Future Perfect

by Suzanne Brockmann

Now back in print after many years, a captivating story of sweet seduction and unexpected love from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann
 
Dressed in Victorian attire, Juliana Anderson gives guests at her cozy New England bed and breakfast a taste of old-fashioned hospitality. Whether she’s cooking up delights in her kitchen or maintaining the rooms in her beautifully decorated inn, Juliana stays busy and content. Until Webster Donovan arrives—tall, rugged, and sexy beyond belief.

The lean, dark-haired author has a bad case of writer’s block and he’s planned a six-week stay to cure it. But this beautiful woman is proving even more distracting to the cause. For prim, polite Juliana has a wild She rides a Harley and hides a troubled past. The moment Webster watches her take off her motorcycle helmet and shake loose those long, flame-colored curls, he finds his muse—and loses his heart. But can romance with a woman afraid to trust in love last longer than a moment in time?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Fiction, Adult, Suspense

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1993

About the author

After childhood plans to become the captain of a starship didn’t pan out, Suzanne Brockmann took her fascination with military history, her respect for the men and women who serve, her reverence for diversity, and her love of storytelling, and explored brave new worlds as a bestselling romance author.

Over the past thirty years she has written sixty-three novels, including her award-winning Troubleshooters series about Navy SEAL heroes and the women—and sometimes men—who win their hearts. Her personal favorite is the one where her most popular character, gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, wins his happily-ever-after and marries the man of his dreams. Called All Through the Night, this mainstream romance novel with a hero and a hero hit the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. In 2007, Suz donated all of her earnings from this book, in perpetuity, to MassEquality, to help win and preserve equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.

In addition to writing books, Suz writes and produces indie movies and TV including the award-winning romantic comedy The Perfect Wedding. Her recent feature, Out of Body, is streaming on Amazon Prime.

In 2018, Suz was given the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her latest projects are Blame It on Rio (Tall, Dark & Dangerous # 14), available in print and e-book from Suzanne Brockmann Books, and Marriage of Inconvenience, a six-episode LBGTQ rom-com TV series, streaming on Dekkoo in April 2023.

Reviews

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great, winter day romance. It was warm and cozy. Juliana owns and operates a Victorian bed and breakfast; Webster is an author suffering from writer's block. He comes to stay and falls for her. She is hiding a deep secret. She is dyslexic and has never learned to read.

Neither of them is looking for love. Juliana has been hurt before and Web doesn't even believe in love. At first the attraction is physical but soon they come to love each other because of who they both are. But the course of their romance can't run smoothly. First there is Web's bout of the flu and then an ice storm comes just when Juliana's best friend is ready to have her third child. And along the way Juliana is worried about an upcoming visit from a reviewer from a major newspaper (which leads to still another misunderstanding) and Web has to deal with his writer's block.

Juliana is a strong, independent woman who has set the course of her life and doesn't want to change it. Web is the cynical but lonely man with a bad childhood. It was great seeing them finally decide to risk their hearts with each other. The side characters are also interesting and well-rounded. I really enjoyed this romance.

Truth in advertising is that this is a reprint of a 1993 romance. I didn't read it when it was out the first time. I didn't find it very dated. The only thing I really noticed was the use of a CB radio in an emergency situation instead of the cell phone that would be used today. Even though it is an earlier book by the author it has the hallmarks I have come to expect - well-drawn characters with strengths and flaws and a heart-warming romance.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two-haiku review:\

She owns B&B
Hot author comes for six weeks
Sparks fly between them

Older Brockmann book
"Contemporary" romance
Dated, but still good

[Harlie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book yesterday at the grocery store. Most people will stone me but I don't follow her military romantic suspense books. I do, however, read her earlier contemporaries. I haven't read this one until today. I was not disappointed.

This book is near perfect. This book was original released in 1993 and for all intensive purposes was not updated with the modern tech toys that we have now and frankly, it doesn't need it. Its a love story between two people that don't trust love but end up trusting the love that they have for each other.

Juliana and Webster are perfect for each other. Webster fell in love from the moment that he saw her in her costume that she wore for her bed & breakfast that she owned. He is suffering from severe writer's block and decides to stay at the B&B for six weeks hoping that he can write his book. What he finds is his muse in Juliana.

Juliana has come from the school of hard knocks. When her grant aunt Alicia took her in at 16, she found someone that loved her, gave her a home and a purpose in life. She vowed to never fall in love and never marry. From the moment that Webster arrived at her B&B, she never knew what hit her.

