I enjoyed this read. A little historical fiction, a little family saga, and a page turning read that kept my interest. I enjoyed this one. Would recommend.

Three estranged siblings find themselves under the same roof for the first time in a long time when their esteemed matriarch (Helen, their grandmother) passes away, and to top off the tension - they discover the Florentine Diamond, a 137-carat stone that went missing from the Austrian Empire over a century ago hidden among her possessions. Slowly but surely, the Millers start wondering - did we know Helen at all? Do we know each other at all? How did the diamond come to be in her possession, and now ours? And will any of us get to keep it?

With humor and grit, Amy Meyerson tells an unforgettable story about a family discovering themselves for the first time.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for advanced access to this title!

Is there anything more wonderful to read about than flawed characters? THE IMPERFECTS brings together a cast that is complex as much as it is imperfect. The story carefully uncovers family secrets resulting in them being brought closer together.

This was enjoyable, but I didn’t find anything exceptional. The mystery was kind of fun, although the ending fell a little flat for me.

A little difficult to get into, but a great story once I got into it! Thank you for the opportunity!

Amy Meyerson has created a captivating story about a hilariously dysfunctional family that comes into a shocking inheritance—a world-famous, priceless 137-carat diamond. Part expertly-plotted historical mystery, part tender family drama, and part juicy international caper, THE IMPERFECTS has it all. An absolute pleasure to read, guaranteed to have readers turning the pages late into the night.

Part caper, part contemporary fiction and part historical fiction - The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson is an interesting look into the lineage of a stolen gem and how it impacts the family that may currently be in possession of the jewelry now. Delving back into how the gem was stolen initially provides a unique backstory and is fun to read juxtaposed with the present day narrative and family drama.

I really did not care about any of these characters, and DNF around 60%, The premise is good, but the delivery was not for me.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed Meyerson's previous book and had high expectations for this title. It was enjoyable and quick read that I'd recommend.

Author #Amy Meyerson will keep you entertained this weekend .I have previously posted her book for Mother’s Day gift ideas.She is a bestselling author and delightful.
Thank you #Netgalley #ParkRow and #Amy Meyerson

Amy Meyerson’s The Imperfects will remind you to never give up on family
Amy Meyerson’s thrilling new novel, The Imperfects, tells the story of an estranged family forced back together to uncover a long-kept family secret.
Everyone keeps secrets. Most of us don’t think about who might uncover our secrets once we’re no longer around to hide them.

In Amy Meyerson‘s The Imperfects, Ashley, Jake, Beck, and Deborah Miller’s lives are all rudely interrupted when the family matriarch, Helen, dies unexpectedly. All are forced to return to their former home to go through her possessions and pay their respects.

Things take an even more unexpected turn when they discover the diamond Helen kept hidden in that house could be worth millions of dollars … and might not have even rightfully belonged to her in the first place.

Thus begins a risky quest to figure out where Helen’s diamond came from and whether or not it was the original property of distant royalty.

There’s a lot going on in this book aside from the main Florentine Diamond storyline. Each sibling and their mother all have their own subplots weaving in and out of the Helen mystery, so if the gemology doesn’t hook you, all the family drama definitely will.

Meyerson’s author’s note unpacks the origins of her novel, highlighting her fascination with gemology and her desire to construct a narrative around a diamond. Her interest in this subject shines through beautifully in the way the Florentine Diamond becomes a character in its own right as the story progresses, as well as the catalyst that forces the novel’s central characters to gather around it.

You’ll love The Imperfects if stories about complex family dynamics, juicy long-lost secrets, and valuable gems catch your interest. Anyone interested in stories set around the Holocaust might also find some of the backstory intriguing. There’s a great twist near the end, too, and it does have a bittersweet conclusion that will answer just enough of your questions … but maybe not all of them.

The Millers’ story — at least parts of it — will feel familiar to many who have the pleasure of reading this book. We’ve all done things we’ve later regretted. We’ve all hurt the people we love most when it was never our intention to do so. It’s hard being a sibling; a child; a partner; a mother. But somewhere down the line, life always tosses you a challenge you can’t overcome alone.

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to realize how important it really is to take care of your family, no matter what the past may have done to try breaking you apart.

When their grandmother Helen dies, three estranged siblings and their mother come together again with explosive results. They can barely stay in the same room without an argument, but when a large diamond gets left in the will, the Millers must work together to solve the mystery of how the alleged Florentine diamond came to be in Helen's possession. Will the mystery bring them back together or drive a permanent wedge between them.
I found a reason to dislike every one of the Millers, but in their imperfections, they were each perfect characters for this story. Great fiction based on the true mystery of the missing Florentine diamond.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Imperfects was an entertaining and satisfying book about a disjointed family, inheritance and the Florentine Diamond. Honestly, I had no idea that this historically significant diamond is still missing to this day. What a great premise to work a story around.

Although the familial characters are up in arms with one another, they all seemed to grow into better and more empathic people as the story went on. The learned to think as a family and practiced the art of forgiveness. The brother’s transformation was quite moving. There were so many secrets to unleash in both the present time as well as what they learned while researching who their grandmother really was. Each clue led them either further along the right path or to a dead end.

