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The Perfect Rom-Com
She's written dozens of smash hit novels as a ghostwriter. Too bad no one knows it.
Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers conference bursting with optimism and ready to sell her manuscript with long-shot dreams of raising awareness for The Bridge, her grandmother's financially-struggling organization where she teaches ESL full-time. But after a disastrous pitching session, she stumbles into correcting another author's work in a last-ditch attempt to make a good impression with the agent. And she, as it turns out, is spot on.
No one is more surprised than Bryony when the agent offers her the opportunity to be a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict, popular rom-com novelist. Bryony agrees on one she'll write books for this vain, demanding woman just as long as Jack Sterling, literary agent of the legendary Foundry Literary Agency, works to sell her own book too.
What nobody predicted, however, was that Bryony's books would turn Amelia Benedict into the Amelia Benedict, household name and bestselling author with millions of copies sold around the world.
And just like that, the Foundry Agency can't let her go.
But on a personal note, Jack is realizing he can't either.
Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers conference bursting with optimism and ready to sell her manuscript with long-shot dreams of raising awareness for The Bridge, her grandmother's financially-struggling organization where she teaches ESL full-time. But after a disastrous pitching session, she stumbles into correcting another author's work in a last-ditch attempt to make a good impression with the agent. And she, as it turns out, is spot on.
No one is more surprised than Bryony when the agent offers her the opportunity to be a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict, popular rom-com novelist. Bryony agrees on one she'll write books for this vain, demanding woman just as long as Jack Sterling, literary agent of the legendary Foundry Literary Agency, works to sell her own book too.
What nobody predicted, however, was that Bryony's books would turn Amelia Benedict into the Amelia Benedict, household name and bestselling author with millions of copies sold around the world.
And just like that, the Foundry Agency can't let her go.
But on a personal note, Jack is realizing he can't either.
10 pages, Audible Audio
First published February 1, 2025
341 people are currently reading
19770 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Ferguson
15 books2,527 followersBestselling author Melissa Ferguson lives in Tennessee, where she enjoys chasing her children and writing romantic comedies full of humor and heart. Her favorite hobby is taking friends and acquaintances and turning them into characters in her books without their knowledge.
Connect with her (and prepare for the possibility of becoming her next character) at:
Instagram: @our_friendly_farmhouse
TikTok: @ourfriendlyfarmhouse
Website: https://melissaferguson.com/
Connect with her (and prepare for the possibility of becoming her next character) at:
Instagram: @our_friendly_farmhouse
TikTok: @ourfriendlyfarmhouse
Website: https://melissaferguson.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,852 reviews
February 9, 2025
"And I've been in love for quite some time. I just didn't know it was with him."
⤿🎀09/02/25
2. 75 stars *spoilers ahead, you've been warned!*💫
Release Date: 11th feb, 2025
From reading the title "the perfect rom-com", I thought it would be a good-feel-cute romance book, that would make you giggle and kick your feet, but alas nothing that sort happened here. The title was deceiving.😒 This was my first book to read by the author. For the majority of the book, up until 55%, it was hard to get into the story because there was simply nothing happening. If anything this book was made of 99% FMC's lengthy monologues (her exaggerating & off-the-plot thoughts) and only 1% romance between the main characters, Jack & Bryony. I'm not talking about spice, let me be clear, I don't like reading them. But for a closed-door romance I can at least expect some budding romance, right?😃 I really didn't feel connected to the characters. There was no angst, the kind that would make you sit at the edge of your bed, biting your nails off in anticipation, but no my expectations were too high apparently because the premise sounded promising and the cover felt too cute to pass.😬 As soon they start dating just after dinner one night, they fall off due to miscommunication and then viola they are back in the end. That's it. If anything, I'm being pretty generous with the rating here. This book had so much potential, only if the lengthy monologues were reduced, and we could see some real romance between the main characters.😞 For what's worth it, I still liked how the ending was made up, seeing the entitled so-called author Amelia being served what she deserved for mentally harassing Bryony and all the staffs.😌🙌🏻
What to expect:
📚 Agent x Ghostwriter
📚 Strangers to Lovers
📚 Slow Burn
📚 Closed Door Romance
📚 Forced Proximity
thankyou to the author, the publisher and netgalley for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review 💓
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
⤿🎀07/02/25
Hoping this arc is as good as the cover. Lowkey it sounds like The Dead Romantics minus the magical realism 😍 PLS BE GOOD PLS BE GOOD PLS BE GOOD 😭🙏🏻
⤿🎀09/02/25
2. 75 stars *spoilers ahead, you've been warned!*💫
Release Date: 11th feb, 2025
From reading the title "the perfect rom-com", I thought it would be a good-feel-cute romance book, that would make you giggle and kick your feet, but alas nothing that sort happened here. The title was deceiving.😒 This was my first book to read by the author. For the majority of the book, up until 55%, it was hard to get into the story because there was simply nothing happening. If anything this book was made of 99% FMC's lengthy monologues (her exaggerating & off-the-plot thoughts) and only 1% romance between the main characters, Jack & Bryony. I'm not talking about spice, let me be clear, I don't like reading them. But for a closed-door romance I can at least expect some budding romance, right?😃 I really didn't feel connected to the characters. There was no angst, the kind that would make you sit at the edge of your bed, biting your nails off in anticipation, but no my expectations were too high apparently because the premise sounded promising and the cover felt too cute to pass.😬 As soon they start dating just after dinner one night, they fall off due to miscommunication and then viola they are back in the end. That's it. If anything, I'm being pretty generous with the rating here. This book had so much potential, only if the lengthy monologues were reduced, and we could see some real romance between the main characters.😞 For what's worth it, I still liked how the ending was made up, seeing the entitled so-called author Amelia being served what she deserved for mentally harassing Bryony and all the staffs.😌🙌🏻
What to expect:
📚 Agent x Ghostwriter
📚 Strangers to Lovers
📚 Slow Burn
📚 Closed Door Romance
📚 Forced Proximity
thankyou to the author, the publisher and netgalley for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review 💓
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
⤿🎀07/02/25
Hoping this arc is as good as the cover. Lowkey it sounds like The Dead Romantics minus the magical realism 😍 PLS BE GOOD PLS BE GOOD PLS BE GOOD 😭🙏🏻
March 2, 2025
This is giving Emily Henry vibes 🤭 I’ve seen some mixed reviews so hopefully this is good.
✨ Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction & NetGalley for the arc. Available now!
✨ Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction & NetGalley for the arc. Available now!
March 14, 2025
જ⁀➴ 2.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Perfect Rom-Com is available now!
༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･
Um...I'm not sure what I expected going into it, but I don't think it was whatever I just finished reading. For a book that's titled The Perfect Rom-Com, the "rom-com" was NOT in the room with us for all 304 pages of the book.
Bryony Page is an aspiring author looking to get anyone to publish her first book. She shows up to her first pitch session trying to get someone to believe in her magic realism-contemporary fiction-literary fiction-romance-semi-biographical mashup of a book that's based on her grandmother's life running The Bridge, an organization Bryony works at teaching ESL. After getting rejected multiple times, her shot in the dark is with Jack Sterling, an agent that works for the prestigious Foundry Literacy Agency. The two strike a deal: Jack takes on Bryony's book while Bryony unexpectedly becomes a ghostwriter for one of Jack's authors: Amelia Benedict, bestselling rom-com author. Years pass as Bryony quietly writes Amelia's novels as Amelia takes credit for all of the success and becomes the top-selling rom-com author in the industry, while Bryony's book she wrote all those years ago for the writers pitch has yet to find a home with anyone.
There honestly isn't much to say about The Perfect Rom-Com. It felt like nothing was happening and nothing was developed. The book is titled the way it is because Amelia makes it Bryony's mission to write her the "perfect rom-com" that will blow all her readers away. Other than that, it didn't feel like I was reading a rom-com. It felt very much like a contemporary fiction novel about the ins and outs of the publishing industry and then it had a single sprinkle of romance. Don't get me wrong, I think learning more about the publishing industry was super cool and interesting to read about. It's not an area I know much about but want to considering I read so many ARCs and just read a lot in general.
I felt like nothing was happening because most of the book was Bryony's drawn out monologues that went on for what felt like forever. The entire book is from her POV and I'm sure she was written as this cutesy, relatable, quirky character you wanted to root for because she struggled to keep The Bridge above the water financially, her long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, Parker, was fading, and wanting someone to believe in her book and take her on as an author, but she was so stubborn and it drove me crazy. She was told time and time again that her manuscript needed major edits and that's why no one wanted to take her on as an author. It was too long, too detailed, and there were way too many moving parts to keep readers entertained. Even after she's written multiple novels under Amelia Benedict's name, she didn't think to take the things she's learned from becoming a best-selling writer--albeit a ghostwriter--and apply it to her own book because she believed there was nothing that could be changed.
