3.25 ⭐

I was a bit caught off guard because The Perfect Rom-Com sets up expectations for a heartwarming romance, but instead is more about the challenges one faces in the publishing industry and he FMC's personal growth. The romance itself is clean and minimal, and focuses more on the FMC's struggles as an aspiring writer and saving her grandmother's life project—a school for adults learning ESL - which I didn't expect.

So I find that this book's strength lies in its underlying critique of the publishing industry, particularly the difficulties of breaking in as a new author and the harsh realities of ghostwriting. Anyone who has faced rejection or struggled to find their own voice will relate to the FMC and her story. However, in spite of liking the theme, I feel that the plot lacked on the emotional side and charm typically associated with a romance.

All in all, if you are looking for something lighter on the romance and more about a writer's breakthrough, this one is definitely for you.

This book was a fun quick weekend read. It had a lot of the romance troupes I was expecting but the characters made the troupes work.

This was a fun read. I enjoyed the plot idea and the slow burn romance. I would say the plot overall was a little slow moving but I liked the underlying character progression.

It’s been a while since I’ve rated anything 5 stars but I’m so glad that this is my newest one!

This book was so cute and heartwarming. I loved how subtle the romance was in it. I felt like Bryony’s story was the forefront of the plot and it was refreshing to see.

Bryony was such an admirable character in the sense that she was hardworking, super intelligent, but overall humble in everything that she did. She was passionate when it came to writing and, most importantly, when it came to The Bridge and her students. She loved her sister Gloria and her Gram. It was nice to see how much she loved her life and the people in it despite the drama that ensued.

Jack was an ok romance guy up until the very end when he proved himself.

The ending was just so cute and had me crying. I feel like that in itself makes this a 5-star read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC; the review is my own.*

Ah, Melissa Ferguson, you win again. Of course, that means that I also win because I got to spend the last few days reading and thoroughly enjoying this book. Win-win, I say.

It's kind of funny. Ordinarily, books with famous main characters are not my favorite ones. Their lives are so far removed from that of "the common folk" that I consider them to be out of touch with reality. But now that I think of it, the four Melissa Ferguson books I've read have been about people whose names are, well, I guess you could say "known" within their fictional world: authors and editors (Meet Me in the Margins), actors and screenwriters (How to Plot a Payback), social media influencers (Famous for a Living), and now authors and literary agents (this book). And I've loved all of them (though admittedly, Famous for a Living fell slightly short of love because I struggled to like the main character). Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that Ferguson has managed to make me like books about characters who I normally wouldn't care to read books about. Scratch that: I love books about authors and books because I love books. But you get the point.

I spent so much of this book being incredibly frustrated for Bryony (27 at the start). I wanted to expose Amelia Benedict for the self-important fraud that she was, and I don't know how any of the people who worked for her could stand her. She as an absolute beast. But this isn't about Amelia (even though she'd probably disagree). This is about Bryony, who loved and cared for people, whose dedication to The Bridge motivated her to be patient and put up with Amelia. I loved the relationships Bryony had with her ESL students and the lengths she went to in order to help them. And I really, really adored Jack (how old is he?). I loved his perseverance, loyalty, and willingness to do whatever it took to help Bryony. Even when they were just friends, they were perfect together.

Let's talk a little about side characters, too. We got little glimpses of Bryony's ESL students, and they brought a subtle, very real humor to the book. I loved Bryony's sister, Gloria, and all the ways she supported Bryony and pep talked her. Even characters who really didn't do or say a whole lot (Trina, Penny, Susannah, etc) . . . they're all great, and they all have personalities.

Oh, I would watch this as a movie in a heartbeat. I would watch any of her books as movies (as long as they were done right). We need more good rom-coms, and she is writing them! I'm excited to work my way through her catalog, and I can't wait for every book she ever releases in the future.

Note: Nothing bad.

How can anyone not love this book? I devoured this in a day despite being sick because I felt personally involved in this book’s fictional world.

Melissa Ferguson does a fantastic job with the single POV, but I really would love to see her write dual POV to get that extra “giddy” feeling that the book lacks.

Bryony Page and Jack Sterling are the epitome of “finding your missing puzzle piece.” They complement one another and both learn from each other and their mistakes. While I enjoyed the literary world aspects of this story, I really do wish we got more of Bryony’s and Jack’s relationship because I do feel a bit let down in that regard.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book and the light it shines on ESL teachers like Bryony and organizations like The Bridge.


Single POV
He falls first
Friends to lovers
Close proximity
Grand gesture
Slow burn

3.5 rounded up to 4
Overall, I enjoyed the story.
But there were enough things to keep me from loving it. The romance was on the back burner, the pacing, the miscommunication - they all held me back from a higher rating.
I loved the banter toward the beginning of the story but I wanted more of it.
I liked that the character was an author and I adored her insights into storytelling!
*thank you to NetGalley for the arc

The Perfect Rom-Com definitely had some great laugh out loud moments which is exactly what a good rom-com should have! Bryony’s journey through publishing was an interesting look into what it takes to create books at a high level. I loved that Bryony grew as a writer and a person with each new book, and was dedicated to her craft.

For me, Bryony’s interactions with Amelia, the author of the books she was writing, had me laughing every time. Their very different personalities made for some great banter and some of my favourite scenes. Jack was very sweet, and I appreciated how he anticipated the needs of everyone around him, especially Bryony. The friends to lovers trope was enjoyable. I do wish we got to know more about Jack and to read his point of view.

