Almost Perfect

Three college friends are upset when a fourth friend writes a self-help book that includes personal stories about them as examples of what not to do. They decide to prove her wrong by facing their fears and vow to meet again in one year as changed women.

This is Maddy's story. She's a modern gypsy--long skirts, tank tops, and sandals. She's also an artist and a very independent woman. When she was 17, she was head over heels in love with Joe but turned down his marriage proposal because she was headed to collete and he was in the Army. Now she's single again (her husband died of cancer two years ago) with no children, and she's ready to get serious about her art career (which she put aside to care for her dying husband). A job offer show more arrives in the mail that could be the opportunity she's been waiting for. Joe's mother (with whom she's been in contact since high school) runs a summer camp in Santa Fe, and she is in need of an arts and crafts director. Santa Fe could be the perfect location to launch her art career, but there's one problem: she'll have to face Joe after 15 years of hurt. She accepts the job, and once she sees Joe again, decides she may be interested in rekindling their romance after all.

This is a great concept for a series. I love how the friends appear throughout the book, via emails and then in person at the end. It allows you to get to know the characters who will be featured in the next two books. I enjoyed Maddy and Joe's story, but there were some parts that were very frustrating. It begins when Maddy first enters the camp and sees Joe. He acts angry that she's there, but both of them are secretly remembering the past and imagining a sexual relationship with each other. They finally talk to each other, and he decides to help her get her work in an art gallery. He takes her to Santa Fe, where they visit several art galleries, have lunch, and then share a passionate kiss. When Maddy gets back to camp, she tells her friends she thinks she's falling in love with him. It was just too soon. After 15 years apart (and loving another man), all it takes is for Joe to kiss her and she's ready to pick up where they left off? Also, considering Joe is a disciplined military man who grew up in foster care, he's extremely sensitive...annoyingly so. He immediately wants commitment, a point I found unbelievable considering how hurt he was when Maddy turned down his proposal. If he's been nursing bitterness for 15 years, I don't think he's going to want to rush into a heavy relationship with her again.

There are minor complications for the couple, mostly as a result from a lack of communication, but they are very insignificant and the end result is as predictable as it gets. Sex seems to be the answer for Joe and Maddy, which is another problem I had with the story. They have sex too early, then Maddy gets upset with him and withholds sex, they make up when she offers sex again, and this establishes a pattern for them. If they spent a little less time having sex and a little more time talking to each other, it would have been a 4-star book. I'd enjoy more dialogue and fewer sex scenes. show less

Quirky character flaws made this an enjoyable (and quick) read. Half the time I was laughing at these two or shaking my head wondering....how can two grown ups act so childish...but all in the name of love.

Maddy and her friends each decide to address their biggest fears thus creating the ideal setting for a three book series. Maddy's fear will be overcome if she gets her art work displayed in a gallery. She takes the opportunity to take up a job with her foster mother at a summer camp for children - unfortunately, no one has told Joe who is her old flame and the camp director, and he is not very happy.

This is entirely predictable. Maddy and Joe come together again but have to overcome some hurdles to make a lasting relationship. The book is not particularly deep and there is quite a lot of pseudo-psychology about why Maddy fears to succeed. Overall it is not completely rooted in reality (no CRB checks or equivalent when working with show more children ?) but that isn't too much of an issue. The start of the book is particularly sharply written setting the scene quickly and Joe's initial hostility is well done but, it does rather get bogged down a bit in Maddy's lack of confidence and a few too many sex scenes. Overall, however, this was an light and entertaining read with no standout features to differentiate it from many other novels of the same kind. show less

I've been wanting to try out this author so when I saw this free ebook, I took the opportunity. And I liked it. I like the author's voice and the storyline. The only thing I did not like was Joe: Maddy refused his marriage proposal when she was 17 and fifteen years later (!) he is still angry about it. That didn't ring true for me, but luckily the rest of his character seemed to be more believable and the relation developed more or less believable as well. All in all I enjoyed it and I would like to read the rest of this series.

Maddie, Christine and Amy were college roommates. In this book Maddie and Joe were high school sweethearts who meet again at a summer camp. Years ago Maddie had rejected Joe's marriage proposal to attend art school. Joe is a former Ranger who had a tough life. I really liked Joe. Even though he still feels hurt by Maddie's rejection, he gives her support and encouragement while she overcomes her fears and attempts to make a name for herself in the Sante Fe art community. Maddie was a bit harder to like and I couldn't understand her initial rejection of Joe. AP was a light and quick read, and I enjoyed it. (Grade: B)

Just OK, the book is a quick read, that is entertaining. It skips in places and had me confused with some of the timeline and characters who are mentioned like we should know who they are.

Almost Perfect by Julie Ortolon 4 college girl friends, now later in life are remembering their earlier lives. one of them has
written a book with the other 3 kiinda mentioned in it, no by names but what they did in college. as the ladies sit around and
chat about it, they realize the author is right. they challenge one another to overcome their fear, leading them off in different
directions to accomplish them within a years time. this book is about Maddy and how after she looses her husband after 6 years her
friends tell her to go accomplish her career goal of being a painter/artist. she gets that opportunity while being the craft director at
a camp. she meets up with an old boyfriend and after a bit of loving she decides to stick around to show more help him with his other camp project.
but then her paintings take off. to the point where the gallery owner wants to promote her career hoping to re cope what she's put into it
within a years time. that means traveling and maddy isn't too sure now what she wants to do. glad this is a series so each woman gets
her own book. i rate this a 5, very interesting things and places show less