I have enjoyed every book I have read by Melissa and this book continues to show she is an amazing author.

I love my sleep but apparently my brain loved this book more and I couldn’t go to sleep because this book kept me to interested. I really loved everything about it. The characters and the storyline, so good. I wouldn’t say this is a Christian read, as I don’t think Jesus is mentioned once, but it’s a good clean read.

Melissa had me questioning things even though I was so sure about something but she did a good job of making me wonder.

If you love contemporary romance I am sure you will love this book.

A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy of ‘Meet Me in the Margins’ by Melissa Ferguson. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

The summary of this caught my interest as an editor who secretly writes romance is helped by a mysterious editor she starts to fall for. Unfortunately this wasn’t a great read for me but on the plus side it was a fast one since I couldn’t put the book down until the sleeziest character finally got acknowledged for his sleeze although he didn’t get the harsh beat down that he truly deserved. (F U Ferris/Farris however you spell it).

So Savannah is the editor protagonist and she’s a total doormat. She also seems really bad at her job as she does nothing but work on her secret romance manuscript and seems annoyed by and neglects her authors. She thinks kissing is “gross” and her manuscript gets rejected by some big name publishing person who inexplicably gives Savannah another chance to write the thing. A mysterious editor starts leaving her harsh editorial notes and Savannah rewrites her story while falling for the guy leaving the notes. The mysterious editor is “secretly” her boss but he’s hardly ever around. Savannah somehow falls for her boss too despite them having no chemistry and then she’s torn between the mysterious editor who she isn’t sure is her boss and her actual boss. She also snitches on the other coworkers and gets people fired. So nepotism is bad for other coworkers and is only ok when it helps Savannah. I kept waiting for some sort of undercover boss situation where the boss she had a crush on surprised her by firing her because of her working on her manuscript instead of doing her job.

The main thing that kept me going through this book was wanting to see Farris called out for being awful. He and Savannah dated for EIGHT YEARS and then he breaks it off with her and gets engaged to her younger sister. And everyone is just going along with it because “family is loyal” and it was so gross. Like Savannah your sister sucks and your parents suck and Farris absolutely sucks. Please get a spine. Savannah’s sister and Farris also let Savannah live with them (ew) and Savannah’s sister micromanages all their lives and is basically giving Savannah an eating disorder. But family is loyal so it’s fine (ew again). This feeling of confusion that what I was reading was just bonkers kept me turning the pages. Farris is creepy towards Savannah and even tries to get her back. Savannah then goes to comfort her awful sister who overheard the whole thing. What is wrong with all these people? Everyone needs therapy.

After all those rewrites, Savannah’s manuscript is rejected again which made me laugh because I assumed she’d get it handed to her on a silver platter. She has to query like every other author and finally realizes how it feels when she has to reject authors. Omg she never realized how hard it is to be rejected! I wanted to smack her on behalf of all the authors stuck in the query trenches. But then the silver platter comes back in with the previously stuffy small publisher where Savannah works expanding to allow for the dreaded commercial fiction and even gasp “sweet and uplifting romance.” Never mind that romance keeps the lights on in publishing but this supposed romance book spends most of the pages making it seem like being a romance reader and writer is something to be ashamed of. Maybe this would have done better as women’s fiction? Anyway, Savannah’s publisher boss basically hands her a book deal and he’s revealed to be her mystery editor (duh). So now they can be in love while publishing continues to be on fire and editors and agents quit in droves.

Very unrealistic and there wasn’t anyone to root for. I basically flew through this because I was actively rooting against Farris and waiting for someone to confront how creepy and awful he was. I hope a piano falls on him.

2/5 stars

I started this book last night around 11 (published February 2022). My iPad needed charged, so I was reading in my phone. I set timers so I would stay up too late. I also turned those timers off. I thought “just another chapter.” I reached that chapter around 2:30. (FYI-the “one chapter” was the last one.)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for making me stay up half the night reading, chuckling along the way.

#amareads #iread #readingismyfavorite #bookstagram #romancereads #bookreview #MeetMeintheMargins #NetGalley

I have been wanting to read Meet Me In The Margins by Melissa Ferguson for awhile now and am kicking myself for not prioritizing it sooner!

