This book had everything I love in a romantic comedy—great characters, a unique premise, and just the right mix of humor and heart!

Bryony was such a standout character. I loved how determined she was—she knows exactly what she wants and will try everything to make it happen. She wasn’t just a typical rom-com heroine; she had depth, ambition, and a boldness that made her so fun to root for.

The ghostwriting aspect of the story was another highlight for me. It’s such a fascinating and rarely discussed topic, and I loved how the book explored it. The way it was woven into the plot added an extra layer of intrigue and made the story feel fresh and different from other rom-coms.

And then there’s Jack. He was far from perfect—he made mistakes, had flaws, and wasn’t always the ideal romantic hero. But that’s exactly what made him so charming and real. His journey, both personally and in his relationship with Bryony, felt genuine and heartfelt.

Overall, this book was an absolute delight. It had me laughing, swooning, and completely invested in the characters from beginning to end. If you love a rom-com with depth, heart, and a unique twist, this one is a must-read!

Thank you so much Melissa Ferguson and net galley for allowing me to read this book early in advance in exchange for an honest review. The review is linked below via Goodreads .. I face this book 4 stars

Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, swoony goodness in this latest from fav author Melissa Ferguson that sees a best-selling ghostwriter aspiring author falling for her literary agent while struggling to get her own book sold and published traditionally. I really enjoyed this slow burn single POV, romcom full of heart, humor and an epic grand gesture. It was good on audio read by fav narrator, Karissa Vacker that's perfect for fans of books like Emily Henry's Book Lovers. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. This is definitely a new favorite for me by Melissa Ferguson!

I’m a Melissa Ferguson fan, so when I was approved to read the ARC of her latest novel (thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson!), I was excited! Having read almost all of her novels, I started this story with a hint of what to expect. Sadly, it seems many other reviewers experienced unmet expectations because of the title.

“The Perfect Rom-Com” is not a traditional rom-com, although there are many amusing (and embarrassing/awkward) parts. It contains a lovely heaping of romance, but it’s truly a romantic women’s fiction novel... the sort I love to curl up with and savour.

Bryony’s story is a wonderful read. She’s the sort of character you want to win, but you stick with her even when it turns from bad to worse. I sympathised with her anxiety struggles, loved her heart for the people around her, and wanted to cry when she was giving everything... yet it still wasn’t enough. We’ve likely all felt this.

Bryony held hope for her dreams, her family, and the future of her students despite everything... and I loved her all the more. What I didn’t enjoy was experiencing the strategic manipulation by some and the outright hostility from the antagonist. I really wanted to punch a certain character in the face on multiple occasions, and almost despaired when Bryony was at one of her lowest moments. But take heart, dear reader, as the ending is far from depressing!

Jack filled the “romantic hero” role nicely, even with several disappointing choices thrown in the mix (what person is perfect?). I loved his forthrightness! Also, his attention to detail endeared himself not only to Bryony but to me.

Enjoy the rollercoaster of being inside Bryony’s head and check out this wonderful story!

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

This one surprised me—in the best way. It’s got all the makings of a classic rom-com (grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, a dash of workplace romance), but at its heart, it’s also about resilience, passion, and the rollercoaster ride that is publishing.

Bryony Page is an ESL teacher with a dream—to publish her own book. But after a soul-crushing writers’ conference, she finds herself ghostwriting for a mega-successful (and demanding) romance author under the watchful eye of literary agent Jack Sterling. Between juggling her students, saving her grandmother’s struggling school, and figuring out how to make her own voice heard, Bryony has her hands full—and no time for distractions. (Too bad Jack is a very distracting distraction.)

I adored the behind-the-scenes peek into publishing (so much rejection! so much waiting!), and the ESL angle was a refreshing and heartfelt touch. The romance? Cute, swoony, though a little predictable. But sometimes, predictable is exactly what you need.

📢 The Perfect Rom-Com hits shelves next week on February 11!

📚 Read if you love:
✨ Rom-coms with depth
📖 Books about books & publishing
💡 A heroine chasing her dreams
💞 Grumpy/sunshine goodness

In this sweet slow-burn romance our FMC Bryony is a ESL teacher and an aspiring author, who is trying to get her book about the English school she works at published. Her hope is that it will save the school from closing. At a writer’s conference, Bryony meets our MMC Jack, a literary agent. Even though he hates her book, he sees potential in her and asks her to become a ghost writer for a client of his. Over the next 2 years they become close friends who are practically joined at the hip. While secretly becoming a bestselling author as a ghostwriter, she continues to push Jack to get her book published and save the school.

