Perfect Mess: A Laugh Out Loud Enemies to Lovers Romantic Comedy

by M.J. Fox

How do you steal back Mr. Right? Bring in Mr. Wrong.Back in high school, Mary Burns was a bit of a stalker, at least when it came to star quarterback, prom king, and all-around heartthrob, Jack Thompson. But after twenty years of “adulting”, Mary is now a responsible grown-up, with a successful career in real estate, a car payment, even a 401k plan with company matching. Jack Thompson is just a distant memory. Until … Mary drags her best friend to their high school reunion and her entire world turns upside down.

While Jack Thompson was what every girl wanted and every guy wanted to be, Gary Wright was, well … not that. Eagle Scout. Chess clubber. Dungeon Master. Twenty years later, if Jack is still the man of Mary’s dreams, Gary has become the man of Mary’s nightmares. But when Jack falls for Mary’s best friend, desperate times call for desperate measures, and an unlikely alliance is formed.

Perfect Mess is an enemies to lovers, laugh out loud romantic comedy love triangle where Mary learns the hard way that no matter how hard you try, you can’t outwit true love.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance

366 pages, Paperback

Published February 22, 2025

About the author

M.J. Fox crafts romantic comedies that capture the awkward, messy, and ultimately beautiful journey of finding love. With a keen eye for humor and heart, M.J. writes stories that remind us that sometimes the perfect love story is perfectly imperfect.

Before shifting his devotion to novels, M.J. Fox honed his storytelling skills as a writer in both the film and software industries, bringing a unique blend of creativity and technical precision to his work.

These days, when not weaving tales of love and laughter, you might find him exploring new destinations, sampling craft beers, or working off those same beers through an active lifestyle that includes hiking and spirited games of pickleball.

M.J. has found his own happily-ever-after story in Central Florida with his always fantastic wife, five usually fantastic kids, four sometimes fantastic dogs, and twelve mediocre fish. This lively crew serves as both his creative inspiration and keeps him perpetually on his toes – much like the characters in his books.

Reviews

[JassyB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a fun read! Seeing how the characters develop, and how the relationships grow throughout is truly amazing. I highly recommended reading this book if you want a funny, light hearted read

[Emily DeNote · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was funny, super relatable and felt like a rom-com movie in book form. The story kept me hooked the entire time, I didn’t want to put it down! Each character was fun and unique, it was hard not to keep rooting for all of them.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute, fun read. Mary was a great main character. I found myself laughing out loud so many times. Highly recommend if you're looking for a light-hearted rom-com read!

[Shaunna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book! First of all Mary is HILARIOUS. I giggled and Lol’d the entire book. I think everyone needs a Mary in their lives. The book had a lot of typical rom-com traits, but they are so well written with the sarcasm and witty zings that you are absorbed into the book with the lovable (mostly) characters. I won this book in a giveaway, but I’m glad it found me because I think it was meant to be, unlike Jack and Mary, or Jack and Janet, or Jack and anybody.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winter Park, Florida.

Mary, Janet, and Ralph have been best friends since high school, and Mary and Ralph are following Janet's lead to attend their 20th high school reunion. Mary has a plan, dubbed "Operation Hook-Up-Janet," because she believes Janet needs a new distraction after experiencing yet another broken heart and falling into her familiar post-heartache routine. However, what Mary doesn’t anticipate is that Jack Thompson will capture Janet's attention. Jack, the star quarterback and prom king, is the ultimate heartthrob—but he’s also the man who once humiliated Mary.

Meanwhile, Mary is successfully managing her career in real estate, although renovating and flipping her inherited house from Aunt Catherine is proving to be quite a challenge. Added to the stress is painter Gary Wright, who is not following her instructions.

This enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy is a page-turner from start to finish. The dynamics of friendship between Mary, Janet, and Ralph are heartwarming, and the reunion night truly lives up to Janet's words—"a night to remember." Purrfect, Aunt Catherine's cat, starts off as a squirmy furball for Mary, but it doesn’t take long for Purrfect to wiggle her way into Mary’s heart, becoming a fur-bulous addition to her life. And readers should brace themselves to meet the unforgettable characters: Jack and Gary!

With everything you could want in a story, this enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy has it all! The story features rich character development for both the primary and secondary characters, who appear at just the right moments to enhance the plot. Plus, the humor shines through in various scenes and text messages, creating a delightful blend of wit and romance.

This novel is one of my favorite books of the summer! The only thing that could have made it even better would have been reading it at the beach. No matter where you spend the summer, make sure to include this book in your reading selection!

Thank you M.J. Fox, and LibraryThing, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this novel.

