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the_novel_approach's review
5.0
I want to start with the cover, since it’s the first thing that grabs you about the book…The cover of Brandon Witt’s new release, The Imperfection of Swans, is STRIKING. And, it is made even more special by the fact that the model is Brandon’s real life best friend, Kevin, who is the inspiration for the character of Kevin in the book. The title itself is also fantastic, and so perfect for the story.
I have to admit, I was sucked in from the very start. The prologue was clearly designed to grab the readers—and grab you, it does. At first I was a little taken aback by the intensity of the opening, given the fairly light feel from the blurb, but giving us a glimpse of young Kevin, whose only peace came from looking at his glossy bridal magazines, was so effective. Even at age twelve, his drive and determination, as well as his strength and need for control, were very apparent. It was the perfect setup for introducing us to his character, and showing us the beginnings of his dream.
Everything about the wedding dress/wedding cake shop premise was fabulous. Every. Single. Thing. The descriptions of the building, including the neighborhood it was in, right down to the architecture and every phase of the remodel were extraordinary. It was so vivid in my mind, I truly felt like I could see it. Aside from all of the aesthetic and artistic appeal, it was also a brilliant setting for the burgeoning relationship between Casper and Kevin. The many discussions about the store provided endless opportunities for getting to know each other. Even though I felt differently about the characters individually—Kevin was a bit of a tougher sell than Casper—together they were wonderful; I was so invested in their love story.
I really enjoyed the ongoing theme of fate in the book, and one of the big reasons for that was that I adooooored Casper. He is just such a good egg. You can’t help but be completely pulled in by his good energy and overall attitude. His belief in fate and his sort of “if it’s meant to be, it will be” take on life was infectious. And, I loved that everything about him soothed Kevin.
I also loved that they both get salvation from their passion—the serenity of beautiful wedding gowns for Kevin, and the artistry of baking for Casper:
With each turn of the page, Kevin’s heart rate slowed. The shaking gradually stilled as one gorgeous white gown gave way to the next.
He loved this bakery. So warm. Bright. Clean. Some of the most beautiful pastries in the city. Already the sensation that he was losing his sanity began to dissipate.
Unfortunately, though, life isn’t all cake and wedding dresses. There were some much tougher issues to be dealt with in this story, too. Namely, Kevin’s anxiety and bulimia, with what definitely felt like a healthy dose of body dysmorphia on the side.
Brandon Witt does an admirable job of tackling the subject of Kevin’s eating disorder. Truthfully, I’m happy that he was brave enough to do it at all; it’s certainly an issue that might be intimidating for an author to take on. Could he have delved deeper? Sure. He definitely could have gone a bit more into Kevin’s recovery. But, it was obvious that he didn’t want it to be the ENTIRE focus of the book, and I appreciate that.
Some will ask, HOW could no one have known how sick Kevin was? I even asked it. But I think Brandon was careful to address those concerns, either by revealing that someone close to Kevin did have suspicions, or with the scene where Casper says to Kevin, when they were worrying about whether Kevin’s moms knew or not, “Sometimes you’re too close to a situation to really see it for what it is.” My dad is an alcoholic. He quit drinking almost thirty years ago, yet just six years ago he ended up in the hospital in a coma that the doctors didn’t think he’d wake from. From drinking. We all said, “No! That’s impossible! Dad doesn’t drink.” Well, he had been drinking a fifth of vodka nearly every day, and almost drank himself to death, right under his wife’s and his entire family’s noses. Things can be explained away, especially if the person is hiding it and there is another health issue to cover it up, as in Kevin’s case with his reflux.
Things eventually come to a head, of course, after Kevin has a rougher than normal day. And Casper feels he must go with his gut and ask the tough questions. There is a pivotal moment, a scene in the parking garage of the gym where Kevin has his largest on-page breakdown, that was incredibly intense and emotional. I felt more for Kevin in that scene, both when he was still in the gym, and then in the parking garage, than I did for the entire book.
Aside from Kevin’s health, though, the book overall has a lighter feel. The supporting characters are mostly fun—except for one of Kevin’s moms, Renata, who I unfortunately did NOT care for—and each adds something to the story. I’ve already mentioned how much I love the wedding dress shop and bakery, but I have to say again how fabulous it was. It lent to so many fun directions to take the guys: the bridal show in New York, a fabulous trip to another wedding dress shop to blow off steam in a fantastically hilarious way, and bakery counter sex, to name a few. *wink*
Which is a perfect segue to one of the last things I wanted to mention about Brandon’s writing. I love that he hasn’t succumbed to the pressure of writing more explicit sex, or the idea that romance novels HAVE to have sex in them. There is no on-page sex to speak of, his scenes are, for the most part, fade-to-black, yet there is no shortage of passion or sexiness. The romance is still there, and the heat is still there, but it’s conveyed through a solid story and solid writing. He has said in a couple of promo pieces that he is somewhat uncomfortable writing more conventional romance. Well, Brandon, guess what? You do a great job! I definitely plan to keep reading and recommending your stories!
