FUCK I loved this book so much?? I’m actually mad I waited so long to read it after managing to snag the ARC on Netgalley.

I picked it up after a recommendation from someone talking about how the story discussed biphobia, and I’m so glad I did. I read it all in one day; I couldn’t put it down. This story did so much! The characters were SO FUNNY and made me literally laugh out loud multiple times. Darcy and Ainsley together were the absolute best. Darcy and Broaughm (sp?? I had to keep saying it as Bro-uhm in my mind the whole time) together were so adorable and so dumb and oblivious I WANTED TO SHAKE THEM but also it was perfect. It takes a lot for a book to get my grinch heart to truly root for a couple and I DID. A LOT.

I appreciated that this book touched on lots of topics through both Darcy’s advice business and her life, as well. For example, a letter writer talking about not wanting to have sex with her bf but loving him, and Darcy telling her how valid and normal that is, despite what larger society/media/pop culture tries to tell us, and touching on asexuality and the difference between sexual and romantic attraction. There was also discussion about friendships being just as important—and friend breakups just as hard, if not harder—than romantic relationships. And, as I mentioned before, the story discusses biphobia when Darcy realized how scared she is to date a guy and not be queer anymore. It’s MESSED UP that the queer community and straights alike have made bi people feel invalidated or like their queerness depends on who they’re dating/having sex with.

This book caught me by surprise in the best way, and I’m so happy to have read it!

Locker 89... erm, I mean Darcy Phillips runs an "advice service" at school. It does come at a small fee but is she doing the students a disservice?

Darcy is bi and in love with her best friend, Brooke. As she's trying to sort her feelings for Brooke, Brougham comes along and needs Darcy's help to win his ex-girlfriend back.

Darcy seems to overstep a lot but also a little on the defensive side. I was able to relate and picture some of the tougher scenes throughout the book. The characters are likeable and the storyline was cute. I'd definitely reread this again.

Thanks Netgalley for letting me this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Darcy Phillips is great at giving love advice, but not so great at making it work for her own relationships. Darcy is bi-sexual and in love with her best friend Brooke. Brooke is not aware of Darcy’s feelings, and she is in love with someone else. Students in Darcy’s high school leave letters in locker 89 asking for relationship advice, and Darcy responds anonymously typically giving spot on advice, but sometimes using her anonymity to her advantage.

When the star of the swim team, Alexander Brougham catches Darcy taking the letters out of locker 89, he makes a deal with her. He will keep her secret if she helps him get his ex-girlfriend back. There are things that Darcy doesn’t want to come to light if people find out she’s behind locker 89 so she agrees to help Brougham. How hard can it be to make someone fall in love with someone they’ve already broken up with?

I really enjoyed this contemporary young adult romance. I thought the premise was original and liked that the main character was bi-sexual. It brought a diverse aspect to the story. Darcy was relatable because although she was trying to help people she also wanted to find happiness herself. Sometimes she didn’t make the best decisions when it came to her own happiness, and while she makes mistakes, she learns from them. I enjoyed Brougham’s story as well and liked reading as his business deal with Darcy progressed into friendship.

I really enjoyed everything about this story – the friendships, the romance, and the familial bonds particularly the relationship between Darcy and her sister Ainsley. Sophie Gonzalez has a way of writing rom-coms where they are funny, but not over the top.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved the bi rep in this and thought the plot line was compelling and well done. I guess the only hang up I had is I just didn’t really connect with the male love interest so I wasn’t really rooting for him? But otherwise I thought this was well done!

“The only thing that’s universally agreed on is this: if you’re having relationship issues and you slide a letter through the vents of locker eighty-nine, you will receive an email from an anonymous sender within the week, giving you advice.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 stars!

This amazing sophomore novel from Sophie Gonzalez is asking the real questions about relationship advise, bi-phobia, internalized bi-phobia, Australian accents, and makeup samples.

This book is about Darcy, a self-employed love advisor operating out of an abandoned locker, when she’s caught, she’s hired to help Brougham get his ex-girlfriend back. But after time with Darcy, he may not want her back…

So I really like Sophie Gonzales’ style of have a really cute, diverse cast of characters that are so fun to follow. It made this book really fun to read. Every side character felt like they could their own story and felt really developed.

The part I most appreciated reading was the honest discussions between the different lgbtq characters. It honestly means so much to see a young bisexual girl receiving support from the other members of her community.

This felt like a book that really cared about the bisexual experience, both in and out of context from the queer community. And it’s amazing to think about books like this in the hands of teens who need it most.

The plot also has so much fun to offer, the trip to Disneyland was particularly exciting and even amidst this pandemic, makes me long to go. But just the cute antics of teens making mistakes, learning from them, and trying their best to make up for them. I don’t want to say too much, but yeah this book is full of drama, plenty of misunderstandings, hilarity, and heartwarming moments.

