I’m delighted to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for the gorgeous Nobody’s Perfect by Stephanie Butland. Thank you to Tracy Fenton and Zaffre Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this memorable and beautifully written book.
About the book:
Does your past define your future?
When her daughter was born with cystic fibrosis, Kate Micklethwaite vowed that Daisy would never be defined by the illness. Kate is determined that her perfect little girl will be known for her love of butterflies and croissants and nothing else. Kate does all she can to be the perfect mother – whatever that means – and yet, somehow, has started seeing herself the way others see her: single parent, source of small-town scandal, drop-out, former mistress. Half a family.
When Daisy starts school, Kate meets her new teacher, the kind and charming Mr Spencer Swanson. Now, with more time on her hands Kate can start thinking about her own future. With her Open University dissertation deadline looming, Kate needs to decide what she wants next. But as she and Spencer get to know each other, Kate notices that people are whispering behind her back once more . . .
About the author:
Stephanie Butland lives near the sea in the North East of England. She writes in a studio at the bottom of her garden. Researching her novels has turned her into an occasional performance poet and tango dancer.
My Review:
Nobody’s Perfect by Stephanie Butland is a beautifully written and gorgeous book that captured my heart from the very first page and didn’t let go until the final page had been turned. Young single parent Kate is determined to give her five year old daughter Daisy, who was born with cystic fibrosis, as normal a life as possible. Not wanting her to be defined by her illness, Kate comes across as quite defensive at times, rebelling against the label of ‘disabled’ and determined to ensure that people see Daisy as the perfect little girl she is, with her sunny demeanour and her love of butterflies and croissants.
I have to admit, as the parent of someone with a disability, I found this loathing of the term ‘disabled’ (as understandable as it is, after all I’ve been there) a little bit grating at times, but that’s just a small criticism of what is otherwise a memorable and thought provoking book. And Nobody’s Perfect really is a fantastic and heartwarming book that I loved from beginning to end!
When Daisy starts school, Kate feels an instant attraction to her new teacher, the kind and charming Mr Spencer Swanson. Kate is a wonderful mum to Daisy, making sure that everything is in place for her daughter to be as safe, but normal, as possible now that she’s not going to be there to keep an eye on things. And she’s also beginning to think of her own future outside of being a parent too. With her Open University dissertation deadline looming ever closer, Kate needs to decide what she’s going to do next.
But as Kate and the seemingly perfect Spencer begin to get to know each other, she notices that people are whispering behind her back once more, just as they did in the time leading up to Daisy’s birth when her affair with a married man came to light. I had everything crossed that things would work out for Kate and Spencer, but it soon becomes apparent that he is not being entirely honest with her. Because as we all know, nobody is ever truly perfect… are they?
Stephanie Butland’s writing is gorgeous and I couldn’t help but fall in love with Kate and Daisy, not wanting the story to ever end. It’s a beautiful story of motherhood, relationships and romance that I adored and would highly recommend. Just wonderful!
Nobody’s Perfect is available to purchase now:
Check out what these other lovely bloggers have to say about this book:
Cal Turner Reviews 