Perfect on Paper fits right in with young adults and teens. It’s about social acceptance, questioning identity, and how to maneuver through the shark infested waters of teenager land. Especially when the main character is bisexual and being blackmailed by a guy who wants her to help him win back his girlfriend. Gonzales depicts the angst, anxiety, and also the naïveté of teenagers. Young adult readers will associate with many of the themes of the book. After reading this book I grateful my teenage years are long behind me. Whoever said high school was,the best time of your life didn’t have a clue.

Perfect on Paper tells the story of Darcy Phillips, an amateur relationship counselor. She navigates high school pressure, being in love with her best friend Brooke, and helping Brougham, the hot Australian guy, get his ex-girlfriend back.

In the words of Becky Albertalli, this is a “perfectly wonderful” story. I missed reading a YA contemporary that got me this involved, to the point where my eyes were burning from the need to sleep. Also, this isn’t my first Sophie Gonzales book. Only Mostly Devastated is also great, but Perfect on Paper is definitely my favorite of the two.

The central theme of the book is that relationships are messy. And not only romantic, but also friendships, and family ones. Darcy does her best to advise other teenagers on how to solve their relationship problems. I love how every chapter (I think it’s all of them, but I’m not sure) starts with a letter she receives and her answer. And then, as the story moves on, you are shown the effects of her advice on some background characters.

There’s a moment where there’s a discussion about biphobia (Darcy is bisexual, btw), and it brought tears to my eyes. Here are minor spoilers, but Darcy has this prejudice that if she falls in love with a guy, she may lose her identity as bisexual. And personally, as a bi girl with a tendency to fall in love with guys, I felt that fear of not truly belonging to the LGBTQ+ community.

Honestly, it’s hard to say precisely why I love this book. But overall, it just feels real, dramatic, and beautiful. It’s one of those stories that could be adapted as a Netflix movie right now, and it would be a hit.

Darcy is a mess. She’s so good at counseling others about their problems, but facing her own is a whole other issue. She tries to hide her feelings and live in a bubble where nothing changes. She also has a hard time predicting the consequences of her actions, which leads to awful mistakes and hurting people without them even knowing. But as Darcy grows, she learns the impact of her actions the hard way and owns up to them, and we can’t ask for more.

Brougham seems to be a douchebag at first. He’s blunt, very stoic, and even seems manipulative. But as you and Darcy get to know him, you understand it’s only a façade for him to protect himself from being hurt by others. He truly cares, he lives in absolute fear of becoming his mom, he’s driven, and a total cuddly bear.

As I said above, relationships are the cornerstone of this story. Which is all about how family defines who you are from an early age, how friendships also require effort, and how love can come out of seemingly nowhere.

Darcy is stuck in a mess where she’s in love with her best friend Brooke for a long time. And it’s easy for her to stay in that limbo where she’s Brooke’s main person and not take the step forward. Instead, she overthinks their interactions and hopes Brooke will take the first step. Then comes in Brougham that catches her off-guard, and when they notice, they’re each other’s to go person in times of need.

Darcy and Brougham have a rocky start because first impressions are not the best, and there's some miscommunication. Which is understandable because both of them are heavily influenced by their family situations. Darcy is more closed off and insecure about her feelings due to her parent’s divorce. Her relationship with her mother is also messy, and she doesn’t feel heard by her, which same girl. On the other hand, Brougham lives with a lack of a steady family situation and the shadow of his mother’s alcoholism hanging over him.

But as they start getting to know each other and working together, it’s so clear how Brougham starts to enjoy Darcy’s company. And you’ll see how Darcy cares for him even before she sees it herself. The moment they give in to their feelings is the perfect mix of affection, care for each other, and some steaminess in the mix.

Perfect on Paper is a real, dramatic, and engaging YA contemporary romance with great LGBTQ+ representation. It relies heavily on the relationship dynamics, be it love, friendship, or family. It’s one of those stories that warmed my heart, and it will absolutely be one of my favorite books of 2021.

It’s not often that a book meets all of your expectations so superbly, but that’s exactly what Perfect on Paper managed to do. From the protagonist, to the romantic tropes, to the excellent writing, this book was a wonderful little story that made me giddy with happiness.

