This was not perfectly fine. Not fine at all, actually. Started almost unbearably bad, got marginally better by the middle/end. Was extremely tempted to DNF at about 20%.

Ladies and gents, this is <i>not</i> the way to do forced proximity/enemies to lovers. There was absolutely nothing cute about the way Elijah (and his dad) invaded Autumn’s home and life. Even - even! - if she had been properly warned, for him to just… start moving her stuff out of the house was outrageous. And then he had the NERVE to lock her out of her own home. Tim – Elijah’s dad, a longtime friend of Autumn’s father, and her landlord for six years – foisting an unwanted roommate, a stranger!, on the disabled young woman he purports to care for as a surrogate parent was, frankly, cruel.

Things eventually got slightly less bad when the childish antics between the two MCs (but especially Elijah) dwindled and the plot turned more fully to the mystery of who is leaving Autumn roses on the anniversary of her accident, but the resolution was clumsily handled and predictable.

Maybe this book is for someone, but it definitely was not for me.

[book:Ms. Perfectly Fine] by [author:Kate Callaghan]
⭐️ ⭐️
🎹🎶 I honestly couldn’t tell if the author knew the first thing about music and performing. Doubt it.
🐕🪴Bonus points for pets and plants, even though Elijah brought the dog WITHOUT ASKING
🥀The next time someone brings me flowers at a show, I’m going to wonder if they’re secretly trying to kill me

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Ms Perfectly Fine was a perfect surprise. As someone who enjoys mystery/thrillers but has a tendency to be a bit too skittish to enjoy them, this was a perfect blend of comfy romance and suspense.

I love watching Autumn and Elijah’s relationship develop from the chaotic first meeting to the supportive loving partnership. I think this book did a wonderful job of tackling the slow ways we open up to people we feel safe around. I also really appreciated the unique details that built the storyline of this book. A concert pianist, a videotape developer, the delicate themes of chronic pain, loss, and difficult relationships… It all added to the novels sincerity which I think makes it easy to become totally engaged with the story.

A great cozy read I would definitely recommend!

BRIEF:
I have finished reading the book 15 days ago and i need to clear my mind.... Man it was my first mystery book that i wasn't aware of, i requested this book considering it a light RomCom, but, this turned a mystery book.

REVIEW:
This books revolves around the female lead Autumn who is set to have a comeback as a solo pianist from a musical theatre.

A theater that rooted her grounds when she was introduced to this musical world, before 10 years, when the deadliest night occured.

Life wasn't a bed of roses for Autumn but it took a 360 turn when Elijah enter her world and her house unannounced.

Things perked up for both Elijah and Autumn, they have a stalker out there, will they team up to bring the stalker down? Fir that you'll need to grab this book upon it's release. You can definitely preorder it now as well

POV:
It's my first time reading a work by this author so i didn't set any expectations towards this book. This book almost clicked all the boxes as per what i look for a perfect book. I wish i would've been able to give it a 5 star rating, but 3 will do for the time.

I think as much as the book was fast paced i felt it dragged at a point, but it was a real fun read. The book should have been a bit longer to wrap the climax properly it was abrupt full of dragged and self obsessed scenes

Toodles,
Maham
Pagesofscarlett.com

It was good. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it.

My biggest issue was the characters. Well, Autumn. She was self obsessed, boring and frankly outside of her chronic pain didn't seem to have much personality at all. I know a few people who live with chronic pain and I'm sure that's not what they want to be known for. It was wonderful to see the representation but it ended up being Autumn's only personality trait.

Elijah was great - absolute labrador boyfriend. He was funny, charming and quick witted, always with a come back for Autumn's pranks. He was also caring too, taking her pain into consideration whilst also pushing her to experience more than the quiet life she'd insisted on living out of ease.

The stalker storyline was a bit out there if I'm honest and I ended up feeling sorry for the stalker at the end because Autumn was such a bitch 😂 the book needed to be longer for it to have had more substance.

“In rehab, she was known as Ms. Perfectly Fine.”

Book: Ms. Perfectly Fine
Author: Kate Callaghan
Genre: Romance/Mystery
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
Spice: 0.5/5 🌶️

Thank you to author Kate Callaghan and NetGalley for an eARC of this book!

