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Copyright © 2015 by E.S. Harper
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locations is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior express, written consent of the author.
This book is intended for mature adults only.
Cover Design by Sommer Stein with Perfect Pear Creative Covers
Editing by Jenny Sims with www.editing4indies.com
Formatting by Champagne Formats
Table of Contents
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT
AUTHOR INFORMATION
PLAYLIST
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
DEDICATION
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
EPILOGUE
THANK YOUS
To Contact Harper:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.authorharpersloan.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/harpersloanbooks
Other Books by Harper Sloan:
Corps Security Series:
Axel
Cage
Beck
Uncaged
Cooper
Locke
Hope Town Series
Unexpected Fate
Bleeding Love
Disclaimer:
This book is not suitable for younger readers. There is strong language and adult situations.
PLAYLIST
I’m A Mess by Ed Sheeran
Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran
Distance by Christina Perri
Kiss You In The Morning by Michael Ray
Wasn’t Expecting That by Jamie Lawson
Heaven by Matt Bomer
Rewind by Paolo Nutini
F**ckin’ Perfect by P!nk
Glitter In The Air by P!nk
Love Myself by Hailee Steinfeld
A Little Bit Stronger by Sara Evans
Don’t Let Me Let You Go by Jamie Lawson
Gravity by Sara Bareilles
Nothing Left to Lose by Kari Kimmel
Fight Song by Rachel Platten
To enjoy the Perfectly Imperfect playlist:
Spotify
Dear Reader:
I debated on whether or not to have a forward note in Perfectly Imperfect. In the end, I felt that you deserve to know why this book took precedence over each and every other WIP (work in progress) I had going at the time. The reasons behind why I felt this story needed to be told. And most importantly, why Willow Tate will forever hold the biggest part of me that I could ever put into one of my characters.
For the better part of my life, I’ve struggled with body image issues. Not something small, but big, ugly, crippling issues that have shaped me into someone I wasn’t always proud to be. I went through high school hiding an eating disorder that most will be finding out—or maybe just confirm what they thought—through this message. You see, I was more concerned about the ‘perfect’ expectations that society mentally demands of us. More worried about maintaining my appearance as one of the ‘popular,’ ‘pretty girls’ than I was about my own health. I played right into the hands of the predator that hunts our self-esteem daily.
Then I got older.
And not so wiser.
I’ll save the gritty details, but those image issues I struggled with got worse before they got better. People close to me making comments about how I was ‘fat’ or how I ‘used to be so pretty.’ They just compounded those issues until they were a snowball spiraling so fast I knew I would likely never catch it.
I still carry some of those issues around visibly, and I don’t think I’ll ever feel perfect. I struggle. Day in and day out. I struggle. The difference now is that I know I’m not perfect, nor will I ever be, but I have more confidence at this stage in my life (and body shape) than I ever did when I was at my mind's version of perfect. I still have moments, just like Willow, when I feel like everyone is looking at me and judging my body. Judging the choices that they think I’ve made. Judging me because of how I look.
But … I’ve learned through YEARS of struggling that I’m perfectly imperfect. I’m happy. It’s taken me a long time to feel that way about myself and even though I have days when I feel just imperfect … I love myself.
The Internet is a mass of viral videos telling us who and what we need to be. Portraying anyone above a size ten as ‘overweight’ or ‘plus size.’ Public image personalities lashing out at people who aren’t up to their standards of perfection. Telling us which point we need to be at to consider ourselves worthy of that perfection. Making us question, and most often hate, ourselves and the skin we live in. Willow—like me—felt that, feels that, and lives that. But she learned that perfect isn’t what others expect you to be, but what you expect for yourself.
In the words of Kane Masters himself, I want to give hope to those who need to know life isn’t what others want for you, but what you want for yourself. Strength in the face of weakness. That you can be the change that you want for yourself.
Willow holds so much of me. What I’ve felt. Things I’ve done. Thoughts that I’ve had. Experiences that I’ve lived. The fears, the highs, the lows, and the hate that she feels is real and raw for so many people out there. I know that not everyone has felt the things that Willow does. She might appear weak at times, but for those who have walked in her shoes … you know how strong Willow is. For those who continue to slip on those shoes day in and day out, I hope that Willow can show you how perfect is just an image. You, like Willow, are loved and if anything … I hope that through her story you can heal.
Like Willow – I found I learned that it doesn’t matter what others think about me and the skin I wear. All that matters is that I LOVE ME.
And while I will never be perfect … I will be imperfect and rock it perfectly.