NOTE: If you haven’t seen the video interview that Brandon and Kevin did for The Novel Approach, you should definitely go check it out. They speak at length about the title, and give some other great insights into the conception of the story, as well as the writing process.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com/release-day-review-the-imperfection-of-swans-by-brandon-witt/
I have to admit, I was sucked in from the very start. The prologue was clearly designed to grab the readers—and grab you, it does. At first I was a little taken aback by the intensity of the opening, given the fairly light feel from the blurb, but giving us a glimpse of young Kevin, whose only peace came from looking at his glossy bridal magazines, was so effective. Even at age twelve, his drive and determination, as well as his strength and need for control, were very apparent. It was the perfect setup for introducing us to his character, and showing us the beginnings of his dream.
Everything about the wedding dress/wedding cake shop premise was fabulous. Every. Single. Thing. The descriptions of the building, including the neighborhood it was in, right down to the architecture and every phase of the remodel were extraordinary. It was so vivid in my mind, I truly felt like I could see it. Aside from all of the aesthetic and artistic appeal, it was also a brilliant setting for the burgeoning relationship between Casper and Kevin. The many discussions about the store provided endless opportunities for getting to know each other. Even though I felt differently about the characters individually—Kevin was a bit of a tougher sell than Casper—together they were wonderful; I was so invested in their love story.
I really enjoyed the ongoing theme of fate in the book, and one of the big reasons for that was that I adooooored Casper. He is just such a good egg. You can’t help but be completely pulled in by his good energy and overall attitude. His belief in fate and his sort of “if it’s meant to be, it will be” take on life was infectious. And, I loved that everything about him soothed Kevin.
I also loved that they both get salvation from their passion—the serenity of beautiful wedding gowns for Kevin, and the artistry of baking for Casper:
With each turn of the page, Kevin’s heart rate slowed. The shaking gradually stilled as one gorgeous white gown gave way to the next.
He loved this bakery. So warm. Bright. Clean. Some of the most beautiful pastries in the city. Already the sensation that he was losing his sanity began to dissipate.
Unfortunately, though, life isn’t all cake and wedding dresses. There were some much tougher issues to be dealt with in this story, too. Namely, Kevin’s anxiety and bulimia, with what definitely felt like a healthy dose of body dysmorphia on the side.
Brandon Witt does an admirable job of tackling the subject of Kevin’s eating disorder. Truthfully, I’m happy that he was brave enough to do it at all; it’s certainly an issue that might be intimidating for an author to take on. Could he have delved deeper? Sure. He definitely could have gone a bit more into Kevin’s recovery. But, it was obvious that he didn’t want it to be the ENTIRE focus of the book, and I appreciate that.
Some will ask, HOW could no one have known how sick Kevin was? I even asked it. But I think Brandon was careful to address those concerns, either by revealing that someone close to Kevin did have suspicions, or with the scene where Casper says to Kevin, when they were worrying about whether Kevin’s moms knew or not, “Sometimes you’re too close to a situation to really see it for what it is.” My dad is an alcoholic. He quit drinking almost thirty years ago, yet just six years ago he ended up in the hospital in a coma that the doctors didn’t think he’d wake from. From drinking. We all said, “No! That’s impossible! Dad doesn’t drink.” Well, he had been drinking a fifth of vodka nearly every day, and almost drank himself to death, right under his wife’s and his entire family’s noses. Things can be explained away, especially if the person is hiding it and there is another health issue to cover it up, as in Kevin’s case with his reflux.
Things eventually come to a head, of course, after Kevin has a rougher than normal day. And Casper feels he must go with his gut and ask the tough questions. There is a pivotal moment, a scene in the parking garage of the gym where Kevin has his largest on-page breakdown, that was incredibly intense and emotional. I felt more for Kevin in that scene, both when he was still in the gym, and then in the parking garage, than I did for the entire book.
