Perfect (Second Opportunities, #2) by Judith McNaught Series: Second Opportunities #2
Published by Pocket Books on December 1, 2002
Pages: 704
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Amazon B&N
A rootless foster child, Julie Mathison had blossomed under the love showered upon her by her adoptive family. Now a lovely and vivacious young woman, she was a respected teacher in her small Texas town, and she passionately lived her ideals. Julie was determined to give back all the kindness she'd received; nothing and no one would ever shatter the perfect life she had fashioned.
Zachary Benedict was an actor/director whose Academy Award-winning career had been shattered when he was wrongly convicted of murdering his wife. After the tall, ruggedly handsome Zack escaped from a Texas prison, he abducted Julie and forced her to drive him to his Colorado mountain hideout. She was outraged, cautious, and unable to ignore the instincts that whispered of his innocence. He was cynical, wary, and increasingly attracted to her. Passion was about to capture them both in its fierce embrace...but the journey to trust, true commitment, and proving Zack's innocence was just beginning....
I’ve never read anything by Judith McNaught before but Perfect was highly recommended so I decided to check it out of the library. The story grabbed me from the first chapter and I found myself staying up until the wee hours of the morning desperate to see what the characters would do next and yet dreading the end of the story.
Zack is a former movie star and convicted criminal who kidnaps small-town teacher Julie when his escape from prison goes awry. The two seemingly have nothing in common but you know it’s just a matter of time before passion gets the best of them. They get together about a quarter of the way into the book and I wondered what could possibly be of interest to fill up the remaining three quarters. Boy, was I wrong! McNaught takes her time in unfolding the story, indulging the reader with fulfilling dialogue and detailed character exploration. This book has some of the most touching, romantic, heart-wrenching scenes I’ve ever read. Zack and Julie are unforgettable characters that are sure to linger in my memory for a long time.
By the way, after finishing the book I promptly purchased my own copy (a first edition hard copy – it’s THAT good!) so that I can read it again and again!
One of my all-time favorite authors. I think I re-read her books a thousand times 😀
I need to do a massive re-read!