4/5 Stars . Thank you to netgalley and wednesday books for sending me this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Perfect on paper is a cute fast read perfect for fans of To all the boys i’ve loved before. Darcey Phillips is the school’s secret relationship consultant.. She helps people with emotional and sexual problems with their relationships. Of course keeping her identity a secret.

The guy who annoys her of all time finds out her secret and in return for his silence, Darcey must help him earn back his ex girlfriend. It sounds like an easy task but she slowly starts to get attracted to him and her best friend Brooke learning her secret could end everything for her and their friendship.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I usually don’t go for these types of books but I enjoyed it a lot and it was an easy and fast read. The climax was kind of cliche and predictable but other than that I think the book was still enjoyable.

I received this arc from Netgalley and Wednesday books/St. Martins press in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book so much!

Darcy Phillips is her school's secret fairy godmother. No, she doesn't give her peers pretty dresses that last until midnight, but she does give them advice on how to deal with their relationships. She's also dealing with her crush on her best friend and a boy has just hired her to help him get back together with his girlfriend.

As the synopsis says, this book is <i>To All the Boys I've Loved Before</i> meets <i>Leah On the Offbeat</i>, but I was about 73% into the book when I realized that it also meets the Netflix show <i>Sex Education</i> (minus the sex, mom). The advice that Darcy gives to the people who come to locker 89 (where they leave their letters) is researched, thought about and backed up by theory. It is also mature and aware of boundaries relationships must have, they were truly refreshing to read. In this sense, something that I really liked about this book was how people were overall very respectful of each other and really seemed to use logic when solving their problems. Obviously, no one has the perfect answers, but they also learned from their mistakes and were able to reflect on their actions.
In addition, the rep was so important! As our mc is bisexual and is in a Qlub (i got u finn) for the Queer and Questioning, founded by her sister, we get to see some different identities supporting each other, especially when Darcy has a moment of self-doubt. All very powerful and then cute and corny in a way that still touches your heart.

The one (not serious) complaint I have is that I wanted more fluff! Don't get me wrong, I got the butterflies several times, and even some of Darcy's serious conversations with her love interest got me all dreamy, but personally I think I deserved more…

Finally, I would LOVE to read a book about Darcy's sister Ainsley!!! She is amazing and I think it would be so fun.

Darcy enjoys giving relationship advice. She runs a service at school, follow her advice and better your relationship or your money back. Although, nobody knows who she is, until Alexander Brougham catches her and asks her to help him get back his ex. There were times I wasn't too sure about Brougham, but he seemed to listen and learn from spending time with Darcy. They had a good friendship, which I enjoyed seeing. Darcy felt very real to me, especially when she was discussing her internalized biphobia and fear that if she dates a boy she won't be as accepted in the community as she would be if she was dating a girl. Which is something that I feel as a bisexual woman, that never-ending fear that if I end up with a man people will say that I was pretending to be LGBTQ+ and I won't be accepted into the community. I really liked the fact that this book touched on that. Because bisexual is bisexual, it's not straight when you're in a male/female relationship and gay when you're not. I also liked that Darcy didn't get off easy for her mistakes, because what she did was really shitty of her and an abuse of her power. I felt satisfied with the ending although I wouldn't say no to a book in Ray's point of view.
Thank you again for this book, I really enjoyed it :)

Great story telling that's heartfelt and feels real. I appreciate when sexuality is written as just one aspect of identity, not THE aspect of identity at the forefront -- people are intersectional and this book helps to underline that. Good chance for younger readers to grapple with issues of ethics, as well!

I received a copy of PERFECT ON PAPER by SOPHIE GONZALES. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

FIVE Stars and here’s why:

Five stars are simply not enough – this is a fantastic LGBTQIA book with authentic representation. It’s the perfect YA story for any age. Darcy is a high school junior muddling avoiding her own issues with relationships by focusing on other folks' dating problems. She runs a relationship advice business out of an empty locker at school, for a fee. Alexander discovers her secret and threatens to expose her unless Darcy helps him win back his ex. The plot and character development are infused with humor and heartwarming moments that keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.

Highly recommend.

This book had a lot of positive young adult LGBTQ representation. In particular, it featured a bisexual high school girl and her blossoming romantic relationship with a straight boy. The high school in this book has a Queer and Questioning. club, which was a good device to introduce a wide range of sexual identities. However, this almost became a textbookish listing with definitions of character sexual identities. I found it tended to take me out of the story, but it may be more helpful for the intended young adult audience.

