What do you think?
Rate this book
Perfect Match
Could you chose between your marriage and your child? Just when Karen and Joe Eastman thought they had it all - the perfect marriage and the perfect family - they learn that their young son, Ben, has a terminal illness. The only cure is for them to have a 'designer baby' to provide him with a perfect match bone-marrow transplant. But, in the process, a devastating family secret is revealed that not only jeopardises the one hope of their son having a future but also threatens to destroy their marriage..."Perfect Match" is the compelling story of a seemingly perfect marriage torn apart by betrayal and seemingly impossible choices.
- GenresFiction
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
9 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Jane Moore
83 books64 followersJane Moore is an English journalist, author and television presenter, best known as a columnist for The Sun newspaper and as a panellist and anchor on the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women between 1999 and 2002, returning as a regular panellist from 2013 onwards. Since 2018 Moore has been regularly relief-anchoring the show.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 8, 2017
This is a great book about the things people do when they're in pain and the consequences of those actions.
Joe and Karen are married and supposedly have a perfect marriage but it is soon revealed that a year or so into the marriage, Joe had an affair that went on for several months. Karen knew about it and one night has a drunken sex moment with a man she meets at a party. The man happens to be an important British government official. Joe and Karen manage to repair their marriage after Karen finds out she is pregnant and life goes on until it turns out that the child, Ben, has a serious blood disease that can only be cured with a perfect genetic match bone marrow donation. Then Karen finds out that the father of Ben isn't Joe but the one night stand and so Joe and Karen ask the politician, Nick (who is married to a woman who desperately wants a child but can't have one and whom Nick loves a lot), to donate sperm so that they can have a genetic match to save Ben.
After Joe forces Nick to donate by using the tabloid press, the baby Charlie is born. Joe leaves Karen while still wanting to parent Ben because he can't handle the fact that Charlie isn't his and he wants to punish Karen for her one moment of weakness. The book ends with Joe reluctantly including Charlie in his weekly visit with Ben and maybe reconciling with Karen again, although that option seems really remote.
The pain of having to make difficult choices for all parties involved is very, very well done and the ambiguous ending well suited the story's tough choice drama.
I really enjoyed this one but I do want to add that Karen should have removed Joe from both her and the boys lives. Granted, Joe was a good parent to Ben when he was ill, but the hypocrisy of both him and his bitch of a mother was just too much for me to forgive. It was well illustrated that Joe and his mum loved Ben but that wasn't enough to mitigate their treatment of Karen or mitigate the attitude to Charlie that Joe had. His mum was too much of a meddler and too judgemental for my taste and Karen needed to make the tough choice to acknowledge that Joe didn't love her the way she loved him and also needed to acknowledge that the well being of her children was more important than pacifying Joe's ego. Karen made a mistake but Joe made a huge life choice and he really doesn't deserve to remain in either of the boy's lives.
Ironically, Joe has lots more responsibility for Charlie's conception, the only factor is he did not provide the sperm donation, and yet he consistently refuses to parent. He willfully backs out of taking any responsibility for Charlie and it is this moral failure that really makes him unworthy and nonredeemable as a person in my book.
Ben and Charlie are going to have enough to overcome in the future with Charlie being created to save Ben's life and Joe's selfishness plus his hypocritical moral choices are not the role models young men need to have to grow up and be good people. Karen was stuck on how much she loved Joe but she had ample demonstration that Joe is only capable of selective limited love and so I really wanted to see her cut Joe out of their lives, he just wasn't the kind of person I would want around children and I did not believe he was worth all the angst and pain. Ben was young enough that Joe would eventually fade from his mind and I really believe that the turbulent future would have been much better had Karen taken the kids and moved to New Zealand where her parents were.
Karen needed to wake up to the fact that Joe was a weak, immoral coward incapable of acting outside his own selfish wants and he will never step up to the plate the way he should. She loves an ideal created when Ben was sick, but the reality is Joe is pretty worthless as a husband and father. I did understand his feelings but still, he was not the kind of person whom Karen should have in her life and especially not around Ben and Charlie, he just isn't good enough to invest in and she needed to move on in a huge way.