Marketing this or pitching this book with the idea that there's a romance between Jack and Bryony is doing readers a disservice. I think something of note is that this is a clean romance. There's not even mention of anything sexual happening behind closed doors, so if this is something that deters you from reading a romance novel, this isn't the book for you. I don't care whether a book is open-door or not to enjoy it. You can make two characters have chemistry and good character development without them having to do the deed all the time. However, what I do care about is if the characters have romantic chemistry at all. If they have tension. If their romance seems realistic and believable. Jack and Bryony, to me, weren't anything more than just really close friends. After the first chapter, there's a two-year time jump where we suddenly find out that Jack and Bryony are best friends and we have to imagine and assume that a lot of their relationship was developed off-page. There's also a scene where Jack is talking to Bryony and this entire scene literally made me scratch my head:
??????????? Huh??????????? Brother, just say you were in love with her and call it a day.
As for Amelia, I swear she was there for ragebait. She did nothing in the story besides make me mad. That's all I have to say about her.
This was nothing more than a quick palate cleansing read. If you're into long, quirky monologues, this might be the story for you, but it's safe to say that this book was NOT the perfect rom-com I was looking for.
༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･
Content/trigger warnings: mentioned off-page death of a family member
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: ARC #2 this month for mARCh Madness!🍀📚✨For those who don't know, I heard of some people spending March reading as many of their ARCs as possible and I thought it was a cool idea to try out because I have 40+ ARCs to read lol.
So funny story, I entered a Goodreads Giveaway for The Perfect Rom-Com back in January because I was bored...and didn't win (lol who would've thought). After I found out, I went on NetGalley just looking around and not really expecting to see anything that caught my eye since I already had a massive ARC TBR I'm trying to tackle. Next thing I know, I find this was in the "Read Now" section after it was already published and I thought it was a sign so here I am!
I don't think I've read a book about the publishing industry before. I've always wondered how book pitches go and what goes on behind the scenes during the publishing process, so I'm hoping this will be an interesting read!📖✨
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Perfect Rom-Com is available now!
"And I've been in love for quite some time.
I just didn't know it was with him."
༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･
Um...I'm not sure what I expected going into it, but I don't think it was whatever I just finished reading. For a book that's titled The Perfect Rom-Com, the "rom-com" was NOT in the room with us for all 304 pages of the book.
Bryony Page is an aspiring author looking to get anyone to publish her first book. She shows up to her first pitch session trying to get someone to believe in her magic realism-contemporary fiction-literary fiction-romance-semi-biographical mashup of a book that's based on her grandmother's life running The Bridge, an organization Bryony works at teaching ESL. After getting rejected multiple times, her shot in the dark is with Jack Sterling, an agent that works for the prestigious Foundry Literacy Agency. The two strike a deal: Jack takes on Bryony's book while Bryony unexpectedly becomes a ghostwriter for one of Jack's authors: Amelia Benedict, bestselling rom-com author. Years pass as Bryony quietly writes Amelia's novels as Amelia takes credit for all of the success and becomes the top-selling rom-com author in the industry, while Bryony's book she wrote all those years ago for the writers pitch has yet to find a home with anyone.
There honestly isn't much to say about The Perfect Rom-Com. It felt like nothing was happening and nothing was developed. The book is titled the way it is because Amelia makes it Bryony's mission to write her the "perfect rom-com" that will blow all her readers away. Other than that, it didn't feel like I was reading a rom-com. It felt very much like a contemporary fiction novel about the ins and outs of the publishing industry and then it had a single sprinkle of romance. Don't get me wrong, I think learning more about the publishing industry was super cool and interesting to read about. It's not an area I know much about but want to considering I read so many ARCs and just read a lot in general.
I felt like nothing was happening because most of the book was Bryony's drawn out monologues that went on for what felt like forever. The entire book is from her POV and I'm sure she was written as this cutesy, relatable, quirky character you wanted to root for because she struggled to keep The Bridge above the water financially, her long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, Parker, was fading, and wanting someone to believe in her book and take her on as an author, but she was so stubborn and it drove me crazy. She was told time and time again that her manuscript needed major edits and that's why no one wanted to take her on as an author. It was too long, too detailed, and there were way too many moving parts to keep readers entertained. Even after she's written multiple novels under Amelia Benedict's name, she didn't think to take the things she's learned from becoming a best-selling writer--albeit a ghostwriter--and apply it to her own book because she believed there was nothing that could be changed.
Marketing this or pitching this book with the idea that there's a romance between Jack and Bryony is doing readers a disservice. I think something of note is that this is a clean romance. There's not even mention of anything sexual happening behind closed doors, so if this is something that deters you from reading a romance novel, this isn't the book for you. I don't care whether a book is open-door or not to enjoy it. You can make two characters have chemistry and good character development without them having to do the deed all the time. However, what I do care about is if the characters have romantic chemistry at all. If they have tension. If their romance seems realistic and believable. Jack and Bryony, to me, weren't anything more than just really close friends. After the first chapter, there's a two-year time jump where we suddenly find out that Jack and Bryony are best friends and we have to imagine and assume that a lot of their relationship was developed off-page. There's also a scene where Jack is talking to Bryony and this entire scene literally made me scratch my head:
"That for all intents and purposes, up to this point, we have been dating."
"What? No, sir." My ears flame at the boldness of his suggestion. "I think I would know if I am dating someone. And I was dating someone." I clarify with an indignant air, "I was dating Parker, and I was very loyal."
"You were indeed. Maybe I should clarify then," Jack says, and there's a bemused grin on his face as he looks down at me.
He slows the moment down.
Lets silence rest between us, so that only the sounds of humming HVAC systems and cicadas whisper around. He takes a step toward me. "You weren't dating me. But I was dating you."
??????????? Huh??????????? Brother, just say you were in love with her and call it a day.
As for Amelia, I swear she was there for ragebait. She did nothing in the story besides make me mad. That's all I have to say about her.
This was nothing more than a quick palate cleansing read. If you're into long, quirky monologues, this might be the story for you, but it's safe to say that this book was NOT the perfect rom-com I was looking for.
༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･
Content/trigger warnings: mentioned off-page death of a family member
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: ARC #2 this month for mARCh Madness!🍀📚✨For those who don't know, I heard of some people spending March reading as many of their ARCs as possible and I thought it was a cool idea to try out because I have 40+ ARCs to read lol.
So funny story, I entered a Goodreads Giveaway for The Perfect Rom-Com back in January because I was bored...and didn't win (lol who would've thought). After I found out, I went on NetGalley just looking around and not really expecting to see anything that caught my eye since I already had a massive ARC TBR I'm trying to tackle. Next thing I know, I find this was in the "Read Now" section after it was already published and I thought it was a sign so here I am!
I don't think I've read a book about the publishing industry before. I've always wondered how book pitches go and what goes on behind the scenes during the publishing process, so I'm hoping this will be an interesting read!📖✨
October 6, 2024
3 Vainglorious Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 0/5 Only Kissing
𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This follows Bryony Page, an ESL teacher with a mission to save her grandmother's legacy, a foundation and teaching school that helps immigrants learn the English language. To help save this cause she has written a debut novel and is attending a book conference in the hope of finding a literary agent to take on her book. She completely messes up her pitch with one of the most ruthless agents in the business Jack Sterling. But somehow she sparks his interest in something else... so he makes her a proposition to be a ghostwriter for a socialite. Two years later that book became a bestseller and the few after finding similar fame. Now Bryony finds herself in the contractual obligation of being a ghostwriter, all the while still trying to get her book published.
𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I don't have a problem with chick-lit, but it doesn't hook me as much... so given that 90% of this book was chick-lit which focused primarily on Bryony and Bryony's journey, it was hard for me to be invested. It is a first-person story, so we don't see the other characters' thoughts and opinions except through her eyes. While I love what she stood for and what she was hoping to achieve, I find that given the choice of solely focusing it on her, we lost a lot of the connection with the other characters and so their foundation is lacking.
Bryony really shows a lot of dedication and compassion for her cause. She has this profound sense of loyalty to her family and to her grandmother and the legacy that her grandmother started. She is an amazing teacher and shares such a unique and special bond with her students. She's that type of personality that you can't help but instantly connect with and like, and it's one of the things that I think attracted Jack to her the most. One thing I didn't like about Bryony was her "Relationship" with her long-distance ex. They never talk, never interact - he is never featured. His presence felt like it was there just to cause DRAMA...
