Okay, so I know it’s been forever since I’ve done a Weekend Read, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been my usual book worm self.  I’ve got a good stack of books all ready for review, and with the summer "beach read" season approaching, I figure it’s time to pass on a few of my recent faves.

Topping my list is the incredibly entertaining Mrs. Perfect by one of my favorite authors, Jane Porter.  You may remember her novel Odd Mom Out from a Weekend Read a few months back.  Mrs. Perfect is somewhat of a sequel to Odd Mom Out, although this time Jane shifts the narrative from Marta Zinnser, the "outsider" of suburban moms, to that of Taylor Young, the Queen Bee amongst this upper class society of mommies.  A perfectly polished, impossibly thin, PTA going SAHM, Taylor is the epitome of what most moms would consider "perfect."

So naturally, as the book opens, I’m a little jealous of Taylor and all of her perfection.  But soon Taylor’s world comes crashing down around her, and she is left to face her innermost demons.  Stripped (somewhat) of her glamorous facade, forced to put her impeccable mansion of a home up for sale, and heart wrenchingly dealing with a faltering marriage, Taylor has to dig deep in order to overcome her struggles.  Strangely enough, as a reader, I began to envy Taylor even more when things got rocky, but now what I envied was her strength, determination, and will and not just her fabulous wardrobe and 25 inch waist.

So the moral of the story?  Well, I think there are plenty.  One being, it begs the question, "How important, really, is stuff?" and "If all of our stuff were taken away, what would emerge as being truly important?"  But don’t get me wrong, Taylor doesn’t make some dramatic saintly change, she simply is awakened to a life less charmed and forced to look for answers from within verses her usual remedy of a little retail therapy followed by a trip to the spa.

I loved this book for being real and for allowing me to live in this fantastic world of wealth and privilege, if only vicariously.  So if you’re looking for a fabulous summer read, I give Mrs. Perfect two thumbs up!

Have you read a fabulous book lately?  A couldn’t put it down, perfect beach read type of book?  Make a suggestion for the next Weekend Read by leaving a comment below.