The raw emotions that are between Webster and Juliana are real and heartfelt. Some harsh words are said between them but it is not neatly wrapped up in a few paragraphs in the end. They still have hurdles and hurt feelings to sort through. The bedroom door is open considering the book was published in the early 1990's and are emotional and raw.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a contemporary romance with a few surprises about both of them that make you say WOW in the end. (spoilers if I told you and I HATE spoilers in a review)

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2* for story
3.5* for narration by Patrick Lawlor

There was nothing and no one in this story to make the reader actually care. Juliana is, in a word, pissy. Webster is appealing except for this one huge lapse in judgement--for some unknown reason he falls head-over-heels in love with Juliana--who, as I think I mentioned, is pissy.

Then there is the part at the end ***Spoiler Warning***

where Web says ugly things to her after she's hurt him badly, and she refuses to forgive him. She makes him crawl back to her. I kept waiting for her to admit it was at least partly her fault, that her coldness and her lie set him up for the fail. But no, he continues to beat himself up for losing his one chance at true love. Excuse me while I gag a little...

...(continuing as if there wasn't the spoiler tag above) where I think she makes him grovel way too much.

I generally like Brockmann's non-Troubleshooter books, but this was a general fail for me.

I've listened to Patrick Lawlor perform several audiobooks in the past and I like his voice and delivery. I particularly enjoyed his reading of Brockmann's Infamous. In this case he didn't have much to work with. I do think his delivery of love scenes to be a bit too enthusiastic. A more subtle approach would make the scenes more sensuous.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't let the updated cover and presence on the library's "new release" shelf fool you. (i.e Don't be me.) This is a serial from the Kismet line first published in 1993. It features a woman with secrets who runs a bed-n-breakfast and a writer who stays there for 6 weeks to finish his latest novel. A fun mess of love ensues including big misunderstandings, a horse accident, a baby born in a snow storm, famous country music stars, and dyslexia. I'm a big fan of Suzanne Brockmann, but if you want a good, deep, compelling romance read her Troubleshooter series. This is a fun read, but its anything but deep. Its a good quality serial installment, and could easily be read in a day while waiting in line or on breaks at work.

[Jackie Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juliana starts out as a troubled youth, until her Aunt takes an interest in her. Together Juliana and her Aunt run a Bed & Breakfast. Juliana is known to dress in period dresses and is very proper.

A guest who is writing a book has booked a room for 6 weeks. His name is Webster Donavan. Juliana is ready to hate him on site since he does not show up on the appointed evening and she stayed up late waiting for him. It turns out he had car trouble.

Once Webster gets some sleep, it is game on. He has his sights set on Juliana and there is nothing he won't do to make her his.

This is a HEA love story and it was very touching. Most of the story was predictable, but there were a few surprises thrown in.

Not quite a 4 star book, but not low enough to be 3 stars.

4 Stars

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juliana Anderson made some mistakes when she was younger but she was saved by her aunt Alicia with whom she now runs a period bed and breakfast. She lives a quiet life but she's happy. Of course, this being a romance novel, some guy has to come in and shake her up. That man is Webster Donovan, writer extraordinaire.
I liked the story. I liked seeing the evolution of their relationship and I liked the end that not everything was magically worked out. There were still some issues and some room for growth.
Webster didn't try to force Juliana to work on her dyslexia, he accepted her just the way she is.

[Stasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the parent of a dyslexic who did learn to read, I was disappointed in the heroine's attitude that she wasn't going to try to learn even with new techniques. It's apparent too that the dyslexic information is written prior to the discovery of measuring dyslexia with functional MRI and the help that hand signals for letters and words (such as occurs in ASL) can provide in overcoming the neurological gap.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suzanne Brockmann is an author fairly new to my auto-buy list. So when they re-released Future Perfect I picked it up. Though not as good as some of the Troubleshooters Inc. or her other Navy Seal books, Future Perfect is still a delightful romance. I love the irony of a severe dyslexic falling for an author.

