I really enjoyed this one for the most part. I really liked the idea of Leigh being this poet who breaks the mold and pushes what it means to be a poet. Instead, I felt that Leigh was a bit dismissive of the amount of work others put into their craft and refused to actually take feedback. This does develop a bit as the story continues, but I found it hard to feel empathy for her because of her judgment.

And although I loved Leigh and Will together, I did not feel as though I was rooting for Will as an individual by the end of it. I am glad he found his calling but I didn't love some of the choices he made.

Ultimately what made this book a four star for me was the writing. I loved the feelings it evoked and the character development that occurred. This novel was very enjoyable and easy to read.

Leigh and William went to high school together and are now in the same writing course. She always felt judged by him so will be still be the same? A great read.

Short synopsis: Leigh is accepted into a masters program for poetry, when her teen crush turned nemesis walks into the class.

My thoughts: I am not a big poetry reader, but I do love some good song lyrics, which are basically the same thing. My personal favorite was the random TS lyric drops, and pop culture references.

I had a hard time feeling empathy for Leigh, she was a bit immature and had some things she needed to let go of. Which is also part of growing up, and finding yourself. She held on to the grudge with Will for way too long. Will had so many internal wounds, and I liked watching the growth in him too.
By the end of the book I did really like Leigh and Will together.

Read if you love:
* Writing and poetry
* Taylor Swift lyrics
* Pop culture
* Forced proximity
* College life
* Men in glasses

Oh my gosh, this book was near perfection for me. Will and Leigh have known each other since high school, and now 10 years later, find themselves a part of the same MFA poetry program. Will and Leigh were so believable as characters and the tension between the two was crackling. I am always a fan of anxiety representation in books and this was handled in such a positive way, and I loved Leigh's therapist. One thing I would have loved would have been a chapter or two from Will's point of view, but other than that, I have no complaints. I am eager to see what Katie Naymon writes in the future since she knocked it out of the park with her debut!
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫

We loved this book! It was so angsty and the push and pull between Leigh and Will had us turning the pages. They were both flawed and full of insecurities which made them so real. And their slow burn love story was messy but oh so satisfying.

We’re so happy we took a chance on a book about poets. But we have to be honest, a lot of the poetry stuff went over our heads 😆 however it didn’t take away from our enjoyment of the book.

If You Between the Lines isn’t on your radar, this is your sign to add it to your TBR!

Read if you like:
▪️academic rivals to lovers
▪️second chance
▪️angst, yearning & pining
▪️slow burn plus lots of spice
▪️mental health & therapy rep

Leigh is a pop-culture loving, former sorority girl who has left her Boston marketing job to enroll in an MFA program in North Carolina. She isn’t like her classmates who are covered in cool tattoos and familiar with all the latest poets, and her high school feedback of “all-style-no-substance” is still rattling around in her head. While fighting almost constant imposter syndrome, Leigh is determined to win the coveted fellowship with her favorite poet, but she is worried that it will go to her high school crush, Will. William (as he now goes by) is exactly the kind of pretentious writer Leigh hates, and she can never forgive him for the critical feedback he gave her poem years ago. As the year goes on, Leigh and Will work side by side, and when Will submits a very intimate poem that is almost definitely about Leigh, she starts to see what might really be between the lines.

This debut novel is very reflective, reminding readers that careers and the paths we take to find them are always different. While completely in Leigh’s POV, there are great character arcs for both main characters, who are each tackling questions about vocation, family, and self-worth. The grad program described took me right back to graduate school and the close group of friends I found over the two years I lived in the middle-of-nowhere Ohio.

Thank you to Forever for the chance to read and review this book!

🍿 Get your popcorn. This review is a long one. And you know I’ve got a 5 star read for you when I let my yap flag fly.

Have you ever wanted to read a book as fast as you can but also want to simmer in it on low heat to get all the umami flowing? That’s how I felt while reading this book.

I read two lines on the subway before closing my kindle because I knew this deserved more attention. It deserved to be more than a morning commute read to pass the time. And I’m glad I waited & gave it its due ♥️.

If you know anything about me, I love “romance but more.” I love when characters aren’t clean & sparkly. And I love it even more when they don’t have their shit together. And it’s safe to say that neither Leigh or Will have their shit together.

I feel like Leigh and I are similar in that we are a little (or a lot) afraid of letting things happen. Of opening the latch, watching feelings stretch to the surface, & stumble out. What are the consequences of being your full self? What are the consequences of letting your emotions breathe and for people to see? For most of the book, we see Leigh’s potential as she’s confined herself in a thorny box. We can feel what she wants to say in her poetry; what she wants with Will; what she won’t allow to start because she thinks she’s not good enough. And as a reader I love the tension of knowing what the character wants before they come to their realization. It’s like being a stage mom on the side of their performance.

