A nice tale of finding yourself. I liked the characters and it made me laugh at a time when I needed some cheer. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This is a cute chick lit story with things I love--food and tv shows, a personal chef and picky clients. Definitely some humor, but it's nothing I will really remember after a period of time. Fun read if you're looking for something light and entertaining.

Really fun read! I think anyone would love this and its a great vacation read.

***I received a Kindle edition copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley***

3.5 Stars

Lizzie Glass is a former Food Network star who is now out of a job and looking for work for the summer. She is hired as a private chef for the Silvesters, a well off family who has a summer beach house. At first it seems like a dream job. There are dietary restrictions and some quirky requests, however Lizzie handles them well and get settled right in. Her surroundings are beautiful and the pay is great. Things start to take a turn as the summer goes on and the Silvesters start bringing their friends over. Sam in particular really grates on Lizzie's nerves. He's a crass, egotistical, overweight, rich businessman with orange skin and peach colored fuzz for hair (remind you of anyone in the public eye?). Other than a few obnoxious friends, Lizzie also has to deal with her employers' daughter Zoe. She comes and goes as she pleases and seems to have a bone to pick with Lizzie. When Lizzie discovers something about Zoe she is forced to make a decision that could cost her her new job and possibly destroy other lives at the same time.

I've been in a book lull. Every book I've picked up lately seems to drag and take me forever to get through. I needed a book that would be a quick and easy read but still have enough substance to hold my interest. This book was exactly what I was looking for. I really liked Lizzie's character and loved the descriptions of all the food she was cooking. I would have liked a little more perspective from Zoe and more explanation behind her actions. Overall, I would recommend this book and look forward to more from the author.

What a fab quick read this was. I loved the characters and the story and would recommend to anyone. The “baddies” are ones you can really hate which is fun and the story developed quickly which made it an excellent read but without lacking anything. The picture was painted so you could see everything in your mind and truly enjoy the story. Very much enjoyed it thank you for letting me read it.

Lizzie Glass had it all. A show on the Food Network, showing healthy cooking options every Saturday morning. A two-book cookbook deal with a major New York publisher. A monthly food column in a prestigious magazine. And she was just out of college. 

But little by little, her life changed. Her show was cancelled. Her cookbooks stopped selling. She was forced to work as a personal chef just to afford the rent on her Manhattan apartment in a trendy neighborhood, and then for her much smaller Manhattan apartment at the edge of a far less trendy neighborhood. And then a shake-up at the magazine meant her monthly column went to another chef, so Lizzie felt like it was time to move back to her mother's place in Philadelphia, to figure out where to go next. 

"Next" turned out to be a beach house on the Jersey Shore, where she got a summer job as a private chef for an ultra-wealthy media mogul and his wife. Despite it being a step down from where she was, Lizzie quickly got accustomed to the lavish kitchen and the fresh food from the local farmer's market and the short walk to the ocean. She was willing to put up with her nervous chatterbox of a boss all summer. She was even willing to apologize for past sins and make amends to her former college roommate, who had helped her set up her original cable access show and who Lizzie left behind when she made the leap to the Food Network. 

But it's her clients' daughter Zoe, an internet personality in her early 20s, who is Lizzie's biggest threat. Her website, The Clean Life, promotes organic, vegan cooking. But there is a problem with her premise, and Lizzie can see through it. Pointing it out could potentially save lives, but it could also destroy not only Zoe's online reputation and Lizzie's job and her new potential relationship, it could also bring to light secrets from Lizzie's past that she'd rather not revisit. 

Virtually Perfect, the debut novel from Paige Roberts, is just that. It is virtually perfect. Smart and interesting, offering a glimpse behind the scenes of life as a private chef, this novel is packed with likable characters, a strong plot, an interesting sense of place, humor, timeliness, and the perfect balance. Adorable and fun, Virtually Perfect is the perfect novel for a day at the beach or a day snuggled in front of the fire wishing for a beach. A great read for foodies!



Galleys for Virtually Perfect were provided by Kensington Books through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book and looked forward to reading it. It was well paced, but slightly predictable at times. The characters were somewhat well-formed, shallow when they needed to be. I especially liked how Lizzie's mother (Susan)'s story unfolded in a series of emails from Susan to her sister. It was a good change from the rest of the book and set that story line slightly apart.

Even though it was predicable, it was entertaining. A perfect light beach read.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. The main characters are very likeable and the dislikeable ones are indeed dislikeable. The protagonist, Lizzie, is very relatable and easy to root for. She is a good, strong, female character. While her love interest is charming and chivalrous, she doesn’t rely on him.

The very difficult topics covered in this book, of which there are many, are very well dealt with. There is enough humour and lightheartedness to stop it being depressing and I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I will seek out others by this author.

Lizzie Glass once had it all going for her with a successful TV show, cookbook deal and living the life of her stardom with attending parties and events. However, now she's lost everything she worked hard for with her show and magazine column being cancelled. With her only option being to take on a summer job, Lizzie never imagined she'd wind up a personal chef for a wealthy and eccentric family. Will she be able to do her job without letting their family problems get to be too much for her, or will her chance at happy ever after with Nate Silvester slip away because his family are a bunch of crazies?

