The Perfect Rom-Com promised a lighthearted, romantic escape but delivered a story that fell short in several key areas. While the book had moments, it struggled to live up to its title.

For a book marketed as a romantic comedy, the romance was barely there. The relationship between Bryony and Jack felt rushed and all over the place. One moment, Bryony can't stand Jack, and the next, we are expected to believe they are besties. The shift was so abrupt that it was hard to feel anything for their connection—it came off more like a plot device than a believable romance. Also, their romance bordered on emotional cheating for the first half, which left a bad taste in my mouth.

The plot? Super predictable. From the romance setup to the inevitable third-act breakup to the neatly wrapped ending, there wasn’t much to surprise or excite me. I kept hoping for something fresh to make it all worthwhile, but no luck there.

Also, Amelia’s constant dismissiveness and outright rudeness made it so hard to understand why Bryony stuck around for over two years. Why didn’t she quit? Watching her put up with that kind of treatment was frustrating, and her reasons for staying didn’t feel convincing.

Bryony’s desperation to get her book published made sense in theory, but her stubbornness about accepting criticism didn’t. How could someone with years of industry experience not think to reread her manuscript in all that time? The whole storyline about saving her grandmother’s ESL school by publishing a book felt way too simplistic. Book publishing is a slow and uncertain process, and pinning all her hopes on it just made her seem naive (for a 29-year-old).

The book had potential, but the flat romance, overly predictable story, and questionable character choices made it fall short. If you’re looking for a true rom-com, this one might not be the perfect pick.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.