This book has a fun premise and actually reminded me a lot of the Netflix movie Hot Frosty, with less Christmas, and honestly, a lot more creepy. Whereas Hot Frosty was wholesome and sweet, I was getting the worst vibes from the magically-appearing guy in this story.

The premise here is that when main character Ivy’s parents go on a trip out-of-state for a week, her fanfics come to life in the form of Weston, a superhero teenager from her favorite tv show. And each day, Weston’s a bit different based on the different fanfics she’s written about him. So she teams together with her current best friend, Henry, and her ex-bff/current enemy, Mack, who she’s so obviously head-over-heels in love with, to figure out how to stop Weston and return him to wherever he came from.

So, while the first Weston is sweet (if not totally overbearing and clingy), he changes day after day until things actually got disturbingly darker than I saw this book going (don’t worry, nothing like SA or anything like that, though he does get pretty forceful about wanting a kiss). He honestly reminded me of Chace Crawford’s The Deep on The Boys, who is off the charts creepy (but was like, the sexiest on Gossip Girl).

And I didn’t love the before/after timeline here. It felt a bit too tough to keep up with. Because even though Mack is not totally in Ivy’s life ATM, she is in the entirety of the story because I guess neither Ivy’s nor Mack’s families realize they’re no longer friends, so Mack’s kind of tasked with semi-taking care of Ivy while her parents are away. So, she and members of her family are in both the before and after, which is what was so confusing to me.

The whole argument that ended Mack and Ivy’s relationship also seemed so nonsensical to me, but maybe that’s just me getting older?

I know this review is mostly the things I didn’t like, but I did find this to be a really fun, endearing YA novel about friendship and the fact that the grass isn’t always greener. I did mostly actually enjoy it.

This book was so cute, adorable, funny & unique! I really enjoyed the flashes between the past and present, and I feel like that added so much depth to the plot versus only going through the story chronologically. The ending felt a bit abrupt and rushed to me, but other than that, I loved it!

Regretably, I couldn't find the file in my Kindle and I can't remember if it was a pdf or on NetGalley Reader. This is an archived book so I can't provide an honest review. However, I congratulate the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing this book to readers, and wish all much success.

The concept was interesting, especially as someone who wrote fanfic when she was in middle/high school. Even the idea that tropes/the perfect guy is not actually what or who she wants was interesting. I just had issues with the main love interest and how they were acting at some points.

I loved this book! I read it so quickly and couldn’t get enough. I would recommend it to literally everyone i know it was so good.

The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzales had me grinning through the chaos of Ivy accidentally summoning her fictional TV crush into reality. It’s messy, funny, and full of that friends-to-lovers tension with Mack that made me swoon—and cringe right along with Ivy at every trope come to life . Weston being exactly as Ivy wrote him? Hilariously disastrous. Even with a few places that felt a bit light, the queer representation, sharp banter, and metafictional spin had me hooked. If you want a YA rom‑com that laughs at tropes while embracing them, this one’s a delight.

I enjoyed The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist — Sophie Gonzales has this way of blending humour and heart that clicks. The characters felt real and messy in the best way, not the typical flawless types often found in romance novels. The storyline kept me hooked without feeling over-the-top, and there were plenty of moments that made me laugh out loud.
What stood out the most was the way it tackled the whole “perfect partner” myth without being preachy or cliché. It’s refreshing to see a story where the focus isn’t on finding someone flawless but instead on embracing imperfection and learning to love the chaos that comes with it. The pacing was solid, and the dialogue was sharp and witty, making the whole read extremely enjoyable.
If I had to nitpick, maybe a few scenes could have dug a little deeper emotionally, but overall, it’s a feel-good, relatable read that hits all the right notes for a contemporary romance. It's one I’d reach for when I want something light but meaningful.

Very cute, but unfortunately not my kind of book. It is very firmly YA (as marketed) and I couldn’t fully get with the characters and premise enough to actually enjoy the story

This book was very cute and very fun - it definitely skews towards the younger side of YA and is probably the youngest out of all of Gonzales' work. I am probably older than the intended audience, but I did really enjoy it and think younger teens would really love it.

Ivy Winslow is home alone for a week, ready to binge her favorite fantasy show, H-MAD, and maybe write a little fanfic. But things take a wild turn when she wakes up to find Weston—the dreamy, fictional hero of her stories—standing in her bedroom, insisting he's her soulmate. Turns out, writing self-insert fanfiction can have unexpected consequences.

This book is a hilarious and heartfelt exploration of fandom, identity, and the messy reality of our fantasies. Ivy's journey is both cringe-worthy and endearing as she navigates the chaos Weston brings into her life. The story also delves into her complicated relationship with her ex-best friend, Mack, adding depth to the narrative.

What I loved most was how the book playfully critiques common fanfic tropes while celebrating the passion behind them. It's a love letter to fandoms, complete with a diverse cast of characters and genuine emotional moments.

