Perfect

Author: Judith McNaught
Publisher: Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster)
Released: May 1993
Genre: Romance

Julie Mathison has worked hard half her life to show her gratitude to her adoptive family by living up to their standards and behaving like a preacher's daughter. When she is kidnapped by Zachary Benedict, who escaped prison after having been convicted of killing his wife, all that is at stake. Especially when Zack worms his way into Julie's heart and she becomes convinced of his innocence. And when they fall in love with each other. But Julie keeps getting conflicting information about Zack's innocence after he lets her go so he can continue his escape. In her heart, she knows he isn't a murderer, but should she follow her heart?

This is the umpteenth time I've read Perfect. It's one of those books that you have to read again and again. I totally fell in love with Zack and Julie the first time I read the book, and I love revisiting them. Julie's dilemma is so heart-wrenching - especially the scene where the police arrest Zack as Julie watches. And the scene where Zack watches Julie watching it. I can actually play those scenes in my mind without the book in front of me, because they are written so vividly.

Actually, paying attention to it for so many times, I did notice something that is beginning to bother me - lots of times, Zack or Julie "laughs" or "grins" when in fact maybe a small smile is called for. And their moods change on a dime. It upset the flow of the story this time as I read it, because I kept going "whoa! She's mad, and now she's just not?" But in general, the emotions are really quite real and scenes play out realistically.