Imperfect Lives

A Novel

By: C. J. Washington

Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo, Cary Hite, Megan Tusing

From the author of The Intangible comes a powerful story of double lives, hidden truths, and the desire to have the perfect life, no matter the price.

When contract killer Cooper Franklin makes a deathbed confession, his revelations upend the lives of two strangers, setting them on an intersecting and ruinous path that imperils them both.

Widow and single mom Tamara Foster must reckon with the mystery of her late husband’s death and the secrets he left behind. As she digs deeper into his past to discover that she never truly knew him at all, her carefully reconstructed world begins to crumble all over again.

Cindy Fremont has worked hard for the perfect life, and she’s working even harder to keep it. So when Tamara shows up at her door seeking answers about her husband’s past, Cindy must reexamine the tracks she thought she’d carefully covered.

As the two women scramble to keep their lives together in the wake of Cooper’s confession, they soon realize that no matter how deeply the past is buried, it can always come back to find you.

©2023 C. J. Washington (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Jointly, the narrators reveal people struggling to make room for present and future dreams while boxed in by their irrevocable histories. Hite voices this contradiction with aplomb as hitman-with-a-conscience Cooper Franklin. Tamara, a scientist questioning whether she ever truly knew her late husband and haunted by an earlier family tragedy, is voiced with credible intelligence by Ojo. Finally, as Cindy, whose past is the key to one of Cooper's kills, Tusing evokes sympathy for someone who just wants to put her imperfections behind her but can't. An entertaining drama that benefits from the use of multiple narrators, rendering separate plotlines distinct.”—Library Journal

“C. J. Washington’s Imperfect Lives is an absorbing, cleverly plotted literary thriller that reveals a shocking connection between two strangers after an artist-cum-hit man’s deathbed confession. Washington keeps masterful control of the psychological tension throughout the novel, twisting the narratives into a taut and unforgettable ending.”—Chris Cander, author of A Gracious Neighbor

“A quiet study in how long of a shadow the unfinished business of the past can throw. Methodically, we see the lengths people go to maintain the appearance of a normal existence despite the truth being entirely different. The dialogue and step by step revelations of each character’s backstory drew me in. An engaging, provocative read.”—Colleen van Niekerk, author of A Conspiracy of Mothers

Captivating

How easy we are led into actions we never thought we would ever take. Had to read in one sitting, couldn't wait to find out what was next.
Thank you for a very good story.

4.5 stars

Imperfect Lives by C. J. Washington has a premise I thoroughly enjoyed: end of life confessions and the repercussions of them. It's also refreshing to have an author have secondary characters that are as "real" as the primary ones. I love multiple POVs that allow readers to figure out how everyone is intertwined, but think the execution fell a little short as I knew how it would end much, much too early. I still enjoyed the book, which is why I rate it 4.5 stars rounded up.

Adenrele Ojo as Cooper, Cary Hite as Tamara, and Megan Tusing as Cassie complemented each other well.

Don't do it!

If I wasn't listening for book club, I would have dnf this after the first few chapters. The weird relationship with the cat, Adenerele's male voice, the unnecessary content that didn't add to the story (donuts and mushrooms), and the way the story ended all contribute to my one star rating. I'm left with so many questions, and don't actually care about the answers. I don't usually leave a review for books that I rate less than three stars, but this entire story was extremely frustrating and I feel obligated to help other readers. Good luck if you give it a try!