This book was so much fun! The cast of characters felt very diverse and I really like that LGBTQ+ issues were discussed the way they were. I feel like my high school experience would’ve been much easier if I had this book. The characters were all loveable and frustrating at time, which tells me they’re real and complex. Would definitely recommend!

Right from the start, Perfect on Paper is a veritable fount of queer diversity. The main character, Darcy, is bi. Her best friend, Brook, is a lesbian. Her sister, Ainsley, is trans. She is part of the Queer and Questioning club at school. So many queer books out there are a coming out story and those are extremely valid! But it’s so refreshing to read a story where a character is just queer from the start, no coming out or hiding themselves, and we go from there.

Darcy runs a secret relationship advice service using an unused locker at her school. Students write a letter, put it in Locker 89 with $10 and an email, and get advice in return. Her own relationship history is nearly non-existent but she does her research. Relationship advice YouTubers are her go to for knowledge.

She’s been doing this for two years and no one knew it was her. Until she’s checking the locker and Alexander Brougham catches her in the act. Lucky for her, he doesn’t want the school to know who runs Locker 89. He just wants to know how to get his ex back and he’s willing to pay her handsomely for it. Darcy agrees, reluctantly.

Lucky for us, unlucky for Darcy, this isn’t the only drama in her life. Darcy is in love with her best friend, Brooke. For all that Darcy can dish out relationship advice, she has a hard time applying her knowledge to her own romantic relationships. Then Brooke gets a girlfriend and Darcy does something horrible: she uses private information she learns from Locker 89 to break them up. With this and her budding friendship with Brougham, she’s pretty busy.

I feel like I’ve never read something with such well rounded characters in my life. And I love how Gonzales portrays the families in this story. Darcy’s parents are divorced and have been for a while but she describes how they fought for years before they actually separated. Brougham’s parents also fight all the time. My parents did the same thing. I always felt so alienated when my friends had such (seemingly) normal home lives with parents who loved each other. They didn’t have to deal with constant fighting all the time. They didn’t have to deal with feeling tense around raised voices, or with having to put in headphones to drown out the yelling.

The problems Darcy faces about her sexuality are next level, proceeding far beyond what other books tackle. It’s not just another coming out story. She’s not the only queer character in a sea of straight people. She’s not closeted or isolated. Queer people are not looked down on at her school, they aren’t a novelty. Even so, Perfect on Paper is the first book I’ve seen that addresses internal biphobia and has a productive, positive conversation about it. It deals with problems in the queer community, not just the supposed problem of queer people existing in society at all. It’s so very important to have these stories out there, to broaden the scope of queer literature, especially for young adults who are just beginning to question things themselves. There’s gay, lesbian, and bisexual. But there’s also asexual, aromantic, pansexual, and others that aren’t explicitly mentioned. It’s a stepping stone to a larger conversation but, hey, a single book can’t be expected to delve into the complexities of every single gender and sexuality out there.

It also deals with accountability. The following paragraph is a little spoiler-y. But it’s still very vague!

***Darcy has to make amends for what she does to Brooke. She has to make up for lying to her mom about the locker, and to the other students when everyone finds out. She gets punished, not just by the direct results of her actions. She apologizes and it’s not immediately accepted. She has to go the extra mile to make up for what she did and even then it’s not enough. So she goes further. But she respects Brooke’s boundaries and doesn’t push in where she’s not welcome. There’s even a conversation later, when Darcy is preparing to call Brooke and apologize. Thinking about it, she doesn’t end up calling, instead texting Brooke. She doesn't want to make Brooke feel obligated to pick up the call and listen to an apology she might not be ready to accept. She’s so respectful it makes me want to cry.***

Maybe that’s a little too mature. But Darcy spends all her spare time watching relationship advice videos, likely intended for adults. She’s lived through her parent’s divorce and she has an older sister. Being a little more mature for her age isn’t unheard of. She still does stupid things for her own gain but maybe she’s more aware of the consequences and so feels a million times more guilty for it. Oh the price of maturity.

Unique and innovative, Perfect on Paper is an excellent read and well deserves five stars.

Fans of Sex Education will love this book.

I did not closely read the synopsis for this book before I started it and I'm glad I didn't - it made for a fun surprise! Darcy Phillips runs a relationship advice service for her high school from an abandoned locker. Her customer satisfaction rate is high, and she's used it for her own questionable purposes only a *couple* of times. However, when Alexander Brougham catches her retrieving the letters, her secret might be out unless she personally helps him win his ex-girlfriend back after their recent breakup. Easy enough!

This book expertly talked about so many necessary topics - bi erasure, LGBT issues overall, privacy, friendship... it was amazing. The way it depicted complicated family and teenager/parent relationships was wonderfully accurate, and how mistakes or fights were depicted was realistic, raw, and helpful for the reader to perhaps apply to their own life! I also thought it wasn't predictable at all which I struggle with in the YA genre at times.

