You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon is a beautifully written story about love and self-discovery.
This is one of those books that feels very realistic but also provides a great escape from reality at the same time. If that makes sense. I will definitely be reading more from this author!!

This was a gorgeous, romantic and healing read. A second chance romance that me turning pages and held all my attention til the end. I adored the setting, Leigh and Will’s banter and arcs. Both characters sharing their vulnerabilities tugged at my heartstrings. It is a fabulous read for book lovers and poet lovers alike.

This book is a delightful blend of academic rivalry and unexpected romance. Leigh, a former sorority girl, steps into the intimidating world of a prestigious poetry MFA program, only to find her high school crush-turned-nemesis, Will, among her peers. Their journey is a back and forth of competition and undeniable chemistry, set against the backdrop of poetic expression and personal growth. There is tension that comes off the page and the will-they-won't-they energy. I love a good former crush to lovers story and this one delivered. I did an immersive read of this book and think that the narrator definitely adds to the story and I enjoyed that. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free eARC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram post will be live 17Feb25.

I absolutely adored Katie’s writing, and this book! 🥰

⭐️: 5/5
🌶️: open door, a few scenes

💭 overall thoughts:
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this one. Poetry isn’t really my “thing” - I have nothing against it, I’ve just never really been interested/into it.

I really appreciated the way it was used in this story, showing the development of both main characters. It was a big part of how they got to know each other, in both their own writing & the feedback they gave.

Leigh has this sort of imposter syndrome for who she is - she likes “girly” pop culture, but feels that makes her less of a “serious” writer.
She’s drawn to men like Will, who make her feel validated - or not.

Leigh spends a lot of time doubting herself, and relying on others’ opinions. She (thankfully) has a lot of growth throughout the story.

I think the main theme of You Between the Lines is what it means to be vulnerable, to be yourself, whether in writing or just in general. That was certainly relatable, and I enjoyed reading both characters working through this.

I generally prefer dual POV, but single really worked well here.

*side note - I seem to strongly have a thing for Wills 😅
(Beautiful Player, Perfect Fit, In Spades - to name a few)

🎧 audiobook thoughts:
I haven’t heard Sarah Beth Goer before, and I loved her narration!
She really worked for me as Leigh, and I didn’t mind her “male” voice (which can really throw me off with others sometimes 🙃).

read if you love:
📝 MFA students (poetry writers)
🏫 academic rivals to lovers
📓 former high school classmates
🥹 longtime crush/pining
🧠 mental health rep
🫶🏼found family
💖 single 1st person pov

✨ books/authors with similar vibes:
♡ Clare Gilmore (reminded me of Perfect Fit but I’m not sure why!)

Thank you Forever, Hachette Audio & NetGalley for advanced copies. All opinions are my own.

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I loved it so much I preordered it and as a recovering people pleaser, I could relate to so much of Leigh's struggles and being able to accept that she is enough. Her push and pull had me hanging on to the very end to see if they'd end up together and when they proposed to each other it was so cute I had happy tears in my face. Can't wait for what this author will write next!

“I can’t write a single poem where you don’t exist.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you forever for the gifted eARC and early copy!

The vibes of this book were just immaculate 🥹 it’s so cutesy but also so real and surprisingly spicy! I adored the mental health rep and the character growth 🥰

Leigh is seriously me ✋ I am also a people pleaser who struggles with anxiety, so I related to her so much. And her growth was just 🤌 it was so beautiful watching her learn to love herself and her words!

“I constantly read the room and cater my movements, words, thoughts, which-comma-goes-where to other people.”

Will was a very vulnerable character and I really enjoyed it! You can see him struggle to live up to the persona her puts on and seeing him finally letting that go was so sweet 🥹

The build up to this romance was so friggin good!! They’re both too nervous to admit their feelings and they’re constantly trying to avoid being hurt, which leads to a lot of complications. I was fr starting to get so upset with Leigh bc she was self-destructing, but oh my gosh it ended SO WELL 😭

“I love everything you’ve been, everything you are, everything you could be.”

