DNF’d at 25% Unfortunately this be didn’t feel like it was for me, but I know plenty others liked it! Regardless, thank you for the opportunity!

I really enjoyed this book. I had to suspend a little disbelief to enjoy it because some of the things that had to fall into place just so seemed a little too coincidental. But overall a fun read.

Bryony Page is an aspiring author and ESL teacher who’s spent years writing romance in the shadows, until a chaotic pitch session at a writers conference turns into an unexpected opportunity. When she's offered a ghostwriting job for the infamously difficult rom-com author Amelia Benedict, Bryony reluctantly accepts on one condition: her dream agent, Jack Sterling, must try to sell her book, too. What follows is a whirlwind of secret success, rising fame (for someone else), and a slow-burning attraction between a quietly brilliant writer and the man who believes in her voice, even if he doesn’t know the whole truth.

Tropes
* Ghostwriter heroine
* Grumpy/sunshine dynamic
* Workplace romance
* Hidden identity / secret success
* Found family
* Aspiring author dream arc
* Slow-burn romance
* Writer + literary agent pairing

The Perfect Rom-Com is a love letter to writers, dreamers, and anyone who’s ever felt like they’re just one break away from making it. Melissa Ferguson brings her signature warmth, humour, and heart to this charming story about an invisible author who suddenly finds herself shaping the voice of a bestselling brand, and slowly, her future. Bryony is earnest, funny, and deeply relatable, while Jack is the kind of quietly supportive love interest who doesn’t just root for your success; he helps you build it. A clean, feel-good romance with surprising depth and plenty of swoon, this is exactly the book you'd want on a cosy night in.

I love this! What a cute book about a woman fighting for herself and achieving her goals.

I don’t know that I would necessarily consider this a rom-com or a romance in general. I would definitely say this is more women’s fiction with an element of a romantic relationship. I appreciate that it’s a clean book in terms of language and is void of anything sexual in nature - the most the characters do is kiss. I can always appreciate a book like that because as a reader myself, I want to keep a log of books I would feel comfortable for my daughter to read in the future, and this is definitely one of them.

I thought this book was unique in that I’ve never read a book with a main character who is an ESL teacher, but I’m glad I’ve been introduced to that. I also loved getting sort of an “inside scoop” to the field of writing (and ghostwriting) and what it’s like to get people to pick up your book to be published.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for a review.

I loveeee when authors write stories with characters that are also authors. I think it’s hilarious and always interesting how they portray an author. I’ve only read a few Melissa Ferguson books and have enjoyed many of them. I am a sucker for a cute pink cover and it’s even better when the story is just as cute. The cozy vibes and fun characters made this the perfect fluffy romance to read over a weekend and escape reality for a little while.

💫 Book Review

The Perfect Rom-Com
By @ourfriendlyfarmhouse
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

📚 books about books
💗 Friends to lovers
🔥 Slow burn
🧍‍♂️He falls first
👻 ghostwriter
🚌 Forced proximity
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Found family
🗣️ESL community
🌶️ no spice
I won this book in a @goodreads giveaway and brought it with me to Costa Rica! After I won the giveaway I also received a copy on netgalley to review in exchange for my honest opinion. I enjoyed the book and the slow burn romance. If you’re looking for a cute no spice romance this is a great option! Great for Courtney Walsh fans!

Thank you @netgalley @ourfriendlyfarmhouse & @thomasnelson for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

#goodreads #giveaway #netgalley #advancedreader #giveawaywinner #theperfectromcom #melissaferguson #bookreview #fourstarbookreview #romance #momswhoread #momswhoreadromance #costarica #travel #poolreading #vacationreading

This was a fun and easy read. The characters were engaging especially at the ESL place. The author did good in depicting the emotions of the characters. I just wish there was more pages for the blossoming romance between Bryony and Jack. I enjoyed their chemistry.

Thank you netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

A cozy, clever rom-com with a bookish twist and a heroine you’ll root for. However, Bryony’s decisions late in the book were frustrating, though the ending redeemed her arc. The pacing also dips a bit within the book tour section.

