Craving Perfect

May 28, 2011 Susanna Ives rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! But trust me on this: don’t start this story with any realistic expectations of space and time. It’s best that way. Craving Perfect is an enchanted, well, run on a magic treadmill. Anyone who has ever used food, or, in this case, raspberry scones as a reward for working out will immediately sympathize with the slightly overweight Grace Mills. Every day she forces herself to the gym to get a glimpse of gorgeous Max working out his hot body. And for the first few pages I thought...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Anita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, netgalley, a-romance

GENRE: Adult – Romance
FORM: eBook – NetGalley

While I was granted permission to read this book by a Net Galley affiliate publisher, Harlequin, I have received no compensation for this review other than the joy of reading!

SYNOPSIS: Grace doesn’t lead a perfect life, she’s a little bit over-weight, she lacks the self control to avoid her famous Raspberry Scones, and lives with her sister at their café; The Desert Java. While she isn’t unhappy with her life, she does sometimes wonder what it would...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Linda Baker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Thanks to the folks at netgalley.com and Carina Press for an advance look at Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera.

I don't read much in the way of Chick-Lit, but I found Craving Perfect to be a fun summer read with a very lightly expressed moral about learning to be happy with what you have and what you are. Grace Miller is a slightly overweight 20-something, who fantasizes about being the perfect 10, and the perfect 10 Max who works out at the gym at the same time she does. By virtue of an enchanted t...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Katie(babs) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: gag-worthy-book

Grace Miles has been getting up very early to work out at the gym for two reasons. First she wants to lose ten pounds, and second she has it bad for Mr. Gorgeous, Max Kramer, who she can’t stop staring at as she exercises. And because of this she ends up falling off the stair climber and bumps her head, ending up unconscious. Grace is beyond mortified, but it got Max to notice her. But because she’s so tongue tied around him and he’s beyond gorgeous, he goes back to working out without a single...more Grace Miles has been getting up very early to work out at the gym for two reasons. First she wants to lose ten pounds, and second she has it bad for Mr. Gorgeous, Max Kramer, who she can’t stop staring at as she exercises. And because of this she ends up falling off the stair climber and bumps her head, ending up unconscious. Grace is beyond mortified, but it got Max to notice her. But because she’s so tongue tied around him and he’s beyond gorgeous, he goes back to working out without a single thought to her health. Grace is so far gone over Max that she thinks about him night and day. If there was only some way where she could get his attention without making a fool of herself and finally find the courage to talk to him.

One man who does appreciate Grace, abundant curves and all, is Carlos the gym janitor. He knows how much of a jerk Max is when he overhears him talking to a friend in the locker room about Grace. Max has some not so nice things to say about Grace, calling her chubby, how the earth shook when she fell and how she’s a “psycho chick” because she constantly stares at him. This enrages Carlos, but he keeps his thoughts to himself.

When Grace isn’t at the gym, she owns and operates the Desert Java, along with her sister Kathryn. Grace decides she needs to stop nibbling on all the baked goods she sells and gain the courage to ask Max out. Then one day while at the gym Grace tries out the new treadmills and black outs, finding herself in a new super thin body and with the name of Callie, and better yet, with Max. Plus she’s the local celebrity weather girl. Grace thinks she’s hallucinating and runs again on the magically treadmill and back in her old body. Now everything is topsy-turvy for Grace because not only has she gotten a taste that being perfect is not what it’s cracked up to be, but being herself and finding love with a man who appreciates her, bulges and all, is one reality she many not want to give up.

Half way through I wanted to throw Craving Perfect against a wall (if only it was in print form and not digital). I thought this would be a cute read, but it ended up grating on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Grace is obsessed with losing 10lbs, which leads me to believe she isn't that overweight. We're never told how overweight she is and it's never about her losing the remaining 10lbs or a certain amount of weight she may have already lost. I have the feeling she maybe a size 10 or 12 and is not this humongous, chunky woman Max cruelly finds her to be.

Max is a major jerk who makes fun of Grace because of her size. Again, I really wonder how fat she is? She says she has a size 8 1/2 foot, so that must make her fat, right? (I have size 9 1/2 foot, so I must be huge). Also all the beautiful, fit people in this book come across as rude and mean, including the guy at the front desk of the gym who barely gives Grace a glance because she's so fat. Grace is obsessed with eating sweets every time she works out and after. All she thinks of is food and lusting after jerky gym man. Grace is really a pathetic and sad woman who acts over the top immature.

