Book Review: "The Perfect Find" by Tia Williams
“The Perfect Find” by Tia Williams
Bookshop | Amazon
Publisher Synopsis: Will a forty-year-old woman with everything on the line – her high-stakes career, ticking biological clock, bank account – risk it all for an intensely lusty secret romance with the one person who could destroy her comeback, for good?
Jenna Jones, former It-girl fashion editor, is broke and desperate for a second chance. When she’s dumped by her longtime fiancé and fired from Darling magazine, she begs for a job from her old arch nemesis, Darcy Vale. The beyond-bitchy publisher of StyleZine.com, Darcy agrees to hire her rival – only because her fashion site needs a jolt from Jenna’s old school cred. But Jenna soon realizes she’s in over her head. She’s working with digital-savvy millennials half her age, has never even “Twittered,” and pretends to still be a Fashion Somebody while living a style lie (she sold her designer wardrobe to afford her sketched-out studio, and now quietly wears Walmart’s finest). Worse? The twenty-two-year-old videographer assigned to shoot her web series is driving her crazy. Wildly sexy with a smile Jenna feels in her thighs, Eric Combs is way off-limits – but almost too delicious to resist.
Rating (out of 5): 4
Review: I should start by saying that Tia, the author, is a former coworker of mine. This book has been on my TBR list for awhile; I vividly remember the whoops of joy that reverberated through our office when the film rights were bought for “The Perfect Find,” with Gabrielle Union set to produce and star.
That said, this book is just downright fun. It’s a little steamy, heavy on fashion name-dropping (think “The Devil Wears Prada”), and even features a 6-year-old character calling out “Sex and the City” (or as she referred to the show, “Carrie Bradshaw”) for having no brown faces.
Jenna Jones, our protagonist, is rebuilding her life. She was a fashion editor during publishing’s heyday, and after ending things with her fiance and partner of nearly 20 years, she moved back to her hometown for a few years. We meet her just when she’s re-entering New York’s fashion publishing scene, which has drastically changed in the few years she was gone. It’s 2012, so the Internet is starting to take over, and she finds herself unsure of how to create the viral video series she’s been tasked to make.
Forced to partner up with Eric, a 22-year-old videographer, Jenna ends up creating a super successful web series, all while trying not to cross the line with her team member. There’s a pretty fun twist right toward the novel’s beginning, which I don’t want to spoil, but suffice to say Eric is off-limits for multiple reasons.
Both Jenna and Eric are charming characters, and the New York they inhabit is so finely drawn. You can’t help but root for Jenna on her self-discovery journey, and the chemistry between her and Eric is palpable. And, Jenna’s friends are also her cheerleaders along the way. There are no uncomfortable racial stereotypes here—all the characters are just real. (In fact, there’s a fun tidbit calling out Tyler Perry for his stereotypical black characters.)
I practically read the whole thing in Tia’s voice. And, she’s a former beauty editor so knows her stuff when it comes to magazines and publishing. Definitely recommend!
TL;DR: A fun, steamy romance that reflects on office politics, ageism, and self-discovery—with lots of sexual chemistry and fashion woven in.
If you liked this, try:
“Don’t You Forget About Me” by Mhairi McFarlane (Bookshop | Amazon) (My review here)
“Red, White, and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston (Bookshop | Amazon) (Moira’s review here)
“The Boyfriend Project” by Farrah Rochon (Bookshop | Amazon)
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