Savannah is an editor at a publishing house and is secretly writing a romance novel. She leaves her manuscript unattended and finds someone has made notes in the margins. The notes are good so she keeps the game going. Who could this mystery editor be?

I absolutely adored this book❤️❤️.
The premise was unique, the characters relatable and the Savannah’s inner monologue throughout the book was great!

I also really enjoyed a sneak peak into the publishing world, all of the book talk, and the ARC room as described just sounds wonderful!

I listened to this on audio and the narrator was great which really enhanced my experience with this book! I would definitely put this high on your TBR!

{Thank you to @netgalley and @thomasnelson for this gifted copy}

Meet Me in the Margins was exactly what a RomCom book should be. The characters were likable, and you knew they were going to end up together, but you weren't sure how it would happen. As an avid reader, I loved the setting of the publishing world! It was so fun to learn about. My only complaint was that this book wasn't longer. I would love to hear what happens to the characters!

What a cute read!

This is an office romance between two people who work in book publishing (romance + books about books = heaven). It's very sweet.

My only problem with the story was the too convenient character growth with our protagonist's sister / the lack of redemption for the parents. It was the epitome of a crappy family dynamic in the romance genre.

I absolutely loved the romance and how it was kept clean! It didn’t skimp on the feels and was just overly wonderful and made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Hello fun, hello cute, hello bookish book!!! I loved this read!!! I love a book about books! The mystery editor was my favorite part of this book. Savannah was charming and I loved her story! I also love me a slow burn and I loved that there were a few laugh out loud moments throughout.

This is the perfect read! Reading romance books gives me the vibes but what more if our MC is also a book writer?? Not only that but we have an ARC room! What the h is that!? Not only that again but she accidentally left her manuscript in the ARC room and only to return it having edit suggestions in the margin! What kind of sorcery is that?

This is a funny and cute story it will feel like you're watching a Hallmark movie with your loved ones. Lol. I highly recommend for a fast, easy and light read!

I've been getting back into the romance genre lately and this was a really cute story! Loved that it was set at a publishing company between an author and [mystery] editor. It was good but not great. Still enjoyed it!

I unfortunately did not finish this book. I made it about 60% of the way through. It was hard for me to get into. I felt like there were too many side stories and I didn't really understand the plot of the story. I felt like the whole time I was reading it I was having a hard time deciding what the point of the plot was. I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. It was too hard for me to feel connected.

I have to start off by saying I loved this book, I am quite a big fan of romantic comedies but it has been a while since one has grabbed me as much as this.

The first thing which drew me in was the setting. As a writer and avid reader, having a book set in a publishing house is straight away a win and it was fascinating how the writer set the scene and showed us the dynamics of this particular publisher. From the straight laced, traditional, doesn’t like change owner to the typical popular, bossy, pretty gets-her-own-way editor, we see all sorts of personalities in this small office.

It was also really intriguing being introduced to many of their own authors especially the infamous, but very socially awkward, Oswald, who is adorable and really adds another another layer of comedy to the novel.

This is a story about determination, ambition, refusing to give up even when deadlines seem impossible as well as accepting when you need help.

To me, everything from the characters, pacing, scene setting and personalities were executed so well and I read this in 2 days as I just couldn’t stop reading it. The way the writer describes each scene really emerges you into the action and made me empathise and relate to Savannah completely. Without giving anything away, at the end I had butterflies and had all the feels, and I closed the book with a big smile on my face.

Are you a big fan of romantic comedies? Which is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – if you are a fan of rom coms you need to check this one out. Emotional, fun and a fantastic immersive read.

REVIEW // MEET ME IN THE MARGINS by Melissa Ferguson

Who doesn't love a book about books? Meet Me in the Margins, for the most part, was a sweet read. We had a great setting (publishing house + secret Narnia room...yes, please), interesting (very) minor characters, and the secret-editor storyline.

However, there were quite a few things that just didn't work for me.
1️⃣Savannah's (our main character) sister's unhealthy obsession with working out and weight loss (and also engaged to her former serious boyfriend...ew)
2️⃣Really Savannah's whole family. Literally the worst.
3️⃣I knew it was going to be a pretty clean romance, which is fine, but it was so G rated that I'm not sure I'm convinced they'd have more beyond the page.