Darcy Philips was the star of the book and I don’t have a single complaint about her characterization. She was relatable, flawed, remarkable, stood up for her beliefs, and had such tremendous growth throughout the novel. How could you not root for a heroine like that? I also really loved Sophie Gonzales’ commentary on the erasure of bisexuality when dating a member of the opposite gender. I’m not a member of the LGBTQ+ community and therefore have no authority on the matter, however, I thought the way the issues were brought up and handled were brilliantly done.

The romance was impressively written. Perfect on Paper somehow managed to combine my love of the fake dating trop a lá To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with the sweet, slow-burn that starts as friendship that made me love If I’m Being Honest so much. I love watching a romance unfold through characters’ thoughts and actions and not just being told, and that’s exactly what we are given in Perfect on Paper. In short, it was spectacular.

Perfect on Paper checked all of the right boxes to make this a tremendously heartwarming and satisfying novel. I think this book will appeal to a lot of readers and I highly recommend picking it up in March!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales

I have so many thoughts about this book but the main thought that keeps repeating is just a very long, very girly, “omg squeeeeeeeee heart eyes” moment.

I absolutely LOVED the cast of characters we have and the amount of representation we see. We have characters from a lot of different sexualities and gender identities and all with different family dynamics and culturally backgrounds.

The premise of this book revolves around Darcy, a bisexual girl who is head over heels for her best friend, Brooke (who is a Vietnamese-American lesbian). Darcy runs a sort of “Dear Abby” relationship advice service out of an abandoned locker. Nobody knows it’s Darcy who runs “Locker 89.” Darcy isn’t new to this, though - she studies and researches every possible relationship topic that she can to ensure that her responses to the letters students leave in locker 89 are filled with the best advice she can give.

One day, a boy named Alexander Brougham catches her opening and removing letters from locker 89. He coerces her into helping him win back his ex-girlfriend, Winona. Out of fear of being blackmailed and her secret being exposed, Darcy agrees to help.

In the midst of all of this, Darcy struggles with watching her best friend (and unrequited love) enter into a relationship with someone she does not approve of.

Over the progression of the book, we get to see Darcy’s internal struggle of her own human emotions, doing the right thing, and even internalized biphobia. The book touches on a myriad of other topics, too - attachment styles, divorce, alcoholism, sexuality, gender identities, sexism, and self reflection.

Throughout the book I found myself relating so much to Darcy - from her internalized biphobia to the way she feels like she has to be self-reliant. I wanted to reach into the pages and hug her.

Overall, I give this book 4.5 stars. My only concern is that in the future it will feel rather dated based on the pop culture references within it, but the story itself is timeless and absolutely amazing. This is a perfect contemporary young adult novel with an amazing amount of representation - there’s something in this book for everyone, and that’s a huge accomplishment. Kudos to Sophia Gonzales for writing such well developed characters. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future!

~I received a digital copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.~

Perfect on Paper is a young adult feel good novel about a teenage girl named Darcy who is running a relationship advice service out of an unused school locker. Her identity is unknown and business is good. Darcy has a crush on her best friend, Brooke, but is too afraid to tell her for fear of messing up their friendship. Throughout this novel, Darcy discovers the complexities of being bisexual in a world that seems to only understand either gay or straight. This book touches on the theme of being queer and what it means. Darcy learns about what it means to truly love someone, and the importance of friendship and family.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC of #PerfectonPaper by #SophieGonzales . I enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to reading more of her work in the future. It was truly a breath of fresh air.

Perfect on Paper is practically a guidebook to getting through high school. Darcy runs an advice business through an empty locker at high school. Hidden in her answers, and her life, there is great advice on relationships, sexuality, dealing with parents, coming back from mistakes. She touches on so many hot topics for today’s teenager. And this is coming from a 50 something mom of two grown daughters. I would highly recommend to everyone still in high school.

I loved this book! So much fun and such a great cast of characters. The premise was really great and original, and the LGBTQ representation was fantastic.

PERFECT ON PAPER is a story of finding oneself, making tough choices, and undeniable, effervescent teenage queerness.

However, as a fan of ONLY MOSTLY DEVASTATED and Sophie Gonzales in general, this book was a bit of a letdown coming off of OMD.

