Such a roller coaster of emotions reading this. The characters were fun and the story really enjoyable. A fab book

Great book, enjoyed exploring the dynamics between the characters and found myself emersed in their story. Recommended.

"The Imperfection of Us" by Nick Alexander invites readers into the intricacies of married life, exploring the complexities of relationships, the weight of past infatuations, and the enduring power of love.

Set against the backdrop of the summer of 1990, Dawn finds herself torn between two different men: the cool and elusive Billy and the dependable and kind-hearted Rob. When Billy disappears, Rob becomes Dawn's constant companion through the trials and joys of life, leading to a marriage born out of necessity rather than passion.

Alexander deftly weaves a narrative that spans decades, delving into the nuances of married life with remarkable authenticity. Through Dawn and Rob's journey, readers are treated to a candid portrayal of the everyday challenges and mundane realities of marriage – from petty arguments over household chores to the bittersweet moments of parenthood.

Central to the story is Dawn's lingering obsession with Billy, a reminder of the allure of past infatuations and the enduring power of memory. As Dawn grapples with the question of whether Billy is worthy of her decades-long obsession, Alexander skilfully explores the complexities of desire, regret, and the passage of time.

What sets "The Imperfection of Us" apart is its deeply human portrayal of imperfect love. Alexander imbues his characters with flaws and vulnerabilities, making them relatable and endearing to readers. Dawn and Rob's relationship is far from perfect, yet it is imbued with a sense of authenticity and depth that resonates with readers on a profound level.

Throughout the narrative, Alexander navigates themes of forgiveness, acceptance, and the importance of embracing life's imperfections. As Dawn confronts the ghosts of her past and grapples with the choices that have shaped her life, readers are reminded of the inherent beauty in embracing our flaws and imperfections.

In "The Imperfection of Us," Nick Alexander delivers a poignant and emotionally resonant story that will move readers to laughter, tears, and everything in between. With its richly drawn characters, heartfelt exploration of love and marriage, and timeless themes of redemption and forgiveness, this novel is a captivating journey through the complexities of the human heart.

This book made me feel all the feels. It was emotional, it was heavy, it was oh so good. 5 brilliant stars!!

A brilliant read very enjoyable characters in the book and hard to put down once you get into it. Overall an emotional rollercoaster read

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this, but I actually enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

The Imperfection of Us may be the most touching story I've read this year. It tells the story of Dawn and Rob, a couple who, as the blurb tells us, were never meant to be together because Dawn was in love with Billy, but Billy disappeared and Rob was there when Dawn needed support and a place to live. So Dawn and Rob get married, have a family together, and they fall in love. And then, decades later, Billy reappears.
The Imperfection of Us is a very different tale of love that I believe more mature readers will enjoy. I did. Dawn's and Rob's story stayed with me well after I had read the last page, and I believe I may have shed a tear or two.

Thanks to the author, Nick Alexander, Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Imperfection of Us by Nick Alexander is a gentle, realistic story of marriage and the imperfection of life. Dawn and Rob are married but never intended to be. Dawn's first love Billy disappears, leaving her pregnant and Rob steps in. 30 years later Dawn has a 'what if' moment and we find out what happens. Really lovely story - definitely one I'll recommend.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had to send this book earlier this year. I read about 50 pages and it was not my kind of book. The writing style was strange and I didn't love the characters or how they were portrayed. The cuss words ultimately made me DNF this. I tried sending this feedback when I first received the book so I'm unsure why it never went through and it's showing up on my profile still.

This was my first book to read by Nick Alexander and I look forward to reading more. The book was a deeply emotional read with likeable and relatable characters. When Rob first meets Dawn he falls head over heels for her, the only problem is that Dawn is in love with Billy., a wanna be famous singer in a band The author takes us through moments of their lives, told from both Robs and Dawn’s perspective over the years, decisions they make and the drama in their lives. I really enjoyed this format and felt it allowed the reader scope to connect with the characters further. The other characters in the book added depth and funny moments , creating a real family throughout the chapters. This was a book I was torn between not wanting to put down yet I didn’t want to finish reading it either as I didn’t want to say goodbye I will remember Rob, Dawn Lucy , Lee and Treacy for a long time I’d like to thank the author, the Publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have always loved books by Nick Alexander as they usually make me laugh out loud and have good main characters and plots and this one did not disappoint.

Following the two lead characters, Dawn and Rob, who have such a tumultuous marriage after being thrown together in a very unplanned way, and Dawns teenage romance (the one that got away) that turns up many years later and turns the tables on her emotions.

This is such a realistic story that is told in such a beautiful and comical way and really makes you think that what you think you want isn't necessarily what you need and not to throw away what you have, when the grass isn't always greener.

I am usually on the fence with books that are more serious in tone like a marriage that is in trouble or has serious ups and downs. I was a little hesitant to really get started with this one just based on that. However, once I got started, I was so engrossed in the story. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

our book review provides a thoughtful and engaging perspective on the story you've read. It seems to be a story that delves into the complexities of marriage, love, and the "what-if" moments that many couples may experience in their lives.

I found Dawn, Rob, and Billy, relatable and intriguing, and I really appreciate the way their ups and downs are portrayed. The idea of a coming-of-age story within a marriage context, exploring first love and unexpected relationships, adds depth to the story's timeline spanning from the 90s to the present day indicates a thorough exploration of the characters' journey over time. It appears that the story tackles themes of complacency and self-discovery within a relationship, which are aspects many readers like myself can relate to.