[Kelly A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of her earlier works. It is a nice romance, full of the usual misunderstandings that make romance books work so well. Good characters and an enjoyable and different setting.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

**MINOR SPOILERS**
This book is a standalone. I do not think that the author writes books much anymore, but she is still an auto-buy for me. For those who like her later books which are longer and have more depth, this book might not be as much to your liking, but it still has those classic Suzanne Brockmann moments where she does a great job at conveying intimacy and connection between her characters. There is a reference to a history between two of Juliana’s friends (Liz and Sam) that reminded me of a book I read but I was not able to find it on the author’s website so I might have been thinking of a different author.
I found the start of the book off putting, as Webster, or Web, comes across strong with Juliana. As soon as he meets her, he is determined to get her into bed. He is relentless in his manner, wording, and how he looks at her. She clearly gives back off signals which he disregards. It put the relationship on a physical level when I prefer some emotional sharing. In addition, it felt disrespectful – as if all Web thought about was HIS interest in a quick physical affair. If I hadn’t read other books by the author, I may not have continued.
Then Webster gets sick, and things change. His guard is down, and he appreciates Juliana’s care. He knows that he blew it before and becomes much more careful in the way he treats her. He wants to spend time getting to know her. It was a big reversal. You also find out that Webster was sent to boarding school when he was 6 and the author lost a big opportunity to bring in abandonment issues or the difficulty Web would have in trusting people. Spoiler…later in the book, Web reacts poorly to something that happens, and it felt like his character had drastic swings in behavior.
Juliana has an interesting history and I thought more of it could have been brought out. Like, Web’s possible abandonment issues, Juliana’s history would have affected her relationship with Web and others. I thought the author should have brought it out more.
The story switches between Juliana and Webster’s point of view with a couple of glimpses of what Alicia, Juliana’s aunt, is thinking. Alicia was a great character and very supportive of Juliana. I thought her character could have been developed more.
The technology mentioned is true to the date published.
I thought the book was ok.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nahh, this wasn't for me. Didn't get the h of this story at all. I could kind of get the whole keeping quiet about the dyslexic thing, if it weren't for the fact that the whole town seemed to know about it, so there was no need for her not to tell the H!
And I don't understand the whole keeping away from men. What was the reason? Was it just the dyslexia?
We only get to know that she was engaged to someone named Dennis and that he convinced her to try to get to grips with her dyslexia and then she dumped him (Hmm I could be wrong. I have already forgotten this snooz fest)
Don't think we got to really know why she dumped him either.
The H was sweet tho.
The second star is for him!

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually loved this story. Spoiler Alert: the woman suffers from a learning disability. I admire her tenacity and her determination. She doesn't let it beat her. And she is an over all unique character. She is a badass.

[CJ George · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished the annotated version of this 1993 book. Being a child of the sixties, the story felt like a warm blanket - so comforting and homey.

The annotations were terrific and charming and humorous, just like Suz B. would talk to you.

I especially recommend the annotated version.

[Donnajo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve had this paperback for years. Read more than half the book in one day.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge Suzanne Brockmann fan. About ten years ago, I fell in love with her Troubleshooters series and have been snatching up copies of her books - both her new releases and her backlist - at lightning speed ever since. I know that I can count on Brockmann's books to have a well thought out plot, diverse three-dimensional characters, and to be written in a style that comes across as natural and effortless (an effect that I know is difficult for most authors to achieve). These elements are especially well done in Brockmann’s later work, so it was with no small amount of trepidation that I picked up her first novel, Future Perfect. As it turns out, I was right to be wary. While there was nothing grossly wrong with Future Perfect, there wasn’t much that was special or memorable about it either.

The book’s main characters are Juliana Anderson and Webster Donovan. Juliana is the proprietor of a sleepy Victorian B&B. At first glance, she’s proper and prudish and tries to keep the world (especially the male half of the population) at a distance. But as Brockmann peels back the layers on her character, we see that Juliana has a rebellious past, and a penchant for leather (gasp!) and motorcycles (double gasp!). She has had her heart broken by an only vaguely described but undoubtedly idiotic ex-boyfriend named Dennis, and carries a deep, dark secret that I can assure you - without spoiling anything - is neither that dark, nor that well-kept a secret. Overall, Juliana was likeable enough, but there wasn’t anything so spectacular about her that I could understand the Romeo & Juliet-like devotion to her exhibited by the male lead. Speaking of which...

Webster is a tall, darkly handsome author from Boston who’s staying at the B&B while he works on the first draft of his new novel. On the surface he’s a charmingly cocksure playboy type, but underneath all that he has confidence issues that stem from childhood abandonment and keep him from believing in love. Except, what do you know?! He falls in love with Juliana pretty much right away and spends the rest of the book shooting puppy dog eyes at her and trying to get in her pants. Though I understand that Brockmann was trying to create a leading man who was more sensitive than your typical alpha male character, I found Donovan to be a little too sweet to be compelling, and his level of devotion sometimes bordered on pathetic rather than endearing.