Things I enjoyed about POP:
The REP! - Holy crap this book is a queer GOLD MINE! I felt understood by this book. It's a love song written for queer youth. The main character is bi but struggles with that identity and feels as if she isn't "queer enough," which is a very real struggle for many bi/pan/queer people, including myself. These heavy topics and difficult conversations were beautifully tackled, making this a must-read IMO.
Banter - I loved the banter and dialogue in this book, and at certain points I was laughing out loud. The conversations felt natural and seemed very authentically "teenagery."
The concept - I enjoyed the idea of "Locker 89" and thought it added a unique element to this story!

Things I didn't enjoy:
Darcy (main character) - I'm all for imperfect characters, in fact I LOVE them, but Darcy really got on my nerves. I found her actions selfish, self-serving, and generally annoying. She had a semblance of a redemption arc near the end, but it felt very disingenuous, and she suffered no real consequences for her actions.
Pacing - The plot for this book dragged out for what seemed like an eternity. I'm a sucker for slow burn romance and didn't mind the speed of that plot, but I really didn't engage with the story as a whole until about 40% through the book, which is far too late IMO.
Language - I was under the impression this book took place in Australia until the characters took a trip to Anaheim, California/Disneyland. The only Aussie character is Brougham, yet everyone spoke like Aussies. Darcy was the worst offender and often times sounded more Aussie that Brougham. She also used huge words that I found inconsistent with teenage speech.

Overall, this book is a good read. I think PERFECT ON PAPER has the potential to become a safe haven for queer youth, and that there will be many people who feel seen by Sophie's message of "you are queer," no matter what.

Review from my 12-year-old daughter:
Although I was excited for this book, I wasn't completely sure what to expect, since I hadn't read any of this author's other work. "Only Mostly Devastated" was on my to-read list, and after this book I want to read it even more! I loved this book, and it was made even better due to the fact that I read it after a book I really disliked.

In the summary, it is described as "Leah on the Offbeat" meets "To All the Boys I've Loved Before." I do agree with this, but I would also compare it to the book "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda," and the movies "The Half of It" and "Mean Girls." In this story, all you have to do to get advice on your relationship is write down the troubles your having in a letter and slip it into locker 89, with a ten dollar bill. Soon after, you will get an email from an anonymous account with the advice you paid for. If it doesn't work out, you get a refund. But although everyone knows about locker 89, no one knows that Darcy Phillips is the one who runs it. And because of something she did in the past involving her best friend/secret crush Brooke, she'd like to keep it that way. So when she is caught removing the letters from the locker by Alexander Brougham, she is forced to try and help him win his ex-girlfriend back so that the entire school doesn't find out it's her.

There were only a few things that I disliked about this book, and they're minor enough that they didn't change my reading experience, but I'm still going to mention them. The first thing is that in some of Darcy's email responses, it seemed a like the author was trying a bit too hard to sound like a teenager, and ended up sounding a bit off. And the other thing that I disliked was that the inciting incident was just a bit too early for my taste. But other than that, I absolutely loved this book!

Although I loved almost everything in this book, there were a few things that stood out. First, I liked how it basically had Darcy giving advice in a scientific kind of way, based more on actual research than emotion. Second, I loved all of the representation in this book, from Darcy to her best friend to her older sister to her enemy. I also loved the plot of this book. It reminded me quite a bit of "The Half of It," with the main character who had a secret letter writing business and began to coach a boy on his romantic life. Not just that, but I loved the main character's voice, and how she always tried to do what she thought was right (even if it wasn't). I also loved her older sister, who was my second favorite character. Plus, I thought it was interesting to start each chapter with a letter and her response, so we got to see what her business was like. And lastly, I liked how this book did a sort of love triangle. I usually dislike love triangles, since it's usually obvious to me who the person will end up with, but in this book it was more of her having a crush on Brooke, while realizing her mutual feelings for Brougham.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book and entirely recommend it

Darcy is the self-appointed relationship guru at her high school, secretly running "Locker 89" where kids can drop in anonymous letters and get advice on everything from asking someone out to moving on after break-ups. But then Alexander Brougham, the hottest guy in school (with an Australian accent no less), catches her in the act of collecting the locker letters one day. The jig is up. Or so Darcy thinks, until Brougham promises to keep her identity a secret in exchange for advice on how to get his ex-girlfriend back. He's going to pay her the big bucks, too. So even though Darcy is pretty sure she really doesn't like this guy, she goes along with his plan. Maybe in the process she'll figure out how to finally tell her best friend, Brooke, how she really feels about her. But as her letter-writing gets more complicated when she recognizes one of the authors, Darcy begins to question everything she thought she knew about giving relationship advice. And when her feelings for Brougham start to change, Darcy questions her own identity as well. Will she be able to unweave the tangled web she's created without losing everyone she loves in the process?