[Carriebooksandart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is EVERYTHING! From the one liners that had me laughing to the slow romance that had me trying to convince the characters to open their eyes. This book was amazing. A feel good story that had you cheering for the right couple to end up together. @foxjambooks I already have your next book on my wishlist for August! To all the readers out there… if you just need something to read that will get you smiling this is it! 🐈Check out the Book overview:
How do you steal back Mr. Right? Bring in Mr. Wrong.
Back in high school, Mary Burns was a bit of a stalker, at least when it came to star quarterback, prom king, and all-around heartthrob, Jack Thompson. But after twenty years of “adulting”, Mary is now a responsible grown-up, with a successful career in real estate, a car payment, even a 401k plan with company matching. Jack Thompson is just a distant memory. Until … Mary drags her best friend to their high school reunion and her entire world turns upside down.

While Jack Thompson was what every girl wanted and every guy wanted to be, Gary Wright was, well … not that. Eagle Scout. Chess clubber. Dungeon Master. Twenty years later, if Jack is still the man of Mary’s dreams, Gary has become the man of Mary’s nightmares. But when Jack falls for Mary’s best friend, desperate times call for desperate measures, and an unlikely alliance is formed.

Perfect Mess is an enemies to lovers, laugh out loud romantic comedy love triangle where Mary learns the hard way that no matter how hard you try, you can’t outwit true love.

[William J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reviewing to let you know that Perfect Mess is one of the best romantic comedy books that you definitely will want to read. Mary Burns is around 40 years old, a successful real estate agent who likes to fix up and sell and has never owned a house before or been married or had children. She inherits her aunts house that has a cat and Mary is fixing up this house with the same intention to sell. Mary has two friends from high school that she sees regularly and they attend a high school class reunion that doesn't go exactly as planned. Mary also has memories of a prom night that isn't great. Mary's goal at the class reunion is to try and fix up her best friend with someone but ends up becoming a mission of Mary's to make sure her friend isn't interested in Jack Thompson because Mary has ulterior motives. Mary also hires a painter for her house that went to high school with Mary and they become involved together not only because of the painting but because Mary is trying to match up her girl friend with the painter, Gary Wright. Mary doesn't really realize what is right in front of her and doesn't really want to accept what she feels. I loved the name "Purrfect" for her cat and all kinds of things happen that keep you reading to the end. I highly recommend that you buy, gift, but most importantly read this enemies to lovers, romantic comedy. I am looking forward to reading Purrfect Match and other books by this very talented writer, M.J. Fox. I know you will not be disappointed.

[Noreen Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this romantic comedy.

A love triangle with a twist.

Mary is the main character,then you have Gary and Jack along with Mary's best friend's Janet and Ralph.

Mary has always had a crush on Jack,but after what happened at the high school prom,she has not seen him since.

Now she is a successful real estate agent with a car and a plan.

When there is a twenty year reunion she drags Janet and Ralph with her to it.

Of course Jack is at the reunion and he looks even better now then in high school.

Mary still wants Jack and she comes up with a plan to win him over.Now enter Gary,the high school nerd who has completely changed and Mary gets flutters whenever she sees him.She tries to ignore the way Gary makes her feel,because its Jack she wants.

Mary is a disaster waiting to happen the chaos she causes and gets caught up in is hilarious,even though sometimes it is painful.

She ends up inheriting a cat,who looks down her nose at her.The high school mean girls have not changed.There is competition for both the boys.

After all the chaos,drama,twists and turns,surprises,banter,friendships and swoony moments Mary ends up choosing the perfect guy and they get to their happily ever after.

I recieved an advanced review copy of this book for free via booksirens and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Surille · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books that I didn't want to put down. There were a lot of funny moments especially with double meaning words/phrases. FYI: I saw this as an opposites attract story, single POV (FMC), characters probably in their mid-late 30s (Yeah!), low spice (but not "clean"), and no insta-love (I don't mind either way).

Mary, the FMC, definitely was a messy and grumpy lady who was awkward with kids, and had an abundance of bad luck. Very relatable. Poor woman kept getting injured. All her antics were entertaining though. I liked how she was mostly the schemer while Gary was the hesitant one. Sometimes it's nice to encounter a passive & still somewhat nerdy MMC who isn't skillful at everything. Gary was able to be charming and sweet. He didn't have to be like suspiciously "perfect" Jack.

And it was very interesting that the FMC was doing the major groveling.

Ralph was a very reliable and sarcastic friend. Janet seemed like that sensitive boy-crazy friend that some of us have known in real life. Kyle was so innocent and cute. And Purrfect was wonderfully judgemental.

I kind of was hoping for a little more intimacy towards the end, but it made sense with how the couple wanted to go about their relationship. Plus I liked the focus on taking chances, on friendships and on trust. The epilogue was a lot farther into the future than I expected...makes me extra curious about the other characters, and what happened in between. Of course I want more of Mary and Gary & Co.!!