Then the book transforms into a fairy tale where Grace jumps on a magic treadmill and ends up in an alternate universe where she's a size 2 and dating the jerk Max. She ends up freaking out for too many pages to count until she ends up back in her own skin. The romance with Carlos should have been cute, but again Grace is just too annoying. I had no sympathy for her whatsoever. She has no real personality or dimension, just like the story. It would have worked better if it was a contemporary romance or chick lit type read, but for some reason a paranormal element was thrown in, which makes no sense.

Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera is one of these lacking reads and a total pass.

This is one of many books I've read from Carina Press, which makes my total around 50 books. Out of all these books read, I can think of 3 I've enjoyed. The majority of them have been DNFs for me. I would say more than 90% of these reads from this publisher have been big fails for me. I'm really close to giving up reading any more titles from Carina Press because they're not well edited at all, the plots are ho-hum and the characters are flat as the pages they're written on.(less)

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Aug 03, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, fiction, netgalley, romance, read-2011

Posted on Book Chelle.

Liz Fechara's Craving Perfect is a sweet contemporary romance that brings a common concern, and delivers the message with a twist. Almost everyone wants their life to be perfect. If not normal in society's standards, normal for themselves. I know I strive for some sort of perfection when it comes to my lifestyle, my appearance, and even my personality. Whether or not I achieve that perfection, well that's another thing to be said.

Grace Mills is an overweight, single woman w...more Posted on Book Chelle.

Liz Fechara's Craving Perfect is a sweet contemporary romance that brings a common concern, and delivers the message with a twist. Almost everyone wants their life to be perfect. If not normal in society's standards, normal for themselves. I know I strive for some sort of perfection when it comes to my lifestyle, my appearance, and even my personality. Whether or not I achieve that perfection, well that's another thing to be said.

Grace Mills is an overweight, single woman who works hard at her appearance. She owns a cafe with her sister, and dedicates a part of her off-time at the gym. She wants to be like the girls who she deems perfect in every way. She slaves away on a treadmill, pining away for a gym hunk named Max.

While at first, I thought this was the plot, I was wrong. You see, I thought this was going to be the normal tale of how one woman works hard to achieve her goal, and in the end good will prevail. *cue appropriate music* I was wrong. You see, there's a twist. Remember the movie Big? Ya, the one where Tom Hanks' young character woke up to an alternate reality of his life and things were different. With Craving Perfect, you get a similar plot!

One day, Grace faints and wakes up in her alternate reality. Her alternate self just happens to be named Callie, and Callie has it all. She has the looks, the career, the life, AND the hunky guy named Max. While her alternate self is not the same, the setting and the characters are the same. Life in this alternate reality doesn't have a trace of Grace.

Another key character is Carlos. He is the boy next door, except he's more of a man...a tall, dark, and dreamy man if you will. But Grace doesn't pay any attention to him at first, and as a reader, I was screaming, "Grace, you idiot!" But isn't that how it goes sometimes?

Fichera wrote this love story in a fun and creative way. The side stories were entertaining, making their way to weave through the main plot. The relationship between Grace and her sister, Grace and Callie, and Grace and the boy had me enjoying every minute. Fichera touches on a sensitive, but common subject, and I feel that she did it well. I truly believe that we are our worst enemies, and Grace was a perfect example of that.

Fichera took the parts of an approval-craving state and wrote the burden of perfectionism and disapproval in a way that touches my heart.

This is a perfect read to celebrate yourself and possibly share with someone you appreciate. Why? Because while we achieve perfection, Fichera shows us why it's not always greener on the other side of that imaginary fence. (less)

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Aug 08, 2011 Books to the Sky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Check out more reviews at Books to the Sky.

(We received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.)

I really enjoyed this book. The story was different then your typical contemporary romance. There was a bit of otherworldly vibe to it.

Grace is struggling to lose weight and score the perfect man. One day she wakes up in another life as Callie. Callie is skinny, gorgeous and has an excellent career. But she's also engaged to the gym hunk that Grace has been ogling since she started...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Bonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, romance, arcs-read, adult, edelweiss-netgalley

I was totally in the mood for something different and since I rarely read chick-lit I opted to give this one a shot. Reading the summary it sounded like your typical chick-lit but with enough originality to make it interesting plus there’s even…

Magic Treadmills!

I won’t expand upon that… I’ll let you all read about that interesting funny tid-bit. :)

Craving Perfect tells the story of Grace Mills, a baker in a pastry café that she co-owns with her sister Kathleen. Grace and Kathleen are quite...more I was totally in the mood for something different and since I rarely read chick-lit I opted to give this one a shot. Reading the summary it sounded like your typical chick-lit but with enough originality to make it interesting plus there’s even…

Magic Treadmills!