In terms of the plot, I don’t really have much to say (and none of what I have to say is particularly kind). As a reader, I could see every minor conflict coming and could practically have written the climax and resolution myself... in my sleep. The whole thing came off feeling formulaic and forgettable.

As with any job, I’m sure that authors experience a considerable learning curve at the beginning of their career. I think that’s what we’re seeing here -- a pretty mediocre first foray into the genre that allowed Brockmann to cut her teeth and hone her craft to the level evident in the Troubleshooter series. Overall, the book was sweetly romantic if not terribly interesting.

Verdict: A completely serviceable romance novel, but even to a die-hard Brockmann fan this book probably would have been better left on the "out of print" list.

[Tonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Suzanne Brockman book I think I have ever read. I was very surprised. Pleasantly surprised. Juliana is a smart, witty, take no crap from anyone kind of woman. I love that she does the whole Victorian B&B, even down to the "dress-up." Webster grew on me. At first, I thought, she has got to be kiddy me. No modern day woman falls for lines, and moves like that. He can't be the love interest. But again, surprisingly his good nature and persistence won me over too. I love that during half of the book, I thought her secret might have been a daughter she had in her youth. Well, up until they talk about her Aunt "taping Webster's Book for her", and her criminal past. Until then, I never would have guessed she couldn't read. And for Webster to end up being the B&B critic after all, and the misunderstanding on both parties because of it was a great read. I can't tell you how many "misunderstandings" I have had with family and friends, all because we are not totally open and honest. To think how much yelling, heartache, and worry I have lived through that could have been prevented. Family and friends always find out in the end. We should all take a page from this book and learn from it. I know I can and will. The drama was in all the right spots, mixed with cheesy, corny humor. I loved it!!
It's not one of my all-time favorites that I will re-read dozens of times, but I will keep the book on my give it a second and maybe third reading when the mood strikes.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Future Perfect by Suzanne Brockmann
Julianna Anderson, bed and breakfast owner with historical period costumes makes meals with longtime ovens.
Webster Donovan, writer was a guest at the B&B. Although late arriving but staying for 6 weeks, Julianna though he was rather rude for not even calling to say he'd be late.
She realized how enticing he was when he had bumped into her before she crashed into the very expensive bowl that adorned a corner table.
Alesha is her aunt that also owns the B&B.
Jules takes care of him when he comes down with the flu and they both learn a lot about each other. Her past: tattoos, Harley, etc.
Her friend loans her a book he wrote that she's fallen in love with.
He agrees to dress in costume and help her entertain the guests as they have no TV or radio. Reading poetry and playing cards as they stay in character.
They get an afternoon off as Alesha is back and making dinner, so they go to ride the horses and are caught up in the heat of the moment.
Country songs of Nashville friends along with hot steamy sex make this a really good read.
Julianna is afraid to tell him her secret, once he knows he will leave, she knows that is what will happen, or will it?
He has some secrets from her also but before he can tell her there is an emergency and mother nature has her say.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a really early work by Suzanne Brockmann, this book doesn't show it's age at all. Although not as good as other early romances by her it is a solid 4 stars. I had a tough time with the heroine, Juliana. She was very closed off and for the first half of the book, the reader had no idea why. It made is hard to become attached to her and root for her HEA. The book really came to life for the ending.

Juliana and her great aunt own and rum a B&B. Webster has come there in order to write his 2nd bestseller book. He is having a terrible time getting it off the ground and procrastinates by hitting on Juliana. She thinks he is just a jerk. Web gets the flu and he and Juliana start to relate on a more honest level, but both of them still have secrets. Web is in love and Juliana loves him too, but all she wants is a relationship, not marriage. It takes a force of nature for them to come to terms with each other.

[Fritz42 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of Ms. Brockmann's earlier works, but I found I enjoyed the quiet development of the relationship between Juliana, the owner and operator of a Victorian bed-and-breakfast, and Webster, an author, who is a guest there. Webster is there for 6 weeks with the goal of finishing the first draft of his new book. Initially, they do not get along. Webster's "jerk-like" persona rubs Juliana the wrong way. He is determined to crack through her Victorian manner, but it isn't until she sees him humble and hurting that she slowly lets him in.

