Cover Image: Unperfect

Unperfect

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Member Reviews

This book was way too unrealistic. Every plot point seems contrived to tell a specific story, which actually stunts the plot. The characters are one-dimensional, which makes them hard to like or care about. It takes a serious subject matter and deals with it in a way that's hard to take seriously.

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<strong>amazing </strong>

This book was angsty but it kept me glued to the story. This might be the best Susie Tate book yet

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I received a complimentrary copy of Unperfect in excahnge for an honest review. This was a great read, and one that I couldn't put down until the end. This was one of the most descriptive and realalistic books I've read involing domestiv violence, and strugging just to find basic neccessities. I'm super grateful Mia opened up enough to trust Max, and that they were able to find their happy place. I can't wait to read more from Susie Tate.

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I really enjoyed readingthis book. It had a strong female character even after suffering the way she does. With the care and support of everyone she builds herself back up. This book has a strong main character's and secondary. Character's. Would highly recommend.

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TW: GRAPHIC DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Mia’s journey broke my heart so many times I could not put it down until I finished.
Mia's trauma and PTSD was so real, yet the author managed to inject so many light-hearted moments.

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I really enjoyed this and was really impressed by the characters- both Mia and Max were people I felt invested in. The slow build up of a romance set against the emotional Mia story worked for me. I liked the characters Teddy, Heath, Yaz and how they were interwoven not just with Mia and Max but with each other. Would recommend.

Thanks the NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

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A complimentary copy of this book was provided by NetGalley for my honest review and opinion. Susie Tate should be winning awards for this book! As a woman that was married to an abusive man for 11 years, this book took me through flashbacks but I am so grateful that Susie wrote this book to show how deep the damage can go and that it takes a really strong man to help the woman he loves find peace again.

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Really enjoyed this one by Susie Tate. She's a new to me author but I'm a sucker for an impoverished heroine/rich hero trope and stumbled across this book. Well written and entertaining, I read it in one sitting and will be delving into her backlist next!

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It is a heavy book based on abuse
I was at times so sad and felt utter anger & humiliation for how she had to live in the streets and the problems she went through
Their love story was sure a beautiful journey.
I enjoyed reading their story about how much they loved each other
She is so strong to have the will to fight back
Such a beautiful and touching story
The right amount of romance and touch

So glad to read it
Definitely Recommended

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I have enjoyed other Susie Tate books and can say that Unperfect is one that stands out. This book contains the topic of domestic violence, so please be aware of this before you start reading.

Throughout the book, we can see the affect domestic violence has had on Mia and how that trauma impacts her interactions with others (including Max, the male love interest). Mia's initial relationship with Max is not good, with him asserting that she isn't needed in the company. Mia tries to avoid Max due to her trauma and her interpretation of his behaviour.

One thing I really liked was that Mia's trauma isn't magically cured once she meets Max. Their relationship is progresses slowly due to both Max's and Mia's past.

With Max and the other secondary characters, Mia starts to build a life and heal from the abused she was subjected to by her husband.

I really enjoyed Max as a character. At first, he appears to be brash, grumpy and rude. However, beyond that grumpy exterior exterior, he is protective, caring and understanding.

Although it's not an easy read as a romance book, I would definitely recommend it!

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This was a difficult book to read because of the difficult subjects it tackles. and I appreciate the care that Tate used in writing this story. As always, I can't wait for Susie Tate's next book!

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Pretty basic romance story with an interesting male character but I just couldn’t get over the annoying female character. I have finished the book but I wouldn’t say that I actually enjoyed it overall. I’m sorry

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

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This book was really good! It has a heavy subject (domestic violence) so proceed with caution if you have any triggers.

Mia is on the run and desperate for the job at Max's architecture firm. She's brilliant at her job, but Max soon realizes Mia is hiding some dark secrets. Max is the grumpy, moody boss that Mia tries desperately to avoid at all costs. A chance meeting with one of Max's friends and a run-in with someone funding the company's projects may have Mia's secrets unravel before she has the chance to run again. Can Max and his close-knit friends group break through Mia's walls and help her heal or will she run away like she's done?

My heart was absolutely broken reading Mia's story! What I enjoyed the most about this book is that the author showed us how vulnerable Mias was through her actions versus telling us about it. And Max (insert swoony eyes)! On the outside he's the super grumpy boss, but underneath his rough exterior is a big, cuddly teddy bear. I enjoyed all the secondary characters like Yaz and Verity. They were fun and added depth to the story. I wish there was more about Max's past with Teddy's mom, but there's enough to get the gist of what happened. Great read even if it was light on the romance and heavy on the tough topics.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy!

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This is a well-paced story with a sweet romance that builds up nicely between a young woman trying to survive domestic abuse and the gruff architect she finds a job with. Max is a swoon-worthy character, a big bear of a man with a marshmallow centre. His growly exterior hides a heart of gold and he soon develops protective feelings for Mia who has run away from a violent and controlling husband, unbeknownst to him.

However, the story lost a star from me when it went from a heartfelt, poignant romance to what felt like a spin off of "Love, Actually", Romance books are a form of escapism and one expects to suspend reality to a certain extent, but the plot towards the end became too far fetched and the characters began to feel more like caricatures, with even Max beginning to sound like a pastiche of a northerner rather than a believable character. On top of it all, the prime minister is somehow roped into the action (yes, definitely a whiff of "Love, Actually") and has a wife who uses terms such as "wankpuffin", "buggering badgers" and "cockwomble". A shame really, since at its heart there was a good story there which could have resolved itself in a much more believable and emotionally satisfying way than it ended up doing. On a side note, the book needs to be proof-read, as there were much more than a handful of typing errors.

