Friday, September 11, 2015

ARC REVIEW: Finding Perfect by Kendra C. Highley

Title: Finding Perfect
Author: Kendra C. Highley
Publisher: Entangled Crush
Published: September 14th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 199
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!

Kendra C. Highley | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

How far will you go for perfection? 

For “Perfect Paige” Westfield, today is “D” Day. As in, she just got one on her calculus test. With her dreams of Stanford, her reputation, and her parents’ expectations at stake, Paige needs to find a way to save face before everything she’s worked for goes up in flames.

Ben Franklin (yes, he’s related) is from the wrong side of town, with the wrong clothes and the wrong kind of life. He also knows an opportunity when he sees one, and he’ll be happy to tutor Paige—if she makes him into the kind of guy her best friend, the hottest girl in school, will date.

It’s the perfect arrangement. And Paige is determined not even the inconvenient—and utterly imperfect—attraction simmering between her and Ben will ruin it…



I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating.

I am so unbelievably happy that this book found it's way into my life. After finishing Finding Perfect, I realize I've done just that...found perfection. It has been a very, very, very long time since a book has captured my heart so completely that I'm left desperately wanting to find a way to tack more stars to the end of my rating. Especially a Young Adult novel! This book has done just that. I devoured it. Devoured! And now I sit here with the early symptoms of the dreaded book hangover settling in and wishing I had slowed down and truly savored it more. I'm in love. What can I say? It was flawless.

I am such a character driven person. All of the characters in this book were just brilliant and full of depth and I absolutely loved them. Even Paige's mom, whom I completely, to the depths of my soul, despised up until the last few pages, I loved the fact that she inspired all of those feelings and emotions from me. She inspired just as many feelings as the rest of them did. I love when an author can do that to me. Make me hate someone, yet at the same time love the fact that I do. Well done, Kendra C. Highley!

Paige was simply amazing. I wish I had had even 1/8th of her drive when I had been her age. She would strive so hard for perfection and put so much pressure on herself to live up to everyone's expectations and she did such an amazing job, but at the cost of an incredible amount of stress that no seventeen-year-old should have. Ever. Of course it doesn't help all the added pressures and expectations from her mother. I mean the girl is 4th in her graduating class but her mother acts as if she's not trying hard enough to be number 1. I hated it. I hated seeing what it was doing to her. I'm surprised Paige didn't have ulcers. It was brilliant, though, watching her grow and finding the courage to start living up to her own expectations and desires. She totally kicks major butt and is worthy of girl crush status.

Ben was just a cupcake. I loved how smart and compassionate he was. How he took the time to look past "Perfect Paige" and dig a little deeper. Plus my heart melted at his relationship with his mother. They had such a sweet and inspirational type of dynamic. Ben has such a huge heart and he's the perfect person to have in your corner, cheering you on. I adore him. No. I more than adore him. There are just no words.

And don't even get me started on the others, like Ben's mom who works her behind off for both her and Ben and was so encouraging and just a warm and happy person. To Paige's dad who, even though it took him a while, really stood up for his daughter and he was pretty freaking funny to boot. But also the person I was afraid I wouldn't like, Zoey. The gorgeous and popular best friend of Paige. But I loved her just as much as I did Ben and Paige as well. She is so awesome and I cannot wait to read her book because that teaser of an epilogue has me dying already!

As I said in the beginning this book was just flawless. From beginning to end. It was sweet, emotional and full of angst. Oh the most delicious angst. The romance was so incredibly sweet and heartwarming. 

I feel like all I'm doing is spinning around and around in circles saying "I'm in loooove!" And I swore I was going to try and do this review justice instead of gushing and swooning all over the place. I think I'm failing. So I think that's my queue to stop.

I loved this book. I can't wait for more. I need more!

A huge thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!



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