The conflict that later develops between them could have easily been avoided if the two of them would have just talked and not reacted. But then again, that's what happens in life. I think that's what I appreciate the most. It was a book about every day ordinary people and how they fall in love.

[Mombo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has stood the test of time. What, in my mind, was most remarkable was the way Juliana can keep a good secret! And I loved Webster who made an excellent hero. Even with his one major faux pas, he's not hard to forgive because it only makes him more human.

The insight into a writer's world was terrific and improves when SB explains her craft (maybe it's fiction, I don't know) with Letters to Kelly.

I'm not sure I'm ready for Born to Darkness. The excerpt didn't do anything for me or I missed the hook.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Web was really obnoxious when he arrived. I think part of it was that he was getting sick. He was also completely captivated by Julianna, and just didn't know what to do. Meanwhile, Julianna was completely floored by him. She couldn't believe the way he made her feel. As it turned out, he was a really sweet guy. I loved the way that he helped her out by dressing in Victorian clothes with her. As they spent time together, and got to know each other, their feelings grew stronger. Web realized that he didn't just want to sleep with her, he was happy just being with her. Julianna knew she was in love, but didn't want to give up her independence. It took quite a lot of work for them to finally work things out between them.

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's clear to me after reading this book that Brockmann's style has greatly evolved over the years. Many times during this read, I forgot I was reading a book by her because it is so different in tone, setting and pacing than her more recent works. But all that is not to say that this book wasn't a good read, because it was.

This story reminds me, in some ways, of Brockmann's other book Body Language. The story is simple, but so sweet. And that's the word that came to mind after finishing Future Perfect: sweet. Oh, there were some moments in the story where I just shook my head at the characters, but most of the story made sense and was, well, sweet.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the Troubleshooter series and I love Patrick Lawlor.

The H & H were both disappointing. She was annoying and snippy from the start. For no discernible reason he falls for her immediately. He would be likable if he weren't such a major woose. He grovels to her nearly constantly, and then has all this inner dialogue, "what was I thinking?" "It's too soon." "Should I apologize?" and on and on.

I love Suzanne Brockmann. I know this is one of her earlier books so I am going to go with that as the reason for this book. Definitely do not let it keep you from trying her other books. She generally rocks.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suzanne Brockmann is one of my favorite authors so I wasn't surprised I liked this book as much as I did she always delivers great work. I loved how the men in this book just put it all out there, they loved hard said what they were feeling/thinking and didn't care who knew or heard it. Reading those kind of straightforward passionate kind of male characters always makes me like them that much more. This book does contain an excerpt for Suzanne's forthcoming novel "Born to Darkness" and it got me hook, line and sinker with just those few teaser pages LOL can't wait for 3-2012!

[Mskychick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I LOVE this author's Troubleshooter books. I have thought some of Suzanne Brockmann's early works were ok, so when this book was rereleased, I read it. Fortunately, it only took about an hour and a half to read, so it wasn't a huge time sink. I did not enjoy this book at all, though. It did make me cry at the end with the HEA, but the characters were too flat and the story did not bring me into it. Do yourself a favor and just check this book out from the library if you are compelled to read this author's backlist.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I bought this book due to the re-issued cover with Paul Marron on it. And his bared chest. Still, it was a good read. Neither character was perfect so they were real (and stubborn in their own way). If you ever wanted to read about a dyslexic heroine who had to help deliver her best friend's baby boy during a snowstorm, this is for you. I, on the other hand, was having flashbacks to my youth, reading all those Jack London books that were set in Alaska. Brrrr.

[Seyi Adekola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok so yeah, the book is cool. Super handsome man falls in love with super sexy dyslexic woman. I have nothing against the story. This review is a stand alone, nothing I say matters. The worst thing you can do is to think you're alive. Sigh. Why am I being philosophical you ask? Well, I have no fucking Idea. I don't know what to say. I don't have the answers. I read a book called future perfect. It was cool. I should do something with my life.

[Lhenry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really feel you can't go wrong with Suzanne Brockmann, even with her earliest books and this was another good one. It was a pretty quiet story - no huge drama, enough misundertandings to make it interesting without being silly. As with many of the SB books I have read, I find I liked the hero a bit better than the heroine.

[Kaje Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly standard M/F romance, although Suzanne Brockmann's ear for dialogue and a less-than-typical heroine help it along. The more recent books by this author, particularly her Troubleshooter series, are a big step up from this and some of my favorite M/F romance, but this one is clearly an early effort.