Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc copy.

I’ll say the first 20% of the book went by a bit slowly for me but I’m SO glad I kept on reading!

I love romance books set in the publishing world and this was actually so wholesome - I found myself giggling and smiling throughout multiple passages. Definitely recommend!

3.5⭐️

I enjoy Melissa Ferguson's stories and the premise of this one was very much up my alley.

Overall I enjoyed it - thought at times it was a bit uneven and predictable.

Melissa Ferguson’s books always put a smile on my face ☺️

Bryony Page is an aspiring author who is given the opportunity to be the ghostwriter for a popular novelist. Bryony is hoping that while she ghostwrites these books, her literary agent, Jack Sterling, will work to sell her own book.

As Jack and Bryony spend more time together, their agent-author relationship starts to blur the lines into something more.

I love reading books set in the literary world 😊 I found Jack and Bryony’s connection to be believable, and it was fun watching the two realize their feelings for each other.

THE PERFECT ROM-COM is another swoony romance from Melissa Ferguson, with great banter and characters you’ll want to root for!

I wanted to love this book, I really did, but it fell flat for me. It put me in such a reading slump, it took me a whole month to read it and I usually read 4-5 books per month.

The story really had potential : a young author, Bryony, (who also works with immigrants and refugees to teach them English) wants her manuscript (about the organization she works at) published and try to associate herself with Jack, a known agent. After an interesting first meeting, he does take her on, but as a ghost writer for a Kardashian-like celebrity. We follow them as Bryony tries to convince Jack to publish her manuscript.

First of all, the time jump at the beginning just didn’t fit for me. We don’t see them establishing their relationship at all, which makes it hard to see the romantic part of the story for a long time. It was clear that Jack would be the love interest, however nothing romantic remotely happened between them in the first half of the book. There was not really any hint at slow burn either, it just fell flat for me. They felt like friends, nothing more.

I also felt like nothing was really happening before like 60% of the book. I was kinda bored and it took me forever to get into it because nothing felt important or interesting to me. The last 25% of the book was good and I liked it, hence the 2 stars, and the plot twist at the end was good (though predictable) but it really was too long of a start. It got me unexcited for the end, even if that part was interesting, because I just couldn’t wait to be done with it. If I didn’t have to write a review about it, I would have DNFed the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Rom-Com
3.5 ☆

° Forced Proximity
° Friends to Lovers
° Workplace Romance
° Slow Burn
° Closed-door Romance

The Perfect Rom-Com follows Bryony, an ESL teacher by day and aspiring writer by night, who takes on the role of a ghostwriter after receiving a proposition from Jack, a literary agent at a writer's conference.

The novel provides a fascinating look into the challenges of being a writer while highlighting Bryony’s efforts to save her grandmother's school, which supports immigrants in learning English and adapting to their new lives. Bryony writes a manuscript with the hope of securing a book deal, using the proceeds to save the school from closure. As an immigrant myself, I found Bryony's dedication to teaching, her strong bonds with her students, and her drive to protect the school while prioritizing her students' needs truly inspiring.  The story also portrays Bryony’s personal growth as she navigates her journey of self-discovery.

Jack's quiet encouragement of Bryony’s dreams, his recognition of her potential, and his attention to the small details of her life were truly touching.

I enjoyed alternating between the beautifully narrated audiobook, with Karissa Vacker bringing the characters to life, and reading the book.

Favorite Quotes:
ᥫ᭡  "..It takes a great deal of courage for
someone to come to this country,
often with nothing, and make a
new start for their family. They need
to feel proud of themselves."

ᥫ᭡  "The Lion King was the first reminder that we could get through this.  That life, while at times terrible, hard, and unpredictable, could never keep goodness from poking through the ground too."

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Thomas Nelson Fiction and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the audiobook, and the author, Melissa Ferguson for the complimentary copy of the book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Great easy read. Super cute story about an aspiring author who ends up ghost writing for a diva all while trying to pitch her own story. It was lighthearted and would recommend for a sweet read.

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

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

I truly enjoyed this rom-com about a woman trying to save a place close to her heart by writing a book. She ends up ghost writing rom-coms to help get her book published and falling in love along the way. Of course, along the way there are misunderstandings and touching moments.

This was a really cute story. I loved both main characters. The drawback for me was that I found myself a bit bored by the descriptions of the ghostwritten books. It made the book a bit unbelievable for me, but I truly loved every other part of it.

3.5 Stars

This one gave me major Singing in the Rain vibes and I love that movie!

Bryony is a celebrated Rom-Com writer; but celebrated only in her work, not by name. She is ghostwriter to the selfish annoying starlet Amelia Benedict, and longs to have her own manuscript published someday.

For years now her editor Jack has been by her side, cheering her along and promising to give her her own shot when the timing is right. Feelings start to grow between them and everything is about to blow up in this literary arrangement.

The resistance to realizing their true feelings was adorable and I loved the way Jack protected Bryony throughout their journey.

I could visualize poor aspiring performer Kathy Selden, singing for Lina Lamont while her relationship with Don Lockwood continues to deepen. Took me back to a movie I love and now a story I had so much fun with.

Okay wait this book had me kicking my feet. When Jack looked at her and said “you weren’t dating me. But I was dating you” that was it. I literally covered my mouth in glee. The only complaint I had was the miscommunication of the conflict at the end, and I also think the way Jack handled it was also kind of crazy. But still a solid 4 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC!