I was thrilled to see part of the story taking place at Disneyland, but I was bothered to see a couple of factually incorrect references to Cinderella’s castle. The castle at Disneyland is Sleeping Beauty’s castle. Cinderella’s castle is at Walt Disney World in Florida. I am hoping that is corrected before publication.

I liked the premise of this book. I think it will be well-received by young adult readers.

I get why people love this book. As for me, I didn’t love it but I did like it. I found some things hard to believe but that could just be me. But hey, it’s entertainment right?

The locker advice system was pretty cool. I felt like the advice was good even though it might have been beyond most high schoolers?

I liked brougham’s character but I didn’t really see a spark with Darcy? I know he said what he liked about her but, hmm. I don’t know if I get it. I like them as good friends - that is believable for me.

It also seems weird to be in love with your best friend?! How could Brooke not have known??!?!?

I think it didn’t have enough angst for me. Waiting two weeks and not hearing from someone you liked in high school would have been tortuous for me! Or having no friends in school? I would have died! I would have stayed home or feigned an illness. But Darcy didn’t seem that emotional about those things. Maybe she is just a cool cucumber!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an advance copy of this book.

Darcy is a high schooler that gives advice on love and relationships via anonymous letter exchange in abandoned locker 89. But even though she gives killer advice, her own love life is dead in the water. She's been in love with her best friend Brooke for years, but Brooke has never noticed her like that... Or has she? And when Alexander Brougham discovers Darcy is the owner of locker 89, he hires her as his personal love coach with the goal of winning back his ex-girlfriend. But as they get closer, they find out that what they want now that they know each other is different from what they'd dreamed of before.

This was a fantastic read. I loved that it starred a a bi girl--and the book even talks about bi erasure. It was just lovely! All the characters were fully fleshed out and realistic, and the plot and its conclusion were incredibly satisfying. I'll absolutely be purchasing and recommending this one!

I'm sitting here in ALL the good feels right now, which is the perfect way to be when a book ends. It was so fun, but also so full of drama and mass bad decisions and it had some incredibly important things to say. After starting this year with falling in love with Only Mostly Devastated, I am a definite Gonzales romcom fan.

I loved the premise of this! Darcy runs an anonymous relationship advice business. No one in the school knows its her answering but she gives actually very good, well-researched advice.....despite never having been in a relationship herself. Part of me was like "duh why wouldn't she tell her best friend she's in love withe her?!" But also it's HARD. I get why she struggled to be brave enough. And I always love with a character is so super smart and insightful...until it's their own problems, and then they're a mess.

It has a bit of annoyed-at-each-other-to-lovers dynamics. So many queer characters, none of which felt stereotyped or cliche! It discusses biphobia too. And Darcy's sister is trans (honestly their relationship was everything!! sister goals). And it talks a bit about vaguely problematic parents and unpacks what love really even is. Also there's some exceptionally epic dialogue and funny moments. I love it when a book makes me feel things and laugh.

Darcy is a total mess, and I loved her for it. She makes huge mistakes, and her flaws made her feel real (also everyone acted like actual teens!!). I also thought the book handled catastrophes really healthily and realistically. Although I was dying softly as Darcy crashed headfirst into BAD ideas omg.

I had such a good time reading this! The romance, the friendships, the sisterly bonds, the hilarious scenes, the easy to absorb writing. A delight. Also nice to see Australian authors making it out in the world!! Darcy was American but Brougham was Australian and omg there were some PEAK Aussie culture references that made me laugh.

Darcy Phillips has a secret. She’s the anonymous advice giver behind Locker 89. Students slip their relationship questions into the locker with $10, and Darcy responds. If her advice doesn’t work? Full refund! But Darcy’s advice mostly works, and refunds are rare.
But Darcy’s knowledge of relationships can only get her so far in her personal life. Her unrequited love for her best friend Brooke has been going on for years, and her sister Ainsley is the only living soul who knows about Locker 89. That is, until Brougham comes along, looking for the writer behind Locker 89’s emails, desperate to win back his ex-girlfriend, Winona.
This was a solid YA contemporary romance, complete with diverse characters, a sweet “love triangle” type plot, and even a trip to Disneyland! I loved how many queer characters there were in this novel. Darcy is a member of her school’s Queer & Questioning group, and her and her friends are a mix of bisexual, gay, ace, transgender and more. Darcy, who is bi, works through internalized biphobia; whether people find her queer enough, whether dating a hetero man will change how people view her, whether she really belongs in the queer community. The novel handles these issues beautifully. I would imagine that this is the kind of novel that could make bi teens really feel seen and heard.
Bonus points for the aunt agony angle of this novel. For some reason I just really love novels that use an advice column as a plot point (I’m looking at you “The Downstairs Girl”!), and Darcy’s advice is pretty solid. She acknowledges that not all people approach relationships the same way, and her advice is super contemporary.
This is a book I would suggest to teen patrons at the library I work at, and I would also recommend it for anyone looking for a light-hearted romance with queer representation.

