Customer Reviews

Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson

5 star:		(122)
4 star:		(52)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Waverly Bryson never thought she would be lucky enough to find true love. She never dreamed she would be the fiancée of wealthy eligible bachelor Aaron Vaughn III. Two weeks before the wedding, he told her he couldn't marry her because he wasn't sure if he really loved her, but he felt really bad for hurting her. Waverly was devastated.

The first year post breakup only netted Waverly three dates, and all of them were duds until meeting Jake McIntyre at a trade show in Atlanta. She had made a fool of herself getting drunk, and leaving a slow dance mid way through to throw up in the ladies room. After that fiasco, she spent most of her free time with best friends McKenna and Andie opting to cut her losses when it came to men.

Since everything else in her life was falling apart it was par for the course that her perfect professional life in PR was unraveling around her. She was passed over for an assignment to a new account, and then an account that she had spent years on, was given to her nemesis. When it was getting to the point that she couldn't force herself to be there anymore, fate stepped in a turned all aspects of her life upside down.

This was a light funny read. Waverly is a multi layered complete klutz that has the philosophy it is either laugh or cry in most situations. She tries to find the humor in it the majority of the time. I think Murphy is her enemy because Murphy's Law definitely shadows her. What can, usually does go wrong. A good effort from this new author. Only one criticism that really made me cringe is her constant reference to men as boys. It was always I met a boy when there are so many other words to use, and that just doesn't sound right coming from a thirty-year-old woman.

Two weeks before she is due to walk down the aisle and marry Mr. Perfect, Waverly Bryson gets dumped. After being in a relationship for several years with this man she goes through the normal "I just got dumped and I never want to leave my house mourning period," but with a little help from her friends, she heals, little by little and day by day. Getting on with her life means working, hanging with her two best friends and of course, dating. In the midst of all this she writes quirky little sayings, from her daily misadventures, which she hopes to use in a greeting card line.

This is probably one of the best books I have read all year. I laughed so hard, so loud and so many times throughout this book and when I wasn't laughing, I was smiling. Waverly is easy to identify with and the friends she surrounds herself with are as unforgettable and just as loveable as she is herself.

Waverly is not without flaws or faults and the reader gets to see her make mistakes, get laughed at, laugh at herself, learn and grow... All the while the author makes sure you don't want to set the book down, ever. The dates she goes out on are hilariously horrifying and unfortunately some are hauntingly familiar. Ladies, I challenge you not to find at least one of your former dates in this book.

As intriguing and wonderful a heroine as Waverly is, this book wouldn't be anything without the supporting cast. It's really not just about Waverly, but about her and her relationships with her girlfriends, men friends, work chums and even her father. How each relationship shapes her in some way and how she finds and sees herself among them.

At the beginning of each chapter in this well told tale is a sampling of Waverly's greeting card line that she has been writing. I found myself looking forward to that as much as I was looking forward to the actual story; they are witty and funny. This book is everything I love about chick lit and more. I am looking forward to reading more from this author; she has made a new fan!

Cherise Everhard, June 2008

"Perfect on Paper" is being published by Amazon Encore, a service I'd never before heard of that claims to give, "outstanding but overlooked authors a second chance," which I, personally, found astounding, because that means someone decided to publish this lackluster effort not once, but twice. (And though I know this was an uncorrected proof, I've never seen so many typesetting errors. There were broken carriage returns on nearly every page, making the book physically hard to read.)

This story is obviously written for, and perhaps by, 16-year-old girls who got their idea of being "grown up" from watching "Sex and the City" and "The Real World."

Waverly Bryson is a "career girl" in San Francisco set to marry the rich, handsome man of her dreams, until he calls off the wedding, just weeks before the big, society-page ceremony they'd planned. (This all happens by page two so I'm not giving anything away.)

The story then follows Waverly ("like the cracker" ... a joke made dozens of times that's got to fly over the head of the target demo by more than a decade; I'm in my mid-30s and barely remember what they're talking about), through her post-dump depression (over in a few pages) and her return to the dating pool, for one ridiculously bad date after another. Of course, if she didn't insist on dating only "hot" guys, and getting blind drunk nightly, perhaps she'd avoid the stream of losers and users she goes out with.

There's no real peril for our heroine, whose eventual romantic happy-ever-after you can put together before you crack the cover. Though, of course, why this great guy (who--ridiculous spoiler alert--is also secretly very rich), would actually be interested in Waverly who is sloppy drunk each and every time they meet for the first two thirds of the story, is never explained.

Nor is how Waverly maintains her job, which she seems to use mostly for Googling and setting up evenings out (oh and, mis-using company funds to attend a friend's wedding), and even lands a new, better one based on some ridiculous card concept that sounds like it recycles jokes rejected by cancelled CW comedies. The bonds of credulity are stretched even farther when Waverly then becomes her own PR person at the old job, for the new job. Give me a break!

