3.5⭐️

I really enjoyed the overall storyline and message of this book. Ethan, Beau, and the rest of the found family were great characters and had great banter. It was a sweet story.

The reason for the rating is I felt that the writing wasn’t up to par than what I’m used to. When scenes switched, I felt like they happened too abruptly and I wasn’t able to be fully present within the whole story. And the ending for me was also too abrupt. I wanted more moments with Ethan and Beau. I just needed a bit more!

When TV star Chase disappears for a weekend, producer Ethan turns to Chase's identical twin Beau to fill in for the scheduled social media posts. Except mountain man Beau is nothing like his diva influencer brother. Applying a hair removal regime is simple enough—but as the weeks drag on, and Chase doesn't return, Ethan worries that the ruse will be discovered. With his job and his heart in jeopardy, will Ethan come to terms with what truly matters before he loses everything?

This entertaining romp is a smart and satisfying look at what success really means. It's less romance than humorous gay fiction with a romance subplot. The author describes it as "chick-lit featuring gay male protagonists," and that sounds about right to me. Sharply funny and insightful, it cuts through to what it really means to live your best life.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Overall a very enjoyable read. I would describe this as "gay chick lit" (I hope it's not too reductive, but that's personally how it felt to me). It was a delectable romcom, perhaps more on the comedy than the romance part (which I still found endearing but there was nothing truly swoon worthy about it either). Characters and representation were top notch though, so whether you go into this blind or not, I believe everyone will find something to love about this book.

I enjoyed this read! I needed a rom-com after some heavy fantasy books, and this one was a perfect selection. Plenty of laugh out loud moments, character growth, sweet-swoony romance, and hilarious secondary characters. I especially enjoyed the commentary on pink-washing by media and the true inclusivity of major brands. If you are in the mood for a queer low-spice rom-com, with faking dating/celebrity tropes, add this to your TBR today!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hera publishing, and the author for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

GREAT MESSAGE, NOT SO GREAT PACKAGING

This is one of those books were I can very clearly state what i did not like about it. And yet, I actually didn't hate this book at all. It was entertaining, even though it was flawed. In a way, it actually speaks to the message of the book. You don't have to be perfect. You just have to be yourself.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Messages: There are two main messages of this book, and I loved both of them. The first is a kind of political message about the dangers of pink washing and social media. Big brands often try to seem more evolved than they actually are - or they simply state a belief without actually doing any work to make it a reality. Throwing a rainbow flag on your logo does not mean you are pro LGBTQ - it just means that you are willing to jump on the bandwagon to gain sympathy without actually doing anything to support the cause. And social media is a hot spot of pink washing - and also the place were bad mental health thrives. Often we present a certain image on social media, one that is almost impossible to live up to.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Ethan: Even though I really relate to Ethan's character and personality (being a perfectionist overachiever myself) I still found it hard to connect with him. As a narrator, Ethan is stiff and often I felt a disconnect between Ethan's actions and the way he describes himself as well as the way others describe him. It was odd, not being able to reconcile those two things, especially because it was obvious that the disconnect was not intentional. If only it had been. Then it would have been super great. But it wasn't.

Beau: I really wanted to like Beau. I was obviously supposed to love him. He was absolutely perfect. But that was exactly my issue with him. He was just too damn perfect. If only he had been a bit more burly or sour about all the things Ethan wanted him to do. If only there had been more friction between the two of them. But because Beau was so perfect, there was no friction. And therefore no real chemistry.

Chemistry: See above ☝️

Ending: In the end, the resolution just came to abruptly. If it had come more gradually through the last couple of chapters, I would have liked it more. But it just seemed to come out of the blue in the very last chapter. It felt rushed.

I couldn't get into this. I found all the characters minus Uncle Clams a bit annoying and the whole thing just fell a bit flat. I wasn't excited to pick it up and felt it dragged.

If you're looking for something in the spirit of "Boyfriend Material" and "Red, White, and Royal Blue," then "The Problem with Perfect" just might be your next favourite read.

When a tyrannical television host walks out on his hit lifestyle television series just days before Pride, he is secretly replaced by his estranged twin brother, who conveniently happens to have been living off-the-grid since their falling out.

Chaos and hilarity ensue, with a side of romance for good measure.

"The Problem with Perfect" is totally far-fetched, Like "The Parent Trap" meets "Morning Glory." But perhaps that's half the charm. And while the spice level is low, the awe-inducing moments are plentiful.

Ethan is a TV producer and the star of his show, Chase, disappears at a crucial time. Luckily for Ethan, Chase just so happens to have an identical twin, Beau, who lives in the woods. Can Ethan convince Beau to stand in for Chase for the week?

