Rating: 3 🌟

When I first saw this cover and read the blurb, I expected a charming, feel-good romance that would leave me giggling and swooning, but sadly, that wasn't the case.

I felt like up until the halfway point, all I was getting was back story and not much else was happening. Bryony attends a writers conference where she meets Jack and becomes a ghost writer for him and a socialite under his agency. Now i'm all for monologues as long as they are funny and relevant. Bryony was great, but they did get repeatitive and over the top. Especially as the book seems primarily about her and her journey rather than what is supposed to be the romance between her and Jack.

This is where I felt the title was misleading as there was only a tiny bit of romance between Jack and Bryony. I’m not talking about spicy content, but for a closed-door romance, I expected at least a hint of developing chemistry, right?

Unfortunately, I never felt connected to the characters. There was no tension, no emotional pull that made me lean in with excitement. I had high hopes because the premise seemed promising, and the cute cover added to my anticipation, but in the end, my expectations were too high. Once they start dating, a simple misunderstanding leads to a 3rd act break up, something I don't always agree with, then—surprise—they get back together at the end. That's about it.

This book has potential, but it needed more real romantic development between the characters and pack a punch from the get go rather than halfway through the story. However, the ending did bring some just desserts for one particular character I did not like 🤣.

Rating 3.5

This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed it.

If you are looking for a light story where you can just relax and escape real life, this is a book you should try. The title, for me, had more to do with Bryony’s writing career than the plot of this story.

The writing was smooth and flowed easy and fast. I didn’t even realize how fast I was flying through the story. It is an easy, not so serious story, and perfect after my heavier gothic read.
Bryony and Jack were fun to get to know and I enjoyed watching their friendship.

Some of Bryony’s language students created some funny moments.

The ending was a bit more drama than real life, but it fit the story (good overcoming evil) and I enjoyed the fun, easy read.

This book is like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day-comforting, sweet, and impossible to put down! Bryony Page is a total gem of a character, and her journey had me giggling one moment and tearing up the next. The story kicks off at a writer’s conference, where Bryony is desperately pitching a manuscript inspired by her grandmother and the immigrant school she’s trying to save. The stakes are high, emotions are raw, and then in waltzes Jack Sterling with *other plans* for her writing career. Cue the drama, the charm, and the slow burn!

Tropes and themes I enjoyed:
*Forced Proximity
*Agent x Author
*Slow Burn
*Workplace Romance

The writing is where this book really shines. Slipping into Bryony’s perspective feels like diving into an author’s dreamworld, full of emotion and vivid detail. The way she describes her stories makes you wish you could grab them off the shelf. It’s meta in the best way-like the author’s love for books and storytelling shines off the page.

I won’t spoil the ending, but let me just say-it’s perfection. The balance of humor, heart, and a little bit of heartbreak made this a rom-com that truly stands out. If you’re looking for something that’s equal parts inspiring, hilarious, and downright adorable, this book is calling your name!

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC.

I did enjoy this fun read from Melissa Ferguson. Bryony is trying so hard to get into publishing with her book which is a tribute to the ESL school her grandmother started that she teaches at. No one is interested in her long book that needs many edits or in her until she meets Jack at a publishing conference. She intrigues him and he agrees to take her on as a client if she will be a ghostwriter for one of his other clients who is a whole nightmare in herself.

I really liked the look into publishing and everything that goes into including the office politics. I wasn't the biggest fan of skipping 2 years in the future but I understand it is easier for the story to move along. The romance was sweet as the friendship had built up over the years but it was hard to get into because we missed the build up.

This is a nice closed door romance which was a quick read that I could not put down.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. This review is my own opinion.

