Perfect Score

By Susan Roebuck, from Awe Struck Publishing

Feckless, exasperating Alex Finch is a rich, handsome and talented singer/songwriter who longs for two things: a career as a professional rock singer, and to have his love for Sam Barrowdale reciprocated. But drifter Sam's two aims are simply to earn enough money to pay his sister's medical bills and to hide from the world his reading/writing and speech disability. At this time the word "dyslexia" is generally unknown so to most people he's just a "retard". From the severe knocks life's dealt him, Sam's developed a tough outer coating and he has no time for a spoilt, selfish guitar player.

Despite his defects, Alex's love for Sam never wavers and when Sam unexpectedly disappears, Alex begins a somewhat bungling quest to find him, only to discover that Sam has a fearful enemy: Alex's powerful and influential yet sociopathic uncle.

As Alex spirals downwards towards alcoholism, many questions need answering. Just why did Alex's evil uncle adopt him at age eleven yet deny him any affection? And what's the mystery behind Alex's father's death?

Both seem to face unbeatable odds. Are they doomed to follow separate paths forever?

This is a romance that isn't really a romance, if that makes sense. It's about family life, coming of age, responsibility and finding your place--the romance is almost secondary, and at many points in the book I read and wondered how, and if, the romantic resolution was going to come about. It does though and in such a beautiful way. Honestly, I can't express just how well written that resolution is!

Centred around Alex and Sam Perfect Score tells the story of two people struggling to make sense of life and themselves in the 1960's. Ms. Roebuck writing style clearly expresses this time period, and though it was a little tricky at first to get used to the language she uses, I soon got into the saddle so to speak.

The characters of Alex and Sam are wildly different and this difference is perfectly (excuse the pun) shown throughout the book. You find yourself wondering who has it hardest of the two, Sam with his dyslexia or Alex with his evil uncle. Either way the characters are complex enough to grab your attention and keep it there. I'm still not sure who I liked the most. Sam seems the obvious but Alex grows on me with each reading (third time now).

I'm not going to give away the plot--I hate it when that happens--but I will say that the author has created something here that is a long way from the romantic norm. This is no easy read, the story, in many places, is so complex that you have to give it your absolute attention, each page must be carefully devoured before the next.

Again, no spoilers, but there is more than enough conflict to keep you on the edge and the author pulls it all together by the end of the book. Breath held I flipped (electronically of course) through the last pages, fists clenched, hoping to get the ending I wanted.

Ms Roebuck does not dissapoint and I would urge you to buy this book and add it to your keeper collection.

It can't be anything less than 5 hearts.