Melissa Ferguson has done it again! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And it might in fact be my new favorite of hers. If you are a fan of Meet Me in the Margins, then you will love this book. Witty, heartwarming, with swoon-worthy moments, and a heroine that is so lovable.

Bryony Page is an ESL teacher by day and aspiring author by night. She writes a novel close to her heart about the school where she teaches adult immigrants and her grandmother who founded it. But breaking into the publishing industry proves next to impossible for her. Things take an unexpected turn when Bryony accidentally lands a job as a ghostwriter to the famous romance author Amelia Benedict. One thing leads to another and soon Bryony is stuck figuring out what exactly she wants in life and how to get it.

Even though this book is marketed as a rom-com, I feel that the plot and character development of Bryony is the main focus. The romance is more on the side being sprinkled in here and there. Which is a wonderful thing in my opinion. More than once I found myself grinning and laughing through out the pages of this book. Simply delightful!

⭐️4.5

Thank you @ThomasNelson and @NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded down—it’s not often that I give a romance novel anything higher than a 3 star rating… so the fact that I debated on if I wanted to give this one 4 or 5 stars is saying something. I loved this!

It was exactly what I was wanting out of a romcom novel. Bryony and Jack were the sweetest couple 🥹 I especially loved Jack. He was precious. Bryony’s passion and enthusiasm and admiration for The Bridge made me adore her. When the two main characters make you smile from the get go, how can you lose?!

Bryony is an aspiring author. She’s an ESL teacher at a school that was founded by her family years ago to help immigrants transition to American culture and get through their citizenship exams. Bryony attends a writers workshop/retreat/event thing that puts new authors in front of literary agents and editors. Enter: Jack, an agent that has a short list of extremely successful clients. Bryony gets a meeting with Jack at the end of the conference and hopes he’ll entertain the manuscript of her first novel—Water Under the Bridge—based on her grandma’s life and legacy at The Bridge school. Little does Bryony (or Jack) know, this is just the beginning of something that’ll blow her expectations out of the water!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the eARC of this book! 🩷

When Bryony Page attends a writer’s conference to pitch her precious manuscript, she just knows she will leave with an agent and the next steps in getting the book published. However, she leaves the conference with no book deal of her own but with a ghostwriting opportunity that she never saw coming.

Coupled with a romance she never saw coming with Jack, her editor, and the surprises kept on coming for Bryony.

I keep giving Melissa Ferguson’s books chances even though I’ve DNF’ed a couple in the last year. (Meet Me in the Margins was so hard to beat!) I’m so glad I stuck with this one. Bryony’s story of perseverance kept me turning the pages and while the romance was a secondary part of the plot, I did enjoy seeing if Bryony and Jack would get their happy ending.

My few qualms with this book is that the ending seemed a bit far-fetched (like could this really happen?!) and the epilogue felt rushed. I also wanted more scenes with some of the publishing company employees mentioned. I think that part of the book could've been developed a bit more. Other than those things, I really enjoyed this one!

The Perfect Rom-Com is a cozy read that includes humor, romance, and the struggles of chasing dreams. Melissa Ferguson delivers a story full of charm, relatable characters, and an engaging premise set in the fascinating world of publishing.

Bryony Page is an endearing FMC. Her passion for saving The Bridge, her grandmother’s struggling ESL school, and her dream of becoming a published author make her a character you can root for. Her determination to balance these challenges while ghostwriting for the narcissistic Amelia Benedict brings a sense of depth to her story arc.

The chemistry between Bryony and her literary agent, Jack, is sweet and understated. Their friendship builds naturally over the years, and their eventual romantic progression is satisfying. The behind-the-scenes look at the publishing industry adds a unique layer to the story. From the intricacies of ghostwriting to the glitz and chaos of book tours, these elements are both entertaining and eye-opening.

The timeline of Bryony and Jack’s relationship skips over some key moments that would have strengthened the romantic arc. While their bond is believable, I would have loved more “in-the-moment” scenes to fully believe in their connection. Also, some of the side characters, like Amelia, felt more like caricatures than fully fleshed-out personalities.

The Perfect Rom-Com is a quick and cozy, feel-good romance. While not without its minor flaws, the book’s charm makes this a lovely palette-cleanser

This was such a delightful read—unexpected yet utterly lovely!

I’ll admit, the first few chapters were a bit of a struggle. Jack was highly unlikable at first, and Bryony was so scared and insecure that I just wanted to shake her! But once I pushed through that, I couldn’t put the book down.

I adored how the story unfolded and how Bryony’s passion and dedication shone through, whether it was for her students, The Bridge, or her stories. Jack’s quiet, unwavering love for her was beautifully portrayed—always supporting her, never overstepping, and standing by her side through the horrendous tantrums of that dreadful "author." It was heartwarming to see how everyone rallied around Bryony when she needed it most.

This book is one I could see myself reading again and again. It’s the perfect pick-me-up for a rainy day.

10/10 recommend!

I thought this was targeted for romance readers who love rom coms but really this was a chick lit. I mean come on the title really caught my attention and I do like chick lits sometimes but I’m really here for the romance part!

