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Abbi Glines concludes the irresistible story of Woods and Della in the #1 New York Times bestselling Rosemary Beach series.
Woods had his perfect life mapped out for him. Rise up the ranks of the family business. Marry the rich girl of his parents’ dreams. Pretend that wealth and privilege was all he’d ever wanted. Then a girl named Della breezed into town, a beautifully imperfect stranger who captured his heart and opened his eyes to a new kind of future. Woods is ready and willing to sacrifice everything for her when the sudden death of his father leaves him with his mother to care for and a business to manage.
Della is determined to be strong for Woods, even as she’s quietly falling to pieces. No matter how far from home she’s run, the ghosts of her past have never stopped haunting her. Struggling to hide her true feelings from Woods, Della fears she can’t be his rock without dragging him down into the darkness with her. But is she strong enough to let go of the last thing holding her together?
Abbi Glines is the New York Times, USA TODAY, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys, and Existence series. A devoted book lover, Abbi lives with her family in Alabama. She maintains a Twitter addiction at @AbbiGlines and can also be found at Facebook.com/AbbiGlinesAuthor and AbbiGlines.com.
Simple Perfection
Seeing him lying there cold and still in the casket hadn’t struck me the way I imagined. Everything was too fresh. I hadn’t had time to forgive him. He had hurt Della. I could never forgive that. Even with him dead and buried in the ground I couldn’t forgive what he’d done to her. She was the center of my world.
My mother had been able to see the lack of emotion in my eyes. I wasn’t one for pretending. At least not anymore. A week ago I had walked away from this life I’d been born into without one ounce of remorse. It hadn’t been hard to let it all go. My focus had been on finding Della. The woman who had walked into my life and changed everything. Della Sloane had become my addiction when I hadn’t been available. In all her twisted perfection she had made me fall helplessly in love with her. A life without her in it seemed pointless. I often wondered how people found joy in life without knowing her.
With the sudden death of my father, the life I had just washed my hands of and been so ready to walk away from was now being placed completely on my shoulders. Della had stood beside me quietly from the moment I’d stepped foot back in Rosemary Beach, Florida. Her small hand tucked into mine, she knew when I needed her without my saying anything. A squeeze from her hand would remind me that she was there beside me and I could do this.
Except at this moment she wasn’t with me. She was at my house. I hadn’t wanted to bring her here, to my mother’s house. My mother might have wanted to pretend that I didn’t exist but I now owned everything in her life, including the house she lived in. It came with the country club, and my grandfather had made sure that when my father passed away this would all become mine.
Not once had my father thought this might be something I needed to know. He held it over my head that he controlled my life. If I wanted this world, then I had to bend to his will. Yet all along it would become mine on my twenty-fifth birthday or in the event of my father’s death. Whichever came first. There was no running from this now.
I thought about knocking and changed my mind. My mother needed to stop acting like a child. I was all she had left. It was time she accepted Della in my life, because I was getting a ring on her finger as soon as I could convince her of it. I knew Della well enough to know that it wouldn’t be easy to get her to marry me. With my world completely morphing into something I hadn’t expected, I wanted the security of knowing that when I came home Della would be there.
I started to reach for the doorknob when the door swung open. My eyes lifted to see Angelina Greystone standing in the doorway of my parents’ house with an innocent smile on her face. The evil twinkle in her eye couldn’t be masked by her attempt to appear nice. I had almost married this woman so that I could get the club that was going to become mine anyway. My father had made me believe I had to marry Angelina to get the promotion and future I deserved.
What my dad hadn’t banked on was Della walking into my life and showing me there was more for me than a loveless marriage to a heartless bitch.
“We were expecting you. Your mother is in the sitting room with some chamomile tea I made for her. She needs to see you, Woods. I’m glad you took her feelings into consideration and didn’t bring that girl.”
The one thing I did know, despite what the witch had just said, was she knew Della’s name. She might have wanted to pretend like she had never heard of her and didn’t know her, but she did. She was just being spiteful. What I didn’t know was why the fuck she was at my mother’s house.
I pushed past her and walked into the house without responding to her. I knew where my mother was without her help. The sitting room was the place my mother always went to be alone. She would sit on the white velvet chaise lounge that had once been my grandmother’s and she would stare out at the water through the large picture windows that lined the room.