I won’t expand upon that… I’ll let you all read about that interesting funny tid-bit. :)

Craving Perfect tells the story of Grace Mills, a baker in a pastry café that she co-owns with her sister Kathleen. Grace and Kathleen are quite close considering they are the only family each of them has left after the deaths of their parents. Grace is constantly ‘craving perfection’ and is always trying to lose more weight so that she can hopefully catch the eye of the hot guy at the gym, Max, that she’s been ogling over for several weeks. Which kind of turned me off from this novel and Grace in general because it’s more than a little obvious that Max is a superficial jerk, but don’t worry, you’ll end up loving Grace just like me.

One day when Grace is at the gym she hops on one of the brand new treadmills (Yes! The Magic Treadmill!) and proceeds to black out and wake up as someone completely different. She comes to and finds herself the spitting image of perfection (read: Barbie) and engaged to Max. But is what she’s always dreamed of actually what she wants in the end?

This book was GREAT and I loved it… super quick, fun, light read that took me maybe 24 hours to read. (Yes I slept). I loved how the author developed the characters and I loved how I ended up loving Grace in the end. Carlos, was plain adorable and I loved how infatuated he was with Grace even with the extra weight she always said she needed to lose. The writing was spot on and completely enthralling. It was interesting and extremely original story!

Low Point
The one and only low point in the novel that made me cringe (but still didn’t manage to lower the 5 star rating) was the professions of love after the very first date. You just don’t say I love you after the first date. It’s corny, clichéd, and it totally makes me flash back to my junior year of High School and how I agreed to go on a date with this guy because I totally loved his car and he told me he loved me after the first date. In case you’re wondering, yes, I did learn my lesson.

One word of warning there is a lot of talk about raspberry scones. You will end up with a massive craving for them... I know I sure did. To make matters worse there is even a recipe at the end. I'm running to the store to buy raspberries right now.

Don’t miss out on this little gem of a novel. Highly recommended as a light summer read.

Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!(less)

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Sep 12, 2011 Anastasia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chic-lit, 2011, ebook, reviewed-for-rt

Pastry maker Grace Mills wishes for the perfect life; the kind where she's ten (or twenty) pounds lighter, oozes self-confidence and is noticed by the hot guy at her gym. One day, while on the treadmill burning off the previous day's raspberry scone and imagining life as a size two, Grace falls off the treadmill and her reality comes crashing down—literally. When she regains consciousness, she's thin, blonde and dating Mr. Gym Hottie!

Although Grace still possesses her humble and clumsy nature, s...more

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Nov 02, 2011 I ♥ Bookie Nookie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lovers of Romantic Comedy Chic-Lit

Shelves: z-netgalley, z-freebie, body-chunky-chicks, body-plain-jane, character-tv-personality, character-waiter-waitress, genre-smut-lite-chic-lit, setting-bakery, character-chef, sexual-mix-mf, sub-theme-parallel-universe, content-moral-to-the-story, tone-lite-and-fun, tone-humorous, zz-reviewed, 2011-read-in

"Did you see that chubby chick crash to the floor this morning?"

KILL. ME. NOW. Seriously, that's all I have to say, just kill me now! That is exactly how Grace feels after she face plants at the gym while running on the treadmill...in front of her cutie crush, Max.

Don't lie. I know you have thought it before...we have all thought it... If only I was 10 pounds lighter, a little taller, had a smaller nose, bigger boobs... You know what they say about the green grass on the other side? It just migh...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Heather Gardner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera has all the ingredients for a great contemporary romance. Beautiful women, handsome men and delicious pastry.

Fraught with poor self-esteem issues, but a strong personality, Grace Mills is a character I can really understand and root for.

Carlos Flores isn’t your typical cookie-cutter alpha male. He oozes charm and intensity but he’s solid and dependable.

I really enjoyed this very unusual novel. An important lesson about the grass not always being greener on the othe...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Itsjustme-wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a very fun book to read. I have to admit, it was not a very original story line. I have read books about waking up in someone else's body a few times before. I know! Go figure that this would be a popular theme. But I still think this was well done and fun to read. It is actually pretty clean, hardly any swearing and not much sexual content. I was worried once. They were getting all hot and heavy and... saved by the bell - or an intruder, in this case. Which kept it clean, thank you ver...more

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Sep 17, 2011 Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Craving Perfect is a highly entertaining novel with a unique storyline and outstanding characters. To read this review in its entirety, please visit http://bookreviewsandmorebykathy.com/...