I really think this story has potential. I really like the premise of this story. I love the background you get on the publishing world and ghostwriting as a career. I also loved the zany supporting characters who encouraged Bryony along her journey. The sister in particular was a hoot!

However, as with Bryony’s first book, this book needs some editing too. The biggest issue I had is the 2-year jump where they become fast friends. You only see snippets of it as flashbacks/remembered moments throughout the book. Another glaring issue is that Jack never encouraged her to re-read and re-write her original “bad” manuscript. Finally, the overseas “boyfriend” she had for the majority of that time. She dated him for a short time before he left the country and then he kept extending his trip. It seems bizarre that she would stay that long in a relationship with someone she barely knew and hasn’t seen in over a year. It just doesn't seem necessary for the plot.

This is a sweet (no language, no sex), tug-at-your-heartstrings kind of book from an author that I have fallen in love with (this is my 4th book of hers to read and they’ve all been wonderful).

Bryony Page is watching as her grandmother’s nonprofit organization (The Bridge), where Bryony teaches ESL, is failing without funding. As a last ditch effort, she writes an overlong novel based on her grandmother’s experiences but is turned down at an agent’s pitch session by the brutally honest super agent Jack Sterling…but not before giving a less-than-flattering review of his megastar client’s latest effort. She’s hired to be a ghostwriter for said superstar (who is a pampered diva) and becomes a big (but secret) success. She and her agent become best friends over the next couple of years, but she still pushes him to get her initial novel published. As she and Jack’s feelings deepen, the reveal of a lie threatens everything she trusted and hoped for.

I am a character-driven novel lover, and Ferguson’s characters are so humorous, charming and likable that I’m left wishing I could meet them in person rather than just through her words. Bryony and Jack are not perfect but when they are together they seem to complete the other. And there are enough wonderful side characters sprinkled in (especially Bryony’s hilarious sister) to round out a stellar cast all-around.

I honestly can find nothing I don’t like about this book, and I very much look forward to Ferguson’s next novel.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing the early arc of The Perfect Rom-Com for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Melissa Ferguson can be depended upon to deliver clean romcoms with relatable characters!
I really enjoyed the insider look at the publishing industry as the setting for the budding romance relationship between Bryony and Jack. I found the different elements about how a book moved from concept to print, along with the ghostwriting element, to be a really engaging part of the story!

This one is features a friends-to-lovers troupe, but I would’ve liked to see more of Jack and Bryony’s journey from strangers to “friends who have obvious feelings that they’re hiding.” The jump of two years in the timeline felt disorienting. Jack’s character felt foreign to me and I think he could’ve been developed more.
Bryony was portrayed as very much of a hot mess; her inner dialogue would ramble and go on thought tangents, before suddenly getting back on topic. I personally think it was a bit overdone, but others may be endeared to that aspect of her character.

😇: Christian publisher; contains no faith content or themes
😍: only sweet kisses!
🤐: no language

ENEMIES TO LOVERS

I always look forward to Melissa Ferguson’s new releases. Her latest release, The Perfect Rom-Com, doesn’t disappoint! Ferguson seems to be at her best when writing enemies to lovers, and these main characters fall into the enemy category for most of this book. That does not mean there is no spark or simmer under the surface the whole time, though. Bryony is trying to get her manuscript published. Instead, she becomes the ghostwriter for rom-com novelist Amelia Benedict. Jack Sterling is a legendary agent and promises Bryony that he will work on selling her book, too. Only the thing no one could have predicted happened. Bryony’s ghostwriting is off the chain and pushes Amelia Benedict to a household name and bestselling author status, with millions of copies sold worldwide, and the three find themselves trapped not in a love triangle but rather in a triangular web of deceit. The entertaining part is when the three and Amelia’s personal assistant go on a Book Tour and find themselves in Amelia’s Tour Bus. Traveling in close quarters with a diva leads to many hilarious missteps, particularly with everyone sharing one small bathroom area! Then, there are the Book Tour Stops. If Amelia had read the book, it would have impacted how she answered her reader's questions. Instead, Ferguson shows how hero worship causes people to believe what they want to see. Just as Bryony reaches her breaking point with Amelia and her diva ways, Jack starts giving her attention and hinting at more. Bryony finally believes they may have the relationship she has always wanted, and he will get her manuscript published. Alas, Bryony thinks she has discovered the truth about Jack's only use of her to get what he wants. Working with the adage, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Bryony turns the tables on everyone, rewrites her original manuscript, and makes it into a rom-com. Ferguson creates a surprise ending by turning the tables again at the end and brings this book to a fantastic conclusion! She sneaks it up on readers, and it may take you a minute to catch on to what is reality! It is very clever! This is a delightful read and I highly recommend it!