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I want to start off by saying this book does have some trigger warnings. That being said, this was an interesting read. We have a boss, Max, who says what he thinks and who cares about anyones feelings and a woman Mia, who is escaping her abusive ex that left her for dead after a beating.

I received this ARC through #netgalley and I am voluntarily reviewing this book

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I did enjoy this book but there was just a few things that bugged me a little.

Firstly, I did actually enjoy how the author actually made the side characters as interesting as the main characters and I did enjoy the plot but I feel like the execution could have been slightly better.

I felt like it took ages for everyone to find out the truth about Mia. Honestly, it's not that hard to piece things together. It also really annoyed me that Max was the last person to know about Miss situation. There was also a quite a few grammar mistakes in the book.

Before diving into this book I would recommend looking up trigger warnings and making sure you are comfortable with the subjects this book deals with!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4316603725?book_show_action=false

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TW- Domestic Violence

I've not read a lot of books about domestic violence, to be honest. But I can still say it captured the nuances of domestic violence. The thought process, the repetition, the constant lingering fears, untimely triggers, everything seemed to work. Some may find it repetitive or slow, but everyone who has been traumatized tend to have constant negative thoughts more along the similar lines because that's a narrative they firmly believe in after the trauma.
It did bother me how they ignored the obvious signs but maybe a lot of it was attributed to the distance Mia maintained with everyone and how in order to make her comfortable they had to give her ample of space, which could've been why they didn't notice those signs or simply didn't know to react the correct way thus making the readers feel they perhaps were neglecting the signs.
But I liked what followed after her trip to the hospital.
To be fair, it was a romance but it dealt more with domestic violence, which was good, I think it'd give victims the hope they were denied of by their abusers, and that's a good thing, even necessary perhaps.
Teddy was so nice and kind-hearted. Infact most of the characters were kind-hearted irrespective of whether they were practical or tempered or strange.
It has it flaws for sure but it deals with such a sensitive topic so maturely that I'd recommend it to anyone who wishes to read a book about abuse and hope.

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Unperfect by Susie Tate is a contemporary romance. I believe it is number four in the Beg Borrow, or Steal series, as there are some cameos from characters I recognize, but it is not labeled as such. Content warning, there is significant domestic violence content.

When Mia shows up for the interview at a well-known architecture firm, she only has 27p, a squashed loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter to her name. She needs this job. Even if she is scared to death of the owner of the company. Max has made a name for himself as that grumpy northern architect off Dream Homes (the most popular house design programme in the UK). It turned out that the whole gorgeous-but-rough-around-the-edges-Yorkshire-man vibe was just what the country was looking for – the episode had gone viral and Max was the new, extremely reluctant, pin-up of the building industry. But to Mia, huge, grumpy men weren’t sexy, they were simply terrifying. She knows from experience that even men of average size can be dangerous. If she wasn’t so desperate, she’d run. She’s used to running. Running away is Mia’s special talent, together with invisibility – survival techniques she’s perfected over the years. So, she’ll put up with Max and his moods, ignore him calling her a teen emo freak (he’s not to know that her black hair used to be honey blonde or her heavy eyeliner isn’t by choice) and just bloody well jog on. It’s easy to hide when nobody really sees you. But what happens when Max finally opens his eyes?

Unperfect is a romance that hit me hard on several levels. It is not an easy read, but it was so worth it. Mia is trying to survive, trying to hide in plain sight, until she is safe and can move forward. Max is a grumpy guy with a heart of gold and a penchant for protecting and helping those around him. The dance these two do around each other- with trust, safety, and health issues is highly engaging. It was certainly not easy to read- the abuse and related recovery is hard to read but very realistically handled- which made it hit especially hard. Seeing the character arch for both Max and Mia, and how they interacted with others, was very well crafted and multi dimensional. The heart and honesty in this book is off the charts. I liked that even though so much of the book is based around heavy themes and healing, there are enough lighter moments and some joy to keep everything well balanced. I think there are definitely some people that might not be in the right place to read this, especially if they are dealing with issues of violence and fear, but I think it might offer the hope and understanding that other people might need to help them heal.

Unperfect is not necessarily an easy or fun read. However, it is touching and engaging. I think it will strike a chord with many readers.

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● Workplace Romance
● Boss/Employee
● Single Dad
● OM drama
● HEA

Apart from the writing style, I loved the plot and the characters mostly. I wanted to kill Nate. Anyway, I couldn't really put it down after picking it up. I just had to know what happened next. So yeah, I enjoyed it I guess. I wish I could see Mia with kids though.


Trigger Warnings : Domestic violence, homeless

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I've read and enjoyed all of Susie Tate's books so I was thrilled to read her new one. This time, most of the characters work in a relatively new but well-regarded architecture firm.

Mia, the main character, is on the run from a horrible situation. She is hiding her real identity, is injured, has little money, and is sleeping in alleys when she sees an advertisement for a job at an architecture firm. She applies and is accepted. This is not a total solution though. Without her real ID, she is financially crippled, unable to even rent a place to live. It is winter.

Max. the owner of the firm is a little scary to her, gruff, and not thrilled about Mia coming to work with them. Mia, however, is a wiz at getting their computer applications to work, and soon proves her worth. However gruff he is in the office, it was clear he had his soft side.

I loved his sister Yaz, who can frequently be found doing a downward dog or other yoga position in the break room or by the copy machine. Her job there involves promoting a more productive workplace. For her, that means getting the staff to take breaks to stretch, do yoga, meditate, etc. to relieve stress and improve concentration. Or perhaps cuddle a crystal or two. She and Max working in the same office is a hoot.

The second half of the book is a little slower than the first half but Mia had a lot to work through, and it wasn't easy, even with help. An added bonus was that other characters from previous books made an appearance.

Thanks to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are mine.

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