Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Imperfection of Swans
AUTHOR: Brandon Witt
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 286 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2020, 2nd ed.
BLURB:
Kevin Bivanti’s dream to open a wedding dress shop—a place with stunning gowns to make every bride-to-be feel adored—is on the verge of becoming a reality. When he quits a successful advertising career to buy an old brownstone in a trendy Boston neighborhood, fate intervenes, ushering in Casper James, who hopes to open his own bakery. With Casper willing to take the risk, their ambitions meld into a wedding dress and wedding cake boutique.
But extensive renovations to the brownstone, an affair with his ex-husband, family drama with his mothers, and the anxiety of significant life changes push Kevin to the brink of a nervous breakdown. And as Casper becomes more than a business partner, the attraction adds another layer of intensity for an already struggling Kevin.
With the stress of a new business venture and the resurgence of Kevin’s personal demons, Kevin and Casper must find the courage to pursue hope in the of face life’s uncertainties and imperfections.
REVIEW:
Kevin Bivanti has held onto a dream since he was a young boy. He’s always wanted to own a wedding dress shop. When his anxiety got bad, he could comfort himself with the thought of the gorgeous gowns. When the perfect location seems to become available, he decides to go all in – leaving his successful advertising job and involving his whole family in the endeavor. He even reaches out to his ex-husband for assistance. A night out with friends introduces him to pastry chef Casper James who has a dream too. He wants to open his own bakery. When they start talking, it seems that this idea might work out for both of them, if they can successfully work out how to have wedding cakes and dresses in one location.
There are of course a few bumps in the road, but when they get the desired brownstone, it’s really just the beginning of the work. There is so much to do to get the building cleaned, renovated, updated and decorated for their dream shop. As things get more intense, Casper has some concerns about Kevin – his health, his anxiety, his reliance on medication, etc. Kevin explains about this acid reflux and his anxiety and how he is managing them. Casper is worried, but he is hopeful that he can help alleviate some of Kevin’s stress.
Kevin’s family is behind him in making his dream come true, but his mother is particularly unhappy that this has brought Kevin back together with his ex-husband. Casper’s a little sad about that too – but that’s because he is very attracted to Kevin. He knows that starting something with his business partner would not be a good idea. They haven’t known each for very long and he doesn’t want to rock the boat. He does realize that Kevin needs to relax more and he comes up with some pretty fantastic ideas on how to do that.
As they get closer to the opening of the shop, Kevin gets more and more frazzled. His family is worried and Casper is too. But when they can no longer deny their attraction and Kevin has moved on from his past, things between them move to the fast lane. Casper isn’t sure that he’s doing the right thing, but he really cares for Kevin and would like to see him enjoying the fruits of his labor. But Kevin has a secret that he has never shared with anyone and when Casper guesses the secret, there are more consequences than he bargains for. And Kevin has to decide if he wants to live half a life or go for broke.
Oh my. What a gorgeous story. I have wanted to read this book for a long time. I remember when it came out in the first edition how intriguing the premise was. And Brandon Witt shared that much of the main character is based on his best friend – who is also the cover model. I am happy to report that this book definitely was every bit as good as I’d hoped – in fact it surpassed my expectations. Kevin is such a beautiful character. He’s gorgeous on the outside, but that is not who he sees in the mirror. In his eyes, he’s never measured up. His perfectionist tendencies have led to nearly crippling anxiety at times. He pushes himself beyond reason in an attempt to have control. He has a mother who has many of the same personality traits so it’s not too difficult to understand. He’s got a second mom, Noelle, who loves him unconditionally and has been his biggest cheerleader. He’s got a loud busybody family And he’s got secrets. Casper is much more of an open book. He’s got a distant relationship with his family that he’s a little bit sad about, but he doesn’t know how to fix it. When he gets pulled into Kevin’s orbit, it’s a bit overwhelming at times. But Casper is the one person who sees the real Kevin – which scares the ever-loving hell out of Kevin, because he doesn’t much like himself in so many ways and he just knows that Casper will find out that he Kevin he thinks he sees doesn’t exit. Only when Kevin can begin to dismantle these beliefs will he be able to move forward with his life and find happiness. I just wanted to give him a hug. Casper is the perfect balance to Kevin’s very tightly wound personality. He brings fun and balance and joy to Kevin’s life, if only Kevin can learn to enjoy it. He also takes Kevin seriously and does his best to support him when he needs help. This book really examines how our own beliefs about ourselves can really keep up from seeing what’s in front of us and accepting what life brings to us. It’s a beautiful love story of loving someone, flaws and all, and helping a person see themselves as other see them rather than through the distorted lens of their negative thought patterns. Highly recommended!
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