I didn't really like Jack because I felt like I did not know him. Besides a few snippets, all their interactions are spoken about previously happening and you are never shown their connection really forming. This is one of my pet peeves in a book as I like being shown and not told. By the time the "story" starts years have passed and Jack and Bryony have already established this codependent friendship. It frustrated me that all their moments of "romance forming" were conversations and reminiscing.
I found Jack completely manipulative, and he irritated me that he lied and used Bryony and that he wasn't able to talk to her and communicate. Yes, a few things he did were sweet and cute and can be sappy and perfect for a little rom-com, but the problem was that there wasn't enough of that romance foundation to keep me hooked in the story.
The one element that I did truly like about this, and found interesting was the aspects around the insider world of traditional publishing. It was the reason I kept reading. Seeing all the different elements that it takes to publish a book, with all the steps, hoops and caveats. It's not something that a regular reader like myself is exposed to, so it was pretty interesting to see that element of the plot and how that played into the overall story.
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Strangers to Lovers
▶ Agent X Author
▶ Workplace Romance
▶ Chicklit
▶ Under Table Touching
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Forced Proximity
Overall, if you LIKE Chicklit, I think you might like this book since it's about a woman finding herself, finding her passion, standing up for herself, and in the same process finding love in an unexpected place.
Thank you to Melissa Ferguson, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley for the gifted copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Spicy Level: 0/5 Only Kissing
“Ooooh, she’s going for the rage words,” Gloria says gleefully, knowing how my vocabulary expands when I’m heated up.They say don't judge a book by the cover, and that should possibly also extend to "don't judge a book by its title". I thought I was getting a romcom, I MEAN it's IN THE TITLE... and while there is some element of romance to this plot... this is not a rom-com. This is VERY CLEVERLY DISGUISED CHICKLIT. The problem is while I am "open" in my romance reading, I am PRIMARILY A ROMANCE FOCUSED READER... so I am not the best target market for Chick-lit.
“—only to secure, after said six hours, the most eremitic, vainglorious, and least desirable agent of all time—”
“Vainglorious, I love it,” Gloria interjects.
𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This follows Bryony Page, an ESL teacher with a mission to save her grandmother's legacy, a foundation and teaching school that helps immigrants learn the English language. To help save this cause she has written a debut novel and is attending a book conference in the hope of finding a literary agent to take on her book. She completely messes up her pitch with one of the most ruthless agents in the business Jack Sterling. But somehow she sparks his interest in something else... so he makes her a proposition to be a ghostwriter for a socialite. Two years later that book became a bestseller and the few after finding similar fame. Now Bryony finds herself in the contractual obligation of being a ghostwriter, all the while still trying to get her book published.
𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I don't have a problem with chick-lit, but it doesn't hook me as much... so given that 90% of this book was chick-lit which focused primarily on Bryony and Bryony's journey, it was hard for me to be invested. It is a first-person story, so we don't see the other characters' thoughts and opinions except through her eyes. While I love what she stood for and what she was hoping to achieve, I find that given the choice of solely focusing it on her, we lost a lot of the connection with the other characters and so their foundation is lacking.
Bryony really shows a lot of dedication and compassion for her cause. She has this profound sense of loyalty to her family and to her grandmother and the legacy that her grandmother started. She is an amazing teacher and shares such a unique and special bond with her students. She's that type of personality that you can't help but instantly connect with and like, and it's one of the things that I think attracted Jack to her the most. One thing I didn't like about Bryony was her "Relationship" with her long-distance ex. They never talk, never interact - he is never featured. His presence felt like it was there just to cause DRAMA...
I didn't really like Jack because I felt like I did not know him. Besides a few snippets, all their interactions are spoken about previously happening and you are never shown their connection really forming. This is one of my pet peeves in a book as I like being shown and not told. By the time the "story" starts years have passed and Jack and Bryony have already established this codependent friendship. It frustrated me that all their moments of "romance forming" were conversations and reminiscing.
I found Jack completely manipulative, and he irritated me that he lied and used Bryony and that he wasn't able to talk to her and communicate. Yes, a few things he did were sweet and cute and can be sappy and perfect for a little rom-com, but the problem was that there wasn't enough of that romance foundation to keep me hooked in the story.
The one element that I did truly like about this, and found interesting was the aspects around the insider world of traditional publishing. It was the reason I kept reading. Seeing all the different elements that it takes to publish a book, with all the steps, hoops and caveats. It's not something that a regular reader like myself is exposed to, so it was pretty interesting to see that element of the plot and how that played into the overall story.
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Strangers to Lovers
▶ Agent X Author
▶ Workplace Romance
▶ Chicklit
▶ Under Table Touching
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Forced Proximity
Overall, if you LIKE Chicklit, I think you might like this book since it's about a woman finding herself, finding her passion, standing up for herself, and in the same process finding love in an unexpected place.
Thank you to Melissa Ferguson, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley for the gifted copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 24, 2025
2.5 Stars! 🌟 Huge thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction for the eARC & HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the ALC through NetGalley! 🎧💌
Okay, so, I really wanted to love this one because, hello, it’s called The Perfect Rom-Com—like, sign me up, right?! But OMG, this was anything BUT perfect. 😩 I had soooo many icks with this book that I honestly don’t even know where to start. Let's get into it!
Where’s the romance, though? I mean, come on, we’re promised the perfect rom-com, and I got like... barely any romance! It was all about the setup and not enough about the connection between Bryony and Jack. I swear, the first half of the book was so slow, I felt like I was waiting for the plot to show up. And then there’s this huge time skip that was just meh—why even have it if it didn’t add anything substantial to their relationship? 💤
I really couldn’t care less about the characters. Bryony? Girl, what were you even doing? I didn’t get what was so special about her, and Jack? Let’s just say I’m not buying the chemistry between them. The friends-to-lovers trope felt so forced, and the “slow-burn” felt like it was on pause the whole time. Like, give me some tension, some heat, anything! But no, instead, we get nothing until it’s like—BOOM, they suddenly like each other? Sorry, no. 😒
I also felt like the whole story was trying to juggle too many things and didn’t do any of them well. Is it a workplace romance? Is it about ghostwriting? Is it supposed to have a happy ending? None of it made sense, and the romance? Nonexistent! 😤
Oh, and don’t even get me started on the conflict. 🙄 It was dragged out, awkward, and honestly just didn’t feel right. I get that there’s supposed to be some tension, but it didn’t work for me. I kept waiting for the big romantic moment to hit, and it just... didn’t. 😑
All in all, I wanted so badly to love this book, but it fell flat. It's just not the rom-com vibe I was expecting. So, if you're here for deep character development and slow-building tension—this might be for you. But if you're craving that classic rom-com magic, this ain't it.
Trope check:
📚 Friends-to-Lovers
💘 Agent-Author Dynamic
📚 Workplace Romance
💘 Chick Lit Elements
📚 Tension-Fueled Romance
💘 Slow Burn Romance
Romance light as a feather, no real chemistry 🔥
Final thoughts: Super disappointed. This one’s just not my jam, but hey, others might enjoy it—just wasn’t for me! ✌️
━━━━━━━━━━━⊱♡⊰━━━━━━━━━━
Over 50% in, and I’m honestly so disappointed. 😞 This is literally called The Perfect Rom-Com, but where’s the romance? There’s none! It’s barely even a rom-com at this point. I mean, there’s a little bit of humor, but that’s about it. Where’s the perfect part?
I hate how it’s going. I hate the romance, the way the plot’s going, hate Amelia, and honestly, I don’t like Bryony or Jack either. It’s over 50% in, and NOTHING has happened between the main characters. Not one bit of romance.
It’s a mess, and at this point, I’m just trying to finish it without expecting a single thing. 🤷♀️
━━━━━━━━━━━⊱♡⊰━━━━━━━━━━
So far, I'm about 30% in and... honestly, I'm having some mixed feelings. 😕 I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this isn’t quite it. Hoping it gets better! 🤞 Also, it's making me wonder—how many authors out there are using ghostwriters? So many authors seem to be cranking out books every year, but are they really the ones writing them? I’m not pointing fingers, just wondering. 🙃 Anyway, not really liking Jake or the book right now, but I’m holding on to hope! 🤷♀️
Okay, so, I really wanted to love this one because, hello, it’s called The Perfect Rom-Com—like, sign me up, right?! But OMG, this was anything BUT perfect. 😩 I had soooo many icks with this book that I honestly don’t even know where to start. Let's get into it!