This was such a cute read with some unexpected mystery thrown into the mix that added a nice twist on things. I loved how the characters’ jobs were unique too: a concert pianist and a game designer…so fun! I had some trouble getting into it at first, but after awhile it was hard to put down. The banter between Autumn and Elijah was super cute too and had me giggling multiple times. Elijah’s compassion and caring nature was so sweet and made me like him so much. I honestly wasn’t expecting the plot twist or the added mystery, but it was a good addition and it flowed really nice. The only reason I took stars away was just for the fact that I didn’t feel particularly connected to the characters and some parts seemed to drag. Aside from that, I truly enjoyed reading this book and hope you will also!

After a devastating accident, concert pianist Autumn Adler is left with chronic back pain that reminds her everyday what she went through, and who she lost. Fast-forward six years from the accident and Autumn is ready to make her comeback with her first solo. She has everything organized and being used to living alone for so long, is quite comfortable without other people to get in her way, or see her vulnerable side. Everything changes when she finds out her landlord has rented out the ground floor of her townhouse to Elijah Wells, a handsome and charming video game designer. Wanting nothing more than to get her home back all to herself, she doesn’t accept this without a fight. Unfortunately, Elijah is just as stubborn and will stop at nothing to win her over. On top of this, Autumn also has to deal with the fact that someone continues to leave her mysterious roses and if they pose a real threat. As lines begin to blur between love and hate, Autumn has to wonder if she can allow herself to open up and let Elijah into her life to help her solve this mystery and maybe more?

Pick your copy up on June 8th, 2023!

oh dear. no no. this was a miss folks

the taylor title got me and i should’ve known better. the writing was less than subpar and storytelling was pretty weak. it was cute…enough but i wouldn’t waste your time with this one

Such a fun, cute book. A bit predictable but enjoyable. Likeable characters. I would recommend to young adults.

Ms Perfectly Fine has a little bit of mystery, a lot of chronic pain, with a touch or enemies to lovers mixed in. While Autumn is trying to make her professional comeback, her landlord rents out the bottom floor of her house to a stranger. After a few hiccups, they realize they don't hate each other. All the while, someone is tormenting Autumn with memories from her past, but her stubbornness prevents her for asking for help. It's a decent story, but not one I fell in love with.

I DNFed this book at 26%.
For me, the writing left me wanting more and I had a hard time enjoying the characters. I do love that this book included a topic that is not normalized in romance books. The Chronic pain aspect intrigued me however I felt the writing and the plot fell flat.
I do generally enjoy a forced proximity trope but the counterintuitive actions and thoughts that Elijah had really threw me off. He notes multiple times that he wants her to like him when he first moves in but then changes the locks, leaves her out in the rain, and then eats all of her food without asking. It felt like a middle school boy being mean to the girl he likes but really is just being a massive jerk.
I do believe that others may enjoy this book if they are looking for an enemies to lovers, forced proximity romance read.
3 stars because I did not finish this book and cannot give a full review in its entirety.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The first thing I need to say is, I can not stop smiling! I absolutely loved this book!
While it followed a traditional rom-com writing arc, its story was so unique!
The characters were so relatable and had me absolutely grinning at all the sass and sarcasm -which are my very own two main ingredients as well :)
The only drawback I can imagine giving this book, it wasn’t long enough for me. I want to know so much more about all the characters and their lives!
I started reading when I was a kid, fantasy, wanting to escape into a foreign reality. Books like this one, make me remember that some stories based in this reality can bring us just as much joy.
This is high on my recommendation list!

Ms Perfectly Fine follows pianist Autumn Adler as she prepares for her first solo since the accident that nearly took her life 10 years ago. But, to add to her stress, her landlord has forced a roommate upon her - a handsome, smart game designer who refuses to move out. And someone has been leaving roses at Autumn's door with no note; is it a fan or is something more sinister going on?

I loved the chronic pain rep in this book. Autumn has developed a routine to manage her pain and allow her to continue to chase her musical dreams. She believes that she is content. But as things get more and more hectic in the story, her routine starts to fall apart, her pain increases, and she struggles with her music. So we get to see Autumn grow and figure how to deal when life doesn't allow her to stay in the safe bubble she has made.

The romance between Autumn and Elijah was just perfect to me. I love lots of banter and a slow burn. Initially, Elijah is a disruption to Autumn's carefully curated routine. She also doesn't want anyone to see her in pain and how can she do that with this man in her personal space? So they start off not exactly enemies but definitely wanting to be rid of each other. If you like slow burn, lots of banter, and/or forced proximity, you'll definitely enjoy this book. I think the only thing I'd change is I would stretch the timeline. It all happens in the course of like a month, which to me feels short and like it could easily have been stretched to 2 to 3 months.

