THE PERPETUAL QUEST FOR THE PERFECT LIFE by MICHELLE PACE & TAMMY COONS

Reviewed by Jenny

This was a beautifully told story about life, love, second chances set around a small town with a cast of supporting characters that I did enjoy.

I was swept up in the lives, loves and drama of the folks of Jefferson Point and especially loved the interwoven stories following the death of one of Jefferson Points favorite sons.

We meet Nicole as she is starting a new life with her young son Ike following the tragic death of her husband Ryan.  Nicole makes the decision to move back to her old town for the family support she needs and to start a new life in familiar surroundings, although she does so with a little trepidation.

It has been a couple of years since Ryan’s death and we get to see, via flashback the events that unfolded before his death and the secrets that were seemingly buried and forgotten.

“It’s not the length of life, but the depth.”

We learn how Ryan’s life and death had such a profound effect on those he loved and who loved him and how he left a trail of hurt and anger behind him and my heart really did go out to Avery, Aaron and Nicole at these times.

I love second chance love stories such as this and I really was invested in the blossoming love between friends Aaron and Nicole.  It truly was beautiful, as was the secondary relationship between Ryan’s sister Avery and Shila.

“I can’t keep trying to build something with you if you won’t let me in.”

These four really did capture my heart and I adored every moment I spent with them and how they dealt with their emotions and fears.

Spending time in Jefferson Point with its residents really was fun, at times heartbreaking and quite moving.

For me though, I was so invested Aaron and Nicole who I felt were the guts of the story and as such I felt I didn’t really get to know them as much as I would have liked , nor was I afforded the chance to spend as much time with them as I would have liked. It seemed as if their time was swallowed up in the numerous supporting cast of characters, most of which I really didn’t connect with and as such I wasn’t as invested in them as I was in the two blossoming love stories happening before my eyes.

I found myself rushing through a lot of the book to experience the flashbacks and to experience those beautiful moments with Aaron and Nicole and those warm and sensual moments with Avery and Shilah.

“Everyone’s on the quest for the perfect life…but the secret is there’s no such thing”

The authors did a fantastic job of pulling me into this story and as it’s told in third person you do get to experience the majority of the characters first hand.

Michelle Pace and Tammy Coons certainly managed to capture the small town atmosphere and there were times I felt I was there in the thick of the drama and kicking back with these guys.

I did enjoy this one, though it didn’t have the wow factor for me. At the end of the day I think I was far too invested in the what I saw as the four main characters and I would have liked to have spent a lot more time getting to really know them.

This was indeed a beautifully written book about putting the past behind you, moving on, throwing caution to the wind, believing in yourself and opening your heart to let others in.

Jenny: 3.5 Stars

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review

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The Perpetual Quest for the Perfect Life

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