So in the beginning I kept cringing. I wanted to stop reading. I did stop reading. I’d put it down and then read a little more, put it down and read a little more... you get the picture. Then I cheated. I read how it ended. I truly don’t think I could have made it through the book without cheating. My heart couldn’t take it. I’m not into love triangles and that’s kinda this story. But different. Horrible explanation...

Give this one a chance.
And try not to cheat like me.

3.5-4 stars. Some parts of this is very reminiscent of the Thoughtless series, in that angsty love triangle way. Valerie is human, so she’s not perfect but she tries her best. She makes both good decisions and bad decisions. The timing between she and Jake is just not the right time. While I liked the writing, some parts needed a bit more elaboration, but then it also kept the plot from dwelling too long in any one aspect. It definitely kept my attention. There was a completely unexpected trajectory in the middle of the book, which made things both interesting and complicated. I wouldn’t have minded more exploration of feelings, especially from Jake, since Valerie was a bit too transparent. And because love triangles are messy, this is no exception and there was drama, yet after everything, the ending felt rather tidy.

2.5 stars

I knew I was getting into an unholy mess with this book and that blurb but what started off as a eating popcorn watching events unfold, quickly moved to a ridiculous plot peppered with unbelievable convenience. I enjoyed SC Stephens last survival story but this one did not work at all for me. Only forge forward into this book if you are okay with cheating, it’s up there in the blurb and its a pretty taboo take on that trope. I can flow with this trope but it still felt a bit icky to me and I think that’s down to how the story was told and the characterisation.

I’m going to start with what I liked and then move to what didn’t work for me. This is a short book, just over 200 pages, it was quick to read and hard to put down. A bit like a crash unfolding that you cannot look away from. The time passed as I just read from front to back. So, you could say this was gripping. There was definite chemistry between the two MCs but when it came to chemistry playing out fully, I didn’t feel much.

What didn’t work for me was the story or rather the story direction. The way that the author took this to an almost ridiculous scenario moved me from like to almost writing it off. I can flow with a bit of fantastical licence but this story went deep into impossibility for me. I felt this more so, once the MCs were coming to the end of the book and the big awful situation was over. There was too much convenience in everything to do with the plot and the story felt rushed. I can’t help thinking with another 150 pages or so, this could have been fleshed out so much better.

I know SC Stephens can write a great book in the tropes that SOMETHING LIKE PERFECT hit but on this occasion it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Montlake Romance for the early review copy.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the eArc to review*

Valerie, finishing culinary school, discovers the love of her life when she is hungover in a coffee shop, and he pays for her coffee. The only thing is, he;s her sister's boyfriend.

I actually enjoyed this. I'm not a romance reader typically so I was sceptical, but I was looking to try something new and didn't hate the book at all.

Some parts of the story were a bit far fetched, but it didn't stop me from wanting to read on.

I didn't mind the character of Valerie, and would have preferred some chapters from Jake's perspective, as for a long time he's just 'Kylie's boyfriend'.

This was a quick, enjoyable read, and I would be interested in reading more from the author.

Book:Something Like Perfect
Author:S.C Stephens
Summary: Something Like Perfect is about a hard-working, loyal, selfless woman named Valerie and her attraction towards her sister’s boyfriend. After receiving a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity, Valerie needs to decide if she’s ready to take the risks necessary to achieve her dreams.

‘Something Like Perfect’ is a recipe for an equally blended milkshake of fluff and angst.

Valerie is a well-written protagonist. She had good instincts and wore her heart on her sleeve. The specific details the author added portrayed the emotions behind certain parts of the story. The diction was simple and set the tone. Foreshadowing helped progress the story. All the characters were relatable and neutral. The author did a great job of keeping the reader on their toes. ‘Something Like Perfect’ had some unexpected twists and turns that enhanced the inner plot. The book consists of many ironic phrases that convey the conflicting feelings of the characters, very well-done.

Jake’s point of view would be appreciated because for a while, he’s only known as Valerie’s sister’s boyfriend. Jake and Valerie were similar in a lot of ways. Also, internal conflict between them would have added more layers to the story. Avoiding repetition is a daunting task, the author needs to trust the reader to pick up on the hints without much elaboration on the certain actions taken by the characters. This book is recommended for slow burn romance genre readers.

Personal Note: This is the first book I’ve ever read of S.C Stephens and it captured me. I’m looking forward to reading and reviewing more. Thank you. ARC s provided by the publisher.

I really couldn't put this one down. I was sucked in from the very start and couldn't put this one down. Something Like Perfect is a phenomenal read. You feel the love, the heart break, the struggles and every emotion that Jake and Valerie go through. Valerie your heart goes out to her as she struggles over her attraction to Jake. You feel the chemistry from the start and want to scream stupid mistiming. You will feel how Jake is torn with all his feelings he has for Valerie and her sister Kylie. There is this incredible bond that Jake and Valerie share as they are isolated together. My heart hurt for everyone while reading. The emotions ran high and tears ran freely as I dug in deeper into Something Like Perfect. This book is perfection and should be one clicked.

