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

Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)Adventures of Waverly Bryson (Waverly Bryson #1)

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3.49 of 5 stars 3.49  ·  rating details  ·  1,306 ratings  ·  226 reviews
Waverly Bryson is a successful businesswoman in her late 20s who almost has it all: a dream job in sports PR, two best friends, and a bar where everybody knows her name. What she doesn't have is a ring on her finger. And after being ditched at the altar, she's in no hurry to get one. Besides, plenty of other issues keep her busy, including her wayward father, a new rival a...more
Paperback, 311 pages
Published February 9th 2010 by AmazonEncore (first published February 22nd 2008)
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Kate
I would like to write a book myself, and admire this author's (a fellow DG!) first effort. It was a fun, light read--nothing unpredictable or profound--formulaic chick lit, heavy on the cliches and stereotypes. But overall, a nice wrap-up to my summer reading and even a nice segue to my own next career move -- Perfect on Paper tells of Waverly ("like the cracker?") Bryson's her busted engagement and her struggle back to coupledom and career satisfaction.
Lena
Jul 18, 2008 Lena rated it 5 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition
Recommended to Lena by: Christy
Great light chick lit to read that takes place in San Francisco. I met the author-wonderful person. Hillariously funny.
Andrea
When the opportunity to review a book about bad and surprising break-up that happened to a woman in San Francisco came my way, well, I had to take it. . . . perhaps I had mysteriously written this book in my sleep, and if I had, well, I really should read it, right? And I'm glad I did.

Marian Murnane's debut book, Perfect on Paper, is funny, insightful, and just real. The story is of Waverly Bryson, a woman in her late 20s whose fiance decides to call off their wedding two weeks before the date...more
Allison
Book synopsis:


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?...more
April Wilkerson
I was really disappointed in this book. I was expecting something more along the lines of Sophie Kinsella where the main character is this adorkable female that always seems to be the one getting into a ridiculous situation that is hilarious to readers, and everything seems to work out in the end....but it wasn't. Actually, the only parts that I liked about this book were the Honey Notes and the quick wit banters between friends. Those parts were golden. It was everything else that was the disap...more
Brea Brown
I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. I'm neither single nor beautiful nor successful in business, but for some reason, the main character and her struggles really resonated with me. Maybe it's because she's a bit of a spaz, despite the appearance that she has it all together. I also really loved Waverly's "Honey Notes," although on my Kindle, I couldn't read the ones on the tiny envelope above each new chapter number (that was slightly annoying). The notes in the text, though, were just the type of sarcastic o...more
Suzanne
Waverly Bryson is a successful public relations executive who manages a big account for a San Francisco-based PR firm. Just days before her wedding, her fiance decides he can't go through with it. Waverly is so embarrassed, she tells everyone that she was the one who did the dumping. As she tries to move on, she goes through a number of bad dates, and realizes that not only is she unhappy with her love life, she's not exactly happy at work, either. When a new account manager joins the office, Wa...more
Britni
Perfect on Paper by Marie Murnane is a light and fun read that kept me hooked from the beginning to end. Waverly Bryson was days away from her wedding to wealthy Aaron Vaughn when he told her that he wasn't sure if he actually loved her and called the wedding off. Her life suddenly went from perfect to pointless. The year after the breakup she goes through the motions of living her life as a big-time sports agent and hanging out with her best friends.

The book really starts to pickup when she mee...more
MoyJoy
I know how hard it is to write a book and put yourself out there and be subject to criticism and I totally appreciate the author for all the work she put into making this book happen but I just didn't like it.

I'm not going to go into a synopsis since it's been done to death but I found the book and the lead character (and all the characters for that matter) to be incredibly annoying. You know that person you know, perhaps it's a coworker or friend of a friend says one funny thing and runs the j...more
Malcolm Love
love Waverly Bryson. It is impossible not to. She is adorable.