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Jun 26, 2011 Talli Roland rated it 5 of 5 stars

'Craving Perfect' by Liz Fichera is a wonderful novel that takes you on a magical treadmill ride. Downtrodden Grace isn't happy with her lacklustre life and yearns to be someone people pay attention to. And then -- after a spectacular treadmill fall -- she suddenly is. But is perfect really all she hoped for?

With likeable characters, a yummy hero and a cracking storyline that keeps you turning the pages for me, 'Craving Perfect' has the perfect ingredients for a delicious summer read.

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Jan 06, 2012 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read

Requested from NetGalley by me
Overall Rating 3.50
Character Rating 3.75
Story Rating 3.25

NOTE: I picked up this book because it sounded like premise that I could identify with. This turned out to be a light, fun, summer read that I am glad I picked up!

What I Loved: Carlos and Grace were such a perfect mismatch that I instantly fell in love with them as a pair. I loved Carlos sense of family, loyalty, and strong attraction to Grace. In fact, Carlos was one of those wonderful leading men that you kn...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Romancing the Book rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, romance

Review by Shannon: Not sure how to review this one, as I'm still scratching my head over it. Don't get me wrong, it was a cute if you don't delve too deep into what's going, but how am I supposed to review that? Then we have the story told in multiple points of view (which isn't always my favorite format) where one of those points of view may or may not be real. Confused????? Well, I'll give it a whirl.

Grace Mills runs the Desert Java cafe with her sister Kathryn and wishes for 2 things: that s...more Review by Shannon: Not sure how to review this one, as I'm still scratching my head over it. Don't get me wrong, it was a cute if you don't delve too deep into what's going, but how am I supposed to review that? Then we have the story told in multiple points of view (which isn't always my favorite format) where one of those points of view may or may not be real. Confused????? Well, I'll give it a whirl.

Grace Mills runs the Desert Java cafe with her sister Kathryn and wishes for 2 things: that she was the perfect female (who has blonde hair, a rocking size 2 body and unrealistically small size 6 feet) and that Max Kramer will notice her. As our story unfolds, she's managed to get one of those things...he's noticed her all right, as she takes a massive crash off the treadmill at the gym.

The one person who does notice her is Carlos Flores, law student, part-time fighter and janitor at the gym. With some coaxing from his sister, he finally works up the nerve to ask Grace on a date, certain that she is "the one".

Callie Collins is apparently the perfect woman. She has gorgeous blonde hair, a fabulous size 2 body, marvelous size 6 feet with which she can wear wonderful stiletto shoes and the object of every woman's desire as a fiance, Max Kramer. Just one problem, Callie is really Grace in disguise.

By some means of mythical treadmill transportation, Grace get transported into Callie's body and not must deal with Callie's annoying personal assistant, Alexandra Summer, her job as a newscaster and the feeling of being less perfect than she was before.

That's where I get hung up in this story. Did Grace really need to jump back and forth between her and Callie to really realize that she was worth more as a person that what she looked like on the outside? I would have thought a few more dates with Carlos and maybe Max showing his true colors at the gym and Carlos sticking up for her would have gotten us to the same place in the epilogue. The parts of the story that I enjoyed the most were the Grace and Carlos chapters. Could have done without all the rest.(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Full disclosure: I received this book as a free galley through netgalley. I was not compensated for this review, beyond the pleasure of reading the book!

Grace Mills is a baker, sister, and wanna-be girlfriend of Max Kramer, who always seems to want to lose 10 pounts (although you never do quite figure out why, other than her being a normal woman). Her motivations for exercise lie in ogling the above-mentioned Max, and the promise of raspberry scones at the end of each workout where she sees him....more

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Aug 02, 2011 Cocktails and Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, netgalley

Not sure how to review this one, as I'm still scratching my head over it. Don't get me wrong, it was a cute if you don't delve too deep into what's going, but how am I supposed to review that? Then we have the story told in multiple points of view (which isn't always my favorite format) where one of those points of view may or may not be real. Confused????? Well, I'll give it a whirl.

Grace Mills runs the Desert Java cafe with her sister Kathryn and wishes for 2 things: that she was the perfect f...more Not sure how to review this one, as I'm still scratching my head over it. Don't get me wrong, it was a cute if you don't delve too deep into what's going, but how am I supposed to review that? Then we have the story told in multiple points of view (which isn't always my favorite format) where one of those points of view may or may not be real. Confused????? Well, I'll give it a whirl.

