What do you think?
Rate this book
Craving Perfect
A Life Less...HersGrace Mills craves being perfect almost as much as she craves raspberry scones. In fact, her life would be perfect if only she could lose ten more pounds, if only the pastry café she co-owns with her sister would turn a profit, if only the hottest guy at the gym would look her way...And then "if only" comes true. Grace is suddenly straddling two an alternate reality where she's a size two, weathergirl celebrity and being chased by the hot guy. Only Mr. Gorgeous isn't very nice, and she doesn't get to eat...anything, much less bake! In her other life, she's starting to realize her sister is less than happy running the family café, and hunky Carlos, the gym's janitor, seems to have a secret crush on her. Maybe there's more to him than meets the eye...Grace is living two lives and it's beginning to cost her. Is there a way to pick one...that's perfect?76,000 words
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2011
4 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
About the author
Liz Fichera
7 books308 followersLiz is an author living in the American Southwest by way of Chicago.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
September 5, 2022
I was totally in the mood for something different and since I rarely read chick-lit I opted to give this one a shot. Reading the summary it sounded like your typical chick-lit but with enough originality to make it interesting plus there’s even…
Magic Treadmills!
I won’t expand upon that… I’ll let you all read about that interesting funny tid-bit. :)
Craving Perfect tells the story of Grace Mills, a baker in a pastry café that she co-owns with her sister Kathleen. Grace and Kathleen are quite close considering they are the only family each of them has left after the deaths of their parents. Grace is constantly ‘craving perfection’ and is always trying to lose more weight so that she can hopefully catch the eye of the hot guy at the gym, Max, that she’s been ogling over for several weeks. Which kind of turned me off from this novel and Grace in general because it’s more than a little obvious that Max is a superficial jerk, but don’t worry, you’ll end up loving Grace just like me.
One day when Grace is at the gym she hops on one of the brand new treadmills (Yes! The Magic Treadmill!) and proceeds to black out and wake up as someone completely different. She comes to and finds herself the spitting image of perfection (read: Barbie) and engaged to Max. But is what she’s always dreamed of actually what she wants in the end?
This book was GREAT and I loved it… super quick, fun, light read that took me maybe 24 hours to read. (Yes I slept). I loved how the author developed the characters and I loved how I ended up loving Grace in the end. Carlos, was plain adorable and I loved how infatuated he was with Grace even with the extra weight she always said she needed to lose. The writing was spot on and completely enthralling. It was interesting and extremely original story!
Low Point
The one and only low point in the novel that made me cringe (but still didn’t manage to lower the 5 star rating) was the professions of love after the very first date. You just don’t say I love you after the first date. It’s corny, clichéd, and it totally makes me flash back to my junior year of High School and how I agreed to go on a date with this guy because I totally loved his car and he told me he loved me after the first date. In case you’re wondering, yes, I did learn my lesson.
One word of warning there is a lot of talk about raspberry scones. You will end up with a massive craving for them... I know I sure did. To make matters worse there is even a recipe at the end. I'm running to the store to buy raspberries right now.
Don’t miss out on this little gem of a novel. Highly recommended as a light summer read.
Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
Magic Treadmills!
I won’t expand upon that… I’ll let you all read about that interesting funny tid-bit. :)
Craving Perfect tells the story of Grace Mills, a baker in a pastry café that she co-owns with her sister Kathleen. Grace and Kathleen are quite close considering they are the only family each of them has left after the deaths of their parents. Grace is constantly ‘craving perfection’ and is always trying to lose more weight so that she can hopefully catch the eye of the hot guy at the gym, Max, that she’s been ogling over for several weeks. Which kind of turned me off from this novel and Grace in general because it’s more than a little obvious that Max is a superficial jerk, but don’t worry, you’ll end up loving Grace just like me.
One day when Grace is at the gym she hops on one of the brand new treadmills (Yes! The Magic Treadmill!) and proceeds to black out and wake up as someone completely different. She comes to and finds herself the spitting image of perfection (read: Barbie) and engaged to Max. But is what she’s always dreamed of actually what she wants in the end?
This book was GREAT and I loved it… super quick, fun, light read that took me maybe 24 hours to read. (Yes I slept). I loved how the author developed the characters and I loved how I ended up loving Grace in the end. Carlos, was plain adorable and I loved how infatuated he was with Grace even with the extra weight she always said she needed to lose. The writing was spot on and completely enthralling. It was interesting and extremely original story!
Low Point
The one and only low point in the novel that made me cringe (but still didn’t manage to lower the 5 star rating) was the professions of love after the very first date. You just don’t say I love you after the first date. It’s corny, clichéd, and it totally makes me flash back to my junior year of High School and how I agreed to go on a date with this guy because I totally loved his car and he told me he loved me after the first date. In case you’re wondering, yes, I did learn my lesson.
One word of warning there is a lot of talk about raspberry scones. You will end up with a massive craving for them... I know I sure did. To make matters worse there is even a recipe at the end. I'm running to the store to buy raspberries right now.
Don’t miss out on this little gem of a novel. Highly recommended as a light summer read.
Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
June 25, 2011
This is a very good story with an excellent moral: Be careful what you wish for.. it may not be what it's cracked up to be.
Grace is a bit chunky, doesn't know how to do her makeup, doesn't date, tends be clumsy, and has a huge mega crush on this hot guy at the gym. An obsessive mega crush. Not a day goes by that Grace doesn't ogle him and wish she could attract his eye... She wishes she looked like one of those perfect chicks cause then he would notice her, right?
While she's pining away for this dude, however, someone else is pining for her, the gym janitor, Carlos.
Grace begins a romance with Carlos... but due to circumstances getting tense at home, Grace takes an easy out: She hits the strange paranormal gym treadmill and escapes to a parallel universe where she becomes Callie.
Callie is blond, a size two, rich, works for the news, and that hot guy at the gym is her boyfriend. Grace/Callie now has it all... or does she? Is it all worth watching her calorie intake to the point that she has to keep a calorie diary? Is it worth not having a sister at all? Is it worth having a bff that's after your job and your boyfriend? Is the hot gym guy, Max all she thought he would be?
It's not. None of it is worth it or what she expected and when push comes to shove, Grace just wants to be Grace and she wants her Carlos back, but Carlos doesn't like her as Callie. She's gotta make a decision and when she makes it, she better hope that treadmill is still there and doing it's magic or she may be stuck.
A great story that made me think. There's more to life than being or looking perfect... that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, that you can't have it all no matter what.
Thought the Max obsession was a little overdone and weird. Thus, four stars instead of five, but I recommend this.
Grace is a bit chunky, doesn't know how to do her makeup, doesn't date, tends be clumsy, and has a huge mega crush on this hot guy at the gym. An obsessive mega crush. Not a day goes by that Grace doesn't ogle him and wish she could attract his eye... She wishes she looked like one of those perfect chicks cause then he would notice her, right?
While she's pining away for this dude, however, someone else is pining for her, the gym janitor, Carlos.
Grace begins a romance with Carlos... but due to circumstances getting tense at home, Grace takes an easy out: She hits the strange paranormal gym treadmill and escapes to a parallel universe where she becomes Callie.
Callie is blond, a size two, rich, works for the news, and that hot guy at the gym is her boyfriend. Grace/Callie now has it all... or does she? Is it all worth watching her calorie intake to the point that she has to keep a calorie diary? Is it worth not having a sister at all? Is it worth having a bff that's after your job and your boyfriend? Is the hot gym guy, Max all she thought he would be?
It's not. None of it is worth it or what she expected and when push comes to shove, Grace just wants to be Grace and she wants her Carlos back, but Carlos doesn't like her as Callie. She's gotta make a decision and when she makes it, she better hope that treadmill is still there and doing it's magic or she may be stuck.
A great story that made me think. There's more to life than being or looking perfect... that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, that you can't have it all no matter what.
Thought the Max obsession was a little overdone and weird. Thus, four stars instead of five, but I recommend this.
June 10, 2011
An inspiring tale of finding yourself, living life and letting go.
Liz Fichera sure knows how to draw you in and keep you glued to the page. Especially in Craving Perfect, her new release due out July 25th, 2011.
The heroine of this enchanting adventure, Grace Mills, is disillusioned about her life and wants “the perfect life”. For her this is weighing 10 pounds less, having more success and being noticed by the buff hunk at her gym. Suddenly Grace finds herself in an alternate reality where she has all that and more, and its perfect, or is it?
Follow Grace as she jumps between these two completely different worlds trying to figure out which one really is her perfect life. In one she is just plain Grace Mills baker extraordinaire who no one seems to notice, well except maybe Carlos the hunky janitor at her gym; in the other everything is perfect, she is the stunning news woman Callie Collins who is noticed and beloved by all and nothing could be better, or could it?
This book earned all 5 stars that I awarded it. Once I picked it up, I didn’t want to put it down. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it had me cheering for the heroine from beginning to the end. Its hard finding the perfect life, but someone has to do it.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
"I was alive, unfortunately. Today wasn't my day to die. No dear departed relatives would welcome me into a white light. It was just another day to be humiliated. Typical."
Liz Fichera sure knows how to draw you in and keep you glued to the page. Especially in Craving Perfect, her new release due out July 25th, 2011.
The heroine of this enchanting adventure, Grace Mills, is disillusioned about her life and wants “the perfect life”. For her this is weighing 10 pounds less, having more success and being noticed by the buff hunk at her gym. Suddenly Grace finds herself in an alternate reality where she has all that and more, and its perfect, or is it?
Follow Grace as she jumps between these two completely different worlds trying to figure out which one really is her perfect life. In one she is just plain Grace Mills baker extraordinaire who no one seems to notice, well except maybe Carlos the hunky janitor at her gym; in the other everything is perfect, she is the stunning news woman Callie Collins who is noticed and beloved by all and nothing could be better, or could it?
This book earned all 5 stars that I awarded it. Once I picked it up, I didn’t want to put it down. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it had me cheering for the heroine from beginning to the end. Its hard finding the perfect life, but someone has to do it.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
"I was alive, unfortunately. Today wasn't my day to die. No dear departed relatives would welcome me into a white light. It was just another day to be humiliated. Typical."
June 27, 2011
Craving Perfect is a terrific read and Liz Fichera does an incredible job of making you laugh before feeling a huge lump in your throat as you root for the heroine, Grace Mills. Grace is the girl every female wants for a best friend. She’s kind, funny and sentimental, she’s a tad overweight and she loves raspberry scones. As you read her story, you long to walk into the pastry café she co-owns with her sister. Believe me, you can almost smell the pastry.
She’s determined to lose those ten extra pounds which is why she visits the gym where the gorgeous Max Kramer hangs out. And talking of gorgeous, there’s Carlos, the janitor...
