In a Not-So-Perfect World
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

In a Not-So-Perfect World is a single POV fake dating romance centered on Sloane, an aspiring video game designer who has less than two weeks to design a game and nail the interview of her dreams. Her recently single neighbor Charlie convinces her to take his ex’s place on a prepaid trip. It’s a win-win: Charlie can try to make his ex jealous and Sloane can code and design in peace, distraction-free in paradise!

I loved watching Sloane and Charlie grow from strangers to friends to lovers, in a story that followed them on vacation and back home in their “real” lives. It was fun and funny, sweet and sexy, just an all-around delight to read!

Thank you to @netgalley , @harpercollins, and Neely Tubati-Alexander for a chance to read this fun and entertaining romance

📖 I received a gifted e-book copy in exchange for an honest review ✍🏻


Read dates: 02/02/2024- 02/05/2024
Goodreads review: 02/05/2024
Instagram review: 02/06/2024
Blog review: 03/19/2024

This is a sweet, fun read. A sort-of-friends-to-lovers romance with fake relationship/forced proximity vibes, it’s fun and entertaining with likeable characters and a slow-burning love story.

Sloane is a doomsday prepping gamer who is in the running for her dream job as a designer at a hugely successful video game company. With promises to her potential new bosses to remain single and without outside entanglements, she is sent away to design a new game within a week as part of the final part of her interview.

And then Charlie comes along. After an unexpected meet-cute, Charlie and Sloane learn that they are neighbours, and they’re about to get a whole lot closer when Charlie invites Sloane along on a tropical island holiday that he had booked for him and his ex-girlfriend. He wants to make her jealous, and asks Sloane to pose as his girlfriend for the week. Sloane figures she can use the week to design and build her game, plus she gets a holiday, so she agrees, and the two near-strangers/almost-friends head off for a week in a romantic resort.

This book is full of fun, chemistry-filled moments as Charlie and Sloane spend time together, laugh, play, and get to know each other. There are some really fun and sweet moments, and you can see behind the scenes that feelings are developing, and there’s a fantastic slow burn as they wrestle with their growing feelings for each other.

But Charlie is fresh off a break-up, and Sloane is still burned from her last relationship. Then there’s the general turmoil of her life at present, her interfering, demanding mother, and the stress of building her game, getting her dream job, and the terms of employment that she agreed to.

There’s a lot to overcome, and there is some drama to wade through before these two can get their HEA. I found it a bit frustrating, and wanted to give them both a push, but the romance does come - sweet, sexy and heartfelt - along with some character growth for both of them, and the story ends really nicely.

"I’d be inclined to say he changed me. But if I really look, I know that’s not true. He didn’t change me. He made me more deeply who I am and have been afraid to be."

This is a smart and fun read. A bit lighter on the romance than I usually prefer, but I enjoyed it.

3 stars.

An absolute delight of a book. I laughed out loud so many times, and found the dynamic between the heroine and hero utterly refreshing—no morally gray red-flag-waving men here, but rather a beautifully realistic portrayal of the kind of relationship we’d all be lucky to find in real life. I loved this, five stars ⭐️

I give this book 3.5 stars/5. I had to really suspend my disbelief that the female main character, Sloane, would put up with such blatant workplace (and personal) misogyny at the expense of breaking into her dream career, but I understand it was a plot point. It was nice that Sloane knew how talented she was, and Charlie consistently verbalized that. However, I just couldn't get over how hot and cold their relationship was, and it felt like given how much time they actually spent apart on this already short trip (alot), it didn't immerse me completely.

I was disappointed in the ending, as I felt like another character had a better HEA than the main characters. It took a bit of the wind out of the sails of the love story. I really liked the author's Taylor Swift references, and the dialogue was fresh and funny! Overall, I thought this was good, not great.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for the advanced EArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I unfortunately did not enjoy this and it was a DNF at 30% but I would recommend it for people who enjoy fake dating, cute pets, strong friendships, and pop culture references.

For me, the main character was kind of annoying. I also found it very odd that she was just okay with the rampant misogyny during the interview at her dream job and didn't really even stop to think about it. I'm hoping that perhaps she addresses it later.

3.5-4 Stars! Good book. I enjoyed reading this one. It did at times drag on a bit but I just skimmed through those parts. I wasn’t a fan of the main female character, Sloane. The main male character, Charlie, was sweet, almost too sweet. Funny and sweet with a HEA ending. I didn’t love what the gamer bosses “suggested” to Sloane and I 100% would’ve recorded a conversation with those bosses and sued the hell out of them so I never needed to work again. All in all it was a decent book and worth checking out.
*I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

"In a Not So Perfect World" by Neely Tubati Alexander delivers a delightful blend of romance, humor, and the challenges of navigating career aspirations. Sloane Cooper's journey to balance love and professional ambitions is both relatable and entertaining. The premise, where Sloane agrees to pose as Hot Neighbor Guy's girlfriend for a tropical getaway, sets the stage for a whirlwind adventure.

The characters, especially Sloane and Charlie, are well-developed, and their chemistry leaps off the pages. Tubati Alexander skillfully weaves a narrative that keeps you hooked with witty dialogue and unexpected twists. The backdrop of a Turks and Caicos resort adds a touch of escapism to the story, creating a vivid and enchanting setting.