Books of the Women's Fiction / Chick-Lit genre are not something I read a lot of, but after reading the blurb to this story I decided to give it a chance, and I've got to say that it was a story that had me smiling or laughing because of all the heroine goes through because the Silvester family are quirky, cunning and enough to drive anyone insane. The way this story started had me feeling sorry for the heroine, as she's going through a tough time and it's only going to get tougher, especially since she's lost everything she's worked so hard for and there's no way she's going to get it back.

As for the dialogue, it was a wonderful combination of intense and amusing moments that had me wanting to discover whether the heroine would end up quitting or getting fired, because Mrs. Silvester is a bit full on with her ability to not know when to be quiet and believing her daughter can do no wrong. However, I liked how the heroine was resilient and courageous in challenging the Silvesters to see that their daughter is a spoilt brat that they should not allow to get away with half the stuff she does. Yet, what I liked most of all is that the heroine had an ally; someone willing to do right by the heroine.

Overall, Ms. Roberts has penned a fascinating and utterly engaging read in this book where the chemistry between Lizzie and Nate was wonderful and the ending had me sympathizing with the heroine. Why couldn't the Silvesters realize that their daughter is a troublemaker of the worst kind and that they're only enabling her with all that they do for her? Why couldn't Lizzie's mother have been honest with Lizzie about what was happening in her life? Will Lizzie be able to convince her mom to do the right thing when it comes to what's going on with her? However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up nicely, because of how things are going for Lizzie in both her career and her love life. I would recommend Virtually Perfect by Paige Roberts, if you enjoy Chick Lit; stories about a heroine down on her luck but managing to bounce back in the end; or books by authors Julie Pennell, Erin Watt, Debbie Macomber and Jenn McKinlay.

Lizzie Grant appears to have it all: magazine column, successful cooking show, fame. But, with the blink of an eye – it’s all gone and she’s feeling like a failure. But there are bills that need paying, and since she is a chef, the opportunity to work for a wealthy Jersey Shore family as their private chef seems to be the perfect opportunity to realign her life and decide what’s next.

The Silvesters are particular with their restrictive diets and a daughter that is a self-proclaimed wellness warrior. While not spefically about the food and cooking, the story delves into Lizzie’s discovery of the choices made, good and bad, and the realization that her own life is also in need of rework. Zoe Silvester is simply a façade – her entire being is wrapped up in the Wellness Warrior persona, a persona that is at best false, at worse detrimental. Lizzie sees this, but her stepping forward will reveal the shortcuts and misleading moments in her own rise to fame. Zoe’s mother Kathryn is just despicable and one of those ‘all for show” people, with an inability to take responsibility for her own mistakes and missteps, preferring to toss everyone and everything under the bus as she flounces away bragging about her wealth and ignoring all discord and drama that she doesn’t create herself. Lizzie’s mum Susan is truly lovely and caring, but their relationship is also in need of a retooling, and while her story is used as a bit of diversion from Lizzie’s, with her own moments of finding herself, it was predictable but refreshing: a nice chance from the interior monologues, created drama with Zoe and Kathryn, and Lizzie’s rather disappointing love life.

As a debut, Roberts managed to create solid characters and compelling situations that present consequences, and show (with Lizzie and Susan) the positive value of finding a new direction and moving forward after a perceived failure or bump in the road. Where I got stuck was the lack of pronouns, causing an extraordinary set of echoes: frustrating in the abstract, annoying in reality. Lizzie said, Lizzie thought, Lizzie wondered when the ‘who’ is clearly apparent and present is overkill, and had me catching myself to stop skimming through the pages. Simple editing choices that would have eliminated these echoes and found a better way to reinforce the concepts and important moments then repeating them over and over. While the overwhelming theme in this story is of redemption and redefinition after a setback did stand strongly after the last page, the ride to the end was a bit more effort than it should have been.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=”http://wp.me/p3OmRo-9nw/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I’m always up for a food-themed novel and this one caught my eye. I had heard about it several months before it published and knew that I had to devour it as soon as I had the chance. And devour it, I did!

Paige Roberts makes writing seem effortless, even when I’m sure she put a lot of effort into it. Her words just flowed throughout the pages, making me want to read her novel non-stop. I had no idea what would happen from one chapter to the next and was in for a lot fun (and sometimes outlandish) surprises.

I liked the variety of characters in this story. It was clear whom you could trust and whom to avoid. Paige creates some truly despicable characters that make the story even more exciting because you want to know that they’ll get their just desserts. I think it would be fun for Paige to write a book about Zoe and try to make her into a likable character. I think she has some potential to change. Kathryn, on the other hand, is a piece of work!

