Chasing Perfection

by Fiona Emily

Annabel Camelia Evans considers herself smart. But smart isn't enough, not when you have big dreams. With the end of senior year looming, acceptance into her dream University degree requires perfection. When failure throws her into the orbit of a certain unkempt boy called Miles Rives, Annabel is left reeling. Her focus should be on final exams, not the boy who plays guitar and is the epitome of imperfection. But even smart people make mistakes. And as Annabel discovers, perfection comes with a cost...

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 30, 2023

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly well written book, and it is utterly relatable.

Fiona Emily has excellently portrayed the desperate grapple for perfection when it doesn't exist

And Miles, well he was a fine specimen of earth, in more ways than one.

I loved this book, it is a must read!!!

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! The authentic teenage angst in this book is next level! Then you’ve got the extremely relatable girl striving for perfection yet literally falling flat on her face and flashing her undies in front of a dreamy, tortured bad boy with great hair and mad guitar skills. This book ticked all my teenage angsty boxes and sent me right back to high school. Beautifully written with a depth of emotion that had me reading well into the night, this contemporary YA is utter perfection.

[Libby Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

All her life, Miss Perfect, Annabelle Evans buys into the tremendous pressure from her mother’s vision for her future, and has herself convinced it is what she wants and is ALL that matters. Until one day some cracks start to appear and at the same time Miles Rivers makes his inconvenient and confusing entrance into her world. Annabelle and Miles have each other figured out; she’s little miss perfect and he’s a bad boy who doesn’t care about anything or anyone, including himself. These estimations couldn’t be further from the truth and an unexpected and beautiful relationship develops between them. As the wheels fully come off and Annabelle’s world is turned upside down, to her it seems like her future is over. But through the mess what really matters becomes clear.
Throughout this beautiful tale, Fiona Emily whisked me away into Annabelle’s life, with all of its surprising twists and turns and depth of relationships, all the while feeling the tangible electricity and attraction building between Annabelle and Miles. I thoroughly enjoyed Chasing Perfection. It is a beautifully written book and hope to see more from this talented author in the future.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing Perfection by Fiona Emily has you engaged from the moment Annabel takes that first tumble in the classroom to the final sweet moments of the story. Meeting young Miles just adds to the initial excitement of this well written and engaging story. Through the description of the school with the flurry of activity of the basketball courts and the antics of the ‘cool kids’, you feel like you are right there with Annabel as she navigates the tricky and winding business of high school life. Meeting Miles was just the addition Annabel needed to her anxious high school existence. Or was it? There can be no doubt as we are right there with Annabel as she navigates her need for perfection, parental expectations and the lure of her hearts desire. As she navigates through the twists and turns you cannot help but be drawn in by the vivid descriptions, feeling like you are transported into the very heart of the story. Overall Fiona Emily has done an amazing job of bringing the characters to live in a tale well told of a story many can relate to! A great read and one I thoroughly recommend!

[Soph S · Rating 5 out of 5]

!! I'm warning you now, once you start reading this book you won't want to stop !!
Chasing Perfection is a heartwarming book, which focuses on a high school girl navigating her way through failures, pressure, stresses and love.
Something that made this book so enjoyable to read was the beautiful lessons and relatable struggles the main character has to go through.
The only bad thing about this book, was that it ended.
So, thankyou Fiona Emily for writing such a wonderful novel.
I definitely recommend reading.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exceptionally well written. It accurately describes the need to Excel and keep up with expectations. It’s so relatable as a student. It shows the ups and downs and realistic version of school life and maintaining good grades which people do not bring enough attention to in books and movies, while still having a sweet and wholesome ending. I loved it overall and is super hard to put down. I definitely recommend this book.

[J.H. Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness... I could NOT put this book down! I knew right from the start that I was going to like Miles Rivers. His cool and aloof persona sucked me straight into his orbit! And whilst I found it tricky to relate to 'little miss perfects' grades I could certainly see myself in her efforts. Throw in a few little twists and turns along the way and I found myself smiling, laughing and shocked throughout my page turning frenzy. I can't wait to see what Fiona Emily does next.

[Jodie Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been out of high school 20 years, but this book took me right back there and made me cry for the vulnerability and desperate need to succeed that the main character has in her final months of year 12. Despite that, she's not pathetic, and watching her work through her flaws, while exploring a new side of herself and of love, was uplifting. I didn't expect this book to hit so hard and it was wonderful.

[Talia L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is amazing, and I absolutely recommend it! Fiona Emily perfectly encapsulated the mind of a teen perfectionist who is struggling. The depth of the characters and relationships in this book is excellent and I was very happy with Annabel’s character development. I’m so glad she and Miles ended up together in the end (I was so worried for a bit!) 💜