One must wonder if the author has ever actually been employed so unrealistic is Waverly's work life--and everything else about her. She lives in the most expensive city in the country and comes from a trailer park background, yet never has a single money issue, not even after her cancelled wedding.

She's also a constant mess, and yet (naturally!) so amazingly beautiful she's considered for "People's" "25 Most Beautiful" issue. All while eating "car-sized Snickers" (a gag used endlessly) and "cartons of ice cream for dinner," not to mention all that booze, yet remaining an effortless size two.

Oh and did I mention the lame character development? Either Waverly's sidekicks are so poorly written I didn't care to recall them, or else they change names and come and go throughout the manuscript. All melding into one big ball of unrealistic, unsympathetic generic "women's best friend" and, of course, "best gay friend." (The advance copy was so full of typos, I couldn't honestly say which it was.)

Not to give anything away central to the plot (though it's so predictable it's hard NOT to spoil it), but one of Waverly's new best friends is, I kid you not, a supermodel-Olympic gold medalist-medical doctor-wife of an NBA superstar who meets Waverly and instantly becomes her new bestie, spending the day shopping and giving her a professional quality makeover (another talent for the already ludicrously hyphenated character). Guess she had the day off from the hospital.

Look, I too work in sports, and while many (most) high-level athletes are nice, even friendly, with those they work with, they are rarely actual "friends" with those outside their immediate circle. I've certainly never heard of anyone who meets a semi-stranger ("hey, I worked with your husband for two hours once") on a plane and then spends the next two days hanging out with them. If for no other reason than they're too darn busy, with their days booked months, even years, in advance. That goes double for the true superstars, who are usually extremely guarded about their privacy.

I will thank the author for one thing: At a certain point, it looked as if she was going to hook Waverly up with her Olympian-doctor BFF's NBA star husband. They were together, alone in a hotel, sharing a meal, and a lot of wine, and Waverly says, "Do you ever wish you couldn't remember the night before?" Kudos to Maria Murnane for at least avoiding that one ick moment for her already unlikable heroine.

The author was obviously inspired by the far superior "Shopaholic" series by Sophia Kinsella. But what Murnane missed is that "Shopaholic," while equally unrealistic, is laugh-out-loud funny (at least the first few books), and artfully written, making for a fun, frothy read. Unfortunately, "Perfect on Paper" is none of the above.

When this book was recommended to me by Amazon I became very excited. I hadn't read a good chick lit book in a while and this one seemed to have a plot that was both interesting and a little bit different. Sadly I was wrong and it was just like pretty much every other chick lit book I've read.

Meet Waverly Bryson, a not yet 30 sports PR agent who doesn't like sports. Two weeks before her wedding her fiance calls it off because he rushed into the decision and just doesn't love her anymore. There really isn't much as far as plot that I haven't read before it basically follows Waverly as she dates a bunch of losers and tries to find the one man she's actually compatible with. She also has two quirky gals pals to aid her in her "misadventures". Waverly starts writing greeting cards in her spare time called "honey notes" aimed toward cheering up/helping single women everywhere. As she starts to hate her job (did I mention this plot has been used before) the "honey notes" start to take center stage in her life.

Each chapter is headed with a "honey note" and about a third of the way through the book I had pretty much had my fill of them. While I liked Waverly as far as characters go I just didn't really want to read this book after the first couple of chapters. It was boring. I'm hoping that the next book by Maria Murnane is better but it isn't going to be something that I run out and instantly purchase.

:Spoiler Alert: This review reveals some scene twists/endings in the book.

This book had alot of potential to be a better than average chicklit novel, and tries. But the author tried too hard and has the wrong idea that superficial attributes ("glamorous" career, looks, money, cute guys and faux celebrity) is enough to carry the book--not to mention protagonist, Waverly, who in real life no guy would take on a second date. Unless he's co-dependent or a fellow alcoholic.

Waverly has alot going for her--more than most people. But through most of the book she's drinking until she has blackouts, can't remember the previous night, can't remember where she parked her car last or how she gets home, and can't even remember which guy (the cute one maybe?) she "kissed" the night before until she meets him (oops wrong guy!) on a second date. DITCH!

Gee, why did her high profile fiance leave her at the altar? It's just not fair!

There are no consequences for:

1. alcoholic binges in public
2. treating her dad, who sacrificed to raise her, as an inconvenience
3. behaving badly at work functions (and in the office)
4. using people for her own narcissistic needs, then ditching them

I thought maybe the book might take a turn and have Waverly meet her husband-to-be in a rebound relationship through Alcoholic's Anonymous against her sponsor's advice. That would make sense. Maybe in the next book.

The book is called "Mis-adventures" and truly Waverly is "Perfect on Paper," but not as a person. The title's a hint on what's to come. Perhaps Ms. Murnane took that concept too far in Waverly, who is unlikeable. The whole plot change of Waverly getting her own card line (that easily??) and chosen as one of PEOPLE magazine's beautiful people. So far-fetched.

If this is real-life living for young, professional women in San Francisco, who wants any part of that! I love seeing authentic real-life situations, but for chicklit, this is too much and too superficial.

That said...

**The story itself has good scenes and is well-written** something author Maria Murnane should be proud of. Despite my review and others, I encourage Ms. Murnane to keep going. This is only a first book, so I expect even better things to come! You're certainly seeing what readers like/don't like ;)

The only things I liked about this novel were the fake Honey Notes. Other than that twist, from the beginning, this novel read like a poorly constructed west coast knock-off of "Sex in the City". Worst of all was that through most of the book, the main character, Waverly, whines about her terrible love, family and work life. Unfortunately, there is nothing the author did that made me care a whit about Waverly. The Waverly character development was shallow and that of her friends was even worse. Though perhaps that was the objective? To write a novel about shallow, boring people? If so, this is a success.

The only reason I didn't give this book 1 star is because I did finish it - and I conclude this review by noting that the too-predictable ending justifies the (barely) 2 star review.

Who is to say that I'm not a target market reader for "Perfect on Paper"?
Just because I'm a male with gray hair and wrinkled skin doesn't mean that there is no pleasure in reading what might be considered a "chick" book. Especially when it is such a very good an experience, when it draws the reader in, in quick fashion, describes the people, places and activities that causes the reader to keep wanting for more.

Not being one that invests large amounts of time reading fiction, I found
"Perfect on Paper to be a great read. Waverly, the lead character has a group of self inflected inferiorities, close friends who are there to keep her in perspective with a bunch of chuckles and some big belly laughs along the way.

Those of us who love San Francisco can feel the city coming off the pages along with Waverly Bryson's sports promotion career in competitive detail.

If you are in for a real pleasure, open the book. I challenge you to start reading and not want to finish the good time yet to come. The bonus are "Happy Notes" and the surprise they hold!

When you do read "Perfect on Paper", I suggest leaving analysis for some future read and just go with it. Then the only sadness you will experience with me is when it is over.

Hopefully, MS Murnane will someday give all the characters life again in "Perfect on Paper, Part II". I can hardly wait. Gil Sharkey

Now, it's important to know that I don't usually go in for this sort of writing. I also am not one to use words like amazing or incredible willy-nilly. For something to be amazing or incredible, it must defy imagination, and I'm afraid this book doesn't do that. What it does is redefine the genre by creating a chick lit book which reads more like lad lit with a smattering of a good mystery. What this means is that it doesn't give way to sympathies which are too maudlin or shy away from life's grimier details--the episode involving creative disposal of a "floater" is not to be missed. This is the lad lit part.

But what the author also gets right are the atmospherics--the sights and sounds and the PLACES which make cities live and breathe, no only for Waverly but for all of us who have lived in her neighborhood or seen her trying to look important across an aiport lobby. The chance to live someone else's life is a vicarious pleasure which many of us hope for, but which only the best writers allow us to experience, regardless of genre. I remain grateful to God I was never a single woman in San Francisco.

Waverly Bryson warns her fiancé who interrupts her wedding dress fitting that it's bad luck for him to see her. Little does she know - he's there to dump her. After mourning the loss of the relationship, she picks herself up and with the help of her friends Mackie and Andie, starts to put herself out there again, only to be stuck in dating purgatory. Her quotable doodles in the form of "Honey notes" soon turns into a full time gig and Waverly finds that her life as she has known it is about to change drastically.

Maria Murnane's debut novel is a total gem. Every awesome review you read about it is spot-on. She has crisp dialogue, great comic timing, a truly self-deprecating heroine, wonderfully well drawn secondary characters, and accurate descriptions of one of the most beautiful cities that manage to transport the reader to the Union Street haunts she and her friends frequent. Her characters are not perfect - even the seemingly perfect ones display their flaws at one time or another... well except for maybe Today reporter Scotty Ryan. It's a nearly perfect novel (just got tired of the wardrobe descriptions which will inevitably date the novel) - an amazing feat for a first time novelist.

I'm surprised this book has so many good reviews. About halfway through it, I decided to keep a tally of 1) how many times she introduced herself to her friends in a joking way; 2) how many outfits she wore with embroidered flowers on them; 3) how many times she pulled her hair into a low ponytail; 4) how many times she did something klutzy. Honestly, the whole, I'm pretty but unassumingly so and you know I'm a cool girl because I fall down and eat chocolate and drink too much sometimes shtick is getting old. Bridget Jones did it like 12 years ago. Don't waste your time unless you liked Bride Wars or other predictably terrible chick flicks.