Perfect by Judith McNaught

Zachary Benedict & Julie Mathison's book





Perfect

By Judith McNaught

Book Blurb:
 A rootless foster child, Julie Mathison had blossomed under the love showered upon her by her adoptive family. Now a lovely and vivacious young woman, she was a respected teacher in her small Texas town, and she passionately lived her ideals. Julie was determined to give back all the kindness she'd received; nothing and no one would ever shatter the perfect life she had fashioned.

Zachary Benedict was an actor/director whose Academy Award-winning career had been shattered when he was wrongly convicted of murdering his wife. After the tall, ruggedly handsome Zack escaped from a Texas prison, he abducted Julie and forced her to drive him to his Colorado mountain hideout. She was outraged, cautious, and unable to ignore the instincts that whispered of his innocence. He was cynical, wary, and increasingly attracted to her. Passion was about to capture them both in its fierce embrace...but the journey to trust, true commitment, and proving Zack's innocence was just beginning....

Perfect was, well Perfect. I absolutely loved this book.

Julie was an awesome female lead character. I love how Judith McNaught often includes her character's childhoods. My heart broke for Julie and the childhood she experienced and then when the Mathison's adopted her at 11, I teared up. "Me" Julie says, "Me". Well I teared up big time.
I also loved a writing genius moment of when Julie saw that poor dead fish in the aquarium. I think I fell in love with her then. That was a very memorable scene for me that I won't forget.

Zachary Benedict was a very likeable character as well. The way he was introduced in the book left the readers wondering almost the entire book what had happened between his grandmother and him and what caused him to leave home at such a young age.

When Zack left home and made his way to Hollywood he quickly became an overnight sensation. It made me smile when Judith McNaught was telling both Zack and Julie's early stories in different chapters yet she was able to add in the overlap to help merge the characters later in Perfect. For instance, when Julie was adopted by Mathisons, her older brother had a Hollywood poster hanging in his bedroom of Zack Benedict. It was completely adorable that Julie hero worshipped her brothers and was telling them that they were more handsome than Zack Benedict. It just made me smile for knowing that eventually the future had Julie and Zack's lives colliding together.

Of course Julie and Zack's life certainly do collide but it was not a nice gentle flirtatious moment. Oh is was so exciting and angsty. You must read to find out what happens. Excellent book. Great memorable scenes. For me, the book was just Perfect.