[Ashley Mertz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Mess was just that—perfect! From the very beginning, I found myself on an emotional rollercoaster. I kept hoping for a happy ending, even as the messes piled up, leaving me questioning how it would all come together. But that’s what made it so engaging—I couldn’t put it down!

The banter between Gary and Mary was pure gold, often making me laugh out loud. Their Family Feud nights? Absolutely heartwarming. And let’s not forget Kyle and Purrfect—what a hilarious and loveable duo! Their antics had me smiling through every chapter.

One of the most touching moments came when Mary discovered her dad’s height markings in the old house. That scene tugged at my heartstrings, and I was practically yelling at her not to sell it.

Not every character won me over—Jack and Ashley, in particular, rubbed me the wrong way, and Jack especially left a bad taste from the start.

Overall, the story was fast-paced, emotionally rich, and filled with lovable characters (minus a couple!). This was my first read by M.J. Fox, and I’m already looking forward to Purrfect Match.

[Marcia Vida · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Perfect Mess” is a sharply written romantic comedy that delivers laugh-out-loud moments, emotional punches, and a flawless portrayal of female friendship. Told through the witty, cynical, and endearingly chaotic voice of Mary Burns, the novel opens with a humiliating high school memory and takes us to a reunion 20 years later that quickly spirals out of control. Joining her are her fiercely loyal best friend, Janet, and her sardonic sidekick, Ralph, as they navigate farm animals, failed relationships, and one very unexpected second chance with the school’s heartthrob turned actual heart surgeon, Jack Thompson.

M.J. Fox crafts scenes with cinematic clarity, blending slapstick humour (cow stampedes, anyone?) with heartfelt introspection. The dialogue is sharp and authentic, the pacing relentless, and the emotional arcs surprisingly deep beneath the comedic surface. The theme — that life’s disasters can bring unexpected clarity — resonates strongly.

Ultimately, with chaotic schemes, spicy banter, and rom-coms with emotional depth, this book is well worth reading.

[Bibliophile Foodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a fun, chaotic, and heartwarming romantic comedy. Mary Burns, now in her forties and working as a real estate agent, heads back to her high school reunion with her best friend. Back in the day, she was completely smitten with Jack Thompson, the golden boy everyone admired. Seeing him again stirs up old feelings, but things don’t unfold the way she imagined. Instead, her path crosses with Gary Wright—the former nerd who has grown into someone far more appealing than she expected.

She finds herself tangled up in hilarious schemes, awkward encounters, and an unexpected connection with Gary.

I loved Mary’s character. She’s messy, witty, and full of energy, and even when her plans go sideways, she's not discouraged. The banter between her and Gary was sharp and funny. The love triangle element added drama, but it was the humour that kept me hooked.

The supporting cast, the reunion antics, and of course her cat, Purrfect, added a quirky touch to the story. I love cats and I surely loved Purrfect.

[Lisa Benison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well Written, Funny Situations, Really Wanted to Like it More...

I really wanted to like this book more because it was well written, some of the situations the characters got themselves into were hysterically funny, and I did like most of them except for the FMC Mary who most of the time, I just couldn't stand. She was so self centered, hyper focused on only what she wanted that she wanted that she couldn't get out of her own way or look at other people objectively to see that perhaps they had also changed in the twenty years since high school - all to the detriment of her close friends. Ultimately there were "heartwarming" moments and realizations once she hit "rock bottom" that she needed to change but it was a long time to get there. I will give the author another chance as there were other characters that I did enjoy and I would be interested in their stories.

I was sent an ARC but the author and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Kaitlynn Esquibel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Voracious Readers Only for giving me a copy of this book for my honest review. This book sucks. I really tried to get into it but after chapter 10 I just couldn't stand the writing anymore it was that bad. The way the characters are written it's almost like someone is over-explaining EVERYTHING they say that just gets annoying after awhile. While some people might enjoy reading about the ins and outs of being in real-estate I did not enjoy it and it made me as the reader become disconnected from the story. The character Mary is so whiny with an ego to match that she is a bad best friend and her friend isn't that much better if anything they are both toxic and should have never been friends to begin with. I really did try to enjoy this book but with the bad character development (or lack thereof) paired with the terrible writing I just couldn't get emersed in this book.

[Tracy Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this enemies to lover’s romantic comedy, it had me literally laughing out loud at points. If you don’t get through the book, you HAVE to read about the doctor’s office visit. I nearly wet myself I was laughing so hard (don’t read it if you have to go potty or if you have a sleeping spouse next to you in bed. You WILL disturb them!). This book shows that the heart doesn’t always knows what it wants, and your head definitely never fully does. Although the main character comes off a little snooty at times, the way the author writes for her, you can’t help but fall in love with her – flaws and all. I want this book to be made into a movie!! I would watch it again and again!! 😊
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Danelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary is a mess and in my opinion was not a likable character for a good portion of this story. I struggled to keep going with the first part. It was just too ridiculous and way too awkward which made Mary too much. But it finally became a little less ridiculous and started settling in. Mary finally had moments of likability but still clueless about what was staring her in the face which I know was the point of the book. The author brings it around at the end for a nice happy ever after. I won’t say which she ends up with for her hea, you’ll have to read it yourself. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jester · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as rom-com go, this is one of my favorites. The author did a fantastic job blending wit and awkwardness, laugh-out-loud with cringe-worthy.