Then, through a quirk of fate and a touch of magic, Grace suddenly has what she’s always craved - the perfect life. Except it isn’t quite as perfect as she thought it would be.
This book made me laugh out loud. Several times. It reminded me that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence, and it made me think about family and how much they mean to us all.
A truly great read. I loved every word. Oh, and just when you think you can’t last another second without one of Grace’s raspberry comfort scones (butter, yoghurt, raspberries…) or Elena’s Sopapillas (you’re supposed to give half to a friend, but who’s to know?), you’ll find the recipes included at the back of the book.
She’s determined to lose those ten extra pounds which is why she visits the gym where the gorgeous Max Kramer hangs out. And talking of gorgeous, there’s Carlos, the janitor...
Then, through a quirk of fate and a touch of magic, Grace suddenly has what she’s always craved - the perfect life. Except it isn’t quite as perfect as she thought it would be.
This book made me laugh out loud. Several times. It reminded me that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence, and it made me think about family and how much they mean to us all.
A truly great read. I loved every word. Oh, and just when you think you can’t last another second without one of Grace’s raspberry comfort scones (butter, yoghurt, raspberries…) or Elena’s Sopapillas (you’re supposed to give half to a friend, but who’s to know?), you’ll find the recipes included at the back of the book.
August 16, 2011
Craving Perfection is a great read and perfect for sitting on the beach, in the garden or curled up in a chair. If you have seen the film, Sliding Doors, you will love this book. Plenty to smile and laugh at. Enjoy...I did!
July 21, 2011
Grace Miles has been getting up very early to work out at the gym for two reasons. First she wants to lose ten pounds, and second she has it bad for Mr. Gorgeous, Max Kramer, who she can’t stop staring at as she exercises. And because of this she ends up falling off the stair climber and bumps her head, ending up unconscious. Grace is beyond mortified, but it got Max to notice her. But because she’s so tongue tied around him and he’s beyond gorgeous, he goes back to working out without a single thought to her health. Grace is so far gone over Max that she thinks about him night and day. If there was only some way where she could get his attention without making a fool of herself and finally find the courage to talk to him.
One man who does appreciate Grace, abundant curves and all, is Carlos the gym janitor. He knows how much of a jerk Max is when he overhears him talking to a friend in the locker room about Grace. Max has some not so nice things to say about Grace, calling her chubby, how the earth shook when she fell and how she’s a “psycho chick” because she constantly stares at him. This enrages Carlos, but he keeps his thoughts to himself.
When Grace isn’t at the gym, she owns and operates the Desert Java, along with her sister Kathryn. Grace decides she needs to stop nibbling on all the baked goods she sells and gain the courage to ask Max out. Then one day while at the gym Grace tries out the new treadmills and black outs, finding herself in a new super thin body and with the name of Callie, and better yet, with Max. Plus she’s the local celebrity weather girl. Grace thinks she’s hallucinating and runs again on the magically treadmill and back in her old body. Now everything is topsy-turvy for Grace because not only has she gotten a taste that being perfect is not what it’s cracked up to be, but being herself and finding love with a man who appreciates her, bulges and all, is one reality she many not want to give up.
Half way through I wanted to throw Craving Perfect against a wall (if only it was in print form and not digital). I thought this would be a cute read, but it ended up grating on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Grace is obsessed with losing 10lbs, which leads me to believe she isn't that overweight. We're never told how overweight she is and it's never about her losing the remaining 10lbs or a certain amount of weight she may have already lost. I have the feeling she maybe a size 10 or 12 and is not this humongous, chunky woman Max cruelly finds her to be.
Max is a major jerk who makes fun of Grace because of her size. Again, I really wonder how fat she is? She says she has a size 8 1/2 foot, so that must make her fat, right? (I have size 9 1/2 foot, so I must be huge). Also all the beautiful, fit people in this book come across as rude and mean, including the guy at the front desk of the gym who barely gives Grace a glance because she's so fat. Grace is obsessed with eating sweets every time she works out and after. All she thinks of is food and lusting after jerky gym man. Grace is really a pathetic and sad woman who acts over the top immature.
Then the book transforms into a fairy tale where Grace jumps on a magic treadmill and ends up in an alternate universe where she's a size 2 and dating the jerk Max. She ends up freaking out for too many pages to count until she ends up back in her own skin. The romance with Carlos should have been cute, but again Grace is just too annoying. I had no sympathy for her whatsoever. She has no real personality or dimension, just like the story. It would have worked better if it was a contemporary romance or chick lit type read, but for some reason a paranormal element was thrown in, which makes no sense.
Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera is one of these lacking reads and a total pass.
This is one of many books I've read from Carina Press, which makes my total around 50 books. Out of all these books read, I can think of 3 I've enjoyed. The majority of them have been DNFs for me. I would say more than 90% of these reads from this publisher have been big fails for me. I'm really close to giving up reading any more titles from Carina Press because they're not well edited at all, the plots are ho-hum and the characters are flat as the pages they're written on.
One man who does appreciate Grace, abundant curves and all, is Carlos the gym janitor. He knows how much of a jerk Max is when he overhears him talking to a friend in the locker room about Grace. Max has some not so nice things to say about Grace, calling her chubby, how the earth shook when she fell and how she’s a “psycho chick” because she constantly stares at him. This enrages Carlos, but he keeps his thoughts to himself.
When Grace isn’t at the gym, she owns and operates the Desert Java, along with her sister Kathryn. Grace decides she needs to stop nibbling on all the baked goods she sells and gain the courage to ask Max out. Then one day while at the gym Grace tries out the new treadmills and black outs, finding herself in a new super thin body and with the name of Callie, and better yet, with Max. Plus she’s the local celebrity weather girl. Grace thinks she’s hallucinating and runs again on the magically treadmill and back in her old body. Now everything is topsy-turvy for Grace because not only has she gotten a taste that being perfect is not what it’s cracked up to be, but being herself and finding love with a man who appreciates her, bulges and all, is one reality she many not want to give up.
Half way through I wanted to throw Craving Perfect against a wall (if only it was in print form and not digital). I thought this would be a cute read, but it ended up grating on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Grace is obsessed with losing 10lbs, which leads me to believe she isn't that overweight. We're never told how overweight she is and it's never about her losing the remaining 10lbs or a certain amount of weight she may have already lost. I have the feeling she maybe a size 10 or 12 and is not this humongous, chunky woman Max cruelly finds her to be.
Max is a major jerk who makes fun of Grace because of her size. Again, I really wonder how fat she is? She says she has a size 8 1/2 foot, so that must make her fat, right? (I have size 9 1/2 foot, so I must be huge). Also all the beautiful, fit people in this book come across as rude and mean, including the guy at the front desk of the gym who barely gives Grace a glance because she's so fat. Grace is obsessed with eating sweets every time she works out and after. All she thinks of is food and lusting after jerky gym man. Grace is really a pathetic and sad woman who acts over the top immature.
Then the book transforms into a fairy tale where Grace jumps on a magic treadmill and ends up in an alternate universe where she's a size 2 and dating the jerk Max. She ends up freaking out for too many pages to count until she ends up back in her own skin. The romance with Carlos should have been cute, but again Grace is just too annoying. I had no sympathy for her whatsoever. She has no real personality or dimension, just like the story. It would have worked better if it was a contemporary romance or chick lit type read, but for some reason a paranormal element was thrown in, which makes no sense.
Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera is one of these lacking reads and a total pass.
This is one of many books I've read from Carina Press, which makes my total around 50 books. Out of all these books read, I can think of 3 I've enjoyed. The majority of them have been DNFs for me. I would say more than 90% of these reads from this publisher have been big fails for me. I'm really close to giving up reading any more titles from Carina Press because they're not well edited at all, the plots are ho-hum and the characters are flat as the pages they're written on.
July 26, 2011
Review originally posted at Book Lovers Inc.
I decided to give this one a chance thinking it would be funny contemporary romance à la Bridget Jones and I really needed something funny. And let me be honest I just adore the cover. It's pretty and I can be shallow that way. So perhaps I deserved that book because I was being shallow- that definitely hit a nerve with this story.
In Craving Perfect we meet Grace, an overweight single woman owning a café with her sister. She loves her sweets and just can't keep her hands of them. Still she isn't happy with herself. She slaves away in a gym nearly every day to lose another pound. She wants to look like the perfect girls she sees parading around the gym and she hopes that losing weight would finally make Max Kramer, her secret crush, notice her. She's obsessed with Max and finally gaining his attention even though he is what we can openly call the biggest jerk on the planet. He's shallow and only notices the perfect ones of us. He even thought bad of Grace and never made her feel like someone he would choose.
But well, we know how secret crushes can be. I can remember doing something like that at the tender age of 13 but now? Not so much. I really don't see how a grown woman can delude herself that much. And she really thinks she needs to lose weight or she will never get what she wants. I do understand where that came from in our present society but on the other hand she keeps on treating herself to a scone every time she sees Max. I have to say she really irritated me. Perhaps it's because I'm overweight too but never actually felt so strongly and contradicting about it, I know that I'm still worth something and attractive even though I don't fit the ideal of society.
On the other hand we have Carlos, a law student working part time as a janitor at the gym. He's a nice and caring guy but most people judge him wrong because of his appearance. He's latino and has tattoed forearms so mostly everyone things he's one of those troublemakers who aren't able to speak one word of fluent English. I really loved Carlos- he's what saved this book for me. Finally someone not so shallow even though he judges the pretty people pretty fast too (but I will ignore that for now). He likes Grace for what she is- the person behind all the doubts and low self esteem. He likes her for being funny and sweet.
I don't want to say much about the story- let's say it's not really a contemporary story. It has a certain, in loss for a better word, paranormal touch. Those give Grace the possibility to see her situation from a different angle and give her the possibility to realize that being perfect won't make your life perfect.
The love was more like a side story- sometimes it crept in the center though. I loved to see Carlos and Grace together. Their chemistry was hot and also adorably shy at times. The way they discovered each other made my heart melt. I would have loved to see more about that and less about Grace and her self esteem.
Craving Perfect was a fun read. It often made me think of Bridget Jones but on other times it was just too shallow for my taste. I really wanted to throw it against the wall when I saw slim equals perfect one more time. I usually like a not-so-perfect heroine but usually I do because they don't focus that much on becoming something they just aren't. Grace was too contradicting for me. There is nothing wrong with wanting to reach your goal but please stick to it then. With a bit less shallowness I would have liked this one way more. Still it was fun to read and the love story was cute. The love takes a backseat in this one though- appearance and Grace struggle with it are more the focus. If you like to read about this topic this book is something you should definitely check out.
