Member Reviews
I really enjoyed this book. It was different to the normal romance story that I usually read. I had read this in 24 hours, I could not put it down. Laura is a journalist who is working for a weekend magazine when an a email at work comes through announcing that she can find love through Cupid. Cupid is a different type of dating app that uses your digital footprint to find your perfect match such as your google searches etc. Due to this she is matched up with Adam.
From here her life takes a turn where she is dating Adam, who is so opposite to Laura but Laura is convinced this is why it will work until the cracks begin to show. However, Adam seems like the perfect man. Laura is living with her sister and brother in law, her job is potentially under threat, her parents have split up and then in comes the mysterious Cass.
I really liked this story because Laura's life is far from perfect, showing a side which is true to life. It tackles a number of issues in the book well. Its not all serious and I found myself laughing a number parts of the book. Its more about Laura's journey through life than her romances and I think that is why I enjoyed it so much. It is a perfect read to add to your summer reading list.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Emma Hughes for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
The Cupid story reminded me a lot of "The One" which I enjoyed so my hopes were up. Unfortunately I didn't find Laura very likeable and at some point I simply wasn't really interested anymore in who she would end up with or what happens with her job or her family.
Some plot twists were quite predictable and not very original but all in all, the book was good and a quick and easy read perfect for the summer.
Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’m sorry to say I couldn’t get into this book. Laura’s issues did not grab my attention, I just didn’t care about what happened to her, she irritated me so much. Her chaotic lifestyle felt very contrived and unbelievable for someone of her age. It all felt very superficial and predictable. This was a DNF, clearly not a book for me, though I’m sure others will enjoy it.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.
I enjoyed the book. Halfway through I wasn’t so keen on the main character, Laura, but it didn’t stop me reading or wanting to find out the outcome of the story. The book is well written and the conversations between the characters flow really well. There is plenty going on in the story and never a dull moment. Thank you #netgalley
A great rom com and thought provoking. I liked Laura and the book had me hooked from the start. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book, it's a bit more hard hitting than your normal up-lit, for example discussing people's class as well as your usual handful of romance, discovering who you are and feeling like you are struggling with adult life.
An enjoyable read, I was rooting for Laura our heroine, even if I found some of her decisions baffling.
I enjoyed it. But it was a slow read.. You knew Adam was not right and you guessed about Cass. . Funny how we all hate our parents changing and the things we do for our jobs. A pleasant read.
This is a cheeky little romantic thriller that delves into the world of online dating, family relationships and looking for perfection. An entertaining easy read.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for an honest review.
Thank you for my copy of No Such Thing As Perfect!
This story is perfect for fans of Romcoms and such an enjoyable read! Laura was a very relatable character and I enjoyed her journey of self discovery. I can't wait to read more than this author!
“No Such Thing As Perfect” tells the story of Laura, a woman working at a magazine, approaching her thirties who is unlucky in love and doesn’t think she will ever find it. She also sees the struggles of the couples around her (her sister who has fertility issues, her parents who have never been happy and her best friend who is splitting from the father of her daughter) and wonders if it’s worth it. But then her job is threatened and she decides to take on a project where she uses a new dating company who promise to use all sorts of internet data to match her with her perfect man. Could this be the opportunity to find the love that has always seemed out of reach?
Suffice to say, things do not go to plan for Laura. The plot itself doesn’t feel particularly original and even the plot twists are pretty well sign posted. But the writing style is easy to get into and it is an entertaining and light hearted read. While I didn’t particularly like Laura as a character, I can relate to her situation a bit (I have also been the singleton at parties having to politely smile through questions about my love life!) and I did enjoy the relationships she had with others particularly her best friend and her sister (the latter had a very Fleabag vibe to it!). I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good holiday read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
Classic rom-com fiction and modern dating collide: 'No Such Thing As Perfect' is a joyful, funny, and tender story about seeking one's other half, dating apps, algorithms, family, and choosing happiness. The fact that it is centered around the idea of the tech start-up/matchmaking digital platform that guarantees our heroine the perfect love match takes us off the trite path of similar romance novels. It makes her 'learning curve' until the much anticipated eureka moment considerably more distinct and interesting. A lighthearted choice that would make a great holiday companion.
An enjoyable story with a very interesting premise: what if an online dating company could use your search history/data to pair you up?
I liked Laura as a main character, and initially I really liked Laura and Adam as a couple. As the story progressed I didn’t always agree with the decisions Laura made, but I did enjoy the closure and the way the story ended.
Fun, light read about a young woman that feels she doesn't get the adulting thing. She has never been in a long term relationship, her job is at threat and she had to move in with her much more successful sister, because her flatmates got together and moved out to their own place. She works as a writer in Sunday paper and is offered an unusual opportunity to try a brand new dating service. This service collects all your internet history, churns it through data models and finds you a perfect match. She'll be first to try it out, they'll find a guy she'll be obligated to date for three months and after that she'll write an editorial on her experience. Considering her job situation, she feels this is her best shot at keeping her position, so she takes it on.
