The writing style did not appeal to me. However, I found the character as well as the narrative to be tedious and unfocused. Sorry, but I was not able to finish the book.

I'm really in two minds about this book as there was aspects I absolutely adored and parts that I just felt didn't work so well.

The characters were a big hit for me, our story was narrated by Savannah who clearly is having a hard time feeling like she's the least successful of the family. Savannah's character, whilst annoying at points I will admit, was like a breath of fresh air and I found it really pleasant to read the book from her POV.

I also liked our side characters, although I do feel the author could have taken a little more time to develop them and include them in the story more, it would have added real value for me.

The writing itself was another high point, as I felt the author managed to craft this glorious setting for Meet Me in the Margins... It's set in a publishing house!!! Our main character is an editor!!! I honestly got so excited when I started reading it and I learnt this information. It felt incredibly real as the author was writing about an ARC room and how bookfluencers can get their hands on early release copies, it just felt like I'd been transported into a magical dream.

However, I did feel that the plot let this book down. It didn't feel to me as if this book had a purpose or an end goal. I found myself struggling at points to really get stuck into the story and hooked on it. Which I think is part of the reason why it took me quite a while to read it.

And on the same vein, the romance aspect of this story just didn't work. It felt more like an afterthought, as other than a few comments here and there about Savannah's crush and her love life it only really came to fruition in the epilogue. It felt very rushed to me.

On the whole, Meet Me in the Margins was definitely a book I enjoyed reading! I just felt it needed a bit more on the romance side to really help this story elevate itself.

MEET ME IN THE MARGINS - MELISSA FERGUSON
Savannah Cade working as an assistant acquisition s editor at Pennington publication has secretly written a romance book and a successful editor in chief for a romance imprint wants to see her manuscript.
But one day during a staff meeting Savannah accidentally drops her manuscript exposing herself and her pages to none other than William Pennington the new publisher. She races to hide her manuscript in the secret room off the old office.
But when she returns she finds that someone has written notes in the margins..critical ones and only 6 weeks to resubmit her manuscript Savannah has no option but to seek help of the secret editor after all.
MY THOUGHTS
I enjoyed the plot of this story..it was cute and unique.
I only found the start to be quite slow and it took quite sometime for the main action to begin.
Check this one out...
If u enjoy book and publication house as the centre theme...
Mention of arc room and all the copies available..
Slow burn and clean romance!
I give this one 3.5⭐

rating: 4.5 stars / 5 stars

if you love:
office romance
slowburn romances
miscommunication tropes

then honey i've got news for you, this is definitely up your alley!

i loved the premise, the plot, and the characters!! i really think that the plot is unique in terms of romance but in terms of storyline, it's definitely predictable. but I still ate up every bit of it! I definitely loved the funny banters between Savannah and her mysterious editor together with the banter of Sav and Will when they're together HAHAHA.

The characters are charming and hilarious. the story was also very slowww and i have to agree with the other reviews that i really really hope that we've had more scenes with the two of the Main Characters. One of my issues here are the writing, i just had a hard time trying to follow through the timeline of the story. like one paragraph you're in Savannah's apartment then all of a sudden you get thrown off into the office. Or some scenes are a bit confusing since the explanation are a bit late such as Savannah's role playing as Lyla's agent on a bar.

But overall, the story was charming and the plot of the book was amazing. The characters were adorable and i genuinely enjoyed every bit of the book. if you are looking for a book to read that is swooning and funny, then the story of Savannah is definitely for you.

check out the full review on my goodreads account!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4497425106

Meet Me in the Margins was so much fun. As a reader, I always love books that revolve around books (or the book industry). The secret room in the ARC room is such a brilliant way to stage an epistolatory romance.

Lovely, enjoyable book. I absolutely loved Savannah. She was endearing and for a book reading, writing, introvert- very easy to connect with. I would absolutely love it if a sequel to this happened in the future.