The book doesn't end that way and I could understand why Karen acted as she did, so while I prefer my version, I was okay enough with how it ended to still rate this as a really good but not perfect story of how bad choices make great stories.
Joe and Karen are married and supposedly have a perfect marriage but it is soon revealed that a year or so into the marriage, Joe had an affair that went on for several months. Karen knew about it and one night has a drunken sex moment with a man she meets at a party. The man happens to be an important British government official. Joe and Karen manage to repair their marriage after Karen finds out she is pregnant and life goes on until it turns out that the child, Ben, has a serious blood disease that can only be cured with a perfect genetic match bone marrow donation. Then Karen finds out that the father of Ben isn't Joe but the one night stand and so Joe and Karen ask the politician, Nick (who is married to a woman who desperately wants a child but can't have one and whom Nick loves a lot), to donate sperm so that they can have a genetic match to save Ben.
After Joe forces Nick to donate by using the tabloid press, the baby Charlie is born. Joe leaves Karen while still wanting to parent Ben because he can't handle the fact that Charlie isn't his and he wants to punish Karen for her one moment of weakness. The book ends with Joe reluctantly including Charlie in his weekly visit with Ben and maybe reconciling with Karen again, although that option seems really remote.
The pain of having to make difficult choices for all parties involved is very, very well done and the ambiguous ending well suited the story's tough choice drama.
I really enjoyed this one but I do want to add that Karen should have removed Joe from both her and the boys lives. Granted, Joe was a good parent to Ben when he was ill, but the hypocrisy of both him and his bitch of a mother was just too much for me to forgive. It was well illustrated that Joe and his mum loved Ben but that wasn't enough to mitigate their treatment of Karen or mitigate the attitude to Charlie that Joe had. His mum was too much of a meddler and too judgemental for my taste and Karen needed to make the tough choice to acknowledge that Joe didn't love her the way she loved him and also needed to acknowledge that the well being of her children was more important than pacifying Joe's ego. Karen made a mistake but Joe made a huge life choice and he really doesn't deserve to remain in either of the boy's lives.
Ironically, Joe has lots more responsibility for Charlie's conception, the only factor is he did not provide the sperm donation, and yet he consistently refuses to parent. He willfully backs out of taking any responsibility for Charlie and it is this moral failure that really makes him unworthy and nonredeemable as a person in my book.
Ben and Charlie are going to have enough to overcome in the future with Charlie being created to save Ben's life and Joe's selfishness plus his hypocritical moral choices are not the role models young men need to have to grow up and be good people. Karen was stuck on how much she loved Joe but she had ample demonstration that Joe is only capable of selective limited love and so I really wanted to see her cut Joe out of their lives, he just wasn't the kind of person I would want around children and I did not believe he was worth all the angst and pain. Ben was young enough that Joe would eventually fade from his mind and I really believe that the turbulent future would have been much better had Karen taken the kids and moved to New Zealand where her parents were.
Karen needed to wake up to the fact that Joe was a weak, immoral coward incapable of acting outside his own selfish wants and he will never step up to the plate the way he should. She loves an ideal created when Ben was sick, but the reality is Joe is pretty worthless as a husband and father. I did understand his feelings but still, he was not the kind of person whom Karen should have in her life and especially not around Ben and Charlie, he just isn't good enough to invest in and she needed to move on in a huge way.
The book doesn't end that way and I could understand why Karen acted as she did, so while I prefer my version, I was okay enough with how it ended to still rate this as a really good but not perfect story of how bad choices make great stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2010
Joe and Karen Eastman are feeling incredibly lucky – they are happily married to each other and have just had their first child together, a little boy called Ben. But things are about to explode in a bad way when they find out their precious son has a terminal illness, and one which is only going to be curable by the creation of a “designer baby”, a brother or sister who is a perfect genetic match for little Ben. But during the process, a devastating secret is revealed which is going to rock everybody involvd to their very cores… can they still save Ben and save their marriage too?
The plot certainly isn’t a light one, and is going to shock you and make you count your lucky stars that your children are okay…I know that when I got to the end I couldn’t help but give Harry a big hug and thank the Lord that he is such a healthy boy! But this is what I loved about the book. It is very gritty, it delves into topics most authors would avoid and Moore really gets into the heads of the characters so that all of their actions are believable and you can really sympathy for all of them at some point throughout the book.