I don’t usually like love triangles, in fact, I would call them one of my least favorite tropes in all of romance, however! I did feel like this book toed an acceptable line. Brooke and Brougham represent very different things for her so it was something I could get behind, but still probably my least favorite aspect of the book.

TL;DR: A dazzling sophomore novel with the same level of amazing characters, sincere story, and adorable romance. Whether a new or returning fan, you’ll definitely enjoy.

E-galley provided by Wednesday Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions based off an uncorrected proof.

Perfect on Paper was just....PERFECT!

I loved this story and how it was written. It took so many things that we are currently facing in our lives from Trans rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and taking the stigma of what it all entails and bringing it up.

I love the fact that there was an LGBTQ+ club in this private school that allowed their students to share that. Public schools definitely wouldn't allow it. Needless to say I love the representation of it all!

I love the writing style and how polished it is. It's a funny and well written story that I loved. Did I think some of it was a little predictable? Yes, but that's ok! It was a read that I didn't put down until I finished. Who needs to go to work well rested?

Darcy Philips secretly runs the infamous locker 89, an actual locker and anonymous source for dating advice in her high school. For years people have been leaving notes asking for advice from everything about how to approach a crush to how to express your feelings in your relationship when you aren't being heard. Darcy has been careful to keep her identity secret even from her best friend Brooke whom she has romantic feelings for. One day, however, Darcy is caught collecting the letters from the locker by Alexander Brougham the stereotypical hot jock. Now she is being blackmailed by Alex into helping him get his ex back or he'll tell everyone that she runs the locker.

You can't talk about this book without talking about all the LGBTQ+ rep found within. Sexual orientation plays a huge role in this story as not only is Darcy giving romantic advice to people but she's also trying to work out her own feelings about what a bisexual person should look like to the outside world, It's a complex story as there are a lot of moving parts but it's very easy to read. The story reminded me a lot of a modern day take on Some Kind of Wonderful. I really like Alex's character even though meeting him as a blackmailer probably wasn't the best first impression. Darcy had that that amazing teenage "I'm smarter than people" confidence that made her such a flawed protagonist. Everything she does for the most part is for the right reasons but as they say no good deed goes unpunished.

This book was sooo cute! An amazing cast with tons of LGTBQ2+ representation!! The story itself is so joyful and fun, so very sweet!

Giving advice to someone else seems easy. Following your own advice, not so much. Darcy Phillips is a little bit of every high school girl. Questioning, answering, and getting caught in the middle of other people's problems.

**FULL REVIEW**

Heartwarming. Interesting. Full of real-life issues.

This story hits just a little different, it's one that shows realness in a way so many wouldn't imagine it to be. It is all-inclusive, the representation is beautifully written and gives any reader who is willing to go outside of their "norm" a way to learn something new without putting them on the spot.

I feel I learned something, actually a lot of somethings from this story and I am thankful to have read it. It was sweet and funny, the emotions felt real and the relationships felt relatable.

It holds true to a YA storyline, one every teen can relate to in some fashion and the spectrum of characters keep you fully engaged to every facet. I rooted for Darcy and I cried with her as she made some royal mistakes--while some unintentional and maybe even from a good place, they weren't without consequence and I felt her lessons. I could see how she wrestled with herself and who she was vs. who she thought people would perceive her to be and I absolutely teared up when she found her acceptance even in the midst of conflict.

Lastly, I adored the ending. While it may seem unconventional, it fits perfectly. Everyone got their happy ending...and life moves forward. It evolves, people grow...it's a beautiful thing.

**4 Be Who You Are, Stars**

4.5 Perfect on Paper is a sweet and smart romance with a nuanced bi main character and an awesome focus on consent culture and healthy relationship advice that feels organic and not preachy. Supporting characters are in the LGBTQIA+ spectrum and a Queer and Questioning club is part of the plot, helping to answer questions for readers like aro/ace distinctions, etc. Parents are included in the story and are also given nuance and teens make realistic decisions. Strong recommend, this has wide appeal.

I loved the broad spectrum of characters in this fun, fast read. Darcy uses her problem-solving powers (anonymously) for good, especially when dealing with the love lives of others. Unfortunately, she finds helping herself, isn’t always that easy!

Perfect on Paper is a sweet and funny rom com with heartfelt and specific bi rep (more of which is needed in YA and fiction in general). The characters are fully realized and multi-dimensional and the story has lots of depth to it. Read my full review for Lambda Literary at the link below.

I'm kind of obsessed with Sophie Gonzales books, y'all!

Only Mostly Devastated was such a fun and surprisingly heartwarming debut in 2020. Perfect on Paper continues that trend with quiet, skillful character building that sucks you in. But stick around for meatier content like exploring positive habits in relationships, understanding yourself and others, and, most importantly, battling biphobia and bi erasure. This book is unapologetically queer and anyone questioning otherwise because it follows a bi girl who ends up with a boy (a necessary "spoiler" because some of y'all are ACTING UP) needs to check their incorrect learned behavior at the door.

