Member Reviews
This book was a bit of a slow stater for me however I’m really glad I kept going with it as it ended up being a great read. I liked that the storyline addressed a current issue of data misuse but in a light and interesting way. The characters were engaging and I read the book in two sittings as I couldn’t wait to find out how the plot would end. Thank you netgalley for early access
DNF @ 25%.
Not for me, I thought this was fairly boring and didn’t draw me in. I didn’t love the main character and this book was marketed as a funny rom com and I didn’t get that.
When I start reading this book I thought I’d be in for a heartwarming rom-com read but really it was more of a ‘find out who you really are’ journey kind of book. There’s nothing wrong with that, it just meant I had to adjust my expectations. Once I realised the book wasn’t taking a traditional rom-com story I settled into it.
The story was really easy to read & the majority of the time I found Laura to be relatable (bar a few decisions made!) I particularly enjoyed the relationships Laura had with her family & how they developed
I do think the book could do with some trimming down as it felt too long at points & made me wish for the book to finish rather than being concerned with how it would finish.
Overall I didn’t love this book as much as I thought I would, but I think that’s more me than the book itself!
An enjoyable book set as a romance but more about trying to work out who you are and how you are the way you are in romantic, and other, relationships.
Likeable characters who I was rooting for (no spoilers) at different points, and for different reasons, in the story.
Thanks Random House UK via NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review.
What does your internet search history say about you? At the moment, mine is full of desperate searches for cheap things to do with 2 preschoolers and easy cake recipes that not even me and my two “helpers” can mess up. Who would a dating service that aims to find users the love of their lives by matching their browsing habits match me with, I wonder…? 😂
In No Such Thing as Perfect by Emma Hughes Laura Morrison is just about willing to try anything to save her job and her love life. So she eventually agrees to trial Cupid, this exact type of dating service, for 12 weeks after which she’ll write about her experience.
She can’t believe her luck when Adam turns up for their first date. He seems perfect. But then Laura develops feelings for the person who led her to Adam in the first place…
I thought the premise of this book sounded really promising but, though I did mostly enjoy it, I found that the ending fell a bit flat and felt a tad unsatisfying. I couldn’t quite get on board with any of Laura’s potential suitors and actually thought Laura was quite annoying too.
Though in the end this wasn’t really for me, I’ve seen some great reviews for it, so perhaps I’m just not the target demographic.
With thanks to Century for gifting me a digital copy to review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for providing me with advanced eArc in exchange for my honest review.
Overall, I didn't love this book, but I didn't dislike it. I guess I can say I liked it. It was difficult for me to connect with some of the characters, though Nush reminds me of a few people in my life (LOL). Laura questions the man, Adam, that she has been connected with, and feels that he is too good to be true. However, readers get to follow along for the journey to save her job and continue dating a man who intimidates her (because of how handsome he is). Personally, I wouldn't re-read this book, but it is enjoyable.
Journalist Laura agrees to trial a new dating website which promises to find her perfect man. She is paired up with Adam, but what happens if she finds someone she likes better? A really enjoyable read.
Good book. Points out that we aren’t all perfect however we like to think that we are! Well written and an enjoyable read.
The perfect modern romcom, funny, sad and relatable. A story of family, friendships and finding love. I was rooting for Laura to find her happy ending right from the first chapter. A must read!
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This one was not my cup of tea. I normally love cutesy romances, but Laura was such a whiney complainer. I really didn’t care who she ended up with. She just needed to learn to love herself.
Laura feels like her life is pretty rubbish, and then she’s put on notice at work – but given a ‘prove herself’ assignment to test out a high tech new dating service which will match her with a prospective partner based upon all of her internet history – so she kind of feels she has to give it a go. Wrapped around that main storyline are the relationships Laura has with her sister, parents, friends, ex housemates and colleagues – none of which are that great.
Adam is lovely, but seemingly a bit of a wet blanket, and so ‘the bad boy’ is appealing.
