Book Review – Perfectly Imperfect by Harper Sloan

Perfectly Imperfect by Harper Sloan

Adult Contemporary Standalone

Perfectly Imperfect by Harper Sloan is an intensely personal book both for Harper and myself. You see, #IamWillow. Willow was perhaps the most relatable character I have ever had the pleasure of “meeting” in a book. I think everyone can find a little of themselves in this book, but for me it was a lot. You see, I have an intense hatred of my body.

I only wear loose black clothes. I hide behind long boring brown hair. I look at people like Harper who rock their curves and wish I had it in me to be like that. Maybe it’s because I have two perfectly skinny sisters and a mom who has been 118 pounds since the day she got married 55 years ago. I don’t put myself out there with friends. I tend to hide out a bit and HATE being the center of attention. I used to sing in a band, act in plays, figure skate for big audiences. But since I got heavy, I hide. #IamWillow.

I have spent 29 years with a man who has only told me how much he loves my body, yet I have wondered every day why he was really with me, I’m like 60 pounds more than he is on a good day. So again, #IamWillow.

But enough about me, lets talk about Willow. Willow’s mother was killed in an accident, and she was left with her stepfather and stepsister. These horrible, cruel assholes tore Willow down every chance they got, but she still clamored for their love. The day she caught her husband in bed with her sister, Willow decided she had had enough of being walked on and set out to change herself.

When she bumps into Kane Masters, the epitome of perfection, she feels an immediate connection. She sees he looks at her with interest, but she can’t really believe it.

Even if he was just some normal guy, could you ever see someone like him with someone like…me?

Kane Masters. Wow, he was perfect (hence the name!), and for him, Willow was perfect.

Yeah, I love my women with curves because I find them mouthwateringly attractive, but also because when they lacked those curves I crave, I always feared I would break them if I fucked how I love to fuck.
Hard.
Bruising.
Rough.” 

Kane felt the pull to her immediately. Not despite her curves, but maybe because of them. He loved her vulnerability, and wanted to teach her to see herself the way he saw her.

I don’t want perfect. What so many see as perfect, to me, is fake. Perfect isn’t achievable naturally…There isn’t beauty in perfection…beauty is found in imperfection”

You see, the way I see it, the only way to become perfect is to find that perfectly imperfect person who brings it out of you.”

Kane slowly brought Willow into the light. He built up her confidence and helped her see her worth. And the way Willow reacted to the twist just made me love her even more.

Don’t you dare close your eyes, Willow. See what I see. Watch your body responding to my touch. See how beautiful you are to me.”

I did find myself wandering a little at about 75% in to the book, I was just waiting for a little more to happen, and I found that the end wrapped a little quick for my tastes. I would have liked to see Willow still have some occasional doubts, because her change was very extreme. But that’s OK. This is a Cinderella story after all.

Likes:

• Most relatable character ever.
• A book with a curvy heroine that doesn’t lose 100 pounds to be happy.
• A book with a curvy heroine that is not labeled as BBW.
• A book with a curvy heroine that depicts a real woman with body image problems.
• I absolutely loved Willow, and swooned over Kane.
• I loved Willow’s friends.
• Holy cow, the sex! Yum!
• You don’t need to be heavy to love this, there is a little bit of Willow in everyone.

Dislikes:

• It got a bit slow for me in the middle.
• It was wrapped up a little too neatly and quickly, I would have liked to have seen a few lingering issues, because after all, we are all works in progress and you can’t expect a lifetime of self-loathing to disappear over night.

Rating 4.5-4.75 stars, 4.5 Heat

The Down and Dirty:

#IamWillow. (Or I wish I was!) She was so relatable at the beginning. As a person who deals with body hate every day I totally got her. I am only now starting to accept myself more because I see the beautiful, confident curvy women in our reading community. My husband of 25 years and I have been going through a divorce, and during the time I read this book, he has been trying so hard to get me back, and for the first time in 20 years, I believe him when he says he loves my body. But I don’t think I will ever be totally there. I think everyone has bad days, doubtful days. I even saw Brittany Gibbons, the body positive blogger, admit that she had a day of self loathing the other day when she stood in her closet with nothing to wear.

I love Harper even more than before for writing such a personal, relatable story, but I would have loved it even more if it wasn’t wrapped up in such a perfect bow in the end. Still, Perfectly Imperfect is a book I would recommend to everyone as a must read.

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