The Perfect Fit: Laugh Out Loud Funny

Sometimes you go into a book expecting one thing and end up with something completely different. While that wasn’t exactly what happened with The Perfect Fit, it’s pretty close. I went in expecting a romance, but it turned out to be a hilarious, quirky, and absolutely lovely story. And romance too!

This book is such a breath of fresh air after reading so many sad or dark stories. Let’s get to the review!

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

After years living in London, costume shop owner Becky Finn is trying to build a new life for herself and fiancé Cole in her old home of Egglethwaite, a sleepy village in the Yorkshire Dales.

Keen to raise funds for the struggling village hall she loved as a child, Becky soon finds herself at the head of a colourful group intent on resurrecting Egglethwaite s Christmas pantomime. But, as she quickly discovers, there s more to panto than innuendo and slapped thighs.

As opening night grows closer, Becky starts to wonder if her embattled panto will ever make it to the stage and, with handsome co-star Marcus on the scene, if she s picked the right man for her after all.

Becky is happy to be back in her hometown and cannot wait for her fiance, Cole, to join her. She is back around her friends and family and is ready to start this part of her life which includes having a kid of her own. But while she waits for Cole to make his way to Egglethwaite, she begins to get involved in the town.

While at a town council meeting, she learns the local community hall she loved so much as a child doesn’t have the funds to stay open for much longer. So, Becky along with her friends and family decide to put on a pantomime (is that how you say that?? I’m an awful American).

And what ends up happening is possibly the funniest story I have ever read. We don’t really have anything similar to a panto here. It’s kind of like a play and a comedy skit in one and I found in entirely too much fun to read and learn about.

Casting each role turns into a shambles of an audition process. They decide they’re going to do Cinderella and when the two fathers auditioned for the step-sisters, I thought I was going to pee myself I was laughing so hard. Rarely does a book make me laugh. Usually, it’s more chuckling, screaming, or general shock. But The Perfect Fit is absolutely hilarious. And also…INCREDIBLY British (which I always love).

Let’s get to the romance part!! Becky and Cole have been together for quite awhile. He’s an artist and she owns a costume shop in the village. They clearly love each other, but as soon as she brings up kids, every alarm and red flag went up in my head. Based on Cole’s response to her and how he interacts with the children in the story, it’s clear he doesn’t want them.

And he doesn’t seem all that interested in Becky either. Or at least…not int he way he should. That being said, they do have a connection and Becky loves him. She makes excuses for his behavior and tries to see the best in him

Then comes Marcus. He is part of the group putting on the panto and one of Becky’s co-stars. He is funny, sweet, and seems to get her in a way Cole doesn’t. But up until the last 1/4 of the book, they don’t realize they’re perfect for each other. It isn’t until other people start bringing up their relationship that they start to think that maybe there’s something between them.

No spoilers, but…if you’ve read a good amount of romances, you can probably guess how the story end. *wink wink*

Oh and head’s up, this is the second book in Love in the Dales series but you don’t need to read the first book to understand what’s going on. There are some references to the couple from the first book and they are featured a little bit in this one, but you won’t miss anything by starting here.

The Perfect Fit by Mary Jayne Baker is fun, hilarious, sweet, and an overall joy to read. I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars. If you’ve been reading all the sad and dark stories lately (hello, I am there with you lol), you might want to take a break and read this. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Perfect Fit by Mary Jayne Baker came out August 1, 2019.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror Books for the free ecopy in exchange for my honest review.