The storyline is relatively predictable, and I didn’t particularly like any of the main characters – frequently wanting to shout at them.
The writing was good and funny – but for me, it just didn’t quite hit the mark. It wasn’t offensive, and was an easy read – but didn’t set the world alight. Maybe I’m just too old and cynical to be target market?
I really enjoyed reading this book. I found it funny throughout. It makes you realise life really isn't perfect! I've not read anything from this author before and it won't be the last. I'm giving this 4 out of 5 stars.
No Such Thing as Perfect follows Laura, who gets to trial a new dating app called Cupid. She can't believe her luck when she meets Adam, who seems perfect on paper. But Laura soon realises there's "no such thing as perfect" as she starts to develop feelings for the person who brought Adam into her life.
Firstly, through Hughes' effortless and witty writing style, Laura is instantly portrayed as a likeable protagonist. Sometimes flawed, sometimes loveable, with an awesome sense of humour and excellent banter, she's definitely a relatable character.
For me though, I found some of the characters quite one-dimensional and I would have loved to have seen more character growth and development. The book also wasn't as fast-paced or unputdownable as I had hoped, but that might have been to the extended length.
Overall though, if you're looking for a fun and light read that provides an escape into the realistic world of online dating, you will probably enjoy No Such Thing as Perfect.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.
I’ve tried to read this a couple of times, but couldn’t get into it and ultimately DNF it at 30%. It just didn’t hold my interest and I didn’t like the main character Laura. The plot was too obvious and the characters were frustrating.
I chose this book because I was in the mood for something light and entertaining with a little romance. It was certainly a fun read, and at one point I wondered if it was a Pride and Prejudice tribute, with Adam as the staid, solid Darcy and Cass as the handsome Whickam. Ultimately I wasn't correct about that; the story isn't predictable and that's a really good thing. I would have loved more of the data side of things: learning what they'd found out about Adam and Laura in order to match them together; I'd also have liked a little more romance. Having said that though, it was a good read and I'd recommend.
This was a fun read and an interesting concept for what seems like a romance novel at the outset. I enjoyed my time with all of the characters, even if they were all incredibly frustrating in their own ways. And the pacing and writing style were both spot on for me. The main letdown was how it all came together at the end. It felt like it fizzled out a bit after a lot of build up and the characters didn't really go anywhere. Nevertheless it's good for your next read if you're looking for something you can breeze through quite happily.
A perfectly nice book, an all rounder so will suit most people, I'm sure. I liked the range of characters that we got and would definitely hang out with Laura.
I'm bitter that they referred to Pembrokeshire as North Wales and I wiiishhhhhhh we had more of a grand reveal after the wire 👀
What if there was a dating app that used all of your online information to find your perfect match? That's what Laura has been promised. Obviously it's not as straightforward as that, it'd be a pretty short book if it was!
It's a nice exploration of her relationships with her colleagues, friends and family. Not quite as predictable as I expected and a nice read.
The story - ⭐⭐
The writing - ⭐⭐⭐
Overall - ⭐⭐
This was pretty disappointing, I didn't really feel anything for Laura other than frustration and some of the major plot points could be seen coming a mile off.
This is a fun book, kind of an anti-romance, where the heroine meets the perfect guy, who maybe isn't perfect for her. The concept is clever: journalist Laura Morrison is under threat of redundancy, but she could save her job with a killer feature. When the chance comes up to try out a new dating app, her annoying boss Phil, otherwise known as Bouncey, puts Laura forward. All she has to do is date the guy chosen for her by the app for three months then write a feature. What could go wrong?
As ever, the course of love doesn't run smooth. Laura's family history has left her cautious of committment, and her parents' rocky relationship is heading for disaster just as she should be discovering true love. Add in her uptight sister James (a dead ringer for Fleabag's sister Claire), and chaotic best friend Lil, plus a few more hot guys and this makes for a fun rollercoaster of a book.
Does Laura get her perfect match? You'll have to read to the end to find out.