I ignored the click of Angelina’s heels as she followed behind me. Everything about her grated on my nerves. Her being here in the middle of a family situation on the day of my father’s funeral only added to my disgust. Why was she doing this? What did she think this would win her? I owned it all now. Me. Not my father. And certainly not my mother. I was now the Kerrington in control.
“Mother,” I said as I walked into the sitting room without knocking. She didn’t need a chance to send me away. Not that I would go without having this conversation. As wrong as she had been, I loved her. She was my mom, even though she had always stood beside my father and never once thought of me. It had always been about what they wanted for me. But it didn’t make me love her less.
She didn’t turn her attention from the gulf view outside. “Woods, I was expecting you.” Nothing more. It hurt. We had both lost a part of our lives with my father’s death. She didn’t see it that way. She never would.
I walked over to stand in her line of view. “We need to talk,” I replied simply.
She shifted her eyes to look up at me. “Yes, we do.”
I could have let her control this conversation but I wasn’t going to. It was time I set some boundaries. Especially now that I had Della with me and we were back in Rosemary.
“At least he came alone.” Angelina’s voice came from the door and I jerked my head to glare at her intrusion. She wasn’t a part of this.
“This doesn’t concern you. You may leave,” I replied in a cold tone.
She flinched.
“She is a part of this. She’s going to stay with me. I need someone here so I’m not alone and Angelina understands that. She’s a good girl. She would have made an excellent daughter-in-law.”
I understood my mother’s pain at losing my father was fresh—and she was in pain. But I wouldn’t let her control this. It was time I made some things very clear for both of them. “She would have been a selfish spoiled bitch of a daughter-in-law. I was lucky enough to realize it before it was too late and I ruined my life.” I heard both of their sharp intakes of breath but I wasn’t about to let them speak. “I control everything now, Mother. I will take care of you. I will make sure you want for nothing. However, I will not accept or acknowledge Angelina in my life. More importantly, I will not allow anyone to hurt Della. I will protect her from both of you. She is my perfection. She holds my heart in her hands. When she hurts it brings me to my knees. There is no way to explain to you the way I feel about her. Just understand that I will not allow anyone to hurt her again. I won’t forgive that. I lose a piece of my soul when I see her in pain.”
The tight line of my mother’s mouth was the only answer I needed. She wasn’t accepting this. Today wasn’t the day to try to convince her about my feelings for Della. She was mourning and I was still angry with the man she was mourning. “If you need anything, call me. When you’re ready to talk to me without resentment toward Della, then call me. We will talk. You’re my mother and I love you. But I won’t let you near Della, nor will I put you before her. Understand that if you make me choose, I will choose her without a second thought.”
I walked over and placed a kiss on the top of my mother’s head before walking past Angelina without a word. It was time I got back home. Della didn’t do well alone. I was always anxious when I left her.
Anonymous
Posted Tue Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Overall, it was a good story but it kind of dragged and too many loose ends, especially with Woods' mother and Angelina. Woods was a little too needy and sappy. And that ending?! W.T.F?! I'm not sure why that was necessary. I did like the last few pages the best
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Mon Sep 23 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I loved it , I cried when they cried ,and u shocked me with tripp. Keep them coming I can't until the next book.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Mon Sep 23 00:00:00 EDT 2013
OH MT GOSH!!! This was AMAZING. The twist that i'm sure non of us saw coming made me want to bawl by eyes out. It was another stunner from Abbi and I cannot wait to see waht she comes up with next. A must read.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Feb 04 00:00:00 EST 2014
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I couldn’t put it down. However, I thought Della was too needy and I felt like Woods treated her like a child at times. I didn't understand why she just took a beating and didn't fight back at all. Kind of weak in my opinion. I understand that she has problems she has to deal with but so does everyone. That's life. I didn't like how Woods was too possessive and overprotective of Della. Yelling at the male employees to stay away from Della is unprofessional and immature. He didn't let her make her own decisions either. Also, I felt like sex, although hot, was overused in this story. Especially as a problem solver. I didn't care much for the ending either and it just happened so suddenly. Not sure if there will be but I hope there is a story about Tripp and Bethy. I’d like to hear their story.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sat Oct 19 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I absolutely loved Simple Perfection!! I love this whole series and cannot wait for more!! Abbi Glines is definitely becoming one of my favorite authors!!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Omg! I absolutely loved the book. I don't want to give anything away... but you must read it. #NanHater :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Mon Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2014
This book took me by surprise. I didn't think I would enjoy these two characters from the series. They weren't important in any of the other books. Boy was I wrong! Great book!