I decided to give this one a chance thinking it would be funny contemporary romance à la Bridget Jones and I really needed something funny. And let me be honest I just adore the cover. It's pretty and I can be shallow that way. So perhaps I deserved that book because I was being shallow- that definitely hit a nerve with this story.
In Craving Perfect we meet Grace, an overweight single woman owning a café with her sister. She loves her sweets and just can't keep her hands of them. Still she isn't happy with herself. She slaves away in a gym nearly every day to lose another pound. She wants to look like the perfect girls she sees parading around the gym and she hopes that losing weight would finally make Max Kramer, her secret crush, notice her. She's obsessed with Max and finally gaining his attention even though he is what we can openly call the biggest jerk on the planet. He's shallow and only notices the perfect ones of us. He even thought bad of Grace and never made her feel like someone he would choose.
But well, we know how secret crushes can be. I can remember doing something like that at the tender age of 13 but now? Not so much. I really don't see how a grown woman can delude herself that much. And she really thinks she needs to lose weight or she will never get what she wants. I do understand where that came from in our present society but on the other hand she keeps on treating herself to a scone every time she sees Max. I have to say she really irritated me. Perhaps it's because I'm overweight too but never actually felt so strongly and contradicting about it, I know that I'm still worth something and attractive even though I don't fit the ideal of society.
On the other hand we have Carlos, a law student working part time as a janitor at the gym. He's a nice and caring guy but most people judge him wrong because of his appearance. He's latino and has tattoed forearms so mostly everyone things he's one of those troublemakers who aren't able to speak one word of fluent English. I really loved Carlos- he's what saved this book for me. Finally someone not so shallow even though he judges the pretty people pretty fast too (but I will ignore that for now). He likes Grace for what she is- the person behind all the doubts and low self esteem. He likes her for being funny and sweet.
I don't want to say much about the story- let's say it's not really a contemporary story. It has a certain, in loss for a better word, paranormal touch. Those give Grace the possibility to see her situation from a different angle and give her the possibility to realize that being perfect won't make your life perfect.
The love was more like a side story- sometimes it crept in the center though. I loved to see Carlos and Grace together. Their chemistry was hot and also adorably shy at times. The way they discovered each other made my heart melt. I would have loved to see more about that and less about Grace and her self esteem.
Craving Perfect was a fun read. It often made me think of Bridget Jones but on other times it was just too shallow for my taste. I really wanted to throw it against the wall when I saw slim equals perfect one more time. I usually like a not-so-perfect heroine but usually I do because they don't focus that much on becoming something they just aren't. Grace was too contradicting for me. There is nothing wrong with wanting to reach your goal but please stick to it then. With a bit less shallowness I would have liked this one way more. Still it was fun to read and the love story was cute. The love takes a backseat in this one though- appearance and Grace struggle with it are more the focus. If you like to read about this topic this book is something you should definitely check out.
June 16, 2011
CRAVING PERFECT by author Liz Fichera is a fantastic escape!
I was completely blown away by Grace Mill's run on the treadmill and she went to the gym just to ogle Max's hot body! Well a girl has to have an inspiration to lose weight.
Imagine a girl rewarding herself strawberry scones after a vigorous workout. But she was craving the perfect body and the perfect man.
And when she got her perfect body she found out that she could never eat enough. Her favourite occupation of baking was not of use to her after getting her perfect body.
Guess what? She also found out that Max was not so perfect after all.
Craving Perfect is a lovely story of sisterly love and responsibilities and of getting what you crave for.
Liz Fichera did a fascinating job with this story. It is liberally spiced with humor, pathos and heartfelt emotion. It is potrayed with vivid atmospheric details. I felt myself in the Java Cafe Grace ran with her sister Kathryn and could taste the coffee!
I was completely blown away by Grace Mill's run on the treadmill and she went to the gym just to ogle Max's hot body! Well a girl has to have an inspiration to lose weight.
Imagine a girl rewarding herself strawberry scones after a vigorous workout. But she was craving the perfect body and the perfect man.
And when she got her perfect body she found out that she could never eat enough. Her favourite occupation of baking was not of use to her after getting her perfect body.
Guess what? She also found out that Max was not so perfect after all.
Craving Perfect is a lovely story of sisterly love and responsibilities and of getting what you crave for.
Liz Fichera did a fascinating job with this story. It is liberally spiced with humor, pathos and heartfelt emotion. It is potrayed with vivid atmospheric details. I felt myself in the Java Cafe Grace ran with her sister Kathryn and could taste the coffee!
July 18, 2011
Grace Mills is just like the rest of us, her family life has its own dramas, she's seeking love for herself, and she wants that hot guy at the gym where she works out religiously. The only thing is, when the opportunity arises for her to have exactly what she wishes for, well, she finds herself in a dilemma. Grace's tale is a great reminder that sometimes, beautiful lives don't bring you happiness, and that the Adonis you seek, is standing right in front of you. Oh, and if you don't know what sopasillas are, you soon will, my friends!
June 26, 2011
'Craving Perfect' by Liz Fichera is a wonderful novel that takes you on a magical treadmill ride. Downtrodden Grace isn't happy with her lacklustre life and yearns to be someone people pay attention to. And then -- after a spectacular treadmill fall -- she suddenly is. But is perfect really all she hoped for?
With likeable characters, a yummy hero and a cracking storyline that keeps you turning the pages for me, 'Craving Perfect' has the perfect ingredients for a delicious summer read.
With likeable characters, a yummy hero and a cracking storyline that keeps you turning the pages for me, 'Craving Perfect' has the perfect ingredients for a delicious summer read.
July 30, 2011
Really cute book. When the alternate life of Grace first occured I was ready to put the book down. It wasn't explained, it was annoying and lame. I liked the way it jumped back and forth between the two main characters and that kept me coming back. Once the "other life" was explained, I sighed with relief, and I was totally into it then. Very close to being a 5 star book.
May 12, 2020
Original and cute
July 31, 2011
Craving Perfect is Liz Fichera’s debut novel. It only came to my attention when I spotted in on NetGalley a little while ago. The cover caught my eye, so I took a look at the information about the novel and thought it sounded right up my street. I love novels with a bit of magic to them, something that sets the book apart. Craving Perfect reminded me a touch of Freaky Friday – the movie starring Lindsay Lohan before she became a hot mess – but with a bit of a twist as the book isn’t necessarily about body-swapping. I downloaded it to my Kindle and set about giving it a go. Although it wasn’t perfect, I thoroughly enjoyed it nevertheless.
If you’re going to read Craving Perfect, you are going to have to go into it with an open mind. Like I said, it’s kind of like Freaky Friday so it’s not your normal Chick Lit novel. It’s very much a novel that begs the question of is the grass really greener on the other side, as Grace Mills finds herself becoming Callie Collins when she runs super-fast on the treadmill at her gym. Most usually the answer to the question is no, it’s not. Just because the grass looks greener, doesn’t mean it is and it could just be the way the sun sparkles off it… Yeah, I made that up. Aren’t I clever? Anyway, I found myself really loving the plot of the book. I expected it to be incredibly predictable but it surprised me in parts. Sure it is predictable, but not to the degree I expected.
Obviously for the novel to work really well there has to be some sort of contrast between Grace’s real life and the life she could have as Callie Collins, so Grace, as you might expect, is a bit overweight, is seemingly in love with the beautiful Max Kramer and her business with her sister Kathryn is only scraping by by the skin of its teeth. However, there is one shining light in Grace’s world, a potential romance with the gorgeous-sounding Carlos. But Grace’s life is nothing compared to the life Grace has as Callie (I really hope I’m not confusing you). Callie is stick-thin, has a wonderful job, a handsome fiance (called Max Kramer!) and size-six feet. I mean, it’s a no-brainer right? But as it turns out, Callie’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems and it turns out it doesn’t matter how skinny or how rich you are, nobody is indeed perfect. That’s what this book told me. That no matter who you are, what your life is like, at the end of the day, it’s still pretty damn good. Although I would swap places with Angelina Jolie (or someone else like her) in a heartbeat. Woops. So much for me being perfect as I am…
I thought Grace was a lovely character. Flawed enough to be relateable too without being too OTT. I admit, I didn’t think her life was too bad, although honestly if you offered me the chance of swapping bodies with someone who’s a size two, I would indeed consider it as well… I liked Grace’s warmth. I liked that Grace wasn’t necessarily bothered about eating another raspberry scone. In so many Chick Lit novels you hear how fat the main character feels, how ugly, when really they’re not any of those things and they’re usually drop dead gorgeous, but for me Grace differs a bit. We hear how she struggles to control her weight by running at the gym, but how she can’t resist the scones she bakes. I was also totally taken in with Carlos. A trainee-lawyer who helps out his sister keeping the gym clean and sparkly. Swoon-worthy, indeed. He and Grace really sparked off each other and it was sweet for once to see a relationship go from tiny beginnings right to the end without some ridiculous man-shaped obstacle in the middle. I also liked the supporting characters: Grace’s sister Kathryn and Carlos’s sister Elena, although I wasn’t a fan of any of the people in the alternate Callie Collins world. They were a bit up-themselves for my tastes.
Craving Perfect wasn’t perfect. There was a psuedo-explanation for the fact Grace was able to become Callie, but no clear cut explanation and I like my magic explained, thank you very much! But it was a quick, fun, light read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the dilemma Grace picked because after all – don’t we all wish our lives could be different in some way? Well, unless you’re Angelina Jolie… It was just so warm and so welcoming and I just loved getting caught up in these characters’ lives. I would definitely recommend the book. You do have to suspend your beliefs, take it with a pinch of salt, but it’s fiction, sometimes you can push the boundaries a little. I very much look forward to a second novel from Liz, as this one was a real pick me up. I’m so pleased I read it, so pleased to have met Grace and Carlos and the rest of the clan. I could imagine the bakery where Grace and Kathryn worked, could imagine the mexican restaurant Grace and Carlos visit filled with Carlos’s family. It was a really, really cute novel.
If you’re going to read Craving Perfect, you are going to have to go into it with an open mind. Like I said, it’s kind of like Freaky Friday so it’s not your normal Chick Lit novel. It’s very much a novel that begs the question of is the grass really greener on the other side, as Grace Mills finds herself becoming Callie Collins when she runs super-fast on the treadmill at her gym. Most usually the answer to the question is no, it’s not. Just because the grass looks greener, doesn’t mean it is and it could just be the way the sun sparkles off it… Yeah, I made that up. Aren’t I clever? Anyway, I found myself really loving the plot of the book. I expected it to be incredibly predictable but it surprised me in parts. Sure it is predictable, but not to the degree I expected.
