Member Reviews

4-Star Book Review: The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist by Sophie Gonzales
Sophie Gonzales delivers another heartfelt and engaging romance with The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist. This delightful story about navigating love, self-discovery, and the messiness of human connection is perfect for fans of modern romantic comedies. Here are my top five reasons to pick up this book!


Top 5 Reasons to Read The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist:
Authentic and Relatable Characters - The characters in The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist are not just words on a page; they are people you can relate to. Each is fully fleshed out, with flaws, quirks, and insecurities. You'll find yourself rooting for them, even when they make mistakes because they feel like friends you've known for years.
Sharp and Witty Banter - Gonzales is a master of dialogue, and this book is packed with laugh-out-loud moments that feel like they could be happening in your living room. The humor is not forced; it's natural, and the characters' conversations are snappy and meaningful, keeping you entertained from start to finish.
A Unique Spin on the Romance Trope - This book takes the classic 'opposites attract trope, where two people with contrasting personalities or backgrounds are drawn to each other. It adds complexity, creating a love story that's as much about personal growth as it is about romance. It's refreshing and keeps you guessing.
Themes of Self-Acceptance and Growth - Beyond the romance, The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist is a beacon of hope. It explores deeper themes like accepting imperfections in yourself and others, leaving you with a sense of uplift and inspiration. It's a thought-provoking read that lingers long after you close the final page, reminding you that growth is always possible.
Compelling LGBTQ+ Representation - Gonzales continues creating LGBTQ+ characters and relationships that are not just token representations but fully fleshed out and integral to the story. The representation feels authentic, and the story highlights the joys and struggles of navigating identity and love.


Why Not 5 Stars?


While The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist is an absolute joy to read, there are a few areas where it falls just short of perfection. While executed fantastically, the plot can feel slightly predictable, especially towards the end, which might seem formulaic to seasoned romance readers. A few more twists or surprises would have elevated the story. The main characters shine, but some of the supporting cast feels one-dimensional. Spending more time fleshing out their backstories or arcs would have added more depth to the story. Lastly, the pacing in the middle section drags slightly with repetitive scenes that don't move the plot forward. Tightening this section could have made the story feel more cohesive.


Final Thoughts:
The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist is a must-read if you're looking for a heartwarming, funny, and swoon-worthy romance with meaningful themes. Despite its minor flaws, it's a beautifully written story that reminds us that love—whether for ourselves or others—is never perfect, making it unique.
I would recommend it to Fans of Casey McQuiston and Talia Hibbert and anyone who loves witty, LGBTQ+ romances with plenty of heart.


Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

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The premise is wacky — not to mention thick with irony. “The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist” is by the readers, for the readers. Anyone who grew up with a Wattpad or AO3 era will appreciate it — writers and readers alike. Basically, the girls who get it, get it. And the ones that don’t? They will be scratching their head at the coffee shop AU and orbs-laden text.

As someone connected with the book world, I found many of these moments to be funny. The excerpt Ivy read straight from her fanfiction with all sorts of ironic lingo from Not The Best Wattpad works?

"There's only one bed," Weston says. "And I'm furious about it, because the last thing I would ever want to do is sleep anywhere near you."

"But if I sleep down there, it's significantly harder for us to accidentally give in to our latent desires and kiss in the night!"

Tell me that’s not fantastic.

Antics aside, “The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist” struggled when it was, in fact, grounded in reality. The main conflict between Ivy and her ex-bestie Mack was tedious; with clearer communication, the two could have easily resolved their differences. Instead, they let pettiness, jealousy and stubborn-ness into the mix, wrecking absolute chaos on their friendship and the plot.

The entirety of Past (when Ivy and Mack were friends) and Present (when fanfic boy came to life) format was spent unraveling this, with more complexity and avoiding resolution than probably necessary. And when there was some semblance of a solution in the Mack Department, it was hardly satisfactory.

The same goes for the entire ending of “The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist,” actually. The elements of fantasy are fun, but when it eventually comes to a crux: what next? After the plot stalls, there is a slew of wacky (scratch that: wackier) antics to force it to go somewhere, escalating the urgency and stakes of the magic involved.

