Such a charming and fun read!
This book is cozy and romantic amd a delight to read. It's about an anspiring author Byrony and a literary agent Jack.
I found them to be very interesting characters. Byrony felt very relatable. From her dreams and her thoughts even. While i found Jack to be very charming and I liked the way he with Byrony
I really had a good time reading this

3.75 out of 5 stars — I thought this was a fun and different kind of bookish romance between an aspiring author and her literary agent.

I loved that the FMC was an ESL teacher as well as a writer. Her multicultural found family really added color to the story, and they were all so endearing. The characters were all dynamic and felt quite real. Even to the point of seeing the flaws of the main characters at front stage and angry reading through it 😅

I think there was a lot of heart put into this story, but the ending sadly diminishes what was being built-up. It’s a cliched, Hollywood miracle ending that was particularly unsatisfying. I wished the “villain” got more of a comeuppance 😂

On top of that, the author used too many parentheses in the narration. I did read an uncorrected copy though, so hopefully that will be fixed. In general, I found this author’s writing style a bit difficult to follow. The flow between scenes was often abrupt and the narrative side-tracked a lot during especially important moments. I think this author writes quite well, it’s just the sequence that makes it confusing on my opinion.

But nonetheless, I did enjoy reading this book! It’s kind of like Yellowface by R.F. Kuang in that I didn’t realize I’d be learning so much about the publishing industry when I chose to read this book. As someone who hopes to go into publishing and writing one day, I enjoyed this aspect a lot.

Thank-you so much to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for a chance to read this ARC.

Thak you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this eARC.
I have mixed feelings with this book, I think mainly because this is the second novel I´ve read from the autor and I wanted to love this book too, but there were some details that made the story a little bit off.
I love books about books. The first chapter felt like they were talking about the author´s own experiences in the publishing world through the eyes of Bryony, an upcoming autor who have to deal with the perks of the publishing world and with Jack, a very nasty agent. This sounded like and enemies to lovers romance, but there´s a two years time jump and the story felt very odd after that. In general it was more about Bryony´s personal growth, and the romance was reduce to a subplot (with holes by the way)…I feel sad, because this had so much potential.
I´m not giving up with the autor, I will read more of her work, but this one wasn´t for me.

I love when a book title is right on the nose- this IS the perfect rom-com. I enjoyed everything about this novel- the writing, the set-up (particularly Bryony’s first meeting with Jack) and the seamless creation of love built through time and trust. Bryony’s commitment to The Bridge and her grandmother’s legacy made her endearing- her eventual recognition of what her original novel really was made her brave, and her development into a novelist in her own right made her a badass.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and alc!

Melissa Ferguson has done it again with another adorable romance! Seriously if you are looking for a light and fluffy romance this Valentine's Day (or any day of the year really), I highly recommend this book!

Furthermore, Karissa Vacker is fantastic (as always with the narration) and I loved how she brought Bryony and Jack's love story to life!

This book is available now at your favorite local bookstore!

I was up till 2am this morning to finish this one. It was amazing!! Such a special romance. I also loved this author’s previous work, Famous for a Living. This one though, it had so much heart. Bryony teaches English at The Bridge, her grandmother’s creation that provides ESL classes for immigrants having to start anew for a chance at a better life. However, it’s struggling to keep its doors open & Bryony hopes to land an agent at a writer’s conference that can help her get her book, all about The Bridge, published so that the proceeds can help save it. But at that conference Bryony draws the short straw and is left with none other than the notoriously picky Jack Sterling. He’s not interested in her idea but, she may be able to get her foot in the door if she’s willing to ghostwrite for one of his author’s. What transpires is a 2 year working relationship with Jack that’s teetering on something more. She’s not any closer to publishing her book, especially when she can’t reveal all her success in writing for best selling romcom author (thanks to Bryony), Amelia Benedict. When will Bryony get her break? The Bridge doesn’t have much longer and she needs to make something happen. What she needs is a miracle. But in a romcom, we all know anything is possible. Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction & NetGalley for this eARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I think it’s fun to enter into the author’s mind and see their take on what the writer’s journey may actually look like. In this case, we are introduced to Bryony, a neurotic ESL teacher & author who is hoping that her first pitch is finally going to be picked up. This pitch is essential for saving The Bridge Refugee and Immigration Services, so when she keeps getting rejected at the Writers Conference, Bryony reaches for her last chance and seems to fall short when dealing with agent Jack Sterling. However, with her parting comments, Jack notices Bryony’s way with words and this interaction translates into a ghostwriting partnership.