And the suspense built into this story was also well done. I'm usually too much of a wimp for suspense but this was just right for me. I'd probably call it suspense lite, haha.

Overall, a really great read that I'd definitely recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Themes and Tropes

- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Forced Proximity
- He falls first
- Enemies to Lovers
- Hates everyone but you
- Healing


Autumn is a pianist who is working towards her big comeback after she had suffered an accident years earlier. Autumn is a private person and has routines. That is why she doesn’t like it when she awakes one day to find some guy moving all of her personal belongings into storage and moving all of his belongings in.

There are a few plot holes within this book and quite a few details that are absurd but I really loved this book. I felt like compared to other similar books this was the opposite - such as her being grumpy and him being sunshine, him falling first.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read an early readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“This world isn’t built for those of us with chronic issues. Do we get sympathy? Yes, but once the novelty wears off, that’s it. We’re told that our suffering has happened for a reason, that we are so strong and an inspiration, but it’s all bullshit to make them feel better because soon, they get bored! They lose interest in people who can’t keep up, who cancel, and spend most of their time worrying about whether tomorrow will be a bad or a good day…We are seen as a burden, something to be pitied…we are pushed aside.”

This book intrigued me initially because of the tropes, grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, roommates and a little bit of romantic suspense thrown in! I was even more interested when I learned that the FMC, Autumn, suffers with chronic pain, as someone who also suffers with chronic pain I am always very excited to see representation in romance books! I feel like the author did a beautiful job of expressing what it can be like to live with chronic pain, obviously everyone's experiences are different, but I found that I really related to Autumn. Whether it was being annoyed at herself for pushing herself to hard, knowing she will cause a flare, being private and not wanting to talk about it a lot, or finding her own special ways to cope.

I enjoyed how the story started off right away, I found both Autumn and Elijah to be relatable characters and the their sarcastic, witty banter was fun to read. I also enjoyed the beginning of their romance as it had a slow burn feel to it and I wish it would have continued that way, but that is just a personal preference! Some of the details with the stalker and Autumn's past got a little muddy and unrealistic but overall I found the little bit of a mystery a fun addition to what is otherwise a very adorable and endearing rom-com!

n "Ms Perfectly Fine," we meet Autumn, a gifted pianist, and Elijah, a talented video game designer. Their worlds collide when a stranger unexpectedly moves into Autumn's rented apartment, setting off a series of adventures (and maybe a few mishaps). Autumn is a remarkable character, strong-willed and unyielding. I can imagine how uncomfortable and annoyed I would feel in her situation, but she manages to handle it with surprising calmness. Her sarcastic remarks added to her charm, making me like her even more. I also appreciated the representation of chronic pain in the story. Also less serious, I love that Elijah is a vegan.

Tropes:
* Enemies to Lovers
* Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
* Forced Proximity

In a nutshell, "Ms Perfectly Fine" was a quick and straightforward read.
The backstories of both Autumn and Elijah captured my attention.
It may have lacked a bit of depth, but I've certainly come across worse books.
Taking everything into account, I'll give it 3 stars.

I want to start by saying that as a whole, I enjoyed this story! I have a new appreciation for those who struggle with chronic pain or issues of the like which I find to be the most important take-away and even if I got nothing else out of this read, that alone would be worth it. Autumn and Elijah were great characters and I loved getting to know them as the story progressed. I felt like both their story lines had a satisfying conclusion. I felt the initial attraction between them came on a bit fast. It felt as though they were objectifying each other rather than actually being into the other person. I do enjoy a mystery no matter what form I’m given it so I found the subplot interesting. Though I felt like it was a bit rushed. Overall, a fun, quick read.

I LOVE a grumpy/sunshine trope. Especially when the roles are reversed. The book was very cute, but at times the premise was a bit much. A random person moving in with you? A stalker? Interesting, but something that makes me incredibly uncomfortable as a person.

