Review: Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane

genre: chick-lit
rating: 3.5 out of 5

I had no expectations for this book other than maybe I'd get to loose myself in my chick-lit happy place for a while, so I was pleasantly surprised when I couldn't fall asleep last night until I'd finished reading it.

Waverly Bryson was dumped by her fiance a few weeks before the wedding. Her ensuing depression, various embarrassing episodes and string of first dates are interspersed with her work life at a PR firm. At work she helps to manage a huge sporting goods account which puts her on the fringe of the celebrity world. This helps her to make some high profile friends as she tries to resurrect her self-confidence while, at the same time, land a great guy - no easy task.

The writing in Perfect on Paper sometimes felt a bit flat and the dialogue bordering on scripted. Sometimes I could imagine conversations and other times it felt like two caricatures talking instead of two real people. Waverly's tendency to get completely smashed when she was depressed made me want to shake her, but that's just me. Throughout the book are little sayings, almost one-liners, that Waverly comes up with that are sometimes clever but sometimes trite.

That being said, like I mentioned, I couldn't put it down. I think Waverly actually summed it up herself when she asked, "How is it that romantic comedies are SO predictable yet still suck me in every time?" Despite its predictability, Waverly's personable first person narrative and bad luck made her a sympathetic character. I think her plight would really resonate with single female readers. Her friends were down-to-earth sidekicks and helped Waverly come into her own. The end, while being predictable, also had a twist to it that spiced it up.

If you are a lover of the chick lit genre, this one should definitely be put on your list.

I'm on a blog tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion. Thanks to Tracee for the opportunity to participate!!