I know absolutely nothing about ghostwriting, but if the relationship between an author and the ghostwriter is anything like it’s portrayed in this novel, that sounds absolutely miserable. It’s only the strong friendship, aka one sided relationship, between Bryony and Jack and the hope that Bryony’s initial manuscript might still be published that is making all of this worthwhile.

As always, the course of romance novels doesn’t run smoothly, but the uniqueness of the conflict in this one is too interesting to spoil - enjoy reading it yourself!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

This book is so perfect for fans of slow burn as it really took a minute to really get into. The book follows Bryony an aspiring author who initially is not having any luck pitching her book but that changes when her persistence leads her to editing someone else's work . Based on her track record it’s suprising that her edits make the author successful . It was overally a read but felt like the romance could have been a little more banter filled

Bryony Page is an aspiring writer who is offered a job as a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict, a rom-com novelist. Bryony agrees under the condition that the literary agent, Jack Sterling, will try and sell her books as well. But nobody could predict that Brian’s books would turn Amelia from popular, to best-selling author with millions of copies sold. Now the agency cannot let her go and Jack realizes he does not want to for personal reasons.

Why Kirsten loves it
Melissa Ferguson always writes the most swoon-worthy, clean romances! Jack has all the green flags, but perhaps the best part of the novel is the contemptuous relationship between Bryony and Amelia. It had me giggling more than once.

OK. Wow.

This is my absolutely FAVORITE Melissa Ferguson book......ever. This was SO GOOD.

I loved the story - it felt unique and fresh. I also LOVED the love story. I loved how it wasn't your run of the mill story and our characters were so perfectly flawed, but also perfect for eachother.

I was so excited to read this book based off the synopsis but unfortunately the actual book was very different than the summary. I found it a little odd that the majority of the interactions between the main characters happened between the intro chapter and then the jump ahead to years later that followed. why weren't we included in that? I don't know, but unfortunately it had me feeling like I was the third wheel with friends where everything is an inside joke to them that they don't want to explain. unfortunately this one wasn't for me

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and Melissa Ferguson for the advanced copy of The Perfect Rom-Com!

This book was unexpected. It was one of those where you don't think you're going to like it but then you can't stop reading and suddenly you've finished it in a matter of hours? I was skeptical of Byrony's dream and how being an author (especially a first book) would financially save The Bridge, but Ferguson made it work in a feasible way. The friends-to-lovers relationship between Byrony and Jack was incredible, and the "I've been dating you this whole time" just. UGH. The end was interesting. If we learn anything, it's that Jack's a scrappy dude.

I didn’t really care for this one.
I liked the premise and Bryony’s temerity but I found the book was muddled.
I found it difficult to focus because of all the internal dialogue that was going on inside of Bryon’s head.
I also didn’t like Jack. Their relationship seemed forced and like an afterthought.

thank you so much to netgalley for the arc of the perfect rom-com! this book was a good lighthearted fluffy read which i enjoyed, however it fell very flat in the romance aspect for me. i felt that all of the groundwork and romance between jack and bryony was told in the book and not shown, we didn’t get to see any build up to it. all of it felt pre-established which i didn’t love, i wanted to see more of them falling for each other than having it be already the two of them with feelings. i really wish the author took the time to show us jack falling for bryony first, i love the trope when the guy falls first and not getting to see any of that in this book was disappointing. personally this book felt like it should be categorised as women’s fiction instead of romance, i felt that the romance was a sub plot of the book while the main focus was on bryony and her career. i love a story focused on a strong woman fighting for her dreams, however i went into this expecting the perfect rom-com book and was disappointed that wasn’t at all what the story was. i felt more romance when bryony was talking about the books she was writing than i did between her and jack. i also did not love the third act breakup nor the reasoning behind it. however if you are looking for a light read about a strong woman fighting for what she loves and believes in then i would recommend this book.