QOTD: Have you ever thought about writing your own novel? If yes, what genre?
My A: Yes! I have two stories I randomly tap into when I feel like writing, romances of course. 😜
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A sweet, slower paced novel with a fun plot, Meet Me In The Margins is the easy kind of read you pick up on days you need a pick me up. While I wouldn't personally call this a romance as much as a women's fiction with a splash of romance mixed in, I still enjoyed it enough to finish! The plot felt a little slow at some points and predictable at others, but that's to be expected when you read as many romances as I do a year. Unfortunately that's the downfall of this book for me. There wasn't much to make things stand out in the sea of romancelandia and I'm afraid this one will be forgotten soon enough.
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BLURB:
Savannah Cade is a low-level editor at Pennington Publishing, a prestigious publisher producing only the highest of highbrow titles. And while editing the latest edition of The Anthology of Medieval Didactic Poetry may be her day job, she has two secrets she’s hiding.
One: She’s writing a romance novel.
Two: She’s discovered the Book Nook—a secret room in the publishing house where she finds inspiration for her “lowbrow” hobby.

After leaving her manuscript behind one afternoon, she returns to the nook only to discover someone has written notes in the margins. Savannah’s first response to the criticism is defensive, but events transpire that force her to admit that she needs the help of this shadowy editor after all. As the notes take a turn for the romantic, and as Savannah’s madcap life gets more complicated than ever, she uses the process of elimination to identify her mysterious editor—only to discover that what she truly wants and what she should want just might not be the same.

What a breath of fresh air!! Savannah is a really good protagonist and I was happy with her arc throughout the book, especially in regards to her and her sister's relationship.. The only problem I really had with this book is that Will gets almost no character or character development - I wish it had been dual POV so that we could see his feelings not just Savannah's. I do think there are some really cute moments in here and it's relatively PG which is a nice break from other romance's if that's not really your jive. It's definitely not a perfect book but I think it's a cute little breakaway from other books if that's what you're looking for.
Also, on goodreads it is classed as a "christian romance" which made me a bit dubious but there's literally no mention of faith in this book whatsoever so if that's something that's holding you back from this book if you'd think you'd like it don't worry about that at all!!
Overall, it was super cute, I had a great time reading it; it was light and fluffy and easy to read with a protagonist I really liked!

I can pretty confidently state that no matter what I may write in my review, it won't do this hilarious and heartwarming story justice. I was initially drawn to this one after reading the synopsis and finding out it's about the publishing world. I'm someone who loves bookish themed books, and while I did think this one sounded cute, it wasn't one I was too overly excited about. However, I was quickly proven wrong as this story dragged me right into it, and the real world pretty much seized to exist while I was caught up in Savannah's world, and never wanted to see it come to an end.

This lovely read had pretty much everything in it I could ever want in a romance story. A bookish setting, a couple that falls for each other through letter writing (made even better that it's through notes on her work in progress romance novel manuscript), many moments of hijinks and hilarity, a swoon worthy romance that stays completely clean, and many great examples of friendship that span out throughout the pages.

Some might say it was completely predictable, and of course it was, but in the best way possible. Everything was still believable and authentic, emphasis was placed upon the idea that everything and everyone are not always what they seem, and the writing was both witty and engaging, and had me wanting much more after the story finished.

This book is truly a love letter to anyone who loves books, and I can't possibly recommend it enough. Without a doubt, it's my favorite read of the year so far, and I know I'll have to reread it in the very near future.

While I had so many favorite parts, in particular I loved the scenes that were set at the book festivals. I laughed at just how accurate the author is able to capture the chaos that exists when ARCS are free for the taking, and those scenes were pure perfection.

Final Rating: 5/5.

It was everything I could have wanted, and the only thing that could have made it better would have been if the story had a faith element woven throughout, but overall I loved it, and highly recommend picking it up if you're a fan of squeaky clean romances like I am.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a cute book! Such an easy read, hooked me in right from the beginning. The aspect of a contemporary novel including a main character who also loves contemporary novels is so compelling, and I related to the character a ton. I loved the workplace romance aspect of the novel, as well as the side characters of her sister and sisters fiancé being a big part of who she is. And the man candy that was Will... amazing. Could not ask for a better written grumpy, brooding boss-to-lover character. Once the shell is taken off of him, and you get to see a different side of Will, I fell absolutely in love. Overall, cute and quick read that is a feel good and a must-read for 2022.

Cute, quick read. It was fun being inside the inner workings of the book pub industry.

Thanks to Netgalley & Thomas Nelson for my review copy.

