Book Spotlight + Excerpt: Perfectly Imperfect by Kara Leigh Miller

Today I have on my blog, a very good friend of mine, Kara Leigh Miller. Her book Perfectly Imperfect released in May and if you haven't checked it out, you really should! Below is more about the book. 

Perfectly Imperfect by Kara Leigh Miller

Genre: Young Adult Christian romance (Contemporary)

Content Warnings: None

Release Date: May 19, 2020

Buy on Amazon

Synopsis: 

Isabelle Carson is charging into her senior year equipped with a handy checklist to ensure nothing goes awry. Things she didn't account for: a hot, new guy who almost runs her over, a messed up class schedule, and a boyfriend who dumps her for one of her best friends. All of that pales in comparison to the threat of her dirty family secrets breaking free from the perfect façade she’s diligently maintained since the death of her brother.

Grayson Alexander is on his fourth school in as many years. Lakewood Valley High is exactly like all the others, with one shiny exception: Isabelle Carson. She’s smart, funny, beautiful— the perfect package. But Isabelle is hiding something, and Grayson is determined to do whatever it takes to win her trust, except step foot in another hypocritical church.

As Isabelle’s life spirals out of control and her carefully crafted, picture-perfect image begins to shatter, Grayson does what no one else can: he makes her laugh and allows her to be imperfect. With rekindled faith, Isabelle sets out to right all the wrongs in her life. But Grayson has been damaged by his own family secrets, and Isabelle will have to decide if the boy she’s falling for more and more each day is a right or a wrong.

More about Perfectly Imperfect from Kara Leigh Miller

Give us a little bit of behind the scenes of what inspired you to write Perfectly Imperfect?

I’m really not sure. LOL. I’d had this idea pop into my head about this guy parking a motorcycle in a bicycle rack and a girl calling him out on it—this turned out to be the opening scene of the book, which you can read for free here: https://www.karaleighmillerauthor.com/chapter-one-perfectly-imperfect.html. Once I’d written that scene, the rest of the book just sort of came to me. I heard Belle and Grayson’s voices so clearly, and they demanded to have their story told.

 
What do you want readers to take away from this novel?

That we’re not “less than” because of our imperfections, that we are who we are because of them, and that they are what makes us unique. I hope readers will walk away from this book with the same realization that Isabelle has within the story—embrace your imperfections; God loves you no matter what.

Excerpt from Chapter 2: 

Grayson…

I hesitate but then approach. She can’t tattle on me and expect me to feel sorry for her. “You told the principal on me. What are you, five?”

She whips around and glares at me. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears. “Don’t be mad at me because you’re a lunatic who tries to run people over. Really, you should be thanking me.” She shoves a couple items into her backpack so fast I can’t tell what they are and then proceeds to shove all the stuff on the floor into the locker as quickly as possible.

I lean against the neighboring locker and cross my arms. “Thanking you? Oh, this is going to be good.”

“Yes, thanking me.” She smiles sweetly—all the emotion from a moment ago is gone—and that single action steals my breath. “If I hadn’t told on you, you would’ve eventually run someone over and killed them.” She slams the locker closed, and a white carnation falls to the floor. “And if you’d killed someone, you’d have gone to jail. I saved you from rotting away in prison.” Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she adds, “You’re welcome.” Then she walks away in the opposite direction.

I move to go after her but notice a book lying on the floor. I scoop it up and read the title. Holy Bible. I whip my head around. Did anyone else see the title? Can they guess by looking? Do people even care about Bibles in schools in this part of the country? In my last school, a teacher was fired for giving a student a Bible and encouraging him to read it. He sued the district, but I moved before it was resolved.

I jog to catch up with Isabelle. “Hey, you dropped this.”

She eyes the Bible, as if unsure where it came from.

“You really don’t strike me as a Bible thumper,” I say. Not that I’m complaining. It’s nice to know there’s someone else here who believes in God.

“I’m not.” She snatches the book from my hand.

“No?” I raise a brow, challenging her. “Then why are you carrying around a Bible?”

“That’s really none of your business.”

“People don’t carry around Bibles unless they’re trying to spread the good word.” I smirk.

“Don’t be a jerk.”

“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Luke 6:37.”

She takes a small step back. “You know scripture?”

“I know a lot of things,” I say, pleased with how I’ve managed to shock her.

“Except how to drive.”

I let out a surprised laugh, and she responds with a smile—a genuine one that makes my heart race in a way I’ve never felt before

About Kara Leigh MIller

Kara Leigh Miller is a full-time wife; stay-at-home mom to 5 kids, 4 pit bulls, and 6 cats; writer, and the Editorial Director at Anaiah Press. She's previously published two adult Christian romantic suspense books. Warped Remains is her first young adult book, but it won’t be her last.

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