Book Reviews

Book 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.

First edition published by Dreamspinner Press, January 2016.

Book Review

With an intriguing title like ‘The Imperfection of Swans’ and a blurb that tells me there will be a man making a life-changing decision by starting a new career, a startup business with all the difficulties that entails, personal drama and demons to fight, and a romance – how could I resist? And since it is written by Brandon Witt, an author whose work I like and admire, it was a given I needed to read this book. I am happy to report that I was not disappointed. This novel reads like a business thriller combined with the tale of tremendous personal struggle wrapped in a romantic entanglement. It fascinated me on several levels, not least because the plot around the developing business is pretty equally balanced with the personal side of both main characters’ relationship and personal growth. It enabled me to have both a suspenseful, interesting story and a wonderful romance in one.

Kevin may be a successful advertising executive, but his longstanding dream of owning a wedding dress shop is far closer to his heart than his next promotion. And while I have no experience with or understanding of wedding dresses, I found Kevin’s thought about them as fascinating as the way he went about finally realizing his dream. With an exuberant Italian-American family as his main supporters, he jumps into the unknown, only to find out that “expect the unexpected” is an essential motto to have when starting your own business.

Casper is a great chef but dreams of running his own bakery. He doesn’t think he is ready for it, but when he and Kevin meet, and it becomes clear that Kevin needs help, Casper takes a deep breath and goes for it. He can immediately see the potential for a combined wedding dress and cake shop, and his drive for perfection in baking is a great fit for Kevin’s perfectionist attitude where dresses are concerned. Casper is a good fit in other ways as well, and their relationship develops in a business as well as a personal sense.

Kevin and Casper are complicated, real men who are "just in business together" at first. As they go through setting up the businesses of their dreams, they grow and change and slowly fall for each other. Throughout the story, there is more than enough stress of various kinds to go around. While setting up the business with all its financial risks and executional nightmares is central to this novel, Kevin’s battle with his eating disorders, anxiety, and a horrible ex-husband provide a lot of extra tension. Then there is a wonderful group of secondary characters who add a lot of color to the story, one personality bigger (at least in their own minds) than the next. With quirky dialogue, a solid sense of realism around everything that happens, and a few surprise events and twists, the combination made for a totally engaging story.
 
If you like stories about real people with real problems, if you want to know more about two men who are driven by an ambition to excel in their fields, and if you’re looking for a read that is entertaining, occasionally funny, always honest, and very emotionally touching, then you will probably love this novel as much as I do. It’s an unusual story about special people and the fact that it is based on an actual friend of Brandon’s, whose image is on the cover, only makes it even more unforgettable.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 286 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	21-April-2020
Price	$3.99 ebook, $15.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Imperfection-Swans-Brandon-Witt-ebook/dp/B086M6KWFX