Imperfect

by Monique Shantay

The debut novel by author Monique Shantay about the rekindling love affair between a naive young woman and the long lost love of her life. Despite her sketchy upbringing, aspiring singer-songwriter Kamila Winter has always believed in fairytales. The Chicago native was head-over-heels in love with the handsome lawyer, Jesse Bennett and was enthralled in her own version of Happily Ever After... until she caught her Prince Charming with another woman. Heartbroken, Kamila seeks refuge with her family and her fiery best friend, Dionne. Kamila soon discovers that Happily Ever After is not what she thought it would be. She soon learns from her own mistakes that in life, there are many shades of gray. While attending an open mic event with Dionne, Kamila is reunited with her high school sweetheart, Demarcus Cruz, with whom she hasn't spoken since his own act of infidelity. The gorgeous factory worker has just returned from Florida to care for his sick mother and never stopped loving Kamila. Her relationship with Jesse is rocky at best and Kamila soon realizes she still has feelings for Demarcus, who has grown from an emotionally distant troublemaker to a devoted and loving man. While on a road trip, secrets are revealed that change Kamila's life forever. As her relationship with Jesse becomes more distant, she finds herself turning to the ex she swore to never love again, resulting in an intense, erotic drama with twists at every turn.

296 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2018

About the author

Monique Shantay was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois in the Cabrini Green Housing Projects. She was introduced to writing at the age of ten, writing poems, songs, and short stories for fun. She began pursuing poetry more seriously in 2010 at the age of 26 with encouragement from her friends and loved ones. After uploading a few of her poems to YouTube, Monique was encouraged to enter her company's talent show in 2015. She won first place in the competition after performing her original poem, Good Enough. Since that day, she has performed at various open mic and community events around Monroe, Louisiana. Her poetry has been featured in the Monroe News-Star. After joining The Write Club at the Ouachita Parish Public Library, Monique was encouraged to participate in 2017's National Novel Writing Month challenge, completing 55,000 words towards her very first novel. Imperfect is the result of Monique's rise to that challenge. Her influences include hip-hop culture, soul music, and fantasy and romance novels. Monique's mission in life is to let the world know through her craft that it is never too late to follow your dreams.

Reviews

[Erica Wyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imperfect is a breath of fresh air! It’s so relatable and real. The characters are honest and the story is amazing! I can’t wait to see more work from this talented writer. Monique Shantay is proof of what women are capable of and I’m so proud to know her!

[T.S. Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There was a time when I was innocent and believed in magic."

This is true for so many people. The innocence of childhood leaves you in the worst of ways. This book is about a woman who has struggled in life, whose upbringing was impacted by violence and alcohol. Her adult life by betrayal and abuse. But there is also hope and friendship... sisterhood to see her through. I love that Kamila finds the strength to move past an impossible choice... to find forgiveness and seek redemption. Dionne is a badass... love her story too! I hope maybe she can can get her own. Great debut novel and will read more from this author!