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Posted Mon Aug 18 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I was a little disappointed with Woods & Della's second book. It was lacking the usual dynamics of an Abbi Glines for me. All in all, though, this RB novel was a good read if you're a fan of the series.
JLR
JoannaDursi
Posted Fri Aug 08 00:00:00 EDT 2014
This is the second book in The Perfection series and we have to watch Woods and Della handle life after his father’s death. This is a terrifically written book and right from the acknowledgments you know you’re in for some unexpected twists and turns. Woods inherits everything from his father and stands up to his family about his relationship with Della. Della is worried about him because he is not grieving his father’s death and starts to worry that their relationship is becoming unhealthy. After another devastating loss, Della must be the strong one and pull Woods out of the darkness. After the twist is revealed I know a lot of people were angry with Abbi’s decisions but IMO it had to be done and was the only way to advance their story and set up Grant’s books. I’m looking forward to those books and I MAY actually like this series more than Rosemary Beach.
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Posted Sun Aug 03 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I enjoyed to the conclusion to Woods and Della' love story.
If you have read The Fallen to Far Series you will want to read this one too. If you haven't I suggest you stop and read those first. This is a continuation in that series.
I love Abbi Glines and have enjoyed every one of her books. I highly recommend any of her books to anyone who enjoys a story with good characters, good story and sexy scenes. ENJOY!!!
Anonymous
Posted Sun May 11 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Any book that can make me laugh and cry is a winner!
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Posted Fri Mar 21 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Wow
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Posted Thu Jan 23 00:00:00 EST 2014
I absoluly loved Wood's and Della's story. It was pretty emotional for me. I cryed alot.
Now I just want to know Grant and Harllow's story and also Tripp and Bethleys story also.
MaryJoMI
Posted Sun Jan 05 00:00:00 EST 2014
Loyalty, love, commitment ... all will be tested. I was excited to continue Woods and Della's story. Woods is now faced with running the country club - something his Dad wanted to avoid but his Grandfather wanted to have happen. He has to make some big decisions and figure out how the club should move forward with him at the helm. At the same time his Mother is making life difficult since he isn't living by her code/plan. While this is going on, Della is trying to be strong for Woods and overcome the night terrors. As with any relationship, misunderstandings happen and Della leaves which I think is a brave and necessary thing for her to do. This adventure sends her down a path to find her inner strength, something she always had but she couldn't acknowledge because of the trauma she suffered at the hands of her Mom. Woods and Della journey has both of them finding the strength to face and stand up to issues from their pasts as the forge ahead into their future. Abbi Glines did punch me in the gut late in the book but as with real life, unexpected things happen and it's how you deal with and face these crises that truly define us as humans. Love spending time at Rosemary Beach with all the characters we've come to love!
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Posted Mon Dec 30 00:00:00 EST 2013
Im with the last person who commented about the spoiler comment... Thank you for ruining it for the rest of us! Post your opinion not the ending. Join a book club if you feel the need to get any deeper.
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Posted Sat Dec 28 00:00:00 EST 2013
Please do not give away information in the reviews. It ruins the book. Reviews are for opinions not for spoiling the book for other people. Thanks.
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Posted Wed Dec 25 00:00:00 EST 2013
Why did jace have to die! I was crying so hard when I read it.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.To put it lightly, this book completely wrecked me. Yes, I've read an Abbi Glines book before and I know she is known for her angst, and heartbreak. But this was that on a whole new level for me. And it wasn't all just Woods and Della causing my heart to constrict. Now, because I'm a HUGE Abbi Glines fan I have watched most of her ustreams and I heard her say that there were twist and turns in Simple Perfection that no one saw coming. So me, being the cocky reader that I am thought "oh it's nothing I haven't read before." Ummm... wrong. I didn't see any of her twists and turns coming and at the end I was left feeling a bit flabbergasted. I literally had no clue that she was going to take the series where she did. And while I understood it, it kinda broke my heart. But no worries, the heartbreak feeling wasn't towards Woods and Della... at least not at the end.