Where’s the romance, though? I mean, come on, we’re promised the perfect rom-com, and I got like... barely any romance! It was all about the setup and not enough about the connection between Bryony and Jack. I swear, the first half of the book was so slow, I felt like I was waiting for the plot to show up. And then there’s this huge time skip that was just meh—why even have it if it didn’t add anything substantial to their relationship? 💤
I really couldn’t care less about the characters. Bryony? Girl, what were you even doing? I didn’t get what was so special about her, and Jack? Let’s just say I’m not buying the chemistry between them. The friends-to-lovers trope felt so forced, and the “slow-burn” felt like it was on pause the whole time. Like, give me some tension, some heat, anything! But no, instead, we get nothing until it’s like—BOOM, they suddenly like each other? Sorry, no. 😒
I also felt like the whole story was trying to juggle too many things and didn’t do any of them well. Is it a workplace romance? Is it about ghostwriting? Is it supposed to have a happy ending? None of it made sense, and the romance? Nonexistent! 😤
Oh, and don’t even get me started on the conflict. 🙄 It was dragged out, awkward, and honestly just didn’t feel right. I get that there’s supposed to be some tension, but it didn’t work for me. I kept waiting for the big romantic moment to hit, and it just... didn’t. 😑
All in all, I wanted so badly to love this book, but it fell flat. It's just not the rom-com vibe I was expecting. So, if you're here for deep character development and slow-building tension—this might be for you. But if you're craving that classic rom-com magic, this ain't it.
Trope check:
📚 Friends-to-Lovers
💘 Agent-Author Dynamic
📚 Workplace Romance
💘 Chick Lit Elements
📚 Tension-Fueled Romance
💘 Slow Burn Romance
Romance light as a feather, no real chemistry 🔥
Final thoughts: Super disappointed. This one’s just not my jam, but hey, others might enjoy it—just wasn’t for me! ✌️
━━━━━━━━━━━⊱♡⊰━━━━━━━━━━
Over 50% in, and I’m honestly so disappointed. 😞 This is literally called The Perfect Rom-Com, but where’s the romance? There’s none! It’s barely even a rom-com at this point. I mean, there’s a little bit of humor, but that’s about it. Where’s the perfect part?
I hate how it’s going. I hate the romance, the way the plot’s going, hate Amelia, and honestly, I don’t like Bryony or Jack either. It’s over 50% in, and NOTHING has happened between the main characters. Not one bit of romance.
It’s a mess, and at this point, I’m just trying to finish it without expecting a single thing. 🤷♀️
━━━━━━━━━━━⊱♡⊰━━━━━━━━━━
So far, I'm about 30% in and... honestly, I'm having some mixed feelings. 😕 I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this isn’t quite it. Hoping it gets better! 🤞 Also, it's making me wonder—how many authors out there are using ghostwriters? So many authors seem to be cranking out books every year, but are they really the ones writing them? I’m not pointing fingers, just wondering. 🙃 Anyway, not really liking Jake or the book right now, but I’m holding on to hope! 🤷♀️
March 17, 2025
I didn't mark this book as "currently reading" cuz I literally read it in one sitting 🫣 I found the audiobook so I did the immersive reading thing - I finished in 4 hours and I love the narrator so much. The FMC has not a single evil bone in her body; it's actually frustrating like girl, go slap that b**ch - my anger issues could never. The MMC though I believe him to be an a**hole If I were the FMC I could never forgive him ANYHOW huge thanks to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction & HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the eARC& ALC 🩷🩷
Find my review on Instagram
Find my review on Instagram
January 26, 2025
Recieved this book via NetGalley as an ARC, so thank you!
I definitely did enjoy this one, however it did take a little longer to get into the storyline as I’d usually prefer. I was 54% of the way through and feel like I’d mainly only received backstory. It was definitely an entertaining read though and very cute 💗
I definitely did enjoy this one, however it did take a little longer to get into the storyline as I’d usually prefer. I was 54% of the way through and feel like I’d mainly only received backstory. It was definitely an entertaining read though and very cute 💗
February 9, 2025
ೀ 2.5★ .ᐟ
𐙚⋆°. finished: 4.2.25
I had to sit through with the rating for a few days since at first I wanted to give it a 4 star but now thinking back it’s a 2.5 star.
It did take me until over half of the book to get into this book. The beginning was so slow and boring. There was simply nothing happening. Also the time skip was so not needed, like why it’s there a whole big time skip were we see that both the main characters have formed a friendship from it. Especially since from the start we can see that they do not like each other. I feel like there was a lot of stuff missing from this story.
Can we talk about the romance that literally comes from out of nowhere. We’re told to believe that both of the characters suddenly developed feelings for one another from all the dates that they apparently had together that we don’t get to see happening at all. There’s literally no chemistry between them.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
ೀ preread ᡣ𐭩
𐙚⋆°. started: 3.2.25
I’m going to be completely honest I do not remember requesting an arc for this book. I feel like the cover drew me in. I’m curious to read this since now reading the synopsis it sounds really interesting.
𐙚⋆°. finished: 4.2.25
I had to sit through with the rating for a few days since at first I wanted to give it a 4 star but now thinking back it’s a 2.5 star.
It did take me until over half of the book to get into this book. The beginning was so slow and boring. There was simply nothing happening. Also the time skip was so not needed, like why it’s there a whole big time skip were we see that both the main characters have formed a friendship from it. Especially since from the start we can see that they do not like each other. I feel like there was a lot of stuff missing from this story.
Can we talk about the romance that literally comes from out of nowhere. We’re told to believe that both of the characters suddenly developed feelings for one another from all the dates that they apparently had together that we don’t get to see happening at all. There’s literally no chemistry between them.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
ೀ preread ᡣ𐭩
𐙚⋆°. started: 3.2.25
I’m going to be completely honest I do not remember requesting an arc for this book. I feel like the cover drew me in. I’m curious to read this since now reading the synopsis it sounds really interesting.
January 5, 2025
*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*
3.75 out of 5 stars!
The Perfect Rom-Com was the second book by Melissa Ferguson - my first being How to Plot a Payback and I enjoyed this one just as much!
Rather than centering on the romance, the story takes a refreshing turn by focusing on the protagonist’s personal growth—her journey through life, coming-of-age, and self-realization. So, it might be better described as a chick lit rather than a typical romance.
This read was heartwarming, engaging, and full of charm!
I know including the topes, especially when it comes to contemporary romance books (including myself) find them very helpful.
So here are some of them:
-Workplace romance
- Forced proximity
- Literary agent
- Friends to lovers
- Ghost writer
- He falls first
I will definitely check out this author's other works more regularly!
_________________________
I read my first book by this author very recently and really enjoyed it. Can’t wait to dive into this very soon. ☺️
3.75 out of 5 stars!
The Perfect Rom-Com was the second book by Melissa Ferguson - my first being How to Plot a Payback and I enjoyed this one just as much!
Rather than centering on the romance, the story takes a refreshing turn by focusing on the protagonist’s personal growth—her journey through life, coming-of-age, and self-realization. So, it might be better described as a chick lit rather than a typical romance.
This read was heartwarming, engaging, and full of charm!
I know including the topes, especially when it comes to contemporary romance books (including myself) find them very helpful.
So here are some of them:
-Workplace romance
- Forced proximity
- Literary agent
- Friends to lovers
- Ghost writer
- He falls first
I will definitely check out this author's other works more regularly!
_________________________
I read my first book by this author very recently and really enjoyed it. Can’t wait to dive into this very soon. ☺️
March 1, 2025
I expected it to be a quick delightful light-hearted "perfect" rom-com but unfortunately it was anything but.
I hate dnf-ing arcs but ugghhh i was suffering way too much to get going further.
Lesson learned:
Pretty Cover & Perfect Title ≠ good book.
Tropes:
☞ Agent x Ghostwriter
☞ Friends to Lovers
☞ Workplace Romance
☞ Forced Proximity
☞ Slow-burn
☞ He falls first
Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the ARC.
I hate dnf-ing arcs but ugghhh i was suffering way too much to get going further.
Lesson learned:
Pretty Cover & Perfect Title ≠ good book.
Tropes:
☞ Agent x Ghostwriter
☞ Friends to Lovers
☞ Workplace Romance
☞ Forced Proximity
☞ Slow-burn
☞ He falls first
Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the ARC.
March 16, 2025
This was just super adorable and fun! I am absolutely in love with the writing style and the way this author describes her world and her characters!
This book is about Bryany and Jack. Bryany is an aspiring author to be and Jack works for an agency. Naturally they meet by Bryany presenting her novel to Jack.