I also love a little spice—this only had kissing.

This story really focused on the FMC and her personal growth—self realization and coming of age.

I just really had hoped for a better love story. It feels marketed to be a rom com.

Review: The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson

The Perfect Rom-Com is a sweet friends to lovers story set in the chaos of publishing. Bryony, aspiring author, gets into the industry but as a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict, a famous author who has apparently only written one of her acclaimed books. However, Bryony does so well she can’t get out of her contract to publish her own passion project.

A comedy of errors and misunderstandings shakes out to a delightful escape that I devoured in two days. I did find the miscommunication a bit frustrating at times, but lovable characters won me over.

Out in February, just in time for a Valentine’s rom-com to binge.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this eARC.

Maybe unpopular opinion but the time jump ruined it for me! I was enjoying the first half so much! I’ll try Ferguson’s next book but the relationship left me wanting more. I didn’t connect as much as I had hoped! Still a sweet story!!

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Melissa Ferguson for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️

Bryony is an aspiring writer who is trying to get an agent to pick up her manuscript. The manuscript is a multi-genre book that is wildly too long and inspired by the school her grandmother founded teaching English to immigrants.

She is rejected by several agents. Her last hope is Jack Sterling, a blunt and notoriously selective agent. With nothing to lose Bryony pushes back against Jack. Jack recognizes something in her and wants to sign her, however it’s not for her manuscript- it’s to ghostwrite for a well known author, Amelia Benedict.

Fast forward two years and Bryony and Jack are best friends who hang out multiple times a week. Ghostwriting is slowing sucking the life out of Bryony, especially when the ‘author’, Amelia is miserable and doesn’t even read the books she claims as her own. Now Bryony is being forced to go on tour to help make sure Amelia doesn’t slip up again by not being able to answer questions on the books she claims to have written.

The 2yr time jump was a surprise. I wish I could have seen a bit of the development of their relationship. They do touch on a small but impactful night when discussing when/how their relationship changed but the flashback wasn’t enough for what I wanted.

I enjoyed the details on the writing world.

The grand gesture was top notch and honestly, I would love to see that happen to someone as terrible as Amelia.

The title makes sense with part of the story and there is a romance storyline (kissing only) but with the bulk of the book being about The Bridge and the writing itself so being called The Perfect Rom Com felt a little bit of a stretch but it had a HEA so it counts!

Bryony Page is an aspiring writer, Jack is a hot shot literary agent. Bryony gets wrapped up in a ghostwriting job for Jack with promises of getting her own book published. The premise is good. The characters are good. It’s nice and light just like Ferguson’s other novel “Meet Me in the Margins”. Where it falls apart is the pacing. I love the dynamic between Bryony and Jack but we barely get to see it. We are mostly in Bryony’s mind and going in circles with pages of descriptions between dialogue. I loved the forced proximity of the book tour which doesn’t happen until 40% through the book. There was definitely potential in this story and just is too disjointed to be a perfect rom-com.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an advanced electronic copy of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the advanced reader copy.

Bryony Page wants to be a writer, with a goal of conveying how much her grandmother's ESL school means to her and her family--so she's written a mess of a book that tries to tell that story. When she mouths off to one of the best and scariest literary agents, in Jack Sterling, she finds herself becoming the ghostwriter to Amelia Benedict and needing to figure out how much of herself she can give away on the page without being seen for it?

Melissa Ferguson writes such delightful characters that reading Bryony and Jack on the page was what ultimately pulled me through this story. The rest of the book was...fine. There's a long distance boyfriend who rarely makes an appearance on the page (so that when he and Bryony break up it's hard to care all that much or understand why she cares). Bryony's goal of saving her grandmother's school by publishing a book felt far-fetched given how slowly the publishing world moves and because of how much (millions!) the school needs to stay open. THE PERFECT ROM-COM is an easy read with delightful characters, if you can overlook some of the plausibility issues.

The Perfect Rom-Com comes out February 11, 2025

Thank you @NetGalley for the ARC The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson. This book was charming and sweet. To watch the two main characters story unfold was so heartwarming. The ending was perfect and made me cheer Bryony on.

What a fun read! I loved the premise of this, and absolutely adored the dynamic between Jack and Bryony. As a writer myself, I resonated so closely with Bryony and her own thoughts/doubts/fears surrounding her place in the publishing world and loved seeing how Jack continued to champion her, chapter after chapter! This was my first Melissa Ferguson read and I'll definitely be coming back for more!

I enjoyed reading this! I read 70% of the book in just one day, and that feels like such an accomplishment for me because lately, I haven’t been able to focus on reading for long periods of time. I’ve been reading slowly lately, usually just 1 to 2 hours a day, and even that is broken into short reading periods, but yesterday was different.

As I kept reading, I noticed there were parts of the book that felt unnecessary, like the overly detailed explanations of certain things and Bryony’s thoughts, which sometimes went on for too long.

One thing I really liked, though, was how the relationship between the main leads didn’t feel forced. It developed naturally, and even the female lead didn’t realize it at first, hehe.