Various romantic antics ensue after that. Laura, the main character, is very likeable, and it was easy to cheer her on and empathize with her. I really enjoyed the story, especially when it turned slightly more into a critical investigation of what's up with this dating service.
The family dynamics that are a strong character in the story remind me way too much of the TV series 'Fleabag'. We have sisters where one is really successful and has a husband whose character is the total opposite of her and seems like they couldn't possibly be a great fit. Sister that is dating a lot and doesn't have a great handle on her life. And we have parents with their own problems, and a very tense relationship between the older sister and the father. I get this is not unique for Fleabag, and simple enough of a set-up to be represented in many stories. But it all just seems a bit too close to the show.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 'No Such Thing as Perfect' is a witty, funny, and tender story that speaks to the importance of self-love, growth, and friendship. Filled to the brim with modern dating (and life) woes, Laura is a heroine that I personally related to, rooted for, and loved from the very start! With a ton of laugh-out-loud moments and spicy dialogue, 'No Such Thing as Perfect' is an utter delight that will leave you wanting more. 100% recommend!
I’d like to thank NetGalley, Cornerstone and Penguin Random House UK for approving me for an ARC of this book.
This story follows Laura and her quest to find the perfect man and therefore the perfect life. To save herself from redundancy she decides to be a guinea pig for a new start up match making company, Cupid. They promise to find Laura her perfect match in exchange for a positive article detailing how thankful she is to Cupid for fixing her love life.
I have never been in the world of online dating but I know a few people who have. The likes of Tinder and Hinge are completely alien to me and so I loved that this book brought dating into the 21st Century and open naïve eyes like mine to that world. I’ve always been dubious about these dating apps and wondered how it all works so it was great to get some insider knowledge, even if Cupid weren’t as legit as they seemed.
I quite liked Laura and Adam as a couple at the start. I thought Adam was very sweet and had obviously been badly hurt in the past. You could see the cracks appearing quite early on though and that had me questioning if he was right for her? Her relationship journey took a rather predictable path in the story but I think that was the point and I quite liked Laura’s relationship status by the end.
This story had plenty of moments were I found myself having a little chuckle but there were some serious issues too. Laura and her sister Jamie had a really interesting relationship. Whilst Jamie seemed very cold and prickly I think a lot of that was down to her need to control her life especially given what her mum had done when they were both at school. How Laura’s relationships changed with her family was the golden nugget of the story. The frank conversations she had with not just Jamie but both her parents showed how far she’d come in the story. I have to give a special mention to Whit who, whilst being a little clueless, was such a sweet character who often made me smile.
Filled with funny, witty characters this will make the perfect summer read. I devoured it in almost one listen and hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Grab your refreshments, get yourself comfy and get ready to smile!
This was an enjoyable book for what it is but it wasn't really my genre. I'm sure many other people would enjoy the way it is written though.
I mostly enjoyed reading this book and liked that the main arc was about finding yourself rather than romance, it's a refreshing focus which more and more authors are taking up at the moment - it's great to see!
However, Laura wasn't all that likeable and I found myself struggling to fully engage with her as a character, especially in the middle section of this book. I know you don't have to like every protagonist and that's fine, but I struggled to see and relate to the motivations for her actions. I felt she messed people around and then kicked off when the same thing was done to her, which doesn't feel that fitting for a 29 year old main character.
I did enjoy this and will definitely look out for books from this author in the future, as I'm aware it's her debut novel and every author varies in their output throughout their career.
No Such Thing As Perfect by Emma Hughes an almost perfect four-star read. Some people will have issues with this one as there is cheating, that wasn’t what I had issues with, it was just that I didn’t like Laura for chunks of the story, I loved her at some points and wanted to shake her at others, just for her sheer short sightedness, for someone who was supposed to investigate and understand what was going on. It is more of a story about Laura’s journey than a romance, and if you want that they you will enjoy it, but if you want a heart-warming romance, avoid.
I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me this advanced reader’s copy in return for a fair, frank, and honest review.
This was an ok book for me. It was good but not fantastic. At its heart it was a story of looking for love and having to look at yourself first. Laura was funny, emotional and I connected to her although she got annoying towards the end of the book. It was just a nice book.
An utter delight of a book, which pairs romantic comedy with self discovery, family-of-origin woes and a wicked dash of satire (the newspaper industry, east London gentrification and tech bro startup culture all get a knowing, affectionate skewering). At the heart of No Such Thing As Perfect, and the glue that holds it together, is Laura, a main character so likeable and relatable that you at once want to shake her and take her out for a drink. I'd have loved to have learned more about Cupid, the data driven dating app that is the book's meet-cute conceit, partly because I'm reading The Age of Surveillance Capitalism as my non-fiction book right now, partly because I'm a big nerd that way - but I guess there's only so far you can go before your contemporary women's fiction turns into another feminist dystopia. Regardless, this was a great read, and one I'd highly recommend for your summer holiday reading list!