Grace Mills runs the Desert Java cafe with her sister Kathryn and wishes for 2 things: that she was the perfect female (who has blonde hair, a rocking size 2 body and unrealistically small size 6 feet) and that Max Kramer will notice her. As our story unfolds, she's managed to get one of those things...he's noticed her all right, as she takes a massive crash off the treadmill at the gym.

The one person who does notice her is Carlos Flores, law student, part-time fighter and janitor at the gym. With some coaxing from his sister, he finally works up the nerve to ask Grace on a date, certain that she is "the one".

Callie Collins is apparently the perfect woman. She has gorgeous blonde hair, a fabulous size 2 body, marvelous size 6 feet with which she can wear wonderful stiletto shoes and the object of every woman's desire as a fiance, Max Kramer. Just one problem, Callie is really Grace in disguise.

By some means of mythical treadmill transportation, Grace get transported into Callie's body and not must deal with Callie's annoying personal assistant, Alexandra Summer, her job as a newscaster and the feeling of being less perfect than she was before.

That's where I get hung up in this story. Did Grace really need to jump back and forth between her and Callie to really realize that she was worth more as a person that what she looked like on the outside? I would have thought a few more dates with Carlos and maybe Max showing his true colors at the gym and Carlos sticking up for her would have gotten us to the same place in the epilogue. The parts of the story that I enjoyed the most were the Grace and Carlos chapters. Could have done without all the rest.

3 Cocktails

(less)

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Jul 09, 2011 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklit

Grace could have the perfect life...if only she could lose ten pounds, make her business a success, and get Max, the hot guy at the gym, to notice she's alive. After a fall on the treadmill, Grace wakes up in someone else's life - Callie, a tall gorgeous anchorwoman who just happens to be engaged to Max. How did she get there, and does she even want to go back?

Home has a lot of problems, but suddenly, it also has Carlos, the gym's gorgeous janitor, who thinks Grace is perfect just the way she...more

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Jul 09, 2011 Michael Di Gesu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever wondered or dreamed what it would be like to be the “It” girl or guy? You know the type: perfect face, perfect body, perfect job, and perfect significant other. Well, Grace Mills certainly had.

Thumping away for endless hours on a treadmill at the local gym, average twenty-something Grace Mills whiled away the time dreaming of raspberry scones and the gym hunk Max Kramer, longing for him to notice her.

Well, he finally does notice her as she crashed to the floor, falling off the sta...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Shirley Wells rated it 5 of 5 stars

Craving Perfect is a terrific read and Liz Fichera does an incredible job of making you laugh before feeling a huge lump in your throat as you root for the heroine, Grace Mills. Grace is the girl every female wants for a best friend. She’s kind, funny and sentimental, she’s a tad overweight and she loves raspberry scones. As you read her story, you long to walk into the pastry café she co-owns with her sister. Believe me, you can almost smell the pastry.

She’s determined to lose those ten extra...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Dorthyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

An inspiring tale of finding yourself, living life and letting go.
Liz Fichera sure knows how to draw you in and keep you glued to the page. Especially in Craving Perfect, her new release due out July 25th, 2011.
The heroine of this enchanting adventure, Grace Mills, is disillusioned about her life and wants “the perfect life”. For her this is weighing 10 pounds less, having more success and being noticed by the buff hunk at her gym. Suddenly Grace finds herself in an alternate reality where she...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Alaiel Kreuz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review By Alaiel Kreuz:

I'm a sucker for love stories, that's the true and Craving Perfect was a wonderful book for me. I had TONS of fun, and I mean, really, tons and tons of fun.
The main character, Grace, was a really sweet and annoying girl that made me laugh and hit my pillow a few times.
You see, Grace loves to bake pastries and cones, she simple loves to do that. And of course she loves to eat them as well, but most of them she keep them to sell them at their Café she and her sister own. Bu...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Nas Dean rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

CRAVING PERFECT by author Liz Fichera is a fantastic escape!

I was completely blown away by Grace Mill's run on the treadmill and she went to the gym just to ogle Max's hot body! Well a girl has to have an inspiration to lose weight.

Imagine a girl rewarding herself strawberry scones after a vigorous workout. But she was craving the perfect body and the perfect man.

And when she got her perfect body she found out that she could never eat enough. Her favourite occupation of baking was not of use to...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, review, read-in-2011

Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2011/07/22/...

Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: July 25th
How I got this book: NetGalley

I loved Fichera’s first Carina Press historical, Captive Spirit, and when I found out she was writing a contemporary… I was psyched!

Grace Mills is frustrated with herself. Her body isn’t perfect, the man she is in love with hasn’t noticed her, and her wonderful sister is starting to pull away. When a fluke run on the new treadmill at the gym sends her...more Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2011/07/22/...

Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: July 25th
How I got this book: NetGalley

I loved Fichera’s first Carina Press historical, Captive Spirit, and when I found out she was writing a contemporary… I was psyched!

Grace Mills is frustrated with herself. Her body isn’t perfect, the man she is in love with hasn’t noticed her, and her wonderful sister is starting to pull away. When a fluke run on the new treadmill at the gym sends her into a new life, she wonders which life really is “perfect.” As Grace, she doesn’t have the perfect body or ideal boyfriend. But she does have a job she loves, a sister she can’t live without, and a guy who makes her heart beat faster than she ever imagined.

On the other hand as Callie she is sexy and has the man she thinks she wants, but nothing else. When she tries to stay as Callie, she realizes that she thinks is perfect isn’t even close, but will it be too late for her to get back to the life she wants?

Now, I am notoriously weary with books that constantly flips POVs, and when I saw that this book does just that, I worried that I was going to hate it. And I really didn’t want to hate it, because I thought it had a great premise. But, I have to say I didn’t hate this one. Although it started slow for me, it picked up as it kept going and did pull me in despite the changes in POV.

I liked Grace despite her materialistic and somewhat shallow beginning. She was kind, had a huge heart, and despite the curve balls that life threw at her, she was willing to give up so much to make the others in her life happy. I really liked that about her. When she chose to live as Callie, thinking she was helping a loved one, it spoke to me of strong family bonds, and I love when a book can do that.

Grace’s relationship with Carlos was actually a small portion of the plot, but I liked how it was innocent, understated, and yet still felt real and believable. While I think they might have declared their love just a little too prematurely, there was still something sweet and innocent about it. While Grace was stuck as Callie and in her relationship with Max, there were times I felt that part of the story was dragging on. It was painfully obvious that Max was a jerk, and their scenes together didn’t feel like it was necessarily moving the story forward.

All in all, I found myself really enjoying the second half of the book, especially once things picked up and started moving forward. I enjoyed Grace and even her shenanigans as Callie. While the romance wasn’t as strong as an element as I would have hoped, I still enjoyed Grace and Carlos together.

I give Craving Perfect a C+(less)

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Jun 24, 2011 Tara Chevrestt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-release, kindle, netgalley

This is a very good story with an excellent moral: Be careful what you wish for.. it may not be what it's cracked up to be.

Grace is a bit chunky, doesn't know how to do her makeup, doesn't date, tends be clumsy, and has a huge mega crush on this hot guy at the gym. An obsessive mega crush. Not a day goes by that Grace doesn't ogle him and wish she could attract his eye... She wishes she looked like one of those perfect chicks cause then he would notice her, right?

While she's pining away for this...more

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Feb 23, 2012 The Project rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 23, 2011 Deniz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Grace Mills craves being perfect, but I like her fine just the way she is.

I don't think I've read a chick lit in months, and it was very exciting to jump back into the genre with Craving Perfect, a sweet tale of love and difficult choices.

Of course, I was rooting for Grace and Carlos right from their first date, but the story keeps you guessing what will happen right to the end. Grace has to survive a lot before she learns what's best for her, and a few times I was actually biting my finger, wor...more

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Jul 18, 2011 DramaMama rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have to give it a C. The three main reasons for this include:

The fact that it never became a must-finish for me. There was never a moment in the book where I had to read more, needed to learn what happened next - the book just never rose to that level, even at its climax. One of the main reasons for this was heavy handed foreshadowing - by page fifteen I knew what the ending would be - and I was right.

The disappointing performance of the heroine. I am fond of a self-deprecating heroine; but...more I have to give it a C. The three main reasons for this include:

The fact that it never became a must-finish for me. There was never a moment in the book where I had to read more, needed to learn what happened next - the book just never rose to that level, even at its climax. One of the main reasons for this was heavy handed foreshadowing - by page fifteen I knew what the ending would be - and I was right.

