Mr. Imperfect

Christian Kelley has returned home to rural New Zealand after many years of living in the big city in Australia. He’s made it big and is now a multimillionaire. When he initially moved away, he had left behind the only girl he had ever loved, Kezia, and because of miscommunication (or lack of), the two never reconciled. So, what brings Christian back? It is the death of the woman who took him under her wings, Muriel, who was also Kezia's grandmother, that prompted Christian’s return. Muriel had been running a hotel that was (unknown to Kezia) on the verge of bankruptcy. Her Will stipulated that Christian was not allowed to contribute any of his own money to help save the hotel, but was allowed to advise Kezia on how to get the hotel back into shape.

Unfortunately, the two do not get along. Kezia comes across as almost hostile. She obviously has a lot of issues, and as the reader gets to know her, one comes to learn that she has a martyr-type personality, always taking on everyone's problems but neglecting her own. She has never forgiven Christian for leaving her, and while both were angry with each other because of the breakup, neither knew the real reason why the other refused to compromise. Christian had a big secret he refused to talk about, and so did Kezia.

In the mean time, Kezia is desperate to save the hotel because many jobs are at stake, including her best friend Marion's, who had left her husband because of the way he had been treating her.

For under 300 pages, the author packed in a lot of story. There's a lot happening with Kezia and Christian, as well as Marion and her family, all with their own subplots. Issues constantly come up, such as Christian's inability to visit his mother's grave, or the fact that Kezia's need to be so involved with other people's problems causes her to neglect her own problems and needs. Karina Bliss's debut novel MR. IMPERFECT is filled with humor as well as a number of somber moments that may bring a tear to the eye. The main characters, while at times abrasive, ring true. The interaction they have with the young John Jason, Marion’s son, is precious, and one scene this reviewer enjoyed involved John Jason’s missing pet rat. It will have a person laughing out loud. Secondary characters such as Christian’s two best friends add to the comedy relief. A scene involving a drunk Kezia with Christian’s friends is a hoot.

The subplot involving Marion and her husband actually helps to accentuate Christian’s own relationship with his alcoholic father, and the baggage he is still dealing with after all these years. He sees little John Jason as another version of himself, and he does not want this young boy to go through what he did at the hands of his drunken father.

MR. IMPERFECT was an impressive debut by Karina bliss, and it was a nice surprise to read a novel from down under since most of the Superromances usually take place in North America.

September 2006