Maria Murnane’s comic romp, “Perfect on Paper” takes us into the tunnel of love that was Waverly’s last year in her twenties, starting at what seemed like the best day of her life (her wedding day to an imminently eligible bachelor) and then following her through the wreckage that ensued the following year (she got left at the altar). Watching Waverly struggle with dating, office politics and self-discovery, it is impossible not to f...more
Tonya Plank
This is a really lovely book, sweet and funny with a cast of characters who are definitely very relatable — the annoying guy who just seems to be everywhere you are, the bitchy competitive co-worker who seems intent on stealing your job, the hot guy in whose presence you just can’t seem not to make an ass of yourself, etc. After being jilted at the altar by her fiance, Waverly sets out on a series of hilariously bad dates in an attempt to overcome her heartbreak and find that ever-elusive Mr. Ri...more
Joy
This charming story was just the thing to take the sting out of the first several days of a doctor ordered mobility restriction. When I was told to stay off my left leg as much as possible and keep it elevated last January, I was really discouraged and tempted to be blue but that mood could not be sustained under the force of the witty dialogue and hilarious, sometimes slapstick shenanigans of Waverly Bryson the protagonist of Maria Murnane's romantic comedy.

Waverly is in her late twenties, has...more
Cheryl
Waverly Bryson has just been dumped by her fiancé. Waverly is through with men. Luckily for Waverly she has friends like Andie and McKenna to help her pick up the pieces. Friends are great but nothing beats a couple good stiff drinks. Just one piece of advice and that is “Always drink in moderation”; unfortunately for Waverly she should have followed this advice, especially while attending a business event. Not a great way to represent Jag, the company Waverly works for in the sports public rela...more
gille
Perfect on Paper roped me in from page one. I was a little unsure at first because I just recently read a different book that began with someone being left at the altar, but the casual way in which the story was written grabbed my attention immediately. The main character is a woman in her late 20s named Waverly Bryson. I was really able to relate to her in that many of the things she said are things I would say. In fact, more than once I read a line or two from the book to my boyfriend because...more
Sherese
Everything I hate about Chick Lit - every thought the author had made it to the final edit of this book. Is it ever necessary to have this much detail about each and everything that happens in an individual's daily life and dialogue of conversation with every person in the novel. This read like a novel from a 12 year old author,
Main character: "Like OMG I can't believe he said blah blah. Response: "OMG he said blah blah".
Main character: "No really, he said blah blah." And on and on....

Then the...more
Sally
Waverly Bryson is not the luckiest female when it comes to relationships. It doesn’t matter what type of relationship it is, she has issues and as she approaches 30 she soon realises that there is only one person who can make her life better and make her happy and that’s herself.

This book is the journey of Waverly’s discovery to happiness and with the help of her friends, work colleagues and dates, she sets out to be a success and make her dreams come true.

This is a fun, witty well written book...more
Christina Haddad
I was hoping for a fun, light, chick-lit book to breeze by and make me feel great. While this book was an easy read I felt as though I was reading something written by a high school teenager who got dumped on prom night.
The story is told in the first person by a woman who is 28 and got dumped on her wedding day. The entire book she struggles to admit she gets dumped and dates a string of unbelieveable losers. Her attitude is that of a bitter old woman who will "never" find love and her speech i...more
Amy
Oct 16, 2008 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition
Recommended to Amy by: Read about it in the MN DG Alumni newsletter
As a former San Franciscan who lived on Bush and Fillmore for far too many of my single years, I can totally relate to Waverly's misadventures. I'm recommending it to all my friends who share past memories of living in an amazing city, during our single years, and experiencing all the crazy dating, intense jobs and wonderful friends the City has to offer. It's a light, easy, but fun read and the story pulls you in from page 1.
Debbie
Oh, this book...First, let me say that it reminded me a lot of a book I tried writing a few years ago. And second, let me say that I've now realized my book isn't very good.

My guess is this author is actually a great writer (when not writing novels) and pretty smart. I think she overthought this book. That would explain all the unnecessary day-to-day scenes (the runs, the guy who always showed up randomly, the coffee shop trips, etc.); I think she wanted the book to feel realistic (to an extent....more
Amy
Wow, Maria Murnane really hit this one out of the park. This novel was witty, funny, and at some times a little too close to my own life, but that's what made it lovable.

