I loved the fake dating trope but honestly it was too long and the characters were very annoying at times
3 Stars

Two people from very different worlds cross paths on their worst night and find both an unexpected connection and how complex love can sometimes be. 💕

An under the radar contemporary romance that I hope more people give a shot! I was hooked from the beginning and thought this one was so well written. Truly, I felt every emotion with our main characters - their sadness, their insecurities, their unexpected connection and raw emotional intimacy. Much of the book is set in Greece, and going in, that was the part I was most excited for, but our MCs created their own small world that was even more engaging. I loved that we got a bit of dual POV, with chapters throughout from our MMC, David. My only small dislikes were our FMC’s sisters (not my cup of tea how they spoke to each other and I also thought we spent too much time on one of their storylines) and how the end was executed. Very much looking forward to watching the Netflix adaptation now! ☺️

My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a complimentary advance copy of the English translation of this eBook, out 7/23/2024.

Know that this was a huge hit in Spain and that it's going to be a series. Know also that it's a bit too long and that you might think both Margot and David make some bad choices. Know also that it might well pull you in and keep you reading even thought you know what's going to happen. It's got a bit of spice and a bit of spark. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A romp.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I was curious about the story, especially when I saw that it was being made into a Netflix series. There's been a number of contemporary romance adaptions that I have really enjoyed.

This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I didn't enjoy the writing style and I could not connect with the characters. Although there were romantic moments, I felt the chemistry was lacking and the connection between David and Margot seemed inauthentic at times.

I can understand how the book could be deemed romantic and emotional by a younger audience. For me, the plot was a bit chaotic. I did not get to the end.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Absolutely love the fake dating trope. When I realized that this was what I was getting into I devoured this book in one sitting. I love the fact that they were faced with the depth of their feelings and having to make a decision on what to do. Can you imagine being on a vacation in Greece and madly fall in love with your fake boyfriend trying to make the guy mad that you thought you were in love with. So juicy!!!!

Perfect indeed! Strong plot and characters you will feel like you know really drive this way above average romance tale. What happens when you follow your gut and stop living for the expectations of other - and find out what you thought you wanted really isn't close to what you need? Finding yourself and finding the right one, can happen anywhere. Definite fun with two alternate endings, just like life, it can go anywhere.

This is one of the books that you need to finish in one setting. You can't just read it bit by bit, you must get the full experience at once.
What I liked the most was how everything was totally unrelatable to me; the whole missing bride fiasco was uncomfortable to read, waiting for the wedding day to express your hesitation is just... Weird. The fiance's reaction was understandable to be honest.
The FMC character as a whole was unlikeable, come to think of it, both MCs weren't really nice in terms of personality.
For the FMC, she was just achingly bland, she knew what she wanted, or at least what she hated, and she still didn't do anything to stand up for herself in any relationship she had. She kept whining the whole time, I wanted to shake some sense into her most of the time.
And then, the MMC, who identifies as a man child. He had the biggest inferiority complex ever, for someone nearing thirty and lost in life, all he did was pitying himself.
You see, as much as I disliked the characters, I still liked the book so much. Their story was perfect for them, the chaotic pace of their affair, the constant pleasure seeking, and the turbulent feelings, it's what you expect for both characters to have.
The writing style was fantastic, which was super fascinating because it was already translated. I also loved the sequence and pace, I wasn't bored for a second throughout.
In my opinion, it was a great book. If you like emotional or angst-y books, this one is a really good choice.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Oh, A Perfect Story is like that deliciously addictive rom-com that you end up binging on a lazy Sunday. The setup? Classic! Margot, fresh from her wedding-that-wasn't, meets David, the charismatic bartender, and they hatch this plan to fake-date their way to making their exes jealous. Cue the unexpected feels and chaos. Their misadventures take them all the way to Greece (because why not make bad decisions in a picturesque setting?), and that's where things get real. It's all supposed to be fun and games, but then the lines blur, feelings catch, and suddenly, they're in too deep. This book gives you everything—laughs, swoons, and a couple of tears. It’s the ultimate escapism but with characters who feel so real, you can't help but root for them despite the mess they're in. If you love stories where everything goes spectacularly wrong before it gets right, and where you find yourself laughing one minute and clutching your heart the next, this is your jam. Plus, it’s on Netflix now, so you can compare the binge to the read!

A perfect story is the first thing I read by Benavent and although I didn't dislike it... it didn't drive me that crazy either.

I think there is a lot of hype around this author (and that may be justified), and I feel like she is not for me. Let's see, I'm not saying that I'm not going to read anything else by her, far from it, but it's not the type of reading that I like or that I enjoy in my free time.

Yes, I must admit that I love the way he writes and how he presents the characters and how each one of them is well differentiated from the other. It creates micro conversations that, although they do not ADD to the story, give us a lot of content in terms of what they are like and what their dynamics are like between them.

What I missed was connecting with the protagonists, their stories and their romance. That's where I couldn't really get into the story. And although it shows us much more than a romance story (because it has a lot of growth and discovery on the part of the protagonists) it is also a central piece of the story.

Thanks SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and NetyGalley for the ARC

I wasn’t sure what to expect when starting this book as I’d never read a book that was originally published in a language other than English. At times, the translation was a bit awkward and took a couple times of re-reading sentences to understand, but the storyline really made it worthwhile.