Obviously for the novel to work really well there has to be some sort of contrast between Grace’s real life and the life she could have as Callie Collins, so Grace, as you might expect, is a bit overweight, is seemingly in love with the beautiful Max Kramer and her business with her sister Kathryn is only scraping by by the skin of its teeth. However, there is one shining light in Grace’s world, a potential romance with the gorgeous-sounding Carlos. But Grace’s life is nothing compared to the life Grace has as Callie (I really hope I’m not confusing you). Callie is stick-thin, has a wonderful job, a handsome fiance (called Max Kramer!) and size-six feet. I mean, it’s a no-brainer right? But as it turns out, Callie’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems and it turns out it doesn’t matter how skinny or how rich you are, nobody is indeed perfect. That’s what this book told me. That no matter who you are, what your life is like, at the end of the day, it’s still pretty damn good. Although I would swap places with Angelina Jolie (or someone else like her) in a heartbeat. Woops. So much for me being perfect as I am…
I thought Grace was a lovely character. Flawed enough to be relateable too without being too OTT. I admit, I didn’t think her life was too bad, although honestly if you offered me the chance of swapping bodies with someone who’s a size two, I would indeed consider it as well… I liked Grace’s warmth. I liked that Grace wasn’t necessarily bothered about eating another raspberry scone. In so many Chick Lit novels you hear how fat the main character feels, how ugly, when really they’re not any of those things and they’re usually drop dead gorgeous, but for me Grace differs a bit. We hear how she struggles to control her weight by running at the gym, but how she can’t resist the scones she bakes. I was also totally taken in with Carlos. A trainee-lawyer who helps out his sister keeping the gym clean and sparkly. Swoon-worthy, indeed. He and Grace really sparked off each other and it was sweet for once to see a relationship go from tiny beginnings right to the end without some ridiculous man-shaped obstacle in the middle. I also liked the supporting characters: Grace’s sister Kathryn and Carlos’s sister Elena, although I wasn’t a fan of any of the people in the alternate Callie Collins world. They were a bit up-themselves for my tastes.
Craving Perfect wasn’t perfect. There was a psuedo-explanation for the fact Grace was able to become Callie, but no clear cut explanation and I like my magic explained, thank you very much! But it was a quick, fun, light read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the dilemma Grace picked because after all – don’t we all wish our lives could be different in some way? Well, unless you’re Angelina Jolie… It was just so warm and so welcoming and I just loved getting caught up in these characters’ lives. I would definitely recommend the book. You do have to suspend your beliefs, take it with a pinch of salt, but it’s fiction, sometimes you can push the boundaries a little. I very much look forward to a second novel from Liz, as this one was a real pick me up. I’m so pleased I read it, so pleased to have met Grace and Carlos and the rest of the clan. I could imagine the bakery where Grace and Kathryn worked, could imagine the mexican restaurant Grace and Carlos visit filled with Carlos’s family. It was a really, really cute novel.
July 14, 2011
GENRE: Adult – Romance
FORM: eBook – NetGalley
While I was granted permission to read this book by a Net Galley affiliate publisher, Harlequin, I have received no compensation for this review other than the joy of reading!
SYNOPSIS: Grace doesn’t lead a perfect life, she’s a little bit over-weight, she lacks the self control to avoid her famous Raspberry Scones, and lives with her sister at their café; The Desert Java. While she isn’t unhappy with her life, she does sometimes wonder what it would be like to have the perfect body and have everything come easy to you, like Alexandra Summers; or have the super hot bodybuilder boyfriend, such as Max Kramer. After taking a tumble off the stair climber at Goldie’s Gym, things for Grace Mills seems a little wacky. She finds out that she can trade her life and body in for the more “perfect” one of Callie Collins by using the brand new treadmill at the gym. But trading in her life means leaving her sister, her café, and the new person in her life, Carlos Flores, behind.
REVIEW: I’m not sure how successful I was, but I was trying to make sure my synopsis didn’t sound too cheesy…because, let’s face it, when you look at this book on the surface, trading lives by running on a treadmill, it has a sort of Hot Tub Time Machine, feel about it, right? But it’s not…trust me. Craving Perfect is the happy romance that every girl needs every now and then. It’s not overly deep, but that’s the charm. You get to fall in love with Grace and Carlos, and there’s a little bit of drama; Grace/Callie learns a lot about herself, and then we get the beautiful red bow at the end! I love it!
Carlos was the perfect male companion to Grace. He was sweet and tender, and had just the right amount of jealous tendencies. He was so incredibly romantic, at times I swear I could feel his breath on my neck as he spoke. The best part about him, he loved Grace and desired her for who she was. She wasn’t perfect, but she was a fun, happy, kind person; someone you want to see good things happen for, and someone you definitely would like to be your friend. Grace’s sister Kathryn was a good character too. I imagine I would be like her. She didn’t express her feelings very well, and even when she tried, Grace would object and Kathryn would shut down and things would be left unsaid. I know how she feels, she knows she needs to do what is right, but how can you when everyone either assumes they know what’s right for you, or doesn’t give you the chance to speak up for yourself.
All-in-all I loved the relationships between the characters in the story. Liz Fichera did an excellent job at creating characters you want to know.
WHAT I LOVED: I loved it when Grace as Callie put Alexandra Summers in her place…not once, but a few times. It was a boldness that on one hand didn’t seem normal for the nice person Grace was, but also seemed to come natural, as Grace didn’t seem like one to let people lead them around.
NOT SO MUCH: I think Carlos jumped the “I love you” a bit..it actually felt a little weird to me when reading it. And I’m not really one to talk since my husband said it the first time we ever kissed…but we were pretty young.
FORM: eBook – NetGalley
While I was granted permission to read this book by a Net Galley affiliate publisher, Harlequin, I have received no compensation for this review other than the joy of reading!
SYNOPSIS: Grace doesn’t lead a perfect life, she’s a little bit over-weight, she lacks the self control to avoid her famous Raspberry Scones, and lives with her sister at their café; The Desert Java. While she isn’t unhappy with her life, she does sometimes wonder what it would be like to have the perfect body and have everything come easy to you, like Alexandra Summers; or have the super hot bodybuilder boyfriend, such as Max Kramer. After taking a tumble off the stair climber at Goldie’s Gym, things for Grace Mills seems a little wacky. She finds out that she can trade her life and body in for the more “perfect” one of Callie Collins by using the brand new treadmill at the gym. But trading in her life means leaving her sister, her café, and the new person in her life, Carlos Flores, behind.
REVIEW: I’m not sure how successful I was, but I was trying to make sure my synopsis didn’t sound too cheesy…because, let’s face it, when you look at this book on the surface, trading lives by running on a treadmill, it has a sort of Hot Tub Time Machine, feel about it, right? But it’s not…trust me. Craving Perfect is the happy romance that every girl needs every now and then. It’s not overly deep, but that’s the charm. You get to fall in love with Grace and Carlos, and there’s a little bit of drama; Grace/Callie learns a lot about herself, and then we get the beautiful red bow at the end! I love it!
Carlos was the perfect male companion to Grace. He was sweet and tender, and had just the right amount of jealous tendencies. He was so incredibly romantic, at times I swear I could feel his breath on my neck as he spoke. The best part about him, he loved Grace and desired her for who she was. She wasn’t perfect, but she was a fun, happy, kind person; someone you want to see good things happen for, and someone you definitely would like to be your friend. Grace’s sister Kathryn was a good character too. I imagine I would be like her. She didn’t express her feelings very well, and even when she tried, Grace would object and Kathryn would shut down and things would be left unsaid. I know how she feels, she knows she needs to do what is right, but how can you when everyone either assumes they know what’s right for you, or doesn’t give you the chance to speak up for yourself.
All-in-all I loved the relationships between the characters in the story. Liz Fichera did an excellent job at creating characters you want to know.
WHAT I LOVED: I loved it when Grace as Callie put Alexandra Summers in her place…not once, but a few times. It was a boldness that on one hand didn’t seem normal for the nice person Grace was, but also seemed to come natural, as Grace didn’t seem like one to let people lead them around.
NOT SO MUCH: I think Carlos jumped the “I love you” a bit..it actually felt a little weird to me when reading it. And I’m not really one to talk since my husband said it the first time we ever kissed…but we were pretty young.
April 5, 2017
I read this in one day, and thoroughly enjoyed it! When I read the premise, it kind of reminded me of the movie 'Sliding Doors' with Gwyneth Paltrow but also of the book Be Careful What You Wish For -which I both like- and I knew I had to read it. We see the heroine in her two lives, the one she's actually living and the one she -and many women out there- crave for. But is what we crave for actually as perfect as we think it is?
Grace is overweight (not a lot it seems but she seems to find herself fat) and usually ignored by everyone, including Max, the hot guy in the gym. Max in fact, has not only noticed her, but has also noted her interest of him and is laughing at her expense. The one who's not laughing at all, is Carlos, the gym janitor whom Grace completely ignores until the moment she falls off the stairs-machine and he helps her get up. Carlos is a very sweet guy, but at first Grace is too stuck on stupid Max to pay any notice. She's also having some problems with her sister, who's running the Desert Java cafe with her, but her sister won't talk to her about it. At these strained times, Grace one day in the gym, tries on the new treadmill, only to find herself transported to another woman's life: Callie Collins, the famous, beautiful, rich and of course super thin weather girl, who's also engaged to Max! At first it feels as if she's in paradise, but soon it appears that this life is not exactly 'perfect' either.
I admit, I only opened this book to take a peek, and was captivated by the beautiful, witty writting that made me not want to put it down. I loved the prose: witty, humorous at times, emotional as Grace and Elena talk about their families, self-sarcastic at others, it changed tone but always kept a steady pace and rythm. It felt to me exactly as real life is: sometimes humorous, sometimes sad, not just one or the other. I also liked Grace a lot, even if she was a little paranoid with her weight. I guess I can even understand her at some point, because gaining 15 pounds after my children's births, I sometimes feel chubby myself even if I know logically that 15 pounds is not that much of a deal. Still, that feeling won't go away, no matter how much logic I try to apply:) Well, enough for me, back to the book!
Carlos was also a sweet character, even if a little too perfect to be true, but I liked the fact that from their first date, Grace really acknowledged this, instead of staying 'loyal' to her fixation to Max. I also liked Grace's sister; even if her role was small, she was in no way a one-dimensional too-good or too-bad caricature. The only thing that somewhat grated at me, is the easiness with which Carlos mostly, and then Grace, fell in love. It was just too fast to be true IMO.
Overall, I really, really enjoyed this book, as you can see. I think it's perfect for a beach read, or a quite Sunday afternoon for fans of chick lit, since it's fun and enjoyable and still, not too superficial. But if you're looking for contemporary romance, this isn't it.
