Perfect on Paper

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I loved the relationship Darcy had with her sister Ainsley. I liked how it wasn’t made into a big deal that Ainsley was transgender because it just wasn’t a big deal. Ainsley’s family was loving and accepting and nothing more needed to be said. One thing I loved so dearly about OMD is that we saw a bi character in a m/f relationship and I don’t think we see enough of that. Bi people are still bi no matter who they are dating. In OMD that was very much a side plot but here that is the front and center narrative. Darcy is so beautifully and unabashedly queer, even when she starts to have feelings for Alexander. Her queerness is such an integral part of her identity and it was fantastic to see how Darcy navigated that while within a m/relationship. Thank you so much to the publishers for providing me with an eArc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Friendships were on the menu, a smattering of drama, lots of secrets and lies and problematic parents. I liked Brooke but only a bit, Ray definintely grew on me, Ainsley was fab and Brougham delivered on the slow building chemistry. Brougham slowly defrosted in this story and I enjoyed the reveal of his character. Brougham. Pronounced BRO-um, not Broom. It was an easy name to remember, because it was pronounced all wrong, and that had irked me since the first time I’d heard it.There was really just so much to love about this book. In addition to adoring Darcy, I also really adored Brougham. He comes across as arrogant and obnoxious at first but it becomes clear over time that he is soft boy with a very dysfunctional home life, who just really needs a hug. I loved watching his friendship with Darcy evolve as they worked together and got to know each other better.

Honestly, I tend to stay away from straight up romances. The genre itself is a mix bag for me, but I am so, so, so glad I read this. There are so many great topics in this book: biphobia, setting boundaries, questioning asexuality and the pressure of having sex. Darcy's advice is something I wish I had when I was in high school (hell, I wish I had it now). Sophia Gonzales is the representation queen. She manages to write in representation for so many queer identities - Bi-Sexual, Lesbian, Gay, Aromantic, Asexual, Trans, Questioning. And she brings awareness to important topics like bi-phobia, drinking, drugs, toxic parents - but in a way thats completely naturally interwoven into the story so that it doesn’t even feel like you’re learning a lesson. I wish I had gone to this high school where the kids were so open, accepting, and watched out for each other like these characters do. Has maybe not the best judgement when it comes to her best friend, Brooke...who is in love with someone else. The characterisations and romances were so brilliant- I literally squealed at one "romancy" moment! Perhaps the most endearing part of the story is just how real Darcy is - she is a girl who could be your classmate, your neighbor, your friend. Darcy struggles with her identity in a variety of ways - from questioning what it means to her and the world to be bisexual to having friendship issues - which makes her relatable on different levels.From the looks of the very wet guy standing behind me, though, I’d made a fatal miscalculation. Apparently, someone did use the pool this late in the day. She has her own reasons for keeping her identity safe. If people find out, more secrets may surface. And can any high schooler really stand to have the rest of the school know their secret? Positives

In this riveting diverse YA contemporary, the Netflix TV show Sex Education meets Too All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy by Jenny Han when a young teenage bisexual girl struggles between giving relationship advices and applying them to her own love life. Gonzales has crafted a lively story with multilayered appeal...then wraps it all up in an electrifying love story.” — Booklist The romance was impressively written. Perfect on Paper somehow managed to combine my love of the fake dating trop a lá To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with the sweet, slow-burn that starts as friendship that made me love If I’m Being Honest so much. I love watching a romance unfold through characters’ thoughts and actions and not just being told, and that’s exactly what we are given in Perfect on Paper. In short, it was spectacular. Perfect on Paper was smart, thoughtful, funny, and everything I love about YA and more. This is my first book by Sophie Gonzales and I loved the writing style and humor. I thought the author also did a fantastic job with representation and diversity. The relationship advice and love tutor/coach premise has been attempted in books before, but Gonzales put such a fresh spin on it that it felt very new and exciting. The characters and situations were layered and complex, and were laid out in such an honest and relatable way. A highly inclusive read with many characters identifying as LGBTQ+, this delightful foray into the world of high school relationships is a fantastic read for romance fans.” — School Library JournalI absolutely loved this book. As a bisexual female, who was in love with my female best friend, and now dating a straight cismale, I have never related so much to a character.

Tal vez me ha faltado algo de realismo o empatizar más con las motivaciones y acciones de algunos secundarios, porque tal y como están contadas algunas resoluciones, me parecen inverosímiles, pero puede que sea porque yo personalmente no podría aceptar nunca algo así, y creo que eso dice mucho de lo realista que me ha parecido el resto del libro. Ultimately, there were very few things I disliked about this book. Darcy was a bi disaster but I loved her anyway. The way she cared about and protected her friends and her sister were so relatable. Plus, I just couldn’t get enough of her and Brougham’s relationship. Their witty banter and hesitant flirting was so endearing, and was part of what made this book just so amazing. Thanks to #partner @NetGalley and @wednesdaybooks for the digital ARC of Sophie Gonzales’s Perfect on Paper in exchange for an honest review. I’m also thrilled to have read this as part of a buddy read with @lovearctually! The book will be published on Tuesday, March 9. Perfect On Paper is one of those books I could have read in one sitting. Had I been able to pause time and all my responsibilities, I would have stayed up all night reading this book. But there was a bonus to not being able to do that, as I then had something to look forward to reading when I got home from work! I am so grateful I got the opportunity to read the ARC of this book because it was such a fun read that made me smile – something we all need in our lives these days. I also want to stress the fact that this book is funny. Like really funny. I laughed out loud multiple times and smile throughout most of the rest of the book. It was refreshing to read such a novel and I have not come across as funny as this one in YA in a while.

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There were multiple times when just reading Darcy's thoughts made me burst into tears out of recognition. I genuinely don't think I've read anything that explains internalised biphobia as well as this book did- some of the conversation was putting to words feelings I have never even managed to give coherent thoughts to. In her second novel, following THE MATZAH BALL, Jean Meltzer continues writing about something that she's rather an expert on: Jewish life. MR. PERFECT ON PAPER is a charming tale of finding love where you least expect it. While a romance, it's also a glimpse into the lives of people who are struggling but keep their problems private.