Book Review: Unperfect by Susie Tate

Unperfect by Susie Tate is a contemporary romance. I believe it is number four in the Beg Borrow, or Steal series, as there are some cameos from characters I recognize, but it is not labeled as such. Content warning, there is significant domestic violence content.

When Mia shows up for the interview at a well-known architecture firm, she only has 27p, a squashed loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter to her name. She needs this job. Even if she is scared to death of the owner of the company. Max has made a name for himself as that grumpy northern architect off Dream Homes (the most popular house design programme in the UK).  It turned out that the whole gorgeous-but-rough-around-the-edges-Yorkshire-man vibe was just what the country was looking for – the episode had gone viral and Max was the new, extremely reluctant, pin-up of the building industry. But to Mia, huge, grumpy men weren’t sexy, they were simply terrifying. She knows from experience that even men of average size can be dangerous. If she wasn’t so desperate, she’d run. She’s used to running. Running away is Mia’s special talent, together with invisibility – survival techniques she’s perfected over the years. So, she’ll put up with Max and his moods, ignore him calling her a teen emo freak (he’s not to know that her black hair used to be honey blonde or her heavy eyeliner isn’t by choice) and just bloody well jog on. It’s easy to hide when nobody really sees you. But what happens when Max finally opens his eyes?

Unperfect is a romance that hit me hard on several levels. It is not an easy read, but it was so worth it. Mia is trying to survive, trying to hide in plain sight, until she is safe and can move forward. Max is a grumpy guy with a heart of gold and a penchant for protecting and helping those around him. The dance these two do around each other- with trust, safety, and health issues is highly engaging. It was certainly not easy to read- the abuse and related recovery is hard to read but very realistically handled- which made it hit especially hard. Seeing the character arch for both Max and Mia, and how they interacted with others, was very well crafted and multi dimensional. The heart and honesty in this book is off the charts. I liked that even though so much of the book is based around heavy themes and healing, there are enough lighter moments and some joy to keep everything well balanced. I think there are definitely some people that might not be in the right place to read this, especially if they are  dealing with issues of violence and fear, but I think it might offer the hope and understanding that other people might need to help them heal.

Unperfect is not necessarily an easy or fun read. However, it is touching and engaging. I think it will strike a chord with many readers.