This was an entertaining story that I raced through quite quickly. It was funny to see Beau transform into Chase and see just how different the twins are. Unfortunately, I found it a little bit silly in places and a bit unrealistic. But it did entertain me.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

A really enjoyable read, that started with a bit of soapy ridiculousness (the obnoxious reality star who has run out actually has a secret identical, practically perfect, twin!) But theb develops into a thoughtful examination of pinkwashing, the perils of respectability politics and the joy of letting go.

Ethan was a well written protagonist, fully rounded with his flaws evident, but also his underlying goodness which kept the reader invested. I really enjoyed the sweetness of his opening up Beau and the development of their relationship. However I did feel that Beau suffered a little from being almost *too* perfect, I could have done with a few more faults from him to give him a little more depth. Similarly Chase was a little too awful, altjough I appreciated a lot Ethan starting to accept how he had to accept some responsibility for the way Chase had found and dealt with fame.

Overall this was a fun and hopeful read, that I would recommend. Oh and it's also worth noting that it is a very low heat romance, with a couple of kisses only.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC*

The setting, plot, and side characters all had me quite invested in this book but I have to admit that the main characters were kind of annoying to me. Usually, characters can have some annoying traits but they still endear themselves to me in some way. Beau had a few moments that could have snagged me, but we didn't quite get there. I felt like I needed to see more growth with Ethan and more background information with Beau. There just wasn't quite enough to really truly hook me. However, I am in love with The Giblet trio and all the people that Ethan has surrounded himself with. They are all caring and quirky and my favorite types of characters.

Thank you NetGalley, Hera Books and Philip William Stover for providing me with an ARC for review of The Problem With Perfect. Available 11 May 2023!

This book really stood out to me among my recent reads. I was laughing and smiling throughout this book. I even had a tear run down my face on the train to work towards the end. Looking back I am not sure why I was crying but when you are vibing it, you are vibing it!

I think that this book was really well written and well paced. I appreciated how the plot was structured, it was really well sign posted for me from the beginning so I always knew where we were off to next and thinking about how this plan could unravel. I guess with all the sign posting comes the issue that this book is fairly predictable, but isn't that what we comfort read romcom's for???

The side characters in the book were beautiful, loved them! All of the side characters were great and all of them played a role in different places throughout the story. Clams and Amnesia take the cake for amazingness!

As the title would suggest, there is an undercurrent commentary on the issue with striving for and perpetuating perfection. I think that this is always an important message if just a bit too cheesy most of the time. But It is handled well in this story and isn't overdone. Focusing on 'outward facing' perfectionism within the queer community is something that still needs to be pushed into the light so I am here for it.

TL;DR - If you want a light hearted queer romcom then this is a fun read.

Will post to socials closer to the release date.

Fake Dating and Celebrity are two of my favorite tropes, so this quirky rom-com with a fake-fake dating twist of a fictional lifestyle celebrity and producer was speaking my language.

Ethan is the head producer of popular ‘Myles of Style’, a popular gay lifestyle show - teaching how to be perfect. The perfect party hosting, perfect cocktail, perfect exercise routine. However the host, Chase Myles is the worst human being. When he quits mid-production to go to a circuit party in Miami… Ethan doesn’t have many options to keep the show on track before their breakout LIVE Pride Broadcast.

Enter estranged identical twin brother Beau who is the complete opposite of Chase. Ethan drives upstate and begs him to fill in and pretend to be his brother. Not just for the show/promos, but also as Ethan’s fake-fake-boyfriend - Chase and he’s been pretending as the perfect-gay couple for network executives and sponsors.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 by Philip William Stover (2023)
Out on May 11th - ★★★.5

This was an enjoyable read and had plenty of LOL moments. The writing was a bit simple and repetitive, but didn’t distract. The side characters really made it for me - Uncle Clams and Amnesia especially were hilarious.
This is not a spicy book, which IMO would have upped the my rating and the relationship development between Ethan and Beau.

The message of the story is to be true to yourself - no need to be “perfect” if you’re being yourself. Always a worthy goal to remind ourselves of all the time.

Social commentary about corporatization of Pride and “perfect acceptable gay” were also good to see.

“𝘕𝘢𝘩, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.”

Thanks to Hera Books and NetGalley for a chance to early review this story in exchange for an honest review.

Ethan is the producer of a hit TV show ‘Myles of Style’ and facing the pressures of sticking to a pre-Pride filming schedule while working towards the promotion of his dreams. There’s only one problem. Chase, the face of Myles of Style, throws one of his tantrums and runs off to Abu Dhabi leaving Ethan without a star to open the Pride Parade.