Bryany has been working on her novel for a really long time and has been turned down by agency’s over and over. she puts her last hope on Jack who in turn also turns down her novel. He then shows her an unedited version of a novel by a very popular and well known author, and asks her what’s wrong with it. Bryany in turn is so surprised that she loses her filter and spits out a list of things she thinks are wrong with the book. Jack is so interested in her opinions that he ends up offering her a job as a ghost writer for said author.
At first Bryany is having the best time seeing her own novels get published and seeing how much people love her work but after some time it’s starts becoming very frustrating for her to see another author get all the credit for novels she’s put her body and soul into. At that point though it’s pretty much impossible for to get out of her contract. Meanwhile she’s still trying to get Jack to find someone willing to publish her very first novel but with no success.
The banter between Jack and Bryany was so cute! The way you could so easily tell how head over heels Jack was for her even though she was so clueless! The only thing I did not really like was the miscommunication trope. that’s just always a no for me unfortunately. I feel like sooooooo many things could have been avoided if Bryany would have just taken the time to hear Jack out instead of ghosting him and not giving him any chance to explain his actions. I get she was very upset. (Reasonably so) But she reacted kind of in a childish way.
Overall this was just super fun and fluffy! The characters were all super loveable (except for one obviously) and I had such a blast reading this!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, HarperCollins and the author of this book, Melissa Ferguson, for allowing me the opportunity to read this arc!!
This book is about Bryany and Jack. Bryany is an aspiring author to be and Jack works for an agency. Naturally they meet by Bryany presenting her novel to Jack.
Bryany has been working on her novel for a really long time and has been turned down by agency’s over and over. she puts her last hope on Jack who in turn also turns down her novel. He then shows her an unedited version of a novel by a very popular and well known author, and asks her what’s wrong with it. Bryany in turn is so surprised that she loses her filter and spits out a list of things she thinks are wrong with the book. Jack is so interested in her opinions that he ends up offering her a job as a ghost writer for said author.
At first Bryany is having the best time seeing her own novels get published and seeing how much people love her work but after some time it’s starts becoming very frustrating for her to see another author get all the credit for novels she’s put her body and soul into. At that point though it’s pretty much impossible for to get out of her contract. Meanwhile she’s still trying to get Jack to find someone willing to publish her very first novel but with no success.
The banter between Jack and Bryany was so cute! The way you could so easily tell how head over heels Jack was for her even though she was so clueless! The only thing I did not really like was the miscommunication trope. that’s just always a no for me unfortunately. I feel like sooooooo many things could have been avoided if Bryany would have just taken the time to hear Jack out instead of ghosting him and not giving him any chance to explain his actions. I get she was very upset. (Reasonably so) But she reacted kind of in a childish way.
Overall this was just super fun and fluffy! The characters were all super loveable (except for one obviously) and I had such a blast reading this!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, HarperCollins and the author of this book, Melissa Ferguson, for allowing me the opportunity to read this arc!!
September 12, 2025
જ⁀➴ 4/5 ⭐️
✧.➛ believe me, bryony. you're the only
one getting this look
guys this book was so 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 and perfect for a clean romance!!
it wasn't mainly a romance per se yk but there was lots of cute moments between the fmc and her love interest.
💗 ┆✧ 𝐩𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ༘⋆
heard nothing but great things & i want to read more clean books <333
this author is Christian as well so >> everyone one who's read this enjoyed, soo hoping it's worth it 🤞🤍
✧.➛ believe me, bryony. you're the only
one getting this look
guys this book was so 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 and perfect for a clean romance!!
it wasn't mainly a romance per se yk but there was lots of cute moments between the fmc and her love interest.
💗 ┆✧ 𝐩𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ༘⋆
heard nothing but great things & i want to read more clean books <333
this author is Christian as well so >> everyone one who's read this enjoyed, soo hoping it's worth it 🤞🤍
September 7, 2024
3.5
The perfect rom-com was my first book by Melissa Ferguson and I can say that I’ve enjoyed it!
It was a cozy,heartwarming reading about byrony and aspiring author and a literary agent jack!
while reading byrony’s story i was able to empathize with her and rooting for her and i really loved to read her thoughts about the situations she found herself in.
jack what can i say about him? well he was mysterious in a sort way,manipulating but he was pure affectionate about byrony.
the friendship and the banter between byrony and jack was witty,fun and charming and lovely!
the romance could be considered also as a subplot in my opinion because the focus in particular it’s about byrony’s journey to stand up for herself and follow her dream!
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The perfect rom-com was my first book by Melissa Ferguson and I can say that I’ve enjoyed it!
It was a cozy,heartwarming reading about byrony and aspiring author and a literary agent jack!
while reading byrony’s story i was able to empathize with her and rooting for her and i really loved to read her thoughts about the situations she found herself in.
jack what can i say about him? well he was mysterious in a sort way,manipulating but he was pure affectionate about byrony.
the friendship and the banter between byrony and jack was witty,fun and charming and lovely!
the romance could be considered also as a subplot in my opinion because the focus in particular it’s about byrony’s journey to stand up for herself and follow her dream!
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 7, 2025
2.5
nothing screams romance like having your love interest threatening to sue you.
i really really wanted to enjoy this a lot more than i did.
this book and its summary are incredibly misleading. it feels more like chicklit than a romance (which isn't a bad thing in of itself), and the romance itself comes out of nowhere and we're told these two characters have somehow developed romantic feelings for each other through dates and situations we don't see. we're told about them, but we don't see them happen. it was barely in the book.
the main issue at the climax of the book felt incredibly silly and was made worse by bryony's inability to not take everything personally and to be professional. i don't think the lying was fine, either, but she never tried to understand what happened, never even tried to hear him out. for someone who relies so much on communication, you'd figure girlie would not fall victim to the miscommunication trope. seeing how quickly she forgave him at the end just shows it could have easily been solved if they had just been honest with each other from the start.
the book itself is fine. the writing is fun, albeit repetitive at times (all those tomatoes. when we plant tomatoes, where do we go?), and it felt like we were just trying to get more words in to make the book longer when it could have been said in less words and still have the same impact. i'll pay to never read the word 'poignant' again.
there are too many things trying to be tackled. bryony's book, for example, is made up to be the driving force behind the plot, and we spend the greater portion of this book not hearing about it. the whole issue with the bridge? handwaved. like everything else in this book, it was only important when the plot required it to be.
overall, this is fine. i liked it enough. bryony is a fun character to follow, albeit frustrating at times, but her characterization remained consistent and made sense for the most part (see: the miscommunication above).
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
nothing screams romance like having your love interest threatening to sue you.
i really really wanted to enjoy this a lot more than i did.
this book and its summary are incredibly misleading. it feels more like chicklit than a romance (which isn't a bad thing in of itself), and the romance itself comes out of nowhere and we're told these two characters have somehow developed romantic feelings for each other through dates and situations we don't see. we're told about them, but we don't see them happen. it was barely in the book.
the main issue at the climax of the book felt incredibly silly and was made worse by bryony's inability to not take everything personally and to be professional. i don't think the lying was fine, either, but she never tried to understand what happened, never even tried to hear him out. for someone who relies so much on communication, you'd figure girlie would not fall victim to the miscommunication trope. seeing how quickly she forgave him at the end just shows it could have easily been solved if they had just been honest with each other from the start.
the book itself is fine. the writing is fun, albeit repetitive at times (all those tomatoes. when we plant tomatoes, where do we go?), and it felt like we were just trying to get more words in to make the book longer when it could have been said in less words and still have the same impact. i'll pay to never read the word 'poignant' again.
there are too many things trying to be tackled. bryony's book, for example, is made up to be the driving force behind the plot, and we spend the greater portion of this book not hearing about it. the whole issue with the bridge? handwaved. like everything else in this book, it was only important when the plot required it to be.
overall, this is fine. i liked it enough. bryony is a fun character to follow, albeit frustrating at times, but her characterization remained consistent and made sense for the most part (see: the miscommunication above).
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Read
March 12, 2025This was a fun read.
April 5, 2025
This was cute. I love reading books with bookish themes (ie: her ghost writing, a lot about the publisher/writing world). It was intriguing to go through it right there with the FMC. It was interesting the turn of events and the twist. I loved how the author wrote the depth of the main character and her development throughout the story, it truly made me enjoy the story even more. This was so much greatness in 1 cute little package, I thoroughly enjoyed this!
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
February 12, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(4.5)
Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers' conference hoping to sell her manuscript and save her grandmother’s ESL program. Instead, she lands a ghostwriting gig for rom-com queen Amelia Benedict—who skyrockets to fame under Bryony’s pen. Now, the agency won’t let her go… and neither can Jack Sterling, the agent she never saw coming.
