Perfect On Paper Book Review

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Hi everyone! Today I’m going to be reviewing Perfect On Paper by Sophie Gonzales.

Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Perfect On Paper follows our protagonist, Darcy, and her journey with running a secret relationship advice service through a deserted school locker. Her business has been a secret for years, until the irritating Brougham catches her and she is roped into helping him win his ex-girlfriend back. If you’re looking for an interesting slow burn which will keep you tearing through the pages, this one is definitely for you!

After reading Only Mostly Devastated, I was desperate to get my hands on more of Gonzales’ work. Luckily for me, Perfect On Paper did not disappoint – I didn’t think I could love it any more than Only Mostly Devastated but I was pleasantly surprised. I think Perfect On Paper might actually be my favourite contemporary read of the year so far, and now that I’ve finished it I will once again be on the hunt for more of Gonzales’ work – she’s definitely become one of my favourite authors!

There were so many things which made this book so wonderful. The friendship, advice giving, and excellent characters all really contributed to my love of Perfect On Paper – but I think the thing I loved the most was almost definitely Darcy and Brougham’s romance.

There was just something about them which made me root for them throughout. Even at the beginning, when the two could barely tolerate each other, I was planning their wedding. It sort of reminded me of Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney, actually – the development the two went through was quite similar. That being said, I think Darcy and Brougham had that much more chemistry, which is so important when reading a romance!

Of course, the relationship wasn’t the only thing which made the book so amazing – there were also the friendships. Despite the obvious issues, I really liked Darcy and Brooke’s friendship, and how close the two were. I was so relieved when they were able to move past the secrets and lies and start anew. It was abundantly clear how much they both cared about each other – particularly Darcy at the beginning, as for a good portion of the book she was crushing on Brooke – and it was great to see them find their way back to each other. They had so many great moments together and I was so relieved it wasn’t all thrown away!

Of course, most of the issues between them stemmed from Darcy’s actions. Despite this, I think this only made me like her character more; she was human, she was flawed, and she made mistakes. There was something about seeing someone mess up so spectacularly which really elevated the book – it was refreshing to read a character who wasn’t perfect, and so nice to see her develop and grow from her mistakes!

Brougham was another character who really developed – at the beginning he was very stiff and rude, but there was a real shift in his behavior after they went to Disneyland. I loved reading him become more open and vulnerable with Darcy and seeing a much softer side of him, and by the end he was definitely one of my favourite characters!

I also really enjoyed the letters and responses included. Much like Not My Problem by Ciera Smyth, the advice aspect was definitely one of my favourite parts of the book, and was really interesting to read. Darcy really knew what she was talking about and it showed – the only problem she had was with applying that same knowledge to her own issues with regards to her love life.

The diversity and representation in this book was also incredible. Darcy and Brooke were both a part of the Queer And Questioning club, which featured a multitude of great characters. I thought this was a really fab addition of Gonzales’ and I found it really interesting and insightful reading about the group’s different struggles. Darcy herself was bisexual, and during the book Gonzales explored the theme of biphobia and the implications of it, which was all handled incredibly sensitively.

Family was another key theme in this book. Darcy’s parents had divorced when she was a lot younger, and this was explored throughout the book, particularly when she was helping Brougham with his own family issues. I also really loved the relationship between Darcy and her sister, Ainsley, as they were incredibly close and I love reading good sibling relationships in the book. Ainsley herself was ridiculously funny and I definitely giggled a lot at her character!

Of course, most of this giggling occurred near the end – which was absolutely amazing, by the way. The ending in Perfect On Paper was absolutely perfect and I really loved the way it all came together at the end. Reading all the potential loose ends being tied up so nicely was lovely to read and Gonzales did a really great job with it. The only issue I had with it was that it essentially left no room for a sequel, which I would love to read!

Overall, I would recommend Perfect On Paper for anyone searching for a fantastic story of friendship, romance, and the general craziness that can be high school. I would also recommend it for anyone searching for a book with some really amazing characters as the ones in here jumped through the pages!

I hope you enjoyed this review!

Ceri

63 thoughts on “Perfect On Paper Book Review”

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  2. I like the sound of this book, romance isn’t normally my genre, and although I’m probably not the target audience, I think I’ll add this to my reading list as it sounds intriguing and as though it would be fun to read.

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  9. This is the first time I am hearing of this book but I would love to read it. It sounds like a must read and the plot summary is so intriguing. I’ll add this to my to be read list. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. I’m so glad to hear that you like the sound of it! It definitely is, I’m so glad you like the sound of the plot – the advice aspect really hooked me. I really hope you enjoy, thank you so much for reading and commenting!

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  11. Oh, that’s high praise indeed if your only dislike was no room for a sequel! This sounds like a really good read. I don’t know the author but now I’m very intrigued, also to find out more about her earlier novel too. Great review, thank you for sharing!

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    1. Books with a high school setting can certainly be a great escape, so I’m glad you like the sound of this one. I really hope you enjoy it when you get in that mood, thank you so much for reading and commenting.

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  15. This book sounds worth reading. I love romance and reading about it And the format of letters and responses is something I really like in books especially if they give practical/productive advice.

    I’ll definitely be looking out for this book.

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    1. It definitely is! So do I, it’s definitely up there with my favourite genres. The advice aspect was definitely really interesting – and it always seemed spot on! I really hope you enjoy, thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment.

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  16. This sounds like a lovely story and I love your enthusiastic review (always a good indicator of a great read). Thanks for sharing this great review!

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  19. I’m happy to hear that Sophie’s past work made you check this book out. It’s always such a treat when your next read ends up being even better than the last! I’ll have to add this to my list since you spoke so highly of it! Thanks for sharing Ceri!

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    1. Thank you so much, I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying my reviews! I’d definitely recommend giving this a go anyway, it’s a lovely light hearted read. Thank you so much for reading and commenting.

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  25. This sounds absolutely brilliant! I love that the author has brought serious issues like biphobia discussions into the plotline, but also made it a romantic pageturner ☺️ The letters and relationship advice sound fun to read, too. Thanks for sharing this review!

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    1. It really is, I’d highly recommend it! So do I, I don’t think I’ve read a book which featured it before but it was really insightful. The advice aspect was something I haven’t read much of too, but it was absolutely brilliant! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment.

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    1. I’m so glad to hear that you might give it a go anyway – I really loved it, it was a lovely quick read! I hope you enjoy if you end up picking it up, thank you so much for reading and commenting x

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  29. I really like the sound of Perfect on Paper, the idea of relationship advice being given in secret is an intriguing idea. Nice to hear that there is character development and the romance between Darcy and Brougham takes off. Its also great to hear that there have been tough subjects brought up as well, I like when an author tackles issues that are relevant and can have teachable moments as well.

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    1. I’m so glad to hear that you like the sound of it! I definitely agree, I think the whole concept behind the locker and advice was what initially drew me in. Character development and romance are always a must! The discussion of tough topics is definitely super important to include and I think the ones included were so relevant to the twenty first century – although we’ve came an awful long way, there’s still a way to go. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment, I really appreciate it!

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    1. I’m so glad to hear that you like the sound of it despite it not being your usual genre! I definitely agree, I love how character driven romances are. I really hope you enjoy when you get to it, thank you so much for reading and commenting.

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