The Perfect Rom-Com is the first book I have read by author Melissa Ferguson. As soon as I began the book, I realized that the title didn't describe the genre of the book but reflected the publishing world and the goal of numerous authors. It was easy to read and what held my interest was the main character, Bryony Page. She is dedicated to getting her first book published not to become a famous writer but to save her grandmother's legacy. She is relatable because, like many of us, she becomes deaf to suggestions on how to improve her work. Her growth as a person drives the story and I was really happy as she learned to put away the self-doubts and find her voice. Jack, her agent, was such a rock for Bryony in ways she never saw but secrecy and closed door moves almost caused him to lose her professionally and personally.
I loved the ending and yes, it was a bit over the top but perfect in my opinion and who doesn't love a grand gesture used to show how much the male main character loves the female main character. It's a work of fiction where anything is possible!
I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley and am leaving a voluntary review based solely on my reading experience.

I LOVED this book. Beautiful story. So well written. Can’t wait to look for more from this author. If you want a feel good story with a happy ending this one’s for you.!!

DNF @25%

Sadly, this book didn't connect with me. As a romance reader, the development of the MCs' relationship is pivotal. To have a large chunk of the beginning of the story - even if it was a friendship - is disappointing.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction. All opinions are my own, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sweet Romance, Rom-Com
Spice Level: Kissing
Tropes: He falls first, Enemies to Lovers

THE PERFECT ROM-COM is sparkling with situational irony, and I loved every minute of the (bus) ride. I actually loved the whole thing, but the bus is particularly good because it's almost a locked-room situation that really raises the heat in this book.

This book also came at a good time for me because I'd just finished writing a romance, and I felt every bit of the pain that Bryony Page is going through as she ghost writes for a famous author. Her level of denial is also epic—which adds to the tension and is fun. Much like the books that Bryony is writing, this one touches on genuine subjects that matter. That's something I enjoyed in this book. And it feels particularly timely to discuss immigrants in today's world.

Jack Sterling begins as the quintessential grump but turns into something of a Golden Retriever. If he didn't have that no-nonsense, business streak, the story wouldn't have worked as well—in part because the writing world is so difficult and glacially slow.

If you're a romance reader, put this one on the top of your TBR.

Happy reading!

Bryony is an aspiring writer who attends a conference to get exposure for her Grandma’s ESL program. Even though she bombs her pitch, she is offered a ghost writing position for the popular romance novelist, Amelia Benedict. She decides that she will only accept if she can have Jack Sterling ,the top agent, work on promoting her book too.

Bryony does such a great job that Amelia Benedict, becomes a household name and drives the books into mainstream popularity. Now the agency can't let her go but when will Jack realize he can't let her go either?

The idea is smart but the execution is lacking. It's almost like the world of publishing is its own character in the book and it takes the main character spot away from Bryony and Jack. The same thing happened when I read Meet Me in The Margins. The book world was more front and center and the characters took a back seat.

I did enjoy the banter between the characters and also Bryony's fight to get her own work published but I didn't feel a connection between the two leads. No anticipation tingles.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Genre: Romance

3/5 stars

I liked this book by Melissa Ferguson. I went into it blind and I wished I would have read the synopsis first as the first few chapters left me wondering where it was going.

The enemies to friends to lovers troupe is strong is this book. I liked how it was set around a author/agent/publishing world and it was cool to see how the process unfolds. I wished we got more of Bryony's backstory and maybe the ghost writer process. I am times, despised Jack and wanted him to tell Bryony what was happening.

The last 1/3 of this book flew by with so many twists and turns and I had no idea how it would end.

If you're looking for a quick rom com, this book is just that!

This is a charming story filled with hope, love and going after your dreams!