Melissa’s writing is effortlessly charming. I’m always amazed at the tension between playful and emotionally satisfying plots—and I do mean truly emotionally satisfying. The romantic tension had my heart racing and my cheeks blushing. Who would have thought innocent under-the-table touching could be so mesmerizing?
The breeziness of sweet kisses and Jack’s grounded, affectionate words made this so easy to devour. Around 42%, I felt the plot finally starting to take shape, but that’s because I initially consumed this as a romance. I think chick lit is a much better descriptor for the plot’s tone and pacing—there’s a great romantic couple with conflict, but plenty of other elements that contribute to the overall feel.
Also, can we take a moment to appreciate this stunning cover? If you love NYC publishing flirtations (cue TV Land’s Younger), you’re going to breeze through Jack and Bryony’s workplace relationship.
Thank you @tnzfiction for the ARC
Perfect for you if you like:
Swoon-worthy moments
Mix of rom-com and women’s fiction
NYC publishing and workplace romance
Strong, charming writing voice
Similar to:
Cole and Laila are Just Friends by Bethany Turner
The Rom-commers by Katherine Center
Beg, borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams (open-door)
*Also somewhat resembles The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston without the magical realism (open-door)
⛔️closed door romance (kisses only)
⚠️previous death of a parent mentioned
Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers' conference hoping to sell her manuscript and save her grandmother’s ESL program. Instead, she lands a ghostwriting gig for rom-com queen Amelia Benedict—who skyrockets to fame under Bryony’s pen. Now, the agency won’t let her go… and neither can Jack Sterling, the agent she never saw coming.
Melissa’s writing is effortlessly charming. I’m always amazed at the tension between playful and emotionally satisfying plots—and I do mean truly emotionally satisfying. The romantic tension had my heart racing and my cheeks blushing. Who would have thought innocent under-the-table touching could be so mesmerizing?
The breeziness of sweet kisses and Jack’s grounded, affectionate words made this so easy to devour. Around 42%, I felt the plot finally starting to take shape, but that’s because I initially consumed this as a romance. I think chick lit is a much better descriptor for the plot’s tone and pacing—there’s a great romantic couple with conflict, but plenty of other elements that contribute to the overall feel.
Also, can we take a moment to appreciate this stunning cover? If you love NYC publishing flirtations (cue TV Land’s Younger), you’re going to breeze through Jack and Bryony’s workplace relationship.
Thank you @tnzfiction for the ARC
Perfect for you if you like:
Swoon-worthy moments
Mix of rom-com and women’s fiction
NYC publishing and workplace romance
Strong, charming writing voice
Similar to:
Cole and Laila are Just Friends by Bethany Turner
The Rom-commers by Katherine Center
Beg, borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams (open-door)
*Also somewhat resembles The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston without the magical realism (open-door)
⛔️closed door romance (kisses only)
⚠️previous death of a parent mentioned
February 12, 2025
This is such a fun, cute and interesting book that kept me turning the pages to the end. Bryony Page is trying to save her Gran's group, The Bridge, where immigrants are taught English to help them get started in this country. But it needs a lot of financial help. Bryony's solution is to write to raise interest and money. But no one wants to buy it. After pushing her way to talk to an editor at a writing conference, Jack Sterling talks her into ghostwriting for a popular author and the promise to try to get her book published. Interestingly, Bryony's books are far better and really good. But she cannot breathe a word to anyone. A book tour that she has to go on really shows what a princess the author is. I was pulling for Bryony to get her own book published but it doesn't look good. It is really sweet to watch how Jack works with and spends time with Bryony in her element and backs her up but misunderstandings almost end things. Except for the contract. Surprises and smiles abound in the cute rom-com. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my thoughts.
April 7, 2025
my first read of the year, and i absolutely loved it! jack and bryony were such a treat to read about, and honestly, their banter had me hooked from the beginning.
this story follows bryony page, a dedicated ESL teacher by day and aspiring author by night, whose dream is to publish a novel inspired by her grandma’s legacy. bryony hopes the proceeds will help save her gran’s ESL school, which is on the verge of closing due to lack of funding. despite having no formal training in publishing or fame to her name, she pitches her very lengthy manuscript with nothing but determination and heart, hoping to score a book deal. instead, she lands a very demanding ghostwriting gig—courtesy of her new literary agent, jack sterling.
the romance was absolutely charming. it unfolds with humor and tenderness, with jack and bryony’s witty banter and connection adding a layer of sweetness to the story. jack’s quiet support for bryony’s dreams was so heartwarming. he sees bryony’s potential when she’s too busy doubting herself, and that belief becomes the undercurrent of unspoken feelings that slowly bubble to the surface. something jack said to bryony—“you weren’t dating me. but i was dating you”—is, i think, the perfect way to describe them.
if you’re in the mood for a feel-good read, “the perfect rom-com” (a very fitting title, lol) is absolutely worth picking up. the third-act breakup was a little predictable, but the resolution left me smiling anyway.
a special thank you to netgalley and thomas nelson fiction for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
this story follows bryony page, a dedicated ESL teacher by day and aspiring author by night, whose dream is to publish a novel inspired by her grandma’s legacy. bryony hopes the proceeds will help save her gran’s ESL school, which is on the verge of closing due to lack of funding. despite having no formal training in publishing or fame to her name, she pitches her very lengthy manuscript with nothing but determination and heart, hoping to score a book deal. instead, she lands a very demanding ghostwriting gig—courtesy of her new literary agent, jack sterling.
the romance was absolutely charming. it unfolds with humor and tenderness, with jack and bryony’s witty banter and connection adding a layer of sweetness to the story. jack’s quiet support for bryony’s dreams was so heartwarming. he sees bryony’s potential when she’s too busy doubting herself, and that belief becomes the undercurrent of unspoken feelings that slowly bubble to the surface. something jack said to bryony—“you weren’t dating me. but i was dating you”—is, i think, the perfect way to describe them.
if you’re in the mood for a feel-good read, “the perfect rom-com” (a very fitting title, lol) is absolutely worth picking up. the third-act breakup was a little predictable, but the resolution left me smiling anyway.
a special thank you to netgalley and thomas nelson fiction for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
May 8, 2025
3.25/5
In The Perfect Rom-Com, we read the story of Bryony Page, an aspiring writer who dreams of selling her manuscript to raise awareness for The Bridge, an organization where she works with her grandmother that helps immigrants by providing ESL classes and prep classes for GED. While in the writer's convention, she meets Jack, a literary agent who works for a prestigious literary Agency; and instead of Jack accepting her manuscript, Jack offers her the role of being a ghostwriter for one of the most famous authors.
Unfortunately, the pace of this story was very slow and started to feel the chemistry between the characters until the last 15% of the story.
Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
In The Perfect Rom-Com, we read the story of Bryony Page, an aspiring writer who dreams of selling her manuscript to raise awareness for The Bridge, an organization where she works with her grandmother that helps immigrants by providing ESL classes and prep classes for GED. While in the writer's convention, she meets Jack, a literary agent who works for a prestigious literary Agency; and instead of Jack accepting her manuscript, Jack offers her the role of being a ghostwriter for one of the most famous authors.
Unfortunately, the pace of this story was very slow and started to feel the chemistry between the characters until the last 15% of the story.
Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 15, 2025
Stay with it. I promise if you just stay with it and don't form any judgment, you will like it. I was ready to DNF at about 8%. I was tired, bored, so I decided to sleep on it. When Bryony found her hutzpah I decided to read a little more and found a delightful little Rom-Com which, if real, is a look at the down and dirty of the publishing industry along with a cute little clean romance. I don't read much Contemporary Romance, but every once in a while, I do like an escape from all the murder and mayhem I usually read, and Melissa Ferguson has provided that in the past. If escape from your winter doldrums is what you're looking for, this book is it.
Having written her first novel which she poured her heart and soul into, Bryony Page set off for a writer's convention with the goal of finding an agent which will take her masterpiece and make its' publication a reality. What she finds is not very sympathetic people telling her the beloved manuscript is too long and genre bending to ever be published. Her last meeting results in a proposition, but not at all what Bryony was looking for.
Jack Stirling is "the" agent. He has a magic touch, and his authors all have bestsellers. Having pulled the short straw at Foundry Literary Agency he is stuck at this writer's convention and bored silly. Bryony Page is his last wanna be writer, then he's out of there. Her proposal is absurdly long, and her manuscript is waaaay long too. This is just not going to work, but he sees unpolished talent here and offers her a job ghostwriting for his bestselling client, Amelia Benedict a popular rom-com novelist.