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. However, my opinions are entirely my own and uninfluenced.

Let me start out by saying I enjoyed this book, but don’t let the cover fool you. The cover alone is very suggestive that it is a cliche cutesy romance book, however that’s far from it. This book is more women’s fiction, as you follow Bryony through the stages of being a ghostwriter and wanting to take her own pathway to being a writer. Don’t be mistaken about her as a character though, she puts herself into many projects that require her attention and she truly cares. I understand how this book wrapped up the way it did, but I still feel Bryony could have better? She scarified so much of herself to not get a ton in return and I would’ve been content if she didn’t get someone in the end. A huge thank you to Netgalley for this book, it was a quick read and overall a great time!

Overall, this was a really cute book. It was very slow getting into it. I felt more annoyed by the Bryony character than invested in her. About half way through things really started picking up and I really enjoyed the book from there. I really enjoyed that this book wasn't centered strictly on the romance portion. It was refreshing to have a title where there was an actual plot and character growth involved.

Bryony Page is an apiring author and as she tries pitching her book for the umpteenth time, she continues to get rejected...until she meets Jack Sterling, literary bad boy with a reputation for being brutal. She manages to talk him into pitching her manuscript with the promise of revising it.

Then the book jumps 2 years, and suddenly Bryony and Jack are best friends and coworkers, as Bryony had gotten a job as a ghostwriter for the acclaimed romcom author, Amelia Benedict. But Bryony still doesn't have an ETA on the acceptance of her manuscript. While out on a 2 week book tour for Amelia's book, Bryony and her boyfriend of 2 years suddenly break up, and within a few hours, Bryony and Jack are suddenly dating. They date for a week before Bryony finds out some things Jack has been keeping from her as her agent and they break up.

Then a few weeks later, there is a massive expression of love and forgiveness and approval of Bryony's book and a tv interview which leads to Amelia's downfall as an author...and all of this comes to a massive plot holed filled head and Bryony and Jack ride off into the sunset together.

oof. This book was rough. I didn't even touch on the ESL side of the story in this review. There was just TOO much going on in this book, and for a "romcom", there was NO romance and NO comedy. This was definitely more of a general/women's fiction book than a romance. I felt like Bryony was a stubborn spoiled brat who whined and demanded to get her way too much, Jack was sweet, but also a bit too insistent and pretentious to be the golden boyfriend. Amelia was utterly dislikeable, yet I liked her character the best in the book, because she was written well. There were other characters and parts to the story that seemed to be thrown in, yet never expounded on, therefore could have been left out.

I love when romance books feature characters who also work with books - it feels like a wink from the author to the reader! When a ghost writer and her literary agent have immediate sparks, you can tell right away they are a fit for eachother and it is up to Jack to prove that to Brony.

While the main characters were so charming, the side characters really made this book even more fun! They brought so much humor and heart to the story.

A charming, fun romance. You might say, a perfect one!

This was cute! I enjoyed the relationship of Jack and Bryony. Their friendship was cute and a bit of a surprised based off the beginning of the book. I also loved Bryony’s passion for The Bridge and her students. I had no idea what an ESL teacher was an I wished it was explained when it was first introduced. This was originally a 3 star read but the ending bumped it up for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson fiction for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. It did start off slow but once I got started I was able to really move along quite fast. The characters were great, as well as the banter. I laughed out loud several times. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

I initially found it a bit slow to get into, but after the first few chapters, I devoured the book. The plot is unique, making for a delightful and charming read. It offers both heartwarming humor and an insightful look at the world of aspiring writers. The story centers around Bryony, a hopeful author attending her first writers' conference. She has two goals: to sell her manuscript and to raise awareness for her grandmother’s struggling ESL organization. I received a complimentary
e-copy of this book and read it with pleasure. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.