Because the secrets are revealed periodically throughout the book, I obviously am not going to spoil them for you now in this review, as that would be stupid. But I can talk about them in a general way. I didn’t see most of the twists coming at all, Moore has a great way of writing which leads you in one direction and then shocks you with a massive revelation that leaves you completely shocked about, which is quite a talent. And despite the nature of the twist, I actually felt sympathy for all of the characters and I could totally understand the plight of all of them despite the horrible circumstances they have come to be in.
The main bulk of the book focuses on Karen and Joe, and of course their sick little boy Ben, although luckily he isn’t in too much of the story, I think if he was I would have been weeping for most of it! The relationship between Karen and Joe is so realistic – a couple who have been together a long time, still love each other but have sort of drifted apart somewhat. Both of these were likeable people, and the way they interacted with each other, and with their son was readable, enjoyable and most of all totally believable and this is the best part of Moore’s writing for me. Although there are others in the book, I don’t really want to say much at all about them as I’ll spoil the story, but again they are superbly written, really delving deep into their emotions and bringing out another range of opinions from the reader regarding the main story.
The cover of the book doesn’t really give anything away about the story, its just a picture of a woman dressed smartly, throwing away a ring (wedding ring?) with pretty pink writing, which I don’t think does justice to the gritty and topical story within its pages. Moore has really picked a controversial subject here, that of “designer babies” and whether they are right or wrong, but somehow the way she has written it makes you think there is no alternative but to have another baby, right or wrong. She doesn’t preach at all about the subject, but clearly shows how any parent would have to choose to save their sick child, whatever the cost and this is why the book is so emotive, particularly for parents to read. Its not an easy subject to write about but it does happen and it is interesting to read a novel based around this idea.
I absolutely loved this book and I just couldn’t put it down. From its interesting topic to the relationships and arguments that take place throughout the book, Moore has written a story which is going to be a pleasure to read for anyone but one that moves you and strikes a chord with you, so much so that you’ll be thinking about this book long after you turn the last page. It has likeable characters, an emotional pull at the heart strings dottd throughout, and an easy-to-read third person narrative, allowing you to slip in and out of the lives of the multiple characters in the book with ease. It was a joy to read, I actually didn’t want it to end but felt satisfied that as I turned the last page, I had enjoyed every word and that it had ended how I felt I would have ended it too! A pleasure to read, and I’d thoroughly recommend it without a doubt.
http://chicklitreviews.com
The plot certainly isn’t a light one, and is going to shock you and make you count your lucky stars that your children are okay…I know that when I got to the end I couldn’t help but give Harry a big hug and thank the Lord that he is such a healthy boy! But this is what I loved about the book. It is very gritty, it delves into topics most authors would avoid and Moore really gets into the heads of the characters so that all of their actions are believable and you can really sympathy for all of them at some point throughout the book.
Because the secrets are revealed periodically throughout the book, I obviously am not going to spoil them for you now in this review, as that would be stupid. But I can talk about them in a general way. I didn’t see most of the twists coming at all, Moore has a great way of writing which leads you in one direction and then shocks you with a massive revelation that leaves you completely shocked about, which is quite a talent. And despite the nature of the twist, I actually felt sympathy for all of the characters and I could totally understand the plight of all of them despite the horrible circumstances they have come to be in.
The main bulk of the book focuses on Karen and Joe, and of course their sick little boy Ben, although luckily he isn’t in too much of the story, I think if he was I would have been weeping for most of it! The relationship between Karen and Joe is so realistic – a couple who have been together a long time, still love each other but have sort of drifted apart somewhat. Both of these were likeable people, and the way they interacted with each other, and with their son was readable, enjoyable and most of all totally believable and this is the best part of Moore’s writing for me. Although there are others in the book, I don’t really want to say much at all about them as I’ll spoil the story, but again they are superbly written, really delving deep into their emotions and bringing out another range of opinions from the reader regarding the main story.
