Tabitha Brewer wakes up one morning to find her husband is gone. Not able to keep up with their extravagant lifestyle, but wanting to keep up appearances for their two children and their friends, what lengths will Tabitha go through? Will unexpected kindness in the most unlikely of places show Tabitha a new path to take?

I understand wanting to show a brave face to a young child, but Tabitha's son is old enough to realize something is not right. I understand not wanting acquaintances to know what is going on, but hiding the truth from your best friend? Tabitha puts her head in the sand and just hopes that the credit card will go through and the bills will be paid. The author describes Tabitha as a creative and innovative person, someone capable of literally making lemonade out of lemons, but does not give her the tools to survive. I was really disappointed with the novel and it is not a book that I would recommend to others.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of Not Perfect via NetGalley and the publisher, Lake Union Publishing. The choice to review this book was my own.

The blurb itself is really intriguing and what initially drew me to the book. I was hoping for a story about a woman picking up the pieces of her shattered life while not only trying to maintain the image of a perfect life but hiding from a secret from her past. Unfortunately, I don't feel like this book managed to pull this off and instead I found myself more angry with Tabitha then perhaps I should have been. Tabitha starts of fairly okay as a character she is clearly trying and using whatever ways necessary to keep food on the table and a fairly stable life for her two children. However, as time went on it just sort of showed that she was really just trying to keep up appearances as opposed to doing whatever she could to work her way through the situation. Sure no one knows how they would react when things get tough but her thought process and actions annoyed me to the point I wasn't enjoying the book itself and decided to stop at 34%. Now the writing itself was good if a bit slow paced and the premise really was intriguing I just couldn't, bring myself to finish the book. 

I am not however averse to trying any other book from this author, or even giving this book another chance when I am in a different head space but for this read through attempt, unfortunately, it was not my cup of tea.

Tabitha wakes up in the morning and discovers that her husband is gone. She is left with no money, no job and their children. She doesn't know where her husband is or even if he is coming back. Quite a good read

I wanted to like this book. I really tried. I found the main character to dependent and that drives me nuts. I didn’t finish it and hate to leave a review on any book I can’t finish but this one just did not hold my attention. Maybe someday I’ll go back and finish it and leave a better review if it gets better. We’ll see...

Despite a number of practical issues, I really enjoyed _Not Perfect’s_ premise and characters. We see an upper-class/upper-middle-class wife and mother left on her own in a fancy apartment with her two children...and no money. Tabitha must figure out how to survive while sheltering her kids from the painful truth about their father’s disappearance. She also worries about people in her social circles finding out about her situation.

Meanwhile, Tabitha doesn’t seem to have created an identity outside of marriage and motherhood. We see her strike out on her own for (presumably) the first time, and struggle to discover and realign her values and desires.

The word “presumably” hints at the book’s chief weakness: we’re left to guess at several important facets of Tabitha’s history and motivations. To put her behavior in context, the reader needs to know: has she ever held down a “real” job? Did she come from money? What are her best skills (or does she not know)?

For example, she doesn’t want any acquaintances to see her working. With her children’s health and well-being at stake, it’s not clear why she will neither a.) report her husband missing nor b.) get herself a job at Starbucks to buy herself more time, reputation be damned.

Perhaps she just keeps thinking, surely her husband will return soon? In that case, we need to see her agonizing over this: does she tell someone? But what if he comes back tomorrow, and he tells everyone her Bad Secret? Maybe just one more day. And so on. Instead, we see an internal monologue that occasionally creeps into the unbelievable. Sometimes her thoughts can be downright snide, but I’m not sure we’re supposed to view her this way.

As the book progresses and weeks go by, we never quite know where Tabitha continues to get food for her family. Three people, at least two meals per day, amounts to quite a bit of food if you don't want to waste away and find your clothes getting too big after a month or two.

Instead, we see the characters rescued by well-placed coincidences every step of the way. Tabitha and her husband both seem to produce the one last working credit card right when they need it, despite having been in dire straits for weeks. A character is involved in an accident at a random intersection in the city, and another character just happens to witness it. For every crisis and event, there was an out.