After her fiance breaks up with her weeks before the wedding, Waverly Bryson, the main character, goes through a funny yet heart-wrenching year of ups and downs, bad dates with stalker like morons and guys wearing gym shorts, drunken slips and finds herself, and her creative passion in the process. I don't like to give too much...more
Dawn Abrams
I am trying to make my way through this book and I keep asking myself, why bother? I am hating it. I feel like I am reading one of my high school friends' creative writing projects for 11th grade creative writing class. It's painful. The deja vu that goes on from chapter to chapter is disturbing. I can't believe I paid for this book.
Wrighty
Waverly Bryson is newly single again. Her fiance left her at the altar, almost. Two weeks before their wedding he decided to call it off. "I don't think I love you anymore." Ouch. And he did it while she was trying on her wedding gown. Her "perfect" life came crashing down. After a year of social hibernation Waverly is trying to regain her footing in the dating world. Her supportive friends are trying to help but it never seems to work out right. It's one bad date after another. Her job in sport...more
Ulises
This book had its really funny moments. The "A giant chocolate bar" line had me laughing out loud on the subway. Most of the Honey Notes are pretty amusing.

Still, Waverly managed to get on my nerves by book's end. I began sympathizing with her but ended up wanting to say, "Maybe this is why you're single." I don't know, but this book reminded me of all the negative stereotypes of people who are chronically single because they are relentlessly picky about the faults in others while overlooking th...more
Michelle
I tend to read Chick-Lit when I have a cold or am stressed just because they are light and fluffy.

This was not a good choice for me. The main character annoyed me which isn't a good start. She whined about being single constantly yet she was the one hiding from people because her fiance dumped her a few weeks before the wedding. It also felt like every time she wasn't at work, she was drunk.

Her name is Waverly "like the cracker" a joke they over used. Honestly, I never heard of a Waverly crack...more
Mercedes
Note: I am writing this review after finishing all of the "Waverly" series, but I will limit THIS review to just the first book with just a small note afterward. Whenever I need a break I reach for chick-lit. Waverly Bryson is like an American version of Becky from the "Shopaholic" series by Sophie Kinsella without the endless shopping and bills. She has great girlfriends (which are a must in chick-lit), lives in San Francisco and is "Perfect On Paper" but what lies under the paper is a differen...more
Victoria L
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Joy
One of the traits of a rom-com movie is that the female character (always the female character) slips, falls and gets herself in many misadventures. One of the traits of a rom-com with a thin plot is the female character slips, falls, and trips a lot. Well, this book has a lot of distracting falls on the way of telling the story of a girl in San Francisco (who LOVES San Francisco) who finds herself after she gets dumped a few months before her wedding. The story is okay, but it's being touted as...more
Morgan Ring
I can laugh at this book because I recognize everything in it. The awesome friends who laugh with (and at) you; the not-so-awesome job future; a love life fraught with disaster; and a completely dysfunctional family. That describes both my life and the book. That's part of the appeal of Ms. Murnane's books. Waverly Bryson so doesn't have it all together, and it's through her (mis)adventures that we see that it can be okay to not have it all together, something I think a lot of women today strugg...more
Vero
I downloaded this book for free via amazon prime looking for some light reading but I wasn't expecting such a painfully stupid book. Im not saying I'm above books like these -- I read Y/A novels for goodness sakes, but man this was mind-numbingly painful. I could barely get through the first few chapters, I hated the characters so much. I kept reading how this was the next Bridget Jones, how funny and witty the main character was, etc. All I have to say is no wonder the fiance left Waverly at th...more
Alicia Prevost
The best thing about this book was the maon character. She was funny and smart and just plain likeable...although that may be a biased opinion as for a good portion of the book I swore I was reading about myself. I just kept going "Yes that's me!". I also loved the journey she went on...thay was very much her changing things slowly on her own instead of a guy saving her or something. It was great. The supporting characters were just as fun. There's a lot I loved.

That being said, at times the wri...more
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Interview with Maria Murnane 1 10 31 juil. 05:45  
Perfect on Paper: The (MIS)Adventures of Waverly Bryson
Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson
Perfect on Paper: The (MIS)Adventures of Waverly Bryson
Perfect on Paper (Paperback)
Perfect on Paper (German edition)

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A former PR executive who abandoned a successful career to pursue a more fulfilling life as a novelist and speaker, Maria Murnane is the bestselling author of the romantic comedies Perfect on Paper, It's a Waverly Life, Honey on Your Mind, and Chocolate for Two. Learn more and sign up for her newsletter at www.murnane.com
More about Maria Murnane...
It's a Waverly Life Honey on Your Mind Chocolate for Two It's a Waverly Life

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