3.9 - 4.25 Stars

Valerie just finished culinary school. Now she needs a good job to be able to save enough money to one day open her own restaurant.

Jake is on his way to becoming a cruise ship captain. For now he's apprenticing on a yacht.

And the yacht needs an assistant cook.
A job that would be perfect for Valerie.
And she accepts when Jake tells her about it.

BUT.

Jake is her sister's boyfriend.
They didn't know that when they met.

There were sparks.

But Jake was very happy in this new relationship with Kylie - so nothing ever happened between Valerie and Jake.

But the sparks haven't gone away. And now they'll be on a ship together for two weeks??

Let the fun times begin ....

WHAT WiLL HAPPEN TO VALERIE & JAKE?
WILL THERE BE A HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! ☺

══════════════════

I'm such a huge #KellanKyle fan - he's still my number one book boyfriend of all time - so anything that follows in his footsteps will have a hard time with me ...

And I started reading this with the hopes of getting a cute and beachy romance. Like the cover suggests. The blurb didn't really grab me, because I HATE love triangles. That was the only thing I hated about Kellan's story. And this was basically the same. At least a bit like it.

Kylie and Jake have been dating for three weeks when he meets Valerie in a coffee shop. Insta attraction for Valerie. And Jake is super intrigued too. But he wanted to give this new thing with Kylie a chance.

Jake is a really great guy.
Nobody wants to hurt the sister.
But it's still horrible! I just hated the situation! I HATE cheating - and we just know that it's going to happen here.

And then they're on the yacht together and of course the attraction only grows. Which makes us sad for Kylie. But we also want Jake and Valerie to get that happily ever after. Which might not be as easy as it might sound. Just a little cheating and poor Kylie will forgive them one day? Maybe. But that is SO not the biggest problem we're facing. I'm not telling you more, but it's getting even worse than all that. LOL!

This was a really great and exciting love-triangly adventure romance. I loved reading it. It wasn't too long. I might've wanted a bit more of things. More details, more of everything. And I definitely would've wanted to cut the triangly part. The story would've been enough without Kylie's part. Most readers hate love triangles and they definitely hate cheating. I would just cut Kylie out of the book. First of all, it's completely unnecessary and then it's way too close to Kellan Kyle for my tastes!

We could also cut out the 2nd drama part of the book and have just the love triangle as the drama. But I would prefer it the other way 'round! ☺

Anyway. I really liked reading it. It was just a bit too much. Both drama parts were not my kinds of drama and I again judged a book by its über pretty cover. There were sweet moments and sunny and beachy ones. But there was too much drama! But I really loved Jake - he was very Kellany. And the story - or at least the middle adventure part - was kind of the exact opposite of SC Stephens' last book with the snow stuff. LOL!

I want something really NEW and super amazing next please! (Why do you always go for the cheating/triangly things in otherwise amazing books?)

► SOMETHING LIKE PERFECT was a sweet & exciting love-triangly adventure romance!
Run to your nearest amazon for your own Jake - this one is MINE!

Tiny info for people scared about the cheating part. Yes, we have cheating...but if their defense I have to say that it's understandable ... they waited a long time and then they thought it was okay due to circumstances in their lives at that moments. I can't say more without spoiling the whole middle part of the book. READ IT. It's not that bad!

Something Like Perfect is not my first book from this author so I wont lie. I had high expectations for this story and it's characters. After finishing this story I was a little disappointed. Everything turned out to be just OKAY. I thought Valerie, Kylie and Jake, the main characters were okay but there was nothing about any of them that made them stand out to me. There was nothing that made me think or say "I love this character". It wasn't hard to figure out which direction the story would go in and although I knew how things would turn out, I just expected more. I kept waiting for that one special thing or moment to make me fall in love with this story and it didn't happen. I expected it to be better than what it turned out to be. Everything in this story came too easy. There was no real struggle. The hardest thing these characters faced was whether or not to do the right thing and in the end it went just as I expected. Everything was wrapped up in a nice bow. With that being said, it was okay. I just expected more from this author from having read other books from her that I fell in love with.

I have to say upfront that the thoughtless series is one of my all time favorites. This however was a miss for me. I can deal with the angst and the triangles, but this book had me rolling my eyes way too much. Val met the love of her life in a 2 minute coffee shop interaction. And she pined for months. Literally months. Because he had met her sister first. After 2 minutes! And then my suspension of disbelief just couldn’t keep up with the crazy events that followed. Just didn’t work for me.

This book left me feeling dirty and was a struggle to finish. I am all about the angsty romance and I'm fine with the love triangle when someone realizes they're with the wrong character. This book brought cheating to a different level and I struggled with that.

Things that worked,: the writing style. This is my first book by this author. I will definitely read more. It is very well written.

