Picture Imperfect by Lea Santos

Picture Imperfect
by Lea Santos
Pages: 208
Date: September 1 2010
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: Amigas y Amor (3rd in series)

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: June 21 2016

My third book by this author. This is the third of the four Lea Santos books. I gave the first two I read ratings of 5 stars each. The third book is the one that I had noticed, even before trying the first Santos book, that everyone loved most of all.

Paloma Perea Vargas and Deanne Vargas have been together seventeen years, since high school, specifically some time in sophomore year (baring a brief father induced separation during sophomore-junior summer break). They have been ‘married’ for fourteen years now. But Paloma has just had enough with feeling like Deanne doesn’t even see her any longer, and has kicked Deanne out of the house they share together with their two children (one is 8, other is 6 – the children, not Paloma and Deanne, that would be weird).

Their relationship problems stem directly from their own childhood experiences, and from the fact that they have never had a romantic relationship beyond the one they share with each other, so they do not have any personal experience with relationships beyond whatever they’ve picked up together.

By ‘directly from their own childhood experiences’ I mean: Deanne developed two traits that she picked up in reaction from growing up. Victor, Deanne’s father (who she always refers to as Victor), left Deanne’s mother at some point when Deanne was still a child. He was lazy and lived to party. Victor, by leaving, abandoned both a wife, and five children. The mother, Rosario, had to pick up three jobs just to make ends meet. In reaction to this issue, Deanne has developed the need to not be her father. To not be lazy, to not run out/party/etc. So she shows her love by working, by providing, by self-sacrificing her free time. So, sometimes, certain ‘events’ get forgotten or missed, because of ‘work’. Deanne sees this as providing for her family the way she knows how. Paloma sees this as putting work first as priority, and basically abandoning her family – though she never actually says anything, but we’ll get to Paloma shortly.

To add to that need to work in reaction to her lazy father, Deanne also picked up something from her mother. Though based on her interactions with her mother, not based on her mother’s own experiences. At times Deanne did certain things that caused her mother to become angry with her. Deanne reacted by hiding from the problem. Her mother would, eventually, return to her normal happy personality. Deanne learned, from repeated cycles of this hiding, that the way to deal with issues is to hide from them. They will fix themselves. So, when Deanne feels/knows/senses that Paloma is upset, and angry with her, she reverts to her childhood – she hides. Paloma, though, just seems to get angrier and not revert to a happy state. Deanne does not know how to react to this situation. Like the part about not having sex for the last six months – Deanne wants to hump Paloma, but Paloma is giving off massive ‘keep away’ vibes. So, Deanne keeps away.

This reinforces the problems, adding to them. In Paloma’s own mind, Deanne’s lack of attention, lack of pouncing on her indicates that Deanne doesn’t want her any longer. Is physically repulsed by her or something. Plus she senses that Deanne has had some odd change that occurred 8 years ago – right around the time their first child was born. But Paloma also picked up something from her childhood. Directly from her mother. The need to self-sacrifice, to support, to be a housewife. To not complain. So Paloma shows her ‘problems’ with the current situation by withdrawing, though with a smile, to keeping her emotions bottled up, to never, once, using her mouth to actually convey that there is an issue.

Discussing the break-up, after Paloma kicked Deanne out of the house, one of Paloma’s friends made some comment or another. Probably along the lines of ‘well, did you ever tell her what the issue(s) were?’ to which Paloma responded with something like ‘but I shouldn’t have to if she really loved me!’ I’ve seen that attitude in MF books. This might be the first time I’ve seen that in an FF book.

Well, as noted, 14 – 17 year relationship. Poof. Gone. Because neither party knew how to communicate and things got steadily worse. Until one finally broke down and kicked the other out of the house. Instead of, you know, ever actually mentioning that there were issues. Or talking. Hell, they never even fought. Just, boom.

Paloma: ‘We haven’t had sex in six months! She hasn’t made a move on me!’
A friend: ‘Did you?’
Paloma: ‘I shouldn’t have to!’
A friend: ‘How did ‘action’ initiate in the past?’
Paloma: ‘Well, I’d make a move first.’
*stares*

Right. So. The friends saw Paloma and Deanne’s relationship as perfect. From the outside. But it wasn’t, not from the inside. Hence the book title – ‘Picture Imperfect’. Though I mentioned the friends more so that I could indicate that the other couples from books 1 and 2 of this series pop up in this book. And the one who turns up in the fourth book, Madeira Pacias, Torien Pacias sister, is mentioned in this book (in an ‘I haven’t had sex in six months, I need sex, I should hump Madeira, and she humps everyone.’ ‘Don’t talk about my future sister that way; even if I admit that she is a player’).

Ah, this book. I felt a certain wave of anger at both parties while reading this book. That is not how I wish to spend my time reading, in a state of anger. Of the four Santos books, though, this one is the one everyone apparently loved the most.

Oh, and for those who care about such things – the series moved from super fit and chiseled gardener hooking up with a supermodel to a woman who self-describes herself as being chubby (‘I had two children!’). Though she might have lost that chubbiness along the way. There was some indication of that.

And, another tidbit of information I do not know where to put: “I’m thirty-two years old, for God’s sake.” (As said by Paloma, so, she is 32).

Right, so, good book. *nods* On to next.

June 21 2016