Hello there,
I am so thrilled to be able to present to readers a look at author Maria Jane’s “Perfect” series. The five-book series follows college friends who each take their own paths in life and find themselves in various romance tropes unfolding in real life. Each book follows a different character as they make choices, and each must determine whether the love they found was indeed Perfect. Below you will find the synopsis for each book, my review, links to the full reviews (as available), and purchase links. I hope you will take the time to read each one carefully and take the plunge to read this series yourself, enjoying it as much as I did. Please enjoy.
Perfect (Book One)
The Synopsis
“A sweet take on what’s important when it comes to finding the perfect kind of love.”
– Christina Benjamin, author of the best-selling The Boyfriend Series
One driven woman. Five passionate paths to the perfect love.
Chloe refuses to compromise when it comes to romance and success. Powering through her sophomore-level college business classes, she’s done with the effort of distance-dating her high-school sweetheart. But when he proposes just as she hits it off with a hunky basketball player, she worries following her heart could send her bright future to the bench.
As Chloe graduates to become a rising star in the fashion industry, love knocks another four times. But while each potential suitor eventually pops the question, only she knows her ultimate happy ending.
Whose arms will embrace Chloe when she chooses her forever man?
Perfect is a standalone in the Perfect romance series. If you like tender moments and lighthearted banter, then you’ll adore Maria Jane’s choose your perfectly-ever-after tale.
Read Perfect to pick your ideal walk down the aisle today!
My Review
What a sweet and heartfelt contemporary romance. The unique story stands out for its exploration of not just one romance but several that define the protagonist’s life. The author does an incredible job of balancing the rom-com feeling with more nuanced, emotional story development that explores both the emotional toll of seeking love and the need to find a sense of self in an often overwhelming world. The shifting chapters that explore a world in which the protagonist made one choice over another were an inspired choice, allowing the reader to really connect with the cast of characters.
For it was the characters themselves that really made the story what it was. Not only did readers experience the inner dialogue and emotional depth of Chloe’s experiences, but they also saw how both her career and her family impacted them. The struggles of her relationship with her parents, especially her mother, whose old school way of looking at things made her earliest decisions on her respective partners difficult to navigate, to the need to understand who she was outside of these relationships and how her career path dictated who she would surround herself with kept the reader engaged and on the edge of their seat with each passing chapter.
Rating: 10/10
Perfect Always (Book Two)
The Synopsis
A girl aiming for a successful big city career. But what if her heart belongs to a small-town rancher?
Chloe dreams of leaving her tiny hometown behind and landing a job in an exhilarating metropolitan city. Toughing out her sophomore-level college business classes, she’s frustrated with the challenges of long-distance-dating her high school sweetheart, Adam. A chance encounter with Isaac, a hunky big-city-bred basketball player, leaves her confused and when Adam lays out a plan to move into his family’s ranch estate she worries her goals may be trampled underfoot. Realizing following her passion means leaving Adam, she makes a clean break. Isaac waits in the wings and with Chloe’s growing affection for him, he wins her heart. But a school abroad program, San Francisco internship, and his drive for a professional basketball career complicate their relationship.
Can she find happiness in a big city with an on-the-rise basketball star or does her heart lie somewhere else?
Perfect Always is a standalone contemporary romance. If you like spark-filled moments and a dreamy love story, then you’ll be enchanted by Tricia Copeland’s addition to the Perfect romance series.
Get in line to throw your hat into the ring in the big city/small town debate!
The first novel in this series, Perfect, was “A sweet take on what’s important when it comes to finding the perfect kind of love.” – Christina Benjamin, author of the best-selling Boyfriend Series
My Review
Heartfelt and compelling, the story reads as very relatable and emotionally driven. The harrowing, engaging events that drive Chloe’s story forward are heartfelt and keep the reader invested in the characters as the story unfolds. The thing that makes this such a memorable read is how the dialogue takes center stage. Almost cinematic in delivery, the dialogue paints a picture in readers’ minds, both of the story and of the characters, bringing it to life.
The will-they, won’t they drama that ensues is the true hook of the narrative, and the way the author explores the relationship between both Chloe and her romantic interests, and the friendships she forms along the way, as well as Chloe’s drive in her career play well into the big city versus small town theme that the story plays with. The emotional pull of Chloe as a protagonist will keep the reader engaged thoroughly as the story progresses.
Rating: 10/10
As Close to Perfect (Book 3)
The Synopsis
She’s definitely attracted to his type and he seems as close to perfect as a guy could get. Only problem, she’d sworn off dating hot, muscled, athletic types for good.
Wronged by a string of jocks, Bree creates a hard rule: no dating athletes. Further, she enacts a list of other guidelines to protect a fragile heart. As per the rules, coffee meetups don’t count as dates, lunch doesn’t count as a date, there will be no physical displays of affection until after a real date, and no sex until he commits to an exclusive relationship.
Enter Nate. Tall and muscular with deep blue eyes and dark hair, he’s the perfect clone for the guys that hurt her before. If it walks like a duck, it’s a duck, right?
