Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing

Allison Winn Scotch

Lake Union

Senator Cleo McDougal is a rising star in the political firmament of Washington DC. The thirty-seven year old single mom from Seattle has her eye on the White House and the drive to take her there. Cleo’s motto is “Only Forward,” and she tries to live up to it. Her popularity is good but could be better—until a negative op-ed from her estranged childhood best friend MaryAnne Newman sends a viral shock wave through social media.

. . . a rousing anthem to the power of womanhood.

Cleo literally has a list of regrets—233 of them—and being mean to MaryAnne is up there. Her chief of staff Gaby hits on the brilliant ploy of using a selection of regrets for Cleo to atone for to make her seem more human and approachable to voters. The execution of their plan to repair and enhance Cleo’s reputation proves more difficult than either anticipates. Negotiating the toxic masculinity and hypocrisy of Washington is one thing. Exposing her former law professor as a sexual predator another. Then there’s the biggest regret of all—failing to address the matter of her fourteen year old son’s father. Perils and pitfalls and social media storms await before Cleo finds her way to the heart of what it means to be a decent human being who can make peace with herself and move on.

Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing is a rousing anthem to the power of womanhood. Cleo is an eminently relatable character who finds redemption and empowerment over the course of her journey.