Jamie Raintree

Perfectly Undone by Jamie Raintree is an engrossing novel about forgiveness and moving forward.

OB/GYN Dr. Dylan Michels is an initially unlikeable character that is difficult to relate to. She is so defined by her self-perceived role in her sister's death fifteen years earlier that this one event overshadows everything in her life. Dylan is so busy look back and ahead that she has completely lost sight of what is happening in the present. Despite her nine year relationship with show more live-in-boyfriend, pediatrician Cooper Caldwell, she is emotionally closed off and unable to tell him about why she is so haunted by her sister's death. Dylan is so self-involved that instead of being happy about Cooper's good news that she instead dwells on what this means for her future instead of celebrating his good fortune. Things come to head when Cooper proposes and Dylan's reaction is not at all what he expects.

Dylan becomes a much more sympathetic character in the wake of a stunning confession from Cooper. With surprising insight from her crush-worthy landscape architect, Reese, Dylan begins taking a long overdue stock of herself, her goals and her past. Relying her beloved father for support, her world is rocked in the aftermath of shocking family revelations. When she no longer feels she can rely on her dad, can Dylan accept her mother's attempts to fix their long-strained relationship? What impact will all of these events have on her plans for her future? Will all of Dylan's self-reflection about both recent and long ago events occur too late to mend her tattered relationship with Cooper?

Perfectly Undone by Jamie Raintree is an emotional journey of healing and self forgiveness. Despite not being a particularly appealing character early in the novel, once Dylan is forced to take a hard look at her choices, she becomes much more relatable and endearing. Cooper is initially a candidate for sainthood for his patience and understanding with Dylan but he eventually proves to be all too human in the aftermath of his ill-received proposal. Reese is an adorable addition to the cast and his unflappable calm and insightful observations easily make him the most likable character in the novel. Dylan's transformation is sometimes excruciatingly painful to endure, but the growth of her character is a sweet payoff for all of the frustration she causes. A thought-provoking read that fans of the genre will find worth tackling. show less

Thank you to @harlequinbooks for providing me with an ARC of Perfectly Undone by Jamie Raintree in exchange for my honest review. Synopsis- A stirring debut novel rife with intoxicating family secrets and dazzling insights into our most basic desires, Perfectly Undone offers an intimate, uncensored exploration of forgiveness and fidelity as one woman struggles with her sister’s death—and the role she played in it—while her own picture-perfect relationship and promising career unravel show more around her. If you love chic lit, you'll love this book! This felt like the book version of a season of Grey's Anatomy (doctors with relationship issues and buried secrets) and we all know the book is always better than the show/movie! One of the main themes of finding a way to forgiveness is one with which we probably all can identify. How much easier is it to withdraw, build up a wall, and bury the hurt than to force the conversation and drudge up all the yuckiness that comes with those hard conversations? The love story is swoon-worthy (hello cute doctor and hunky landscaper!). Dylan, the main character, is a smart, strong woman and I identified with her career struggles and finding the balance between work and home, as well as her desire to set even loftier goals that would make an impact in the world. show less

Ten years ago, Mallory lost her best friend and first love. On the eve of a big work promotion, Mallory decides to head home to try to make amends with her former best friend Kelly.

At 18, Mallory and Kelly were like sisters. They were inseparable until Sam came along.
The girls had been planning to spend their last summer at home living out their bucket list. But when Mallory’s parents hired Sam to work at the vineyard, everything changed. There was nothing Mallory wanted more than to spend show more time with Sam. Mallory didn’t know quite who she was and what she wanted yet but she felt she wasn’t good enough for Sam.

Sam was 24, older, handsome, sophisticated.
Mallory and Sam spent a lot of time together at the vineyard but the interactions were confusing. When Sam had a few glasses of wine he flirted with Mallory. When he was sober he acted like nothing had happened.
And one day after the damage was done to Mallory and Kelly’s friendship, Sam just left.

Ten years have passed. The vineyard is having a celebration. Mallory comes home for the celebration but it’s more than that. She’s questioning what she wants from life. She is about to accept a promotion at work but that promotion will require a 3 year contract. She isn’t sure she wants to stay in New York.

She heads home with the intention of winning back Kelly’s friendship but it’s harder than she expected. She isn’t expecting to see Kelly at home taking care of her sick mother, she isn’t expecting Kelly at her old high school job. And she isn’t expecting Kelly to act like so much damage has been done that they can’t go back.

Now, add in the extra drama of Sam being in town for the family’s celebration at the vineyard.
Suddenly she has a chance to confront her old issues with Sam too.
He’s 34 now, he might be more aware of her feelings but do they want to take a chance on a future together? Or should they just try to get over their history together?

I thought this story was well written and very character driven. The reason you care what happens is because you care about Mallory and Kelly, you care about their loves, their families and friends. You definitely care about the horses. I think this was written by an animal lover because her description of the horse Midnight being Mallory’s best friend makes sense.

The relationships in this story are treated as the most important part and I appreciate that.

I received an early ebook edition of this book from NetGalley and I really enjoyed it. show less

This is a novel about two best friends, Mallory and Kelly, who, the summer before they are supposed to go to college, fall apart after Mallory gets her first taste of love. Mallory goes to college and Kelly remains at home with Mallory not returning until 10 years later. Set in the wine country of Southern California, the novel switches between past and present. It was quite an enjoyable, not too heavy read.