Enter Steven. She could not have ordered a more perfect person. Okay, so he is muscular, but not too tall. Be he’s also focused on his career. Definitely the mature man she’s been looking for.
When Bree allows herself to give in to her feelings, sparks fly. They’re happier than could be imagined. But being a couple is about more than just the two of them. Family, religion, location, and money all factor in.
Can they meet in the middle?
Read As Close to Perfect to get swept away in this perfectly imperfect melding of lives!
The first novel in this series, Perfect, was “A sweet take on what’s important when it comes to finding the perfect kind of love.” – Christina Benjamin, author of the best-selling Boyfriend Series
My Review
I thoroughly enjoy how each book in this series can be read as a standalone novel while also remaining crucially connected to the series as a whole. Fans of the series will love stepping into Bree’s life after being introduced to her in the first two books, and her unique struggles also set her apart from the previous protagonist, Chloe. The humor and charm of the dialogue will greatly elevate the drama of the love triangle this author weaved into the narrative.
The way the book helps readers understand the nuances of relationships and the pitfalls of not taking the time to listen to a person’s partner and talk things out made this so insightful. The self-sabotage the protagonist undergoes after the struggles of past relationships and the exploration of a romance between people of different cultures and races was so refreshing and well-written by the author.
Rating: 10/10
Perfect Office Pact (Book Four)
The Synopsis
Their rules are simple.
He’ll keep his nose out of her personal life and help further her career.
She won’t tell the board what he did.
Declan Jordan crosses a line—a massive line—and he’ll probably lose his job if Mira files a complaint. When your boss majorly screws up, even if it leads to the thing you’ve been looking for your whole life, why wouldn’t you take advantage? Even if that means spending time with a man impossible to work with.
Mira Vasquez pricks Declan’s every nerve. When she was his student, her quick tongue and incessant questioning annoyed him to his wit’s end, but he had to hire her. She ranked top of her class and is bilingual. Now, he’s her boss. That’s a position he never wanted to be in.
Seeing her every day drives him wild because he can’t know her like he wants. Then, when he delves too deep, she turns the tables, leaving him in an even more precarious position. Further, there’s little chance she’ll ever see beyond his one misstep.
To convince her he’s not that person, he’ll have to break the pact he made with her, and she could end his career with one swift keystroke.
Find out if Declan is willing to risk everything for a what if with Mira in Perfect Office Pact today!
My Review
This story had a bit of everything for romance fans. The way the narrative employs office romance, enemies-to-lovers, and so much more into the story makes this such a powerful read. The emotional pull of these characters and their story is perfectly balanced with the witty dialogue and humor that the situation between the protagonists continues to bring to the story as it progresses.
The character development in this story is top-notch. Mira is a strong, powerful, and independent woman who breaks down the barriers in Declan’s worldview, and that is what makes the story so compelling. The alpha-male persona he portrays to the world is slowly eroded by his growing feelings for Mira, and the shocking events that bring them closer together will have readers on the edge of their seats as their relationship grows.
Rating: 10/10
Perfect Secrets (Book Five)
The Synopsis
Lawyers assume their clients don’t tell them everything.
Elle Moore assumes she’ll never escape her past.
Desperate for a fresh start, Elle jumps at the chance to work for Watson Clarke, a prestigious law firm offering a near-free path through law school. It’s everything she’s ever wanted.
There’s one complication: Tanner Clarke, the firm’s magnetic young heir.
Elle’s mother has spent years warning her daughter about lawyers, and her own ex proved those warnings right. Tanner should be the last man she lets close—but resisting him is harder than passing the bar on the first try. Tanner? He’s trying to find his footing in the shadow of his late father, but the moment Tanner meets the elusive Elle, he’s pulled into her orbit.
Their connection grows fast and bright until Elle meets Tanner’s mother.
Accusations fly. Old wounds split open. Suddenly, Elle is tumbling through a flood of hidden ties and painful truths, each one cracking the fragile trust between them.
Tanner reels as everything he thought he knew comes into question.
What did Elle know? Did she ever really love him?
Perfect Secrets is a standalone romance in the Perfect romance series by award-winning author Maria Jane.
Dive in to discover whether Elle and Tanner rise together or get pulled under by the secrets threatening to drown them both.
REVIEW COMING THIS SUMMER!
Overall Series Impression
A wonderful blend of humor, charming dialogue, and emotional character development, the author perfectly captures the range of beloved romantic tropes that the series adapts with ease. The rich, almost cinematic quality of the author’s writing style allows readers to feel transported into what could easily be a new Netflix romance anthology film series, and the diverse cast of characters this series brings to life will give readers a depth of emotional investment impossible to ignore. Be sure to check out this series today!
About the Author
Romance author Maria Jane believes in the power of love. She sees that love may look messy and take a winding path, but there is magic in the journey. Her books are filled with fun moments, sweet gestures, surprising turns, and characters searching for their happily-ever-after. Craving your next HEA and/or HFN read? Find all of Maria’s Perfect romances, formerly writing as Tricia Copeland, and dive into a fun love story today at mariajaneromance.com.
