Cover Image: Unperfect

Unperfect

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Member Reviews

This was a well-paced and detailed story with a good level of plot and character development.
The main characters were likeable and relatable although at times it felt like the story was a bit far-fetched.
It would be really difficult to see someone building a wholesome and healthy relationship so quickly after escaping such horrific abuse - at times it felt like the romance was a little forced.
It would have been more realistic for there to be a greater time lapse before transitioning into the new relationship.
The family network of the male character was warm and loving which was nice to see.

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Mia is fleeing a horrible situation and needs a job. Max is a grumpy, bossy Architect who doesn’t really think they need another employee. Luckily for Mia Max’s partner sees potential in Her and gives her a job which solves one of her problems but she still has so many more. Mia tries to fade in to the background but things happen and Max can’t help but see her. Their attraction grows, but Max has trust issues due his ex leaving him and Mia has major trust issues due to her past. Max comes across as gruff & rude, but under all that he is a caring man. I liked his relationship with Teddy. Mia realises that her priorities as a teenager were a bit screwed up and blames herself for getting into the situation she did. She doesn’t believe she deserves to be happy, but she is bright and loving and wants what’s best for her loved ones and they love her in return. The other characters in the book definitely add to the story. (Prime minister’s wife did annoy me a bit). Someone pointed out in a review about the mentions of eye rolling and I must admit I did notice it (but might not have if I hadn’t read about it before). This book made me think and the ending left me feeling hopeful.

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I was given a copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

Having said that, I'd like to preface my review with the following. I have read a number of Ms. Tate's works. I became hooked on her stories with her "Broken Heart" series. I was drawn in by the characters she creates and the humor and pathos of her plots. Because of that, when the opportunity to review this work presented itself, I was expecting much the same as those characters that worked at the hospital.

Those previous stories could not prepare me for what I encountered in "Unperfect"! The hospital staff in her other books brought me much laughter and a few tears. Mia and Max's story in this latest offering brought, again, much laughter but way more tears than I was expecting. Mia, you see, is the victim of domestic violence. While I loved the story, it was a more difficult book to read than some. The subject of DV was dealt with in a cross between a sympathetic and a realistic way. Max follows his instincts because he cares. He started out as a bit of a grumpy git but he learns quickly. Mia has a lot of triggers and almost zero trust. Totally understandable.

Through the course of the telling, everyone grows...not just Mia. After things are revealed, Mia is able to reconnect with her family after years of being apart. Her abuser did a fine job of isolating her. There are a number of bumps in the road along the way but Max and Mia make it through to the other side just fine.

Domestic violence is a really sensitive topic to attempt to chronicle. Ms. Tate handled it just fine. I was very impressed. This book shines a light upon a subject that has been left in the shadows for far too long. This story also gives the reader hope. DV survivors are way stronger than they give themselves credit for--they've had to be. Mia learns this. Better yet, she applies what she has learned to her benefit.

I highly recommend this book. The subject matter may be tough for some, but everyone will come away with a better understanding...and there's always the happy ending.

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This book was a nice romance with an important message about domestic abuse as well. It's never too late to change your life and escape your abuser. I thought it was well done.

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I love Susie Tate's writing and the way her stories feel realistic as well as whimsical. These are real people with real struggles finding their happily ever afters through humor and perseverance. Romance doesn't get much better than that.

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Unperfect
Susie Tate
Releases- October 5th 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars
🌶/ 5 Spice

I was so presently surprised by this book. Work-place romances can be a hard for me to get through but I was hooked onto unperfect.

Our Heroine is coming in needing a job badly and it’s at our hero’s company. He doesn’t want her working for him and questions everything she does. Honestly total alpha-hole vibes.

Over the book we learn the heroines story and so does our hero. He turns very protective and the slow burn is real.

The side characters though! I love our hero’s sister and I’m so excited for her romance next with his best friend! I can already tell it’s a book for me.

This book heavily features abuse and our heroine goes through so much. The author made you feel all the emotions and did her research on these topics. I was in awe over this, how she didn’t sugar coat anything and how long the healing process actually is.

I strongly recommend this book if you are looking into a woman taking back her life and a wonderfully protective sometimes jerkish leading man.

