Can an honest man become president? In this timely and provocative novel, a maverick candidate takes on his political enemies and the ruthless machinery of American politics Corey Grace -- a handsome and charismatic Republican senator from Ohio -- is plunged by an act of terrorism into a fierce presidential primary battle with the favorite of the party establishment and a magnetic leader of the Christian right. A decorated Gulf War Air Force pilot known for speaking his mind, Grace's reputation for voting his own conscience rather than the party line -- together with his growing romance with Lexie Hart, an African-American movie star - has earned him a reputation as a maverick and an iconoclast. But Grace is still haunted by a tragic mistake buried deep in his past, and now his integrity will be put to the test in this most brutal of political contests, in which nothing in his past or present life is off-limits. Depicting contemporary power politics at its most ruthless, The Race takes on the most incendiary issues in American culture: racism, terrorism, religious fundamentalism, gay rights, and the rise of media monopolies with their own agenda and lust for power. As the pressure of the campaign intensifies, Grace encounters betrayal, excruciating moral choices, and secrets that can destroy lives. Ultimately, the race leads to a deadlocked party convention where Grace must resolve the conflict between his romance with Lexie and his presidential ambitions -- and decide just who and what he is willing to sacrifice.
Fiction Imitating Life? 
I totally agree with Ms Daneman's review.
I could not put this book down. More than once I went back to the copyright page to see when it was written. It is a timely story, especially in this presidential election year. It is not a read I will soon forget.
Spot On!
Spot on book on politics in America. Brilliantly written. The characters literally jump off the page and grab you. It would be great to read a follow up. The Senator and Lexie have quickly become my favorite couple. Thank you Mr. Patterson for showing how as Christians we have prostituted ourselves to the political process and one party..
Afr.Amer. Democrat 
Suprisingly i am enjoying this book. I havent quite finished it yet, but its a good read. Being black and a democrat made it kinda hard for me to get into this book at first because i didnt agree with a lot of the things that were being said by some of the characters, and the things that werent said as well. I had to tell myself that everyone is entitiled to their own opinion. Truthfully, this book made me open up my own eyes to how i feel about a lot of these major subjects the candidates are referring to(racism, confederate flags, stem cell research and gay marriage).I kind of a have a clearer view of somethings that a republican "may" feel and why they may feel that way even though this is fiction. Im not switch hitting here, its just that this book gives so much insight into the political parties that one cant help but look at the facts from both sides. With a critical election coming up soon, this was a good book to make me look at the current issues that we are being faced with in our political offices now.
Timely page turner
This book took me forever to get into, but once I did it was a quick and enjoyable read.
It is in three parts, the first part is a lot of set-up, flashbacks and exposition. The last two-thirds is when the ride starts.
As a main character, Corey Grace is almost freakishly perfect. He's a hero, a decent guy, says what he means and not what he thinks people want to hear. He's a young, handsome white Republican dating a beautiful Oscar winning, young, fabulous Democratic, liberal black actress. In short, he's someone who'd never actually make it in politics. But this is fiction, so, there you go.
The romance is nice and adds a little angst for Our Hero, but frankly, the guy has enough angst without the added twist of the girlfriend. He's running for President and his party doesn't want him to win. His main opponent has a campaign manager who is just about the slimiest, dirtiest piece of work you'd ever want to meet. And he there is his own version of Rupert Murdoch who hates his guts.
The stand-out part is the whole primary in South Carolina. As one character says "South Carolina, too small for a republic, too large for an insane asylum. You're headed for the heart of darkness, boy."
I did think that there were too many convenient events, too many loose ends tied up. I don't mind the dangly bits left dangling once in awhile. This was just too pat for my taste. But, as I said above, this is fiction, so there you go. And I was disappointed in the the ending. I thought it was a bit of a cheat.
I give this three stars because, well, it feels like a three star book. I liked it well enough, but that is pretty much it.
reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
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based on 48 reviews