ARC provided by NetGalley
Grace is overweight (not a lot it seems but she seems to find herself fat) and usually ignored by everyone, including Max, the hot guy in the gym. Max in fact, has not only noticed her, but has also noted her interest of him and is laughing at her expense. The one who's not laughing at all, is Carlos, the gym janitor whom Grace completely ignores until the moment she falls off the stairs-machine and he helps her get up. Carlos is a very sweet guy, but at first Grace is too stuck on stupid Max to pay any notice. She's also having some problems with her sister, who's running the Desert Java cafe with her, but her sister won't talk to her about it. At these strained times, Grace one day in the gym, tries on the new treadmill, only to find herself transported to another woman's life: Callie Collins, the famous, beautiful, rich and of course super thin weather girl, who's also engaged to Max! At first it feels as if she's in paradise, but soon it appears that this life is not exactly 'perfect' either.
I admit, I only opened this book to take a peek, and was captivated by the beautiful, witty writting that made me not want to put it down. I loved the prose: witty, humorous at times, emotional as Grace and Elena talk about their families, self-sarcastic at others, it changed tone but always kept a steady pace and rythm. It felt to me exactly as real life is: sometimes humorous, sometimes sad, not just one or the other. I also liked Grace a lot, even if she was a little paranoid with her weight. I guess I can even understand her at some point, because gaining 15 pounds after my children's births, I sometimes feel chubby myself even if I know logically that 15 pounds is not that much of a deal. Still, that feeling won't go away, no matter how much logic I try to apply:) Well, enough for me, back to the book!
Carlos was also a sweet character, even if a little too perfect to be true, but I liked the fact that from their first date, Grace really acknowledged this, instead of staying 'loyal' to her fixation to Max. I also liked Grace's sister; even if her role was small, she was in no way a one-dimensional too-good or too-bad caricature. The only thing that somewhat grated at me, is the easiness with which Carlos mostly, and then Grace, fell in love. It was just too fast to be true IMO.
Overall, I really, really enjoyed this book, as you can see. I think it's perfect for a beach read, or a quite Sunday afternoon for fans of chick lit, since it's fun and enjoyable and still, not too superficial. But if you're looking for contemporary romance, this isn't it.
ARC provided by NetGalley
July 23, 2011
Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2011/07/22/...
Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: July 25th
How I got this book: NetGalley
I loved Fichera’s first Carina Press historical, Captive Spirit, and when I found out she was writing a contemporary… I was psyched!
Grace Mills is frustrated with herself. Her body isn’t perfect, the man she is in love with hasn’t noticed her, and her wonderful sister is starting to pull away. When a fluke run on the new treadmill at the gym sends her into a new life, she wonders which life really is “perfect.” As Grace, she doesn’t have the perfect body or ideal boyfriend. But she does have a job she loves, a sister she can’t live without, and a guy who makes her heart beat faster than she ever imagined.
On the other hand as Callie she is sexy and has the man she thinks she wants, but nothing else. When she tries to stay as Callie, she realizes that she thinks is perfect isn’t even close, but will it be too late for her to get back to the life she wants?
Now, I am notoriously weary with books that constantly flips POVs, and when I saw that this book does just that, I worried that I was going to hate it. And I really didn’t want to hate it, because I thought it had a great premise. But, I have to say I didn’t hate this one. Although it started slow for me, it picked up as it kept going and did pull me in despite the changes in POV.
I liked Grace despite her materialistic and somewhat shallow beginning. She was kind, had a huge heart, and despite the curve balls that life threw at her, she was willing to give up so much to make the others in her life happy. I really liked that about her. When she chose to live as Callie, thinking she was helping a loved one, it spoke to me of strong family bonds, and I love when a book can do that.
Grace’s relationship with Carlos was actually a small portion of the plot, but I liked how it was innocent, understated, and yet still felt real and believable. While I think they might have declared their love just a little too prematurely, there was still something sweet and innocent about it. While Grace was stuck as Callie and in her relationship with Max, there were times I felt that part of the story was dragging on. It was painfully obvious that Max was a jerk, and their scenes together didn’t feel like it was necessarily moving the story forward.
All in all, I found myself really enjoying the second half of the book, especially once things picked up and started moving forward. I enjoyed Grace and even her shenanigans as Callie. While the romance wasn’t as strong as an element as I would have hoped, I still enjoyed Grace and Carlos together.
I give Craving Perfect a C+
Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: July 25th
How I got this book: NetGalley
I loved Fichera’s first Carina Press historical, Captive Spirit, and when I found out she was writing a contemporary… I was psyched!
Grace Mills is frustrated with herself. Her body isn’t perfect, the man she is in love with hasn’t noticed her, and her wonderful sister is starting to pull away. When a fluke run on the new treadmill at the gym sends her into a new life, she wonders which life really is “perfect.” As Grace, she doesn’t have the perfect body or ideal boyfriend. But she does have a job she loves, a sister she can’t live without, and a guy who makes her heart beat faster than she ever imagined.
On the other hand as Callie she is sexy and has the man she thinks she wants, but nothing else. When she tries to stay as Callie, she realizes that she thinks is perfect isn’t even close, but will it be too late for her to get back to the life she wants?
Now, I am notoriously weary with books that constantly flips POVs, and when I saw that this book does just that, I worried that I was going to hate it. And I really didn’t want to hate it, because I thought it had a great premise. But, I have to say I didn’t hate this one. Although it started slow for me, it picked up as it kept going and did pull me in despite the changes in POV.
I liked Grace despite her materialistic and somewhat shallow beginning. She was kind, had a huge heart, and despite the curve balls that life threw at her, she was willing to give up so much to make the others in her life happy. I really liked that about her. When she chose to live as Callie, thinking she was helping a loved one, it spoke to me of strong family bonds, and I love when a book can do that.
Grace’s relationship with Carlos was actually a small portion of the plot, but I liked how it was innocent, understated, and yet still felt real and believable. While I think they might have declared their love just a little too prematurely, there was still something sweet and innocent about it. While Grace was stuck as Callie and in her relationship with Max, there were times I felt that part of the story was dragging on. It was painfully obvious that Max was a jerk, and their scenes together didn’t feel like it was necessarily moving the story forward.
All in all, I found myself really enjoying the second half of the book, especially once things picked up and started moving forward. I enjoyed Grace and even her shenanigans as Callie. While the romance wasn’t as strong as an element as I would have hoped, I still enjoyed Grace and Carlos together.
I give Craving Perfect a C+
July 7, 2011
I received a eARC of this book from netgalley for my honest opinion and review.
I want to start by saying this is the first book I've ever read by Liz Fichera. I requested this from Netgalley based on the recommendation of a friend. She seemed to like it so i decided i needed to give it a try. Craving perfect is referred to as chick lit/contemporary romance on the Carina Press website. Let's start with a blurb to introduce you to the book
Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera
July 25, 2011
Pre-order now
A Life Less...Hers
Grace Mills craves being perfect almost as much as she craves raspberry scones. In fact, her life would be perfect if only she could lose ten more pounds, if only the pastry café she co-owns with her sister would turn a profit, if only the hottest guy at the gym would look her way...
And then "if only" comes true. Grace is suddenly straddling two lives: an alternate reality where she's a size two, weathergirl celebrity and being chased by the hot guy. Only Mr. Gorgeous isn't very nice, and she doesn't get to eat...anything, much less bake!
In her other life, she's starting to realize her sister is less than happy running the family café, and hunky Carlos, the gym's janitor, seems to have a secret crush on her. Maybe there's more to him than meets the eye...
Grace is living two lives and it's beginning to cost her. Is there a way to pick one...that's perfect?
I have to say i liked the concept of this book and there were parts i really liked but it was a bit to confusing for me to follow and some things to me didn't make sense. I don't think the main characters Grace and Carlos had enough time to get to know each other to get to that intense feeling of love they had in the end and I'm not talking the epilogue. Carlos was by far my favorite character.He seemed so real along with those of his family we meet in this book. I didn't get that Grace had hit her head the 2nd time on the treadmill that she ended up in a coma in the hospital and if she just had the head injury why the heck was she hooked up to so much stuff and looking worse than Carlos and Elena's mom had when she was dying. For me the epilogue was the best part of the book. The book itself seems to drag on to long but at the same time didn't give me enough info if that makes sense. I guess i didn't make enough of a connection to enjoy the book the way i was hoping to. I kept waiting for it to get better. If you've like to check out the book and it's author please click here www.lizfichera.com. I give Craving Perfect by author Liz Fichera 3 out of 5 Modokker Book Stars. I hate to say that it just didn't work for me
I want to start by saying this is the first book I've ever read by Liz Fichera. I requested this from Netgalley based on the recommendation of a friend. She seemed to like it so i decided i needed to give it a try. Craving perfect is referred to as chick lit/contemporary romance on the Carina Press website. Let's start with a blurb to introduce you to the book
Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera
July 25, 2011
Pre-order now
A Life Less...Hers
Grace Mills craves being perfect almost as much as she craves raspberry scones. In fact, her life would be perfect if only she could lose ten more pounds, if only the pastry café she co-owns with her sister would turn a profit, if only the hottest guy at the gym would look her way...
And then "if only" comes true. Grace is suddenly straddling two lives: an alternate reality where she's a size two, weathergirl celebrity and being chased by the hot guy. Only Mr. Gorgeous isn't very nice, and she doesn't get to eat...anything, much less bake!
In her other life, she's starting to realize her sister is less than happy running the family café, and hunky Carlos, the gym's janitor, seems to have a secret crush on her. Maybe there's more to him than meets the eye...
Grace is living two lives and it's beginning to cost her. Is there a way to pick one...that's perfect?
I have to say i liked the concept of this book and there were parts i really liked but it was a bit to confusing for me to follow and some things to me didn't make sense. I don't think the main characters Grace and Carlos had enough time to get to know each other to get to that intense feeling of love they had in the end and I'm not talking the epilogue. Carlos was by far my favorite character.He seemed so real along with those of his family we meet in this book. I didn't get that Grace had hit her head the 2nd time on the treadmill that she ended up in a coma in the hospital and if she just had the head injury why the heck was she hooked up to so much stuff and looking worse than Carlos and Elena's mom had when she was dying. For me the epilogue was the best part of the book. The book itself seems to drag on to long but at the same time didn't give me enough info if that makes sense. I guess i didn't make enough of a connection to enjoy the book the way i was hoping to. I kept waiting for it to get better. If you've like to check out the book and it's author please click here www.lizfichera.com. I give Craving Perfect by author Liz Fichera 3 out of 5 Modokker Book Stars. I hate to say that it just didn't work for me
August 3, 2011
Posted on Book Chelle.