This is such a fun, cute and interesting book that kept me turning the pages to the end. Bryony Page is trying to save her Gran's group, The Bridge, where immigrants are taught English to help them get started in this country. But it needs a lot of financial help. Bryony's solution is to write to raise interest and money. But no one wants to buy it. After pushing her way to talk to an editor at a writing conference, Jack Sterling talks her into ghostwriting for a popular author and the promise to try to get her book published. Interestingly, Bryony's books are far better and really good. But she cannot breathe a word to anyone. A book tour that she has to go on really shows what a princess the author is. I was pulling for Bryony to get her own book published but it doesn't look good. It is really sweet to watch how Jack works with and spends time with Bryony in her element and backs her up but misunderstandings almost end things. Except for the contract. Surprises and smiles abound in the cute rom-com. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my thoughts.

This is the perfect rom-com, it was witty, fun and lighthearted. Loved the characters. The friendship between Bryony and Jack that developed after their not so great meeting was hilarious and perfect. Enjoyed reading from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Publishing, and Ms. Ferguson for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. An honest review was requested but not required.

I'd give this a solid 3.5 stars. What shone for me was all the publishing world background and, well, dirt. I sort of wonder if things are as sordid and corrupt and hopeless as depicted in this story? Perhaps. I've read enough blog posts of various authors to get the idea that it's pretty difficult to break in. Bryony, an aspiring writer, is attending a writer's conference when she meets cutthroat agent Jack Sterling. Her manuscript fails to impress, but her critique of a draft he shows her does. Thus she ends up with a position as ghostwriter for famous rom-com writer Amelia Benedict. ((((I don't know why I kept picturing Nora Roberts, who is older than Amelia purportedly is, and who by all accounts is a very nice person, but I did.)))).

Several years and several bestsellers later, Bryony is forced via contract to accompany Amelia on a publicity tour in which her role is to (A) [ghost]write Amelia's next book and (B) feed Amelia details about the books she "wrote" so that she doesn't look foolish in front of her fans. Meanwhile, this whole time Bryony has become fast friends with Jack, going to lunch and bowling with him, meeting up with him in the city, etc. Bryony's sister Gloria is convinced that Jack is in love with her but in classic rom-com fashion Bryony is utterly oblivious. The publicity tour and its close quarters aboard the tour bus make it very obvious that Gloria is right.

My favorite part as previously mentioned is the behind-the-scenes of the publishing world, but a close second is Amelia, who is absolutely rotten and SO fun to hate. I laughed so hard when Bryony discovered that Amelia had been hogging the tour bus's only bathroom for *hours* when she'd had her own private en-suite bathroom the whole time! LOL.

I would have liked Jack's perspective to be a little too fleshed out, because it was so easy to completely take Bryony's side regarding his lies. His rationale was explained but it was very quick; I had to read it a couple of times to catch it all. But the TV ending was perfect. The highlighter blouse!!! MAGIC.

All in all, this was a really fun book, a great beach read. I enjoyed it and would seek out more from this author. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

3.75 stars.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

I adored this. It had some issues, but I truly loved the story way more than I expected to. The FMC, Bryony, has a rambling internal monologue that needed to be edited down throughout the entire novel. It made it hard to get into the story itself because she just kept going on and on about so many things that I had no context of. Had her internal dialogue been edited down a bit more succinctly, to help let the story breathe a bit more, I think this novel could have really shined. All that being said, I do think Bryony was a likable fmc.

I wanted more of Jack and Bryony - their banter was really cute and so fun to read. The scene when they first kiss? Absolutely had me kicking my feet, it was so adorable. Probably the scene I will remember most in this story.

I would have loved more of her students, the subplot of Bryony being an ESL teacher for immigrants was truly heartwarming. With that, more of her sister and her grandmother would have been an added plus.

I enjoyed the main plot of Bryony being a ghostwriter to a snobby socialite immensely, it was funny and appropriately irritating. The ending was perfect!

All in all, less rambling thoughts and more moments with the mmc and the supporting characters would have made this a gem of a novel.

I found this book hard to get into. The characters are not well developed . especially in the beginning when you want to be drawn in. The story line is a bit convoluted too. The book gets better as you read on but it takes awhile to get there .

