Review: 'It's Got to Be Perfect' by Haley Hill (2015)

Ellie Rigby isn’t holding out for a hero; she just wants a decent guy.
But the promise of meeting thousands of ‘likeminded singles’ has come to nothing and she is fed up negotiating the minefield of one online dating disaster after another.
In a moment of clarity, Ellie realises that she must take matters into her own hands. Her mission? Reclaim Cupid’s bow from soulless software and become a matchmaker. As her client list grows, Ellie becomes an expert. She knows twenty eight is the most eligible age for a women, that most relationships fail and, most of all, that it’s got to be perfect.
Until a match with one of her clients changes everything…
We all know the famous saying 'do not judge a book by its cover', but I am sure I am not the only one who sometimes secretly does! I'm a sucker for pretty chick lit covers; covers with nice colours, pretty fonts, skylines of London, girls with umbrellas, silhouettes of couples, little flowers/hearts/stars... I just love it! So, I have to admit I was already sold as soon as I laid eyes on the cover of Haley Hill's 'It's Got to Be Perfect', which was released by Mills & Boon on August 27th. Luckily, the title and description also appealed to me, so when I was contacted about reviewing the book, I straight away said yes and looked forward to giving this pretty novel a chance!
Ellie Rigby has had it with online dating. Looking for a decent guy seems to be like looking for a needle in a haystack and she's sick and tired of dealing with one dating disaster after another. Then one day, Ellie suddenly realises what she must do: if others can't help her find a suitable guy, why shouldn't she take matters into her own hands and step into the business side of the world of dating herself? Ellie sets up her own matchmaking agency and before she knows it, she has a whole list of clients to take care of. With a successful business at the age of twenty-eight, Ellie hopes it will only be a matter of time before she runs into her own Prince Charming. But while Ellie constantly tells her clients they have to let go of the idea of finding the perfect partner, she can't seem to shake that idea when it comes to her own dating life...
'It's Got to Be Perfect' was first released in 2013 and is based on author Haley Hill's own experiences after setting up her own matchmaking agency in 2005. I thought it was quite a promising debut novel and the author is actually working on a sequel right now, which I'm looking forward to picking up as well! I loved the basic plotline of the book; main character Ellie decides to move past all the dating disasters in her life and sets up her own matchmaking business. I loved reading about all the different people that wanted to make use of Ellie's services and how certain matches resulted in either happiness or disaster. A lot of different characters are introduced and some of the things they did really had me laughing out loud.
Unfortunately, I just didn't manage to really click with Ellie, the protagonist of the novel. She continued to be a bit distant and I wouldn't describe her as a warm and easy-to-love character. I probably liked Ellie's two colleagues Thea and Mandi better; they're two complete opposites but really worked well with the story. There was an unexpected time jump in the middle of the book which took me by surprise. We suddenly miss a few years in Ellie's life and business, which on the one hand was a pity because it really felt like I was missing certain details but on the other hand it was fun to have this look into the future. Overall, I thought 'It's Got to Be Perfect' was an entertaining and funny romance read about the world of matchmaking; not one of my absolute favourites, but worth picking up if you're a chick lit fan!

Rating:7,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.