Liz Fechara's Craving Perfect is a sweet contemporary romance that brings a common concern, and delivers the message with a twist. Almost everyone wants their life to be perfect. If not normal in society's standards, normal for themselves. I know I strive for some sort of perfection when it comes to my lifestyle, my appearance, and even my personality. Whether or not I achieve that perfection, well that's another thing to be said.
Grace Mills is an overweight, single woman who works hard at her appearance. She owns a cafe with her sister, and dedicates a part of her off-time at the gym. She wants to be like the girls who she deems perfect in every way. She slaves away on a treadmill, pining away for a gym hunk named Max.
While at first, I thought this was the plot, I was wrong. You see, I thought this was going to be the normal tale of how one woman works hard to achieve her goal, and in the end good will prevail. *cue appropriate music* I was wrong. You see, there's a twist. Remember the movie Big? Ya, the one where Tom Hanks' young character woke up to an alternate reality of his life and things were different. With Craving Perfect, you get a similar plot!
One day, Grace faints and wakes up in her alternate reality. Her alternate self just happens to be named Callie, and Callie has it all. She has the looks, the career, the life, AND the hunky guy named Max. While her alternate self is not the same, the setting and the characters are the same. Life in this alternate reality doesn't have a trace of Grace.
Another key character is Carlos. He is the boy next door, except he's more of a man...a tall, dark, and dreamy man if you will. But Grace doesn't pay any attention to him at first, and as a reader, I was screaming, "Grace, you idiot!" But isn't that how it goes sometimes?
Fichera wrote this love story in a fun and creative way. The side stories were entertaining, making their way to weave through the main plot. The relationship between Grace and her sister, Grace and Callie, and Grace and the boy had me enjoying every minute. Fichera touches on a sensitive, but common subject, and I feel that she did it well. I truly believe that we are our worst enemies, and Grace was a perfect example of that.
Fichera took the parts of an approval-craving state and wrote the burden of perfectionism and disapproval in a way that touches my heart.
This is a perfect read to celebrate yourself and possibly share with someone you appreciate. Why? Because while we achieve perfection, Fichera shows us why it's not always greener on the other side of that imaginary fence.
Liz Fechara's Craving Perfect is a sweet contemporary romance that brings a common concern, and delivers the message with a twist. Almost everyone wants their life to be perfect. If not normal in society's standards, normal for themselves. I know I strive for some sort of perfection when it comes to my lifestyle, my appearance, and even my personality. Whether or not I achieve that perfection, well that's another thing to be said.
Grace Mills is an overweight, single woman who works hard at her appearance. She owns a cafe with her sister, and dedicates a part of her off-time at the gym. She wants to be like the girls who she deems perfect in every way. She slaves away on a treadmill, pining away for a gym hunk named Max.
While at first, I thought this was the plot, I was wrong. You see, I thought this was going to be the normal tale of how one woman works hard to achieve her goal, and in the end good will prevail. *cue appropriate music* I was wrong. You see, there's a twist. Remember the movie Big? Ya, the one where Tom Hanks' young character woke up to an alternate reality of his life and things were different. With Craving Perfect, you get a similar plot!
One day, Grace faints and wakes up in her alternate reality. Her alternate self just happens to be named Callie, and Callie has it all. She has the looks, the career, the life, AND the hunky guy named Max. While her alternate self is not the same, the setting and the characters are the same. Life in this alternate reality doesn't have a trace of Grace.
Another key character is Carlos. He is the boy next door, except he's more of a man...a tall, dark, and dreamy man if you will. But Grace doesn't pay any attention to him at first, and as a reader, I was screaming, "Grace, you idiot!" But isn't that how it goes sometimes?
Fichera wrote this love story in a fun and creative way. The side stories were entertaining, making their way to weave through the main plot. The relationship between Grace and her sister, Grace and Callie, and Grace and the boy had me enjoying every minute. Fichera touches on a sensitive, but common subject, and I feel that she did it well. I truly believe that we are our worst enemies, and Grace was a perfect example of that.
Fichera took the parts of an approval-craving state and wrote the burden of perfectionism and disapproval in a way that touches my heart.
This is a perfect read to celebrate yourself and possibly share with someone you appreciate. Why? Because while we achieve perfection, Fichera shows us why it's not always greener on the other side of that imaginary fence.
July 9, 2011
Have you ever wondered or dreamed what it would be like to be the “It” girl or guy? You know the type: perfect face, perfect body, perfect job, and perfect significant other. Well, Grace Mills certainly had.
Thumping away for endless hours on a treadmill at the local gym, average twenty-something Grace Mills whiled away the time dreaming of raspberry scones and the gym hunk Max Kramer, longing for him to notice her.
Well, he finally does notice her as she crashed to the floor, falling off the stairclimber. He looked at Grace as if she were a beached whale. Next to him, Alexandra Summers, the perfect ultra-thin, bleach-blonde stood, waiting for Grace to be hauled away so that she could use the machine next.
Grace recovered from the fall with the help of her sister, Kathryn, her boyfriend, and a mysterious stranger. We are then introduced to Grace’s daily life.
After this embarrassing fall, Grace realized she needed to work out harder if she ever stood a chance with Max. She jumped onto the treadmill this time ready for a good sweat and cranked up the speed. He heart rate rose, sweat poured down her face, her breathing grew heavier, and then, WHAM! Grace laid sprawled out on the floor once more.
Disoriented, she heard voices around her, but this time was different. Whispers of concern for a girl named Callie met her ears. She recognized Max’s and Alexandra’s distressed voices calling out to her.
A confused Grace tried to correct them, which only riddled more concern from Max. Who’s Callie? She wondered.
This is where the adult version of this Wizard of Oz-ish story begins. Told through several points of view, Liz Fichera weaved a fascinating tale of what it’s like to become the “It” girl. Will Grace be happy in this perfect world? Or, will she wish to leave and never return?
You’ll find out the answers in this fun and engaging read. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Emotions run high and are sprinkled with delightful details of Grace’s alternate and real worlds. Try not to read this novel on an empty stomach, raspberry scones, Mexican sapapillas, and savory foods are mentioned throughout the story in mouthwatering details.
So if you are craving for something perfect to read, CRAVING PERFECT will fulfill your craving.
Thumping away for endless hours on a treadmill at the local gym, average twenty-something Grace Mills whiled away the time dreaming of raspberry scones and the gym hunk Max Kramer, longing for him to notice her.
Well, he finally does notice her as she crashed to the floor, falling off the stairclimber. He looked at Grace as if she were a beached whale. Next to him, Alexandra Summers, the perfect ultra-thin, bleach-blonde stood, waiting for Grace to be hauled away so that she could use the machine next.
Grace recovered from the fall with the help of her sister, Kathryn, her boyfriend, and a mysterious stranger. We are then introduced to Grace’s daily life.
After this embarrassing fall, Grace realized she needed to work out harder if she ever stood a chance with Max. She jumped onto the treadmill this time ready for a good sweat and cranked up the speed. He heart rate rose, sweat poured down her face, her breathing grew heavier, and then, WHAM! Grace laid sprawled out on the floor once more.
Disoriented, she heard voices around her, but this time was different. Whispers of concern for a girl named Callie met her ears. She recognized Max’s and Alexandra’s distressed voices calling out to her.
A confused Grace tried to correct them, which only riddled more concern from Max. Who’s Callie? She wondered.
This is where the adult version of this Wizard of Oz-ish story begins. Told through several points of view, Liz Fichera weaved a fascinating tale of what it’s like to become the “It” girl. Will Grace be happy in this perfect world? Or, will she wish to leave and never return?
You’ll find out the answers in this fun and engaging read. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Emotions run high and are sprinkled with delightful details of Grace’s alternate and real worlds. Try not to read this novel on an empty stomach, raspberry scones, Mexican sapapillas, and savory foods are mentioned throughout the story in mouthwatering details.
So if you are craving for something perfect to read, CRAVING PERFECT will fulfill your craving.
June 28, 2011
Grace Mills co-owns a café with her sister and is great at making pastry. She likes her life and business, but she wants other things - the perfect figure, a life in which she’s somebody important and the guy from the gym with the hot body. She’s in lust with him and would give anything for him to notice her.
Somehow, the unthinkable happens and Grace’s life turns perfect. She hovers in between her present life and the one she craves. In her perfect life, she’s a celebrity, has a perfect figure and the stud from the gym to boot. But all that glitters is not gold and Grace’s old life beckons. Sweeter than the pastry she’s so good at making is the man in her real life, Carlos. Grace has to decide which life suits her best.
I liked the characters in Craving Perfect. I can’t say enough about what a great job the writer did with characterization. Don’t get me wrong, but I fell in love with Grace a few seconds after I met her while she was spread-eagled on the floor of the gym. I related to her on every level and loved her voice. She had me chuckling and sometimes laughing out loud in her quest for and obsession with the perfect figure. Which woman -- except the ‘perfect’ ones out there -- cannot relate to having a crush on someone who has next to no clue she exists?
The book reads quickly and might feel like a lighthearted story at the outset, but there are layers to this novel. I saw in it so many of my friends and acquaintances and of course, myself. I sometimes say that we want everything that God didn’t give us.
We want perfect - hair, face, and body - and we’ll punish ourselves to achieve our version of perfection. At some point though, reality hits and many of us are forced to make adjustments and accept ourselves for what we are. Some of us also never get to that point.
Craving Perfect makes me think about what it would be like to search for the end of a rainbow when it’s perfectly okay to appreciate its beauty where I am. And to use a fitting cliche, the book shows that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.
Somehow, the unthinkable happens and Grace’s life turns perfect. She hovers in between her present life and the one she craves. In her perfect life, she’s a celebrity, has a perfect figure and the stud from the gym to boot. But all that glitters is not gold and Grace’s old life beckons. Sweeter than the pastry she’s so good at making is the man in her real life, Carlos. Grace has to decide which life suits her best.
I liked the characters in Craving Perfect. I can’t say enough about what a great job the writer did with characterization. Don’t get me wrong, but I fell in love with Grace a few seconds after I met her while she was spread-eagled on the floor of the gym. I related to her on every level and loved her voice. She had me chuckling and sometimes laughing out loud in her quest for and obsession with the perfect figure. Which woman -- except the ‘perfect’ ones out there -- cannot relate to having a crush on someone who has next to no clue she exists?
The book reads quickly and might feel like a lighthearted story at the outset, but there are layers to this novel. I saw in it so many of my friends and acquaintances and of course, myself. I sometimes say that we want everything that God didn’t give us.
We want perfect - hair, face, and body - and we’ll punish ourselves to achieve our version of perfection. At some point though, reality hits and many of us are forced to make adjustments and accept ourselves for what we are. Some of us also never get to that point.
