Seeking Perfect by Jeri Bronson

On Episode 67 of the GSMC Book Review Podcast I chatted with Jeri Bronson about her debut novel, Seeking Perfect, which was released on March 21st. Seeking Perfect is a Young Adult Romance about a high school senior named Jesse. This is a genre I hadn't read in quite a while (I've read YA with romance, but most of those are in the Fantasy genre rather than strictly romance), so it was fun to delve into a genre I don't visit very often.

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Jesse learned early not to trust a soul, but what if he was her soulmate?

Senior year of high school should be about friendship, boyfriends, and graduation, but for seventeen-year-old Jesse Barnes it’s about escaping the shame of life with an alcoholic mother.

Jesse’s goals are clear: keep a roof over her head, avoid the revolving door of leering men her mother brings home, graduate from high school, and do everything possible to keep her home life secret. Friends, boyfriends: not an option. Who would understand?

Then perfect, popular Derek Aames sits with Jesse at lunch. How can she discourage him? How can she keep him from intruding on her life and discovering her secret? And most of all, how can she keep him out of her heart?

Will his persistence finally break down her walls, or just break her? (Source)

Jesse just wants to make it through high school and get as far away from her current life as possible. She is a good student and works part time at a bookstore so hopes to go to college as her means of escape. Her mantra much of the book is "stay under the radar." It's a defense mechanism to help her cope but it also keeps her from recognizing some of the things in her life that are good and decent, like her relationship with her boss and her boss's family. Derek helps Jesse to stop adhering so tightly to her mantra, to take some risks, and to embrace the good relationships in her life. But in so doing she risks ruining her carefully laid plans.

Jeri works part-time as a substitute high school teacher and it is obvious that she cares about the students she works with. This book, in many ways, is in honor of those students, especially the ones who might not feel like their stories are worth recognizing or acknowledging.

Genres:

• Young Adult
• Romance

What I enjoyed:

• This is a book about relationships. Not just between Jesse and Derek, but also between Jesse and Charlotte (her boss), Jesse and her mother, and Jesse and other people in general. Not all of these relationships are healthy, but they all play hugely important roles in her life and her choices.
• Jesse is another protagonist who loves books. She reads Jane Austen and Wuthering Heights and tutors a man in reading (which goes against her mantra but which shows that there are definite cracks in the façade she puts up for the world).
• In some ways the character of Derek is almost too perfect, but I liked that Jeri didn't write him strictly from a stereotypical viewpoint of a teenage boy. Derek doesn't simply come off as a jock or a sullen, angsty teen, but as a composite of many teenagers that I have known in my life.

Who should read  Seeking Perfect?

• Fans of Young Adult romances.
• Teens and young adults as well as adults who care about teens and young adults.
• Anyone intrigued by the story's concept.

Quotes:

• "Growing up Jesse thought if she was quiet and got good grades in school, if she was perfect, maybe her mother would love her. Striving for perfection became the one thing she could control in her world."
• "Writing allowed her voice to be heard on paper - a voice that, in reality, was silent."
• "She could only pray that she would go unnoticed for the rest of the day. If one more teacher or person talked to her she was going to lose it. She had talked to more people in this one day than in the whole semester."

Where you can find Jeri online:
Website: https://jeribronson.com/
Facebook: @JeriBronsonauthor
Twitter: @JeriBronson
Amazon Author Page: Jeri Bronson
GoodReads: Jeri Bronson

Author Bio:

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Jeri Bronson is a Southern California Native who grew up in Orange County. She definitely runs for a sweater when the temp dips below 70 degrees. She lives with her husband and son while missing her daughter who is away in college. She has 2 very critical cats that give their opinion on her work. She started her writing journey in 2007 when she got laid off from her full time job and decided to work part time to be home with her kids. She does her best writing while walking around her neighborhood imagining all of her stories. When she is not writing she is an avid tennis fan and can be found watching the Tennis Channel, but definitely do not interrupt her during Grand Slam tournaments. Follow Jeri as she continues on this writing journey penning more heart felt stories. (Source)

To hear the interview with Jeri please click here.