The story was fun, with a bit of a nerdy bend, which is truly my favorite thing. Fun cultural references that made the characters have more depth all while being relatable.

The whole book, I kept thinking that the author and I would be great friends... Which to me is the sign that someone wrote something of value.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy today! ❤️

[Lindsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book I have read by this author.
I’m not sure how I felt about it. At times things didn’t add up or make sense. I wasn’t really a fan of the main character.
I skimmed ahead a few times because there were just paragraph after paragraph of no dialogue and things that just didn’t need to be so long.
I’m glad she found a happy ending and thankfully her best friend found out early on.
I still want to know what happened to Ralph though and Janet for that matter; the epilogue was odd… I don’t think I’ve ever read one where they are grandparents.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anything that can go wrong, WILL go wrong! It's 20 years after high school, and Mary tries to sabotage her best friend Janet's budding relationship with Jack. Jack is both Mary's high school crush AND responsible for her worst high school memory, but he says he's sorry and he's still as hunky ever... Then along comes Gary, Janet's high school crush, who's had a total glow-up, and Mary thinks he'll be the perfect wedge to derail Jack-net before they even get out of the station. The universe has other plans, hilarity ensues.

SO. MUCH. SECOND-HAND EMBARRASSMENT. LOTS OF LOL TOO

[DENICE · Rating 4 out of 5]

HIGH SCHOOL INFLUENCES YOUR LIFE

I received this book for free and am giving my honest and voluntary review.

This story brings back a lot of high school memories as how people treated each other and it bleeds into your future and helps form the person you become. Mary deemed a geek and having formed her thoughts from her parents marriage has let it form her thoughts and sabotage her relationships. I love the dynamics and how Gary and her friends try to keep her on track. The truth comes blazing back and opens her eyes. This story is one that many can relate to.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet story, although sometimes the female main character makes you cringe with her actions and thoughts. Mary and her friends attend their high school reunion, where Mary’s goal for her friend Janet is to find a fling. When they run into Mary’s high school crush, Janet is drawn to him. And so ensues a plan to break up Janet and Mary’s crush with the help of Gary, who is the genuine nice guy in the story. Overall, it was a good read without too much drama.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Do Not Eat or Drink ANYTHING while reading this book!!* I almost choked from laughing so much!
Now that I've gotten that out of the way.....
You need to read this book! If you need a literally, laughing out loud, omg I can so see that happening, book then this is it. Definitely going into the favorite authors list. Between the besties, the main characters description of things and what happens, I couldn't read fast enough to see what happens next.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She had wanted him so much all through high school but she never got him. Now she is doing well in life when her friend drags her to a high school reunion. There she sees him again but he falls for her friend. Now they will try to help her but they were enemies. See where it will go
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a wonderful read

[KGillespie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a witty, funny book. I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the development of the story. My favorite part was the epilogue, it was different from other epilogues I have read and I really enjoyed that. I would recommend this book and I would read another book by this author.

I received a copy of this book via Voracious Readers Only.

[Angelita Mendoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually, don't read contemporary romance, but started reading perfect mess and loved how real the characters are, nothing in life is going to be perfect your going to make mistakes and cry, your going to do stupid things and regret it. All you can wish for is to have someone that will be there with you when you do make a mess.

[Rick Molitor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romantic com

This is a pretty funny rom com. It is an enemies to lovers romance. Mary couldn't stand Gary. She only had eyes for the rich doctor. But, Gary was helping her to fix up her aunt's house for sale. Mary was trying to fix Gary up with her best friend. As they say, the best laid plans oft go astray.

[Bookish Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Mess by MJ Fox is laugh-out-loud funny with amazing chemistry between the characters. It hits all the right rom-com notes—quirky, sweet, and totally swoon-worthy. A perfect mix of chaos and charm! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

[Gina DelGaudio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for review by Voracious Readers.

A cute and light hearted romcom, one of my favorite genres. I enjoyed the main characters and wanted to see how everything would end up with each of them. It was a good read.

[Kenneth Ferrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

very entertaining

Excellent dialogue, the characters were all enjoyable (even though a couple of them were 2 faced). It’s one of those you want to keep reading, so I did. Finished it in one day. Enjoy!!!

[Helena#bookdreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and sweet

I thought this was a well written novel and enjoyed it as a debut. There were some really funny scenes. Just wish it had a bit more chemistry and passion.