Darcy runs under the radar to her classmates, but they don't realize she's the girl behind Locker 89, a.k.a. the place where you can get advice for a small fee. But when Darcy's cover is nearly blown by Alexander Brougham, she strikes a bargain to help Brougham get his ex back (healthily!) if he keeps her secret. But things get complicated as she gets closer to Brougham and further from Brooke, her best friend who's she harbored a crush on since forever - and from whom she's hiding a big secret.

Like I said, this book is unapologetically queer. Most of our main characters are queer, aside from Brougham. Darcy is also part of Queer & Questioning, a queer group at their school which gives space to queer teens to open up. Additionally, Darcy writes her advice in a way that's gender neutral (unless genders are given for both parties). I also think this is the kind of romance book teens need. We love teens having positive conversations about respect, boundaries, consent, and understanding the way relationships work healthily! It doesn't diminish that teens - and people regardless of age - get messy, but it does provide a conversation for how to do better which is cool to see.

As far as the romance goes, heck YEAH. It's a nice slow burn without too much angst alongside a lot of good banter. A weakness of mine for sure! I also appreciated that Brougham is open and willing to get vulnerable from the get-go rather than having it pried out of him. It's always nice to see male characters shying away from the ways toxic masculinity affects emotional expression.

I'm super eager to see more from Sophie, and can't wait to promote this one 'til I'm blue in the face!

4.5/5

I don't know why it took me so long to read a novel by Sophie Gonzales, but boy am I glad I just read Perfect on Paper. There were so many things to love about this book! Not only does it have a romance aspect, but I felt like I learned a lot about what it means to be queer as well, and the majority of the characters are quite loveable. I haven't read a young adult novel in a while, and I really loved the representation Gonzales included in the story. She takes a deep dive into so many subjects, and this is one of those reads that I wish had been around when I was a teenager. There is the perfect mix of heart, humor, and reflection, and I didn't want to put the book down. It hooked me from the first page, and the aspect of Darcy giving anonymous relationship advice was so fun. There are so many things packed into this one that I haven't read before, and I loved every minute of it.

I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Barrie Kreinik, and she was fantastic. She was just the way I would expect Darcy to sound, and she was a pleasure to listen to. The audio is just shy of 9 hours while the book itself is just over 340 pages, but I could have listened to it for hours more. I loved the plot, characters, and Gonzales' writing so much, and I wanted to stay in the world she created forever. It is also a perfect read for Pride Month, and even though I've been trying to read LGBTQIA+ all the time, I haven't been able to fit in as many as I would like. So I knew I had to pick Perfect on Paper up this month and clearly I am happy I did! Anyone who hasn't read a book by Gonzales before needs to grab this and put it on their shelf ASAP.

Thank you to the publishers for my advance listening and digital copies. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Darcy has a secret. She's the person behind Locker 89 who dishes out relationship advice anonymously to her classmates. But then she's caught by very popular Brougham who needs her services to get his ex girlfriend back. This had everything you want in a contemporary YA romance with amazing LGBTQI+ representation!

I loved loved reading Perfect on Paper. It was such a charming, romantic, queer story. I loved Only Mostly Devastated by this author and Perfect on Paper is equally lovely and easily devoured.

**I received this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley for an honest review**

Darcy is basically the teenage version of a Dear Annie type. She helps her fellow classmates with their relationship woes and offers a full refund if it doesn’t work. One day she’s caught in the act by a boy she despises. In order to keep her secret, she agrees to help him with his relationship problems.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. There are so many facets to this story that I found myself wanting one thing after we’d moved on to something else. At times I was interested in Darcy’s side gig more than anything else. I thought the concept of what she was doing was pretty cool.

I loved the way things turned out. I hated the process of how we got there but I had to remember these were high school kids. There are many things that frustrated me about Darcy. I hated her actions, but I also hated the consequences of said actions. I thought a bulk of this was very realistic. I question how blind these kids were to things that seemed obvious if I’m being honest though.

This was a great coming of age YA book that reminded me of HS and my crushes.

This was the perfect book for pride month! The characters were so diverse and so stinking lovable. The representation was spot on. I had no clue who the love interest for the MC would be at first and honestly loved that fact! The little club was adorable. Definitely a solid 4.5, and I would have rated it 5 had the beginning pulled me in like the end. I will absolutely be picking up more from this author.

Who hasn't been caught running an illegal advice ring by a rich guy at school and semi blackmailed into helping him try to win his ex-girlfriend back, all the while in love with your best friend?

I will say, this is a book that allows its characters to be unlikeable sometimes, and I don't say that as a bad thing. As a teenager who was also logically observant of others but unable to parse out my own thoughts and feelings to the same degree, I identified with Darcy. I'm also a sucker for dislike to friends to more, and also a hero who comes off cold when really he's just bad at peopling (hello, Brougham!) The friendship between Darcy and Brooke, however, fell a little flat for me, which was disappointing. But what it lacks in friendship is made up for in sister bonding, so there's that.