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC of this book! All opinions are my own. The Perfect Rom-com was a fun read. I enjoyed the story of Bryony and Jack but it did fall short for me in some areas. Initially, I was enjoying the banter and how she acted at the conference. Though I wish we would have gotten more of a story about what happened in those two years. I found that I didn't care about the romance because the characters weren't developed enough for me to care about the outcome. I also didn't enjoy the story of the boyfriend half the time I forgot he existed and I feel that the story would have been so much better if he wasn't in it at all. Overall the book had a lot of good ideas and some amazing plot points but it fell flat for me. I just want this book with like 200-300 more pages.

This endearing rom-com had everything I hoped it would! The characters were very well developed and they were so funny. Their banter and relationship was so fun to watch evolve. More so, I loved watching the FMC’s personal growth. I flew through this one in a day and loved every minute of it!

Synopsis: The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson is a delightful read for fans of lighthearted, feel-good romance, particularly those who enjoy workplace romance, friends-to-lovers, and slow-burn relationships, as it follows the journey of a talented but struggling writer who finds love and success in the unlikeliest of places.

This book released TODAY! I will definitely be reading more of this author’s work!

Probably closer to a 3.5.

Bryony is an aspiring author who has struck out on landing a book deal when she meets the prickly agent, Jack. In an effort to get her to stop talking, he shows her a book proposal and asks for her honest review. That honest review is enough to capture his interest. Not in her book, but as a ghostwriter for the prolific Amelia Benedict. Now, Bryony is stuck in an abusive writing relationship--unable to pitch her own books because her success is all under the Benedict name.

This is an interesting look at the publishing industry in a fun and more approachable way. I think it is clear from the author's note that this story is particularly close to her heart. I felt that the first two-thirds of the book was entertaining and flew along. I loved the set-up and the way that Jack and Bryony's relationship unfolded. The third act was weaker though. There is a lot of conflict, and I actually don't hate the premise of that conflict. I hate how it is ultimately wrapped up (no spoilers here!) in a somewhat unbelievable and too-perfect way.

* Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

The Perfect Rom-Com follows Bryony, a ghostwriter for bestselling romance author Amelia Benedict, and Jack, an ambitious literary agent. Bryony dreams of one day publishing her own novel - one inspired by the struggling ESL school where she works. In exchange for writing for Amelia, she hopes Jack will help get her manuscript into the right hands. But when she keeps asking for updates on her manuscript and gets nothing in return, she starts to wonder if her big break will ever come. And just when things couldn't get more complicated... she realizes she might be catching feelings for Jack too.

I really wanted to love this one, but it just didn't quite work for me. The bookish setting? Yes. The romance? Barely there. The story focused much more on Bryony's personal journey and career than the relationship, and I needed more chemistry and connection between her and Jack. I also found myself struggling to stay engaged at times. That said, I did love seeing Bryony grow into her confidence and stand up for herself - one of the book's strongest parts!

Overall, this was a cute and quick read, but it didn't entirely pull me in. I gave it 3 stars because while the premise had so much potential, I was really hoping for more romance. If you love stories about publishing and personal growth, you might enjoy this one, but if you're here for the romance, you may want to adjust expectations!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Bryony attends her first writers conference, her dream is to sell her manuscript. But this proves to be very difficult. Jack offers her job, being a ghostwriter, he will pay her, her counteroffer is: she wants him to find someone to publish her book and she will write one book as a ghostwriter for free.
I did enjoy the storyline.

Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for an eARC and eALC in exchange for an honest review!

The Perfect Rom Com was such a delight to read! This was my first read from the author and I will definitely be checking out more. Although I guessed the conflict between Jack and Bryony, I was still invested in the story and wanted to see how everything would play out and come together. I loved our FMC’s inner monologue, it really added to her character and helped make her well rounded. I LOVED Jack! He made some dumb choices, but he was so clearly down bad for Bryony from the beginning and I am a sucker for a down bad man.

This is not a problem for me, but I also wanted to let readers know there is no spice in this book. I hate when a book gets low ratings because of the spice level, so just wanted to throw that out there!

I can’t wait to read more from this author!

I’ve just loved this book. It was completely unexpected to me, there were so many layers that the blurb didn’t show, and it made the story incredible.

