Cover Image: No Such Thing As Perfect

No Such Thing As Perfect

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I knew this was going to be a good book as soon as I had read the first chapter. Laura's character was very believable and I enjoyed the highs and lows that she encountered from the beginning to the end.
This was a lovely read without complicated plot lines. I finished it in 1 1/2 days. I would recommend Emma Hughes as an author.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Century for letting me read No Such Thing As Perfect in advance! I was quite in the mood for super readable fiction when I picked this one up (it was sunny, which probably explains it) and this fit the bill perfectly. Laura is 29 and perennially single, and when a new matchmaking service offers her a test run of their services in exchange for writing an article about it, she reluctantly decides to go for it - in the hope of saving her job, which is at risk of redundancy. She is matched with Adam, based on her internet search history (a really creepy premise that I'm not sure if anyone would actually go for?). This definitely didn't go where I expected it to - I thought No Such Thing As Perfect would be a conventional rom-com, but this was more like thoughtful commercial fiction. It explores family relationships, friendships, making choices, and all without the usual neatly tied bow that you'd expect from commercial fiction. (A good thing!) To be honest, I anticipated each one of the twists, and there were some parts I wasn't as interested in - the flashbacks, the relationship between her parents - but I did enjoy the book overall! No Such Thing As Perfect feels very real, and rooted in such a recognisable world that it made it a real pleasure to read - it made me long for pre-corona London, where you can hop about the city spontaneously.

Was this review helpful?

This novel gives an interesting slant on modern life, particularly internet dating. All sorts of questions are raised about relationships, including"open" relationships. We have younger people searching for life partners and older ones wondering if they have stuck together for too long and for the wrong reasons.

Sisters Laura and Jamie are quite different and do not get on well, not helped by a significant age difference. Over the course of the story Laura grows up and really finds her feet. Her journey is full of humour, love, friendships and heartache. A great read.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

Was this review helpful?

Laura Morrison is not having the best time of her life. On the verge of losing her job, sleeping on an airbed at her sister's house, single and feeling nostalgic for her old life and love.
When Laura gets the chance to trial Cupid, a new, high-tech dating service, she has nothing to lose. By using everything she has ever done online, Cupid claims to find her perfect match.
I was rooting for Laura from the start. She's a bit lost and very identifiable.
An enjoyable read with a decent, uncontrived ending.

Was this review helpful?

What a great book this is! It’s begins with a brand new dating app which is in it’s prototype stage and Laura Morrison, who is a Journalist for a magazine, is sent an offer to be the first person to try the app for free and she gets to write about it in her magazine.

Laura would normally (and in fact initially does) just bin this type of offer but as she has just been informed of potentially redundancies looming for some of the employees unless they show their contributions make them worth keeping. So, she puts it forward to her boss as an idea.

The app sounded a bit like the psychological profiling that use on the TV programme ‘Married at First Sight’ - which, if you’ve seen it, is not all that successful!

The ‘what causes people to fall in love’ and ‘why do some stay in love and others fail’ fascinates me so I was very interested when I read the blurb of the book.

Of course, the clue (and that’s all it is) is in the title of the book - there is no such thing as a perfect person nor a perfect relationship and sometimes when your head says one person seems pretty much to tick your boxes yet you don’t fall instantly in love and another person doesn’t tick your boxes at all and yet your heart says differently - which organ do you follow...........head or heart or neither!

It’s a well written book and I thoroughly enjoyed it, the characters are lovely, the other little sideline stories are interesting and it genuinely made me smile. It’s not a laugh out loud book for me, but it did made me chuckle a few times. I particularly like Laura’s best friend Lil - she’s a great character and I particularly didn’t take to Laura’s sister Jamie but when you learn the back stories she becomes more likeable - her friends....not so much!

I would definitely like to read more from Emma Hughes.

My thanks go to Emma Hughes, her publishers and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

An interesting premise, Laura is a journalist under pressure for a good story, Cupid is a new Internet dating app which promises to find you the perfect partner. She agrees to use them to find a date and write a story of her experiences. Adam is the date that they find, however she finds that she is falling for one of the Cupid staff instead.
Again I find that something described as a romantic comedy doesn't quite match that description, although it does have its moments, rather more of an interesting take on the pressures of dating nowadays. I struggled with the relationship between Laura and Adam and their completely different temperaments, but then so did they. There were some great supporting characters with their own storylines, and the story behind the agency made for some very interesting reading on the quantity of information that is held about our everyday lives.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Was this review helpful?

This super cute book follows the life of Laura, a singleton living with her sister and husband after the flat-share she had been living in went sour. Laura is a journalist who agrees to be matched with a scientifically selected person following a deep-dive through her internet history.
For the most part, this is a light-hearted novel. I wish more had been explained about her family situation as I felt that the struggles between her and her sister were not explored as fully as they could have been. This didn’t make it any less of an enjoyable read though.

Was this review helpful?

Laura has just moved in with her sister and her husband as her flatmates found somewhere else to live without her. To add insult to injury at work redundancies are being made. Laura works as a journalist producing a newspaper magazine. She sees an email come in which just might be that something different, having had her assessment interview she has 3 months to prove her worth to the company. The email in question is for a new type of dating app- one which looks at online browsing. They want to try it out on Laura and see if they can make a match. She has to date the person for 3 months and see how it goes. Laura gets matched with Adam and there is certainty an instant attraction however cupid maybe has other ideas. I quite enjoyed this- it’s a look at life and love and everything in between through the eyes of a young singleton. Those of us a little older remember it all too well, albeit in a maybe non-technological world. An enjoyable, easy escapist read. The concept of Cupid reminded me a little of “ The One” but in a very different way- I won’t say more as no spoilers. Of life and love and a whole lot more.
(rest of ljnks on publication)

Was this review helpful?

