'The Perfect Letter' by Chris Harrison synopsis: A mashup of chick flick-mystery movies

The Bachelor and The Bachelorette host Chris Harrison has a die-hard fan following amassed over the years. This fan following is a result of Harrison’s role on the reality show that takes him beyond his hosting duties. No wonder Chris used his experience with romance and relationships and wrote a novel about it.

Yes, The Bachelor host Chris Harrison started a new chapter in his career with his debut romance novel The Perfect Letter. So is The Perfect Letter by Chris Harrison worth a read? What is the book’s plot?

‘The Perfect Letter’ by Chris Harrison synopsis

The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are two shows that have been running for more than a decade and continue to air stories of individuals looking for love. But even though the show has seen several bachelors and bachelorettes throughout their seasons, one element from the show has remained constant, i.e. its host Chris Harrison. Chris Harrison is not only a host anymore but he is also a novelist. Harrison added a new chapter in his career with his debut romance novel, The Perfect Letter.

'The Perfect Letter' plot Summary

The Perfect Letter as mentioned earlier is a romance novel. This romance novel gets its intricacy in the form of a love triangle. The story revolves around its protagonist Leigh, who is a successful editor. This Southern Texas girl moved to New York and is building her perfect life with a new chapter in her career and also being proposed by her boyfriend/boss. While Leigh is almost ready to map out her perfect future, she visits Texas.

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Lo and behold, she bumps into her ex, Jake. The plot thickens once Jake enters the scene since Leigh ends up cheating on her boyfriend with Jake thus complicating the road to her near-perfect future. This romance gets further complicated when a murder mystery involving Jake and Leigh pays the two a surprise visit.

So when Leigh’s boyfriend surprises her in Texas, it acts as a burden to her problems. While Leigh's boyfriend is the definition of “understanding”, Jake is described as a stubborn man-child our protagonist still has feelings for. So what how does this murder mystery affect this love triangle? How are Jake and Leigh connected to this murder?

The Perfect Letter: Book review

The Perfect Letter was meant to be a treat for chick flick lovers but turns out to be a mash-up of many such movies. The Perfect Letter is the same as Sweet Home Alabama, except the protagonist’s name is Leigh and not Melanie. But since the book also involves a murder mystery, it adds a new element to the story. But Chris Harrison seems to be better at writing a murder mystery than a romance novel.

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This might come as a surprise to many considering Harrison’s experience on romance while being the host of shows that revolve around romance and relationships.

Moreover, The Perfect Letter also fails to write dialogues from a female perspective. Hence the protagonist and her best friend seem unrealistic and at times fail to express themselves. The Perfect Letter would have been better off as a mystery novel without being a constant reminder of movies like The Notebook and of course Sweet Home Alabama.

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