The AM show is the latest collaboration from T.B. Markinson & Miranda Macleod. A night of passion between a morning show legend and a young reporter should never have led to anything but love has a way of finding you even when you’re trying to keep it away.
Amanda Morgan is a national network morning show host. She seemingly has it all, but her divorce has done a number on her. Her ex-wife belittled her and her mother before her did the same and despite her success, Amanda is teetering on the edge. She arrives at her step-son’s wedding, which she footed the bill for, to be seated at the misfit table by her awful ex-wife. She shares a dance with a beautiful woman and is thinking this wedding is looking up, until she’s mistaken for a grandmother.
Dakota Washington is a young reporter for the Cock-a-doodle Rooster Report, a national agriculture program. She is shocked to see her hero and crush, the great Amanda Morgan, at her friend Valerie’s wedding. Dakota doesn’t let on that she recognizes Amanda. When Amanda is mistaken for a grandmother and flees the reception, Dakota follows her. The two end up in in bed and it’s beyond anything Dakota could have imagined.
The two don’t anticipate every seeing each other again but fate has other plans. Dakota is brought in as a fill-in co-host on Amanda’s show. Their contracts forbid any type of sexual relationship between the two but they can’t seem to resist each other. They have to decide if they are willing to sacrifice their careers for love.
I absolutely adore Amanda. On the surface she is icy and demanding. But beneath the chilly exterior, she is struggling with her confidence. She’s a forty seven year old morning show host whos has been discarded and belittled by her former wife, she’s been passed over for the lead news anchor position and she feels old. Having a young, beautiful woman desire her helps her get back some of her mojo. Despite how much she worries that Dakota is being brought in to replace her she can’t keep herself from falling.
Dakota is an absolute sweetheart. How can you not fall for someone who makes chicken noises on her first day as a network morning show host. Her crush on Amanda quickly becomes something more substantial as she sees the woman behind the public persona and wants to help Amanda see herself the way Dakota sees her. Amanda sees her value tied to her fame and recognizability. Dakota helps her to see her worth beyond her job.
The AM Show is an entertaining age-gap, workplace romance. T.B. Markinson and Miranda Macleod are fabulous writers on their own, but they are a force when they unite. I have enjoyed all of their collaborations but this one is my favorite. I highly recommend if you’re looking for a light-hearted rom-com.
Memorable quotes: Amanda unclenched her fists, slipping into her on-air persona as she turned to face her tormentor with the same dispassion she might employ when preparing to interview an unsavory dictator. If she could make it through half an hour with Vladamir Putin at the G-8 summit without losing her cool, surely, she could show similar strength for a few minutes with her ex-wife now.
Amanda had never been the one-night stand type. But she’d never felt this desperate before, like her entire future rested on another person finding her desirable. Affixing her award-winning, million-dollar smile to her lips, Amanda held out her hand. “Okay, Rooster Girl. Care to dance?”
“Not only is Amanda Morgan the reason I went into broadcasting, she occupies the top slot of my celebrity freebie list.”
“I thought you were a chicken farmer! Amanda seethed, her fists balled at the sides. “I said I worked for the Cock-a-doodle Rooster report.”
Anything less that perfection wasn’t allowed. It was like the entire world had turned into her mother, and Amanda was back to being the daughter who never quite measured up.