Overall this story was a fun spice free read, and I would definitely recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

This book gave all the rom com feels one needed. I love the added tension with Amelia but not as a love interest but co worker of sorts. While most rom coms follow a pattern of sorts, I appreciated her slight spins on the common. This story was really cute. I loved it

Another wonderful Melissa Ferguson novel. I’ve read them all, and this is one of my favorites, from the characters to the dialogue to the premise. Some of the joy of the rom-com is its predictability, and this one offers welcome twists that kept my interest to the last page.

I also appreciated the deeper dive into the world of publishing (Meet Me in the Margins went here, too). This time, the plot was more complex, in a good way, and it was a delight to follow along with Bryony as she grew in her understanding of herself and subsequently her readiness to be vulnerable and loved.

When I start a Ferguson novel, I know I’m going to be all in for the few days it takes me to finish—then it’s waiting for the next one to come out! Her writing is a respite from the craziness of the world; the humor is relaxing while the movement of the relationships is encouraging. Can’t wait to see where she takes us next.

An ESL teacher who is desperate for her first book deal. Bryony finds herself as a successful ghost writer to a popular rom-com novelist who was a one hit wonder. Jack, her agent, sabotages her personal book to keep her around as a ghost writer and in his daily. They fall in love and it all changes for the good. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This was such a cute rom-com! Could have ramped up on the comedy side a tad more, but this is a read I would definitely recommend.

Read this if you like:
- Rom-com ghostwriter
- Meet cute
- Friends to lovers
- Workplace romance

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson fiction for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4/5

nothing screams romance than having your love interest threatening to sue you.

i really really wanted to enjoy this a lot more than i did.

this book and its summary are incredibly misleading. it feels more like chicklit than a romance (which isn't a bad thing in of itself), and the romance itself comes out of nowhere and we're told these two characters have somehow developed romantic feelings for each other through dates and situations we don't see. we're told about them, but we don't see them happen. it was barely in the book.

the main issue at the climax of the book felt incredibly silly and was made worse by bryony's inability to not take everything personally and to be professional. i don't think the lying was fine, either, but she never tried to understand what happened, never even tried to hear him out. for someone who relies so much on communication, you'd figure girlie would not fall victim to the miscommunication trope. seeing how quickly she forgave him at the end just shows it could have easily been solved if they had just been honest with each other from the start.

the book itself is fine. the writing is fun, albeit repetitive at times (all those tomatoes. when we plant tomatoes, where do we go?), and it felt like we were just trying to get more words in to make the book longer when it could have been said in less words and still have the same impact. i'll pay to never read the word 'poignant' again.

there are too many things trying to be tackled. bryony's book, for example, is made up to be the driving force behind the plot, and we spend the greater portion of this book not hearing about it. the whole issue with the bridge? handwaved. like everything else in this book, it was only important when the plot required it to be.

overall, this is fine. i liked it enough. bryony is a fun character to follow, albeit frustrating at times, but her characterization remained consistent and made sense for the most part (see: the miscommunication above).

I very much enjoyed this heart-felt, sweet story with deep insights into the publishing world. Bryony Page is an ESL teacher and writer desperate to save her grandmother's non-profit organization for teaching English skills to immigrants called The Bridge. She writes a book based on her grandmother's life to hopefully earn the funds to provide sustainable funding for The Bridge. In the process, she meets Jack Sterling, a literary agent, who recruits her to ghost-write for a wildly successful romance novelist. We see their relationship develop over time, and we see Bryony come into her own in beautiful ways. (No spice- kissing only).

Thank you netgalley for my ebook arc

This was a slow burn that got boring at times. It was difficult to stay invested into the story. this is a cute romance!

While I have previously loved Melissa Ferguson's novels, this one just fell a little flat for me. It was a cute story, but I felt that a lot of the relationship development happened off page which made me less invested in the two main characters getting together.

Overall, my favorite part was getting to see this stubborn woman get what she deserved by learning to work with others and understand that she wasn't failing just because she needed to learn to make some changes.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bryony and Jack's story was so fun and entertaining. I tend to love a good storyline about authors and the publishing industry, and The Perfect Rom-Com did not disappoint. Without giving away too much, I will say that the romance trope between Bryony & Jack was charming and one of my favorites. Dare I even say that it was even say that it was swoony...yes, yes I will.

This book publishes on February 11, 2025 and I highly recommend picking up a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

This was a super cute, quick read.

Bryony just wants to become a writer and publish her own novel, but she must go through several meet and greets with different publishers. This is where she meets Jack. Jack doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to interactions with inspiring authors. After some much needed persuasion for Jack to just hear her out, Jack offers her a job... to be a ghost writer for Amelia. Amelia isn't the most likeable character, with her dense appearing personality. However, Melissa Ferguson created loveable characters with Bryony and Jack.

This is full of humor and witty banter. Lots of cute little details between Bryony and Jack. There is a lot of character growth between Bryony and Jack. Definitely worth the read, especially if you're looking for a quick "palate cleanse" between reading thrillers or any other heavier material books.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fast paced, clean, and cute rom com! I really enjoyed this, the main characters had great chemistry together and I thought that plot was very unique and interesting. Would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good light hearted rom com.

Unfortunately this book was a miss for me. It had a lot of potential based on the title and the summary, and sounded like they type of rom com book that love to eat up - a celebration of romcoms and all of the joy they bring.

However, this book lacked believability for me. I don’t understand how a character can be a world class, best-selling ghost writer and struggle that much getting her own book published. Brain does not compute.

Additionally the side characters do almost too good of a job making you dislike the MMC. My heart hurt when he described the FMC as “leechy”.

Finally I found it interesting that the author notes that romcoms are supposed to make the reader feel like they’re sparkling and uplifted when all we get from our main characters is heavy complaining about their situation.

I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it was just not for me.