Meet Me in the Margins is a super lighthearted, fun, read, and I really enjoyed it!

It follows Savannah, an aspiring author who works at a publishing house. When she leaves the manuscript of her first book out on her desk, she finds someone has made edits in the margins. She goes back and forth with them, and builds a relationship with them. On top of that, she's dealing with her picture-perfect sister, who just so happens to be engaged to her ex-boyfriend.

I really liked this book, I thought the romance was super fun (though it was a bit of a (slowburn), and I recommend if you're looking for a quick book to read!

We reviewed this book on our podcast which I am linking below. I can easily speak for both my cohost and myself when I say that we absolutely loved this book. Will Pennington has sky-rocketed to the top of our romance book boyfriends list with the likes of Josh Templeman and Jack Devlin. Please listen to our episode where we give our spoiler free review.

Meet Me in the Margins is a cute rom-com that has elements of sweet and funny. I found it to be more a story of self discovery and figuring out self worth than a romance. It is a fantastic book written by Melissa Ferguson and I look forward to future books of hers. All in all, it was a quick, fun read that I would recommend for a light read. 4 stars

* I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun book about books and the publishing industry! Savannah Cade works for Pennington Publishing, a small publishing house that caters to high-brow literary books, but is also secretly writing her own romance novel that she hopes one day will be published - of course, by a different publishing house since Pennington is against publishing commercial, fluffy fiction. Savannah finds a cozy, hidden away ARC room in the building where she can spend her time working on her manuscript. After tucking it away in the room one night, she comes back the next day to find her manuscript with A LOT of notes handwritten in the margins. After her anger subsides, she realizes the mystery editor is right about a lot of things and she uses their notes & suggestions to revamp her manuscript. She and her mystery editor go back and forth working on making her book the best version it could be… meanwhile, she still has no idea who is behind the notes in the margins.

This was such a cute story and I loved that she was falling in love with the mystery editor based on the stories and notes they were writing in the margins. I thought it was pretty obvious who was behind helping Sav out… but I did not care lol. The two MC’s were perfect and I really enjoyed the plot of the book. It was face paced and I thought it was extremely well written.

I did find that some things were a little drawn out and with an excessive amount of detail, but this book was a hit for me! I’d definitely recommend to add this cutie romance book to your TBR for February!

I had such high hopes for this story after reading the description, but it definitely didn’t live up to my expectations. The story mainly follows Savannah Cade, a young woman working for a small publishing house based in Nashville. The second character (can’t even really say main character) is Will Pennington, Savannah’s boss and son of the publishing house’s owner. Savannah’s writing a romance novel in her free time and finds direct, but kind of pushy edits written in the margins by a mystery editor when she leaves her manuscript in a secret room in the building.

The craziest thing about this novel was that it could have benefitted from listening to the edits that were written in the first few pages of Savannah’s manuscript. Things like “start is weak,” “We don’t need this character,” “Rabbit trail, stick to the point,” and “slow beginning” are pointed out by the mystery editor and all of them apply to this story as well. There were so many subplots happening with Savannah’s family - her sister and her ex-boyfriend getting married, everything with “the Cade way” (which was irritating and unnecessary), their weird family competitions/traditions - that it was hard to follow and felt like it really bloated the story. Ferris as a character could have been deleted all together and maybe things would have been less awkward or unnecessarily complicated?

Savannah and Will’s relationship was slow burn to the extreme - they don’t even recognize their feelings until more than 80% into the book. Their relationship was underdeveloped and unrealistic. Savannah spent the majority of the book being a doormat for her family, her boss and her authors while also simultaneously playing the victim in a lot of situations and acting incredibly juvenile. I can’t, for the life of me, understand how someone established and mature like Will Pennington would be drawn to someone like Savannah. It just didn’t make sense and we weren’t given enough information about him (or really anything at all) to see why they could work.

I kept reading because I wanted things to turn around and wanted to see how things played out. I really did like the hidden room and the inner workings of the publishing industry (wanted more!), but the rest of the story fell flat for me.

This was such a fun & entertaining read for me. I was instantly hooked from the very beginning and I was super intrigued to see where the story went. Although I would’ve loved a little more romance, I loved seeing the build up and slow burn. I don’t think I’ve read a novel about a romance that takes place in a publishing house, so that to me was such a treat! Also, there are many references to a special ARC room filled with new & upcoming releases. Is this actually a thing? Because I would love to visit that some day!

