eBook Review: Far From Perfect by Portia Da Costa

Article first published as eBook Review: Far From Perfect by Portia Da Costa on Blogcritics.

I knew before picking up Far From Perfect that it wouldn’t be the type of work I’m used to from this author. However, I love Portia Da Costa’s stuff so wanted to read it anyway! And granted, it’s much sweeter than some of her other books and stories, but that doesn’t make it any less of a good read!

This book tells the tale of Anna Felgate. For as long as she can remember, she’s been in love with Nick Lisitano. They’ve been family friends for many years and she’s always had a crush on him. However, it had always been a one-sided thing, until the night Anna decided to seduce Nick in order to rid herself of her virginity. The circumstances weren’t perfect, but Anna thought it best to have her first sexual encounter with a man she knew and trusted, and also one with a reputation as a fabulous lover. Unfortunately, though her plan worked to begin with and a fabulous night of sex was had, it totally messed up their friendship and four years later, it still hasn’t been repaired.

Anna’s still in love with Nick, but she knows she’ll never have him as he’s a millionaire playboy with no intention of settling down with anyone, let alone Anna. She’s pretty much come to terms with the state of affairs, until he waltzes back into her life with an insane proposition that has her brain whirling. Add that to the reaction her body has to being close to him again, and poor Anna’s in a mess.

Nick’s proposal is engagement. His seriously ill father is experiencing a slow recovery and Nick believes that his ‘engagement’ to Anna – whom his father adores – will perk him up. It’s a completely hare-brained plan, but Anna loves the man she’s always thought of as an uncle, so goes along with it for the sake of him and his health. Of course, her own father is also delighted, so once the pair begin the charade, it’s increasingly difficult not to go along with it.

Naturally, their fake engagement has consequences. Anna must split up with her perfectly nice but not at all right for her boyfriend, and Nick must actually spend some time with Anna for the outside world to believe their relationship is real. The trouble is, the more time the pair spend together, the more the sexual chemistry between them sparks and eventually it becomes too much to resist. And so follows a will-they-won’t-they storyline of love, hate, betrayal, fear and trickery. The question is, can Anna and Nick get past all the problems and uncover what they really want? Only one way to find out…

Despite this being a more romantic tale than an erotic one, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve always found Portia’s writing style absorbing and enjoyable, and I whizzed through this tale in no time. I found Nick both lovable and infuriating at the same time and I laughed (in a good way) at some of the things he said and did and often wondered why Anna didn’t just thump him!

Overall, this was a really fun read. The sex isn’t explicit, but it’s still damn hot (which is why I’ve still included in on this site) and I found myself rooting for the young couple throughout the book and it was sweet torture as Portia keeps the reader guessing and guessing until the last possible moment!

If you’re looking for explicit erotica, this book isn’t for you. But if you’re in the mood for a sweet, yet tumultuous romantic read with spicy elements, then I’d definitely recommend Far From Perfect.

Available from:
Amazon UK
Amazon US
All Romance eBooks
Samhain Publishing