Overall, _Not Perfect_ would’ve benefited from a clearer picture of Tabitha as a person. Who was she before she met her husband? What are her values? Is she down to earth, or more like one of the moms on Gossip Girl? A deeper connection to Tabitha would answer many of the questions I had about her behavior and choices. As it stands, I enjoyed the story but the execution could’ve been pushed a little further.

There was so much potential. A fascinating situation for a woman, to be abandoned by her husband without word, without a trace, with two bright, loving aware children, figuring out what to do next when there is no money, no job, no obvious next steps.
What happened was the story. Adept prose for the most part was undermined by a hapless heroine who felt clueless and out of touch with the world, never mind herself. I wanted so much to like her, to root for her, but found myself wondering how on earth she ever coped, was ever present for anyone--and we're in her head, her life experience and still I didn't feel a connection. For much of the book there is a wifty, out of touch sense of character, although certain characters do ring true and likable: the helpful rabbi, the lovely Nora, the children.
The story is set in a city, however, I didn't get much of a sense of that city at all, not the particularity of the way that it works and feels, so much of the time I was able to dub in my experiences in New York City and others rather than inhabit this world.
I truly respect what this writer accomplished -- a smart story about a woman in an impossible situation, but I couldn't stop wanting more in terms of character development and evolution, sense of place. What would also be typical of a lifestyle that she once enjoyed are more household and other help (who would have to be let go) such as a housekeeper/cleaning service, someone to watch the children on occasion. Therefore, the evocation of how many lightbulbs are burned out (11 in one kitchen?) and how dark the apartment is feels strained and false; they wouldn't all go at the same time, not in two months. The new love interest is a puzzle as well -- ever understanding, kind, and generous in an impossible, dream-boy like way -- and why he had to be related to the lovely old woman is beyond me.
As I stated at the outset, I was grabbed by the premise, curious to see how this heroine handled her tough situation but wound up being baffled by the way that the story was told. It could have been so much more than it turned out to be.

Tabitha finds herself in an untenable situation, after her husband appears to have abandoned her and her two children. After losing health insurance and running out of money, Tabitha makes some terrible decisions while trying to protect Fern and Levi from the truth. Yes, she was not perfect on her choices, but that is the point of the book. We don’t know how we would react when faced with adversity. I liked it and would recommend it.

I guess it is easy to say that "I'd never do that" when you've never been in someone else's shoes, and I'll never be in Tabitha's shoes--if my husband ever left me, I have a job that will pay the basic bills around here and keep food on the table--but I can't imagine every doing what Tabitha did, and maybe that's why I never quite liked this book. Here is this woman with a degree from a fancy school who has been a stay at home mom and wife to a well-paid lawyer. They have all the trappings of their upper-middle class lifestyle, including private school for the kids, and a love for gourmet food.

After months she realizes that her husband isn't coming back and that she has no money and so she looks for a job, and is given one, albiet one she didn't apply for and is probably not well-paid. Does she keep it, and keep looking, figuring some money is better than none? No, she just continues in her angst-filled self-pitying world and avoids anyone who might be able to help her.

Then there are the other characters. One is an old woman who offers Tabith pot-laced candy and who makes it easy for Tabitha to "borrow" money she needs by leaving it laying about the house. The other is a man Tabitha meets at Stuart's alumni fuction who realizes she is an imposter (not an alumna) who becomes the new love interest in her life--and don't get me started on Stuart. They all just seemed strange, not realistic at all.

I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. I read the second half of the book at a pace between face and skimming so maybe I missed something, but I'm giving this one a "C", and hope that others enjoy it more than I did.

I received this book "Not Perfect" from Netgalley for my honest review.
wow! reading some of the reviews and they are low. I thought this book was fun and I enjoyed reading it. Of course I don't think that someone would do what Tabitha did but it was kinda fun to read what she did. I didn't take it seriously. I thought she came up with some clever solutions to her problem. Definitely a different kind of book that was funny and sad at the same time.