Thank you to Wednesday Books of St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review! I was a big fan!

perfect on paper is about a teenage girl, darcy phillips, who anonymously runs a relationship advice service through a locker at her school. i didn't know anything going in, and that's honestly a fun way to read it.

there's so much lgbt rep!!! the mc is bi, her sister is trans, best friend is a lesbian, she's part of the "queer and questioning club" at school!! everything was so. normalized. it was great.

there are some preachy moments, but i didn't actually mind them. i skimmed a lot of the actual relationship advice, but i could definitely see me, at age 16, LOVING it.

the youtube thing was a bit. cringe. but like. i'm 22 about to graduate college so who knows what resonates with teenagers. not me.

if you liked bromance book club, you might like this. if you DIDNT like bromance book club, you might like this. make with that what you will.

This book has been hailed as a Simon vs The Homosapiens Agenda, Leah on the Offbeat meets Sex Education (as far as the advice part goes) and I’d say that it is, but it’s also very much it’s own thing and I adored it!

There’s definitely representation in this book, the main character, Darcy, is bisexual and this is the first book I’ve ever read that covers biphobia and what some people who are bi have to deal with every day. There are gay, lesbian, and trans characters and a lot of identities. Was a nice change for a story that takes place with high school-aged characters.

The characters are likable, and Darcy, our main character is lovely and owns her mistakes and faults in a very mature way.

Was a very refreshing read. Thanks NetGalley!

Utterly delightful and perfectly bi! A highly recommended purchase for public YA and high school fiction collections, particularly those needing more diverse offerings.

Darcy has been answering relationship questions anonymously through Locker 89 for years now. She's not planning to change that until she gets caught red-handed by Brougham, who uses his newfound information to get Darcy to act as his official relationship coach. It's Darcy's job to win Brougham's ex-girlfriend back... unless that's not what either of them want after all.

Full of heart, PERFECT ON PAPER addresses teen sexuality and high school drama with a light, funny voice and a developed cast of characters. I thought the second half of the book was especially strong once Brougham's character came out of his shell. I especially loved Darcy's confrontation of biphobia, something that I found incredibly relatable.

Overall, this is a delightful, well-written read. I can't wait to see what Gonzales comes up with next!

Adorable. A spot on YA RomCom.

Darcy, child of divorced parents, is an anonymous relationship advice coach for her fellow high school students through the abandoned Locker 89. Students drop a letter and 10 bucks in the locker and get relationship advice in return. Darcy is actually quite good at what she does (and, if I may say so, models excellent research skills by regularly searching out experts in her field and incorporating their advice). Surprise, surprise: Darcy is not good at seeing herself or her relationships. Desperately in unrequited love with her best friend, she... well, I don’t want to spoil it for you. But let’s just say she doesn’t always use her powers for good. And then the 💩 hits the fan.

I love how the story explores Darcy’s bisexuality. I felt totally validated by the section interrogating her internalized biphobia. I also love the way her side hustle as a relationship coach is used to sneak in some seriously sound relationship and life advice, particularly about defining boundaries and communication.

Other things I love:
Male friendships that are wholesome, healthy and completely non toxic, even when they’re dealing with drugs and drinking.

Family relationships that are bruised and sometimes broken but have the potential to be better.

The secondary characters
- Darcy’s mom is a teacher and Darcy talks wonderfully about what it’s like to be the teachers kid.
- Ainsley, her sister, is a talented seamstress/fashion designer in her first year of University and living at home to (emotionally) support her sister and mom post divorce. She’s also trans, and this is introduced with no trauma. Wonderful. Her trans identity is definitely part of her, but doesn’t define her.
- Brougham, the stranger/friend/eventual love interest, sounds like a hottie.
- Her friend Brooke, her LGBTQ club member/friend Finn, Ray her kind of nemesis: they’re all developed enough to be more than just props for Darcy’s development.

I liked how diverse it was in terms of sex/gender identity. I believe Brooke is Asian and Brougham is Aussie, but I don’t remember any characters other than them being described as anything other than white, in terms of racial/ethnic diversity. Lots of rich kids.

This is a good book. I’d buy it for a high school library. The sexy bits are sexy... but not so sexy that you need to choose carefully who you give it to. It would make a great teen movie.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

This book is so cute! All of the characters are so well developed I feel like I know them all. Each one has a character journey of their own.