I have loved Melissa Ferguson and her sweet rom coms since the Dating Charade. This was no exception. Melissa has quick pacing that makes a 300+ page novel fly by. She captures the friendship, budding romance, and internal monologue so well I forget that I'm reading a book.

Bryony is so down to earth while somehow also being a little head-in-the-cloudsy. There were so many times I wanted her to give Amelia the what for. Pretty much from the first sit down at the tomato pie restaurant. Cannot stand that woman- which also shows how well Ferguson writes her characters. Jack was a bit of a question mark for me. He's got a poker face. Maybe because Bryony was so oblivious to his feelings, I was meant to be as well? Idk. I would have loved some dual POV with Jack for sure.

All in all, I loved this. Witty banter, budding friendship into best friends into lovers (but with no spice on the page). It gave me the warm fuzzies. 4.5⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the arc copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Bryony Page dreams of being a famous author. She is a full time ESL teacher at the Bridge, an organization founded by her grandmother, and has been writing her manuscript about the Bridge on the side every free second she has. When she finishes the long book, she attends a writers conference in Nashville with hopes of landing a book agent. Instead of landing an agent for her book, she finds herself offered a ghostwriting position by Jack Sterling, the agent of popular author Amelia Benedict. Bryony accepts the position under the agreement with Jack that he will represent her and push her book as well.

Two years later, Amelia is a household name thanks to Bryony's books. Bryony, desperate to be recognized for her authorship publicly, continues to push Jack into getting her book a deal. When being a ghostwriter for Amelia, who is ungrateful and very hard to work with, becomes too much, Bryony must decide if she wants to walk away from a high paying stable job or walk away and potentially lose her shot at publishing her own book.

When I first started this book, I found Bryony so whiney and annoying that I almost stopped reading it. I'm glad I didn't. I devoured this book after the first few chapters and found the plot to be unique to what I've read in the past. Amelia is the absolute worst and clearly very delusional, so although she gets put in her place, I would've liked for Bryony to stand up for herself versus Jack doing it for her. Everyone needs a Jack. The ending was a nice little bow to wrap it all up.

3.75 stars, would recommend.

This book super cute and a fun read. I’m absolutely obsessed with Jack’s and Bryony’s relationship. They have such a fun and sassy friendship and it’s honestly the cutest. And if we are being honest I was rooting for them from the minute she dropped her proposal in his lap. I thought Bryony’s story was really cool. She had passion and drive and didn’t give up when things got hard and that is something that I think everyone can look up to. Jack is cool and strong willed. He is really sweet when you get to know him but also is super funny! And on that note, the humor in this book was RIGHT up my alley and It definitely kept me laughing. I’m super grateful that I was able to read this arc from netgalley, and if you are looking for a cute romcom with a good plot then this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this #gifted book!*
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Title: The Perfect Romcom
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Genre: Clean Romcom
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Synopsis: Bryony Page is an aspiring author with a manuscript that needs work to say the least. When she finds herself rejected again, she is desperate to make her last pitch at the writers conference count. And through a strange turn of events, she becomes the ghostwriter for the queen of romcoms represented by the most successful but also the grumpiest literary agent, Jack Sterling. As the two work together to publish best-selling romance novels, Bryony still longs to share her own story and hopefully financially support her grandmother’s ESL program. But a sudden change in relationship status leaves Bryony questioning everything she thought she knew about her agent and best friend Jack. Maybe she won’t just end up writing a perfect romcom but actually living it.

Analysis: Melissa Ferguson is known for her romcoms that are just plain fun, and that is exactly what this one is! I absolutely loved the witty banter between Jack and Bryony. There’s a total grumpy sunshine trope that I am totally here for! And even though it’s fun and funny, Bryony really shines through in finding her value as a writer. There was a moment with someone where I felt like I was finding out who the bad guy was in Frozen the first time (How dare you, Hans!), but since it is the perfect romcom, I think it’s safe to say there’s some redemption in this story! My only reason for dropping it to 4 stars is that I didn’t always love the ESL parts especially when it came to the humor. Some of it was fine, but I think it could be sensitive for some readers. As far as plot goes, the ending was so fun! Maybe not super realistic when it comes to the details of publishing contracts, but I think if you know that going in, you’ll really enjoy this read. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Note: One thing that surprised me is there isn’t much faith in this book (maybe none)—especially with it being a Christian publisher. But it is clean/closed door!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.