The cover of the book doesn’t really give anything away about the story, its just a picture of a woman dressed smartly, throwing away a ring (wedding ring?) with pretty pink writing, which I don’t think does justice to the gritty and topical story within its pages. Moore has really picked a controversial subject here, that of “designer babies” and whether they are right or wrong, but somehow the way she has written it makes you think there is no alternative but to have another baby, right or wrong. She doesn’t preach at all about the subject, but clearly shows how any parent would have to choose to save their sick child, whatever the cost and this is why the book is so emotive, particularly for parents to read. Its not an easy subject to write about but it does happen and it is interesting to read a novel based around this idea.
I absolutely loved this book and I just couldn’t put it down. From its interesting topic to the relationships and arguments that take place throughout the book, Moore has written a story which is going to be a pleasure to read for anyone but one that moves you and strikes a chord with you, so much so that you’ll be thinking about this book long after you turn the last page. It has likeable characters, an emotional pull at the heart strings dottd throughout, and an easy-to-read third person narrative, allowing you to slip in and out of the lives of the multiple characters in the book with ease. It was a joy to read, I actually didn’t want it to end but felt satisfied that as I turned the last page, I had enjoyed every word and that it had ended how I felt I would have ended it too! A pleasure to read, and I’d thoroughly recommend it without a doubt.
http://chicklitreviews.com
July 1, 2010
It was an enjoyable read and it took me only three hours to finish this book. Still, I can't seem to shake the feeling that there was a lot more the author could have done with the story. It also had an open ending and I'm not a fan of that...
May 20, 2020
Would have received 5 star if the ending wasn't rushed and left open. A further chapter showing where the couples were 6 months later would have been nice.
November 26, 2010
The cover looks all chick-lit-ty, but I liked the synopsis(es?) i had read and decided to give it a try. And really enjoyed it. It helps that I could empathize/feel for/hate most of the characters in it. While I did have some trouble with her writing style (she writes like a non-native speaker (am one myself, so...) who uses the thesaurus option on Word a lot - some very proper English and weird sentence constructions; some inconsistent tenses; some poor editing), I realized that if I had ever written (doubt I will ever write one) a book, it would have dealt with the same themes in much the same manner.
When she discussed certain issues and their implications, the explanations seemed a little trite. Like she had to say them, but didnt want to spend too many words on them, so finished it up in as text-booky language as possible, to get the point across.
But, yes, this book did get me slightly teary-eyed...
When she discussed certain issues and their implications, the explanations seemed a little trite. Like she had to say them, but didnt want to spend too many words on them, so finished it up in as text-booky language as possible, to get the point across.
But, yes, this book did get me slightly teary-eyed...
August 20, 2012
Highly predictable story. was bored as from page 20 but managed to finish it.
September 17, 2017
The premise of Perfect Match is both intuiting and a thought provoking topic. I largely enjoyed the book and the reading style was easy for me to get into, after recently finding it difficult to stick at a book through to the end.
Joe and Karen are raising a child who is desperately ill and whose chance at a healthy life lies with a transplant, needing to come from a 'designer baby'. This is further complicated by a revelation which shakes the family, causing each character to face different dilemmas and make difficult decisions.
I largely related to how Karen reacts and behaves through the story but less so towards her husband. I thought of him as selfish at times and removed himself away from situations in which he'd had a hand in creating. That said I found myself wanting to find out how the book ended and had thought out what I wanted for the characters at the end of the book.
With regards to the front cover- I'd ignore the image posted here. It is misleading- the version I read had a much more appropriate cover.
An easy read which suited my needs, though I have read similar themed books which are better written and detailed.
Joe and Karen are raising a child who is desperately ill and whose chance at a healthy life lies with a transplant, needing to come from a 'designer baby'. This is further complicated by a revelation which shakes the family, causing each character to face different dilemmas and make difficult decisions.
I largely related to how Karen reacts and behaves through the story but less so towards her husband. I thought of him as selfish at times and removed himself away from situations in which he'd had a hand in creating. That said I found myself wanting to find out how the book ended and had thought out what I wanted for the characters at the end of the book.
With regards to the front cover- I'd ignore the image posted here. It is misleading- the version I read had a much more appropriate cover.
