5+++ Star Review - Perfect by Judith McNaught

5+++ Stars!! Love This Author!-- Infinity and beyond ∞ There is no review I could ever write that will do this book justice. I can't even say this book is perfect, not because it's cheesy, but because this book will never be just one word. Reading this book isn't just reading some words on some pages and enjoying the story. No, these seven hundred and four pages are like nothing I've ever read before. I can't even say that any of the other Judith McNaught books I've read come close to the brilliance of this one. As much as I loved Paradise, Matt and Meredith's story kept coming close to but not reaching as far as Perfect did. Paradise made me feel every emotion I have ever felt before but Perfect made me feel those and so many new emotions. Emotions there aren't even names for yet. Perfect had me trembling so hard, tortured, sobbing for relief and frightened to the point of nausea but somehow there was never a moment where I wanted it to end. To sum up briefly, Perfect tells the story of Zack Benedict, once the most admired and adored actor/director of Hollywood but now a convicted murderer serving a 45-year sentence for a murder he didn't commit, and Julie Mathison, the kind and endlessly loving school teacher who devotes all her time to helping disabled children and illiterate women. After Zack successfully escapes prison, he abducts Julie and forces her to drive him to a hideaway house in the Colorado mountains. Initially Julie is frightened and desperate to be released from captivity but with every minute spent in the presence of Zack, she soon realises he is no murderer and her treacherous heart falls in love with him even though doing so will only guarantee her a lifetime of heartbreak, pain and longing. From the beginning to the very end this novel took my heart and ran away with it. Zack was easily established as the tortured and dispaired hero who desperately deserved someone to love him. Julie's kindness and unwavering love were exactly what Zack needed. I say that Julie's love was unwavering because even though she did betray him, she never stopped loving him ~ "And you," Zack said somberly, tipping her chin up, "are an angel. Do you have any idea how I've felt every time I watched you on that film?" She shook her head, and he said, "I felt loved. Incredibly, completely, unconditionally loved. Even when you thought I was a deranged murderer, you were still fighting and crying for me." At first I found it hard to come to terms with Julie's betrayal but in the end I didn't find myself blaming her. She truly did believe she was doing the right thing but the way it happened was so tragic it tore at my heart. The scene at the Mexican airport will forever stay with me. When Zack and Julie are reunited the book takes on the same playful tone it did during their happy moments in Colorado but this time Judith McNaught lets readers enjoy the laughter and joyfulness without heartbreak around the corner. The last 80 pages of the book are filled with the tiny moments that make love whilst the first 600 or so show us the angst and agony of achieving something so magical. If you haven't already read this book, I would recommend this to you with all of my heart. My all time favourite book and definitely one I see myself re-reading over and over

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