Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Mrs. Perfect

Finally a new post. Yay!

I finished Mrs. Perfect, by Jane Porter a few weeks ago and was really not excited to blog about it. I picked this book up at Village Books - our fabulous, local independent book store - and was very excited to read it. I loved Flirting With Forty and The Frog Prince, so I was expecting to really like this one as well.

As you may be able to tell from the previous paragraph my expectations were not met. I rarely write a "bad" review mostly because I usually don't read books I don't like - I put them down if they aren't grabbing me, holding my attention. Yet, with this book, I kept reading. I think liking her other books so well I thought things would come around. They just didn't.

So, what didn't I like? Let's see:
I felt this book was very superficial. I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters - I couldn't like them or dislike them...there wasn't enough to them to create a relationship. I didn't feel a connection in this book at all. The characters weren't formed enough for me. I felt this book did a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. A constant tell of what was happening, not enough substance to make me try or want to form my own feelings toward the book. I think Jane Porter did a better job of describing the furniture and clothes than the actual people.

I know that there was a book before this one, Odd Mom Out, where Taylor (the main character) is introduced and maybe that would give more sustenance to this book...however, I didn't read it and probably won't. I will wait for Jane's next book and definitely give it a try.

Anyway. I wouldn't recommend this one, but if anyone out there in the blog-o-sphere wants to try it let me know and I will send it your way!

2 comments:

Julie P. said...

If you're looking to unload it....

bookingmama(at)comcast(dot)net

Jane Porter said...

I just wanted to say thank you for buying Mrs. Perfect and giving it a shot. Mrs. Perfect was the toughest book I've ever had to write because Taylor is so shut down, and so emotionally scarred from her childhood that she doesn't let folks close...not even me! Even writing the book I knew it was a different book but I felt like I had to be true to her, good, bad ugly. On the other hand, I hear from readers that they enjoyed ink Mrs Perfect more if they read Odd Mom Out first. I'm not sure you'd be a fan of motorcycle riding Marta, but if interested, I'd love to send you a signed copy of Odd Mom Out as a way of saying thanks for being a reader.

Yours,

Jane
www.janeporter.com