I wasn't crazy about this book: I requested it because the synopsis sounded so important for high school students -- a bixexual young woman whose older sister has transitioned. And, said high school student doles out love advice to her classmates from secret cover, until she is discovered. The book was a little flat despite a very interesting premise.

Perfect on paper is a cute fast read perfect for fans of To all the boys i’ve loved before. Darcey Phillips is the school’s secret relationship consultant.. She helps people with emotional and sexual problems with their relationships. Of course keeping her identity a secret.

The guy who annoys her of all time finds out her secret and in return for his silence, Darcey must help him earn back his ex girlfriend. It sounds like an easy task but she slowly starts to get attracted to him and her best friend Brooke learning her secret could end everything for her and their friendship.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I usually don’t go for these types of books but I enjoyed it a lot and it was an easy and fast read. The climax was kind of cliche and predictable but other than that I think the book was still enjoyable.

This was kind of great! I really liked Darcy and I loved the portrayal of her struggle with being bisexual and dating someone of the opposite gender. I feel like so often we don't get f/m stories from bisexual voices because somehow they're not seen as queer stories if they're not about f/f or m/m couples. And this book works to address the issues with that way of thinking. Darcy is bisexual, and she's falling for a guy in this book, and that doesn't make her any less bisexual or queer or anything. I love how this book reaffirmed that, and how Darcy gets support and love from her queer club.

Darcy is the school's anonymous love advice guru. She gets questions in an unassigned locker and emails her responses to help people. No one knows she's the one behind the locker, and that helps people feel comfortable sharing their stories and allows her to remain anonymous. But one day, Brougham catches her at the locker and asks for her help in winning his girlfriend back. She feels blackmailed and doesn't think she has a choice in the matter. But as she and Brougham spend more and more time together, trying to get his girlfriend back, the two of them start to get to know one another and grow close.

This is a really cute story about a girl in love with her best friend who makes some mistakes along the way and falls for someone she never saw coming. This is such great story addressing how bisexual people often feel like they are no longer a part of the queer community when they're in a relationship with someone of the opposite gender, and how that isn't at all true. They are queer no matter what, and deserve to be seen and accepted and loved <3

My guilty pleasure is reading YA books as a little escape. I went into this one pretty excited, thinking it was going to be like a pen and paper gossip girl. I loved the concept, but for me this one fell flat and was a little boring at times. There was something about the main character that seemed off. I will say it was a face paced quick read, and please do read it if you are also a fan of YA. There were some cute and clever moments in the book, this just wasn't one of my personal favorites.

I’m usually not the greatest fan of contemporary romance books unless it’s to laugh at the ridiculous plot.
But this one really hit the mark for me. Not only was it super cute, it was also just funny in general and actually way more realistic than most books in terms of dialogue.

It wasn’t entirely obvious who Darcy would end up with and I kinda liked that, some intrigue with Brooke and Broughham (aka Alexander, anyone else noticed she kept calling him by his last name even though they became closer?)

I got through it really quickly, I was really interested in the plot, side-plots and characters to be honest. I guess the only reason it didn’t get 5 stars is because near the end it felt a bit rushed? I guess I wanted to know more about some of the side-characters or how things evolved rather than a flash forward.

Solid read. I really recommend getting it when it’s released!

This was such an adorable read! There are definitely flaws, but you just can't help but adore Darcy and Brougham.

Darcy is a very likable character that brings many realistic dynamics to the story. She is a bisexual teen who has gone through her fair share of family problems and is trying to make some money on the side by being an anonymous relationship advisor. Then in comes Brougham. He's an Australian swimmer who may seem stuck-up but is a very down-to-earth softy. He comes to seek advice from Darcy and you see their once rocky business partner relationship develop into a beautiful friendship and later on into something more.

I definitely recommend this for those looking for a nice fluffy, feel-good romance with solid characters.