Aside from Kevin’s health, though, the book overall has a lighter feel. The supporting characters are mostly fun—except for one of Kevin’s moms, Renata, who I unfortunately did NOT care for—and each adds something to the story. I’ve already mentioned how much I love the wedding dress shop and bakery, but I have to say again how fabulous it was. It lent to so many fun directions to take the guys: the bridal show in New York, a fabulous trip to another wedding dress shop to blow off steam in a fantastically hilarious way, and bakery counter sex, to name a few. *wink*
Which is a perfect segue to one of the last things I wanted to mention about Brandon’s writing. I love that he hasn’t succumbed to the pressure of writing more explicit sex, or the idea that romance novels HAVE to have sex in them. There is no on-page sex to speak of, his scenes are, for the most part, fade-to-black, yet there is no shortage of passion or sexiness. The romance is still there, and the heat is still there, but it’s conveyed through a solid story and solid writing. He has said in a couple of promo pieces that he is somewhat uncomfortable writing more conventional romance. Well, Brandon, guess what? You do a great job! I definitely plan to keep reading and recommending your stories!
NOTE: If you haven’t seen the video interview that Brandon and Kevin did for The Novel Approach, you should definitely go check it out. They speak at length about the title, and give some other great insights into the conception of the story, as well as the writing process.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com/release-day-review-the-imperfection-of-swans-by-brandon-witt/
knrt_17's review
5.0
New to me author, Brandon Witt has been on my TBR forever. I enjoyed the audio book very much. It will not be the last I read of Brandon
karentje's review
4.0
A beautifully written, thought-provoking life/love story which will take you to some dark places on the way to a happier & more hopeful one. It is a deeply moving read. I loved both the main characters so much, different as they are. Casper is such an accepting, kind man and he absolutely has the right idea when it comes to hugs. Kevin is incredibly strong, going through the things he does, alone, hiding his distress and issues from his loved ones. I was never more relieved than when he finally took steps to get the help he needed. Kevin's anguish cannot fail to touch your heart, nor can his and Casper's happiness as they achieve their dreams, and so much more.
lillian_francis's review against another edition
4.0
I've read several reviews that thought this story was slow. I didn't get that impression at all.
I was wary going in as I didn't really enjoy the last BW book I read, and my first impression of Kevin didn't really help with that wariness. I know Kevin is a real person, but I'll be honest, I didn't really like him at first.
Luckily, the writing is charming, Casper is adorable, and the story swept me along. I even liked Scott, Kevin's ex - not for Kevin, they were totally unsuited, but I did feel for the guy.
Occasionally Kevin would do or say something that would make me uncomfortable, and angry that nobody except Casper had noticed in all these years. But Casper would come along and sooth my anger and discomfort.
And ultimately my own discomfort, and my initial reaction to Kevin, is what stopped me giving this 5 stars.
Trigger warning for eating disorders and anxiety.
I was wary going in as I didn't really enjoy the last BW book I read, and my first impression of Kevin didn't really help with that wariness. I know Kevin is a real person, but I'll be honest, I didn't really like him at first.
Luckily, the writing is charming, Casper is adorable, and the story swept me along. I even liked Scott, Kevin's ex - not for Kevin, they were totally unsuited, but I did feel for the guy.
Occasionally Kevin would do or say something that would make me uncomfortable, and angry that nobody except Casper had noticed in all these years. But Casper would come along and sooth my anger and discomfort.
And ultimately my own discomfort, and my initial reaction to Kevin, is what stopped me giving this 5 stars.
Trigger warning for eating disorders and anxiety.
rhodered's review
4.0
As an entrepreneur, I loved this book even though nobody ever did any spreadsheeting or financial calculations to figure out if the business could be remotely sustainable before launching. (This is not shit you leave to hope and fate and cost the book a star because 80% of new businesses go under due to this sort of thing and it’s not ok to be a bad example in fiction.)
Also, I loved the realism in the love story, how Casper navigated the big Italian family, Kevin’s two awesome moms, the truth of building renovation in Boston, the trying-on-dresses scene, and much more.
I prefer romances that aren’t fairy tales. I find them far more heartwarming.
This one nailed it. Aside from the lack of spreadsheeting. 😉
Also, I loved the realism in the love story, how Casper navigated the big Italian family, Kevin’s two awesome moms, the truth of building renovation in Boston, the trying-on-dresses scene, and much more.
I prefer romances that aren’t fairy tales. I find them far more heartwarming.
This one nailed it. Aside from the lack of spreadsheeting. 😉
disloyalorderof's review
2.0
1. Major trigger warning for etaing disorders.
2. The author tries really hard but it definitely comes off as healing cock.
3. Otherwise sweet.
2. The author tries really hard but it definitely comes off as healing cock.
3. Otherwise sweet.
ariadna's review
4.0
Actual rating is 4.7
This story is about Kevin, a man in his late 30s who has always dreamed of having a bridal dress shop.