Sophie Gonzales has a sharp, witty voice that is so strong and has so much attitude (in a good way). I really love it. The way the characters talk to each other is the way Dawson/Pacey/Joey did on Dawson's Creek but without the existential angst. They're SMART, and believably so. Even better, the representation in this book (as well as in her first one) is beautiful and real. Darcy helps run the Q&Q club for queer and questioning students, and her sister is trans. Darcy herself is bisexual, and her fears about suddenly having a crush on a guy were authentic and handled so well when she brings the concern to her friends in the club. All the characters are dealing with their own issues, but the connections and occasional miscommunications between them feel so relatable. They're all trying and screwing up and trying some more.

I'm so glad this world has a couple more books coming because Darcy's friend group has so many more stories to tell. This was a great second book by Gonzales, and I'm already looking forward to seeing more from her.

**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!**

3.5/5 Stars

This YA novel was a cute and also entertaining read. Darcy is a sixteen-year-old bisexual girl who's been giving relationship advice to her classmates for two years. But nobody knows that she's the relationship counselor behind the mysterious locker eighty-nine where lots of students put in their letters looking for advice. That is until Brougham sees her at the locker and realizes who she is. He badly needs her expertise and she decides to help him get his girlfriend back. But is it easy as it seems?

I enjoyed how the different relationship were depicted in this novel. There's a solid sibling relationship between Darcy and her sister Ainsley and I was glad we could get some good glimpses of that. Then we have an interesting friendship between Brooke and Darcy, it felt realistic and I liked how it was portrayed. And then we also have Brougham and Darcy, I enjoyed their banter and their duo dynamics and everything that happened with these two felt very organic to me.

Also, the flow of the narrative was good, I feel like there weren't any real dull moments and the pace had a good rhythm.
In terms of plot it wasn't the most original book and it was a bit predictable, but still it was a very enjoyable read.

This was my first Sophie Gonzales' book, but it definitely left me wanting to discover more books by her.

I received an arc of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book was amazing! It was a great story about a girl who is trying to figure out her romantic interests while also helping others. I really enjoyed this book and did not want to put it down!

The storyline of this book was very good and I never got bored. There are lots of events to keep you interested and invested. The characters were also great. I loved the main character and her sister. There was a lot of character development with Darcy and I liked that. Even when she was upset and felt bad, she never really acted helpless which is a nice change from other stories. Her relationship with the love interest was very fun and I just loved them together.

Overall, I definitely recommend this to contemporary and young adult romance lovers. It’s a great and loveable book that is easy to read!

*Thank you Wednesday Books at St. Martin’s Press for the eARC from Netgalley.

4.25 / 5 stars

Need advice? Go see Darcy. Darcy Phillips is the advice expert behind the famed Locker 89. All students know that Locker 89 is here to give you the advice you think you need just for a simple fee. No one knows who locker 89 belongs to, except for Darcy. However, all of this changes when Brougham sees her removing a new batch of requests from the locker. Darcy realizes that she will have to help Brougham win back his ex if she wants her secret to remain hidden. Darcy has her reasons for never wanting her secret revealed to everyone.

The idea of an advice locker is very interesting. High school can be a troubling time for a lot of individuals. I liked the idea of reading about a girl who tries to help others through their problems and potential struggles. The reader soon learns that Darcy is not perfect herself and she has not done all of the best things to get where she is at. I also appreciate how Darcy has her own consequences for her actions at times as well.

This book includes a lot of great messages. I like how communication, consent, friendship, accountability, change, and consequence are all brought up. This book discusses some great points and makes them feel real with these situations.

Darcy was a good main character to focus on. I enjoyed being able to follow her as she learns more about how to better her own life as well. I also enjoyed Brougham as a character. Darcy kind of sees her own perception of him in the beginning but soon learns what we assume is not always correct. We really see that too soon to judge element in this book.

Overall this was an enjoyable read for me and I hope others enjoy it as well.

