Mrs. Perfect by Jane Porter
Mrs. Perfect by Jane Porter
ISBN: 0446699241
Publisher: 5 Spot
Length: Novel
Genre: Mommy Lit
Price: $13.99 USD
Taylor Young is a Bellevue mom with everything she could ask for: a gorgeous husband, three beautiful girls, her dream house and a nanny. She has time for committees, pilates, spa dates and more. She is a super mom. She does everything and appears to do it all well and easily. Unfortunately, it's all about to end as a secret is revealed that blows her world apart. When most of her friends shrink away from the 'disaster' her life as become, she finds another friend in the most unlikeliest of people. Somewhere along her journey Taylor learns that being Mrs. Perfect on the outside doesn't change the inside and not being perfect might be a better choice, anyway.
I have to say that I did not like Taylor Young much as I read through the first chapters of this book. In fact, I had a strong distaste for her. But, like a train wreck, I kept reading because Ms. Porter knows how to draw the reader in. I was sucked into the world and I needed to beleive that Taylor would be redeemed somehow.
Early on, I was able to guess the secret that was going to rip apart Taylor's world. I don't really want to disclose it because the build up in the beginning of the book is imperative. While part of me is unsure how it could have gone on so long without a conversation, part of me understands the world this couple built and the need to not disappoint each other. At first I was solely on the side of Nathan, the husband. I was in total disdain that Taylor had been the major cause of their problems.
However, once their world starts to collapse it is Taylor who is the strong one, while Nathan runs away, ostensibly to make it all better. Although it took a good while (what was with her being so rotten to Lucy and then the sudden flip - it's ok to be nice since they're both in crappy situations?), Taylor seems to reach down inside herself and suddenly she isn't the selfish, vain person I thought her to be in the beginning. The reader starts to see the real Taylor. The insecure woman trying to please everyone. To be everything to everyone but herself. It seemed like she was redeemed a bit too easily, but then again I had no trouble suspending disbelief at that point. I was too sucked in - too invested in the story to stop.
Ms. Porter does a great job of portraying how friends react when the bad stuff happens. Some are there no matter what and then there are those who slink away and pretend they never knew you or are embarrassed to know you now. Then there are the ones who take advantage of the situation. The character of Monica totally cracked me up because I'm sure we all know someone like that.
The build to Nathan coming back was quite quick at the end and I think I would have liked to have seen more about that, but this was really Taylor's journey so it was ok.
All in all Mrs. Perfect was a great read. Although I can't relate to the financial status of most of the women in this book, I found it realistic and heart-wrenching all the same. Because money is not what makes us who we are. What we have does not define us. And, I think, that is the point. Ms. Porter has a way of taking something superficial and showing us the heart that beats underneath.
I give this a 4
Labels: Rating 4
posted by Michelle @ 9:56 a.m.
Comments: 3