I’ve seen some comments hating on Leigh, and did I think she was too much at times & judgey? Yes. But that’s being human. We’re all a little ugly & don’t love all parts of ourselves. And I appreciate writing that makes me feel & makes me flip judgment calls around in my head.

As for the romance? I almost felt like it was a subplot. Which I’m totally okay with because I felt like I got to know Leigh personally. Yes yes, we love broody Will Langford. Smash. 100%. Let me fix you. Or maybe it’s just the weight distribution I’ve assigned this book? I was pulled more to Leigh’s character development- ANYWAY IM BABBLING! They’re hot!! There’s years of pent up yearning!! But aside from the spice, their relationship was kismet. Excuse the corny analogy, but it’s like they were writing in tandem on different pages of the same book. And then they clumsily, finally, meet somewhere in between.

I’m sure I’ve lost you by now, but just go read this is you’re anything like me. If you want an easy read, this isn’t it. If you want something that makes you think, this is it.

This book was so full of angst and longing, such incredibly imperfect protagonists, that the author really had to sell the love story...and I was sold.

I felt this book in my bones, felt the trials, and pain that Leigh went through. I loved how much Will and Leigh loved each other, how they couldn't stay away...this invisible string tying them together for 10 years.

My only wishes were that we got some sort of POV for Will, because he seemed to play mind games and I wish I understood why, and that there was more focus on Leigh's "redemption".

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever Grand Central Publishing for the ARC opportunity.

This book is for the Beach Read lovers who fell in love with literary rivals, the writing process, and are true tortured poets. You Between the Lines is beautiful, steamy, and poetic and I devoured it right up. This is an incredible debut romance.

I love how it handles the discussions of people pleasing in academia and career progression. Leigh is the epitome of anyone who has ever molded and shaped themselves into whatever they think others prefer from them. The journey and growth she has was beautiful to see, especially since she’s like many of us who wants their therapist to like them and doesn’t want to inconvenience anyone else with their feelings.

This book is also pinning taken to the extreme. It has note writing in margins of class, longing glances, soft touches that build into a truly yummy slow burn romance.

The only thing I felt didn’t need to be mentioned so many times was her sorority affiliation or being a sorority girl. It was almost like the author was trying to reclaim the cliche.

Vibes:
Rivals to lovers
Slow burn
She hates him, he’s always been into her
Poetry
Grad school
Perfectionism / people pleasing
Grief
Taylor swift lovers
Emily Henry lovers

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advance reader copy and to Hachette Audio for the advance listener copy. These opinions are my own.

This was an excellent debut. Leigh and William went to high school together and have a history. They're both surprised when they meet up again on the first day of their shared MFA program in poetry.

Leigh writes poems inspired by popular culture. Will's poetry follows the more formal style. I really appreciated the reflection on what counts as worthy of poetry and literary acclaim. Indeed, I loved the included poems as much as the story. And the writing throughout featured such lyrical gorgeous prose.

I felt I got to know the many characters at their school campus. And I quite appreciated the secondary plotlines featuring them. I also felt that the way in which Leigh and Will's parents influenced their own choices was so well written. But I wanted the end to speed up a bit and get to better growth and communication faster.

The audiobook was performed very well by Sarah Beth Goer. She especially excelled at reading the poems, which is a whole amazing skillset.

4.25 stars

I LOVE me a little academic rivals to lovers. That trope is just going to absolutely hit EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

I really enjoyed this book so much. I adored the main character, will, and the past/present timelines so much. The characters felt so real to me and I really bonded with them!!

While this wasn’t my favorite, I also didn’t hate it. I really enjoyed Will but I felt myself not loving Leigh’s character so much.. Now, while I’m always down to clown some men… i felt like she pushed about how much she hated straight white males works while also simultaneously never reading them?

Anyways, Leigh had some anxiety which i totally could related with. I also felt for her inner self which seemed to harbor a lot of self doubt. I think we can all relate to that in some point in life. I wanted Will to be certain on his decisions and at times I felt he was indecisive. I wish Leigh wouldn’t have pushed Will off so much for his one criticism but I also know she was a high schooler and honestly i would’ve held a grudge too😂 i really wanted to love this so much, but it fell a bit short for me.

Thank you so much NetGalley & Forever for this ARC!!❣️ (i love y’all fr)

🪻You Between the Lines 🪻

4/5 ⭐️
3.5/5 🌶️ (2+ open door scenes)


She can’t stand him.
He can’t forget her.



*tap tap tap* Is this thing on? 🎤

HELLO!! All my fellow “yearning, slow burn, it’s always been you” lovers, why have you not picked this up? I AM UNWELL.

