Book Review: Perfect Plans by J.T. Tierney

Reviewed by Addison Ciuchta

A sweet romantic comedy about finding unexpected connection in the chaos of event planning

In Perfect Plans, Sofie works at Prestige Events, a premier New York event planning organization, expertly diverting catastrophe and charming clients even in the face of disastrously silly mix-ups.

Ryan, who grew up isolated with Arctic researcher parents, applies for a role with Prestige Events to learn more about human behavior and, admittedly, at the behest of his therapist. Ryan’s life is guided by numbers and logic, but he quickly applies his thorough systems to event planning, calculating traffic flow and coffee break timing for optimal satisfaction. Sofie and Ryan immediately make a great team, complementing each other’s strengths.

That is, until Trevor, an old fling and ex-coworker of Sofie’s, comes to work at Prestige Events too, and his style of event planning, winging it and embracing chaos, puts their reputation and their budding connection at risk.

The event planning is where a lot of the comedy comes from; Sofie and Ryan often work seemingly incongruous events simultaneously, with multiple groups renting out a larger event space. A flat earth convention, for example, takes up one half of a conference space with NASA in the other or Abraham Lincoln impersonators overlap with a Civil War Re-enactor’s Society meeting, spurring dressed-up chaos. It’s in these humorous moments that the pair put their strengths to good use, Ryan figuring out the logistics for a smooth event and Sofie handling the more people-forward aspects of smoothing things over when they inevitably go wrong.

Their dynamic is immediately complementary, their chemistry strong from the start, and their differing perspectives bring the story to life. Ryan’s methodical approach to event planning has its own beauty, even if it’s quirkier than most people he encounters are used to. His background, growing up rather isolated, makes sense for who he becomes when we meet him. Sofie’s background, too, is well thought out, offering a rationale for her behind-the-scenes tendencies as the daughter of two stage managers in their own realms. Their relationship is sweet as it develops over time, rooted in genuine interest and care for each other.

Sofie’s “managing” of Ryan’s less-than-smooth people skills can be overbearing at times. Often, she puts a hand on his arm or cuts him off when he is speaking to steer the conversation back to the task at hand. She does this in service of their work, with clients or conference attendees for example, but it happens throughout the story even as she begins to develop feelings for him, while claiming at the same time that she likes him for who he is. It feels a little incongruous and one-sided having Sofie always be the manager, the one correcting Ryan’s behavior.

The romance aspect of the novel is rather light, with a lot of the build up to their relationship without much of the follow-through seen on the page. Without getting into spoilers, there does seem to be some pay-off from the romance side missing.

Trevor is a dynamic villain. The chapters from his perspective add great depth to his conniving actions, making him more of a rounded antagonist without excusing his behavior. The rest of the characters hit exactly the right notes for a romantic comedy: from quirky co-workers, to a frustrating boss, to a diehard best friend.

Perfect Plans will tickle your funny bone while touching your heart. Two very different characters find a connection in each other in the midst of convention mayhem. Who knew event planning could be so fun?

Thank you for reading Addison Ciuchta’s book review of Perfect Plans by J.T. Tierney! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post Book Review: Perfect Plans by J.T. Tierney appeared first on Independent Book Review.