This book was strange. While the underlying premise - husband leaves family under mysterious circumstances - was intriguing enough to keep me reading, it turned out to not make sense. (I don't think that's a spoiler because there was really nothing to spoil.) I couldn't relate at all to Tabitha - her refusal to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to feed and care for her children, her refusal to confide in ONE SINGLE PERSON. She seemed strange and self-centered and honestly I have no idea why Toby was interested in her. Also, the situation with the elderly lady (which I won't spoil for you) was totally implausible. After I finished the book I realized this is the same author who wrote The Restaurant Critic's wife, and I realized it had the same plodding narrative and completely void and uncommunicative marriage.

When I read the blurb about this book I was intrigued. Tabitha's husband disappears and the suspense of the goodbye note: "“I’ll tell them what you did.” So I thought I would give it a try. My intrigue ended there though and I ended my relationship with this book early without completing it. I just could not put up with Tabitha. Why so many lies? Avoiding the truth? Difficulty in finding a job? Stealing?
I found so many of the situations in the story so hard to believe. She wouldn't be the first to have a spouse leave them in a bad way. Why would you not share with your friends and look for help? The feeling of "shame" really should not have kept her from getting help for her children, at least!
I am sorry Lake Union Publishing, I just could not finish this story. Thank you for giving me the opportunity though.

I'm conflicted about this book ... I liked the concept of this book - the complexities and messiness that is life, marriage, motherhood, etc. However, I was really annoyed with Tabitha - I found her almost juvenile in her response and reaction to her husband's disappearance. Her response also felt really selfish (especially at the beginning).

The book starts with Tabitha trying to keep the seams of her life together - trying to deal with the shock of her husband's betrayal; while also trying to make ends meet, keep her children ignorant that their family is falling apart, while also dealing with trying to keep the secret that her husband is gone. Tabitha is embarrassed that he has left, but she's also afraid of what family secrets will be brought to light if she confides in friends and asks for help... Stuart threatened her with disclosing a horrible secret if she told anyone... nice marriage right???

As the story develops we follow Tabitha's attempt to keep things normal, while everything falls apart - and it was Tabitha's response that really bothered me. Without giving too much away, it bothered me that Tabitha would apply for jobs, but only to places where she wouldn't run into someone ... however she was stealing basil from peoples' patio, she was stealing dish soap from her friends' house ... I just wanted to yell "GET A JOB!" Or that she was giving pure gold cuff-links to people as a tip - telling herself that they can sell them or go to a gold buyer who could melt it down and make some money that way ... why didn't she do that herself??? Easy money. Why give it to someone else when you don't have the money to buy bread for your children? That frustrated me.

That said - I didn't want to put this book down. I read it in two sittings. I found that as we got to know Tabitha's secrets and she allowed herself to ask for help, that she became a less selfish character. While I was annoyed with her in the beginning - I got to like Tabitha in the end, and really enjoyed the ending.

If you read Leave Me and enjoyed it - then I think you will enjoy this book too.

It's not always pretty, you won't always like the characters, but it's a story that isn't afraid to get messy.

Tabitha can barely feed herself and her two children after her husband, Stuart, abandons them. Residing in an upmarket Philadelphia apartment, she doesn't tell anyone about her troubles and without much cash, she resorts to pilfering food, toilet paper, whatever she can lay her hands on, and keeping a list of those she owes.
Tabitha's plight - particularly the lengths she goes to to find food for her kids - was confronting as you think about what would you do in that situation. I suspect I'd spend a bit more time than Tabitha looking for a job although she did have good reason for losing confidence in her food business. I found it an interesting read although the explanations about why her husband took off and left that message in his departure note didn't have the dramatic punch I was hoping for.

This author had me hooked when I read The Restaurant Critics Wife. I was beside myself when I was approved to review this by NetGalley.

When I started reading this, I felt instantly bad for the main character. Tabitha has 2 kids, her husband left and there is no money left. The kids are growing, they are hungry and she is becoming more and more desperate.

I was seriously feeling uncomfortable reading this. I mean, it REALLY took me outside my zone. So much in here about survival, about reaching out when you need help, and redemption. Can you make up for the bad things you have done? Can you really make it better?