Thus begins a love - hate relationship. Bryony needs the money, experience and opportunity to learn the publishing industry, but she hates when her ghostwritten books become best sellers and a selfish, egotistical airhead gets credit. But Jack has promised to find a publisher for her baby, and he is sorta hanging around a lot. Her book is about her grandmother and the founding of The Bridge, a school dedicated to easing the transition for immigrants. Bryony teaches ESL there and her book will bring awareness to this organization, which badly needs funding.
Two years in and Bryony has written bestsellers and still no one will publish her book. Is Jack stringing her alone? She is making him a lot of money as a ghostwriter, but she wants more. She wants recognition and her book published. What does Jack really want? 3 1/2-Stars
My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.
Having written her first novel which she poured her heart and soul into, Bryony Page set off for a writer's convention with the goal of finding an agent which will take her masterpiece and make its' publication a reality. What she finds is not very sympathetic people telling her the beloved manuscript is too long and genre bending to ever be published. Her last meeting results in a proposition, but not at all what Bryony was looking for.
Jack Stirling is "the" agent. He has a magic touch, and his authors all have bestsellers. Having pulled the short straw at Foundry Literary Agency he is stuck at this writer's convention and bored silly. Bryony Page is his last wanna be writer, then he's out of there. Her proposal is absurdly long, and her manuscript is waaaay long too. This is just not going to work, but he sees unpolished talent here and offers her a job ghostwriting for his bestselling client, Amelia Benedict a popular rom-com novelist.
Thus begins a love - hate relationship. Bryony needs the money, experience and opportunity to learn the publishing industry, but she hates when her ghostwritten books become best sellers and a selfish, egotistical airhead gets credit. But Jack has promised to find a publisher for her baby, and he is sorta hanging around a lot. Her book is about her grandmother and the founding of The Bridge, a school dedicated to easing the transition for immigrants. Bryony teaches ESL there and her book will bring awareness to this organization, which badly needs funding.
Two years in and Bryony has written bestsellers and still no one will publish her book. Is Jack stringing her alone? She is making him a lot of money as a ghostwriter, but she wants more. She wants recognition and her book published. What does Jack really want? 3 1/2-Stars
My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.
February 14, 2025
Talk about a fun book! The Perfect Rom-Com is a delightful and witty romance that was the wonderful lighthearted escape!
✔️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Forced Proximity
Friends to lovers
Ghost writer
Fun supporting cast
Laugh out loud moments
Slow burn romance
🩷 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲?
I loved following Bryony and Jack’s building romance and found myself rooting for them to find each other from the very first chapter.
🔥Steam Level - Clean romance
📖 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
This was a steady paced story that I couldn’t get enough of.
✨ 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
If you are looking for a fun story to lose yourself in, that is full of lively characters, and humor, then I hope you pick this book up to read soon.
Thank you Thomas Nelson and Uplit for my gifted copies in exchange for my honest opinion.
✔️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Forced Proximity
Friends to lovers
Ghost writer
Fun supporting cast
Laugh out loud moments
Slow burn romance
🩷 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲?
I loved following Bryony and Jack’s building romance and found myself rooting for them to find each other from the very first chapter.
🔥Steam Level - Clean romance
📖 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
This was a steady paced story that I couldn’t get enough of.
✨ 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
If you are looking for a fun story to lose yourself in, that is full of lively characters, and humor, then I hope you pick this book up to read soon.
Thank you Thomas Nelson and Uplit for my gifted copies in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 28, 2024
1.5 stars. This review makes me so so sad to write. Because I’m always looking for new closed door/no spice romance authors to read from. However, this book was a huge miss for me.
I’ll start with my one big win! I loved that this was set in the world of publishing. Bryony is an author trying to break into the world of publishing the love interest character (Jack) is her agent.
Unfortunately it goes downhill from there. After Jack and Bryony meet and Jack is an absolute jerk to her, there is a 2 year time jump and the reader is just told that they’ve become best friends… Umm that’s the whole building of the relationship!! And none of it is on the page! So there is literally zero chemistry as all the reader has seen of these two characters is an awkward encounter and Jack being an a-hole!
For the whole middle of the book nothing happens and then we find out Jack has been lying to Bryony the whole time. Two strikes for Jack.
But then ending is an over-the-top, plot-hole-filled madness and everybody forgives Jack and they live happily ever after. WHAAAAT!!!
This synopsis had so much potential.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson.
I’ll start with my one big win! I loved that this was set in the world of publishing. Bryony is an author trying to break into the world of publishing the love interest character (Jack) is her agent.
Unfortunately it goes downhill from there. After Jack and Bryony meet and Jack is an absolute jerk to her, there is a 2 year time jump and the reader is just told that they’ve become best friends… Umm that’s the whole building of the relationship!! And none of it is on the page! So there is literally zero chemistry as all the reader has seen of these two characters is an awkward encounter and Jack being an a-hole!
For the whole middle of the book nothing happens and then we find out Jack has been lying to Bryony the whole time. Two strikes for Jack.
But then ending is an over-the-top, plot-hole-filled madness and everybody forgives Jack and they live happily ever after. WHAAAAT!!!
This synopsis had so much potential.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2025
This is exactly as advertised: The Perfect Romcom!
Perfect for all readers, Bryony Page's struggle through the literary world is a sweet tale with no open door scenes, language appropriate for sharing with your great aunt and plenty of giggles.
I LOVE books about books, so when I saw the opportunity to listen to the ALC from NetGally on my drives, I jumped. The narration is splendid.
The book itself has so many colorful characters, they feel like friends in the end. The author clearly has a passion for publishing struggles, but more so for teaching ESL. I highly recommend for those that love simple romance without any undressed scenes!
Perfect for all readers, Bryony Page's struggle through the literary world is a sweet tale with no open door scenes, language appropriate for sharing with your great aunt and plenty of giggles.
I LOVE books about books, so when I saw the opportunity to listen to the ALC from NetGally on my drives, I jumped. The narration is splendid.
The book itself has so many colorful characters, they feel like friends in the end. The author clearly has a passion for publishing struggles, but more so for teaching ESL. I highly recommend for those that love simple romance without any undressed scenes!
April 23, 2025
The Perfect Rom-Com is my third time reading Melissa Ferguson and it also happens to be my new favorite by her! I loved that the romance was a slow burn, and that a lot of the book was about Bryony being a ghostwriter. Unfortunately, the woman she is ghostwriting for was horrible, but I loved Bryony and Jack as well as many of the secondary characters. I also thought it was an excellent idea for Ferguson to include her own experiences with teaching ESL by giving it to Bryony as her job while she is also trying to get her own novel published. Those students (as well as her grandma) stole my heart and there were lots of pretty funny scenes featuring them as well.
My recommendation is to go with the audiobook, and you won’t be sorry. Karissa Vacker’s narration for Bryony was absolutely perfect and I had no issues with her pacing or the editing of the audio. It also made the funny bits even more entertaining, and I loved her narration for the other characters as well. The ending was totally unexpected, but I thought it was perfection and though I didn’t love a certain something Jack did, I enjoyed the way he redeemed himself by the end and I was happy with the resolution. This would be a great book to grab for the beach and it will keep you reading from start to finish!
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My recommendation is to go with the audiobook, and you won’t be sorry. Karissa Vacker’s narration for Bryony was absolutely perfect and I had no issues with her pacing or the editing of the audio. It also made the funny bits even more entertaining, and I loved her narration for the other characters as well. The ending was totally unexpected, but I thought it was perfection and though I didn’t love a certain something Jack did, I enjoyed the way he redeemed himself by the end and I was happy with the resolution. This would be a great book to grab for the beach and it will keep you reading from start to finish!
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
September 22, 2024
This should have been titled, “The Worst Rom-Com”.
I love books that have publishing as part of the plot line so I kept reading because the glimpses into that world are fascinating, but that was one of the few redeeming qualities in this book.
The writing style was so distracting. An incomplete sentence can give emphasis to a point, or to implement an element of surprise, or shock, or a litany of other uses. But. Every. Freaking. Sentence. Is. So. Annoying. It’s lazy writing.
The supporting characters were nonexistent and void of any personality. Her boyfriend of two plus years? Mentioned twice in the first half of the book. Her sister Gloria? (Every time she talked to her sister, I would get confused because I’d think she was talking to her grandma because what kind of name is Gloria for anyone under the age of 99?) A vapid cheerleader who exists only to bring toxic positivity to our leading lady. And Byrony herself? Immature and probably should have been fired from her job the second she started.
For a romance, there is no chemistry. No slow build up of the relationship. Everything interesting has happened in the past tense. The midnight phone calls. The party where everything changed. The late nights that she stays up to hit a deadline. Why aren’t we in the moment for these scenes? I’m told they are best friends, but we don’t actually see any of it happen.