I absolutely fell in love with this story & @katienaymonwrites writing. Meet Leigh and William, her high school nemesis. Both accepted into the same prestigious MFA program in North Carolina after years of not seeing one another. The claws are out you guys.

I loved being in Leigh inner monologue, she’s sassy but unsure of herself. I loved where her characters ended, with a lot of self discovery. But man was it a bumpy ride. And can we just protect Will at all costs? Any man who writes poetry about losing it over a woman’s wrists deserves the world. Seeing them interact and avoid each other, I FREAKING LOVED IT.

I couldn’t give it a full five stars because a lot of the yearning (which I LOVE), steamed from a lot of miscommunication. Which might be my least favorite trope. 🫣 but other than that, I whole-heartedly recommend this! And a debut Miss Katie?! 👏🏻👏🏻 How on earth did you produce something so wonderful right off the bat? You Between the Lines is out now! Thank you @readforeverpub for the advanced copy. 🫶🏼🌼

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

feeling the vulnerability of leigh while simultaneously falling in love with will had me feeling like the main character (sub law for mfa)

a million & ten stars this book was so poetic & so absolutely perfect i have to go stare at the wall for a bit.

You Between the Lines is a solid debut from a romance writer with promise. The chemistry between the two leads was palpable and I especially found Leigh's struggles with self-esteem real and moving. I wished the supporting characters in her MFA program felt more fleshed-out. Looking forward to what Naymon does next!

This is a must read romance! Leigh and Will are two people who have an undeniable attraction. In high school, they were too shy to admit it. When they meet again by happenstance, it wasn’t the right time. But third times a charm, right? There was so much pining and longing! Each individual was also having internal battles within themselves, part of the reason why they feel a romantic relationship between them will not workout.

✨ Slow burn, years of pining and the academia setting is something I’m becoming a fan of
✨ Loved the comraderie between the MCs and their fellow MFA cohort
✨ Mental health rep- Leigh’s and Will’s characters are relatable; it’s not easy to show vulnerability
✨ If you want a romance that will pull at your heartstrings

Thank you to @readforeverpub for the e-arc!

I have mixed feelings on this book! I'm between a 3.5 & 4 stars depending on what parts I focus on. I really enjoyed it and yet there were some things that just did not work for me!! I wish it had been in third person because being in Leigh's head was suffocating!! She lowkey is an unreliable narrator and it just was a lot and I had to take breaks with it. Would've also liked Will's POV.

I also know nothing about poetry so both the "good" and "bad" poems felt the same to me. Also all the Taylor Swift poetry was a lot for me (AND I SAY THIS AS A MASSIVE TAYLOR FAN!! LEAVE HER ALONE CONTEMPORARY WRITERS!!!!). Leigh also has imposter syndrome and doesn't know the "big" poets which is fine, but she must have studied some in school? Like even I did and I barely took any English classes.

I do always love two writers falling in love and LOVED that they critiqued each other's work. I could've read way more of that. Writing in the margins to each other?! LOVE. I appreciated that this book took the whole school year since these two needed the time to fall in love. Plus we got a lot of seasonal moments.

What made this book work for me was Katie Naymon's writing. It felt purposeful and while a lot of this book didn't work for me I believed it and could excuse a lot of it because the writing is interesting and felt a bit elevated in a way that I liked. I also fell into the story easily which I always love.

I always say I want to read more books about imperfect people falling in love and whew!! Leigh and Will are both flawed and messy and do some things that I was like ?! And aside from both of them claiming to have FEELINGS since high school it was all believable!

Overall this book was mostly enjoyable, but I see why a lot of people didn't like it LOL

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon is a heartwarming and deeply relatable story that introduces readers to a lovable protagonist with so much room to grow. The lingering ache of not feeling "good enough" shadows her journey, making every triumph and setback feel incredibly real. But at its core, this novel is a beautiful exploration of the craft of poetry and the power it holds to shape and tell your story. Through poetry, the main character begins to find her voice and her worth, leading her to someone who sees her for who she truly is—proving that she was always enough. This touching and inspiring novel is perfect for anyone who believes in the transformative power of words

I really enjoyed this book. As someone with recently divorced parents, there were a lot of quotes in here that punched me in the face. It was really validating seeing Leigh struggle with the same things I did when my parents got divorced. I loved seeing her find her confidence and putting an end to people-pleasing and living for HER. Will was SWOON-WORTHY and all I'm gonna say is THE EMAIL? READING THE POEMS? I LOVE THIS MAN

Little angst but a lot of heart. The original poetry was a great addition to the writing. The history between Will and Leigh is very little but the impact it had on her was a kick to her self-esteem. Now years later they end up in the same MFA program, Leigh having moved on from her past and Will struggling with his. I very much enjoyed the ride the story took me on, filled with mixed messages from Will, miscommunication from Leigh all around was a great read.