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales was just what I needed to start the new year. I'm a sucker for teen romance and this novel delivered. Darcy Phillips, runs the school's secret advice service and her secret is threatened when a popular senior, Alexander Brougham, seeks out her help with winning back his ex-girlfriend. Darcy may be great at handing out all the the advice, but her love life is another story! This story had it all: a secret (business) relationship, messy friendships, family dynamics, all the teen drama set in a private school setting, and the heart aching emotion that is teen love. It reads like a movie (my favorite kind!) and for fans of Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before series and those that watched The Half of It, it will be a welcomed treat. Not only was this novel entertaining, it was very smart and educated readers on relationship dynamics without discrediting feelings. The author does an amazing job of normalizing as well as navigating LGBTQIA questions. The pop culture references were fun and the all the characters had heart, depth, and conveyed real emotions.

I can see why someone who enjoys YA would like this book, but personally it wasn’t for me. I did appreciate the LGBTQ+ representation, especially the bisexuality of the main character, an oft ignored orientation in the YA Lit circuit, but the over abundance of LGBT representation in the book felt forced, like the author was trying to shoehorn in every letter of the queer rainbow possible.

I did not expect to love this book so much! I caught myself smirking and laughing many times. The characters are sweet, flawed, and relatable. I really enjoyed the storyline and ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

It's always strange to like something but have complicated thoughts or feelings about aspects of it.. and yet still can't help but rate it highly. That's really where I'm at. I don't think this is going to be a particularly informative or cohesive review, just warning you now.

Overall I just want to say how happy I am that, conflicted confusedness aside, it is easier to like to this vs how I felt about ONLY MOSTLY DEVASTATED, which just didn't settle with me very well. The abovementioned was so messy and while we do have some mess, some misguided elements in PERFECT ON PAPER, it was.. a more acceptable mess, if that makes sense. Or maybe I was just more forgiving of it.

"<i>You do realize I'm agreeing with you here?</i>"
"<b>I guess I've never had agreement feel so much like an argument.</b>"

I can definitely suspend some of my disbelief at how competent a sixteen year old was at dispensing sage and well researched romantic advice to her peers but the narrative is pushed that said advise is well researched, well intentioned, so I can probably eat that one. And what helps to sell it is that while she's being paid, she's doing it to help others, as a passion project, and that goes a long way vs just doing it just for cash or to collect secrets on her peers. The motivation changes everything.

"<i>Did a fight lead to the breakup?</i>"
"<b>More or less. I guess I gave her an ultimatum.</b>"
"<i>You <b>didn't</b></i>."
"<b>I wish that were true.</b>"
"<i>Why didn't you just throw a fucking grenade between you while you were at it?<i>"

So many elements of this felt strong; the mention but lack of focus, or harping, on her sister's transition. The discussion around queerness, specifically internalized and externalized biphobia. The ego checks our lead received throughout regarding missteps in advice, in realizing some people didn't want her help, and more.

Where I think this was a bit weak, even though it played a big role, was her relationship with her best friend and, initially, the characterization of a love interest. Eventually the latter smoothed out but I do wonder if I missed something to explain why he behaved the way he did in the beginning. I'm not quite complaining as I found the interactions totally delightful because of how frustrating they found each other, but I still wish maybe something had been offered up as a why. But for the best friend, well.. I don't know. Something never really sat right about that dynamic. And I don't want to touch on too much for risk of spoilers -- and a few other niggles are maybe too specific to mention for that same reason -- so.. insert vague vagueries here.

I don't know if this review is coming across as positive as a four star would warrant but I'll refer you back to my opening paragraph. Something about this just confuses me even though I enjoyed it so so much. Was it perfect? No. But it did just enough right. And I was just so happy about the ending, particularly one little interaction that shouldn't be so momentous, and may not even be remarked by many, but just.. wrecked me a bit. Left me so soft. And that combined with the fact that I couldn't tear myself away from this, well.. here we are.

I went in blindly, knowing nothing more than the fact that it's a rom-com, so I was pleasantly surprised to be hooked by the premise on the FIRST page. Darcy Phillips keeps her identity a secret as she receives and responds to letters placed in a locker from students seeking relationship advice. While this is her area of expertise, she isn't quite as good at following her own advice—or even recognizing that perhaps she should evaluate her own situation. But it's hard to be unbiased when it comes to your own feelings...and love!

The story faces sexual identity issues head on, especially internalized biphobia, as Darcy realizes she doesn't feel "queer enough". It offers representation from all over the sexual identity spectrum and shows young adults exploring their identity and navigating their internal and external challenges, learning to love themselves as they are and to believe they are enough. (Plus, Gonzales/Phillips gives some sound relationship advice!)

The book had me laughing out loud, and I was fully invested in the characters finding happiness and love. I loved them so much. The banter, the fact that they are complete messes but find each other, how deeply they care for the people in their lives. And, of course, the problems caused by miscommunication...or lack of communication...because talking about feelings is hard! And, again, I can't say it enough, the rep in this book! Omgsh. I loved it so much. Highly recommend

I enjoyed Gonzales's novel, though at times it does suffer from the "OMG just tell the truth" issue that sometimes presents itself in such stories (especially in YA). I think a number of students would really benefit from seeing the representation of bisexuality here, and as a GSA advisor, the meetings of the Q&Q clubs depicted within are similar to what I hope my (admittedly younger) students can eventually achieve in terms of deep discussions of issues and feelings. This does not even delve into the relationship between Darcy and Brougham that forms the core of the novel. It is at turns intriguing, exciting, and frustrating - just as it should be.