Omg that ending was… an Olympic sized swimming pool full of plot holes. There would have been so many lawyers coming after each and every character in the book, the lawsuits would have had lawsuits. Now THAT would have actually been interesting to read about. I would have actually preferred the characters to go to jail because I didn’t even like any of them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC.
I love books that have publishing as part of the plot line so I kept reading because the glimpses into that world are fascinating, but that was one of the few redeeming qualities in this book.
The writing style was so distracting. An incomplete sentence can give emphasis to a point, or to implement an element of surprise, or shock, or a litany of other uses. But. Every. Freaking. Sentence. Is. So. Annoying. It’s lazy writing.
The supporting characters were nonexistent and void of any personality. Her boyfriend of two plus years? Mentioned twice in the first half of the book. Her sister Gloria? (Every time she talked to her sister, I would get confused because I’d think she was talking to her grandma because what kind of name is Gloria for anyone under the age of 99?) A vapid cheerleader who exists only to bring toxic positivity to our leading lady. And Byrony herself? Immature and probably should have been fired from her job the second she started.
For a romance, there is no chemistry. No slow build up of the relationship. Everything interesting has happened in the past tense. The midnight phone calls. The party where everything changed. The late nights that she stays up to hit a deadline. Why aren’t we in the moment for these scenes? I’m told they are best friends, but we don’t actually see any of it happen.
Omg that ending was… an Olympic sized swimming pool full of plot holes. There would have been so many lawyers coming after each and every character in the book, the lawsuits would have had lawsuits. Now THAT would have actually been interesting to read about. I would have actually preferred the characters to go to jail because I didn’t even like any of them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC.
February 3, 2025
Thank you so much to Melissa Ferguson, Thomas Nelson Publishing and NetGalley for providing me a gifted copy of this eARC.
Full review can be found posted on my Instagram @tab.talks.books in 5-7 days.
Full review can be found posted on my Instagram @tab.talks.books in 5-7 days.
February 11, 2025
I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.
Let’s begin by saying that the title of this book has very little to do with the category of fiction it belongs in. While there is a bit of rom-com, that definitely is not the main theme. What is it about? Well, the reason I selected the book is because it’s about the publishing industry; a place I worked for 25+ years and loved every minute of it.
How accurate is the publishing stuff? Some of it is bang on. The antagonist is a wretched author - entitled by birth and successful due to the labors of others. I took more than a few just like her on tour, back in my early days…eewww. Other elements, like the potential legalities of the ending? THAT is a travesty or you could chalk it up to an huge fictitious plot point and suspend your rational thinking for the sake of reading enjoyment. There’s a bunch of other details about publishing that’s spot on so if you’re interested in that aspect, the story be enjoyable.
It’s hard for me to say the story is well written because the grammar is incredibly frustrating. Author, Melissa Ferguson, needs to learn how to write a compound sentence. The word: AND, is a conjunction. It’s used to connect two clauses or phrases. You do not start sentences with it! I am SO over this lazy approach to writing and TikTok short everything. Argh! Her writing is replete with non-sentences, floating conjunction clauses, and poorly identified speakers.
Still, there’s a charming quality to this story. Bryony, the main character, has a strong sense of family, desire to help others, is committed to her word, works incredibly hard and perseveres, whatever it takes. Written as a first person accounting, she is the only character we get to know well, so it’s a good thing she’s tolerable. I really wanted to know more about her Grandmother, Jack and best friend. Very little relationship information is provided or developed. Considering this story spans 2 plus years, that’s a big missed opportunity, IMO. I liked what I did know but wanted so much more.
Told without any foul language, sexual content or violence, THE PERFECT ROM-COM can be read by anyone interested in the story content, including your 13 year olds📚
Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC with thanks
Let’s begin by saying that the title of this book has very little to do with the category of fiction it belongs in. While there is a bit of rom-com, that definitely is not the main theme. What is it about? Well, the reason I selected the book is because it’s about the publishing industry; a place I worked for 25+ years and loved every minute of it.
How accurate is the publishing stuff? Some of it is bang on. The antagonist is a wretched author - entitled by birth and successful due to the labors of others. I took more than a few just like her on tour, back in my early days…eewww. Other elements, like the potential legalities of the ending? THAT is a travesty or you could chalk it up to an huge fictitious plot point and suspend your rational thinking for the sake of reading enjoyment. There’s a bunch of other details about publishing that’s spot on so if you’re interested in that aspect, the story be enjoyable.
It’s hard for me to say the story is well written because the grammar is incredibly frustrating. Author, Melissa Ferguson, needs to learn how to write a compound sentence. The word: AND, is a conjunction. It’s used to connect two clauses or phrases. You do not start sentences with it! I am SO over this lazy approach to writing and TikTok short everything. Argh! Her writing is replete with non-sentences, floating conjunction clauses, and poorly identified speakers.
Still, there’s a charming quality to this story. Bryony, the main character, has a strong sense of family, desire to help others, is committed to her word, works incredibly hard and perseveres, whatever it takes. Written as a first person accounting, she is the only character we get to know well, so it’s a good thing she’s tolerable. I really wanted to know more about her Grandmother, Jack and best friend. Very little relationship information is provided or developed. Considering this story spans 2 plus years, that’s a big missed opportunity, IMO. I liked what I did know but wanted so much more.
Told without any foul language, sexual content or violence, THE PERFECT ROM-COM can be read by anyone interested in the story content, including your 13 year olds📚
Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC with thanks
November 4, 2024
no, this was in fact not the perfect rom com. it’s a quick palette cleanser and absolutely nothing else.
if you’re looking for a short, quick, fluffy little romance book then i would recommend this! i liked the writing, it was cheesy in the best ways, and served its purpose for why i picked it up when i did.
with that being said a lot threw me off. the timeline most of all because ??? there was a jump of a few years where the characters really formed their relationship and we MISSED IT. it was the worst possible place you could’ve put in a time jump. it also felt like there was a lot missing from the story? plot holes or forgotten points or whatever, it felt like the story itself didn’t go through any beta reading.
so this was okay, like i said it served its purpose and if you go in with low expectations then you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised.
thank you to netgalley & thomas nelson fiction for the arc!! all opinions are my own <3
pre-read:
13 hours into the readathon and pulling out the red bulls 😻 in need of something light n cutesy rn so hopefully this is exactly that (also getting through arcs!! woo!!)
if you’re looking for a short, quick, fluffy little romance book then i would recommend this! i liked the writing, it was cheesy in the best ways, and served its purpose for why i picked it up when i did.
with that being said a lot threw me off. the timeline most of all because ??? there was a jump of a few years where the characters really formed their relationship and we MISSED IT. it was the worst possible place you could’ve put in a time jump. it also felt like there was a lot missing from the story? plot holes or forgotten points or whatever, it felt like the story itself didn’t go through any beta reading.
so this was okay, like i said it served its purpose and if you go in with low expectations then you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised.
thank you to netgalley & thomas nelson fiction for the arc!! all opinions are my own <3
pre-read:
13 hours into the readathon and pulling out the red bulls 😻 in need of something light n cutesy rn so hopefully this is exactly that (also getting through arcs!! woo!!)
October 20, 2024
2.75-3 stars.
Look okay - it was fine. Nothing spectacular, but cute, fun and short. Oh so short. Literally when I telly you the PDF was 304 pages with big ish text.
Was it The Perfect Rom-Com? No. Far from it.
But it was cute.
The problems I have with it:
-Timing - we skipped the 2 years in which the characters go from hating each other to best friends, basically the entire relationship buildup. It went from hate, to friends, to dating. With no detail about the hate to friends except in tiny flashbacks.
-The ending - you can't tell me that nobody would be suing at the end of this. Read and you'll find out but genuinely the plot holes were massive. It was genuinely kind of distracting tbh
-The characters felt a bit empty in places.
Recommend if you're looking for a short fun book to not obsess over but kind of a palette cleanser yk.
Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Look okay - it was fine. Nothing spectacular, but cute, fun and short. Oh so short. Literally when I telly you the PDF was 304 pages with big ish text.
Was it The Perfect Rom-Com? No. Far from it.
But it was cute.
The problems I have with it:
-Timing - we skipped the 2 years in which the characters go from hating each other to best friends, basically the entire relationship buildup. It went from hate, to friends, to dating. With no detail about the hate to friends except in tiny flashbacks.
-The ending - you can't tell me that nobody would be suing at the end of this. Read and you'll find out but genuinely the plot holes were massive. It was genuinely kind of distracting tbh
-The characters felt a bit empty in places.
Recommend if you're looking for a short fun book to not obsess over but kind of a palette cleanser yk.
Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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