Overall rating: 4/5

My friend got me hooked on Sophie Gonzales (and many other amazing Aussie authors) and her latest does not disappoint. I love her queer rep and all the complexities in her character's world.
I loved Darcy. Of course you can give out all the best advice to others but when it comes time to apply it to yourself, you can't come up with anything. And when you get caught doing this thing you love, you'll do anything to protect it, even if it's helping a really annoying guy. But Alex has his redeeming qualities and I loved reading about his and Darcy's time together.
Darcy and her sister were the best, I loved when they were on the page.
And I loved how dimensional Darcy's character was and how empathetic it made her for the reader.
Such a fun and heartfelt story.

Thank you for the ARC NetGalley. I stayed up way too late plowing through this though looking back I'm not sure how much I enjoyed it, but it certainly had addictive properties. Definitely a high drama high school book, nothing wrong with that, but there were an awful lot of conflicts in here. Which is probably pretty representative of a lot of students lives. Tons of queer content in here and a lot of it was very informative to a cis reader, though at times I did feel like I was being instructed on gender and sexuality more than simply reading a novel. This was also my first encounter reading about bisexual experiences and now that gap in literature seems very pronounced so hopefully this book will pave the way for more content. I enjoyed the romance but I was really hoping for more. Certainly a cute read and I will definitely keep watching for this author!

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the plot was very unique in a sense. I also liked how it dealt with sexuality issues but how they didn't take over the whole story, they just were there, like they are in real life. Going along with that all of the characters felt like real people that I could imagine going to high school with and that made me like and connect with them more. Overall a fun and interesting read that also gave me a bunch of relationship advice that I might end up using one day.

Such a fun feel-good book with important representation! I read the first few pages, immediately got hooked and couldn't put it away until I reached the end. I loved so many things about this book: the representation (bi protagonist, lots of queer side characters), the humour, the flawed but genuinely well-meaning protagonist, the premise of the student who's way too young to give advice to other students but does it anyway, which was fun in "Sex Education" and is fun in this book too.
I loved the way Darcy's advice was incorporated in the chapters and how much she really wanted to help her fellow students, spending so much time on research to help solve their problems or nudge them in the right direction - all the while being entirely incapable of solving her own little relationship troubles. The romance was cute, with just the right amount of misunderstandings to cause some trouble and a solid friendship as basis of their later love story. Brougham is a great and loveable love interest, and Gonzales allowed the two of them to actually develop their feelings over a longer time. The side characters were just as loveable and the subject of friendship and its importance is really at the center of this story.
One aspect I really liked was the way this book talks about internalized biphobia and the still rampant notion that bisexual people don't really belong to the queer community unless they are in a relationship with a person of the same gender. Darcy struggles immensely with this as a bisexual girl who used to fall for a lot of girls but now develops feelings for a boy. The scene in which she explains this to her queer friends is honestly amazing and warmed my heart. This is important, and I loved that Gonzales chose to talk about this subject very explicitely.

All in all, "Perfect on Paper" is a fluffy, cute, very funny, really queer feel-good romcom that has a lot to say, full of relatable characters that you can't but love even if they make absolutely catastrophic decisions at times.

3.5 stars. This story had a pretty slow start, but after about 2/3 I was very invested. I felt like beginning dragged on a bit much. But I did love the way the book came together at the end and how much the main character was able to help while doing something she loved. THe characters all came together and there was no major mistreatment of friends.

First of all, one thing you've got to know going into this book is that the banter is top-tear. I was cackling in my room at two a.m. And now that I think about it, another layer of why I appreciated the funny dialogue so much was that it felt realistic. Yes, it was hilarious and over the top at times, but it sounded like real teenagers at the same time. The sarcastic back and forth didn't seem forced at all. I loved that. It truly makes the reader fall in love with each character and their dynamics, from Darcy and Brougham, to her and Brooke, to her and her sister Ainsley, to her and the QandQ club, etc. Besides, a lot of conversations revolved around questioning certain perceptions we people have about relationships, those were really interesting as well.

I wasn't expecting this but the advice Darcy would give to people was actually pretty solid. It was fascinating to read about because those emails we get to see from the pile Darcy sends out in response to her clients were very grounded. It wasn't your typical "this is an adult writing what they think a teenager would say in this situation", it was good researched advice presented in Darcy's charming voice that even got me questioning and understanding a lot of stuff, therefore this story might as well pass as great relationship advice for teenagers, which is amazing.

