Perfect by Kimberly Keagan
Series: Hearts on Display – Book 1
Publisher: Ventana Publishing, LLC
Release Date:  May 6, 2025
Genre:  Historical Romance

​​In the glittering era of the Gilded Age, the heirs of Philadelphia’s Denwall Department Stores navigate family expectations, relentless ambition, and unexpected love.

William Walraven’s picture perfect life is turned upside down when his fiancée jilts him for an English aristocrat and his father refuses to name him as his successor. To prove he’s worthy of leading Denwall Department Stores, Will must open their first New York store under budget and before the Christmas shopping season.

Overwhelmed by disappointment and a nearly impossible deadline, Will has no time for distractions—especially not the captivating bookseller he saves from being crushed by a beer wagon.

Ivy King and her aging grandmother are barely keeping their struggling bookshop afloat. Though drawn to the charming, enigmatic man who saved her life, Ivy has no illusions about her place in the world. It certainly isn’t beside a department store heir whose dazzling emporium threatens to close her family’s business.

Brought together in the wake of an attack on Will’s brother, Will and Ivy find themselves at a crossroads—torn between the expectations that define them and a future neither expected.

Perfect is a clean, wholesome historical romance featuring opposites-attract tension, class differences, a touch of mystery and humor, and an inspirational journey of faith and love.

PURCHASE LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

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About the Author

Kimberly Keagan discovered her love for romance novels at thirteen, often choosing a book over chores. She believes there’s nothing like being transported to another time and place to find a happily ever after.

Kimberly is blessed to have her own handsome hero husband and two wonderful children. After earning a degree in accounting, she enjoyed a career in investor relations, writing financial reports and press releases—terrific jobs, though not very romantic.

Now, she’s pursuing her dream of writing historical romance. Her short stories have been published in Spark Flash Fiction and Short Fiction Break. Kimberly’s debut novel will release in 2025.

When not reading or writing, Kimberly enjoys baking, gardening, watching sports, and researching her family tree.

Connect with Kimberly by visiting kimberlykeagan.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Author Q&A

CB: Kimberly, thank you for taking the time for this interview. I’m excited to learn more about you and your book, Perfect. Let’s jump right into the interview! 

I enjoyed hearing about how you started reading romance at a young age, around 13, by first borrowing books from your grandmother. Grandmothers certainly are special. How did this relationship and the books you read influence your writing?

Keagan: My grandmother grew up during the Depression and supported seven children by picking cotton. She had a huge heart (bigger than anyone I’ve ever known) and loved four things above all: the Lord, her family, romance books, and daytime soap operas. On my summer visits to her little house in Alabama, I grew to share those passions with her—though I have to admit, I’ve since given up soap operas! (Do they even exist anymore?) While my stories don’t take place in the South, I think my heroines take after my grandmother, women who live life with grace, strength, and humor.

CB: You said that you enjoy genealogy. Has any of your family history made its way into your writing?

Keagan: It has, though often in unexpected ways! Tracing family histories gives you a real sense of the struggles and triumphs ordinary people faced. My mother-in-law was adopted as a baby but didn’t discover that fact until after both her adoptive parents had passed. When researching her ancestry, we didn’t have much to go by, but I spent years digging and finally broke through the brick wall about eight years ago. Walraven, my hero’s last name, comes from that family. And while I haven’t written a direct family story yet, the spirit of perseverance I’ve seen in my ancestors—farmers, preachers, and small-town merchants—absolutely finds its way into my characters.

CB: Perfect is set during the Gilded Age in Philadelphia and New York. What attracted you to this era?

Keagan: I love the Gilded Age because it was a time when the world felt like it was balancing on the edge of something new and exciting. Industry was booming, fortunes were being made and lost overnight, and social rules were beginning to shift—especially for women. For me, the era sparks so many ideas about opportunity, ambition, and the push and pull between old and new. It’s such a dynamic, layered time period to explore through romance.

CB:  Ivy King is a working-class heroine, and Will Walraven is a wealthy department store heir. Why did you choose this “opposites attract” type of storyline? 

Keagan: I’m drawn to stories where characters come from different worlds but find common ground through shared values. Ivy and Will are opposites in so many ways, including background, wealth, even the way they see the future. But at their core, they both long for purpose and belonging. I wanted to show that love isn’t just about surface similarities, it’s about choosing to understand, support, and believe in each other, even when it’s difficult.

CB:  You describe Perfect as a wholesome romance with faith at its core. Is there something that you want readers to take away from Ivy and Will’s story?

Keagan: I hope readers walk away feeling encouraged that faith can carry us through seasons of uncertainty, and that true worth isn’t found in chasing the world’s idea of perfection. At its heart, Perfect is about realizing that the person we think is “right” for us isn’t always the one God has planned—and that striving for some human ideal of perfection can leave us blind to the beauty of how God already sees us: loved, chosen, and complete in Him. Ivy and Will both have to wrestle with those truths, learning that God’s plan is far better than anything they could have arranged on their own. If their story reminds even one reader that they are already enough in God’s eyes, that would mean everything to me.

CB:  How can readers best support you? What would mean the most as you prepare for the launch of Perfect?

Keagan:  Honestly, the best thing readers can do is simply share about the book—with friends, with family, with anyone who loves sweet romance. Leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or BookBub also makes such a difference, especially for a debut author like me. Every review, every word-of-mouth recommendation, truly helps the story find its way into the hands of readers. I’m so grateful for every bit of encouragement and support!

CB: Thank you so much, Kimberly, for taking the time to share your journey and insight with us! I hope that the launch of Perfect turns out, well, perfect!

Keagan: Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog and for the kind words and thoughtful questions! It’s been such a joy to share a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Perfect. I can’t wait for readers to meet Ivy and Will, and I hope their story offers a few hours of respite and enjoyment in this fast-paced world.

Thank you to JustRead Publicity Tours for connecting me with Kimberly Keagan.

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