IMPERFECT LOVE BLOG TOUR & REVIEW

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Imperfect Love

Lauren Wilson is well on her way to her happily-ever-after. She has a career she loves, a husband she adores and a baby on the way, but a devastating diagnosis changes everything. The life she's built suddenly crumbles around her when her husband insists she choose—the baby or him. Returning to her small hometown to rebuild her shattered life, Lauren crosses paths with Ethan Campbell, the man who stole her teenage heart. The old attraction is still there, but Lauren won't admit it to anyone—least of all herself. Her only priority is providing a life for her child, and she can't afford to get it wrong. Ethan is confusing everything, including stirring up feelings she’s not prepared to face. Will she spend her life raising her baby alone or is the family she's always wanted finally within her reach?  

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My Review / Thoughts:

This is such a sweet story.  I enjoyed reading it so much.  It also hit a little close to home on a few issues.  

Lauren is an amazing woman/character.  The author did a great job of making her so lovable and so beautiful.  Paul, Lauren's husband is a jerk...I mean jerk of all jerks.  I think the author did a great job of making him a jerk :).  That sounds funny, but there always has to be someone you don't like right?  I think so.  Well Paul was my DO NOT LIKE in this book.  He brought the meaning of "jerk" to a whole new light.

When Lauren finds out she is pregnant she is so excited.  She and Paul had been trying for two years, and had been unsuccessful.  When she finds the positive lines on her pregnancy test she cannot wait to share the news with Paul.  Soon after finding out she was pregnant she finds out that the baby will be born with a birth defect.  Her looser husband cannot deal with it and wants her to terminate the pregnancy.  When Lauren decides she cannot Paul leaves her.  Seriously..PIG.

Lauren moves back home with her mother and runs into an old crush she had in high school by the name of Ethan.  Let's just say Ethan makes up for the jerk ex-husband.  He is kind, and handsome and loving.  He is just what every woman needs in a man :).  

I found this book a little hard to read at certain times.  I had a very hard time getting pregnant, and reading her struggle, brought back a lot of memories.  I ached for her, and she isn't even a "real" person.  I also have a nephew with the same birth defect her baby has, and he is one of the most beautiful human beings alive.  The fact that her husband leaves her because of it breaks my heart.  Kids with downs are amazing children who are beautiful, and love unconditionally.  They deserve all good things.  Just like any child, but a child with special needs deserves just a little more love because life is hard for them.  I thought the author did a great job of helping me feel the struggle Lauren was going through after she finds out about her baby.  

Raising a child with special needs is difficult, and takes a very special person to do it.  When the option for termination came up, I thought I would throw my book.  When is it ever okay to abort a child, just because they didn't turn out like you wanted them to.  My heart ached.  It really did.

This book is such a beautiful book, about love, healing, kindness, friendship, and learning to do hard things.  It was a clean, sweet book.  The beauty of a special needs child is such a wonderful thing.  Lauren is a beautiful character.  I loved her family in this book.  She had such a great support system.  I know how important that is when you have a new born, special needs or not.  This book is such a great example of unconditional love.  I cannot even tell you how much I loved this book.  It was just so sweet.  It was heart breaking at times, but in the end it wraps up in a pretty little bow, which is what I ALWAYS want in a book.  This author did not disappoint.  

The writing is beautiful.  The story is beautiful.  The characters are beautiful.  This book is just plain good.

Source:  I received this book as part of a blog tour stop, in return for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way for my review.  These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.

My Rating:

Although I believe it deserves more than five.  This book touched me so deeply!  It is just beautiful!

Excerpt:

The door out to the garage opened into the dining area. “Mom, I can’t find the—”

“Ethan, come in here,” Mrs. Campbell said with a strained voice.

Ethan stepped into the house. His black hair was a bit longer and his shoulders were broader since the last time Lauren saw him. He still easily earned the nickname of Adonis. Ethan smiled and said, “Hello,” as he strode across the room.

“You remember Emily and—”

“Lauren.” Lauren was surprised he remembered. “Yes, of course I do.” He stuck out his hand. “Mrs. Van Allen. You are looking very well. How are you?”

Lauren’s mom shook his hand. “I’m good. How are you? It’s been years.”

“Yes, it has.” He turned to Lauren and extended his hand. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if she should shake it, because it was if she’d fallen into a time warp, and she was still the awkward teenager who couldn’t string two words together in front of him. She then reminded herself that she was a mature adult, and her silly crush was a lifetime ago. She reciprocated and shook his hand. “How are you, Lauren?”

She was struck by the sincerity in his tone, as if he actually cared how she was. “I’m great. You?”

“Doing well.”

“Ethan’s here for a few days to help me with some things around the house.” Mrs. Campbell’s pride was evident.

“I’m not really the handyman she thinks I am.” He smiled the same million-dollar smile that had driven the girls at Durango High School crazy. Ethan had been a celebrity back then, and girls talked about him all the time.

Ethan sat in a chair next to his mom. He laid his hand across hers. In a tender voice he asked, “Can I get you anything, Mom?”

Author Rebecca Lynn Talley 

Rebecca Lynn Talley grew up in the gorgeous seaside city of Santa Barbara, CA. She met, and married, her husband, Del, while attending Brigham Young University. She graduated from BYU with a degree in Communications. She currently lives in rural Colorado on a small ranch with a dog, too many cats to count, and a herd of goats. She and Del are the proud parents of ten wildly-creative, multi-talented children. Rebecca is the author of a children’s picture book, Grasshopper Pie (WindRiver 2003), a children’s chapter book, Gabby’s Secret (DuBon Publishing 2011), four novels, Heaven Scent (CFI 2008), Altared Plans (CFI 2009), The Upside of Down (CFI 2011), and Aura (DuBon Publishing 2012). She has also authored numerous children’s stories and articles for both print and online magazines. When she isn’t writing, Rebecca loves to date her husband, play with her kids, swim in the ocean, and dance to disco music while she cleans the house. She has folded at least one million loads of laundry, baked hundreds of batches of chocolate chip cookies, and eaten 5,478 gallons of ice cream.

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Blog Tour Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 4/10/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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