Moreover, this goes in hand with a lot of the book's themes of one's self and identity. You see, throughout the book our main protagonist tries to define who she is (not regarding her sexuality, we'll get on that later), several time tries to answer Who Is Darcy Phillips? and each one of those times she doesn't end up satisfied. Her attempts include character analyses, and the journey she goes through shows a lot of growth. I love how in this story the main protagonist deals with the consequences of her rom-com-esque shenanigans with the locker and what she did to Brooke. I just like that for once, the apology is not shoved under the rug. It was a process that actually ends up being very cute and wholesome. For once, the protagonist isn't just rewarded for the bare minimum.

Finally, another factor that made me love this book was the whole discussion about biphobia. There's this certain scene where Darcy confronts the casual (internalized or from the outside) biphobia she feels from day to day in the Queer and Questioning Club she attends with Brooke (and the most amazing cast of characters ever) that was just… perfect. It had me balling like a baby. Some might find it corny but it was exactly what I needed in my life.

My review will go up on my blog on 14/02 (the fourteenth of february)

It's official...I adore Sophie Gonzales. I will read anything she writes. Perfect on Paper is Dear Abby for Gen Z. Darcy Phillips finds a way to monetize advice giving for her affluent peers through using a locker to collect questions that she then answers.

The whole operation hinges on her anonymity. So, when nemesis Alexander Brougham discovers her secret and seemingly blackmails her for her assistance, she is stuck.

What Darcy doesn't expect is that she'll be torn between two love interests.

It's another captivating queer love story, which YA does so well.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

This book was by no means bad; I just probably should have avoided it. While I really enjoyed the second half, the first book was really rough for me for a variety of reasons that also had me really disliking Darcy.

5-star round-up due to the amazing representation this book has.
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Everyone knows of locker 89, if you leave an anonymous letter asking for help and a tip you'll get advice on how to approach your situation. No one knows who runs locker 89, this quickly changes when Alexander Brougham catches Darcy Phillips red-handed as she gathers letters out of the locker. He won't tell on her...as long as she helps him win his ex-girlfriend back. This creates a chain of events as Darcy's services are hired as she mends the broken relationship. Darcy has no choice but to agree to his terms as she doesn't want anyone knowing she's the person behind locker 89 - she's used it to her advantage in the past and her secret getting out could possibly ruin one of the only friendships she has.

I can't express how much I loved this book, I loved Darcy and the relationship that forms between Brougham, the slight love-triangle that is explored (it is mainly one-sided as Darcy has been in love with her best friend Brooke for the longest time; the feelings aren't reciprocated. This leads to a shift in Darcy as she starts to question how she can be falling for the boy who's hired her to win his ex back, I absolutely loved the scene where all of her fellow club members reassure her that she will not lose her queer credit is she decides to date a boy.

I really was rooting for the relationship between Brooke and Darcy to blossom, but I quickly changed my mind as her connection with Brougham started to get more serious. I just loved him so much as a character, this was a real feel-good story that had a diverse representation of characters that anyone could connect to!
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TW; Biphobia, emotional abuse, toxic relationships, violence, alcoholism, vomit
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I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was absolutely ADORABLE!!! I am so happy I was given the chance to read an ARC of this book. Anyone looking for a quick, cute contemporary YA novel to read should come here! The book sort of reads like a modern Jane Austen novel - in that the two main characters do not initially get along, and are trying to get with other people, and mishaps ensue. Darcy runs a secret relationship advice business and Brougham discovers her identity and pays her to help him win back his ex-girlfriend. The characters were relatable, likeable, and I am thrilled at the LGBTQ+ representation. Must read!!

I won a physical copy to review but thank you for the e-arc! Thank you so much and I wish you and the author all the best. I am excited to get my physical copy won via Goodreads in the mail soon!

3.5 stars

This is a solid YA romance with good LGBTQ+ rep: particularly B and T.

I am hoping for a sequel featuring Ainsley, who is a great character!

The letters are a wonderful touch and allow for the exploration of many topics that teens may face. I really enjoyed this part.

While the love story could have been more compelling for me, there's a lot to like here overall. Recommended for YA romance fans.