Craving Perfect makes me think about what it would be like to search for the end of a rainbow when it’s perfectly okay to appreciate its beauty where I am. And to use a fitting cliche, the book shows that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.
July 24, 2011
My Review:
This was a fun little story with an interesting twist. Grace is dissatisfied with her life, but through the twist of a magical treadmill, gets to see that life isn't always better even when it looks perfect.
The way that this book is written is pretty original. Each chapter is written from a different point-of-view switching between Grace, Carlos, and Callie (who Grace becomes when she gets on the treadmill.)
What was interesting to me was the Callie/Grace story line. When she gets on the treadmill, Grace ceases to be Grace...in that alternative reality, Grace never existed. Instead she becomes Callie- someone who actually exists and has the "perfect life." Grace simply takes over her body with no memories from Callie's life. I think that I personally would have preferred that the alternative reality would have featured just a different version of herself, but that's just me. I think the fact that she didn't know anything about Callie's lifelike it a whole lot more difficult.
Grace is constantly trying to lose another 10-15 lbs. Callie is a tanned, perfect size 2. Grace's main incentive for working out at the gym isn't actually to lose weight...it's so she can ogle Max (a hottie that doesn't know she exists.) Callie is engaged to Max. Grace's measure for perfection is Alexandra. In the alternative reality, Alexandra is Callie's personal assistant.
While Grace is obsessed with Max, she starts to develop a friendship with Carlos, the janitor at the gym. He's also a part-time fighter and full-time law student, so he has a lot going on in his very busy life, but he finds himself becoming more and more drawn to Grace. The best part of this book was Carlos and his sister Ellena...and even their extended family at Mario's. Great characters...all of them and I really enjoyed the scenes in the book that were spent on them.
Overall, this was a fun book. It kept me entertained and riveted enough that I read it all in one sitting. It would make a GREAT beach read...
This was a fun little story with an interesting twist. Grace is dissatisfied with her life, but through the twist of a magical treadmill, gets to see that life isn't always better even when it looks perfect.
The way that this book is written is pretty original. Each chapter is written from a different point-of-view switching between Grace, Carlos, and Callie (who Grace becomes when she gets on the treadmill.)
What was interesting to me was the Callie/Grace story line. When she gets on the treadmill, Grace ceases to be Grace...in that alternative reality, Grace never existed. Instead she becomes Callie- someone who actually exists and has the "perfect life." Grace simply takes over her body with no memories from Callie's life. I think that I personally would have preferred that the alternative reality would have featured just a different version of herself, but that's just me. I think the fact that she didn't know anything about Callie's lifelike it a whole lot more difficult.
Grace is constantly trying to lose another 10-15 lbs. Callie is a tanned, perfect size 2. Grace's main incentive for working out at the gym isn't actually to lose weight...it's so she can ogle Max (a hottie that doesn't know she exists.) Callie is engaged to Max. Grace's measure for perfection is Alexandra. In the alternative reality, Alexandra is Callie's personal assistant.
While Grace is obsessed with Max, she starts to develop a friendship with Carlos, the janitor at the gym. He's also a part-time fighter and full-time law student, so he has a lot going on in his very busy life, but he finds himself becoming more and more drawn to Grace. The best part of this book was Carlos and his sister Ellena...and even their extended family at Mario's. Great characters...all of them and I really enjoyed the scenes in the book that were spent on them.
Overall, this was a fun book. It kept me entertained and riveted enough that I read it all in one sitting. It would make a GREAT beach read...
November 2, 2011
"Did you see that chubby chick crash to the floor this morning?"
KILL. ME. NOW. Seriously, that's all I have to say, just kill me now! That is exactly how Grace feels after she face plants at the gym while running on the treadmill...in front of her cutie crush, Max.
Don't lie. I know you have thought it before...we have all thought it... If only I was 10 pounds lighter, a little taller, had a smaller nose, bigger boobs... You know what they say about the green grass on the other side? It just might not be as green and great as you thought... That is exactly what Grace discovers when her little tumble on the tread mill lands her in a parallel universe where all her dreams are her reality. Yeah, I know, treadmill time machine...hokey, but it works!
To my knowledge, this is Liz Fichera's second book and I will definitely be looking for more by this author. Craving Perfect is a feel good, entertaining romantic comedy with a wonderful cast of characters. Along with a cute story, Fichera's story reinforces the timeless life lesson that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. It's a great reminder to be happy with what you have in your life and grab opportunities that are staring you right in the face!
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
___________________________________________________
If you like this type of book, you might enjoy one of these groups. Check us out!
Menage Readers
Erotic Enchants
Bookie Nookie's Erotic Lending Group
KILL. ME. NOW. Seriously, that's all I have to say, just kill me now! That is exactly how Grace feels after she face plants at the gym while running on the treadmill...in front of her cutie crush, Max.
Don't lie. I know you have thought it before...we have all thought it... If only I was 10 pounds lighter, a little taller, had a smaller nose, bigger boobs... You know what they say about the green grass on the other side? It just might not be as green and great as you thought... That is exactly what Grace discovers when her little tumble on the tread mill lands her in a parallel universe where all her dreams are her reality. Yeah, I know, treadmill time machine...hokey, but it works!
To my knowledge, this is Liz Fichera's second book and I will definitely be looking for more by this author. Craving Perfect is a feel good, entertaining romantic comedy with a wonderful cast of characters. Along with a cute story, Fichera's story reinforces the timeless life lesson that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. It's a great reminder to be happy with what you have in your life and grab opportunities that are staring you right in the face!
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
___________________________________________________
If you like this type of book, you might enjoy one of these groups. Check us out!
Menage Readers
Erotic Enchants
Bookie Nookie's Erotic Lending Group
July 23, 2011
Review By Alaiel Kreuz:
I'm a sucker for love stories, that's the true and Craving Perfect was a wonderful book for me. I had TONS of fun, and I mean, really, tons and tons of fun.
The main character, Grace, was a really sweet and annoying girl that made me laugh and hit my pillow a few times.
You see, Grace loves to bake pastries and cones, she simple loves to do that. And of course she loves to eat them as well, but most of them she keep them to sell them at their Café she and her sister own. But at the same time she wants to loose those ten pounds that are annoying her. And since her sister insists to go to a gym they do, and there she meets the love of her life, a handsome and sexy man named Max that looks down at her and ignores her every single time she looks at him.
Sorry, did I say love of her life? My bad, he is an idiot. Period.
Bur Grace, for some reason I can't understand yet, yearns for a single touch, a look (even when he looks right through her she imagines he is been shy!!!) of Max. Let me tell you, I hate when a woman acts like that, but the book was so good and the inner dialogues that Grace had with herself made the book a wonderful read.
But despite the fact that Grace is blind our real hero is not. Carlos, a sexy, sweet and very very handsome guy that works at the gym finds Grace really pretty and cute, even her clumsiness is a good thing for him. And Carlos is far more that what Grace thinks...
But things for Grace and her sister are not going really well and somehow every single time that Grace runs in a treadmill at the gym and manages to fall, literary, of it, she founds herself inside a different body, a woman named Callie who is perfection personified: beautiful, with a size two, a flat stomach, a long blond smooth hair and beautiful skin. And on top of that Max Kramer is her fiancé!
Her life is about to take a real twist... a twist that only she can choose.
Since i finished the book within a day I can say that I really enjoyed it.
I'm a sucker for love stories, that's the true and Craving Perfect was a wonderful book for me. I had TONS of fun, and I mean, really, tons and tons of fun.
The main character, Grace, was a really sweet and annoying girl that made me laugh and hit my pillow a few times.
You see, Grace loves to bake pastries and cones, she simple loves to do that. And of course she loves to eat them as well, but most of them she keep them to sell them at their Café she and her sister own. But at the same time she wants to loose those ten pounds that are annoying her. And since her sister insists to go to a gym they do, and there she meets the love of her life, a handsome and sexy man named Max that looks down at her and ignores her every single time she looks at him.
Sorry, did I say love of her life? My bad, he is an idiot. Period.
Bur Grace, for some reason I can't understand yet, yearns for a single touch, a look (even when he looks right through her she imagines he is been shy!!!) of Max. Let me tell you, I hate when a woman acts like that, but the book was so good and the inner dialogues that Grace had with herself made the book a wonderful read.
But despite the fact that Grace is blind our real hero is not. Carlos, a sexy, sweet and very very handsome guy that works at the gym finds Grace really pretty and cute, even her clumsiness is a good thing for him. And Carlos is far more that what Grace thinks...
But things for Grace and her sister are not going really well and somehow every single time that Grace runs in a treadmill at the gym and manages to fall, literary, of it, she founds herself inside a different body, a woman named Callie who is perfection personified: beautiful, with a size two, a flat stomach, a long blond smooth hair and beautiful skin. And on top of that Max Kramer is her fiancé!
Her life is about to take a real twist... a twist that only she can choose.
Since i finished the book within a day I can say that I really enjoyed it.
July 9, 2011
Grace could have the perfect life...if only she could lose ten pounds, make her business a success, and get Max, the hot guy at the gym, to notice she's alive. After a fall on the treadmill, Grace wakes up in someone else's life - Callie, a tall gorgeous anchorwoman who just happens to be engaged to Max. How did she get there, and does she even want to go back?
Home has a lot of problems, but suddenly, it also has Carlos, the gym's gorgeous janitor, who thinks Grace is perfect just the way she is. With a little help from their sisters, Grace and Carlos go on a date - the most incredible, romantic date either of them has ever had. Now Grace has to choose - her perfect dream, or what may just be the perfect man.
This is a great book. It's a traditional romance with atypical charm. The characters are engaging; you find yourself rooting for everyone to get a happy ending. Even the smaller supporting characters are well drawn and entertaining in their own right. I really liked the "magic' treadmill - it's an original and refreshing take on the time portal. It's also a sharp metaphor on Grace's journey of self-discovery.
Romance is what this book is all about, and does it deliver. Grace and Carlos are shy and sweet. They need a push from loving, if exasperated sisters, and some fabulous baked goods. Their date may possibly be the most romantic thing since Lady and the Tramp went for spaghetti. You find yourself yelling at Grace to wake up, in more ways than one.
I'm not generally a fan of straight romances, but this book makes me see the appeal. When it was over, I wanted more. It's a book for anyone who ever believed in love.
Five paws up!
Home has a lot of problems, but suddenly, it also has Carlos, the gym's gorgeous janitor, who thinks Grace is perfect just the way she is. With a little help from their sisters, Grace and Carlos go on a date - the most incredible, romantic date either of them has ever had. Now Grace has to choose - her perfect dream, or what may just be the perfect man.