Overall Impressions: "You Between the Lines" is a solid debut novel. There were parts I really enjoyed, though there were also a few aspects that didn’t quite resonate with me.

The author's writing style is engaging, though the poetry and Taylor Swift references didn’t fully capture my interest.

The romance, while full of tension, wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. I appreciated the dynamics between the characters, but their constant disagreements and back-and-forth were a bit repetitive at times, reminding me of some of the more dramatic relationships often seen in high school.

On a positive note, the book addresses mental health in a thoughtful and meaningful way. It provides an opportunity for readers to reflect and build greater empathy and understanding around these important issues.

In conclusion, while “You Between the Lines” has a lot of potential, it didn't quite reach the five-star level for me.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have very conflicting feelings about this one. I wanted to love it so bad but I just found it kind of fall flat for me. I didn’t like that Leigh was constantly going off on white men who wrote poetry because well.. she was gonna fall for a white man who writes poetry so it felt very weird, like don’t get my wrong I hate a white man who thinks he’s superior because he writes poetry but I don’t make it my entire personality. Also, the romance between the two felt very… confusing. Like yes, I felt like it was explained afterwards why Will had rejected Leigh in the past, but at some point, girl I would’ve moved on tbh. Will wasn’t even that swoon worthy, so what could you possibly holding on to. Also, Leigh was really mean whenever she felt like she was attacked, I won’t forget how she immediately threw harmful words to her best friend just to make her feel bad, and then the excuse was well we’ve known each other for so long, we just know… no. No. That’s not an excuse to be a shitty person to your best friend. Anyways, I enjoyed the book for what it was, it don’t think it’s one that I’ll think about again. I don’t know the characters really annoyed me is all.

I went into this book with high expectations—angst, tension, rivals-to-lovers, and forced proximity are all tropes I typically love. But the more I sat with this story, the more I realized… I really didn’t like the FMC. 😬

💭 What Worked:
🔥 The tension & angst—if you love that slow, push-and-pull dynamic between characters, this book delivers on that front.
💡 Mental health representation—I appreciated how the book addressed mental health struggles and the complexities of self-worth. It gave the story some depth beyond just the romance.
💖 Rivals-to-lovers + forced proximity—classic tropes that always add drama and intensity!

🚨 What Didn’t Work for Me:
🙄 The FMC—I found her immature, and some of her choices made it difficult to root for her. Instead of coming across as complex or flawed, she often just felt frustrating.
🌶️ The spice felt forced—rather than natural chemistry building between the characters, some of the steamy moments felt awkward or rushed. I wasn’t feeling the connection as much as I wanted to.
📉 Middle-of-the-road execution—while the premise had potential, nothing truly wowed me. The emotional beats and character development could have been stronger.

📌 What to Expect:
✨ Angst & tension-filled romance
🧠 Mental health representation
❤️‍🔥 Rivals to lovers dynamic
🏡 Forced proximity setting

⭐ Final Verdict:
While the book had some strong elements, my overall enjoyment fizzled the more I reflected on it. If you love high-angst romances with emotional depth, you might enjoy this—but for me, the frustrating FMC and forced intimacy held it back from being a standout read.

in all honesty, i didn’t love this one. it started off strong for me but as it went on it felt it dragged and lacked chemistry between the two main characters.

Read this book if you like:
•poetry
•forced proximity
•second chance romance

The audio was great. I’m usually skeptical about poetry but I really enjoyed learning more about it. Leigh was immature at times (but that’s part of growing up) and really started to find herself with the help of therapy. I think the themes are very common and many in their 20s will relate very much! Thank you Forever for the ALC

I started YOU BETWEEN THE LINES on a short, two-hour flight and by the time we landed, I’d almost finished. It immediately captured my attention and had me hooked until the end! Set in an MFA writing program, I loved that the hero and heroine had a bit of history because it added such a nice tension to their interactions. There’s an angst to the story that really worked for me because it wasn’t the overly dramatic kind, more in the sense of yearning for someone. There’s a push-and-pull to their dynamic that was often frustrating but still very compelling to read.

