A Perfect Mistake

As a quadriplegic I was immediately drawn to the premise of this book and with each turn of the page I was pulled in even more by a deaf man seeking to prove himself to a judgmental mother. Add in grief over the loss of a loved one and readers will find this an emotionally intense tale that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. From its sizzling forbidden romance to its realistic portrayal of being deaf in a hearing world, I found this to be a well-crafted tale that I hope to revisit as there’s a few threads still waiting to be sewn up.

Cameron Thompson is the lone deaf child in a family of hearing people. The only other individuals to understand what he goes through are his grandparents which forms a special bond between them that has him caring for them during their twilight years. Growing up his mother tried to ignore his disability by forcing him to talk instead of signing, employing both mental and physical methods to make him appear as “normal” as possible. Even though his own parents were deaf, Cam’s father was no savior and let his wife treat Cam in such a hurtful way. Seeing his father become so emasculated by his mother has Cam doubting marriage and commitment and makes for a few roadblocks throughout this story on the way to HEA. Cam’s a sexy hero who rose above his difficult childhood to embrace his deafness. He’s extremely hardworking and it took a lot to pull him away from it. There’s a lot weighing on him though, feelings of inadequacy courtesy of his mother along with a tendency to assume the worst and jumping to conclusions when Nica’s just trying to protect him. These moments were frustrating and a bit overly dramatic. Despite that, I still found Cam to be a sweet and sensual hero who proved himself time and again…and who just needed to believe in himself.

Veronica Anders also had a less than ideal childhood with her parents divorcing when she was young but remaining friends. Their divorce was amicable but it still weighs on her today, affecting her relationships by sabotaging them before they’ve barely begun. When readers first meet Nica she seems serious and straightforward, but her instant attraction to a stranger in a bar shows a different side to her which leads to a life-altering one-night stand that becomes something so much more in the morning. In the morning light the discovery of her bedmate’s identity has her concerned about her job as he’s the grandson of one of her clients. Though she tries to fight her attraction he’s too much of a temptation which puts her career and her future in doubt as someone close to him disparages her and leaves her fighting for her job…and ultimately her relationship with him. Nica’s a likable heroine, one you can see yourself hanging out with. She’s strong-willed and playful when it comes to her and her girlfriends with each supportive of the others. I especially enjoy her friendship with Lexie as Lexie pushes her to live a little, to finally let go of being “all work and no play”. Lexie’s fun-loving, sassy, and her flirtatious interactions with Cam’s friend Grant have me hoping we’ll see more of this pair as they sizzle in each other’s presence.

On a whole this is a well-crafted romance with only one or two flaws. When it comes to the narrative the story feels a bit rough around the edges. Some of the sentences felt a bit incomplete with a flow that isn’t as smooth as I normally find either and it pulled me out of the story a time or two to reread paragraphs. Despite these small quibbles I still found this a satisfying story with appealing characters. Not having read this author before I didn’t know what to expect, but I appreciate her depiction of living with a disability. It’s a realistic portrayal that touched on the physical and emotional aspects of being deaf, a depiction that added a unique layer to an already drool-worthy hero. Cam and Nica were an appealing pair whose interactions were sexy and supportive. They had a few misunderstandings that frustrated me but luckily didn’t last too long as readers raced to the conclusion. Alongside this likable main couple was an equally entertaining cast of secondary characters, some that I saw as friends and one or two that were foes. Those who were friends put a smile on my face during playful interactions and endeared themselves to me through their unwavering support. Those who were foes more than earned that name as they were truly unlikable and hurtful in their actions. Through each turn of the page I found myself rooting for Cam and Nica and hoping to find more authors willing to depict characters with disabilities in the future as we too deserve a HEA.