An easy read which suited my needs, though I have read similar themed books which are better written and detailed.
August 18, 2025
This has been on my to read list since 2019. I actually had the book on a bedroom shelf. Finally got to it and again I was drawn in by the author Jane Moore. The characters were real and flawed. The storyline was unique but horrific it was gritty. I enjoyed the book.
October 16, 2018
Wow!! What a book, full of twists, turns and lots of surprise. I really enjoyed this book as this is something that happens alot in today's world
October 16, 2023
Good read
June 3, 2024
This book was very so-so for me. It was just enough to keep me reading, but I was looking forward to it ending.
September 3, 2015
Having read only one Jane Moore novel before (Fourplay) I was expecting the same sort of thing – a light, funny chick-lit book with just enough plot to keep me amused for a couple of hours. What I actually got was a surprisingly touching story with characters I found some sympathy for.
In a nutshell, Karen and Joe Eastman have a far from perfect marriage but they are happy, never more so than when their son is born. But when they discover that young Ben has a terminal illness, their lives are changed forever. The only way they can cure Ben’s illness is by having a “designer baby”. For any parent this would be a no-brainer, but things are not as simple as they seem. Well, it wouldn’t be a very interesting book if it was would it?
For Karen and Joe, the secrets that are revealed during the search for a cure threatens to break up the whole family. They must both make very difficult decisions and face some unpalatable truths if they are going to save their son.
From the very first page, Perfect Match was compelling, emotional and entertaining and completely different from “Fourplay”. It is not exactly great literature, but it is a very engaging read.
In a nutshell, Karen and Joe Eastman have a far from perfect marriage but they are happy, never more so than when their son is born. But when they discover that young Ben has a terminal illness, their lives are changed forever. The only way they can cure Ben’s illness is by having a “designer baby”. For any parent this would be a no-brainer, but things are not as simple as they seem. Well, it wouldn’t be a very interesting book if it was would it?
For Karen and Joe, the secrets that are revealed during the search for a cure threatens to break up the whole family. They must both make very difficult decisions and face some unpalatable truths if they are going to save their son.
From the very first page, Perfect Match was compelling, emotional and entertaining and completely different from “Fourplay”. It is not exactly great literature, but it is a very engaging read.
June 23, 2013
When I read the blurb, I was expecting an emotional drama full of tears, so just to be prepared, I kept some tissues by my side. As it turns out, the story is complicated with so many threads woven together to make it appealing to the reader.
To be honest, I have mixed reactions towards the book. At some places, I felt it is a remarkable story of a family who is fighting to survive their child who is terminally ill. But some situations and behavior of the characters is so awkward that I find it hard to believe. The characters are carved out in a way that I cannot relate to them. If I put myself in their shoes, I would probably react differently and may not agree to the decisions that they make. That is just my point of view!
Overall, not a bad story but maybe required a more expert writing to deal with such a sensitive and mature storyline.
To be honest, I have mixed reactions towards the book. At some places, I felt it is a remarkable story of a family who is fighting to survive their child who is terminally ill. But some situations and behavior of the characters is so awkward that I find it hard to believe. The characters are carved out in a way that I cannot relate to them. If I put myself in their shoes, I would probably react differently and may not agree to the decisions that they make. That is just my point of view!
Overall, not a bad story but maybe required a more expert writing to deal with such a sensitive and mature storyline.
March 31, 2013
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
With a tagline - "Could you choose between your marriage and your child?" - you can guarantee that there will be drama and the main character will definitely have a few decisions to make in the book. Karen Eastman has a child who has a debilitating illness and there are very few options to help him overcome the disease - one being to have a child that is a "perfect match" to allow for a true bone marrow transplant. After tests are run, Karen learns things about her child and her family that will set this family down a very rough road. At the beginning another storyline of the Health Secretary and his wife's struggle to get pregnant is paralleling but for a moment the reader is unsure when they will intersect and how it will affect each couple.