Savannah Cade works for a publishing house as an assistant editor, and a different publishing house has given her an opportunity she can’t pass up on. She is secretly working on a romance manuscript, which is found by a mysterious Mr. Editor who is correcting it, & adding feedback. She starts leaving responses to the feedback given to her. Which then turn into a romantic flirty dialogue between the two. It was very fun to see her trying to figure out who this mystery man was, & how an unexpected romance bloomed in the Book Nook.

I think my love for books in general made me connected with this novel and the characters. If you enjoy reading women’s fiction with a lovely sprinkle of romance, and love books, then this one is for you.

You can expect:
* Bookish Setting
* Slow Burn Romance
* Workplace Romance
* Witty Characters
* Family Drama
* Hint of Mystery
* Based in Nashville, Tennessee

Right from the start this book draws you in and makes you want to know more. You instantly fall in love with Savannah and her go getting personality. The entire cast of characters are just so lovable and warm. Just the perfect rom com to get lost in,

I really wanted to love Meet Me in the Margins... The cover, title and synopsis all hint at a romcom but it's not really... the "romance" starts around 70% of the book, and despite a HEA, nothing really happens. I'd say the main theme is self-worth. Also, while I would compare the writing to some good English authors I've read, I think it really clashes with the setting, but that may be just be who's having a hard time. Although, this book really was a bookworm dream!

TW: body shame, toxic relationship (family, ex)

Thank you for the free ebook copy in exchange of an honest review.

In a recent attempt to increase my awareness of new and upcoming releases in the book world, I created a NetGalley account. As a publishing student, I think it’s important to know what’s trending right now. And let’s face it — as a book lover, I couldn’t imagine anything more exciting than advance copies.

I didn’t expect to be approved for much, and I certainly didn’t expect to fall in love with the first book I read, but sometimes you get lucky, right? I got very lucky.

Summary: MEET ME IN THE MARGINS by Melissa Ferguson is a story about Savannah Cade, an assistant acquisitions editor at Pennington, a small publishing house in Nashville, Tennessee. The CEO of Pennington is very particular about what the company publishes: nonfiction and literary fiction. Highbrow works. Ms. Pennington would sooner walk the Arctic tundra in a bikini than publish commercial fiction, much less romance. Savannah has been given the chance of a lifetime — the top romance editor in the biz wants to read Savannah’s romance manuscript.

After a close call at a staff meeting, Savannah stashes her manuscript in the secret tower room of the old Victorian house that serves as Pennington’s office. Later, she is shocked and hurt to find that an anonymous editor has marked up her hidden manuscript… and not been particularly kind about it. But with a submission deadline fast approaching, Savannah begins to rely on this mystery editor, and as they exchange notes in the margins, she begins to wonder if they might take their relationship beyond friendship — and off the page.

My Thoughts: The premise of this book hooked me immediately — the blurb compared it to You’ve Got Mail meets The Proposal and I was IN, and what I found did not disappoint. If I’m being honest, this book may have been written *for* me. It takes place in a publishing house that’s not in New York City (my dream), it has a strong leading lady who isn’t afraid to be true to herself, and it’s a romance with all of the swoon and none of the spice. Savannah even explores the idea that romance isn’t all about physical attraction, which is something I really appreciated reading in a romance.

As a romance, this book delivers, even without a ton of actual romantic relationship happening. It’s almost entirely build-up, but we get to see Savannah really connect with Will, the love interest, and we learn a lot about both of them as characters as they get to know each other. Will is totally dreamy in a buttoned-up, smirky, secretly sensitive kind of way, but I appreciate that this book is so much about Savannah finding herself. She comes into her own as a publishing professional, she finds her voice as a writer, and she patches up old wounds with her family — she just happens to fall in love on the way.

All in all, I loved this book. I loved it so much that I DMed the author on Instagram to tell her that I loved it. And now I’m telling you: if you love books, work in or have ever wanted to work in publishing, go nuts for a slow-burn romance and a secret turret room, pre-order MEET ME IN THE MARGINS from your local bookstore now!


Rating: 5/5