Out of all the books I’ve read with a theme related to books, this one is my favorite so far. Why? I got really curious about the ghostwriter issue, and I was so excited to see how it would unfold in the story. The transition for that is not perfect, it turned out kind of cliché for me, but I still loved it.

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson 🩷

Bryony Page is an aspiring author who attends her first writers conference in the hopes of her manuscript being snatched by an agent, Jack Sterling, and her dreams coming too. In an effort to impress the agent there, she agrees to make corrections to another authors work, which leads to her becoming a ghost writer for the infamous yet intolerable Amelia Benedict, a popular rom-com novelist. Bryony is also doing everything she can to raise awareness of The Bridge, her grandmothers organisation, where Bryony teaches ESL full time. She needs to raise awareness as there is great concern The Bridge is not going to financially survive. Jack and Bryony work together to survive the gig of being a ghost writer, but Bryony does not give up on her dream of publishing her own novel and saving The Bridge.

Thankyou to @netgalley and @thomasnelson for offering me the opportunity to read The Perfect Rom-Com before release, which is due for publication on 11th February 2025.

I found this one to be a heart-warming and sweet story about Bryony and her journey to becoming an author, and her romance with Jack. I found the characters likeable, except for Amelia which I think was on purpose - and enjoyed the twists and turns in the plot, particularly at the end which I had not been expecting but found intriguing and enjoyable. The pacing and structure of this book made sense and was easy to follow. I found myself rooting for the main characters and overall found it an enjoyable read ✨

GR/SG: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

The Perfect Rom-Com follows Bryony, a talented ghostwriter for one of the most successful authors in the industry, Amelia Benedict, and her ambitious agent, Jack. Bryony has big dreams of publishing her own novel, one that centers on an ESL school where she works, which is on the verge of closure. In exchange for writing for Amelia, Bryony hopes to secure representation for her own manuscript through Jack.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I found myself struggling to stay engaged, often counting down the pages until it ended, and I even came close to marking it as a DNF (did not finish) on two separate occasions. While I did appreciate Bryony’s personal growth throughout the story—especially watching her find her voice and stand up for herself—I never truly connected with her character. The narrative felt disjointed, moving in uneven chunks, with the plot's pacing fluctuating too often to keep me invested.

A major point of frustration for me was Jack. He came across as self-centered, manipulative, and overall unlikable. His actions throughout the novel were, in my opinion, unforgivable, and I found it hard to see any redeeming qualities in him. While I was hoping for some kind of character development or resolution that would justify his behavior, it never fully materialized.

The ending of the book was satisfying but very unrealistic. I will not go into details for the sake of spoilers, but I wish the ending had a bit more of a realistic tone. It was just over the time of too far fetched in my opinion.

I genuinely wish I had enjoyed this book more, as the premise had so much potential. However, it just didn’t capture my attention in a meaningful way. It was an okay read, but I doubt I would pick it up again.

This book was aptly titled; I found it to be the perfect rom-com! Best yet by Melissa Ferguson, it held my interest from beginning to end with no slow parts. The best part of Ferguson's books are the unique plots and situations her characters encounter, and this one was no exception. I was able to relate to the plot especially well because I am also a writer, but I think Bryony has lots of relatable attributes that anyone could sympathize with. There was just the right amount of struggle, of self-reflection, and of obtuseness in not realizing the romance that was developing. This is the first Melissa Ferguson book I'm giving five stars. I think it is her best one yet.

The Perfect Rom-Com was just that. It was absolutely adorable. I loved the banter between Jack & Bryony, as well as being able to watch her grow as a character. She truly came into her own as a writer and that was incredibly enjoyable to read. It does time-jump but I felt that Ferguson did it well and you still had that connection with the characters.
Pick this up to read. You won't regret it.

This was the first book from this author and I wasn't sure what to expect. The storyline was so fun and I loved diving into more about an Authors life. The book had humor, tension, wit, romance and fun. At times it was a little long, but I did enjoy the story. I would read another of Melissa's books.

I really enjoyed reading about the life of a ghostwriter and Bryony was fantastic. I love that she is doing something she doesn't love, but is crazy good at, in order to support her dream of helping The Bridge continue. She is a an amazing ESL teacher and I loved that part of the story as a teacher. Jack is such a cocky putz, but I absolutely adore how hard he tries to protect Bryony and ends up falling for her. He really is a good guy at heart and makes the story more fun with his personality and charm.

The beginning of the book was promising. I liked Bryony’s dedication to getting her book published and her thought process was fun. Jack also promised to be an intriguing love interest. The dynamic they had created the potential of being a witty dislike to lovers book and I was very excited to see the ways they were going to butt heads when it came to her writing. However, the book had a time skip and I felt that potential was lost. The time skip ruined the opportunity to see how their relationship developed, which was the part that I was most looking forward to. While Bryony’s dedication to her book and helping The Bridge was admirable, it was too much of a focus of the novel and I quickly lost interest in the story once her desperation kept being repeated.