The disappointing performance of the heroine. I am fond of a self-deprecating heroine; but this girl's attitude was extreme to the point of pathetic. Before the end of the first chapter I was grinding my teeth in irritation. It's one thing to long for a better bod, or to lust after a cute guy at the gym. However, the heroine fantasizes about the cute guy to such an extreme that it is off-putting. Not to mention his behavior makes it clear that he's an a-hole. Her poor judgement makes it very hard for me to trust any choices she makes, or put credence in who she is as a person.

The "vehicle" in which the plot of the story gets delivered. I do not want to include spoilers without warning, so I'll go into detail below, but let me say that I did not appreciate the method Grace achieves her "dream reality" nor the way it gets played out. I felt it caused awkward plot jumps and led to insufficient character building. I also think the author jumped ship on her own plot device, leaving it clunky and disjointed.

Ok - so by starting out as such a negative Nancy you may be wondering why a C? Why not a D or worse? Well, the book had enjoyable moments as well. Let me be fair and present three positive counter points:

The author has a nice handle on dialogue. Overall I felt the characters spoke to each other in a natural cadence, and their internal dialogues expressed conflict without sounding trite.

The concept of the book itself - suddenly getting everything you always thought you wanted and realizing it's not all that it's cracked up to be - is a trope I enjoy. Ever since Wishes by Jude Deveraux when I was a junior high girl who would love for some guardian angel to make her dreams come true.Having those dreams fulfilled and then discovering you were better off as the person you always were is heartening.

The romance between the hero and the heroine works. I have some issues with how the romance develops (mainly the pacing of it) - but Fichera builds an attraction between the h/h I believed, and had me cheering for them. Sometimes it can be hard to build romance in a contemporary setting, but I think the author wrote some lovely moments that were enjoyable to read.

Read more of this review (which from this point on may include spoilers)at The Original Drama Mama:
http://meloniejohnson.com/blog/2011/0...(less)

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Jul 07, 2011 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

I received a eARC of this book from netgalley for my honest opinion and review.

I want to start by saying this is the first book I've ever read by Liz Fichera. I requested this from Netgalley based on the recommendation of a friend. She seemed to like it so i decided i needed to give it a try. Craving perfect is referred to as chick lit/contemporary romance on the Carina Press website. Let's start with a blurb to introduce you to the book
Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera

July 25, 2011
Pre-order now
A...more I received a eARC of this book from netgalley for my honest opinion and review.

I want to start by saying this is the first book I've ever read by Liz Fichera. I requested this from Netgalley based on the recommendation of a friend. She seemed to like it so i decided i needed to give it a try. Craving perfect is referred to as chick lit/contemporary romance on the Carina Press website. Let's start with a blurb to introduce you to the book
Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera

July 25, 2011
Pre-order now
A Life Less...Hers

Grace Mills craves being perfect almost as much as she craves raspberry scones. In fact, her life would be perfect if only she could lose ten more pounds, if only the pastry café she co-owns with her sister would turn a profit, if only the hottest guy at the gym would look her way...

And then "if only" comes true. Grace is suddenly straddling two lives: an alternate reality where she's a size two, weathergirl celebrity and being chased by the hot guy. Only Mr. Gorgeous isn't very nice, and she doesn't get to eat...anything, much less bake!

In her other life, she's starting to realize her sister is less than happy running the family café, and hunky Carlos, the gym's janitor, seems to have a secret crush on her. Maybe there's more to him than meets the eye...

Grace is living two lives and it's beginning to cost her. Is there a way to pick one...that's perfect?

I have to say i liked the concept of this book and there were parts i really liked but it was a bit to confusing for me to follow and some things to me didn't make sense. I don't think the main characters Grace and Carlos had enough time to get to know each other to get to that intense feeling of love they had in the end and I'm not talking the epilogue. Carlos was by far my favorite character.He seemed so real along with those of his family we meet in this book. I didn't get that Grace had hit her head the 2nd time on the treadmill that she ended up in a coma in the hospital and if she just had the head injury why the heck was she hooked up to so much stuff and looking worse than Carlos and Elena's mom had when she was dying. For me the epilogue was the best part of the book. The book itself seems to drag on to long but at the same time didn't give me enough info if that makes sense. I guess i didn't make enough of a connection to enjoy the book the way i was hoping to. I kept waiting for it to get better. If you've like to check out the book and it's author please click here www.lizfichera.com. I give Craving Perfect by author Liz Fichera 3 out of 5 Modokker Book Stars. I hate to say that it just didn't work for me(less)

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Jul 31, 2011 Leah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2011, ebooks, for-review, netgalley