This is where the parent trap of it all kicks in. Ethan, thinking only of his ruined career, drives to the middle of nowhere to find Chases estranged twin brother in the hopes of convincing him to act like Chase in exchange for cash. The problem lies in how different the twins are. Where Chase is a self-cantered himbo, Beau is more down to earth, and caring. Beau also catches Ethan’s eye in a way Chase never did.

I’ll admit this was a fun read. It wasn’t overly exciting, it wasn’t anything exceptional, but it kept my interest even though it was a fairly predictable story.

I enjoyed the way the author showed that even though Ethan was extremely career focused and barely cared about anything, he did care a lot for the people around him.

One thing I wish there was more of, was Clams. I love an old uncle Drag Queen, and would have loved reading more about the Giblet Triplets. I’d be interested to also read what happens after the end, when the Starlight Inn is taken over. But I guess that’ll have to be all in my head.

I wasn’t very sure about this book at first, the characters were so unlikeable and it felt a bit like the author had a list of vocabulary words they needed to use but don’t give up because it ends up being a heartwarming little romance book.
Beau wins you over and then Ethan suddenly becomes human and they’re adorable together.
The drag queens steal the show, though. Team Uncle Clams.

When a book makes you literally laugh out loud from reading it, you are on the right track. Not only does this book have diverse representation of multiple identities but each also has clear flaws that they work to overcome.
In many ways, I identify very strongly with Ethan, a perfectionist who must have control of everything, so watching him learn to let go and live in the moment with Beau brought me to tears.
Additionally, the author masterfully employs Pride and Prejudice-esque romance tropes with sidelong glanes and subtle touches that gave me butterflies. Love a good romance without the smut.
Overall, a very fun (and for me very personally introspective) read.

I enjoyed this book. I didn’t really like the characters but the writing was great. I recommend. Well written funny romcom.

Thank you Netgalley and Hera Books for providing me an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this book is a 3.5. I liked a lot of aspects and it was a quick fun read, however, I felt like there wasn't really an emotional impact of anything happening and I felt very disconnect, could just be me. The chemistry between Ethan and Beau wasn't really there and the final conclusion felt rushed or finished incompletely. Unfortunately, it fell flat in quite a few ways.

I think this is a fun read and may be an amazing read for someone else, for me it was just okay. The overall message was lovely and a nice reminder that not everything needs to be perfect and not one person needs to express themselves in the same way.

Chase Myles, face of the lifestyle show Myles of Style, has just thrown another tantrum and selfishly skipped town. With Pride coming, as well as a slew of appearances and sponsor promos, this is Not A Good Time. Ethan - overworked executive producer and “boyfriend” for the optics - is once again left to clean up his mess. To get the promotion his bosses are dangling over him, he needs to smooth things over so well they don’t realize there ever was a wrinkle.

Luckily, Chase also has a publicly unknown identical twin brother, but Beau is living that wilderness life. Getting him looking and acting the part might be even harder than getting him to agree to stand in for Chase in the first place. But he gives his word to try - he’s desperate for the money, knowing it will upset his brother is a bonus.

This one requires some suspension of disbelief - Identical or not, they’ve been living apart and in such vastly different ways for so long the chances you could pass one off as the other would have to be so low. Still, I was so entertained I forgot to care if it was possible. There’s a reluctant makeover montage, hands on dance training, flirting over food, game night with frenemies, and of course a double fake relationship. 

This is not a spicy book. Like…there was only one bed. And he slept on the terrace. I’d have enjoyed a little more heat, but the book is So Sweet. Beau is constantly caring for everyone around him - using strategies he learned dealing with his own anxiety issues to help people he sees struggling. Including Ethan, who is always there for others, often at his own expense. 

The end is *chef’s kiss* great - I’d say perfect, but “perfect suggests there is only one way of doing it” and the moral of the story is *nobody* needs that kind of pressure. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Hera for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Once I got going on this one I was hooked! I was swept away in the coverup tv producer-Ethan was trying to pull off with his horrid tv-host’s twin.

The key theme of this story was to reflect on what you truly want out of life, and what it means to do what *you* want, rather than what you think society expects of you. I think it drummed in this message well.

My major issue was that the complication and realisation of the above happened in the final pages of the book, and there wasn't much reader time for processing. I kept wondering how the story would resolve with so few pages to go!

The romance was cute and the kisses were 🔥 - it was one of the times I was disappointed there wasn’t more steam so I could have more of the leads’ chemistry! However, because Ethan’s growth happened so late in the book there were times I wondered what Beau saw in him.

In short: solid fun, great queer cast throughout, lovely takeaway message.

This book was really funny! Not a surprise, I've read a Stover book before and I loved it. Like the commentary on social media. The definition of a rom-com if you ask me; the right amount of humour, romance and fun.