By Judith McNaught - Perfect (Reissue) (6.1.1994) Mass Market Paperback – June 1, 1994

I loved this in my twenties and thought it was the best book ever written. I was so excited to discover it’s now on kindle so I have a permanent copy of it forever. I have read this story over a hundred times and two decades later it’s still my all time favorite. Judith’s writing is so real that it feels like it could be happening today even though when it first came out it could have been happening then to. Doesn’t matter if you are reading it in the 90’s or 2018, many of not all of the Actors and actresses she used are still alive. The characters are current, real and they make you laugh, cry, love and cheer them on. The sex is hot and the diverse romances are beautiful. She was then and still is a writer that opened my eyes to reading romance. I fell in love with it through her books. But this one is PERFECT!

Perfect: The Paradise Series Book 2 is by Judith McNaught. This series is really good so far and it meets or exceeds the standard we expect from McNaught. It is passionate and exciting and romantic at the same time. It contains a mystery to be solved as well as family secrets to be revealed or not. Interestingly, Judith rewrote this book in two months to include women’s literacy. She was writing this book when Coors Brewing Company asked her to write a book highlighting women’s literacy. Since she really wanted to but was on a deadline for Perfect, she felt she couldn’t. However, the publishers of Perfect granted her a two-month extension and she rewrote the book to include literacy. I think she did n excellent job and literacy is such a major issue that it needs to be highlighted.Zachary Benedict Stanhope III was eighteen when he was thrown out of his house and his family. His Grandmother had a strict set of standards by which she lived; but his Grandfather had much less strict standards. He ruled the house and Zachary and his brothers and sister were brought up with basically no rules to follow. Although in high school, his younger brother and sister were on drugs, drinking, and anything else they wanted. There was no limit on money to party with. His older brother committed suicide; but Grandmother thought Zachary had accidentally killed him. So, when she got the chance when his Grandfather died, she disinherited him and made him leave with nothing but the clothes on his back and strict instructions to never contact them again.Julie Smith was eleven when she was brought to psychiatrist Theresa Wilmer for treatment. Julie had been abandoned as a baby, sickly for seven years, and deemed unadoptable. She was seen as sneaky and a thief. Dr. Wilmer saw through Julie’s façade to see an intelligent, caring, and compassionate little girl who had missed so much early in school that she was illiterate. Dr. Wilmer got through Julie’s defenses and made arrangements to send her to Reverend and Mrs. Mathison, her cousins, to be adopted if it worked out. The Mathisons had only one strict rule for themselves and their children – honesty. Julie agreed and ended up in a family with two brothers to take care of her.Ten years later, Julie and Zach meet up when Zach was escaping from prison. He punctured her tire and then acted like he just saw it. He offered to change the tire. After he finished, Julie felt sorry for him as he said he was on his way for a job interview. She offered him a ride. What she got was the ride of her life! Zach kidnapped her to use her car to get him to his hideaway in Colorado. How was she to get away?

"I love you, Julie. I loved you in Colorado. I love you here, where I am. I will always love you. Everywhere. Always.”FINAL DECISION: One of my all time favorite books, this book has action, suspense, mystery, a sexy leading man, a strong heroine, a full and complete story and a sense of romance and drama. I've loved this one for years and it doesn't disappoint after decades of reading it.THE STORY: Julie Mathison has done everything she can to do live an exemplary life after being adopted. On a trip out of her small town, she is taken hostage by Zachary Benedict, the former superstar Hollywood actor and director who was convicted of murdering his wife. Zach has escaped from prison and needs Julie and her vehicle to get to to the place he will be temporarily hiding. At first desperate to escape her kidnapper, Julie soon is convinced that Zach is innocent.OPINION: I love this book. It is one of my all time favorite books. I love the heart of this story. Zach and Julie are such a wonderful couple.This is a long book, and I enjoy every page. The story has time and space to breathe in these pages. We get to see what formed these characters before they even meet and then we get to see their relationship develop, the problems that almost tear them apart and then a resolution. And that might be what I love most about this book -- when the "big problem" is resolved, the story is not over. Instead, we get to see the characters actually create their happy ending.Julie could have been written as a stereotypical do-gooder, but instead, she has complexity. Her reaction with Zach mirrors other events in her life so it doesn't feel like a stretch that she would turn her kidnapping into an advocacy for his innocence. I liked that she has morals even when she doesn't live up to them all the time.Zach is my favorite actor hero. I absolute loved how he is gobsmacked by his reaction to Julie. The cynical actor is enchanted with Julie who discovers Zach's secret soft heart.Not only is Zach and Julie's relationship sweet and romantic, the book allows other relationships to be explored. Parental love, sibling relationships, and friendships are all important in this story. All the characters in the book have complexity and interest. (We also get some side romances.)I especially enjoyed seeing Mathew and Meredith from PARADISE. They have significant roles in this book and the friendship between Zach and Matthew worked especially well.This book was written in the early 1990s and the pop culture references are from that time. The book does, however, clearly point to taking place at a particular time.including dates and years for the events rather than being a book that could take place in current times.WORTH MENTIONING: One of the significant twists in the story at the end has been negated by the subsequent changes from the original cover. The original pink with roses cover has an important role in the book itself so I'm rather sad that new readers might be left wondering what the characters are referring to at the end.CONNECTED BOOKS: PERFECT is the second book in the Second Opportunities series. This romance here is self-contained and it is not necessary to read the first book in the series. The couple from that series does, however, make a significant appearance here.STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.