I’d like to thank netgalley for access to an early copy.
I really enjoyed this story. Darcy, the main character, provides advice to her fellow students on relationships. Sometimes she seems like she’s just reciting back clinical info, but other times it’s pretty good advice. I really liked the representation and family dynamics in this story.
I read this authors other novel and love the LGBT rom com style. I would definitely consider reading more from her in the future. She just hits all the bases for me, I guess.
Overall, I would give this a 4/5 :)

This is the second book I have read from Sophie Gonzales and I loved it even more than the first! When it comes to LGBTQIA+ books I have read, this one is the one I would recommend to everyone who wants to better understand this community and particularly the struggles of teenagers finding their identities. I am a high school teacher who sponsors a Pride club within the school and the club in this book is EVERYTHING I want my students to have! The support, acceptance, love, and friendship are incredible. Darcy does get herself into some trouble, even though she truly meant well, and it is rough to read. As a reader, I got so attached to Darcy that I just wanted to wrap her up and hug her until it all got better, at the same time. I understood a lot of her Mom's points during the whole "what were you thinking talk," ha! I cannot recommend this book enough! Loved it and will push it at anyone and everyone I can. Bravo!

Oh wow, I loved this book! I was so invested in the characters and their stories! I will admit that it took a little time for me to get really involved in the story (I would say like 5 chapters or so) but once I was in it, I was IN IT. I was emotionally involved and felt all the things that Darcy was going through as she experienced them (even if I did not agree with the choices that she was making), I laughed out loud multiple times, and that acquaintances-to-friends-to-lovers slow burn was so good!

I had never read anything by this author before so I didn't know what to expect, but the whole relationship coach trope really enticed me. And boy did it deliver! It's not often that I would describe books as "un-put-downable" but I managed to read this book in less than a day because the characters were incredibly inviting and relatable and the vibe between Darcy and Brougham was captivating. I literally could not stop reading until I reached the end and knew what happened. Despite seeming like a light and fluffy read, this novel did touch on some important topics in the LGBTQ community, mainly biphobia, which I personally haven't come across in many books. I think the author did a great job of mixing light-hearted, flirty banter with more serious, thematic undertones. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was so cute and heartwarming! As I finished it, I couldn't stop smiling. It made it to the list of my favorite contemporaries!

I loved absolutely everything about this book! The setting, which made me miss my highschool days, the characters, the drama, the plot, the representation (bisexual MC, lesbian, gay, pansexual, trans and nonbinary side characters). It was such a quick and easy read and so much fun!

I especially loved the emails at the beginning of each chapter and the problems this book deals with, some of which are biphobia and divorce. It also felt really realistic!

2.5 stars, full review on goodreads
Decent characters, enjoyed the family dynamic. Felt the relationship and all the diversity was fi4ced and unrealistic

As the title goes, this book is perfect on paper.

The way Sophie Gonzales captures the reality about teenage life relevant to schooling and dealing with hardships is beyond perfection.

I would have devoured this book in one sitting if I have a physical copy.

RATING: 4stars

This book has excellent queer representation packaged in a cute rom-com style. Darcy, our protagonist, is running a relationship advice service via a convoluted physical locker drop-box for some reason instead of just using email. This, of course, provides a way for her nemesis to discover the secret behind the locker's anonymous advisor and sets us up for hijinks to ensue. The book is quite pleasant to read, but I'm deducting one star because some of Darcy's advice is just too clinical and comes across as a bit too erudite and unrelatable.

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

Oh this was what the title says...Perfect!
Everything about it was just a beautiful story and definitely at times emotional... especially some of the scenes with the two main characters 😭 one significant scene near the end too that made my heart glow and my tear ducts Flow 😭😂

I feel this book will be so important for quite a lot of people and the author really handles this book with so much care and love which you can see through the writing and speaking to Sophie Myself.
Everyone PICK THIS ONE UP! When this book releases next year! If you thought OMD was good this is just that little bit better but both are just 😍😍.

Kind of a flip the script with a bisexual character, validating what it means to be queer. Great diversity representation (albeit a check-the-box type).

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC.