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Perfect-ish
On the cusp of turning thirty, Prue feels like everyone else is living their best life. Her friends are boasting about everything from their wellness achievements and exciting travel plans to their romantic relationships and newborn babies. Prue on the other hand is struggling to recover from a failed engagement and an abandoned university degree, and her job at Love on the Line counselling lonely people only seems to highlight how truly alone she really feels herself.
As Prue finds the courage to make real changes in her life, setting three (rather ambitious) goals to achieve before her milestone birthday, she soon comes to realise that perhaps she has been focusing on the wrong things all along. There’s a difference between seeming to have a perfect life and finding your own perfect- ish life, and being far from picture perfect is perfectly okay.
As Prue finds the courage to make real changes in her life, setting three (rather ambitious) goals to achieve before her milestone birthday, she soon comes to realise that perhaps she has been focusing on the wrong things all along. There’s a difference between seeming to have a perfect life and finding your own perfect- ish life, and being far from picture perfect is perfectly okay.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 15, 2023
16 people are currently reading
840 people want to read
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November 30, 2023
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Perfect-ish by Jessica Seaborn. (2023).
Prue is about to turn thirty and feels like everyone else is living their best life: everybody is posting online about their relationships, travel and babies. Prue has been dumped by her fiancé, dropped out of uni, and her job counselling lonely people makes her feel alone. With the help of her best friend Delia, Prue sets three goals before her 30th birthday: ditch the job, move out of her brother's house, find love. But when Delia's perfect marriage begins to crack and a secret threatens to shatter their friendship, Prue realises there's a difference between seeming to have a perfect life and finding your own perfect-ish life.
I quite enjoyed this contemporary fiction about Prue, who was a realistic lead. She is an almost 30-year-old feeling a bit dissatisfied with her life, not entirely sure what she actually wants to do but feels like everyone else is living a better life - I'm sure many people out there can relate in one way or another. The storyline is a really easy read that delves into common and relatable issues that many adults face. There are some light-hearted segments, some frustrating moments with Prue, some funny scenes - it's a fairly light story. I quite appreciated the relationship depicted between Prue and her mother; Prue feels like her mum prefers her brother and looks down on her so they are quite disconnected but by the end there's some growth in that relationship.
Overall: this is a great debut for the author that I think many readers would enjoy.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
Perfect-ish by Jessica Seaborn. (2023).
Prue is about to turn thirty and feels like everyone else is living their best life: everybody is posting online about their relationships, travel and babies. Prue has been dumped by her fiancé, dropped out of uni, and her job counselling lonely people makes her feel alone. With the help of her best friend Delia, Prue sets three goals before her 30th birthday: ditch the job, move out of her brother's house, find love. But when Delia's perfect marriage begins to crack and a secret threatens to shatter their friendship, Prue realises there's a difference between seeming to have a perfect life and finding your own perfect-ish life.
I quite enjoyed this contemporary fiction about Prue, who was a realistic lead. She is an almost 30-year-old feeling a bit dissatisfied with her life, not entirely sure what she actually wants to do but feels like everyone else is living a better life - I'm sure many people out there can relate in one way or another. The storyline is a really easy read that delves into common and relatable issues that many adults face. There are some light-hearted segments, some frustrating moments with Prue, some funny scenes - it's a fairly light story. I quite appreciated the relationship depicted between Prue and her mother; Prue feels like her mum prefers her brother and looks down on her so they are quite disconnected but by the end there's some growth in that relationship.
Overall: this is a great debut for the author that I think many readers would enjoy.
October 8, 2023
I love the description of this book above by the publisher, an ‘anti-romcom’. It sums up this new wave of contemporary Australian fiction so well and Perfect-ish sits very nicely on the same shelf as books such as Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, No Hard Feelings and Crushing by Genevieve Novak, and a more recent release, One Day We’re All Going to Die by Elise Esther Hearst.
These are all stories about women in their 20s and 30s grappling with life, not romance driven, but driven by a focus on themselves, their careers, and what they want out of life with a heavy dollop of friendship and family on the side. It’s so refreshing and lovely to read about real women dealing with real life, without the entire purpose of the story being about ‘getting a man’. Honestly, it’s about time Australian contemporary fiction moved on from the whole romance is everything focus.
Perfect-ish was delightful. It was funny and realistic, sometimes I got frustrated with Prue, other times I loved her outright. I really appreciate the overall intent of the story, that life doesn’t have to be, and indeed, will rarely be, perfect, but being perfect-ish is a pretty good deal. The novel was structured into months as the chapters and at the preface of each chapter was a series of social media posts, a touch that I found amusing, ironic, and at times, a little too… #relatable, lol.
I read in her author bio that Jessica actually works as a television and film publicist at Stan, a company who are rapidly becoming known for their Australian original productions. Could we please, please have Perfect-ish made into a TV series. Pretty please?
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
These are all stories about women in their 20s and 30s grappling with life, not romance driven, but driven by a focus on themselves, their careers, and what they want out of life with a heavy dollop of friendship and family on the side. It’s so refreshing and lovely to read about real women dealing with real life, without the entire purpose of the story being about ‘getting a man’. Honestly, it’s about time Australian contemporary fiction moved on from the whole romance is everything focus.
Perfect-ish was delightful. It was funny and realistic, sometimes I got frustrated with Prue, other times I loved her outright. I really appreciate the overall intent of the story, that life doesn’t have to be, and indeed, will rarely be, perfect, but being perfect-ish is a pretty good deal. The novel was structured into months as the chapters and at the preface of each chapter was a series of social media posts, a touch that I found amusing, ironic, and at times, a little too… #relatable, lol.
I read in her author bio that Jessica actually works as a television and film publicist at Stan, a company who are rapidly becoming known for their Australian original productions. Could we please, please have Perfect-ish made into a TV series. Pretty please?
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
February 24, 2024
When the book starts out with Prudence grabbing some alcohol and waltzing into a wedding with her hire dress, and leaves the wedding with a fish enthusiast, I thought Perfect-ish was going to be a cute, meet cute romcom. What it is in fact, is a girl in the cusp of her 30th birthday, who is messily struggling to find her purpose.
The romance barely makes an appearance after this, as we follow Prue through her life. She's not happy with where she is, as she's pretty much mooching off her rich author brother, not entirely satisfied at her call centre helpline job, with a frosty relationship with her mother.
There's definitely a place that this book fills in, as many of her musings are relatable and about the ennui that comes with not having a purpose.
Unfortunately, Prue and I didn't really get along. She has a negative state of mind, is incredibly jealous and insecure, and acts really entitled. She ruins not one but two weddings by making a huge scene at both and can't be happy when her best friend and her brother end up dating. The latter half of the book is difficult to get through, as she causes drama around her best friend and brother dating. I really struggled to connect with her.
The book's resolution hinges on everyone in her life finally opening up to her, but I wasn't satisfied with how everything ended up.
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The romance barely makes an appearance after this, as we follow Prue through her life. She's not happy with where she is, as she's pretty much mooching off her rich author brother, not entirely satisfied at her call centre helpline job, with a frosty relationship with her mother.
There's definitely a place that this book fills in, as many of her musings are relatable and about the ennui that comes with not having a purpose.
Unfortunately, Prue and I didn't really get along. She has a negative state of mind, is incredibly jealous and insecure, and acts really entitled. She ruins not one but two weddings by making a huge scene at both and can't be happy when her best friend and her brother end up dating. The latter half of the book is difficult to get through, as she causes drama around her best friend and brother dating. I really struggled to connect with her.
The book's resolution hinges on everyone in her life finally opening up to her, but I wasn't satisfied with how everything ended up.
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2023
I’m definitely going to get a reputation for being that one person who seems to hate new Australian fiction written by women but I promise I like these books!!! This is my genre of choice!! But this book was not it for me.
This book follows Prue, who is working at a call centre charity thing and is recently unengaged. And then nothing happens except a lot of quite small side plots that are kind of boring and did not amount to enough content for an actual plot. In short, there was no actual story or journey here worth the 350ish pages, and I found myself skimming to finish.
There was also no chemistry with the love interest, which I think was meant to carry the book. I really struggled to read the scenes with her and the love interest, which is disappointing, because I picked it up for that reason. It felt like watching a really awkward date and at first I thought that was the point, another failed date, and then it turned out to be the love interest? What?
I also hate the gay best friend trope in Ryan - she really said let’s give him no character outside of being Prue’s sounding board.
I need to stop picking up books for these covers. So far they have done nothing but let me down.
This book follows Prue, who is working at a call centre charity thing and is recently unengaged. And then nothing happens except a lot of quite small side plots that are kind of boring and did not amount to enough content for an actual plot. In short, there was no actual story or journey here worth the 350ish pages, and I found myself skimming to finish.
There was also no chemistry with the love interest, which I think was meant to carry the book. I really struggled to read the scenes with her and the love interest, which is disappointing, because I picked it up for that reason. It felt like watching a really awkward date and at first I thought that was the point, another failed date, and then it turned out to be the love interest? What?
I also hate the gay best friend trope in Ryan - she really said let’s give him no character outside of being Prue’s sounding board.
I need to stop picking up books for these covers. So far they have done nothing but let me down.
September 13, 2023
2.5 stars. I don’t really think this was a book for me. I wanted to love this so much. But I just couldn’t stand any of the characters or the relationships the characters had with each other. I understand the author was trying to do something here but I just didn’t vibe with it.
September 11, 2023
Fun and completely read itself, I wish I had’ve had it at 29! Loved Prue and her hired outfits, loved being in Sydney, but also really loved the opportunity to think about a curated perfect existence, rent prices and goals on the fridge..
October 23, 2023
Sadly this book just wasn't for me. I didn't connect with the characters. Prue irritated me to no end. The pacing was all off.
September 10, 2023
I loved this coming-of-age story - I thought initially it would be quite shallow, but the main character's reflections got deeper as the story went on. I liked that it delved into themes of loneliness, emotional suppression, social comparison, and how we define ourselves.
March 15, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ i liked it, everything tied up nicely. i found the protagonist quite unlikeable at times but the sense of progression and development for Prue was nice
May 18, 2024
3.5 stars 🌟
July 3, 2024
Sometimes you pick and read a book that resonates so perfectly with where you personally are, this has been that book for me.
January 9, 2025
Great holiday read. I really enjoyed the ups and downs of the characters lives. Not everything is “perfect “
November 25, 2023
This was my online book club’s October read and I’m really struggling with how to review this one.
Prue is about to turn 30 and honestly, she’s a bit of a hot mess. She dropped out of university I think one year shy of finishing her degree in veterinary science, her fiancé broke up with her with no warning and no reason, she’s had to move in with her brother and she’s working an “it pays the bills job” at a crisis helpline. Nothing is wrong with any of those things – the better the emphasis on you don’t need to have it all figured out by X age, the better. The thing is…..Prue was to me, insufferable.
I knew I was going to struggle with this in what is basically the first scene when she’s her best friend’s plus one to her friend’s boss’ wedding after her friend’s husband cancels on her. Prue is late, makes a scene entering and has stolen a few glasses of champagne from another event happening in the same location, on the way in. To a church. Like even if you assumed those drinks were for this event…..they’d be for after the wedding ceremony, surely? Prue, you’re someone’s guest. That someone is your friend and this wedding is for her boss. I’m sure it’s supposed to be hilariously relatable but I just found it incredibly rude. And she keeps hiring designer outfits for things because she can’t afford to buy them but it’s like she doesn’t care what the outfit is, as long as it’s designer. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t suit her or fit her, it’s designer. Honestly Prue just go to a bloody shop and buy something cheaper. H&M, Seed, Zara, who cares. Even if it’s not some label or other, at least it will fit and be something that suits.
I felt like Prue’s family explained a lot of why she was the way she was. Her brother is the golden child to her mother, who despite wiping out in high school, now writes erotic novels the likes of which must sell like CoHo in order for him to afford a house with pool and tennis court in Rose Bay! He’s barely ever home, off researching and touring and things and Prue gets very reduced rent in return for basically being the nanny to her brother’s dog. The thing that bothered me about her family was that we see the way her mother basically barely acknowledges her, we see the fact that her father has to call her and relay messages back and forth, that Prue says her mother doesn’t answer her phone calls and yet phones her brother constantly and everyone is just… okay with this? Like the dad is fine with it? Being this ridiculous messenger, instead of just telling her mother to call her. The brother is at least semi self-aware that he’s a shiny golden ray of sunshine but he’s also kind of a dick about it too. Prue’s sadness and jealousy over this basic lack of common courtesy from her mother is eventually retconned into well it’s not so bad, she’s tough on you because she loves you and that is some gaslighting right there. I honestly thought the way the dad acquiesced to every single whim of her mother’s that it was going to turn out the mum was dying or whatever but no, it’s just their dynamic and it’s fine, he’s totally cool with it. Okay but Prue really wasn’t cool with her treatment and you’re her parent too….you couldn’t have stepped in at any moment during her life? Like the dad clearly sees she’s hurt at times, they share little conspiratorial looks or whatever whenever the mother just pretends Prue doesn’t exist but…..nothing? Even the way what happens with her brother and *this is a spoiler* feels like she was being gaslit and honestly like it was shoved in there to just make Prue hit a rock bottom, like she had nothing left and only when she had nothing left could she be forced into action. I could say a whole bunch of things about how I felt about that plot point but as above, it’s spoilery so I don’t want to get into it.
Maybe the one thing I did enjoy out of this was the examination of friendship and what it means. What does it mean if you’re best friends and not honest with each other? If you don’t really tell each other how you’re feeling about things, if you’re hiding stuff for the sake of saving face? As people and their relationships evolve, sometimes it can be difficult to see where the friendship stands and it requires some adjusting. Sometimes, no matter how much you don’t want it to, things change so much that you have to let some friendships go.
I have to find something to care about to connect with a book and unfortunately this one just didn’t give me anything to invest in. I found Prue and pretty much her whole family dynamic intolerable and the romance was bland and unexciting. It was however, a quick and easy read and lots of people have enjoyed it much more than me, so maybe one to pack for a summer break or beach trip.
Prue is about to turn 30 and honestly, she’s a bit of a hot mess. She dropped out of university I think one year shy of finishing her degree in veterinary science, her fiancé broke up with her with no warning and no reason, she’s had to move in with her brother and she’s working an “it pays the bills job” at a crisis helpline. Nothing is wrong with any of those things – the better the emphasis on you don’t need to have it all figured out by X age, the better. The thing is…..Prue was to me, insufferable.
I knew I was going to struggle with this in what is basically the first scene when she’s her best friend’s plus one to her friend’s boss’ wedding after her friend’s husband cancels on her. Prue is late, makes a scene entering and has stolen a few glasses of champagne from another event happening in the same location, on the way in. To a church. Like even if you assumed those drinks were for this event…..they’d be for after the wedding ceremony, surely? Prue, you’re someone’s guest. That someone is your friend and this wedding is for her boss. I’m sure it’s supposed to be hilariously relatable but I just found it incredibly rude. And she keeps hiring designer outfits for things because she can’t afford to buy them but it’s like she doesn’t care what the outfit is, as long as it’s designer. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t suit her or fit her, it’s designer. Honestly Prue just go to a bloody shop and buy something cheaper. H&M, Seed, Zara, who cares. Even if it’s not some label or other, at least it will fit and be something that suits.
I felt like Prue’s family explained a lot of why she was the way she was. Her brother is the golden child to her mother, who despite wiping out in high school, now writes erotic novels the likes of which must sell like CoHo in order for him to afford a house with pool and tennis court in Rose Bay! He’s barely ever home, off researching and touring and things and Prue gets very reduced rent in return for basically being the nanny to her brother’s dog. The thing that bothered me about her family was that we see the way her mother basically barely acknowledges her, we see the fact that her father has to call her and relay messages back and forth, that Prue says her mother doesn’t answer her phone calls and yet phones her brother constantly and everyone is just… okay with this? Like the dad is fine with it? Being this ridiculous messenger, instead of just telling her mother to call her. The brother is at least semi self-aware that he’s a shiny golden ray of sunshine but he’s also kind of a dick about it too. Prue’s sadness and jealousy over this basic lack of common courtesy from her mother is eventually retconned into well it’s not so bad, she’s tough on you because she loves you and that is some gaslighting right there. I honestly thought the way the dad acquiesced to every single whim of her mother’s that it was going to turn out the mum was dying or whatever but no, it’s just their dynamic and it’s fine, he’s totally cool with it. Okay but Prue really wasn’t cool with her treatment and you’re her parent too….you couldn’t have stepped in at any moment during her life? Like the dad clearly sees she’s hurt at times, they share little conspiratorial looks or whatever whenever the mother just pretends Prue doesn’t exist but…..nothing? Even the way what happens with her brother and *this is a spoiler* feels like she was being gaslit and honestly like it was shoved in there to just make Prue hit a rock bottom, like she had nothing left and only when she had nothing left could she be forced into action. I could say a whole bunch of things about how I felt about that plot point but as above, it’s spoilery so I don’t want to get into it.
Maybe the one thing I did enjoy out of this was the examination of friendship and what it means. What does it mean if you’re best friends and not honest with each other? If you don’t really tell each other how you’re feeling about things, if you’re hiding stuff for the sake of saving face? As people and their relationships evolve, sometimes it can be difficult to see where the friendship stands and it requires some adjusting. Sometimes, no matter how much you don’t want it to, things change so much that you have to let some friendships go.
I have to find something to care about to connect with a book and unfortunately this one just didn’t give me anything to invest in. I found Prue and pretty much her whole family dynamic intolerable and the romance was bland and unexciting. It was however, a quick and easy read and lots of people have enjoyed it much more than me, so maybe one to pack for a summer break or beach trip.
September 4, 2023
3.5*
this started out so good, 5 star good, the voice was very reminiscent of dolly alderton.
it just didn’t really go where i wanted it to in the end but i still really enjoyed my time reading it.
this started out so good, 5 star good, the voice was very reminiscent of dolly alderton.
it just didn’t really go where i wanted it to in the end but i still really enjoyed my time reading it.
March 16, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
March 14, 2024
4.5⭐️
This is a great read for anything in their late 20's/early 30's who feel a little lost in life or are trying to restart. Some of the themes in this book hit really close to home for me and had me bawling my eyes out. I loved that the main characters were relatable and flawed. The style of this book is very similar to a Dolly Alderton novel.
This is a great read for anything in their late 20's/early 30's who feel a little lost in life or are trying to restart. Some of the themes in this book hit really close to home for me and had me bawling my eyes out. I loved that the main characters were relatable and flawed. The style of this book is very similar to a Dolly Alderton novel.
January 10, 2024
You can easily skip 100 pages in the middle and not miss anything. I know this because this is what I did (and then I went back and read the pages I skipped, to confirm that I didn't miss anything of interest)
November 2, 2023
Review summary: A fun, surprisingly multi-layered book that is perfect for a summer read.
Rating: 3.75/5
What a pleasantly surprising book. Perfect-ish by Jessica Seaborn takes you on the ‘road to thirty’ journey with Prue. A privileged Sydney-sider who has no idea what she wants to do and feels stuck in the rut of life – too busy to make plans or achieve big things because you don’t know what to do and you have to get things done while life happens aka pay your bills.
This felt like the book I would have loved to have read as I approached 30. The panic, feelings of dread and disappointment in not being where you think you should be were told in a simple and relatable way. I really enjoyed the characterisation of Prue – her personality, experiences and relationships with friends and family were relatable, heartbreaking and frustrating. You want her to accept herself for who she is and where she is at.
I really enjoyed the plot of this novel, and this is due to the complementary subplots scattered throughout the book. It added a richness to the issues Prue is going through – changes to all aspects of her life, work, job, family, friends and her identity. This richness was complemented by the familiarity of Sydney for me. This ‘geographic depth and context’, and the assumption of the reader having Sydney-sider context due to a lack of explanation and context could alienate some readers.
Overall, this was a great read that I was pleasantly surprised with. I’m glad this was taken off my ‘want to read list’ and would put this forward as a great book club read. I hope the other characters are explored in future books - there is intrigue in Prue's family (particularly her brother) and her best friend, and I think their stories need to be told.
Rating: 3.75/5
What a pleasantly surprising book. Perfect-ish by Jessica Seaborn takes you on the ‘road to thirty’ journey with Prue. A privileged Sydney-sider who has no idea what she wants to do and feels stuck in the rut of life – too busy to make plans or achieve big things because you don’t know what to do and you have to get things done while life happens aka pay your bills.
This felt like the book I would have loved to have read as I approached 30. The panic, feelings of dread and disappointment in not being where you think you should be were told in a simple and relatable way. I really enjoyed the characterisation of Prue – her personality, experiences and relationships with friends and family were relatable, heartbreaking and frustrating. You want her to accept herself for who she is and where she is at.
I really enjoyed the plot of this novel, and this is due to the complementary subplots scattered throughout the book. It added a richness to the issues Prue is going through – changes to all aspects of her life, work, job, family, friends and her identity. This richness was complemented by the familiarity of Sydney for me. This ‘geographic depth and context’, and the assumption of the reader having Sydney-sider context due to a lack of explanation and context could alienate some readers.
Overall, this was a great read that I was pleasantly surprised with. I’m glad this was taken off my ‘want to read list’ and would put this forward as a great book club read. I hope the other characters are explored in future books - there is intrigue in Prue's family (particularly her brother) and her best friend, and I think their stories need to be told.
September 3, 2023
"Even when im not alone, im alone"
This. Was. So. Good! Don't even know where to start. Firstly, I love that it was set in Sydney and highlights a life that all true sydney- siders will relate to and understand very well! The struggles of family, friendship, and finding yourself are detailed perfectly in such an entertaining, funny, and refreshing story.
I would recommend to any female in Sydney who is still trying to find out how life is meant to go!
Jessica is one of the few Australian authors I have read, and I will definitely be reading her next book.
Thank you, Jessica, for this story.
This. Was. So. Good! Don't even know where to start. Firstly, I love that it was set in Sydney and highlights a life that all true sydney- siders will relate to and understand very well! The struggles of family, friendship, and finding yourself are detailed perfectly in such an entertaining, funny, and refreshing story.
I would recommend to any female in Sydney who is still trying to find out how life is meant to go!
Jessica is one of the few Australian authors I have read, and I will definitely be reading her next book.
Thank you, Jessica, for this story.
December 17, 2025
2.5 stars for someone’s disaster story and making us all feel a little better about our own life
I don’t really know how to review this. I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, it’s just was meh, and didn’t hold me. I really wanted to love it though. The main character was a little annoying and I wanted things to work out for her, so I kept reading. Easy enough to read, again nothing mind blowing but also fun
I don’t really know how to review this. I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, it’s just was meh, and didn’t hold me. I really wanted to love it though. The main character was a little annoying and I wanted things to work out for her, so I kept reading. Easy enough to read, again nothing mind blowing but also fun
July 26, 2023
I finished this book in two days it was so good! A witty, funny, heartfelt, anti-romcom from debut author Jessica Seaborn. This book explores friendships, family relationships, interpersonal relationships, finding your way in life, self-esteem and social comparison. I can’t wait to see what Seaborn writes next!
September 12, 2023
An entertaining coming-of-age, anti-romcom that managed to pack a lot of depth in. Felt a little bit long but it was also the first audiobook I’ve listened to so not sure if that was a factor. 3.5 rounded up!
January 31, 2024
this book is my thirteenth reason x
January 13, 2025
3.5 ✨ nice, sugary beach/holiday read. This was actually nice to read after the Kristin Hannah full on one.
August 31, 2023
Fresh, clever, character driven, superb! A slightly younger version of Bridget Jones' diary meets Sex and the City. Funny and smart, this thoughtful, heartwarming debut delves into some interesting and timely issues. Longer review to come soon!
August 26, 2023
Perfect-ish by Jessica Seaborn
☀️☀️☀️🌤️ (3.75 rounded up)
▪️A light-hearted, thoughtful and timely examination of loneliness and personal growth that hits home without burrowing too deeply in its darkness
▪️As someone who had a panic attack at my impending thirties, Prue is a wonderfully relatable character with a level of complexity and unattractiveness that I appreciated. Her flaws are cringe-worthy in the most accurate and believable way, and the growth of her relationships throughout the story was enjoyable to read
▪️The supporting characters were all interesting and well constructed, though I would have enjoyed more detail on Prue's father, and their purpose in the narrative was always clear and succinctly handled. Personally I found the initial setup of Prue's romantic relationship a bit forgiving, though it found it's feet by the end
▪️The pacing of this felt too slow initially, due mostly to the structure of chapters by month in which the majority of the content is within the first few months, but it picked up well into the second act and onwards. I would have liked to see a bit more of the conflict resolution in the final two chapters, which felt a bit rushed over in comparison and lessened the impact of Prue's growth a little
▪️This was a book that was personally very relatable and touching to me and I liked the way Seaborn handled the concept with a good balance of dark and light. It speaks to my generation and our current dilemmas, and I'm sure many of my friends would enjoy this quick read for what it is able to deliver in a short amount of pages.
"Someone, somewhere, is taking a picture for Instagram so that they can caption the post Day for it with a sun emoji."
☀️☀️☀️🌤️ (3.75 rounded up)
▪️A light-hearted, thoughtful and timely examination of loneliness and personal growth that hits home without burrowing too deeply in its darkness
▪️As someone who had a panic attack at my impending thirties, Prue is a wonderfully relatable character with a level of complexity and unattractiveness that I appreciated. Her flaws are cringe-worthy in the most accurate and believable way, and the growth of her relationships throughout the story was enjoyable to read
▪️The supporting characters were all interesting and well constructed, though I would have enjoyed more detail on Prue's father, and their purpose in the narrative was always clear and succinctly handled. Personally I found the initial setup of Prue's romantic relationship a bit forgiving, though it found it's feet by the end
▪️The pacing of this felt too slow initially, due mostly to the structure of chapters by month in which the majority of the content is within the first few months, but it picked up well into the second act and onwards. I would have liked to see a bit more of the conflict resolution in the final two chapters, which felt a bit rushed over in comparison and lessened the impact of Prue's growth a little
▪️This was a book that was personally very relatable and touching to me and I liked the way Seaborn handled the concept with a good balance of dark and light. It speaks to my generation and our current dilemmas, and I'm sure many of my friends would enjoy this quick read for what it is able to deliver in a short amount of pages.
"Someone, somewhere, is taking a picture for Instagram so that they can caption the post Day for it with a sun emoji."
December 27, 2023
Why does time move so slowly when men are boring? 150
You don't want to say anything because then he'll think you're needy. He'll think you’re controlling. He'll think he can find someone who is more laid-back. 178 More manageable. And so you keep your mouth shut, except for when you're fighting. And it's becoming a lot. It's all the time. And suddenly, it's over, and you wonder what you did wrong.
You don't ever wonder what he did wrong. 179
‘You’re too concerned with what others think,’ he continues. ‘Like those goals on our fridge - did you think I wouldn’t see them? All these things you want to do before you're thirty as if turning thirty is going to change anything. It's this weird obsession with milestones that I can’t quite understand. People get engaged or married because they feel they have to - they have babies even if they're not ready, or perhaps they don't even want them. People hit all these life stages because they think it'll change things, and it doesn't. You wake up the next day and you've still got the rest of your life ahead of you. So, if you're miserable, sure, you might change something and be happy about it for one day, but then you'll wake up and realise you're still miserable.' 226
Saturday evening before the wedding Dad calls me over to their house because he needs help with his vows. Even during moments of stress, he chooses to wear khaki pants. 234
I woke up in the middle of the night because I thought of something amazing. Look! I even wrote it down.' He plucks a scrap of paper from his back pocket and unveils it. But I checked this morning and it says, "loaf of bread". What do you think that could mean?'
I'm not sure.' 234
You don't want to say anything because then he'll think you're needy. He'll think you’re controlling. He'll think he can find someone who is more laid-back. 178 More manageable. And so you keep your mouth shut, except for when you're fighting. And it's becoming a lot. It's all the time. And suddenly, it's over, and you wonder what you did wrong.
You don't ever wonder what he did wrong. 179
‘You’re too concerned with what others think,’ he continues. ‘Like those goals on our fridge - did you think I wouldn’t see them? All these things you want to do before you're thirty as if turning thirty is going to change anything. It's this weird obsession with milestones that I can’t quite understand. People get engaged or married because they feel they have to - they have babies even if they're not ready, or perhaps they don't even want them. People hit all these life stages because they think it'll change things, and it doesn't. You wake up the next day and you've still got the rest of your life ahead of you. So, if you're miserable, sure, you might change something and be happy about it for one day, but then you'll wake up and realise you're still miserable.' 226
Saturday evening before the wedding Dad calls me over to their house because he needs help with his vows. Even during moments of stress, he chooses to wear khaki pants. 234
I woke up in the middle of the night because I thought of something amazing. Look! I even wrote it down.' He plucks a scrap of paper from his back pocket and unveils it. But I checked this morning and it says, "loaf of bread". What do you think that could mean?'
I'm not sure.' 234
February 9, 2024
On the cusp of turning thirty, Prue felt like everyone but her was living their best life. With a broken engagement, an unfinished degree and a job she ‘fell’ into, she was stuck. Her best friend Delia seemed to have it all, but then her perfect marriage began to crack, and Prue realised it wasn’t picture perfect either.
I really enjoyed this one! Prue as a heroine was flawed, but I adored her. Lately, I came to realise that I gravitated towards books with self-exploratory main characters and ended up loving all of them. This was no exception.
While the overall turning-thirty theme wasn’t anything new, I couldn’t stop turning the pages as I cared about Prue. I loved her friendship with Delia, and I could totally see how their relationship worked even though I rolled my eyes at some of their (slightly unhealthy) interactions. I also didn’t expect to love Ben, with his honest-but-true jabs at Prue, such as her tendency to make everything about herself (LOL).
It was honest, raw, self-deprecating in places, and heartwarming in others. I admired that it touched the subject of loneliness - that you could be surrounded by a lot of people and still feel lonely.
At the end of the day, it was a fun read! So glad to have found yet another author to watch.
(Thanks to Penguin Australia for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)
See my bookstagram review.
I really enjoyed this one! Prue as a heroine was flawed, but I adored her. Lately, I came to realise that I gravitated towards books with self-exploratory main characters and ended up loving all of them. This was no exception.
While the overall turning-thirty theme wasn’t anything new, I couldn’t stop turning the pages as I cared about Prue. I loved her friendship with Delia, and I could totally see how their relationship worked even though I rolled my eyes at some of their (slightly unhealthy) interactions. I also didn’t expect to love Ben, with his honest-but-true jabs at Prue, such as her tendency to make everything about herself (LOL).
It was honest, raw, self-deprecating in places, and heartwarming in others. I admired that it touched the subject of loneliness - that you could be surrounded by a lot of people and still feel lonely.
At the end of the day, it was a fun read! So glad to have found yet another author to watch.
(Thanks to Penguin Australia for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)
See my bookstagram review.
October 8, 2023
Jessica Seaborn’s debut novel #Perfect-ish (Penguin Random House 2023) is described as a ‘smart, funny and heartfelt anti-romcom’, and so it is, a bright, clever and sophisticated contemporary genre that focuses on women in their late 20’s or early 30’s who are navigating ambitions, dreams, family, work and life goals. Romance and/or the decision about children is certainly there in the background but it is not the main narrative. This book (and others such as Michelle Upton’s recent Terms of Inheritance) is light-hearted and easy/fun to read, but simultaneously explores a range of topical and meaningful issues.
Prue is almost 30 and can feel her life beginning to slip away. While her friends are getting married and having babies, or striding ahead in their careers, or travelling the world, she has just been dumped by her fiancé, dropped out of uni and is working at a counselling hotline service for lonely people that only makes her own loneliness more apparent. She has a distant relationship with her family, and constantly feels overshadowed by her brother Ben who began writing porn but now makes millions churning out erotic novels beloved by women the world over. Prue lives in his house, which only hammers the nail in deeper. She and her best friend Delia decide she will achieve three goals before her 30th birthday: to ditch her job, to move out of her brother’s house, and to find love.
The book is divided into the 12 months of the year, and each begins with three social media posts (probably tweets…or is that X’s now?), from random people ‘living their best lives’ with hashtags like #mumlife #bestfriend #happiness #dreamcometrue #love #journey #adulting #firsthome #bff #beachlife #fitnessgoals #holidays #worththehangover #girlsgonewild etc. You get the picture. Everyone but Prue seems to be chasing their dreams, achieving their goals and revelling in their perfect lives.
But maybe seeming to have a perfect life is not the same as actually having a perfect life? When Prue’s friend Delia’s ‘perfect’ marriage begins to fall apart, and a secret comes between the two women, Prue questions the idea of a perfect life, and as the story progresses, comes to the realisation that perhaps being perfect-ish is just as good or even better.
This is an entertaining, contemporary comparison about the lives we think people live through their social media posts and their outward behaviours, and the reality – that most people muddle through, make mistakes and bad decisions, that they are picture perfect one day and a hot mess the next. This story is all too real, showing the raw vulnerabilities of people who might look like they’re sailing along but are really paddling like mad beneath the surface. And while this is an accessible and easy read, the characters take the reader along a journey of discovery about some serious issues, especially related to self-esteem, forgiveness, family dynamics, interpersonal relationships and motivations.
This is the perfect-ish book for those in their late 20’s and early 30’s who are juggling the many balls life is throwing at them, or for those who remember the days when that struggle was real. Seaborn’s writing is sharp, witty, erudite and funny. The dialogue is pitch perfect. The characters are warm and endearing, despite – or perhaps because of – their flaws.
Prue is almost 30 and can feel her life beginning to slip away. While her friends are getting married and having babies, or striding ahead in their careers, or travelling the world, she has just been dumped by her fiancé, dropped out of uni and is working at a counselling hotline service for lonely people that only makes her own loneliness more apparent. She has a distant relationship with her family, and constantly feels overshadowed by her brother Ben who began writing porn but now makes millions churning out erotic novels beloved by women the world over. Prue lives in his house, which only hammers the nail in deeper. She and her best friend Delia decide she will achieve three goals before her 30th birthday: to ditch her job, to move out of her brother’s house, and to find love.
The book is divided into the 12 months of the year, and each begins with three social media posts (probably tweets…or is that X’s now?), from random people ‘living their best lives’ with hashtags like #mumlife #bestfriend #happiness #dreamcometrue #love #journey #adulting #firsthome #bff #beachlife #fitnessgoals #holidays #worththehangover #girlsgonewild etc. You get the picture. Everyone but Prue seems to be chasing their dreams, achieving their goals and revelling in their perfect lives.
But maybe seeming to have a perfect life is not the same as actually having a perfect life? When Prue’s friend Delia’s ‘perfect’ marriage begins to fall apart, and a secret comes between the two women, Prue questions the idea of a perfect life, and as the story progresses, comes to the realisation that perhaps being perfect-ish is just as good or even better.
This is an entertaining, contemporary comparison about the lives we think people live through their social media posts and their outward behaviours, and the reality – that most people muddle through, make mistakes and bad decisions, that they are picture perfect one day and a hot mess the next. This story is all too real, showing the raw vulnerabilities of people who might look like they’re sailing along but are really paddling like mad beneath the surface. And while this is an accessible and easy read, the characters take the reader along a journey of discovery about some serious issues, especially related to self-esteem, forgiveness, family dynamics, interpersonal relationships and motivations.
This is the perfect-ish book for those in their late 20’s and early 30’s who are juggling the many balls life is throwing at them, or for those who remember the days when that struggle was real. Seaborn’s writing is sharp, witty, erudite and funny. The dialogue is pitch perfect. The characters are warm and endearing, despite – or perhaps because of – their flaws.
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