With a tagline - "Could you choose between your marriage and your child?" - you can guarantee that there will be drama and the main character will definitely have a few decisions to make in the book. Karen Eastman has a child who has a debilitating illness and there are very few options to help him overcome the disease - one being to have a child that is a "perfect match" to allow for a true bone marrow transplant. After tests are run, Karen learns things about her child and her family that will set this family down a very rough road. At the beginning another storyline of the Health Secretary and his wife's struggle to get pregnant is paralleling but for a moment the reader is unsure when they will intersect and how it will affect each couple.
May 3, 2010
When Ben Eastman is born he is everything his parents had hoped for, a beautiful son to start their family. Sadly they soon discover that Ben has a terminal illness and his only hope is a stem-cell transplant from a genetic match - a "designer baby". What follows is the revelation of a bombshell that not only threatens Ben's survival but that of his parents marriage.
This is a well written novel that asks some difficult ethical questions, ones to which there are no right answers and where decisions made can both help and harm.
Worth a read.
This is a well written novel that asks some difficult ethical questions, ones to which there are no right answers and where decisions made can both help and harm.
Worth a read.
May 21, 2012
Wat heb ik genoten van dit boek!!! Geweldig verhaal, mooi onderwerp en goed uitgewerkte personages. Door de verschillende verhaallijnen word het boek geen moment saai, sterker nog het enige wat ik wilde bij dit boek was doorlezen, elk vrij momentje pakte ik het boek op, dus dan krijgt zo'n boek gewoon vijf stemmen en een plekje in mijn top tien. Een ware aanrader voor iedereen die van romantische en/of familieverhalen houd.
December 27, 2010
A sad book. The person I feel sorry for the most is Charlie. I'm not sure where I stand on having a baby just to save another baby. I don't think I'd want that to be the reason for my exsitence. Althought I actually quiet liked the rest of the characters, they were all abit selfish. Made me cry a fair few times.
April 20, 2011
This is the second book I have read by this Author, the cover did look
strange, but I never judge a book by the cover, it was different to
what I usually read, a shocking plot, and good characters and very
emotional throughout, I thank god my children are ok. I quite enjoyed
it, and read it quickly, it was easy to get absorbed into the book, I
would definitely recommend.
strange, but I never judge a book by the cover, it was different to
what I usually read, a shocking plot, and good characters and very
emotional throughout, I thank god my children are ok. I quite enjoyed
it, and read it quickly, it was easy to get absorbed into the book, I
would definitely recommend.
May 18, 2012
This book really pulls at the emotional heart strings & tries to engage you into the complicated issues of parenthood. I throughly enjoyed this book as it showed the points of view & emotions on both sides of the stories of the people involved and how it affects others e.g grandparents & friends. A brave & successful attempt.
May 21, 2012
Ik moest even in het verhaal komen, maar daarna werd ik er helemaal ingezogen. Het is een chicklit, maar wel ééntje met een serieuze onderwerp waardoor ik twijfel of het niet meer een roman is. Maar goed, dat laten we dan maar even in het midden ;-) Het is een ontzettend mooi boek, waarbij je steeds meegeslingerd wordt tussen de gevoelens van Joe en Karin en met hen meeworsteld. Een aanrader!
July 5, 2020
Reminiscent of the Jodi Piccoult book on the same theme of a designer baby to save a sibling, but in a British context. Touchingly written with an ending which still left the reader guessing (but hopefully) to the final outcome of Karen and Joe's relationship. But that for me made it a more realistic story.
October 14, 2009
I was suprisingly impressed by this book. I expected it to be pretty average, but it turned out to be a page-turner. Finished it in a couple of days. I loved the twist in the already gritty storyline. Makes a change for something that comes across as chick-lit.
January 23, 2013
It was all right - didn't have to think about it too much! Clarified my thinking about not having kids though!! :)
February 25, 2014
Good read - English phraseology hard to understand for those not familiar with it
February 4, 2016
Really enjoyed it. I liked the way it didn't necessarily have a 'they all lived happily ever after' ending.
March 5, 2019
One word . . . B O R I N G
November 3, 2009
Great read, really enjoyed this book
Read
July 30, 2011A fantastic book, couldnt put it down - soooo recommend this one
July 6, 2015
Wasn't a fan of this book at all, I struggled to get through it.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews