Perfect is Overrated

**Copy won through LibraryThing early Reviewers**

Kate Alger has suffered from post-partum depression since her daughter Molly was born four years ago. She is finally starting to make her recovery when another mom at Molly’s school is murdered. Instead of driving Kate back to her bed, the murder invigorates her.

A former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Kate’s instincts for catching bad guys kicks in and she starts snooping into the murders. Unknowingly helping her is Kate’s ex-husband, Paul, an NYPD detective living in the apartment above hers, and her good friend Peg, also a prosecutor.

As the murders start piling up, the pre-depression Kate breaks through more and more and she starts to confront the issues from her past that kept her in her depression.

Perfect is Overrated really surprised me, I picked it up thinking I was going to have to trudge through and not get any enjoyment and I was happily surprised that I liked it.

Aside from the fact that Kate has been suffering from post-partum depression for four years – really, her mom is a psychologist and no one thought to put her on meds, or anything? I think Bergreen does a good job with Kate, I came to really like her character and as the story developed more and more of Kate’s backbone appears.

There was a lot of backstory involving how her and her ex-husband met and fell in love (they both knew immediately they were going to get married and three dates in he tells her he wants to have babies with her), her pregnancy and scenes from her depression.  At first I was annoyed at all of the backstory but I realized Perfect is Overrated is not so much about the murders but a woman’s descent into post-partum depression and her rise to overcome the depression which aside from the four year part, I think Bergreen handled believably.

Bergreen writes with a snarky wit that I really enjoyed. Kate has a lot of good liners that had me chuckling, most of them involving her ex. The writing is fast and the story is intriguing with enough twists and turns to leave you guessing.

My only issues with Perfect is Overrated was the four year depression that no one did anything about. In some ways it is resolved, but still leaves me shaking my head a bit. The reasons for the divorce of Kate and Paul had me internally screaming to just talk to each other! I suspected what really happened and wanted to shake both of them for lack of communication. For two people who were so in tune with each other that they knew after their first meeting they were going to get married this is unfathomable.

Problems aside, I think it was a really good beach book. I was interested enough to fly through in just a couple sittings. I liked the characters and the murders kept me guessing who dunnit until after a couple tries I landed on the right character. If you’re looking for a light read on the last days of summer, or even after! Perfect is Overrated is a good choice. 

Quote of the Day

“Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know.” 
― John Keats

Quote of the Day

“Everything we are is at every moment alive in us.” 
― Arthur Miller

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted here, which spotlights new books we are anticipating.  

This week (and every week since finishing The Last Boyfriend) I'm waiting for the third and final book in the Inn Boosboro trilogy by Nora Roberts. 

It's a tough call, but I think I like this trilogy slightly better than the Bridal Quartet. I love the elements of supernatural aka the ghost in this story. I can't wait to find out her story. 

The Perfect Hope will tell the story of Hope and Ryder and I think it's going to be my favorite in this series. Hope and Ry have been building up the tension since book one, The Next Always and I have high expectations for their story. Luckily, Nora always delivers.  

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother are breathing new life into the town of Boonsboro, Maryland, by restoring its historic hotel. And they’re finding their own lives revamped by love. This is Ryder’s story... Ryder is the hardest Montgomery brother to figure out — with a tough-as-nails outside and possibly nothing too soft underneath. He’s surly and unsociable, but when he straps on a tool belt, no woman can resist his sexy swagger. Except apparently Hope Beaumont, the innkeeper of his own Inn BoonsBoro. And though the Inn is running smoothly, thanks to Hope’s experience and unerring instincts, her big-city past is about to make an unwelcome — and embarrassing — appearance. Seeing Hope vulnerable stirs up Ryder’s emotions and makes him realize that while Hope may not be perfect, she just might be perfect for him...

Quote of the Day

“We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.” 
― Marilyn Monroe

Quote of the Day

“You are everything that's ever been my favourite thing," she wanted to tell him. "You're my love song, my birthday cake, the sound of ocean waves and French words and a baby's laugh. You're a snow angel, crème brulée, a kaleidoscope filled with glitter. I love you and you'll never catch up, because I've gotten a head start and my heart is racing at light speed.” 
― Lisa Kleypas, Dream Lake

Summer Sundays - Dream Lake

Dream Lake is the latest book in the Friday Harbor series by Lisa Kleypas.

Zoe Hoffman is sweet and romantic. Alex Nolan is a broken man, the product of two alcoholic parents with a problem of his own. Zoe knows she should stay away from the handsome Alex - he tells her so himself, but she is drawn to him.

The ghost has been living at Rainshadow Road, the house Alex’s brother Sam bought and is re-modeling, for a long time. No one can see or hear him, until Alex shows up to help Sam. Alex can see and hear the ghost. Alex thinks he’s going crazy, the ghost thinks he has to help Alex with something.

When Zoe’s grandma’s health takes a turn for the worst, she decides to bring her to live with her at Friday Harbor. To do that, she will have to fix up the old house on Dream Lake and she will need Alex’s help. As the renovations are under way, Zoe and Alex become closer.

Alex is a broken man; Zoe is a cheerfully sweet and positive person. Typically those two personalities should clash and never mix but in Dream Lake Alex and Zoe fit perfectly. I loved both of these characters. The timeline is running parallel to the previous book in this series, Rainshadow Road and Kleypas spends the extra time building Alex’s character, his eventual realization that he has a problem and his recovery. It fits into the rest of the story seamlessly and we see a man broken by his past and his lack of hope for the future slowly ebbing away until he realizes he doesn’t want to be that man anymore.

Zoe is a cook and her creations are works of art and for Alex, a little magical. They help him through some of the dark days of his recovery.  But not until Alex is hired to do the renovations on the lake house do they start to get to know each other better. Unlikely friends, they both recognize their mutual desire but Alex believes Zoe deserves better than him.

I loved both Zoe and Alex’s story and the second story of the ghost and Emma. Both were beautiful, magical and yes heartwarming.  I was intrigued from page one, when the ghost begins the story, and I only grew more and more attached as the book progressed. I found myself simultaneously wanting to read it as fast as I could and take my time and delay the ending.

I loved the elements of magic in the story too from the ghost to Zoe’s cooking. The second storyline was heartbreaking and sweet. I wanted to know everything about the ghost and his past just as I wanted more of Zoe and Alex.

Zoe and Alex are complete polar opposites and that is what makes their story so addictive, so compelling. There is a glimpse of interaction between them in Rainshadow Road and Alex comes off as such an ass, almost as if he is already unredeemable, almost. But Lisa Kleypas is a skilled writer and she can find what is left in a damaged man and breathe new life into him until he is a truly unforgettable hero.

Dream Lake has made it into my cherished favorites and reiterated to me why I love Lisa Kleypas’s novels so much. I can’t wait for the next installment in the Friday Harbor series.