Lizzie is truly likable throughout, but I wish she would have shared what really happened with her TV show ending. It sounded like there was more than meets the eye, from what she alluded to, but she never got into details. The story probably could have worked just as well in first person, but I enjoyed Lizzie’s perspective no matter what. I couldn’t even imagine having her job and trying to cook for so many different dietary requirements. She sure had her hands full! The descriptions made everything easy to visualize without taking away from the narrative.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this novel. It was a nice distraction from everything else I have to get done during the week and I looked forward to any chance I got to pick it up each day. I look forward to reading more from Paige Roberts!

Dream movie cast:
Lizzie: Milana Vayntrub
Zoe: Skyler Samuels
Kathryn: Dina Meyer
Nate: Jason Ritter
April: Megalyn Echikunwoke

I really enjoyed this book. It held my attention and kept me on my toes.

This was a very enjoyable read that had my attention from the very first page. I really enjoyed the author's writing style with a nice easy flow and pace to the story and characters that you either loved or hated. I found it thought provoking while entertaining which is always a great combination in a book.

Once a culinary darling, Lizzie Glass had a popular TV show, professional recognition, and enough money to live a nice life. When the show gets canceled she finds that the fame and recognition dry up pretty quickly and she finds herself desperate for a job just to pay the bills. Unable to find anything else she takes a summer job as a personal chef for the Silvesters. A wealthy yet slightly crazy family. Well actually more than slightly crazy each with their own special dietary needs it proves very challenging. The most challenging of all is Zoe. Zoe could be the one Silvester that could completely shatter Lizzie's well crafted life.

I definitely recommend this one.

In finding all the literary reads I have stacked up a little daunting, it was nice to turn to some easy chick lit reads. This book wasn't as satisfying as I hoped, however, mostly because there was So. Much. Drama. I have trouble reading about fictional characters with mental health issues posing challenges to the protagonist, because I think it's too easy to paint them as "crazy" contributors to the plot drama rather than to grapple with what is happening for them and why. The publisher's summary was very similar to another book I read earlier in the summer (Laura Dave's Hello Sunshine), and as it turns out, I didn't like that one nearly as much as I expected either. Overall, it was less light and more drama than I had hoped for -- not terrible but not among my favorites either.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Coming down from having your own television programme and being a star of sorts to now being a personal chef - yes to a rich, spoilt, dysfunctional family is a bit of a come down and Lizzie is finding it difficult to come to grips with it. Anyone would. You have to deal with people with quirky tastes, some of whom are arrogant and rude and treat the hired help as just that. With Zoe the daughter of the house wanting to emphasise the difference it becomes awkward and difficult.

Lots of different personalities in this story (I felt one too many) but the storyline itself was a nicely crafted story. One young woman has to reinvent and recreate herself in the way she knows how to make an independent life for herself.

It was a bit bland in parts but generally a very readable story.

Goodreads review posted on 14/9/2017. Not permitted as yet on Amazon. Posted on my blog on 5/11/2017. Also linked to my FB page.

A really good fun easy read, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book and read it all in one day!
The book follows the story of Lizzie, who was once a TV chef and is now struggling to make ends meet. She ends up as a personal chef to the Silvesters, Jim and Kathryn, their daughter Zoe and Jim's son Nate, and the book takes place over the summer. The book is also interspersed with letters from Lizzies mother to her sister which added to the plot.
The characters are well written and you end up sympathising with Lizzie and hoping everything works out OK for her.
A great first novel and I llok forward to reading the next one.

Everyone makes mistakes. However, some mistakes have serious consequences. This book explores some of those mistakes and the consequences that can be small and those that can be wide spread. Lizzy is a chef, who had her own cooking show, that was cancelled 5 years prior. She is doing individual cooking jobs for people, where she makes food for them and leaves the food in the customers refrigerator. However, she really needs to make more money, as she is simply not bringing in enough. Enter the Silvester family, with a summer home at Avalon. They are multi-millionaires who find themselves minus a cook at the last minute, after the cook they hired, quit after hearing about something that occurred the summer before. Kathryn Silvester, the matriarch brushes that aside in her interview with Lizzy and since she needed a job that would make good money and her aunt Linda had recommended her for the job, she took it. Once she arrives at Avalon, she slowly finds out what she agreed to, with all of its quirks, annoyances, and amazing (albeit crazy) moments. This book was one that I could not put down. It was full of great,well developed characters, interesting twists and turns, and some sit on the end of your seat moments. It is a creative story, not one I have seen used before, and full of originality, which also hooks the reader. A great summer read!

I thought this was a nice change of pace from the heavy books I've been reading lately. I would read more of this author's works, as I enjoyed the book. The main character was well written, and so were many of the supporting details. I thought that the book kind of fizzled out at the end, like the author didn't know what she wanted to do with the plot so it just ended.

I enjoyed this book! Lizzie Glass was a famed TV chef, until she wasn't. Virtually Perfect tells the story of Lizzie as she finds herself after losing her fame and fortune and gets a job working for a wealthy family as a personal chef. While a bit predictable, the story still sucked you in with the details of the Silvester's opulence and the great characterization. A fun, light read.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.