This was such a breath of fresh air. I could not put down the book and loved all of it. The characters are wonderful and you feel like you are one of them.

Thank you to the publishers for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Darcy Phillips can give relationship advice to anyone, anonymously and for a fee, but can she take her own advice?

When Brougham catches Darcy in the act of collecting the anonymous letters from locker 89, the locker where she is collecting and answering letters about relationship problems, Brougham provides her with an ultimatum: either help him win back his girlfriend or he will tell everyone she is behind the locker.

Darcy wants to keep her identity a secret; needs to keep her identity a secret because of the "advice" she has written. Even her closes friends do not know she is behind the locker, so she decides to help Brougham.

This book is beautifully written and creative. While a bit slow in the beginning, the inclusion of bisexual characters is done very well. The main pairing is m/f, but the book is absolutely queer. All of those things can happen at once, and Darcy struggles with this identity as well which is written beautifully and inclusively.

A *light* rom-com with some heavy subtopics, but a super enjoyable, quick read, perfect for a high school classroom library.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales follows Darcy, a teenage girl who anonymously answers relationship questions submitted by her fellow high school students. Anything she doesn't already know, she researches in order to help everyone as best she can. One day, Brougham catches her checking the locker where students submit their questions, and the plot takes off from there.

First off, I really enjoyed the characters in this book. They were charming, but still felt like real people. While some of the dialogue was a bit on the nose, it never got so over-the-top as to be off-putting. There's conflict, tension, romance, and it all feels pretty well lived in.

The plot of this book was a fun romp with serious elements, without being too heavy. What a joy.

This was such a refreshing read. Gonzales has a way of weaving in comedy with some heartfelt truths that feel organic and made me fall in love with all the characters. This YA Rom-Com has all the classic traits of a rom-com such as a meet-cute, crushes, and young love but I think the area it exceeds at the most is the representation of often overlooked and underrepresented characters. The main character, Darcy, is a bisexual and a member of the Queer and Questioning Group at her school, that her older sister Ainsley founded. It was such a breath of fresh air to see bi representation that goes as far as discussing internalized biphobia and questioning one’s identity because of it. All of the trans, queer, and even fat characters were more than just token pieces, they were all characters with emotions, flaws, and love stories. Throughout this book, Darcy learns how complicated love can really be, and that even a self-proclaimed love expert still has a long road to learn how to heal her relationships and friendships. I couldn’t help but cheer as Darcy made realizations about herself and matured into a more self-aware person. I would have loved to read this when I was in high school, and I’m so glad that young people will have this sweet romance to feel comforted and represented by. Also, sidenote: Locker89 had some very solid advice about creating boundaries, attachment styles, and many other topics that are super important topics (especially for young impressionable readers) that I think are overlooked in romance and I commend the author for including them. I look forward to reading more of Sophie Gonzales’ works.

This was a fun read - probably meant for a much younger audience than me, but I still enjoyed it. Darcy is operating an anonymous relationship counseling service out of an unused locker at school. People drop an envelope in with some money, and she responds with her recommendation for handling whatever relationship issue the writer is dealing with (excellent advice by the way - this kid would be going places in life for sure!). Darcy is bisexual and is a member of a group at school called Queer and Questioning, which has members who are bisexual, gay, lesbian, and trans. Many of her friends are in this group. Things begin to get rather interesting when a hot guy, Broughham, catches Darcy removing letters from the locker and then blackmails her into helping him get his ex-girlfriend back.

Terrific book for middle and high school age. Full of teenage angst, relationship crises, and gender identity.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I enjoyed the advice that Darcy gave to people, and reading each letter and her response was an interesting emotional journey. It was very refreshing for Darcy to have to accept that she made a mistake, apologize for that mistake, and then also make amends. Darcy had the best of intentions (well, MOST of the time) but it is still important to note that there were flaws in her process.

Brougham, ahhhh, where do I start? His grumpy and standoffish demeanor gradually peels away to reveal much more. His relationships with his friends, the growth of his and Darcy's friendship, all of it is just wonderful! All of the warm fuzzy feels with a hearty dose of ACCOUNTABILITY for one's actions...aka they don't let each other get away with doing things they shouldn't.

I like that the characters in this book are flawed and have real and intense feelings that sometimes lead to dumb decisions, it makes me like this book even more!