This was a cute read! It was nice and quick but not very memorable
A good read if you’re in the mood for something cute and simple

I enjoyed this. Great story/premise. I did feel like it lost something in the jump in time early in the book. All of a sudden the main characters are friends. I did feel like there was a bit of depth of the relationship that was missing. But the storyline was fun and I liked the ending. Overall a decent book.

In this delightful, quietly powerful novel, we follow aspiring author Bryony Page as she enters the literary world through the back door—and ends up writing her way into bestseller lists without anyone knowing her name.

Bryony arrives at her first writers conference with hope in her heart and a manuscript in hand, dreaming of not just getting published but raising awareness for The Bridge, the underfunded ESL nonprofit her grandmother runs. But after a painfully awkward pitch session, her chances look slim—until she impulsively edits another writer’s work in front of a literary agent. And nails it. One spontaneous moment leads to the opportunity of a lifetime: ghostwriting for Amelia Benedict, a popular but demanding rom-com author whose success has more to do with branding than talent.

Bryony takes the deal on one condition—that the agent, Jack Sterling of the legendary Foundry Literary Agency, agrees to represent her original work as well. What follows is a whirlwind of publishing deadlines, secret authorship, and unexpected chemistry between Bryony and Jack. As Amelia Benedict becomes a household name based on Bryony’s words, the question looms larger: how long can you let someone else take credit for your voice?

This book is a warm, witty, and emotionally satisfying ride through the highs and lows of creative ambition. Bryony is an easy heroine to root for—self-effacing, quietly brilliant, and guided by an earnest sense of purpose. Her evolving relationship with Jack is both sweet and simmering, layered with real emotional stakes. And the publishing world, with all its glittering facades and backroom deals, is portrayed with just the right mix of satire and sincerity.

Romantic, relatable, and deeply satisfying, this is a story about owning your worth, finding your voice, and refusing to be sidelined—even when the world wants you to stay invisible.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

📖 BOOK REVIEW 📖🌸
✨ Title: The Perfect Romcom
💖 Author: [Insert Author Name]
⭐️ Rating: 5/5 (swoony) stars
💫 Genre: Romantic Comedy / Feel-Good Fiction

If I could bottle the feeling this book gave me and wear it like perfume, I would. ☁️💕 From the banter that made me laugh out loud to the slow-burn tension that had me mentally screaming “JUST KISS ALREADY!” — this was romcom perfection.

👩‍❤️‍👨 Our heroine? Relatable, witty, and just the right amount of chaotic.
👨‍🍳 The love interest? Grumpy, golden-hearted, and 100% book boyfriend material.
🌆 The setting? Cozy, cinematic, and practically begging to be turned into a Netflix Original.

This book gave me all the warm fuzzies and reminded me why I adore this genre:
✅ Friends-to-lovers
✅ Forced proximity
✅ One (1) bed trope
✅ A meddling grandma with a matchmaking agenda
✅ And an epilogue that had me SOBBING (happy tears, promise 😭💞)

📚 If you’re a fan of Emily Henry, Ali Hazelwood, or Tessa Bailey, this one deserves a top spot on your TBR!

🛒 Go grab it. Cancel your plans. Fall in love

Tone:

“Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, the library for my physical copy NetGalley & , libro.fm for my audio copy and to the author for writing such a delightful read — this review is my honest opinion!”

first of all, thank you to netgalley, the publisher and melissa ferguson for this advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are mine.

for the majority of this book, i spent time wondering where the romance and comedy would come in. there was a little bit of comedy, i guess. nothing amazing, but it gave me a few laughs. the romance arrived too late for this book to be called a perfect rom-com. the development of their relationship, the actual romantic feelings are lacking because the story focused on the plot of bryony a lot--which isn't a bad thing--but is not exactly what i expected from a book supposed to be in the romance genre.

the characters were okay. there were times i was supremely frustrated with them, but i was quite excited for the book only to feel like something was missing by the end of it.

