Kristen's Reviews > Once Perfect
Once Perfect (Shattered Past, #1)
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Kristen's review
bookshelves: 4-star, abuse-and-or-rape-issues, couldnt-put-down, couple-communicates, didnt-want-story-to-end, endearing-heroine, endearing-hero, fabulous-characterizations, fabulous-characters, fabulous-hero, fabulous-heroine, fabulous-secondary-characters, family-dynamic, great-dialogue, great-ending, humorous, loved-it, loved-the-love-story, made-me-smile, new-adult-college, refreshing, scrumptious-hero, slow-building-romance, sweet-romance, thought-provoking, troubled-heroine, witty-and-clever, medium-steam
Oct 20, 2014
bookshelves: 4-star, abuse-and-or-rape-issues, couldnt-put-down, couple-communicates, didnt-want-story-to-end, endearing-heroine, endearing-hero, fabulous-characterizations, fabulous-characters, fabulous-hero, fabulous-heroine, fabulous-secondary-characters, family-dynamic, great-dialogue, great-ending, humorous, loved-it, loved-the-love-story, made-me-smile, new-adult-college, refreshing, scrumptious-hero, slow-building-romance, sweet-romance, thought-provoking, troubled-heroine, witty-and-clever, medium-steam
4 Refreshing New Adult Stars!
I love when I find a new adult book that not only takes me by surprise but also has me believing in the characters and the romance. It was refreshing to read a new adult couple that felt authentic to their background, age, and life situation.
Once Perfect isn't your average college romance with carbon-copy characters, plot, and soap opera drama. There's drama, some heartbreaking at times, but it was balanced with humor and story building. In fact, I was surprised at how much I laughed throughout the book considering the sensitive subject matter and the heartbreaking situations in which some of the characters found themselves.
The characters were what I loved the most about this story. They were so richly developed and relatable that they breathed life into each and every page. The secondary characters were just as vibrant, authentic, and lovable as the two main leads.
I had such a great time reading this book! It wasn't perfect (the heroine's dissociative disorder needed to be better explained) but it was just what I needed. This is definitely a story I will read again.
I love when I find a new adult book that not only takes me by surprise but also has me believing in the characters and the romance. It was refreshing to read a new adult couple that felt authentic to their background, age, and life situation.
Once Perfect isn't your average college romance with carbon-copy characters, plot, and soap opera drama. There's drama, some heartbreaking at times, but it was balanced with humor and story building. In fact, I was surprised at how much I laughed throughout the book considering the sensitive subject matter and the heartbreaking situations in which some of the characters found themselves.
The characters were what I loved the most about this story. They were so richly developed and relatable that they breathed life into each and every page. The secondary characters were just as vibrant, authentic, and lovable as the two main leads.
I had such a great time reading this book! It wasn't perfect (the heroine's dissociative disorder needed to be better explained) but it was just what I needed. This is definitely a story I will read again.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
October 20, 2014
– Shelved
October 20, 2014
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Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 68 (68 new)
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Baba
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Oct 23, 2014 06:23PM
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It doesn't have to be perfect to be a satisfying read. :)
It doesn't have to be perfect to be a satisfying read. :)"
Exactly! It was just what I needed at the time. ❤️
Thank you so much, Feifei. ❤️
Thanks Eliza. I really enjoyed it. ❤️
Thanks so much, Sharon. ❤️
Thank you, Amy. ❤️
Thank you so much, SueBee. (view spoiler)❤️
Thank you, J. <3
Thanks Sara! :)
Thanks Lisa. I think you'll enjoy it. <3
Thank you so much, Bev. <3
Thank you, Geri. I was really surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. <3
Thank you, Deanna! <3
Thank you, Anne. The romance is slow moving the first half of the book, but it really is a great read. The characters were authentic to their backgrounds, age, and situations. I hope you enjoy it. <3
Thank you, Christy! <3
Thank you so much, Sharon! <3
Thank you, Val. You just put a huge smile on my face. <3
Thank you, Supreet! xo
Thank you so much, Jessica. xo
Thank you, Shawna. I think you'd enjoy this one. xo
Thanks Dorsey. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series, too. :D
Thank you so much, Lana. xo
Thank you so much, Jennifer. I'll be curious to see what you think of this book as you're in the mental health profession. The author did her homework but I also felt there needed to be more explanation once the disorder came to light.
Personally, I think most of NA books focusing on abuse don't do the subject matter justice. They seem to use it as a drama tool and nothing more, making the abuse feel contrite with no substance. As for your question about what is making the genre so tiresome...hum...I think maybe it's the predictability. All the books feel the same (which is what the younger new adult crowd likes but not the older ones). The books seem to have the same characters, the same plots, and the same type of drama. I do think that's slowly changing though. More and more NA books are breaking the mold (like this one) and offering the older readers something different.
I do think the NA genre is unique in that it has two set of reader. The younger readers who are ready to graduate from the YA genre, wanting a more mature romance but are still drama centered in their reading more than romance centered. Then there are the older readers who want to relive their college days but want a more romance centered book without all the over-the-top drama. I think that could be some of the reason there is conflict in the genre. Just a thought.