"She is my perfection. She holds my heart in her hands. When she hurts it brings me to my knees."
~Woods
We pick up almost right where Twisted Perfection left off. Woods is now head of the company and the house since his father has passed away and he an enormous amount of new responsibilities. His only stabilizer is Della. A little ironic, since she believes that she is the one upending his life and being a burden. Throughout the whole book, the love between Della and Woods is so palpable. Despite their ups and downs I didn't for a second believe their feelings ever wavered. But a misunderstanding causes Della to begin a journey of self-discovery, away from Rosemary Beach. This book was all about growth. Della finally breaks out on her own, and finds the person she was always meant to be, a strong, willful young woman. And Woods, despite his wants, lets her break out of her sheltered character on her own. I was really surprised at Woods' journey through this. Yes, it was mostly about Della finding herself, but Woods experienced a lot of trials as well. But, I think if they hadn't found a way to break free of their demons they would have come to a stalemate in their relationship, as well as their lives in general.
"What if I was strong after all? What if, underneath all that fear, I had buried someone deep inside who was brave and could take on life without someone to lean on?"
~Della
Woods is such a magnificent character. I want to go up to all the guys I know and make them read these books and say "hey, this is how a guy is supposed to act." Also, can I just say that despite the deeper, more meaningful parts of this book, the chemistry between Della and Woods is disgustingly hot, and magnetic. Like, if there were ever a book that I wanted to be my life... this might be the one. Granted, these two have gone through hell but, they also found each other and personally I think that is karma's works at its best. As for the other characters in the Rosemary Beach world. We get glimpses of fan faves Rush and Blair :D as well as the rest of the crew. One of the aforementioned, heartbreaking parts is a major upset in the group. I won't spoil it but, I seriously didn't think Ms. Glines was going to go through with what she started. I could not breath while reading the scene, and once it was over I had to set down my e-reader and take the rest of the day off from reading. It has its purpose, but it still sucked... big time. All in all, Abbi Glines has written another masterpiece. She delivers a superior story that both melted my heart and made me outright cry. And this is definitely a must read for 2013!
Happy Reading!
Anonymous
Posted Wed Dec 11 00:00:00 EST 2013
I loved this book! I only wished there was an epilogue for Della & Wood.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.~Reviewed by ANN & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog
In the concluding installment to the Perfection series, Glines returns to Rosemary Beach with Della and the dirty talking, Woods. Readers who enjoy a quick and easy read will find this book especially appealing, though I would say it’s better to read this series in order. It’s a duology so it shouldn’t be too difficult to catch up.
Della’s past is explored more in this novel. It’s dark and saddening which further makes me admire her character. If you’ve read the previous book in the series, then you’re familiar with Woods’ father. Events transpire and it is the start of a nosedive fall for the characters. The last 20% of the book was a serious eyeopener. Glines takes no prisoners here and plunges deeper and darker before. I wasn’t expecting that, but I will say that it made the book worthwhile to read. I am looking forward to what Glines has in store next, especially for Grant’s character.
In terms of the romance, Della and Woods have it good. It’s nice to see a man who is so unabashed about his love for his girl. It just makes Woods that much more appealing. As you can expect, there are a ton of steamy scenes interspersed in this novel, making it possibly one of the hotter ones she has ever written. Though Della and Woods are madly in love, it doesn’t mean that everything is going on well. In fact, Woods crazy ex-fiancé is burr in everyone’s side. She is a constant threat to their love and this will test them like never before.
SIMPLE PERFECTION is a delightful read that is perfect for a refresher – it’s light but still potent. Though dark at times, I think Glines nicely balances the good and the bad, making for an easy read.
*ARC provided by publisher
Overview
Abbi Glines concludes the irresistible story of Woods and Della in the #1 New York Times bestselling Rosemary Beach series.
Woods had his perfect life mapped out for him. Rise up the ranks of the family business. Marry the rich girl of his parents’ dreams. Pretend that wealth and privilege was all he’d ever wanted. Then a girl named Della breezed into town, a beautifully imperfect stranger who captured his heart and opened his eyes to a new kind of future. Woods is ready and ...