Not a Perfect Science
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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By:
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Hadley Leggett
When the secretly miserable wife of a renowned marriage expert accidentally befriends the undercover journalist investigating him for fraud, all three must confront the consequences of their deceptions.
Dr. Darren Mitchell’s groundbreaking research can measure love on a brain scan, and he’s built an empire teaching couples how to make marriage last. Meanwhile, Nora Mitchell has played the devoted wife and mother, sacrificing her dream of becoming a journalist to support Darren’s skyrocketing career. She keeps her resentment buried deep—until a glamorous new neighbor moves next door.
A successful journalist and recent divorcée, Erika is everything Nora longs to be: bold, unapologetic, and fiercely independent. Their instant friendship awakens a dangerous desire in Nora to imagine herself outside her husband’s shadow. But unbeknownst to Nora, Erika didn’t arrive by accident. She’s investigating an anonymous tip alleging every scrap of Darren’s award-winning research is fake.
As Nora’s unwitting revelations lead Erika closer to the truth, and as Erika’s influence drives a deepening wedge in Nora’s marriage, both women must ask themselves: What are we willing to destroy to have the lives we were meant to live?
© 2026 by Hadley Leggett. ℗ 2026 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Critic reviews
“A science test that claims to accurately screen for proof of love is the clever and original background for this satisfyingly emotional novel by Hadley Leggett. Two very different women bitterly regret taking part in the test—an overburdened mother who happens to be married to the man behind the test, and a journalist out for revenge. Waiting for the truth about both the test’s authenticity and each woman’s motive to be revealed was a true on-the-edge-of-my-seat reading experience. Women’s fiction at its exciting best.” —Kitty Johnson, Amazon bestselling author of Five Winters and Where the Sea Lavender Grows
“Unputdownable, laugh-out-loud funny, and thought provoking all at the same time. You’ll wonder if Hadley Leggett is eavesdropping on your life in this relatable exploration of marriage, motherhood, friendship, and the art—and science—of love.” —Christine Gunderson, bestselling author of Friends with Secrets
“What if love could be measured via a brain scan? As soon as we heard the premise for Not a Perfect Science by Hadley Leggett, we were hooked! We loved this compelling deep dive into a celebrity marriage in trouble, a mother yearning for her lost identity, a perilous love triangle, and a neighbor determined to stir up big trouble. Underlying it all is Leggett’s trademark sharp commentary, this time trained on gender dynamics in both the home and workplace. Kudos to Leggett for another thought-provoking page-turner!” —Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman, coauthors of Ten Thousand Light Years from Okay