In a book where the magic system operates solely on the the reader’s ability to suspend belief

Do I recommend “The Perfect Gut Doesn’t Exist?” Honestly, it’ll take a certain type of person. And not in the oh-that’s-just-how-book-taste-works. It’ll quite literally be the dreams of an ex-Wattpad writer or young tween on a silver platter. If you’re willing to suspend your belief in reality and communication for a quick 304 pages, you’ll be golden. If not, Gonzales has a fantastic catalog of queer rom-coms that might be suited to your taste.

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This book was written in 1 POV but each chapter switched between the past and the present, the past being about 8 months ago. With the alternating chapters and only getting a bit of the story each time we saw a past chapter, a lot was left waiting, and honestly, I was a bit impatient.

This book starts with a coming out, Ivy coming out as bi to her best friend Mack, a lesbian. Her coming out is the start of her wanting to share her romantic feelings for Mack, but quickly we're sent to the "present" chapter, where Mack is not a part of her life anymore, besides being a neighbor. Then, the TV series character that Ivy is always writing fanfic about appears in her house and she has no idea what to do, who she can confide in, and what is really happening.

Through the chaos of figuring out how this happened, how to manage when Ivy's parents return home to a strange man in the house, and the fact that it seems like he's living out the fanfics Ivy has created, Mack is brought back into the small circle of friends Ivy has (her best friend, Henry, that took over Mack's part in Ivy's life, overall) to try to do damage control and figure out the next steps.

I'm not sure if it is my lack of involvement in fanfic, the constant switch between past/present, or just the overall confusing plot of the character coming to life, this just didn't hit for me. I definitely think it has its audience, but I'm not as excited as I hoped to be!

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Silly and cute but wow were the characters annoying. I don't know what's going on in the teen fanfictions world but who on earth is reading million word vaguely self-insert fics with a popular character paired with an original character? A ridiculous notion. Also, I was way more interested in the falling out and getting back together of the two real characters Ivy and Mack. Unfortunately, there was far too much of Ivy being too stupid to live taking up all the space.

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This was sort of enjoyable but also fell flat. I just didn't love the characters and the execution of the story. The synopsis sounded so good too and I have enjoyed this author's previous work, but this one just didn't wow me unfortunately!

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I mean this with all the love I possess in my soul for Sophie Gonzales as a writer (and it’s a lot) but this was so fucking awkward. Not the writing, the writing was great, and so was the plot. But oh my god. This is the big flashing don’t meet your heroes (especially as you write them) warning sign because jeeeeeez did I really feel for Ivy in this. The embarrassment and loneliness, and everything was so felt, and it gives me shivers to just think about it.

I have lived a fandom life, longer than I would like to admit, and as much as all writers, fic, or otherwise would like to see their characters come to life this is like a cautionary tale.

Weston is not what Ivy thinks he is, and tbh he’s kind of annoying (don’t worry she thinks so too), but despite all of that this book is laugh out loud funny at times, as she navigates the world around her and the way in which she has created Weston and how little he fits into it.

This book was a fun romp with a bit of hope and heartbreak thrown in for good measure, it had me covering my face with both hands, hiding from the world, laughing the next and really routing for the kids to figure it all out in the end.

While not as good as If This Gets Out or Never Ever Getting Back Together, this book, about the awkwardness of the teenage years and being alone, and friendship is one I will treasure, and Sophie will always be on my list.

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I would love to interview Sophie on my podcast. This book is perfect for fans of Heartstopper. The romance is so freaking good!!

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I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy.

Anyone that loves a fictional character, wouldn't you love for them to come to life? Really just an overall nice, warm read. If you're looking for a fun book to read you should definitely read this! The writing is fun, and I loved the premise of a fanfic character coming to life.

Really enjoyed the book.

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Sophie Gonzales' latest novel, The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist, is a delightful romantic comedy that will leave you smiling from ear to ear. The story follows Celia Ramirez, a young woman who is determined to find her perfect match after a series of failed relationships.

Gonzales' writing is witty and engaging, filled with relatable characters and hilarious situations. She captures the essence of young adult romance perfectly, with all its highs and lows. The story is also heartwarming and uplifting, reminding us that love is not always about finding the perfect person but about finding someone who loves you for who you are.

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The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzales is a delightful book that combines humor and romance in a refreshing way. The story follows two best friends who decide to create the ultimate boyfriend using a dating app, leading to unexpected twists and heartfelt moments.

I tackled this one as an audiobook and the narration is lively and engaging, perfectly capturing the fun and playful tone of the story. The chemistry between the characters shines through, and their witty banter makes for an enjoyable listening experience. Gonzales does a fantastic job exploring themes of friendship, love, and self-discovery, making the characters relatable and their journey authentic.

Overall, The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist is a charming and lighthearted listen that will leave you smiling. If you’re in the mood for a fun rom-com filled with heart, this audiobook is definitely worth your time!

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Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley

I really wanted to read this book but the premise just does not appeal to me anymore. I did enjoy one of the author's books. So maybe I will return to this book

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I'm so sad that I didn't really enjoy this book.. but this book was whack. I was entertained enough to not give it less than 2 stars, but I'm astounded that this level of writing has come from one of my favorite authors. Definitely more Middle Grade and 100% everyone sucks here, but an especially big fuck you to Mack. All of the characters were frustrating and it was filled with frustrating decisions/lingo that did not seem to reflect their ages.

I think some of this came down to this book being marketed as a contemporary romance and it is hardly a romance, nor is it really contemporary.

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I thought this was a fun read but it skewed a little younger YA than I am normally used to. I thought that Sophie did a great job of making her characters feel like teenagers. A lot of my frustration with the characters was because they are young and don't have the tools to actually do better. The story was on the right side of absurd and I had a good time.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I love how Sophie Gonzales explores queer teen experiences in such fun and original ways in her books. As a fellow fanfiction girlie, I loved seeing pieces of fandom culture and fanfiction tropes on the page. I normally really enjoy books with elements of magical realism, but this one was a little bit of a stretch for my suspension of disbelief. It was still a really fun read, and I liked the characters and friendships. I hope Sophie Gonzales continues telling stories of queer teen joy, because I will read every one.

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I love everything by Sophie Gonzales, and this was no exception. Plus, the "bringing your perfect guy to life" part was so fun! The entire book was so hilarious, but also full of heart. It was very self-aware and one heck of a fun time!

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

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This was a bit of a departure from Sophie's previous books! A lot more unserious for sure. I wished that I had gotten a deeper understanding of Ivy and Mack; the Weston-causing-chaos of it all meant there was a lot less room for character development and chemistry between the actual love interests. Overall, though, great book as always, and I can't wait for Sophie's next one!

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This was SO GOOD. I’ll literally read anything Sophie Gonzales reads, I just adore her writing. I loved the twist on the trope of “dream bf come to life.” I appreciated how it portrayed this as something that seemed good at first… but then wasn’t. I adored how she slowly fell back in love with her ex-friend turned enemy, Mack. The banter between everyone, including her friend Henry and the “dream man” Weston was great too. Sophie Gonzales has such a way with words where she can just add so much humor to her books. I loved the sarcasm and examination of romance and classic tropes. Overall, this was such a fun read and I’m so glad I got an arc of this!

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This book made me realize that i’m growing out of YA. I love what else i’ve read of Sophie Gonzales, so when I got this ARC in my email I was stoked. And then I read it. The premise is very unique and interesting but the actual words on paper gave me so much secondhand embarrassment and the quirkiness of the teenagers that was definitely supposed to be endearing was off putting to me and very cringy. I think writing YA might not be Sophie’s cup of tea either unfortunately. I settled on a 2.75⭐️ rating rounded up to 3.

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Another fun, epic and geeky Sophie Gonzales book - this time around perfect for anyone who ever dreamed of their favourite fictional character coming to life and sweeping them off their feet! 🥰 I had the best time reading this one and I can't wait for the next Sophie masterpiece!

You need to read The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist if you love:
- friends to enemies to lovers arcs
- stories with a dash of magic
- wonderful fictional characters coming to life!! (this is what dreams are made of!)
- heart shattering sapphic love stories (but with a HEA!)
- amazing SCs with their own arcs

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Sometimes reality can be better than fantasy. But before we get there Ivy has to heal some scars that we don’t know yet. With the dual POV of past and present, it gives us a little bit of a mystery.
A cute story for those that enjoy fanfic.

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