Melissa Ferguson has been one of the authors that I've had on my list to read. I'm so happy for the opportunity to read The Perfect Rom-Com- and this book did not disappoint.

As the tile of this book says- this book was definitely funny and had me laughing. The romantic part was a bit slow but the banter between the two had me entertained. I also love stories that give behind the scenes/insight in the publishing world.

I'd rate this book a 3.75 (so round up to a 4.0).

If you love books that have: workplace romance, slow burn, forced proximity, he falls first, closed door romance, strangers to lovers then you may love this book.

The Perfect Rom-Com is the first book I have read written by Melissa Ferguson. This was a fun story. I loved getting to see the inner workings of the publishing world. Things you don’t think about-like ghost writers.

The storyline and setting were great. I loved getting to see a little bit behind the writing process and the world of publishing. It was fun. The title seemed a bit deceiving to some, because the romance in the rom-com was a little lacking for much of the book. Though I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The romance aspect was cute. It was all very closed door. Slow burn, friends to lovers.

There was no Christian content, though none overtly against.

*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

3.75 stars! Decently intriguing, nice twist, mildly infuriating.

Two big things: 1) the formatting for this ARC was really weird and inconsistent which took me out of the story so many times. 2) Bryony was so annoying.

Jack was fine, I did enjoy his “he fell first” speech, and while I didn’t like his “betrayal”, he was an absolute gentleman otherwise and I did like him a lot. On the contrary, some times Bryony came off as so whiny and impulsive and narcissistic sometimes and it was too much to be in her head all the time. I almost DNF’ed within the first 20% because of her character. And I got even more mad at her when she was on the boat. Just infuriating having her be the FMC.

But, all things aside, I loved the take on the plot and all the tropes it had. It was unique, but still feel-good, loved the ghostwriter/agent aspect and I very much enjoyed the story they told.

This was an incredibly sweet rom-com to read, that had layers to it that kept me hooked as I read. I absolutely devoured it, and felt that the writing was poignant and a true delight to read.

This one was a bit misleading, I was expecting a cute and fun romcom but instead was faced with a chick lit. I have nothing against chuckles just not what I was expecting. I did enjoy seeing byronys journey and everything she accomplished. I wasn’t really a fan of Jack and part of that is I didn’t feel like we really got to know him as readers he felt very 2 dimensional

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. Bryony is an aspiring author who wants to publish the story of her Grandma establishing a ESL program/school. To do this, she attends a conference to showcase her work to publishers. At the conference, Bryony meets Jack. This meeting goes sour quick as Jack tells her her story won't get published. Later they meet up again and Jack asks Bryony to review a book he has. This leads them to working together and making a deal. Bryony will be a ghostwriter for a famous author and Jack will present her work to a publisher. This leads them to working together and ultimately falling in love. This was a fast and sweet read that was filled with fun banter and great side characters who gave the story depth.

This was a bit slow for me at the start but I really enjoyed the last half. Jack was sweet and it was cute to see how long he'd been pining for Bryony. But a few things were hinted at but not clearly laid out - like was he making up fake girlfriends the whole time? And did she realize that?

I did not love the name Bryony - it seemed out of place with several of the other character names (like Jack, Susanna, Parker, Amelia, etc.). Bryony was very uptight and kind of irritating. She was very controlling and didn't listen to her agent when he obviously knew the industry better than her.

I did like how passionate she was about The Bridge and the love she had for her students. I wish we had more of the Wednesday night bowling league time! The students made me laugh.

The miscommunication at the end was problematic. I never understand why people won't hear someone else out and let them explain when they have made a mistake. Even though the big reveal was justified given Amelia's poor behavior throughout, I felt like it was unlikely her agent and team would go to such lengths in taking themselves down along with her reputation.

Overall it was a pretty quick read with some quirky characters.

Thanks to Net Galley for the eARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson!

First of all, let me say that my own ego would not let me be a ghost writer for anyone. In such an introvert but you worked hard for that, get your credit!

This book was a 3.5/5 for me. The chapters are doable, the female main character is sweet and I really felt entwined with her dilemma . I like how you can see Ferguson’s passion in Byrony’s job. The male main character is desirable if not a little cocky (but aren’t they all?!).

If you’re looking for a fun, quick and cozy read, this may be what you’re looking for!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction, NetGalley and Melissa Ferguson for the ARC. I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in the review are my own.

This book is available for purchase now!

4.5 stars!

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson was such a joy to read! It had me laughing out loud, swooning over the romance, and feeling all the emotions. But what really stuck with me was Bryony’s passion for helping people integrate into the U.S. and learn English. As a non-native speaker myself, that part hit me right in the heart—especially in such a divided time. It was such a beautiful reminder of empathy, kindness, and embracing diversity.

And that ending? I loved it! It left me with the biggest smile on my face. But I have to say… I was so frustrated with how everyone treated Amelia like she was the best when she was honestly so unlikeable! I wanted to shake the characters sometimes, but honestly, that just shows how real they felt. Melissa did an amazing job making them all feel like actual people—flaws, quirks, and all. If you love rom-coms with heart, humor, and a little something deeper, this one’s definitely worth picking up!

I had an amazing time reading this book and I’m so grateful I got to read this ARC! Is my second Melissa Ferguson's ARC and I hope it wont be my last! Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and Melissa Ferguson for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley! It was an amazing experience and I’m so happy to share my honest review.