Perfecting Kate by Tamara Leigh

Kate’s Creed: Thou shalt embrace singledom and be unbelievably, inconceivably happy.

YEAH, RIGHT.Kate Meadows is a successful San Francisco artist looking for a nice, solid Christian man. So when not one, but two handsome bachelors enter her orbit in rapid succession, her head is spinning just a bit. Michael Palmier is a hunky and famous makeup artist who actually seems to be flirting with her–rather than her physically flawless housemate, Maia. Trouble is, he keeps handing her business cards from various beauty professionals and plastic surgeons. Is he trying to stamp out every last bit of self-esteem she has?

Then there’s Dr. Clive Alexander, good-looking enough to be mistaken for Brad Pitt, who sends Kate’s pulse skittering every time he comes near. Too bad he’s only interested in her work–and doesn’t think she’s much to look at. It’s enough to send a girl running for her paint-splattered, relaxed-fit jeans and swearing off men altogether! But after undergoing a makeover from Michael’s staff, Kate can’t be oblivious to the admiring glances men throw her way. Maybe she should try contacts…consider some fancy dental work…and you know, that mole really could stand to go. The question now is, what kind of work will Kate do on herself…and who exactly is she trying to please?

Perfecting Kate by Tamara Leigh was an enjoyable novel that emphasized what true beauty really is...and it is not about how many exterior jobs you do on your body to make yourself 'perfect' like so much of the world today believes.  This novel was quirky, suspenseful, and filled with both personal struggles and of course, romance. Perfecting Kate was written well and in a way that made the reader really identify with Kate as she struggled with her faith, her feelings, and how she viewed her own body and beauty. The topics that this novel focused on were the importance of trusting God, being honest with those you love, and realizing that beauty is not based on others' view of you but on the internal beauty of a lovely character and a faith in a God who created you the way you are. The narration of the novel was from the perspective of Kate, the main character. At the end of each chapter is a small excerpt from her prayer journal that gives you a deeper look into her prayer life and her thoughts.  The characters in this novel were realistic and well developed. Kate was a very interesting character with a unique personality and an openness to the readers even as she guards herself against others in her life. I was convicted and also sympathized with Kate as she struggled with her faith, her self body image, and sharing her beliefs with others. Clive was a wonderfully complex character, torn between his attraction to Kate and his struggle to believe in God again. I liked his character a lot, and I was glad that he had depth and experienced his own growth during the story as Kate changed as well.

Overall, I enjoyed Perfecting Kate, and I would certainly recommend this novel as well as Tamara Leigh's newer series called Southern Discomfort which I also found to very interesting. I look forward to reading more of her novels!

Please check out the following links for more information about this novel and this author!
Author's Website
Read Chapter One
Author Bio

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.