If you are a zero spice romcom lover who needs an escape read, this is a great option for you. I would just recommend not focusing too much on the side plots.

Thank you to @netgalley and Thomas Nelson for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Meet Me in the Margins is out now.

#review #bookreview #netgalley #meetmeinthemargins #bookstagram #bookblogger #booksaboutbooks

I totally wanted to read this book for the publishing life aspect- I find it so fascinating! I adored this story. I thought the characters of Savannah and Will were fun and had a great spark- overall I enjoyed the mystery around the manuscript (and I thought I knew, then I didn't but then I thought I knew... I was wrong) Fun story and easy to read- especially when you are looking for something light but not meaningless!! Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Meet Me in the Margins was another book about the world of publishing, but was definitely a fun romcom, as well as a book about books, authors and publishing. Savannah Cade is a low-level editor at Pennington Publishing, a prestigious publisher producing only the highest of highbrow titles, non-fiction and literary fiction. It's owner/CEO, Ms. Pennington, is a bit uppity and demanding, and has no use for popular fiction. With the company losing money and possibly in danger of closing it's doors, she announces a new VP, her son William Pennington, who worked for ten years at one of the more successful publishing houses but was let go a few months before. Savannah is secretly writing a romance novel to take to a Romance Publishing House, but it needs work. She leaves it in the Book Nook—a secret room in the publishing house where ARCs fill the shelves. Someone else also knows about the Book Nook and finds Savannah's manuscript. When that person takes it upon him/herself to edit her story, she is not happy. Finding out that those edits are exactly what Claire Donovan, the editor she submits her story to, suggests, they begin a relationship in notes and letters that turns romantic. Who is the secret editor? Will her book ever get published? Is romance in the pages for Savannah and her secret editor.

I loved Savannah's character. She has a lot going on in her life, a busy fulltime job, a deadline to rewrite her book, dealing with a breakup of her longtime boyfriend who is now engaged to her sister, and worry about working with her new boss. She is also smart, observant, caring, good at her job, and loyal to the company doing what she can to help it stay afloat. I loved the secret editor storyline. It was witty, sweet and swoony. I liked how they revealed bits of their personal life to one another. I thought I knew who it was and I was correct, but it was fun getting to that point. I was rooting for Savannah to find her place in the world of publishing, as well as becoming an accomplished author. This is an uplifting, fun, story that appealed to my desire for clean romance. I recommend this one to those who enjoy a PG romcom that is sure to entertain.

What a delightful read.
I love a book about books and publishing. The the characters were quirky and whimsical especially the main protagonist.
Bonus star for the Country music singers and Nashville mentions.
I'm really enjoying this Authors work as well as her Instagram!
Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson and the Author melissa Ferguson for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. There were times where I felt that it could have been done a little bit better. This was the definition of a hallmark movie book, everything was perfect and pretty and nothing bad happened. There was very little affection through the book, it was just G-rated love in a you got mail format. I love that this book focused around books, but it was a little bit predictable at times. If you just want an overall happy and easy romance, then this would be perfect for you!

I love a book about books and this was no exception! Meet Me in the Margins was a fun and cute read. I really enjoyed the setting of the publishing house. I found this one easy to get into and the pacing was good.

Overall, the characters were fun. I loved Savannah and Will! The mystery of who the secret editor was made it interesting (even tho we all knew). I wish Savannah found out a little bit earlier but this was definitely the definition of a slow-burn romance.

I found the storyline surrounding Savannah's sister to be quite annoying. I'm glad it was acknowledged how unsustainable her lifestyle was but overall I didn't love the conversations around overexercise and weight loss. I found it took away from my experience while reading this book.

If you're looking for a quick, cute, slow-burn, office and slightly enemies to amiable coworkers to lovers romance then this is your book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

This was a really cute and short read. It took me a while to get into the book but when I did the characters had me cackling.
I enjoyed the chemistry between the Savannah and Will. There were some scenes where I wanted to scream and shout for them to ‘get together already!’ and it just added to the fun.

A very good insight into the publishing industry and what an editor and a writer goes thru to get a book published. Throw in a cute romance, a competitive family, wacky librarians at conferences,
pretentious writers and an aspiring county singer - this story has it all.