hopefuls  By  cover art

The Hopefuls

By: Jennifer Close
Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie
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Publisher's summary

A brilliantly funny novel about ambition and marriage from the best-selling author of Girls in White Dresses, The Hopefuls tells the story of a young wife who follows her husband and his political dreams to Washington, DC, a city of idealism, gossip, and complicated friendships among the young aspiring elite.

When Beth arrives in DC, she hates everything about it: the confusing traffic circles, the ubiquitous Ann Taylor suits, the humidity that descends each summer. At dinner parties, guests compare their security clearance levels. They leave their BlackBerrys on the table. They speak in acronyms. And once they realize Beth doesn't work in politics, they smile blandly and turn away.

Soon Beth and her husband, Matt, meet a charismatic White House staffer named Jimmy, and his wife, Ashleigh, and the four become inseparable, coordinating brunches, birthdays, and long weekends away. But as Jimmy's star rises higher and higher, the couples' friendship - and Beth's relationship with Matt - is threatened by jealousy, competition, and rumors.

A glorious send-up of young DC and a blazingly honest portrait of a marriage, this is the finest work yet by one of our most beloved writers.

©2016 Jennifer Close (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"A fascinating drama about relationships, loyalty, the price of aspirations and success, The Hopefuls will surely ensnare you into this world from page one - and hold you there, tightly, until the final word." ( Refinery29)
"The author of Girls in White Dresses delivers her latest novel about a couple navigating the political ladder in DC. Inspired by Close's own experiences moving to Washington for her husband's work on the Obama campaign, The Hopefuls is blisteringly honest about the circus of American politics and Washington's exhausting culture of competition - one that that renders people outside of political circles virtually invisible." (Meredith Turits, Elle)
"Narrator Jorjeana Marie's lively performance and perfect pacing make this audiobook a compulsive listen.... Marie's subtle yet effective accents and tonal modulations highlight the characters' personalities, strengthening listeners' connection to the story. With its vivid details of life in D.C., this is a must-listen for an election year." ( AudioFile)

What listeners say about The Hopefuls

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Predictable storyline. Narrators voice awful.

If the reader had a cold, they should have delayed production until she was well.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I'm not sure why I stayed the whole way through...

What made the experience of listening to The Hopefuls the most enjoyable?

This was a harmless book to listen to on the commute to/from work. It's not Pulitzer material by any means but certainly holds its own in "light" literature.

Would you be willing to try another book from Jennifer Close? Why or why not?

Yes. It wasn't the books fault I'm feeling like writing a scathing review - it is the narrator's.

Would you be willing to try another one of Jorjeana Marie’s performances?

NO NO NO. And NO. Can I please make this a PSA for other narrators. Listen up, narrators! We do not need you to sound like Sandy from SpongeBob in order for us to glean that the person speaking is southern. Every time the two Texas characters were up I almost ran off the road from rolling my eyes so hard. Oh. MY. GOD. This was the worst southern accent I've ever heard and I'm from North Carolina. And please... please... do not whine the story through your nose. This performance was DREADFUL. I hate listening to my own voice on recordings but I would take it over this one. So... the book must have been good for me to suffer through this. So in summary:Southern people aren't all hicks and caricatures. Wealthy people don't have to be voiced as Thurston Howell III. Speak through your mouth, not nose. Make you voice less annoying.

Who was the most memorable character of The Hopefuls and why?

Hmmm. No one was especially likable. Main character - flawed and toward the end despicable and pithy. Husband - self-absorbed. Friends from Texas - Who knows? I couldn't bear listening to them. Friend married to the old guy - not sure what the point of her was. Mother-in-law - one dimensional and falsely portrayed as rich and therefore vapid.

Any additional comments?

Agh. The more I write the more I hate this book.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Very, very dissspointed

I'm pretty disappointed in this book. I kept waiting for the main character Beth to finally stand up for herself and grow up, and it just never happened. The end absolutely baffled me and left me with such a bad taste in my mouth. I don't know why the author would choose to take this route with the ending, especially in this day in age where independent women and the whole "I don't need a man to make me happy" are so prominent in the media. If you want to read a story about an emotionally abusive husband and a very sad pathetic women, then by all means The Hopefuls is for you...

As for the narrator, she did a great job with the accents but I just couldn't get over how nasally she sounded through the whole thing...

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good view inside of campaign life

I enjoyed this easy, quick listen. If I have one complaint, the narrator doesn't say Ls which drives me crazy. Shouder not shoulder, Oder not older... It is distracting.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

First audible book

This was the first audible book I listened to, narration was good. It kept my interest.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not bad, not great.

I can think of worse ways to pass the time. The story is just so so. There's not much that actually happens. It's basically an unappreciated wife complaining about her life. The readers voice is a bit nasally & over-pronunciated.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, narrator is too slow (spoilers)

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator is too slow for my liking so I had to speed it up to 1.25. I had this book on my wish list for a while and it was worth the wait. I do wish the ending had been different though. I would have loved to see Beth exercise some of her own volition at the end and found something she was passionate about and pursued that passion. I guess it's great they are together but I can't help but think that Matt did it only because a divorce would maybe hurt his political aspirations. It felt like Beth stayed just because she didn't know what else to do. I liked it all up until the very end.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

a fun and cute story

loved the story - a little of an unexpected ending. I will probably read again.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Is this real?

The book was above average. A lot of the details seem too real, which makes me think it might be. Or the author did excellent research and interviewed White House staff about what running a campaign entailed. Overall, I give the book a solid B rating.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Fun glimpse into life in DC

This was a light read - great for escaping into a world of friendships, famil dynamics, romance, politics and the pursuit of success.

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