This book was written for you if:
1. You've ever dreamed of your favorite fictional character coming to life.
2. You're a fan of stories that blend humor with heartfelt moments.
3. You appreciate narratives that explore the complexities of friendship and identity.

This one was an okay YA romcom. The fantasy magical realism aspect was fun in concept but wasn't my fave execution of it overall. However, the queer rep in this was great: lesbian, bi, aroace. And I always enjoy the inclusion of fanfic about a beloved show. But yeah, overall it was an okay read for me but not my fave by this author.

Yet another reminder I need to stop with fanfic as a main premise especially when it comes to adding realism into it. That being said, I still enjoy Sophie Gonzales' writing.

This file didn't actually work for me (I was using an older kindle at the time the review was sent - this has since been remedied and my tech is now up to date!) so I didn't get to read it as an ARC before the deadline.

I've since read this book and absolutely loved it. It was a glorious love-letter to fandoms, and as someone chronically online, that really spoke to me.

was not able to get into this book at the time it was needed for me to read it and was not able to finish reading. i am grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this book early and have heard nothing but good things about this author.

3.5 stars

I really wanted to like this one but I didn't love it as much as I had hoped. It was an interesting concept but didn't hit all the marks. Maybe it's because I don't read a lot of fanfiction so all the fanfiction tropes that were used just felt super cringy to me or maybe they just were written as well as they should have been. But I don't know. But it might be great for someone who loves reading a lot of fanfiction. I will also say that the true love interest just wasn't hitting for me either because it took so long to build up to it and when it did, it still wasn't fully there. I did really like the best friend though. He was fun. I also liked seeing the past to see how the one friendship imploded, but didn't like how it imploded because it used a trope I'm not fond of. So overall this book had a lot of potential but just didn't execute it as well as I had hoped.



Content warning: toxic relationship, gaslighting

I have mad respect for Sophie since If This Gets Out, which was the book I've always wanted to read and will continue to recommend and prop up conspicuously at bookstores.

The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist is a YA book and I would in no way call it a romance, but I would call it a fun romp perfect for fans of Ashley Poston, Rainbow Rowell, and anyonewho can enjoy fanfic.

Overall it's a super charming story with loads of heart and varied rep- Ivy is bisexual, Mack is a lesbian, and Henry is the wildly unrepresented aro/ace.
I gave it 4/5 stars [and a massive apology for taking so long to post]. Grab your copies while you can- and as you can see, it's on sale at Barnes & Noble but definitely shop small Indie stores if you can!

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy of this novel!
.
I’ve read other books by Gonzales that I’ve really enjoyed, and while this one won’t oust my favorite, it was still a fun read. I’m not usually a fan of fantasy, but this sits more in the magical realism world. The characters don’t understand where the magic came from or how it works, when a character from Ivy’s fanfictions suddenly comes to life. It was easy to see where the romance was headed, but I truly didn’t have any clue how they were going to resolve Weston’s appearance.
.
It was fun watching common fanfic tropes play out in reality, and perhaps they don’t work quite so well in real life. I would have liked a resolution to how the circumstances came to be in the book, but it ultimately didn’t take away any enjoyment. I’d recommend this read to any YA readers looking for something silly and light.

I have loved Sophie Gonzales' previous books and while I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t my favorite of hers. While I thought the plot was super interesting and unique, I struggled to really connect with it. As an avid fanfiction writer I did like seeing it represented so much in a story. Sophie’s writing was still good but I still struggled with parts of the book. I still enjoyed it though as I always do and am looking forward to her next book.

The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzales is a fun enemies-to-lovers romcom with magical realism. Ivy’s fanfic brings her fictional crush to life, leading to chaos and heartwarming moments. A light, cute, and enjoyable YA read with humor, romance, and a touch of fantasy.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

It pains me to say that this is my least favorite Sophie Gonzales title so far. I've really enjoyed her previous work, but the overall concept and vibe of this just didn't work for me, and in fact brought me back to some cringier moments of my youth. The basic premise is that our MC, Ivy, writes y/n and self insert fanfic, about her favorite fictional character and magically brings him to life. This is interspersed with the flashbacks to her best friendship with her neighbor, Mack. Unfortunately, you lost me at y/n. And that's okay! This isn't for adult readers. But still, I know there are teens that do find this cringey. And worse than that is the fact that I found both Ivy and Mack to be insufferable. Ivy in particular is a tough character to root for. She doesn't ever take accountability and has horrible problem-solving skills. Mack is just a straight up bad friend at times. The only character I enjoyed was Henry a side character who needed more page time. The character that was brought to live did add some humor, and Mack and Ivy both grew quite a bit but I wasn't totally satisfied by the end. This was disappointing and probably not a fit for our library, but I'm absolutely note done reading Sophie Gonzales!