Laura is stuck in a rut - a job that is going nowhere, living with her married sister and no relationships. Then one day she gets an email inviting to be the first to trial a new dating service, which matches you up based on previous online history.,,

Realistic, likeable characters and enjoyable feel good vibe- perfect for the summer.

Was this review helpful?

Thoroughly enjoyable and easy to read, with surprising depth layered in-between. Laura is a bit of a mess, 29 years old and living with her older sister and husband, in a job that going nowhere and under threat, and no serious relationships to talk of. She gets approached by a new dating start-up that finds your match based on your online history. They want Laura to be their first match and to write about the experience. She throws herself into the experience, assuming the "maths cant be wrong", but something feels off. And then real-life steps in.

The book was deeper than you think, delving into the realness of relationships, touching on our perceptions of a perfect relationship, how our past impacts our thinking and the partners we choose and all the mistakes we make in the pursuit of that special relationship that should open up eternal happiness. I loved all the little details that made the story and characters feel real, from the descriptions of London nightlife, to all the little backstories, and the cameo of role of note, Harrison. A lovely romantic read, with thanks to the publishers and netgalley!

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this heartwarming and funny book. Laura is unsuccessful in love and is hanging onto her job - just. She is commissioned to try out Cupid - a high tech new dating service - and write about her experiences. She is matched with Adam who appears to be everything she could possibly want. Her heart is not convinced and she falls for the man behind the website.

She is left to make a choice and is given the opportunity to take control of her own future.

Well written and easy to read - light but not fluffy!

Was this review helpful?

No Such Thing As Perfect was a witty, charming and relatable book for young women, particularly those who have experience of navigating the world of online dating, relationships and non-nuclear families.

A little predictable at points as some others have said, however, the narrative and writing is so enjoyable to read I didn’t really mind. I found myself relating to Laura and laughing out loud at some of the dialogue she had with other characters. However, at times some of her decisions made me a bit frustrated, but I think that’s just my own moral compass!

The concept of Cupid’s dating agency is also so interesting though and something I could see happening in real life in the not too distant future.

I was also really happy with the ending of the book, and it left me with a big smile on my face!

This is an easy, enjoyable read though, I imagine it would be perfect for holiday reading sat by a pool with a cold drink. Definitely recommend if you’re a fan of chic-lit and romance.

Thank you to NetGalley the publisher and author for an advanced copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

A lovely feel good book. Well written with great characters. A perfect bit of escapism. I highly recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

A really great, summer read (maybe the beach, if we can get to one)!

We follow the main character Laura Morrison, a really likeable character, I found her funny and engaging and quite sad now that I have finished this novel. Laura isn't in the best place, career wise and also is staying at her sisters. She tries out Cupid, a dating app and low and behold along comes Adam.

This is a laugh out loud and romantic novel and I felt I really connected with Laura. She is a really relatable character, especially if you have been on the dating scene ever.

Thanks to NetGalley, Emma Hughes and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Laura has had relationships which have only lasted a short time and time is ticking. She is a journalist and looking for a story to keep her from redundancy. She received emails from a dating agency start up and decided to base her story on this. Laura had to give any details of her life and they checked her search engine to make a profile. Laura had to agree to stay with the man they decided was a perfect match for three months and this she agreed to. Adam is matched to Laura and they start dating. Adam is kind, considerate and thoughtful but not exciting. Things job along but Laura feels that he is not the match for her. When she visited the Cupid’s offices she was memorised by a man she saw in the offics and finds out that his name is Cass. Cass is the one who programmed the algorithms for the dating app. Laura is mixed up, she is seeing Adam and Cass trying to decide which way to go, she is staying with her sister and brother in law as her flat mates brought their own place and her parents are in the process of separating and Laura is struggling with what to do. She is also struggling with her relationship with her sister, Jamie, who is also struggling with her parents failed relationship. The story continues in a fun and sad way and was an easy book to read. I thought I would guess who Laura would choose but I was completely wrong. I did enjoy the way the story weaved and would recommend reading the book without hesitation

Was this review helpful?

All in all I liked this book, although it was comical I did not find it side-splittingly funny, Laura is 29 , living with her sister and brother in law and at risk of being made redundant . She does not have a brilliant love life history . When approached by a new match making company she meets a man and gets to write about her experience (she is a rapporter) . Lots of side stories, such as relationships with friends and the relationship between her parents which did mostly add to the story , though I thought it dragged a little inn the middle of the book . The were a few chapters with little action and which did not add too much to the story on the whole
Towards the end, Laura comes to a degree of self realisation which I really liked. I liked the characters and they were well portrayed . Conversations seemed realistic and you get a good impression of the relationships between the characters .
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

A humorous, tender romance. Laura is barely hanging on to her job and sleeping on her sister’s floor. Thinking her life can’t get much worse, she tries a dating agency. A witty tale of relationships, friendships and family but a bit light for me.

Was this review helpful?

I don't think this book will ever win any Bechdel type wards as it still deals with the idea that women cannot be happy without the idea of being part of a couple. However, even though the characters live quite a moneyed background, i.e. no-one is scraping by on Universal Credit, it's humourous, light-hearted, easy to read and very enjoyable.

Was this review helpful?

SO GOOD. it’s adorable and fluffy but most of all it so FUNNY HEHE. I laughed out a lot. I also really liked the setting and the description of how the workplace worked.

Was this review helpful?

Enjoyable read. I went into this thinking it was going to be your typical romantic novel Burt it was something quite different and refreshing.

Was this review helpful?