This book was so much fun! The cast of characters felt very diverse and I really like that LGBTQ+ issues were discussed the way they were. I feel like my high school experience would’ve been much easier if I had this book. The characters were all loveable and frustrating at time, which tells me they’re real and complex. Would definitely recommend!

Right from the start, Perfect on Paper is a veritable fount of queer diversity. The main character, Darcy, is bi. Her best friend, Brook, is a lesbian. Her sister, Ainsley, is trans. She is part of the Queer and Questioning club at school. So many queer books out there are a coming out story and those are extremely valid! But it’s so refreshing to read a story where a character is just queer from the start, no coming out or hiding themselves, and we go from there.

Darcy runs a secret relationship advice service using an unused locker at her school. Students write a letter, put it in Locker 89 with $10 and an email, and get advice in return. Her own relationship history is nearly non-existent but she does her research. Relationship advice YouTubers are her go to for knowledge.

She’s been doing this for two years and no one knew it was her. Until she’s checking the locker and Alexander Brougham catches her in the act. Lucky for her, he doesn’t want the school to know who runs Locker 89. He just wants to know how to get his ex back and he’s willing to pay her handsomely for it. Darcy agrees, reluctantly.

Lucky for us, unlucky for Darcy, this isn’t the only drama in her life. Darcy is in love with her best friend, Brooke. For all that Darcy can dish out relationship advice, she has a hard time applying her knowledge to her own romantic relationships. Then Brooke gets a girlfriend and Darcy does something horrible: she uses private information she learns from Locker 89 to break them up. With this and her budding friendship with Brougham, she’s pretty busy.

I feel like I’ve never read something with such well rounded characters in my life. And I love how Gonzales portrays the families in this story. Darcy’s parents are divorced and have been for a while but she describes how they fought for years before they actually separated. Brougham’s parents also fight all the time. My parents did the same thing. I always felt so alienated when my friends had such (seemingly) normal home lives with parents who loved each other. They didn’t have to deal with constant fighting all the time. They didn’t have to deal with feeling tense around raised voices, or with having to put in headphones to drown out the yelling.

The problems Darcy faces about her sexuality are next level, proceeding far beyond what other books tackle. It’s not just another coming out story. She’s not the only queer character in a sea of straight people. She’s not closeted or isolated. Queer people are not looked down on at her school, they aren’t a novelty. Even so, Perfect on Paper is the first book I’ve seen that addresses internal biphobia and has a productive, positive conversation about it. It deals with problems in the queer community, not just the supposed problem of queer people existing in society at all. It’s so very important to have these stories out there, to broaden the scope of queer literature, especially for young adults who are just beginning to question things themselves. There’s gay, lesbian, and bisexual. But there’s also asexual, aromantic, pansexual, and others that aren’t explicitly mentioned. It’s a stepping stone to a larger conversation but, hey, a single book can’t be expected to delve into the complexities of every single gender and sexuality out there.

It also deals with accountability. The following paragraph is a little spoiler-y. But it’s still very vague!

***Darcy has to make amends for what she does to Brooke. She has to make up for lying to her mom about the locker, and to the other students when everyone finds out. She gets punished, not just by the direct results of her actions. She apologizes and it’s not immediately accepted. She has to go the extra mile to make up for what she did and even then it’s not enough. So she goes further. But she respects Brooke’s boundaries and doesn’t push in where she’s not welcome. There’s even a conversation later, when Darcy is preparing to call Brooke and apologize. Thinking about it, she doesn’t end up calling, instead texting Brooke. She doesn't want to make Brooke feel obligated to pick up the call and listen to an apology she might not be ready to accept. She’s so respectful it makes me want to cry.***

Maybe that’s a little too mature. But Darcy spends all her spare time watching relationship advice videos, likely intended for adults. She’s lived through her parent’s divorce and she has an older sister. Being a little more mature for her age isn’t unheard of. She still does stupid things for her own gain but maybe she’s more aware of the consequences and so feels a million times more guilty for it. Oh the price of maturity.

Unique and innovative, Perfect on Paper is an excellent read and well deserves five stars.

Fans of Sex Education will love this book.