Imperfect Love by Rebecca Talley

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?

When Lauren learns that she will have a baby with down syndrome her entire world changes. She has to decide whether or not to keep the baby and her decision brings her already strained marriage to the breaking point. She moves in back with her mom and finds herself attracted to one of her brother’s old friends, Ethan. She is afraid that if he learns about her pregnancy, let alone the downs diagnosis that he’ll run for the hills. So she keeps her problems secret until she can’t hide any longer. Ethan seems like he is willing to commit to her baby and all but her ex-husband returns after the baby is born and wants to be part of their life again.

I thought this was a pretty decent read. I found Lauren to be a compelling character and her story interesting. Sometimes I felt like the secondary characters seemed a little flat and stereotypical, and I wished that more time was spent on the second half of the book as it seem more rushed than the first half. The author really created a great rapport between Lauren and Ethan, but I’d have liked to see a bit more of Ethan’s character. Overall, this was a solid and enjoyable read even if I would have preferred to see a bit more complexity in some of the a characters.

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Contact Rebecca Talley:

Twitter * Facebook * Website * Blog

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. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview: Rebecca Talley

Hi Rebecca! Welcome to Gamila's Review and thanks for inverviewing with me today.

When did you start writing and discovered that you enjoyed it?

I wrote stories as a kid, but it was when I took a creative writing class in high school that I realized how much I loved to write. I discovered how much I enjoyed creating characters and worlds in Mrs. Hawkins' class.

What inspired you to write Heaven Scent?

I wanted to create a story that explored the connection between heaven and earth. I lost both of my parents at an early age and have felt their presence through the years. I wanted to a write a story that would leave readers with the hope that those we've loved and lost are never far from us.

Which scene in the book was your favorite to write?

That's a hard question. I enjoyed writing the scenes between Liza and Kyle and I really enjoyed the opening scene because I wanted to be that kind of basketball player. I think my favorite scenes to write, though, were the ones when Liza communicates with her mom.

What did you learn from the process of writing Heaven Scent?

Writing a novel is hard work. It takes time, effort, dedication, and a very thick skin. I also learned to trust myself to stay true to the story in my heart.

What other books have you published? What books do you plan to publish in the future?

"Grasshopper Pie" was publshed in 2003 by WindRiver Publishing. It's a children's picture book based on an experience when my kids "almost" fed me a live grasshopper. I'm currently working on an LDS romance that I hope will be accepted for publication and I have a children's chapter book I'm submitting to publishers.

With a large and busy family where do you squeeze your writing time in?

Anywhere I can! I just squish it in whenever and wherever I can.

Is it easier to finish other writing projects now that Heaven Scent is out or harder?

Now that I've completed "Heaven Scent" I know I can actually finish a large project, but I still struggle to find time to finish projects. I have so many ideas and so little time! I'm also finding that I need to spend time promoting my book so that cuts into my writing time. Scheduling time in my daytimer to work on specific projects helps me stay on task. Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog. I really appreciate it.

Thanks for hosting the blog tour. I really enjoyed reading your book!

Book Review: Heaven Scent by Rebecca Talley

Heaven Scent by Rebecca Talley

Liza should be the happiest high schooler ever. She won her basketball team the state championship, but she is disappointed that her father didn’t show up at the game. This isn’t the first or last time that he doesn’t keep his word about showing up to things. He recently became a partner at his law firm and never comes home to spend time with the family, and it is starting to tear them apart. One night the absence of her father leads to a terrible accident that Eliza is not sure that she will ever be able to forgive him for.

I picked up Heaven’s Scent on the day I got it in the mail for the blog tour, and was immediately drawn into the conflict, which was clear, strong, and compelling. I couldn’t put this book down and kept turning the pages, getting lost in the story. The story moves along at a nice pace, draws the reader in. My one peeve was that I felt that the scenes of Liza with her basketball coach seemed awkward and strange. Maybe it’s because I didn’t see enough evidence of their having a close mentor/student bond at the beginning of the book that it seemed weird to me later when suddenly the coach was “like a father to her.” Maybe it’s just me, but I still think this is a great book for all readers, especially teenagers. They will love it!

This review is part of a blog tour, to see the rest of the stops, and other reader's opinons visit Rebecca's blog: http://www.rebeccatalleywrites.blogspot.com/

Author's Website: http://www.rebeccatalley.com/