I devoured this book in an afternoon! Gonzales pulls off a light-hearted, funny, voicey YA romcom with great depth, too. I loved the character arc of the advice columnist learning that she herself has a lot to learn, and the discussion of internalized biphobia was nuanced and necessary. A swoony romance, great family and friendships, and a joy from start to finish!

This is an adorable story! I like that the main character considers herself a relationship expert. She's secretly kept a locker at her highschool where other kids deposit $10 and a letter asking for relationsi advice. And I was impressed. Darcy did a great job of really defining boundaries and respect but also when to let something or someone go. It was interesting to read and see her advice.

The whole story revolves around just a few kids at this school, as they navigate relationships and choices. It was really good and I enjoyed it!

A stellar story of acceptance, growth and fabulous LGBTQ+ rep.
I loved everything about this story. What started a little slow, with some brusk characters, quickly turned into a beautiful growth arc.
Darcy gives great advice to everyone but herself. Alexander doesn't let anyone in. They are thrown together abruptly, but a friendship is quick to follow.
I felt like all these characters were thoroughly researched and given the proper spotlight. Each of their growth is followed very well and the story kept me wondering how each issue would be addressed.
The topics brought forth are extremely relevant and handled perfectly.

Only bad thing in this book is Sleeping Beauty's Castle (CA) being called Cinderella's Castle (FL)

Absolutely LOVED THIS!!! I had it sitting on my kindle for a few days and couldn’t sleep one day 😂😂 No joke, I finished this is like 5 hours.

One of my favorite things about this book, would probably be the sarcasm and witty exchanges between Darcy and Brougham. Honestly, everything about these two characters was *chef’s kiss*!

This book also had SO much lgbtqa+ representation, and while I cannot speak on behalf of the community, I really enjoyed seeing an openly bisexual character. The author also did a wonderful job of identifying and discussing bi-phobia, and those relating it to the character. It was a lovely way of discussing a bisexual character and their fears of not being excepted by the queer community because of their relationship with the opposite gender.

All in all, I overly enjoyed this book, and found it a great way to end of the last year!


I would just like to note now that I received this as an advanced copy through netgalley and wednesdaybooks in exchange for an honest review! Much thanks!!

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this book. Thank you St. Martin for sending me a digital copy of this novel!

Darcy Philips is an openly bisexual girl at her private school and an active member of the school’s Queer and Questioning club. Her mother is the science teacher and her sister is a fashion designer. She has a major crush on her best friend Brooke. The only secret she has is that she’s running an anonymous relationship advice Service out of an abandoned locker in their school.

That secret is threatened to be exposed when Alexander Brougham, swimmer extraordinaire, blackmails her in exchange with her help to get back with his ex.

This story has several forms of representation, including bisexual, lesbian, and transgender representation. Other issues include divorced parents and alcoholism. One thing that Perfect on Paper highlighted extremely well was the topic of biphobia. Darcy comes to the conclusion that if she dates a guy, she won’t be accepted as bisexual anymore, and the queer club also expresses their concerns and thoughts. As a bisexual woman, I also have expressed my own internalized biphobia with this same situation, as well as many others. Will people see us as more likely to cheat? Are we turning straight or turning lesbian? Things of that kind. This scene made me cry because I’ve never seen a topic so well discussed in the media. It made me feel seen in more ways than any other novel has. And for that I applaud Gonzales.

The plot line is very similar to that of Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda, in that there is blackmail and the fear of being outed. However, I did appreciate this book’s take on it more, as it doesn’t involve someone’s sexuality being revealed before they’re ready. Although it is predictable at times, it left me giddy in anticipation for how it would be accomplished!

I was very torn on Alexander Brougham at the beginning. He’s a very clipped individual, with short answers, a rough around the edges personality, and extremely blunt at times. But as the novel progresses, you could definitely see his growth as a character and his improvement on how he acts around others, including Darcy.

I can also say the same about growth for Darcy. At the very beginning she thinks she’s always right with her advice, almost to the point of a know-it-all. But by the end, she knows it’s okay to make mistakes and you can be able to improve from it. It still leaves growth for her and Brougham as well, which was extremely well done.

The humor in Perfect on Paper was beautifully executed, especially towards the end! It left me bursting out laughing and snickering, perfectly off-balancing tense moments.

Perfect on Paper is a wonderful standalone that gives voice to both LGBT+ readers and romance lovers from all backgrounds!