This story is also about Casper who is currently the head pastry chef of a fancy restaurant and whose main goal in life is to one day own a bakery.
After a chance meeting, Kevin and Casper partner up to open a bridal dress shop/bakery. Together, they feel ready to handle all the obstacles in their way (such as financial hiccups and slow building contractors). The toughest one to overcome will be Kevin's inner demons...
You know that feeling when you're reading a book that's SO GOOD you're grinning and basically doing the emotional version of curling up because you're filled with all kinds of sparkly emotions? Because that's EXACTLY what happened when I read this wonderful novel.
Aaaaaah! *_______*
What I liked
+ That cover!
I knew that I just HAD to read this as soon as I saw that beautiful cover art. Interesting side note: the man on the cover is the author's BFF. His name is Kevin and his story was the main inspiration for this book.
+ The plot
This is a slow burning romance. More than that, however, it's Kevin's story. Even though there's dual POV, we learn a lot about who the real Kevin is. And Witt does that without sacrificing characterization (meaning that everyone is portrayed as a real human being), romance (I dare you not to get all starry-eyed at Kevin and Casper), and humour (I love snarky characters).
I truly appreciated that Witt chose not to make Scott (Kevin's ex-husband) a villain. People can love each other and yet end up breaking up a relationship because they want different things. It would've been easy to make Scott a despicable character, but the author knew that wouldn't help the story.
Another thing that I totes give this book thumbs up for was that Witt showed how normal same-sex marriages are without making a big deal about them. Not only are Kevin's mothers married to each other, but Kevin himself was once married to a guy. It was neat to see that, regardless of sexual orientation or gender, marriage is work.
+ The female characters are AWESOME
There's Noelle and Renata (Kevin's moms), Devina Malloy (an African-American designer), Annie (whose main scene could've gone stereotypically bad ONLY IT DIDN'T. #THANKYOUBRANDONWITT), and Charu (Casper's BFF who is--are you ready for this?--another woman of color)
All of them were great in their own ways and, once again, had real life behaviours that added to my overall love for this novel.
+ Kevin's mental illness
Witt did a superb job in depicting Kevin's ongoing struggle with both anxiety and an eating disorder. None of it was sensationalized and that's what made me cheer Kevin on as he took steps toward getting help.
Kevin's suffering intensified in the latter part of the book to such a point that I began to fear for his life.
I've read other reviewers commenting on their suspicions that someone like Kevin could've hidden his eating disorder for so long. To me, it seemed plausible.
+ The romance
So much flirting and banter! Kevin and Casper had an "adorable yet sexy" vibe that gave me ten kinds of feels.
It was interesting to see them together after seeing them with other people. ;)
Two things worth noting:
1. It takes a while for Kevin and Casper to get together.
I didn't mind because there's a lot of plot to wade through. Once they do become a couple, things kinda speed up. This is something that's brought up a few times in the last 1/3 of the book. I feel that it made sense for who Kevin and Casper were (although I might be a tad more skeptical about people getting so serious that fast in real life/offline life).
2. There are a handful of foreplay but all of the sex scenes are fade to black.
Personally, it didn't bother me that all the sex happened "in between paragraphs" as it were. It's true that it would've been nice (based on the glimpses we got, Kevin and Casper have hella enthusiastic sex). OTOH, I didn't exactly it miss it.
Was there ANYTHING I didn't like about this book?
- I wasn't a fan of Renata (Kevin's mom). Her personality was a tad too abrasive for me. It was neat that we got to see a more vulnerable side to her later in the novel, but she kinda raised my hackles more than a few times.
- Casper's family (or, the lack of)
With the exception of one brief and tense phone conversation, Casper's parents don't appear in the book. We do learn that Casper is estranged from them (and I know that happens in real life).
- The sushi restaurant's contempt for Kevin and Casper's business
I'm not sure what exactly was the purpose of having Mr. Russo complaining about Bella Dolce. In a way, I kinda thought it was a set-up for a scene with some kind of homophobic violence.
But then, after a brief mention of the sushi restaurant trying to block Bella Dolce, we get that super random moment when the owner shows up all pissed off and basically checks out that a bakery won't be serving sushi. It was bizarre, I'm saying.
- The pacing at the beginning.
The premise was good. IMHO, the story didn't take off until the 20% mark. So, it was a tad of a bumpy ride until I was like "OK, I'M IN!"
TL;DR: This is a great book. One filled with realistic characters, a neat balance of angst and fluff, and a premise that is explored in a thoughtful way. The lack of on-screen sexy times might be a dealbreaker to some. I think they'd be missing out on one of the best reads this year.
