Title: Past Imperfect (Perfect 2) by Alison G. Bailey
Age group: NA/Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover designer:Robin Harper, Wicked by Design
Photography by Abigail Marie, NON`PA*REIL photography
Scheduled to release: February 2014
Tour organized by: WordSmith Publicity
Links to the book:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
Book Description:
In Present Perfect, Brad Johnson was sexy, cocky, rich and a complete Smurff**ker. He could afford anything he wanted and could charm any girl he set his eyes on. Everything was laid out in front of him, all for the taking except the one thing he craved and needed. A tragic event forces him to reevaluate his life. When he tries to change, will the people in his life let him move on from his past or will they constantly hold him to the life altering mistakes he’s made?
Mabry Darnell is intelligent, ambitious, beautiful, and sassy. Secrets from her past haunt the present causing her to question her actions in order to shield her heart and protect her life.
From the moment Brad and Mabry met, their connection was strong, intense, and electrifying. Both knew they had found the one person who could satisfy what the other ached for. When their pasts collide with their present, will it prevent them from having a future together or will love be strong enough to conquer their demons?
Alison was born and raised in Charleston, SC. As a child she would create (write) additional scenes to TV shows and movies that she watched. She attended Winthrop University and graduated with a major in Theater. While at school she began writing one act plays which she later produced. Throughout the years she continued writing and producing several one act plays, but then life got in the way and she hung up her pen for a while. At the end of 2012 a very talented author friend convinced Alison to go back to writing and see what happens. So she did and fell back in love with it. Present Perfect will be Alison's first self-published book. A few personal facts, Alison loves anything sweet, especially frosting, and is addicted to Diet Pepsi. Alison's philosophy: Don't let your obstacles define you. At times life can get pretty overwhelming, but with a great support system and a lot of humor you can get through them. If you have humor in your life your spirit stays strong and you can tackle anything.
Eryckas review
Bradley, Bradley, Bradley…you have fully redeemed yourself!! At least in my eyes you have. I truly despised you in Present Perfect but now, now I just simply love you! Did you hear that, I. SIMPLY. LOVE. YOU!
Past Imperfect is the story of Brad from Present Perfect and his love interest Mabry. My heart bled for her from the very beginning. The unjusts and tragedies she experiences at such a young age would be too much for anyone to deal with, let alone a little girl. Her coping method made me cringe. And at times, made me want to crawl into my ereader and shake some sense into her! The thought of adding to the pain she was already experiencing to cancel it out was just baffling to me. Why would anyone cope that way? I suppose the question could be asked for the way many people (myself included) cope with hurt, disappointment, and unbearable pain.
Through this journey of Brad and Mabry, we are shown resilience, persistence, passion, love, and true vulnerability. Not only are these qualities that can make a relationship strong, they are qualities that make a good book. The push and pull, the ups and downs, and the sacrifices between these two characters are what kept the pages turning. I struggled with wanting to know how it ended and not wanting it to end.
I HIGHLY, STRONGLY, recommend Past Imperfect!! It is a must read!!
5 heart rating
Leia's review
Wamfu, baby!
Where do I even start?
Let's start with the obvious...It is no secret that I was NOT a Brad fan in Present Perfect. In fact, I aptly named him Sir Le Douche, because - well, he was a douche. Of epic proportions. I was hesitant to read Past Imperfect because of my feelings for Brad. I seriously thought that there was no way that he could redeem himself from the heartless stunts he pulled in Present Perfect.
Alison Bailey takes us on such a unique journey with Brad and Mabry. Though this book starts in the present (and by present I mean a few years after Present Perfect), it flawlessly flows from past to present giving us a full picture. It not only adds unbelievable depth to both Brad and Mabry, but it allows us to watch their relationship grow into something so powerful you feel it in every fiber of your being.
Throughout the book, Brad struggles with the kind of person he was, and the man he wants to become. There are things in his past that he can't accept. Contrary to what I believed in Present Perfect, Brad is deep. He is flawed, yes. But there is a vulnerability in his flaws. He knows he screwed up. He knows that he was Sir Le Douche and he doesn't want to be that person anymore.
Brad and Mabry have a interesting relationship. The relationship started out as purely physical because Mabry can't accept anything more.
You see, though Brad had a rough upbringing - it was nothing compared to Mabry's. And Mabry can't afford to let anyone in. No one is allowed close to her, because if they get close enough - they will discover her secret. And she can't let that happen. But Brad happens - and something purely physical turns into so much more.
"One day I gave in and kissed him. Since then it's been a constant struggle to keep him at arm's length because I crave him and I'm scared to death I'm starting to need him. But I can't have him."
Though Mabry continues to pull away from him time and again, Brad is relentless in his pursuit of her. He isn't going to give up the one good hand that fate has dealt him.
"Mabry, I know I agreed to keep this thing between us casual, but things have changed. I won't apologize for that. You're in my heart and soul now. I know you are scared, so am I. but we can do this together. We're not alone anymore. We have each other. I don't know what the future holds. All I know is that I need you in mine."
But what happens when both of their pasts catch up with them in ways neither of them either expected? When you both come from dark pasts, is there a way to find light at the end of the tunnel? If your past is so imperfect, how can anything turn out right?
"I'm sorry Mabry. If I had know you were going to be in my future, I would have been a better man in my past."
This book is intense. It isn't a light fluffy read. It deals with issues that aren't constantly brought to light. It socks you straight in the gut. Though there are times that I found myself laughing hysterically at Brad and Mabry, there were also intense moments that were so gripping I found it hard to breathe.
Overall, this is an absolutely beautiful story. It's a story of how the love of another can heal the deepest wounds. It's a story of loving yourself. It's a story of growing from a very imperfect past and learning forgiveness.
5 PERFECT STARS
Suz's Review
~ I wish I was able to give MORE than FIVE stars... This book was so so good ~
It's been a week and a half since I finished this.... I needed that much time to fully process the AWESOMENESS of it.
WOW, just WOW.... I was speechless after I finished this book. When I first met Brad in Present Perfect, he was, well let's face it, he was a JERK! The way he used Amanda to win his bet was downright cruel... But even with that, I still liked him. I think I saw in him the fact that he was just putting on a show. You could tell that he truly did care about her, but that something was holding him back. Well, we got the full picture of the story in Past Imperfect.
In this book, we get the backgrounds of our misunderstood Brad and a new character Mabry Darnell. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever guess that I would fall as hard for Brad as I did in this book. After all, in PP, I was TEAM NOAH all the way.... Well, Miss Bailey totally blew me away with the fact that I ended up being head over heals in LOVE with Brad.
This book takes place a few years after PP, and you can tell right away that we are dealing with a more mature Brad. He now has a new 'friend' in Mabry. I have to say that I instantly bonded with her character. I needed to know more about her character, but little did I know how dark her character would be.
You see, Alison has this BRILLIANT way of writing about topics that other authors don't. And just like in PP, she takes you on an emotional roller coaster.
The pasts of Brad and Mabry have helped to shape the people that they are today, but they have also held them back from being what they could be.
I LOVED the dual POV's and the way that the chapters went from Present to Past to give you the WHOLE story. It shows you how the two of them get to where they are, and allows you to see things as they develop.
The twist in this story BLEW me away, and was nothing that I expected.
I HIGHLY recommend this book, but only after you've read the AMAZING Present Prefect first... There are certain parts of this book that will not make sense to you, if you have not read PP
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