The insight in ghost writing was interesting, although infuriating to see Bryony get no recognition while dealing with Amelia (not sure how she did it for so long, she’s stronger that I would have been).

I did found one element of the plot a bit strange, is that there is a 2 yrs gap between when Jack & Bryony meet and when the story picks up, and that’s very much when they fell for each other is you don’t really see them develop their connexion. However it did work out quite well in the end I think, as we instead saw Bryony take her time to recognise that they’d became more than just friends and colleagues. The single pov worked very well with how slow and how long it took her, up to the reveal where it was suddenly made obvious.

There is suspense all along about what will happen to Bryony’s book and how the ghostwriting will unfold, and I thought the twist in the story was quite clever and interesting.

*I received an ARC of this book, this is my honest opinion*

3.5 ⭐️

I have mixed feelings here.

I ADORE the author. Melissa Ferguson is a gem of a human from what little I’ve been able to interact with her. And I will read anything she writes.

I love how her characters feel like real people and there’s always substance and meaning outside of rom-com. I enjoyed a background look at the world of publishing and authorship and I enjoyed so much about this book.

But at the same time, something fell flat for me. Maybe it was the lack of feeling the chemistry between the two MCs earlier on in the story? I enjoyed the conversations between the two but truthfully read them as friends/close co-workers for 3/4 of the story.

I want to re-read from a non-ARC copy and see if maybe the strange formatting as an early copy caused some of my confusion.

If this was your first read of Melissa’s and you found it lacking, I beg you to give her another chance. (IMO Meet Me in the Margins was her best work. But How to Plot a Payback was close second. And the rest of her work close following that).

I still say give this book a chance. So much of book review is personal opinion and maybe what didn’t click with me, will for you. Plus a 3.5 is not bad. It’s just not in my top 5 of her work.

Thanks NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for the advanced reader copy

I really enjoyed this book! Bryony and Jack were very cute, and I’m always here for a friends to lovers trope. Bryony is a passionate ESL teacher and an aspiring author. Jack is a grumpy agent who comes off as uninterested at first. I do feel like Jack’s character was lacking depth. It was a single POV so that also may play into it. It just felt like we really got to know Bryony’s character and not Jack’s. Overall I would recommend this book and will definitely be reading more Melissa Ferguson rom coms!

💫 forced proximity
💫 friends to lovers
💫 workplace romance

Spice: kisses only

Thank you to netgalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Rom-Com
by: Melissa Ferguson
Thomas Nelson Fiction/Thomas Nelson
Pub Date: 2/11/25

Melissa Ferguson, author of The Perfect Rom-Com, delivers romance and humor set amid the world of writing and publishing. I can count on her to provide an entertaining read that is uplifting and clean.

The female lead Bryony Page, an aspiring writer, meets agent Jack Sterling at a writer's conference. Bryony's pitch was less than perfect, but it took her in completely unexpected directions. What follows are twists and turns involving love and the bookish world, and it's all fun, engaging, and enjoyable.

I received an advance reader's copy from Melissa Ferguson and publisher Thomas Nelson Fiction/Thomas Nelson to access via NetGalley through the Uplit Reads Campaign. My review is my own.

"I wanted to live in his nothings and him to live in mine."

Melissa Ferguson has a special touch in creating lovable Millennials with heart and wit as her main characters. Bryony is no exception. Her first person voice is honest, warm, heartfelt, passionate, and funny. The entire book is from her perspective so we meet Jack only through her thoughts and interactions. Jack is a layered hero - a charmer to the core driven by success and money but with substance, loyalty, and deep feelings when those layers are uncovered. Their banter is wonderful and I really enjoyed watching their relationship blossom from enemies to friends to more. The complex sphere of publishing is incredibly fascinating and I learned quite a bit through Jack's expertise. The work that Bryony does teaching English as Second Language holds a special place in my heart and I loved delving into that world. The romance is subtle but the outright laughs are not. If you are a rom com fan, you will enjoy this book.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Thomas Nelson through NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.