From the get-go I was instantly laughing at the FMC’s sarcastic humor and the witty banter between the sisters. It grabs you instantly and sucks you in! A love story between two people from different worlds, beautifully depicted scenery, and the perfect dose of humor made for an enjoyable read. The only critique I had was it felt drawn out in areas and probably could have been condensed to a shorter more palatable novel, but it is a worthwhile story that tugs on your heart strings in the best way!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

So, A Perfect Story by Elísabet Benavent? Let me tell you, it was such a cute read! 📚💕 At first, I gotta admit, it was a bit slow for me. But once Margot and David crossed paths, things got real interesting, real quick! Their fake dating plan was totally genius! And I loved the chemistry between them!

The character development was on point, too. Margot's journey from perfect princess to finding her own happiness felt so relatable. And David? Talk about swoon-worthy! I couldn't help but root for them the whole way through.

The trip to Greece had me craving a summer adventure of my own! 🌞🌴 The romance, the adventure—it was like living vicariously through Margot and David's whirlwind romance.

Now, I'll be honest—the sex scenes had me cringing a bit, and the book did feel a tad long in parts. But hey, minor details compared to the overall feels this book gave me! And don't even get me started on that ending—it was unexpected yet strangely bittersweet. It left me with all the feels! 😭💔

I felt like the translation was a bit clunky at times, but it didn't take away from the magic of the story. Overall, A Perfect Story is a must-read for anyone who loves a good rom-com that's equal parts heartwarming and hilarious. I will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love. Highly recommend!

Margot and David, from vastly different backgrounds, find their lives unexpectedly intertwined: she, the heiress to a hotel empire; he, juggling three jobs to make ends meet. Their serendipitous meeting uncovers a shared chance to reclaim lost love.

Adapted from Elísabet Benavent's novel into a Netflix Spanish romantic comedy miniseries, then translated into an English novel, this captivating story is bound to enchant romantics everywhere. It serves as a poignant reminder that the "perfect story" may not always align with our reality. Margot and David's journey deeply resonated with me—I laughed, empathized, and cheered for them until the final page. Undoubtedly, I'm a hopeless romantic, and this novel only deepened that sentiment.

My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for graciously providing this eARC.

I learned after starting that this book was a translation and to be honest I found it a little hard to follow at times, unfortunately I feel that it has been somewhat lost in translation. Just not for me

Traditional format 📕 (digital). Did not finish at 15%. I am going to assume that this book is a little lost in translation. I stuck with it for a bit because I thought maybe there was some potential but as I continued to read the writing style just wasn’t working for me and when I saw this was a 450 page book I knew I couldn’t stick it out. The writing was just too choppy and at times awkward to read. I am sorry to say I had to throw in the towel at chapter 12 on this book.

Thank you Net Galley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I found "A Perfect Story" by Elisabet Benavent to be a disappointing read. While the premise of two heartbroken individuals finding solace in each other on a fake-dating vacation sounded promising, the execution fell flat. The writing, perhaps due to translation issues, was often confusing and felt like it lacked depth.

One of the most concerning aspects of the book was how the male characters talked about women. They seemed to view them as objects rather than complex individuals, which I found degrading and off-putting. This aspect of the book made it difficult for me to connect with the characters or become invested in their journey.

Additionally, the book's pacing felt off, with repetitive scenes that did little to advance the plot. While some moments showed potential, such as the descriptions of Madrid and Greece, these were overshadowed by lackluster writing and character development.

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

“The night he met her, she had just thrown away her whole life.”

After finishing this book, I legitimately had to sleep on how I would write this review and I’m still not sure I’m going to get it right. Actually, I know I’m not going to get it right. It was just that good. To start, I’ll tell you I loved this book. I really, really loved this book. Sometimes stories find us exactly when we need them and that was definitely the case for A Perfect Story. It came into my life exactly when I needed it.

Here’s what I’ll say- The story had a great pace. Nothing felt like it moved too quickly or too slowly. Margot and David (our FMC and MMC) complemented each other and the story so well. The side characters added depth to their lives and pushed the story forward organically. The dual POV was beautifully written and engaged the reader in the story even more. The "fake dating" trope is not usually my favorite but this one felt so different! It was packed with emotion and managed to captivate the complications of life in a “breath of fresh air” type of way. Plus, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time wondering how the book was going to end!

It had strong character development. It made you really think about life. It was honest and real. It was magical and captivating in all the right ways. It had ALL the summer vacation vibes.

This book… this book. It was a perfect story. That’s what I can say.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Read if you love..
a really, really perfect story

Ideally I would give this book 2.5 stars, but I rounded up to 3. It took me a bit to get into the book, and there were a few sections of it that continued to lose my interest but I kept giving it a chance. The story is very interesting and I enjoyed it, however there were parts of the book that I could not decide if it was due to a language barrier or just a choice in words.

While I don't think i will recommend it to people to read, I am glad that I picked it up because the story was captivating for most of it. While I read it on my kindle so I am not sure how large the book actually is but it felt like I was reading in circles and just experiencing the same scenes over and over in slightly different ways, which was a bit frustrating to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy.

Yikes, this translation was badddd. Most of the time it didn't make sense. If you told me Google Translate did it, I wouldn't be surprised. I'm actually pretty shocked I finished it. It was a SLOW start, a struggle to get through with the subpar translation, and it was LONG!

I really enjoyed the idea of this book and I loved the descriptions of Madrid and Greece. It made me want to travel. I also enjoyed the romance between Margot and David. As far fetched as it was, Elisabet nailed down a lot of the emotions of complicated love. I still don't know how I feel about the ending(s)? I guess it leaves me with something to think about.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC.

Fun quick story. Many great tropes mixed together. I love a good fake dating story and this as a fun one. Great setting and characters.

Fake dating + a bit of opposites attract = such a delightful read! I loved the characters and their chemistry — it made me think of classic rom coms and how good they make me feel.

This was my first read from this author and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it! I highly recommend.