The exploration of Sloane's determination to focus on her career, contrasted with the growing connection she shares with Charlie, adds depth to the plot. The internal struggle Sloane faces between her heart and professional goals is portrayed with authenticity, making her a relatable and endearing protagonist.

While the story follows some predictable romantic tropes, the author injects freshness and originality, making it enjoyable. "In a Not So Perfect World" is a charming and heartwarming tale exploring love and ambition's complexities. Neely Tubati Alexander's writing style is engaging, and her ability to capture the essence of the characters makes this novel a solid 4-star read.

The characters felt a little gimmicky to me and I found myself skimming instead of being fully immersed. While not quite insta-love, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief for this rapid relationship.

The Taylor Swift references in this book were to die for!!!

THIS BOOK WAS SO CUTE! I absolutely loved the characters and the story! Watching two people get over ex’s and fall in love with each other was amazing!

The only thing I didn’t like was the last page talking about how the main couple might not work out. I’m a girl who lives in delusion, breakups don’t happen everyday.

Although a cute story with two MC's that I liked, I felt like this one became a bit clunky in the second half of the book. The obstacles that stood in the way came off as a little far fetched. While I enjoyed this novel I still prefer Love Buzz (which was one of my favorite romance novels from 2023).

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

LOVED! I've had this on my tbr for awhile and I'm so glad I finally got to read it. I loved the characters, the setting. Everything. Thanks to Netgalley for this arc.

This book is so cute and such an enjoyable read. I automatically loved the MFC who is a badass woman in STEM, she has great side supporting characters throughout the book and the MMC was so cute and such a nice guy. Also there’s Taylor swift references because why wouldn’t there be?

I really genuinely liked both main characters and enjoyed watching their story progress and their characters develop. I loved the ending and I would recommend this book to anyone.

I really enjoyed this book and the nice vacation it mentally and emotionally took me on.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC of this book. I thought this was a very enjoyable read. It definitely falls solidly within the "chick lit" genre but has some aspects that made it different, mainly the fact that the main character is a video game designer. I would for sure read other books by this author.

Sloane, is an aspiring video game designer, who is without work and on the heels of a traumatic breakup. When her across the hall neighbor, Charlie, asks her to come on an all expenses paid tropical vacation, she reluctantly agrees. It turns out, he is also very recently out of a relationship. Their banter back and forth and the relationship they forge is sweet to read about and felt realistic. They struggle with their feelings for each other due to past experiences and heartbreak. Overall, I enjoyed reading about how the two main characters discover what they're looking for in life and with each other. Would recommend it!

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️

Such a great read! Loved the slow-burn, “happily now” romance that exists here between Sloan and Charlie. Great character development and secondary characters. Can’t wait to see what’s next.

If you’re a fan of Christina Lauren or Abby Jimenez, this book is for you!

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

I enjoyed reading this book. The writing had a lot of humor infused (especially the water balloon fight scene), but also touched on important issues, like working in a male-dominated workplace and facing misogyny from bosses/coworkers. I really liked the main characters, Sloane and Charlie. Charlie was such a good male lead: he was so supportive of Sloane and her career and very sweet.

Something that irked me was how the whole plotline of Sloane "promising" her new job that she wouldn't date/have babies/etc played out (which was so frustrating in itself). I thought it would be a major issue throughout the book, but it was barely mentioned in the first half of the book as Sloane was developing feelings for Charlie. She was clearly attracted to Charlie, but the only thing that stopped her was that she thought Charlie might have been hung up on his ex and the misogynistic promise was never mentioned. The issue only came back up again later on only as a way to create a rift between Charlie and Sloane, rather than something that was constantly on Sloane's mind throughout the book (if that makes sense).

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it had a lot of great laugh-out-loud moments. I would recommend this read to anyone who likes the fake relationship and forced proximity tropes.

This was such a fun read! I loved that the romance between them made me feel like I was walking hand in hand with them. This is a ROM-COM I will be purchasing for some friends and for a book group read!

In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati Alexander is a delightful rom-com that follows Sloane Cooper, an ambitious video game designer facing both professional and personal challenges. After a surprise breakup, Sloane is determined to land her dream job, but workplace sexism forces her to make an impulsive commitment during an interview. When her charming neighbor, Charlie, proposes a trip to Turks and Caicos to pose as his girlfriend and make his ex jealous, Sloane sees it as an opportunity to impress her potential employers. The novel cleverly balances humor with more serious themes, including workplace discrimination in STEM fields. The banter among characters adds a lighthearted touch, and Sloane's journey toward self-confidence and empowerment gives depth to the story. Despite the familiar rom-com structure, the book delivers satisfying twists and heartwarming moments, making it a recommended read for fans of romance and humor.

In a Not So Perfect World was a cute read. Nothing really new here but still an enjoyable read. I liked Sloane and Charlie and I'd consider this an easy, quick read.

LOVE! What a fun rom com! The video game designer + apocalyptic planning was a new twist that I didn’t hate - it was the perfect level of casual intrigue. Light trauma bonding between our MCs but you’re rooting for them the whole time. (And the deal Sloane made with her company is v v illegal). Anyway, 5 stars!

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC.

What started strong became really clunky by the end, but overall this was a good read and felt stronger than the author’s debut. I appreciated the gamer subplot but think it could’ve been handled more impactfully (and not just with a neat bow in the epilogue).

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.