I closed this book with a big smile of satisfaction on my face. It was a great story, and it really pulls you in. No matter how you feel about it.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC of this book. This was a light and fun read---definitely "chick-lit." However, the premise is quite dark: husband disappears without warning, leaving wife to try to keep the appearance of their luxurious lifestyle when she has no money to even put food on the table for her children. He also warns her he will expose a secret she would be ashamed of which keeps her from reaching out for help. Having said that, it reads more like a rom-com. I liked the protagonist (although she makes one bad decision after another...), and I was rooting for her to get it figured out and create some stability in her life. I do wish there was a bit more time spent with Nora (whom I loved), and would also say that the "reveal" of Nora was not as surprising as perhaps was intended. Overall, an average, fun read.

Ever wish your life was as sleek and glossy as those portrayed by other on Facebook and Instragram. Well, you will appreciate your pedestrian life after you watch picture-perfect Tabitha Brewer struggle to maintain the outward appearance of normalcy after he husband abandons her and her two children, leaving her jobless and penniless and afraid to tell anyone what has happens. Tabitha's own secrets keep her from confiding in anyone, and even drive her to steal while she struggles to keep her family afloat. Toughing, with sympathetic characters and a good plot - all you want and need in women's fiction.

Average. I can best put it this way-when I was sitting down to write this review, I couldn't really remember what the book was about. Great premise, and decent execution, but it was missing that special something to make it stand out from the crowd. And, the whole money jar thing was a bit over the top.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

The book starts out with Tabitha's' husband disappearing on her leaving her with no explanation.
All he leaves is a note with the message "I'll tell them what you did". Tabitha is shaken and
trying her best to survive but since her husband is gone so is his income so she is pretty
desperate but doesn't want anyone to know what is going on and trying her best to keep up
appearances. Right from the beginning I was wondering what I would do if I was stuck in the same
position that she was in and I couldn't even imagine it. I think the best part about this novel
was how easy it was to read I just burned through it because of the simplicity of how it flowed
together. I found Tabitha's character a little bit odd yes her husband left, yes she had it rough,
however that doesn't mean that her life is ending and she kind of took it that way. She kind of
wallowed in her self pity and neglected important things like her daughter's injury and getting
substance instead of proving she can afford luxuries. Like her daughter injures her knee at one point
ant Tabitha can't afford to take her to the doctor so she tries a lot of at home remedies however, in
the next chapter it shows Tabitha going out for dinner on a date. Hello? She can afford a fancy
meal but she can't afford to take care of her daughter? What kind of mother does something like that?
I did think that this book was going to be more a about Tabitha trying to figure out the letter but
for some reason that was mixed in with other large concerns. So I wasn't a big fan of that because
the subplots were not something that kept me interested like trying to figure out what her husband
did. Overall I do think that this book was a bit average and the interesting plots didn't hold my
attention as much as they should have. And I really disliked how selfish Tabitha's character was
in almost all aspects of the story. Not bad but not the best. I did like the ending I think that
it was the best part neatly wrapped everything up but still gave you a "NO WAY!" moment.

What would you do if one day your spouse, the breadwiener of the house, suddenly go left? Leaving you with two kids and almost no money? Tabitha Brewer nee Taylor, start stealing or taking the extras from others. The basil from neighbour’s porch, the meals from event’s spread, even the money from elder lady. Other than having to make sure that the kids are alright, struggling to make the end meet, Tabitha also have to find the answer why Stuart, her husband, left.

Reading this book is like riding an emotional rollercoaster. We will feel Tabitha’s hopelessness, sadness, anger. Yet we will also feel exasperated toward her inaction in telling her kids and her close friends about the condition. At some point, I also feel that Tabitha neglected her kids, at least emotionally.

The conflict in this book is something many women fear in their marriage. The what ifs that we are afraid to happen. To be left without reason and with no time to prepare anythimg for the kids. Yet, by reading this, I feel reminded that this is one of the reason why women need to be empowered, we have to have sets of skills to make a living, don’t just depending on husband. So, if this happen, we know what to do.

Overall, it’s a really good book to read and nice addition for woman fiction.

Thank you #netgalley!