A fun read!
Intriguing characters, fun story, and more!
I do have to admit, it wasn't quite what I was expecting from the title. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but the story went in a different direction than I'd expected.
The heroine, Bryony, wants so badly to publish her manuscript. But she's not getting anywhere with it. And then.... an agent sees something in her work - and she is hired as a ghostwriter. Her novels become famous....only problem is, she's sworn to secrecy, and the person taking all the credit for her work is a mean, filthy-rich girl. Who expects everything to be done for her, and yes, she takes the credit.
Bryony agonizes over getting her own story published.
And in the meantime, builds quite the relationship with Jack.
This book is fun and funny, and if you like a story with humor, then you will want to read it!
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

I really enjoyed the playful “grumpy × sunshine” banter between Bryony and Jack, it genuinely reminded me of that cozy chemistry people rave about on booktok. I felt drawn into the publishing-world antics, though at times I wished the relationship had developed a bit earlier. The pacing occasionally drifted, making me pause, but the heartfelt warmth and witty dialogue carried me through. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s comforting—like slipping into a well-worn rom‑com. Overall, a solid 3.5 ☆: fun, comforting, and easy to enjoy, just not groundbreaking.

I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have received a review copy of The Perfect Rom-Com from the author, and Thomas Nelson! 🫶

The Perfect Rom-Com is such a cute book and I had so much fun reading it! 🥹💕 I love that this book went into the depths of ghost writing, publishing, and writing in general so I thought that was super cool. I did think that this book had a bit of a slow start but once getting 30% into the story then I think it really did start to take off. Overall, if you are looking for a story that has hallmark vibes and is a rom-com then be sure to check this book out! 🫶

This book was the epitome of a romance book but with deep feelings. This book made me so genuinely root for the lead, and I loved going into Bryony's eyes and saw the world around her in her author voice. It makes you wish you could read the books she talks about with so much emotion and description. You could feel the fourth wall of the author herself describing her love of books and characters, and it made this such an endearing read. It was a cozy read, with interesting characters and a sweet friendship and love. I'd recommend this to anyone who needs to get out of a reading slump.

Thank you UpLit Reads for the e-copy of this book!

Bryony Page has secretly written bestselling novels as a ghostwriter, but no one knows it. At her first writers' conference, she hopes to sell her own manuscript and raise awareness for her grandmother’s struggling ESL program. After a failed pitch, she unexpectedly lands a ghostwriting deal with famous, in-demand and demanding rom-com author Amelia Benedict on the condition that her agent, Jack Sterling, also helps sell Bryony’s own book. As Amelia’s fame skyrockets thanks to Bryony’s writing, The Foundry Literary Agency—and Jack—realize they can’t afford to lose her. But Bryony must decide if fame behind the scenes is enough.

3.5 stars!

I read most of this book on my Kindle, but it was also available on audiobook via Hoopla and the narrator gave a lot of life to the characters, which I appreciated! There was so much included in the story about the process of writing a novel and how hard it is to break into the publishing world as a new and unpublished author. Even though Bryony has been writing best sellers for Amelia, she herself does not have a recognizable name, nor can she expose her ghostwriting to others. It all sounds very frustrating! Also, imagining them all living on the tour bus together was comical and felt like a new rom-com setting for me. Tight quarters like that sounds... uncomfortable.

Best for readers who like friends to lovers, slow burn, closed door romance and forced proximity (tour bus bunks)!

An ironic title for a book that would have more accurately been published as "women's fiction"... While this book did have a romance it's focus was on character development and the pitfalls of the publishing industry. It didn't hit the emotional beats and light hearted vibe of a classic rom com.

okay this was a solid 3.5 -- my issues with this is that it's clearly sold as a romance but it was like 20% romance at most. Which is fine! but the irony is that the book is about the faults in publishing (which I love because, so accurate), and the book itself... made those faults. there was a few grammar errors but overall, it was written well and I enjoyed it! but I would more so call this womens fiction rather than romance tbh! there was not a lot of chemistry between the two mc and then suddenly they're in love -- im not sure if it was a chemistry thing or a pacing thing but im going with the former. overall, it was good, and well done, but wrongly marketed imo and deserved more justice in that sector!