My biggest frustration with the book was the heroine. I understand how the criticism from the hero (in high school) was a knock on her confidence but I did want her to just… get over it. She has a lot of imposter syndrome in her writing program, which I appreciated — but it was sometimes at the expense of wondering, Why did she even want to be in the program in the first place? I’m not a poetry person, so I didn’t connect to that aspect of the book at all. There was moments of pretentiousness that did make me eyeroll a bit.

Overall, I enjoyed YOU BETWEEN THE LINES. It was easy to get into and held my attention. The characters frustrated me, but it was also a sign of how invested I was in the story. A solid debut that made me look forward to what Naymon will write next.

I’m sad that I finished this book. I tried to stretch out the read because I enjoyed Will and Leigh so much. It did get a bit repetitive at the end but you’ll fall in love with the characters and their writing.

I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher.

This is such a complicated book. I would not consider it a straightforward romance, not swoon worthy. It is gritty and difficult. It is about a woman struggling to accept herself outside of the confines of what she perceives as other people’s opinions about her, and her fraught relationship of over a decade as it goes through various iterations of closeness, of push/pull.

Initially, I found the conceit too hard to swallow: teenaged girl clings to one negative comment well into her 30s, made by cute boy who held a higher station. Immediately I worried she would be another childish, prickly character I would dislike.

Then something happened.

I began to feel empathy for Leigh. Did she still make choices that made me want to shout at her? Yes. But it became clear that she struggles with self esteem, that her lack of belief in herself kept her from happiness. She’s incredibly, frustratingly self destructive, and she knows it, she KNOWS it, and she doesn’t stop.

Painfully relatable to my own life.

And so, Leigh needed the lesson I have worked hard to remember from my time in therapy: If someone says they love you, believe them.

I think the book can be problematic. I strongly believe dial POV would have significantly improved the story - I loved Will but felt he was unreachable, only exposed in tiny pieces, only by what Leigh could glean. There’s a letter from Will to Leigh late in the book that gives a glimpse of dual POV and it only made me certain it would have significantly changed the book for the better. I think about how @storygraph reviews ask, “is there strong character development?” I usually default to “yes” but this time I truly believe Leigh was introspective and grew, and it felt good to see.

And where the poetry and language didn’t work for some, I found it lyrical and beautiful. It pulled me in, helped me understand.

Ultimately I liked this book. It worked for me when I didn’t think it would, and to overcome an uphill battle feels like a particular win. A special win. I’m not sure I’d recommend this to everyone, but for some it will resonate. It did for me.

*You Between the Lines* follows Leigh, a poet embarking on her MFA journey alongside eight other writers, including William, a former crush and rival from high school. As Leigh navigates the competitive program, she grapples with feelings of inadequacy, especially given how different her writing style is compared to her peers. Driven by a desire to prove her worth, she's determined to succeed and leave William behind.

The novel effectively portrays Leigh's internal struggles with self-worth and anxiety. As an only child dealing with her parents' separation, Leigh experiences a deep sense of rejection, which fuels her insecurities and affects her relationships, particularly with William. Readers who have experienced similar anxieties will likely find Leigh relatable. The author skillfully depicts these emotions and incorporates insights from Leigh's therapy sessions.

The dynamic within the writing group is another strength of the book. The diverse writing styles and critiques offer a glimpse into the creative process and the challenges of artistic expression. The unraveling of Leigh's personal life, with her parents' separation, ties directly into her artistic anxieties. Her fear of rejection permeates her writing and colors her feelings towards William, adding complexity to her character and motivations.

Overall, *You Between the Lines* is an engaging read that explores themes of self-doubt, artistic identity, and the complexities of relationships. I enjoyed the author's insightful portrayal of Leigh's vulnerabilities and the realistic depiction of the writing program environment. It's a book that will likely resonate with anyone who has ever questioned their own abilities or struggled with feelings of inadequacy.