This book did surprise me, and was definitely one that I'm glad I read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

While there was plenty to like on the surface of this book (enemies to lovers, forced proximity, a little bit of suspense), I found that this book wasn’t as fleshed out as I would have liked.
There was no reason for an enemies to lovers here. I’m sorry, but if someone moved into my home unannounced and started eating all my food there would be a 0% chance that we’d ever be friends, let alone lovers. Elijah was too unlikable in the beginning and it kept the romance from feeling real to me.
Also the suspense was almost non-existent until 75% of the way through the book. I’m all for it! Give me more! What was there was good, it just wasn’t enough to put it in the romantic suspense genre for me.
With that said, Autumn’s arc through this book was beautiful to see. Her return to the stage and finding her confidence was a beautiful story by itself, and I found myself genuinely rooting for her.
Also, Brinkley was the best!

Ill start this review off by saying I was instantly attracted by this book cover and I will definitely be added to my shelf once it comes out! It is very pretty and gave me a general idea of what to picture for the MC's, This was my first romance mystery book and I think I may have found a new niche. It took me a couple of days to get through it- be warned it is a slow burn which I typically dislike but this book picked up about half way through when it started to dive into the mystery.

Autumn is a prodigy concert pianist who has gone through quite a traumatic experience, I really liked that this book was different in that sense. The FMC wasn't completely likable right off the bat she was particular and was very uptight (with reason) it just takes a bit to warm up to her. Queue Elijah handsome witty and completely likable MMC. The start of how these two come to meet/ live together made me laugh, can you imagine renting your own place going to sleep then waking up to people moving all your things out the next morning! I would have reacted the same way Autumn did! Elijah realized real quick that everything was a miscommunication and tries to mitigate the situation by trying to get on her good graces while getting under her skin every once in a while. I absolutely loved when Elijah brought Brinkley his pup to live with them, who doesn't love reading about a sweet pup trolling his owner and liking the other MC better! Elijah and Autumn make due and finally give their living arrangement their best shot and that's when their chemistry really blossoms, I appreciate the way both Mc's communicated their feelings to each other thought the book. There was never really anytime the both didn't know how they felt about each other- It was the most realistic depiction of couples communication in my opinion. This book could be a movie, the author quickly sprinkles the creepy roses being delivered to Autumn here and there in the book leaving you bothered just enough but well enough to forget about it for a bit until you cant ignore it anymore. Little backstory- Autumn had been receiving weird roses from a mystery person and I will not go into detail about who this mystery villain was but I was surprised! Without ruining the plot and ending I will say that I suspected the villain was everyone so I didn't see it coming which I enjoyed! The ending was also satisfying- honestly I wouldn't mind a short standalone to check in with these two characters!

I rated this book 5 stars because in general I truly enjoyed the book- my only two gripes is that I'm not a fan of slow burns & I felt like the mystery of this book could have really been amped up from the beginning instead of being sprinkled here and there & really amping up half way through the book. Otherwise please give this book a chance, I can't wait to read more from this author I will definitely be looking out for more of her future releases!

Ms Perfectly Fine is available June 8.

I was excited to read this book based on the summary because it featured some of my favorite tropes. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Tropes:
- grumpy x sunshine
- forced proximity
- roommates
- he falls first
- enemies to lovers
- chronic pain

I adored Brinkley (the dog), and the general plot of the book is an interesting premise - a concert pianist suffers a tragic accident and is trying to find herself when she’s forced to live with a random roommate and contend with a mysterious stalker. I was surprised by the ending (I’d thought I’d figured it out at the very beginning and was wrong), and I finished the book quickly. I like seeing Autumn (the FMC) adjust to life with chronic pain and find happiness again.

Ultimately don’t think this book was for me. I’ll add that I read an early review copy, so there may be changes in the final published copy from what I read. For me, the dialogue was choppy. The narration happened in third person, but each chapter was from either Elijah (MMC) or Autumn (FMC)’s point of view. There were sentences where the characters would think, narrated in third person, and then there were other italicized sentences where they thought directly in first person. I found it bothersome and distracting. I didn’t much care for Elijah or Autumn’s “enemy” antics and found them to be juvenile. There were some subplots that I didn’t feel were ultimately resolved.

This wasn’t the book for me, but others are rating it higher, so if it sounds like tropes you may like with a hint of mystery, give it a try.

Cute enemies to lovers romance with lots of funny banter.

I loved how the characters were unapologetically themselves to each other which made them fall in love.

If you want…
A quick wit FMC and a golden retriever MMC
A plot twist that you don’t see coming
A good representation of chronic illness/pain

Definitely read this book

If you don’t want…
A slow moving plot (nothing really happens but still somehow stuff happens)
A not really passionate enemies to lover

You might want to pass.

Overall very cute book. Would recommend.
🌶️🌶️