Book Review: Fake Perfect Me

By Amy Bromberg
Isabella Reynolds can’t wait to leave her Southern home town to make it big in New York City. She finally believes she has, and is, the “perfect” everything, including the perfect boyfriend, her very own perfect company, the perfect dog, the perfect wardrobe and the perfect set of friends. But in a flash, she loses everything and must face the painful realities of her life that she has been hiding from. Can Isabella do this and still maintain her image of perfection?

In her debut novel, "Fake Perfect Me," author Cari Kamm explores deep rooted issues, including self esteem, greed, rejection, false portrayal of oneself, depression and learning to accept oneself as they are, not as they wish or would like to be. Isabella tries to replace what she’s really yearning for with “fake” alternatives, such as joining an online dating service, and fleeing from her problems with a fabulous trip to Italy. Through the many twists and turns of Isabella’s journey, she finally learns to love and accept herself for who she is.

With picturesque and vivid details in Cari’s writing, I felt as if I was right there with Isabella, cheering her on, being her travel companion in Italy (which I loved by the way and would love to go there ASAP, who’s on board with me?), and urging her not to give up. Every person struggles with self image and relationships; it’s how we deal with them that matters. And at the core of whichever coping mechanism we choose, is learning to love yourself, the good and the bad, because that’s what makes us all unique individuals.

All I can say is that I was hooked right from the very first page. Normally I fly through books, but I didn’t want this one to end. I found myself treasuring each page, just like I savour that last morsel of a Lindt dark chocolate truffle. I learned again, as I have learned through some troubling experiences already, the value and importance of what it means to love myself. I encourage everyone to read "Fake Perfect Me" and share it with your loved ones and friends. Discover your true inner self and embrace it.

For a chance to go on a fabulous retreat, visit Cari Kamm's Facebook page and "like" it today. She'll be choosing a winner from all the "likes" on October 21st. You can also find her on Twitter and her website.

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