2. Perfect... on Paper by Maria Murnane

Part of Maria Murnane's Blog Tour

I received a copy of Maria Murnane's Perfect... on Paper as part of her blog tour during the month of January. This was just a plain fun book that didn't try to be more than what it is. My full review is after some info about Maria and her book.











 
Bio:

Maria is currently an independent business writer and works mostly with technology and financial services companies, but like the main character in her book, she did spend a few years in sports PR. One day she quit her job and ended up in Argentina for a year, where she played semi-pro soccer and also wrote the first draft of what would eventually become Perfect on Paper. She has dedicated the book to any woman who has ever been on a really bad date or realized halfway through the workday that her skirt is on backwards.

Maria graduated with high honors in English and Spanish from UC Berkeley and received a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She lives in San Francisco and can be reached at maria@mariamurnane.com. To learn more about her business writing services, click here.

About the book:

Anything can look perfect…on paper

When her fiancé calls off their wedding at the last minute, Waverly Bryson wonders if her life will ever turn out the way she thought it would…or should. Her high-powered job in sports PR? Not so perfect. Her relationship with her dad? Far from it. Her perfect marriage? Enough said.

Perfect on Paper is a humorous tale of Waverly’s efforts to cobble the pieces of a broken yesterday into a brand new tomorrow. What does the future have in store for her? Will she finally find what she’s looking for?

Her dates? Cringe-inducing at times, definitely entertaining

Her friends? Often amused, definitely supportive

Her new crush? Possibly intrigued, definitely a catch

The results? Hardly perfect, definitely just right

#2



Title: Perfect... on Paper
Author: Maria Murnane
Copyright: 2009
Pages: 304
ISBN: 9780982555040
Publisher: AmazonEncore
Author Website: mariamurnane.com
Twitter: @mariamurnane
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4/5 stars
Finished: 1-8-09
Challenge: 75 Books 10

From Amazon:

Anything can look perfect on paper. When her fiancé calls off their wedding at the last minute, Waverly Bryson wonders if her life will ever turn out the way she thought it would...or should. Her high-powered job in sports PR? Not so perfect. Her relationship with her dad? Far from it. Her perfect marriage? Enough said. To keep sane, Waverly makes a habit of jotting down "Honey Notes," her own brand of self-deprecating wisdom and a pipe-dream for a line of greeting cards.

As Waverly stumbles back into the dating scene (no stalkers or jean shorts, please), her personal and professional lives threaten to collide. Perfect on Paper reminds us that everyone has a bad date (or twelve), and that everyone eventually needs a best friend to tell them, “Honey, you are not alone.”

OK, I have to admit, even for a guy, I really enjoyed Perfect... on Paper, Maria Murnane's novel of the trials and tribulations of Waverly Bryson, who, in her late 20s, is dumped by her fiancee just weeks before their wedding. What follows is a funny, witty portrait of a modern day woman trying to get back on her feet and in the dating game after such a devastating event in her life.

What I liked best about Perfect... on Paper is that it didn't try to be more than what it is; a light, fluffy book that is all about being brain candy. You don't have to think too much about it (most of the plot is fairly predictable) and the characters don't try to be too deep. I could actually relate to quite a few of the scenes, as I can remember similar situations with my own friends.

It did seem like Murnane couldn't decide exactly what direction she wanted to take the book. It was a little part romantic comedy, a little part family dramedy, a little part office dramedy, but when it all came together, it worked fairly well. The only thing that I would have changed about the book was the length; and I don't even know what I would remove. It just seemed that by 2/3 of the way through, I had a fairly good idea of how things were going to play out and I was just waiting for the ending to come and for Waverly to get her Mr. Right. I'm not saying it was bad, it just seemed a little too played out by the end.

Really, Perfect... on Paper is a satisfying read that really doesn't try to be pretentious or overbearing. It is what it is; just a fun, quick read.