There were plenty of relatable and dysfunctional moments with the family that made me laugh out loud. The diamond had its own life in this story and its presence propelled the story forward. It was a character within its own right. I was really invested in this family’s story and read the book quite quickly. This is my first book by this author but won’t be my last.

Thanks to author Amy Meyerson for our free review copy. All opinions are our own. Amy Meyerson’s newest novel has something for everyone. When their grandmother, Helen, dies she leaves the Millers an unexpected treasure — A yellow diamond so large, it can only be the famed Florentine Diamond. Missing since 1918, the family searches for how Helen came to possess the bauble. Family drama is stirred up, romances come and go, and intrigue is everywhere in this novel. It was a fast, fun read – PERFECT for the warm summer weather.⁣ You can see our interview with
Amy here. 4 stars.

This was an enjoyable story of family drama involving the 137-carat diamond from the Austrian empire (a real diamond that is still missing) which incorporated some history and intrigue. It reminded me of Cynthia Sweeney's The Nest in which an inheritance causes all kinds of strife among its dysfunctional characters.

This was a great read, demonstrating the importance of family and tying together past & present. The plot had lots of elements and was easy to follow, yet not overly predictable. I found myself staying up late at night to read "just a few more pages!"

This is a story with a few plotlines. We have the Millers, an extremely dysfunctional family, an extremely valuable diamond that disappeared in the early 20th century, dysfunctional adults with secrets, death of a matriarch and all that goes with that, and family lineage. When Helen dies, she leaves behind her estate to be executed by her granddaughter Beck. When the family all arrive at Helen's home, there are bound to be fireworks. They have not been together in over three years. When the will is read, there are a lot of questions, emotions, distrust that leads this group on a journey that leads them to places they had never expected.

I do not want to give away anymore of the story than the synopsis of this book. The characters all have baggage, secrets and anger. Trying to determine how Helen ended up with these jewels takes more time and effort than expected, all the way to Austria. There were times that I was frustrated with the siblings. I kept shouting, enough, give it a rest, but they didn't listen to me. For every one step forward, there was one step back. The story is told from the POVs of all three siblings, Beck, Ashley and Jake as well as their mother Deborah. Through there eyes we also learn about Helen and Flora, Helen's mother. There is some romance, but not a lot, some relationship building and repairing and a lot of forgiveness. This is a contemporary novel about family as well as a historical fiction story. I learned about the Hapsburgs, a time and a family that I did not know about before. I also learned quite a bit about diamonds and jewelry.

Excellent!

I am so grateful to Netgalley for exposing me to new books that I may never have gotten the chance to read. The Imperfects is one of those titles that I may have missed at the bookstore, but thanks to Netgalley, I read it.. and I am SO happy I did. The pacing and the characters were fantastic. I also enjoyed the plot very much. Meyerson's writing is easy to read and clear.

Recommended.

The Imperfects combines two of my favourite literary elements; family drama and historical fiction. The family drama: Take a dysfunctional family like the Millers, give them a 10 million dollar diamond inherited from Grandma Helen and let the fun begin! Spoiler alert: The result is lots of quarreling and fighting. The historical mystery: How does a 14 year old girl fleeing the Holocaust come into possession of a priceless diamond? Was Helen a jewel thief or is there some other explanation? The search for the truth leads the Millers through Helen’s history and that of her mother uncovering some explosive secrets along the way. This brings the family together and although there is still a lot of bickering they manage to unite at least for a time to find the truth. Will they be able to accept the truth that they find?

As is to be expected of any story involving the Holocaust there are some really sad, horrifying aspects. While Helen’s life was gravely impacted by the Holocaust it is really her parents who suffered the true consequences. Helen’s story is more about rebuilding and moving on after she reaches America. If you avoid WWII stories in general because they are disturbing and depressing I think you are fairly safe picking up this book. The Holocaust plays a part but it’s not too graphic and doesn’t dwell too much on the darkness. The contemporary story is the bigger part of this book and it includes a lot of humour to balance out the sadness of Helen’s family story. It made me thankful I have never faced such atrocity but I didn’t find this to be a sad and melancholy book at all. Things work out in the end in unexpected but generally positive ways.

I was completely rapt reading this story and for the last third you could not have pried it from my hands! I always enjoy contemporary characters solving historical mysteries and this mystery was especially compelling to me because it’s based on a real life lost diamond. It boggles my mind that the Florentine Diamond is out there somewhere and maybe one day someone will unexpectedly inherit it. After reading this I’m not sure it would be worth the trouble! If this book makes one thing clear it is that money doesn’t buy happiness nor does it solve all of life’s problems.

Thank you to Harlequin for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

The Imperfects, by Amy Myerson, is an intriguing book about a dysfunctional family, a secretive grandmother, and a lost diamond. The story has historical roots in the Holocaust and the end of the Hapsburg Empire. Contrary to several other reviewers, I found this a quick and interesting read. The search for the diamond’s provenance causes the family members to join forces. Each grows and gains insight the process. The backstory of how the diamond came to be possessed by their ancestor was fascinating, although somewhat improbable. Finally, the novel was situated in Philadelphia, my hometown, and I reveled in the opportunity to visit the City Hall courtyard, Jewelers’ Row, and other scenes of my past.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was my pleasure.

#TheImperfects