This story is about Kevin, a man in his late 30s who has always dreamed of having a bridal dress shop.
This story is also about Casper who is currently the head pastry chef of a fancy restaurant and whose main goal in life is to one day own a bakery.
After a chance meeting, Kevin and Casper partner up to open a bridal dress shop/bakery. Together, they feel ready to handle all the obstacles in their way (such as financial hiccups and slow building contractors). The toughest one to overcome will be Kevin's inner demons...
You know that feeling when you're reading a book that's SO GOOD you're grinning and basically doing the emotional version of curling up because you're filled with all kinds of sparkly emotions? Because that's EXACTLY what happened when I read this wonderful novel.
Aaaaaah! *_______*
What I liked
+ That cover!
I knew that I just HAD to read this as soon as I saw that beautiful cover art. Interesting side note: the man on the cover is the author's BFF. His name is Kevin and his story was the main inspiration for this book.
+ The plot
This is a slow burning romance. More than that, however, it's Kevin's story. Even though there's dual POV, we learn a lot about who the real Kevin is. And Witt does that without sacrificing characterization (meaning that everyone is portrayed as a real human being), romance (I dare you not to get all starry-eyed at Kevin and Casper), and humour (I love snarky characters).
I truly appreciated that Witt chose not to make Scott (Kevin's ex-husband) a villain. People can love each other and yet end up breaking up a relationship because they want different things. It would've been easy to make Scott a despicable character, but the author knew that wouldn't help the story.
Another thing that I totes give this book thumbs up for was that Witt showed how normal same-sex marriages are without making a big deal about them. Not only are Kevin's mothers married to each other, but Kevin himself was once married to a guy. It was neat to see that, regardless of sexual orientation or gender, marriage is work.
+ The female characters are AWESOME
There's Noelle and Renata (Kevin's moms), Devina Malloy (an African-American designer), Annie (whose main scene could've gone stereotypically bad ONLY IT DIDN'T. #THANKYOUBRANDONWITT), and Charu (Casper's BFF who is--are you ready for this?--another woman of color)
All of them were great in their own ways and, once again, had real life behaviours that added to my overall love for this novel.
+ Kevin's mental illness
Witt did a superb job in depicting Kevin's ongoing struggle with both anxiety and an eating disorder. None of it was sensationalized and that's what made me cheer Kevin on as he took steps toward getting help.
Kevin's suffering intensified in the latter part of the book to such a point that I began to fear for his life.
I've read other reviewers commenting on their suspicions that someone like Kevin could've hidden his eating disorder for so long. To me, it seemed plausible.
+ The romance
So much flirting and banter! Kevin and Casper had an "adorable yet sexy" vibe that gave me ten kinds of feels.
It was interesting to see them together after seeing them with other people. ;)
Two things worth noting:
1. It takes a while for Kevin and Casper to get together.
I didn't mind because there's a lot of plot to wade through. Once they do become a couple, things kinda speed up. This is something that's brought up a few times in the last 1/3 of the book. I feel that it made sense for who Kevin and Casper were (although I might be a tad more skeptical about people getting so serious that fast in real life/offline life).
2. There are a handful of foreplay but all of the sex scenes are fade to black.
Personally, it didn't bother me that all the sex happened "in between paragraphs" as it were. It's true that it would've been nice (based on the glimpses we got, Kevin and Casper have hella enthusiastic sex). OTOH, I didn't exactly it miss it.
Was there ANYTHING I didn't like about this book?
- I wasn't a fan of Renata (Kevin's mom). Her personality was a tad too abrasive for me. It was neat that we got to see a more vulnerable side to her later in the novel, but she kinda raised my hackles more than a few times.
- Casper's family (or, the lack of)
With the exception of one brief and tense phone conversation, Casper's parents don't appear in the book. We do learn that Casper is estranged from them (and I know that happens in real life).
- The sushi restaurant's contempt for Kevin and Casper's business
But then, after a brief mention of the sushi restaurant trying to block Bella Dolce, we get that super random moment when the owner shows up all pissed off and basically checks out that a bakery won't be serving sushi. It was bizarre, I'm saying.
- The pacing at the beginning.
The premise was good. IMHO, the story didn't take off until the 20% mark. So, it was a tad of a bumpy ride until I was like "OK, I'M IN!"
TL;DR: This is a great book. One filled with realistic characters, a neat balance of angst and fluff, and a premise that is explored in a thoughtful way. The lack of on-screen sexy times might be a dealbreaker to some. I think they'd be missing out on one of the best reads this year.
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