This is a great book. It's a traditional romance with atypical charm. The characters are engaging; you find yourself rooting for everyone to get a happy ending. Even the smaller supporting characters are well drawn and entertaining in their own right. I really liked the "magic' treadmill - it's an original and refreshing take on the time portal. It's also a sharp metaphor on Grace's journey of self-discovery.
Romance is what this book is all about, and does it deliver. Grace and Carlos are shy and sweet. They need a push from loving, if exasperated sisters, and some fabulous baked goods. Their date may possibly be the most romantic thing since Lady and the Tramp went for spaghetti. You find yourself yelling at Grace to wake up, in more ways than one.
I'm not generally a fan of straight romances, but this book makes me see the appeal. When it was over, I wanted more. It's a book for anyone who ever believed in love.
Five paws up!
September 12, 2011
Pastry maker Grace Mills wishes for the perfect life; the kind where she's ten (or twenty) pounds lighter, oozes self-confidence and is noticed by the hot guy at her gym. One day, while on the treadmill burning off the previous day's raspberry scone and imagining life as a size two, Grace falls off the treadmill and her reality comes crashing down—literally. When she regains consciousness, she's thin, blonde and dating Mr. Gym Hottie!
Although Grace still possesses her humble and clumsy nature, she figures she could get used to a life where people fawn over her beauty. However, she soon learns that there's a price to pay for perfection, and it's not cheap. Will Grace return to her past imperfect life, or is she fated to a life of superficial existence?
Craving Perfect is a fresh and brilliant take on the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for." Grace is charmingly flawed, with a self-consciousness that is undoubtedly relatable. Her growth throughout the story is inspiring and one can't help but cheer for her to succeed as the underdog. Instead of coming across as incoherent, the alternating point-of-view is well-executed and filled with an array of emotion. Fichera expertly delivers moving, poignant scenes that are bound to turn readers misty-eyed, so be prepared to reach for the tissue while reading!
*Originally written for RT Book Reviews. Note: Goodreads rating is adjusted to match RT rating equivalent.
Although Grace still possesses her humble and clumsy nature, she figures she could get used to a life where people fawn over her beauty. However, she soon learns that there's a price to pay for perfection, and it's not cheap. Will Grace return to her past imperfect life, or is she fated to a life of superficial existence?
Craving Perfect is a fresh and brilliant take on the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for." Grace is charmingly flawed, with a self-consciousness that is undoubtedly relatable. Her growth throughout the story is inspiring and one can't help but cheer for her to succeed as the underdog. Instead of coming across as incoherent, the alternating point-of-view is well-executed and filled with an array of emotion. Fichera expertly delivers moving, poignant scenes that are bound to turn readers misty-eyed, so be prepared to reach for the tissue while reading!
*Originally written for RT Book Reviews. Note: Goodreads rating is adjusted to match RT rating equivalent.
July 28, 2011
Check out more reviews at Books to the Sky.
(I received this book in exchange for an honest review.)
I really enjoyed this book. The story was different then your typical contemporary romance. There was a bit of otherworldly vibe to it.
Grace is struggling to lose weight and score the perfect man. One day she wakes up in another life as Callie. Callie is skinny, gorgeous and has an excellent career. But she's also engaged to the gym hunk that Grace has been ogling since she started going to the gym.
I wasn't sure how she was going to be transported into this other life. But it turns out there is an enchanted treadmill that transports her to Callie's perfect life.
Grace/Callie eventually realizes that being perfect isn't all it's cracked up to be. Her man isn't as faithful as she would like, her best friend is a backstabber and in order for her to stay skinny she can't eat her beloved raspberry scones.
Honestly, the life she has as Grace is quite perfect. She works at a bakery with her sister, whom she is extremely close to, and meets Carlos, a fantastic man that works at the gym. He treats her like gold. Their relationship moved quickly, but that's how most romance stories are.
(I received this book in exchange for an honest review.)
I really enjoyed this book. The story was different then your typical contemporary romance. There was a bit of otherworldly vibe to it.
Grace is struggling to lose weight and score the perfect man. One day she wakes up in another life as Callie. Callie is skinny, gorgeous and has an excellent career. But she's also engaged to the gym hunk that Grace has been ogling since she started going to the gym.
I wasn't sure how she was going to be transported into this other life. But it turns out there is an enchanted treadmill that transports her to Callie's perfect life.
Grace/Callie eventually realizes that being perfect isn't all it's cracked up to be. Her man isn't as faithful as she would like, her best friend is a backstabber and in order for her to stay skinny she can't eat her beloved raspberry scones.
Honestly, the life she has as Grace is quite perfect. She works at a bakery with her sister, whom she is extremely close to, and meets Carlos, a fantastic man that works at the gym. He treats her like gold. Their relationship moved quickly, but that's how most romance stories are.
August 9, 2011
Check out more reviews at Books to the Sky.
(We received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.)
I really enjoyed this book. The story was different then your typical contemporary romance. There was a bit of otherworldly vibe to it.
Grace is struggling to lose weight and score the perfect man. One day she wakes up in another life as Callie. Callie is skinny, gorgeous and has an excellent career. But she's also engaged to the gym hunk that Grace has been ogling since she started going to the gym.
I wasn't sure how she was going to be transported into this other life. But it turns out there is an enchanted treadmill that transports her to Callie's perfect life.
Grace/Callie eventually realizes that being perfect isn't all it's cracked up to be. Her man isn't as faithful as she would like, her best friend is a backstabber and in order for her to stay skinny she can't eat her beloved raspberry scones.
Honestly, the life she has as Grace is quite perfect. She works at a bakery with her sister, whom she is extremely close to, and meets Carlos, a fantastic man that works at the gym. He treats her like gold. Their relationship moved quickly, but that's how most romance stories are.
(We received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.)
I really enjoyed this book. The story was different then your typical contemporary romance. There was a bit of otherworldly vibe to it.
Grace is struggling to lose weight and score the perfect man. One day she wakes up in another life as Callie. Callie is skinny, gorgeous and has an excellent career. But she's also engaged to the gym hunk that Grace has been ogling since she started going to the gym.
I wasn't sure how she was going to be transported into this other life. But it turns out there is an enchanted treadmill that transports her to Callie's perfect life.
Grace/Callie eventually realizes that being perfect isn't all it's cracked up to be. Her man isn't as faithful as she would like, her best friend is a backstabber and in order for her to stay skinny she can't eat her beloved raspberry scones.
Honestly, the life she has as Grace is quite perfect. She works at a bakery with her sister, whom she is extremely close to, and meets Carlos, a fantastic man that works at the gym. He treats her like gold. Their relationship moved quickly, but that's how most romance stories are.
December 20, 2013
I read this book when it first came out... and I even rated it shortly thereafter. But I forgot to write a review. (Shame on me!) So... I read the book again, and popped out a review:
How many young women pine for perfection? The perfect complexion, the perfectly pert little nose and bodacious tatas, long slim legs, a tiny waist, and sexy little adorable feet? Given the opportunity to transform into that kind of perfection with a dream job, lots of money, and a hunky fiance to go along with it, do you think those young women would be satisfied, or would they then yearn for their former lives and bodies? (Okay, so maybe not the bodies...)
Grace is one of those women yearning for perfection and mooning over her hunky dream man, but along the way, she learns the guy she thinks is a champ is really a chump, and that perfection ain't all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes, imperfection is the best choice of all.
Sure, it takes a little suspension of disbelief to enjoy this book, but go for it. Who cares if the treadmill at your local gym has the potential for magical powers or not? Just go with the flow, and enjoy a well-written, fun tale.
How many young women pine for perfection? The perfect complexion, the perfectly pert little nose and bodacious tatas, long slim legs, a tiny waist, and sexy little adorable feet? Given the opportunity to transform into that kind of perfection with a dream job, lots of money, and a hunky fiance to go along with it, do you think those young women would be satisfied, or would they then yearn for their former lives and bodies? (Okay, so maybe not the bodies...)
Grace is one of those women yearning for perfection and mooning over her hunky dream man, but along the way, she learns the guy she thinks is a champ is really a chump, and that perfection ain't all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes, imperfection is the best choice of all.
Sure, it takes a little suspension of disbelief to enjoy this book, but go for it. Who cares if the treadmill at your local gym has the potential for magical powers or not? Just go with the flow, and enjoy a well-written, fun tale.
May 3, 2014
Grace Mills is an average gal looking to loose an extra ten pounds so the gym hunk will ask her out...not only does she fantasies about him, she idolizes him. Who she is...is not who he finds "attractive". In reality, she is a baker and co-owner of a cafe with her sister. Not only that, she has just started seeing a great guy who sees her as who she is, not who she wants to be. What she wants is what she can't have...or can she? You need to watch out for what you wish for. At one moment she is Grace running on a treadmill....the next second she falls and wakes up as her ultra ego Callie. Callie is not only beautiful but has it all including the dream guy from the gym. Which life does she go with? Is what you have perfect or is craving more better?
This is a cute, typical chick-lit made for a seat at the pool or a raining night in. It is also comes with recipes including a raspberry scone and soapapillas....which is good because you are craving them throughout the book!
This is a cute, typical chick-lit made for a seat at the pool or a raining night in. It is also comes with recipes including a raspberry scone and soapapillas....which is good because you are craving them throughout the book!
July 16, 2011
Thanks to the folks at netgalley.com and Carina Press for an advance look at Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera.
I don't read much in the way of Chick-Lit, but I found Craving Perfect to be a fun summer read with a very lightly expressed moral about learning to be happy with what you have and what you are. Grace Miller is a slightly overweight 20-something, who fantasizes about being the perfect 10, and the perfect 10 Max who works out at the gym at the same time she does. By virtue of an enchanted treadmill and a head injury, she becomes a svelte and successful TV anchor who just happens to be engaged to Max.
Of course, she discovers that the TV anchor has far from a perfect life and Max is just about zero on the boyfriend scale. Meanwhile, her real perfect match, Carlos (gym janitor and law student) waits and hopes for Grace to recover/come back from her fantasy.
From this synopsis, you can see that such things as time and space need to be dispensed with. Just read and enjoy!
I don't read much in the way of Chick-Lit, but I found Craving Perfect to be a fun summer read with a very lightly expressed moral about learning to be happy with what you have and what you are. Grace Miller is a slightly overweight 20-something, who fantasizes about being the perfect 10, and the perfect 10 Max who works out at the gym at the same time she does. By virtue of an enchanted treadmill and a head injury, she becomes a svelte and successful TV anchor who just happens to be engaged to Max.
Of course, she discovers that the TV anchor has far from a perfect life and Max is just about zero on the boyfriend scale. Meanwhile, her real perfect match, Carlos (gym janitor and law student) waits and hopes for Grace to recover/come back from her fantasy.
From this synopsis, you can see that such things as time and space need to be dispensed with. Just read and enjoy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews