Sloane, a video game designer (and doomsday prepper), and Charlie, a guy who does spray-on abs commercials (among other things), share a random kiss in the bar before discovering they’re neighbors. To make his ex jealous, Charlie invites Sloane on an all-expenses-paid trip to the Caribbean, which sounds like the beginning of a horror novel, but I promise you that this is a romance! With fun banter! And apocalyptic video games! And lots of rum punch! A lot is happening in this story, but it somehow works. It’s quippy and sexy, and Sloane’s commitment to sharing fun facts at the most random times soothed my soul.

There was so much to love about In a Not So Perfect World. First of all, Charlie is now my new favorite cinnamon roll/Golden Retriever! I need to find my own Charlie, he was so sweet. When the spice came in, it was amazing. The banter between them was perfect. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and it was really pulled off well in this book. I also really appreciated how Sloane was portrayed and her struggles in a male-dominated industry. The setting of Turks & Caicos was honestly magical and I now need to go there. I received an advance review copy for free and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was an absolute delight, tailor-made for lazy days by the beach. While it stirs up just the right amount of righteous indignation against those awful employers, the satisfaction of seeing justice served provides a welcome balm. The romance is a delightful blend of spicy and sweet, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to the narrative. With its fast-paced plot, it's the kind of book you'll breeze through in no time.

I ended up listening to this one on audio and it was the perfect binge read to finish in a day! I was fully engaged the whole time.

Sloane and Charlie just happen to be neighbors who share a drunken kiss at a bar leading to a Caribbean vacation due to both going through heartbreak. This leads to some forced proximity and miscommunication. The romance in this one was really cute and they make an adorable couple when they finally accept their feelings for each other.

I will say, the way Sloane is treated at her job interview and new job so frustrated! But I was happy that the video game premise wasn’t the full part of this plot and the doomsday prepper piece was more comedic relief than part of the storyline as well.

I love me a story like this! It kept me captivated from the first chapter. I just think a wide variety/range of people will really enjoy this! I recommend.

This book was SO enchanting, with a gorgeous setting (PLEASE I want to go there!), compelling protagonists, and an utterly swoony romance. Sloane was a great main character and I loved that Charlie showed vulnerability and wasn't your typical alpha male hero.

The thing I loved the most, though, was that this book wasn't about one of the love interests 'saving' the other... It was about them saving each other, healing together, and growing alongside one another. I feel like that's so very rare to see in romance and it was super refreshing! A wonderfully fun, delightful read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for providing me with an ARC for review.

What a delight this book was! There's an AAPI female video game designer, a newly single hot neighbor, a trip to the Caribbean, and one of my favorite romance tropes: fake dating. Charlie (the hot neighbor) wants to make his ex jealous and get back together with her (does this ever actually work?), so he invites Sloan (the video game designer) on an already paid for vacation meant for him and his ex. It's a will they or won't they I couldn't put down.

This book was so cute! I loved the video Game Center, but also the romance in the beautiful Turks and Caicos. You feel like you are there in the story as well! The characters meshed so weak.

"Fake dating on vacation" is one of my favorite tropes. I eat it up every time. Some books with this trope are stronger than others, "In a Not So Perfect World" is solidly in the middle. I definitely enjoyed it, but it probably won't be something I'll return to.

I appreciated the backstories of the characters, especially Sloane's interest in game development. I loved the parts of the books that focused on her developing games and struggles as a woman in such a male dominated field. I wish we saw more of this. I also loved how her and Charlie were able to connect over both their career and personal histories. Last, I appreciated how the book addressed Sloane and Charlie's relationship outside the context of vacation.

The chemistry between Sloane and Charlie just wasn't there for me and the book was missing a lot of the tension building moments I look for in a fake dating romance. There really wasn't that much of the fake dating element at all. Even though this was addressed through the course of the book, due to Charlie's very very recent break up at the start of the book, I wasn't wholly convinced that he should be diving into another relationship so soon.

This one was fun! I wanted just a little more from it, though.

3 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Overall, I liked this story. The two main characters had good chemistry and the fake dating/vacay plot was cute. The writing was well executed and I liked the development and growth of the characters.
I would ve given it a 4 star, but I could not get over the job interview and the questions and innuendo about Sloane's personal life. The other characters did express the absurdity of it, but it just enraged me. The basis of that interview influencing Sloane's actions throughout the book just reminded me of how ridiculous it was.
Hiring someone under the conditions that they stay single and won't have children...just no...hard pass. Not only is that illegal, but it's just not something that Sloane should have accepted. The ending wrapped up a lot of my issues, but I was still rankled.

Love Buzz was one of my favourite reads of 2023 so I was very excited to dive into In a Not So Perfect World, Neely's second release. There was a lot that I liked.

First, the cover. I'm SUCH a mood reader and this cover had me wrapped around it's finger. Bright colours, bold text, it's so pretty!
I really enjoyed the slow burn between Sloane and Charlie. The build from strangers to friends to lovers felt real and made sense for the story. That Kix quote from Charlie had me swooning! (IYKYK)

One aspect of Neely's writing that I really enjoy is her ability to craft strong relationships between the MCs and size characters. I loved the friendship between Sloane and Tess, and one of my favourite parts of the book was meeting the other individuals in the resort competition. Neely really nailed the different people that can be found at an all-inclusive vacation!

A big part of the book was Sloane's experience applying and interviewing for a job with Catapult Games, a video game design company. The misogyny she faced was SO problematic to me. I know it is likely very prevalent in the male-dominated industry, but it was really hard for me to suspend belief in actual HR policies to accept that Sloane would just go ahead with their ridiculous demands for the job. I think this would have been four stars for me, but this aspect of the book was hard for me to move past.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Perennial and Neely Tubati Alexander for a review copy. These are my honest thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-vacation romance
-fake dating
-forced proximity
-forbidden romance

This is the perfect beach read, light frothy, but also femine range of misogeny in the workplace. I read this at the right time of experiencing it myself. Unfortunately I do not have a hot neighbor but maybe this is my sign of good things to come. I really enjoyed this one

If this was a netflix rom com, i would eat it right up! (but for real, @netflix - can you do it pls).

first wanna send a big thank you to harper perrenial / net galley for this arc!

I needed a quick and lighter romance read to break up some of my recent reads and i’m glad i chose this one! i really liked both of the main characters (hellooooo charlie) and their banter felt very realistic to me. i honestly just had ton of fun reading their convos and living through their experience of this vacay in turks & caicos and the people they meet there.

the thought process of sloane throughout the book also felt very real in a lot of ways! the struggles she faced in the career world of game design felt (unfortunately) real not only for that field, but for tons of women in the workplace.

the story didn’t blow me away, but the way it felt real (to me at least) made me enjoy it even more. there were some things that i felt like i needed more to connect with - for example, sloane’s family losing their house and all of their belongings in the flood. there wasn’t enough there for me to feel like it fully made sense in the story? almost like we needed more or just needed it taken out completely. but i did love the way the end came together.

overall - this was a good, quick read. would highly recommend for the perfect beach/vacay read!

A quick, fun, if highly improbable, romcom. Sloane has just landed an interview at her dream job. The kicker, the male led video game company wants Sloane to promise not to get romantically involved with anyone so that any “personal” problems won’t get in the way (this is not required by any of the males working there…). Luckily, she is getting over her ex and has sworn off relationships, so this should be a piece of cake. That is until the hot neighbor guy, aka Charlie, foils all her plans.

Complete with a romantic Caribbean getaway, exes appearing to stir up trouble and quirky side characters, this was a cute read.

I consumed this book on a Spring Break road trip, and it was the perfect read to get me in the mood for vacation!
It has all our faves--fake dating, forced proximity, STEM FMC, and a PERFECT PUP named Finn!
Did I mention that the forced proximity takes place in Turks & Caicos?! YES PLEASE. Oh and it's with the HAWT neighbor (who wears the punniest t-shirts) that the FMC happened to kiss after some sleuthing in a bar with her bestie. You won't want to put Neely's latest page turner down after falling for Sloane & Charlie!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an Advanced Reader Copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Neely can write a menu and I will happily read it. I fell in love with this author and her writing when she released her debut novel Love Buzz. I love the humor she weaves into her romcoms. I was laughing, giggling, and smiling throughout. This is truly the best beach read for summer 2024!

Just like Charlie, this book is like nothing I ever could have expected. So glad I picked this one up. A healthy amount of Taylor Swift song references!

I’ve seen some harsh criticism about the misogyny is tech aspect, but I think that’s literally a point and something that she is going to need time to overcome. I can definitely relate to working for a horrible person because you needed the income. Anyone who says “DNF misogyny!!” Is completely overlooking that Sloan was almost three months late on rent and couldn’t give the middle finger to such an ultimatum.

It was so unique to see a fake dating trope where one party actually had to hide the fake dating! Classic, predictable part associated with that, but I still really enjoyed it. The mutual healing from the exes was an important part of the story.

Part of this book was kind of giving Bachelor in Paradise but with just two people. The fun side date, a little trauma dump, falling in love so fast because you’re on vacation in a new place living luxuriously. Etc. It was so fun to read.

This book was spicy but more so in a tension/anticipation building type of way. Sloan makes Jake read a smutty part of her romance book to him, but on the same page there’s a “fade to the next morning.”

I mentioned that this book had a predictable aspect in it, but there’s also a plot twist I definitely could not have anticipated.

I read this in a day because it was fun, light hearted, and so romantic. I definitely want to read more from this author. I’ll leave you with my favorite quote from the book: Even if he had never cheated, he didn’t give me enough!


Loved. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you're in need of a lighthearted, fun read that will transport you to paradise, look no further. This book is a great escape for those looking for a cute love story with not a lot of substance. That sounds like a negative thing, but it's not really. I actually enjoyed the fact that this book was not heavy at all. That being said, while the couple in this book was cute to read about, I didn't really get the sense that they were actually falling in love at any point in the book. I didn't buy that in the span of a few short days, they could suddenly fall out of love with their exes and in love with each other. It wasn't the short amount of time that did this for me, but the lack of chemistry between the two leads.

Not back to the positive. Like I mentioned, I did enjoy the setting for this novel. Who doesn't want to read about cocktails by the beach and romantic dinners? The author set the scene very well and I definitely got a vacation vibe from reading this book. However, some chapters went on way too long for me and I felt myself growing bored. I wanted more intimate moments between the couple; more angst and drama. The reasons each person had for not wanting to be with the other just weren't compelling enough for me.

Overall, this is a decent new romance story that could be a great beach read or a palette cleanser after reading a very heavy book (am I the only one who needs books like this?) but it wasn't extremely memorable for me.

I wanted to like this..so much..but...

it was cute, had all of my favorite troupes; fake relationship, forced proximity, slow burn.

But in the end it was just cute. Just not as cute as I wanted it to be,

Thank you to netgalley for the arc. All opinons are my own.

Thank you @harperperennial @netgalley @booksparks #partner #sprc2024 #thenewclassic for the free copies of this book!

Neely does it again! This was a deliciously fun romp in the Caribbean involving a cute neighbor and revenge. Sloane is a woman in a man’s video gaming world. She finally gets her dream job after recently breaking up with her boyfriend. She is laser focused on her career as he cheated on her and she’s ready to put herself first.

In comes her hot next door neighbor, Charlie, who ends up offering her a free trip to Turks and Caicos as a ploy to try and create jealousy for his ex. He wants her back and what better way to do it by inviting his new pretend love interest! Sloane agrees to go but soon realizes maybe it wasn’t the best idea. Real feelings form and she finds herself getting off track for what she promised herself, to focus on her career. She knows she has to move on from her ex and she knows Charlie truly wants his ex back as well. Will they find a happy ending that satisfies them both? You’ll just have to grab a copy to see how this pans out!

I thought this one was a light, refreshing, summer read that is perfect to dive into this spring! It’s the ultimate chick lit involving the boy next door, a surprise vacation, and two easy to love characters! I love how they initially met…I found myself actually smiling through that scene! I liked that Sloane was relatable in the sense that she had struggled with finding her place with her career as well as she didn’t dive head first and kept some of herself more reserved. Overall this book was a sweet summertime romance that I can easily recommend!