The question of whether Dawn and Rob can find their way back to each other or if it will take something significant to rekindle their love adds a layer of suspense and intrigue to the story.

I really enjoyed this and after 20 years of marriage, I really enjoyed this story a lot. Thanks once again for the book for my honest review.

The Imperfection of Us by Nick Alexander was a lovely sweet good feeling book and I felt is was an every day book of someone's life with their daily trials and tribulations of marriage and relationships. It was a quick go to book and a great holiday read or day off read. I felt the The characters were brilliant and so real.
Alex's books are always an excellent read and he has never felled to write a great book yet.

I found this story so endearing and relatable in so many marriages. The ups and downs and everything in between. It is a coming-of-age story about first love and the one you never saw yourself with. This is story for every married couple, who hasn't thought about what-if? I found Dawn and Rob so relatable and of course Billy that one guy we found so intriguing and addictive. I loved that story takes place in the 90's to the current day.

Dawn is infatuated with Billy; he is in band and mysterious that she finds addictive. But then then he leaves and enter Rob a definition of all around nice guy. So, when Dawn finds herself pregnant, Rob is there to pick up the pieces and promises to take care of her. But when life gets busy with kids and work, both Dawn and Rob become complacent and find they have lost themselves and who they were.

Can they find their way back to each other or will it take something big see the love they have for each other?

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for copy of this book for my honest review.

The Imperfection Of Us is the eleventh stand-alone novel by British-born author, Nick Alexander. Living in Margate with her unmarried mother, Tracey, her younger brother from a different father, Wayne, and a parade of Tracey’s boyfriends, perhaps doesn’t set the most stable relationship example for Dawn Weaver, but when she’s seventeen, she meets Billy Riddle (in a band!!) and she’s sure he’s the one.

Billy’s ideas on monogamy don’t quite match hers, though, and when she’s pregnant, he’s gone. Tracey tries to interest her in a wholesome young electrician, Rob Havard. Rob is instantly besotted, and will do anything, agree to anything, to make Dawn and her new baby his family. With a bit of help from Tracey, Dawn is gradually convinced to live with him in the house he’s worked so hard to make liveable.

Living platonically with a man she doesn’t love, who cares deeply for her and her new baby and isn’t afraid to show it… and yet “I felt cheated. It seemed as if I’d somehow been conned into a life that wasn’t my own: a very, very nice life, and a very lucky one too, when you consider all the misery there is on this planet. It’s just that it wasn’t my life and I couldn’t quite let myself relax into it.”

Eventually, Dawn convinces herself that it’s her choice to marry him and have another baby: “it was actually about saying, ‘I choose this.’ It was about saying, ‘I give up on ridiculous dreams of perfect men I haven’t met yet, perfect men with porn-star bodies, millions in the bank, and the wit of Ian Hislop. I accept I’m a perfectly ordinary human being, and I choose perfectly ordinary, sweet-hearted Rob.’”

And so, with a daughter and a son, and all the joy and heartbreak they bring, with working hard and setting up a new business and moving house, a cancer scare and an affair, after thirty years, they’re still together. But tall, with blue eyes and blond curly hair, and so sexy, she’s never forgotten Billy. Billy, the rock star, who’s now divorced and living in East Portlemouth.

She realises “I had spent my life fantasising about Billy Ruddle, but had no idea whether my fantasy was based on a reality I’d experienced long ago, or a sort of madness that had briefly possessed me during my hormone-addled teenage years. That fantasy, I finally saw, had pushed a wedge between Rob and me. It was the thing that had made me unable to relax into my relationship with my husband.” So, should she take the step and find out if the fantasy is real?

Alexander uses Dawn and Rob to narrate the story, thus giving the reader two perspectives of the relationship. His protagonists feel wholly authentic, with their virtues and very human flaws. They have their insecurities, their secrets, guilt and shame, but they grow and develop and the reader can’t help cheering them on and hoping for the best. The plot is credible even as it takes a few unexpected turns, and the epilogue set in the 2040’s is a lovely touch. Excellent contemporary fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Storm Publishing.

let me start by saying that this rating of the book is very personal, i think that this book can do such good things, but that I was the wrong audience. However, i can see that there is beauty in this book. it does so well in showing how not all relationships are perfect, and not all relationships start with love. the characters have depth, and lots of development, as you follow them from youth to late adulthood. it shows me that not just love, but also life is not always perfect, and you just need to make the most of it.

thank you to netgalley and the author for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot!

This was my first Nick Alexander book and I look forward to reading more. Daily trials and tribulations of marriage and relationships SO WELL captured it could feel like a biography at times. I thoroughly enjoyed the raw, not sugar-coated aspects of the book as well as the heart-felt moments which intertwined each other.

Dawn was a young teenager when she fell in love with Billy; Billy is not a reliable boyfriend. Heartbroken her mum tells her to come to the pub where she works and she meets Rob. Rob is definitely not her type; but Rob falls head over heels in love with Dawn. Dawn finds herself pregnant; Rob wants to love and care for Dawn and the baby despite not knowing who the father is. This is the story of their life together. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.