Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)Adventures of Waverly Bryson

In the first pages of this lively affair, sassy but hapless Waverly is abandoned by too-good-to-be-true fiancé Aaron. Slow to recover, she finds the fallout of her breakup piling up along with other problems: a distant father, a difficult professional situation, and endless dating mishaps. Though helped by two close friends and not a few margaritas, it's Waverly's endearing (sometimes strained) sense of humor that sees her through, encapsulated in the quippy single-girl greeting card series she launches. Even it isn't as glamorous as it seems, the life of a San Francisco yuppie with a job in sports PR makes a vibrant background for Murnane's tale of romantic intrigue and hilarity, and Waverly is likeable enough to sustain the over-long journey. If Murnane relies too heavily on chick lit clichés-the sweet friend and the saucy friend, the slaphappy girls' night out, the heinous date, repeated pratfalls-in-front-of-the-cute-guy-she employs them knowingly, with enough substance to satisfy.