I do wish we got more spice the book was slow burn it took about 60% for any action however still good.

I was given an arc by NetGalley & the author to provide honest feedback

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Mia is desperate. On the run from an abusive ex, broke, hungry and injured she applies for a job with a architectural job with a fake resume and disguising herself. The author does a great job of providing the reader with insight to Mia and her plight, along with Max and Verity who own the architectural firm with two totally different viewpoints of Mia. Max comes across as gruff and angry but with a soft side....I loved his doctor friend and while I thought this book was another rich guy who saves the girl type of book, this book held it's own and the character development was outstanding. Enjoyed this book even though it came with heavy DV. I read this book for an honest review via Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.

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Mia escaped a life that was abusive and has applied to be an IT personnel at Max's architecture firm. Although she does not make a favorable first impression based on her appearance and mannerisms, she has the skills and know how to do the job effectively. Mia is rather timid and shy and prefers to blend in the background with as little interaction with other people as possible. She's also hiding her true identity so that poses a few obstacles for her while she tries to sort out housing and food. Max is the resident grump who lacks interpersonal skills, but is incredibly talented at his creativity in eco design. Add in his large build with gruff voice and he's rather intimidating, which causes Mia to shrink away, especially when overhearing how much he finds her lacking as an employee.

I liked the way Mia was portrayed, that felt very realistic as far as her experience as an abuse victim and distrust of others, particularly men. While she went through a lot of trouble to hide her situation, it seems odd that nobody really picked up on it even though people were skeptical and knew there was something that she wasn't telling. I loved the scenes were Mia would share raw emotion and hurt so that the others could truly see how strong and capable she is. Yet she needed a lot of TLC to bring her back to a point where she could feel comfortable in her surroundings and trust others. The way Max stepped in was in definite contrast to his initial behavior and rash judgment. Both Mia and Max are not who they seem at first and as the layers peeled away, they reveal the true person inside who finds comfort and so much more in the other person.

I also liked the secondary characters and the events that took place to bring Mia to a point where she could finally live her life freely and happily with the necessary support around her. It's a good survival story of a woman's journey from being a victim to taking charge of her own life and forging a new path that allows her find independence and love, in addition to respect for herself.

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I enjoy Susie Tate books, so was pleased to spot this one.

There are some serious domestic violence issues in this book that any reader needs to be aware of. The isolation of the victim by her abuser, the guilt she feels when/how she escapes, the shame, the long slow recovery - its all here and makes for an appalling picture of just how women get trapped and how hard it is to "just leave". Its just not that simple when someone is emotionally, then physically abused. Yay for Susie Tate shining a light on these issues.

I liked the characters too - Mia isn't a Mary Sue, which makes her all the more realistic. She's a mix of selfish, materialistic (formerly) as well as (mostly) good. Max isn't perfect either, although he has a heart of gold hidden down there as well as his own insecurities and issues. She and Max fit well together. And i liked Max's teenage "son", that was lovely.

All in all a good if sometimes hard hitting book.

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Unperfect is the classic story of a woman on the run who falls in love, which just so happens to be up there as my number one favourite romance genre trope. I’ve read as many books with this trope as I can find, and I was so excited to see this brand new novel on Netgalley featuring this trope prominently as the main plotline. Be still my heart!

What makes this book really special is the characters. I absolutely love when the hero and the heroine aren’t automatically attracted to each other. There’s no insta love for Max and Mia! On the contrary. Because Mia has dyed her hair black and has been living on the run, she’s lost a lot of weight and resembles a goth (which, in this case, is a bad thing). Max, true to his blunt and harsh personality, rudely points this out in front of her. Despite a rocky start, their romance is incredibly sweet and gradual–a true slow-burn with all the feels. Mia is fragile, yet resilient. Max is gruff on the outside with a soft and gooey interior. It’s clear that they’re perfect for each other, and I loved watching their story unfold.

Even the side characters are phenomenally written, particularly Max’s son and his sister. They’re built up as three-dimensional people who support the plot and even have potential for their own romances down the line. (I know his sister will definitely be getting together with his best friend, and I’ll definitely be here for that.)