Thank you Grand Central Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

In several ways I had a good time with this one. At the end of the novel I felt satisfied with the romantic conclusion, but if I’m being completely honest, the more time that has passed since I finished it, the less connected I feel to the story, but particularly the FMC. I found Leigh to be whiny and morose…we get told repeatedly that she was a sorority girl and told this line how she “IS” like other girls, she DOES like pink and she does like Taylor Swift… but all of it felt so surface and a bit “told not shown”. All these ways that made her a sorority girl and not like the other poets felt very contrary to the way she actually acted. I wish we just got a more authentic portrayal of who she allegedly really was supposed to be.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
I don't think I have related to a character as much as I did with Leigh. The former sorority girl in a prestigious MFA poetry program. Although neither of those things describe me, her struggle to not feel she fits in each world does. The girly girl who writes pop culture poems living in a world of deep and moody literaries. Leigh's story was wonderful in every way, and it was made that much better with her counterpart Will, the intelligent and brooding poet. Leigh and Will are now in the same MFA program but have known each other since Rowan High School. As the present day story unfolds, so does snippets of their complicated history, to be all tied up with a beautiful string in the end.

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. I thought it might be an enjoyable read from the synopsis but I did not think I would have that undeniable page turning itch to read even a few pages whenever I could squeeze them in throughout the day. I could have easily read it in one sitting if I had the opportunity. The tension between the Will and Leigh was absolute perfection. There was spice (but not over the top) and swoony moments and everything I needed in a romance book. Katie Naymon was a new author for me and I cannot wait to read more from her!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an e-Arc in exchange for my honest opinions!

5/5⭐️ 1.5/5🌶️ 2/5😢

This one is for the poetry girlies. The writers, the readers, the people-pleasers. Girls with insecurities and who feel like they don’t belong. Who wear their emotions on their sleeve but can’t seem to get the words out right. The Swifties (and the non-Swifties too). Those who’ve been rejected, who’ve rejoiced over the smallest praise, who rely on everyone else’s opinion but their own. You are seen. And you matter, just as you are.

You Between the Lines felt like therapy. Humbly in awe of this debut release. The main characters felt incredibly relatable, and the side characters were great at providing insight and depth to the characters development.

I adored how this book made me feel, and I hope you do too (okay and yeah I cried like a baby during the last 15%).

This book had lots of tension that kept you on your toys. If miscommunication is not your thing, this book won’t be for you but I enjoyed it.

Thank you so much @readforeverpub & @netgalley for this ARC of You Between the Lines! I was beyond excited to get my hands on this book after falling for the description, beautiful cover and a FMC who has an infinity for Taylor Swift Lyrics.

Getting to read this debut novel was a treat and unlike any romance book I’ve read. With a unique setting of a MFA program and deeply rooted rivals to lovers and beautifully written poetry throughout this book it’s in a class all its own!

Leigh and Will definitely interested me from the get go and intrigued me with their long standing history of knowing one another since highschool but the time never being right. It was a super well written book that packs a lot of depth.

I have to say that of the FMC and MMC I really fell for Will the most! I loved his endearing heart and his thoughtfulness even though he sometimes struggled to communicate his emotions fully. I also really enjoyed the academic setting, it brought me back to my own college years and the things I really enjoyed about them!

I did have a hard time fully connecting with Leigh at times. She is a perpetual people pleaser and struggling heavily with imposter syndrome and self sabotaging in her own mind. She’s definitely her own worst critic which I can relate to for sure at times. It was hard to watch her struggle and really get in her own way. I did feel like the end and the growth she finally realized helped and shoutout to her best friend Gen for being the best voice of reason and BFF & also to her therapist who helped her really crack through 27 years of deep rooted beliefs she had.

The side characters and their MFA cohort were a delight and the romance when Will & Leigh could get out of their own way was great! I would have loved a POV from Will as sometimes only being in Leigh’s head was hard to see the full picture. Overall though it was a fantastic debut novel!

If you enjoy Rivals to Lovers, Mental Health Rep, poetry , romance and slow burn this one will be for you!