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Perfect on Paper
352 pages
A sharp, big-hearted rom-com about a know-it-all advice dispenser who has to learn how to take her own medicine.
What it feels like
Reading this feels like stepping into the brightly lit, high-stakes ecosystem of high school, guided by a narrator who is as sharply observant as she is entirely oblivious to her own heart. The pacing is wonderfully brisk, propelled by snappy banter, secret-keeping, and the delicious tension of an enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Beneath the witty, rom-com exterior lies a surprisingly tender exploration of bisexual identity, internalized fears, and the messy reality of teenage friendships. The prose is conversational and deeply relatable, capturing the exact frequency of a smart, defensive teen who uses intellect as a shield. It is a chaotic, sun-lit, and ultimately joyful experience that will delight anyone who loves watching a lovable disaster slowly figure out how to be vulnerable.
- Mood
- chaotic
- hopeful
- high-energy
- angsty-lite
- Tone
- wry
- snarky
- vulnerable
- humorous
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- messy queer adolescence · fear of vulnerability · the burden of keeping secrets · navigating biphobia · owning your mistakes
- The writing
- Snappy and dialogue-driven, anchored by a sharp, self-deprecating first-person voice that feels authentically teen.
- The arc
- Moves from a place of defensive, guarded control to a messy, vulnerable surrender to real love and self-acceptance.
- Who it's for
- Fans of quick-witted, trope-heavy rom-coms featuring messy, bisexual protagonists who are better at fixing other people's lives than their own.
Content notes
- biphobia
- toxic friendship dynamics
- underage drinking
About the book
Darcy Phillips: Can give you the solution to any of your relationship woes - for a fee. Uses her power for good. Most of the time. Really cannot stand the new Australian jock at school, Alexander Brougham. Has maybe not the best judgement when it comes to her best friend, Brooke...who is in love with someone else. Does not appreciate being blackmailed.
But when Brougham catches Darcy in the act of collecting letters from locker 89 - out of which she's been running her questionably legal, anonymous relationship advice service - that's exactly what happens. In exchange for keeping her secret, Darcy begrudgingly agrees to become his personal dating coach. The goal? To help him win his ex-girlfriend back.
Darcy has good reason to keep her identity secret. If word gets out that she's behind the locker, some things she's not proud of will come to light, and there's a good chance Brooke will never speak to her again.
Okay, so all she has to do is help an entitled, bratty, (annoyingly hot) guy win over a girl who's already fallen for him once? What could possibly go wrong?
Description from Open Library.
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