While this book is about one of my favourite tropes, plot-wise, it doesn’t really do anything unique with it. The story goes the same way that this story always goes. That said, if you enjoy this trope, the ride is quite enjoyable. It’s just the right amount of angsty. The entire story is laced with suspense, but not so much tension that you can’t pause to appreciate the sweetly romantic parts.

All in all, I recommend this book to those who are love a sweetly angsty romance that features a woman on the run falling in love with an unexpected hero.

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Cute read but a little melodramatic. I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of enemies-to-lovers, down-on-her-luck books. Do not expect highly sophisticated writing, but an entertaining read.

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Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC!

TW: Graphic domestic abuse
Overall I enjoyed reading this book, but I don't really have much to say about it.

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This is a book about domestic violence, love, friends, and family and finally finding your strength to start over. I loved the characters especially Max and Mia. I highly recommend this book.

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This really did tackle my need for a pretty good women’s fiction book I really did love this. I enjoyed the characters and sentiments in the book. I did drop a few times with tears I did get emotional but that’s usually what happens with these type of books anyway. I really did love this so 5 out of 5 stars!

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Susie Tate can always be counted on to deliver scrappy, underdog heroines paired with gruff, surface alpha-hole, but secretly melty cinnamon roll heroes, who are initially absolute arses to the heroine, but later are utterly appalled at how badly they acted and will do anything to make it up to her. Unperfect was true to this formula while dealing with the horror of domestic abuse and how badly it can affect the victim and their self-esteem. This book definitely needs a TW for domestic abuse as it happens both in flashback and on page, but it's an important issue to shine a light on and I commend the author for doing so.

Mia was a bit twee, Max was a bit over-the-top rough exterior, but still, I loved the relationship that grew between them. I especially loved that once Max understood a bit of Mia's past and current mind-set, he was very careful to check in with her and make sure she was okay with whatever he was doing, provide her with an escape route, not touch her unexpectedly, etc. In addition, I think the author did a good job in showing that Mia needed therapy and time to tackle her issues, she wasn't just instantly cured by lurve. I also loved Max's relationship with his outwardly sullen teenage stepson, who was dealing with his own issues, but who stepped up and proved his own decency once he realized how badly Mia needed a friend. My thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

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Please read the trigger warnings before diving into this piece of art.

I went into this book blind. I honestly thought it was going to be some millionaire grumpy sunshine romance, it was anything but that. There was mention of abuse and the reality that this exists around us too much brings tears to my eyes. Mia was running away from her abusive ex and while trying to survive in work-life, she meets Max. The support he'd given her, and Teddy for teaching her self-defence, Yaz, for her lightheartedness, Heath was caring, and Verity who had seen through her at first glance. They all become a family that I loved. The triggers and her acceptance of her current life is going to be a difficult journey, but the recovery has warmed my heart. This is a heavy and heartfelt book that you should read once in your life. You will experience the strength that comes from brokenness and you won't regret it.

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Susie Tate has knocked it out of the park with this book.

I am sometimes a bit reticent to read books where one of the characters has suffered abuse. Authors can be too quick to move the storyline on and it can feel a bit false. Not the case here.  The characters were written in a very believeable way and they were given plenty of time to develop relationships without it feeling false. It does feature some heavy material though so please bear this in mind if you read it. My favourite Susie Tate book so far.

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This book was unsettling in that it made you think about the effects of domestic abuse. I did feel it was handled well. The romance was built slowly which seems realistic. The journey of the heroine also kept you guessing. All in all an interesting book.

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**4.5 stars**** Susie Tate is such a good author. I LOVED Anything But Easy. This was a good read. Warning it involves domestic violence. I have fell into this trope lately and it is a bit heavy.If I have any complaints it’s that DV is just such a hard read for me.It makes me ragey and want to punch something, so it’s not really entertaining. All of that aside, this author really develops her characters and tells a good story. Keep em comin Susie!

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This was a pretty interesting read actually. I really enjoyed it for what it was and liked the characters. I do love the opposite ended type characters where one is the grumpy and the other isn’t and this 100% delivered. An easy 5/5 stars I really appreciated the direction this went in and despite everything really loved and enjoyed it!

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