What didn't work: halfway through the book, I really didn't like the female lead. From the very beginning, I had issues with her. As soon as she realized that the guy she met at the coffee shop with the dating her sister, he should have been off limits. But instead he became the person she fantasized about and had dirty dreams about. When they ended up working together things just got worse. I would have loved to have had Jake's perspective on some of this. It would have added a different dynamic and layer to the book that I think it needed.

I received an advanced copy of the book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

There's been some judgey reviews about this one- because Valerie falls for Jake, who is dating her sister Kylie. Yes, there's cheating, but let's all keep in mind that Jake and Kylie are dating, not married, when Valerie meets him by chance- not knowing his connection. You can argue that Valerie isn't a good sister but is Jake a good boyfriend? Focus, instead, on the love story (it's a steamy one). Valerie is a talented chef who has finally found a job on a, wait for it, yacht! But, Jake's going to be there too. You know as they travel that they will move together emotionally as well as physically. This triangle will work it out and no one is going without love. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

In case you're wondering.... there is a LOT of cheating in this. I felt gross about the relationship from the first 10% of the book on, because our "heroine" was having dirty dreams about her sister's guy after only a 5 minute conversation with him. I pretty much loathed her the entire time. The writing itself is actually good and the book gets a lot better in the middle, but it's very much a story about justifying cheating. And while I like reading the occasional book about realizing you're with the wrong girl, I definitely DO mind cheating. There's a way to execute this story that wouldn't feel all kinds of wrong, but that's not how this one plays out.

The story follows Valerie, a young woman who meets a cute guy at a coffee shop. When he pays for her drink, sparks fly so Valerie asks him out. Unfortunately, Jake has just started seeing someone so he declines. Fast forward a few weeks later, and Valerie realizes that Jake is the new guy her sister's been seeing. They both acknowledge that there's a connection there but resist the pull. Months later, Jake helps Valerie get a new job, but it means they'll be spending a lot more alone time together - which doesn't seem like the best idea since they're already fighting the attraction. When events bring them even closer together, there's no denying it any longer.

Before I go any further, I have to say that I actually did like the writing style. I think if the beginning and end had been executed differently, I would've been okay with the middle. That's going to sound vague but there's an event midway through that SORT OF makes their actions justifiable. Unfortunately, that's not the case at the beginning or the end. No comment about the end, but I can say that within the first 15% Valerie is dreaming about a future with Jake, getting drunk with him, touching him, holding hands, having dirty dreams... all kinds of things you should not being doing with your sister's boyfriend. And that's before she agrees to take a job that will bring them closer. This definitely would've read better with dual perspective, because left alone with Valerie's thoughts, I mostly just thought she was a TERRIBLE sister. I went into this hoping for a complicated slow burn romance set in the workplace and got something else entirely. I would consider reading more from the author in the future because I enjoyed the writing style, but it just wasn't enough to get past how much I disliked both of these characters. I appreciated receiving an ARC via NetGalley (and am voluntarily leaving a review), but I can't say that this one was a winner for me.

This was a difficult one. I basically requested this book from NetGalley because this author has such great ratings across her books and I’m always on the lookout for new authors. The description made me nervous though because I hate cheating. Well, if you’re like me, this book will likely make you uncomfortable depending on your definition of cheating. That is all I will say about that since I’m not going to spoil the book. I will say that the book was inventive, interesting and took a twist I totally didn’t expect. It was a fast read and I wanted to keep reading, despite my discomfort, to see how the book ended. So I give this book a 3.5stars because it did draw me in but I felt like the relationship building was a little too superficial and given the topic and progression of the relationship, in my opinion a deeper foundation was needed.

DNF at 31%

I adore SC Stephens books, but this one was a miss for me.

I found myself really not liking the leading lady Val.

I am sure plenty of others will love this story, it just wasn't for me.

Valerie falls instantaneously "in love" with Jake when she briefly meets him in coffee shop, because he's handsome, he buys her coffee, and he has an animé t-shirt. She asks him out, but he just started a relationship, so she accepts the coffee he bought her and moves on. Then she finds out the new relationship happens to be with her sister, Kylie, who she loves and adores and all that. So what's Valerie to do, but avoid her sister, and pine tragically about her fate of being wildly into this man she meet just once? And then, of course he gets her a job where they will be isolated with him on a boat, but she's a "good sister" so she asks Kylie if it's okay to take this job and Kylie says yes (because, why would she think there's reason for concern?), and to Valerie this is permission enough to move forward. Anyhow, it goes on like this, Valerie is torn, Valerie feels like a victim of her "fateful" situation, Valerie can't help it, this is so much more powerful than her, but she loves her sister oh, so much, and she would never, ever, ever hurt her. Sigh. Blend all this angst with situations that are all too convenient, and I just couldn't get into this book. Taboo stories, and stories with big moral quandaries can make for great reading, but there has to be a feeling of genuine dilemma, good character development, strong storytelling to make it all hold up.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.