Craving Perfect is Liz Fichera’s debut novel. It only came to my attention when I spotted in on NetGalley a little while ago. The cover caught my eye, so I took a look at the information about the novel and thought it sounded right up my street. I love novels with a bit of magic to them, something that sets the book apart. Craving Perfect reminded me a touch of Freaky Friday – the movie starring Lindsay Lohan before she became a hot mess – but with a bit of a twist as the book isn’t necessarily...more Craving Perfect is Liz Fichera’s debut novel. It only came to my attention when I spotted in on NetGalley a little while ago. The cover caught my eye, so I took a look at the information about the novel and thought it sounded right up my street. I love novels with a bit of magic to them, something that sets the book apart. Craving Perfect reminded me a touch of Freaky Friday – the movie starring Lindsay Lohan before she became a hot mess – but with a bit of a twist as the book isn’t necessarily about body-swapping. I downloaded it to my Kindle and set about giving it a go. Although it wasn’t perfect, I thoroughly enjoyed it nevertheless.

If you’re going to read Craving Perfect, you are going to have to go into it with an open mind. Like I said, it’s kind of like Freaky Friday so it’s not your normal Chick Lit novel. It’s very much a novel that begs the question of is the grass really greener on the other side, as Grace Mills finds herself becoming Callie Collins when she runs super-fast on the treadmill at her gym. Most usually the answer to the question is no, it’s not. Just because the grass looks greener, doesn’t mean it is and it could just be the way the sun sparkles off it… Yeah, I made that up. Aren’t I clever? Anyway, I found myself really loving the plot of the book. I expected it to be incredibly predictable but it surprised me in parts. Sure it is predictable, but not to the degree I expected.

Obviously for the novel to work really well there has to be some sort of contrast between Grace’s real life and the life she could have as Callie Collins, so Grace, as you might expect, is a bit overweight, is seemingly in love with the beautiful Max Kramer and her business with her sister Kathryn is only scraping by by the skin of its teeth. However, there is one shining light in Grace’s world, a potential romance with the gorgeous-sounding Carlos. But Grace’s life is nothing compared to the life Grace has as Callie (I really hope I’m not confusing you). Callie is stick-thin, has a wonderful job, a handsome fiance (called Max Kramer!) and size-six feet. I mean, it’s a no-brainer right? But as it turns out, Callie’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems and it turns out it doesn’t matter how skinny or how rich you are, nobody is indeed perfect. That’s what this book told me. That no matter who you are, what your life is like, at the end of the day, it’s still pretty damn good. Although I would swap places with Angelina Jolie (or someone else like her) in a heartbeat. Woops. So much for me being perfect as I am…

I thought Grace was a lovely character. Flawed enough to be relateable too without being too OTT. I admit, I didn’t think her life was too bad, although honestly if you offered me the chance of swapping bodies with someone who’s a size two, I would indeed consider it as well… I liked Grace’s warmth. I liked that Grace wasn’t necessarily bothered about eating another raspberry scone. In so many Chick Lit novels you hear how fat the main character feels, how ugly, when really they’re not any of those things and they’re usually drop dead gorgeous, but for me Grace differs a bit. We hear how she struggles to control her weight by running at the gym, but how she can’t resist the scones she bakes. I was also totally taken in with Carlos. A trainee-lawyer who helps out his sister keeping the gym clean and sparkly. Swoon-worthy, indeed. He and Grace really sparked off each other and it was sweet for once to see a relationship go from tiny beginnings right to the end without some ridiculous man-shaped obstacle in the middle. I also liked the supporting characters: Grace’s sister Kathryn and Carlos’s sister Elena, although I wasn’t a fan of any of the people in the alternate Callie Collins world. They were a bit up-themselves for my tastes.

Craving Perfect wasn’t perfect. There was a psuedo-explanation for the fact Grace was able to become Callie, but no clear cut explanation and I like my magic explained, thank you very much! But it was a quick, fun, light read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the dilemma Grace picked because after all – don’t we all wish our lives could be different in some way? Well, unless you’re Angelina Jolie… It was just so warm and so welcoming and I just loved getting caught up in these characters’ lives. I would definitely recommend the book. You do have to suspend your beliefs, take it with a pinch of salt, but it’s fiction, sometimes you can push the boundaries a little. I very much look forward to a second novel from Liz, as this one was a real pick me up. I’m so pleased I read it, so pleased to have met Grace and Carlos and the rest of the clan. I could imagine the bakery where Grace and Kathryn worked, could imagine the mexican restaurant Grace and Carlos visit filled with Carlos’s family. It was a really, really cute novel.(less)

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