I was a bit wary of Ferguson after reading Famous for a Living as it was not a hit for me, but this newest book by her completely delivers. I am always drawn to books about people who write books for some reason. I loved Bryony's spunk and her banter with Jack. They make a great pair. I also wanted to punch Amelia in the face. My hurt for Bryony, too. I liked the HEA of this and how things got worked out. I was genuinely surprised to find that it was over - I did not want to leave these characters behind yet. Readers should be sure to give this one a chance. It is quite "the perfect rom-com."

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

3.5 stars rounded up!

The book starts with Bryony Page trying to get an agency to pick up the manuscript she wrote as a passion project about The Bridge, the place started by her grandmother that teaches English to immigrants. She meets with the arrogant literary agent, Jack Sterling, who sees something in her he likes, just not her manuscript. He offers her a ghostwriting job for Amelia Benedict, a spoiled, untalented writer who is very good at marketing herself.

Fast forward two years, Bryony is still in the same long-distance relationship, but she and Jack have become best friends, spending tons of time together as she continues ghostwriting for Amelia, who is incredibly famous now, thanks to Bryony's writing. It becomes pretty obvious as you read that Bryony and Jack have feelings for each other, but neither one of them wants to act on it for a couple reasons. One, Bryony has a boyfriend; and two, they don't want to ruin their professional relationship.

This book was a quick, enjoyable read with little spice (just kissing). I feel like we missed out on a lot of relationship development between Bryony and Jack during the two year time hop, and that was disappointing. The developing emotional connection is one of the best parts of reading romance!

The grand gesture was fantastic and I love how the story ended. There was a lot of focus on Bryony's teaching and journey as a writer, so I'd say this book was more women's fiction, with a romance undercurrent. Therefore, the title "The Perfect Rom-Com" is a little misleading.

3.5 🌟 Very cute. Perfect light-hearted book when you need a break in between large fantasy series or emotional reads.

This was a cute rom-com centered around the world of books. Bryony Page meets book agent Jack Sterling and stumbles her way into a situation she thinks will give her the dream. But is it actually a nightmare come true? Can Bryony learn to listen to those around her, step out of what she thinks she knows to get what she truly wants?

This story was fun, introduced a forced proximity storyline I have yet to read and had interesting characters. At some points it felt like the storyline dragged a little longer than I would have liked, and I found myself wanting to skip some scenes. Overall though, I enjoyed it and gave it 4.5 stars!

This was such a great rom-com. :) The perfect Rom-Com perfectly titled. :) I loved Bryony’s character and her drive to do more for her community and her family and follow her dreams as a writer and her incredible dynamic with Jack.

This is a no spicy romance which is perfect for a quick read and all audiences. I absolutely loved the end with the big reveal it was so incredible and I might have cried. :) This is my first Melissa Ferguson book and will be checking out more of her books.

This book comes out in Feb 2025 and I’m so honored to have gotten an advance copy from @netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction! I will absolutely be picking up a physical copy when it’s released!!

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

Synopsis: Bryony Page sets out to make her way as an author, with a heart to help her grandmothers struggling ESL school for immigrants. She ends up as a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict — heiress to a publishing house throne whose personal knack for cruelty is only rivaled by her inability to care that she is cruel. Truly heinous. Also, Bryony would NEVER do something as stupid as fall for her agent, Jack Sterling… right?

Review: Melissa Ferguson does it again. She writes a book that manages to be funny, romantic, and has depth to the characters and their struggles. “The Perfect Rom-Com” is actually the PERFECT rom-com. Can someone make this into a movie? The pace was great, never a dull moment. Bryony was relatable to every girl who’s ever wanted to accomplish a dream, but doesn’t quite know how to make it come true. She stumbles forward, in a lovable way that made me root for her the whole time. The conflicts and tensions in this book are just the right amount of tense, and I was left wondering how or if Bryony would accomplish what she set out to do. This is a book of hoping against all hope, and daring to keep going, even when it looks like you won’t make it.

For the love of reading (and writing), I urge you to read this book!

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and Melissa Ferguson for the eARC of this book. All reviews reflect my honest opinion.

Melissa Ferguson is a new author for me and I just LOVED this book. The characters were hilarious and overall this was such a fun read!

Ok this book. Is 100% a 5⭐️ read for me. It had me drawn in all the way until the end. I loved their friendship and then their romance and what he did for her in the end just had me in tears. It was so sweet and Bryony’s journey over the entire course of the book, you could just FEEL IT. This has to be the most real when it comes to authors and their struggles and their first “baby” of a manuscript that they guard with their entire souls and never stop fighting for.

But listen up here…the ending…is amazing. Ohhhh my gosh just the satisfaction of…ooooh everything. Penny is my 3rd favorite character and Albricht a very close 4th 😂. All the characters you can’t help but fall in love with.. well…except for the ONE you know who.

Get this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this opportunity to provide my honest review.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.]

To save her beloved ESL school, Bryony Page attends a writer's conference, hoping to get a book inspired by her grandmother published. Instead, she's offered a job as a ghostwriter for the famous Amelia Benedict. Bryony agrees, but only if Jack Sterling, a top literary agent, promises to get her book published.

Ferguson's books are always easy to get absorbed into. Her writing style makes for a quick, enjoyable read. Bryony is super likeable and her friendship with Jack is filled with fun banter. We just from their initial meeting to them being best friends, but.I wish we had seen more of their relationship build over time.

I will say that the story focuses more on Bryony's journey than romance, so it feels more like chick-lit than a traditional romance (this didn't bother me, but I can see it frustrating some readers). Initially after I finished reading, I thought the title might not be the best fit but after sitting on it, I think it might be meant as a critique on the publishing industry and how quickly authors are expected to publish new books. This story offers what I imagine to be a good representation of how the publishing industry works, with trying to get noticed and then for the lucky ones, trying to meet deadlines while possibly still working your 9-5 job.

Overall, this book is a pleasant and fun read. Bryony and Jack's dynamic reminded me of the movie "Two Weeks Notice", so if you loved that, you'll definitely enjoy this book!

This book is admirable that Bryony will do anything to prevent the Bridge from closing including her being the ghostwriter for the detested Amelia that even though her books may be emulated as ROM coms, doesn't deviate from her being a soulless human being. Bryony is determined to fight for her cause to help those entering the country to have a better quality of life. Knowing that her insufficient income will do so, she takes on the role of ghostwriter as well as touting her own book. During the entire time, she has Jack as her agent and as becomes to realize, her most staunch supporter. I must admit to shedding tears that Penny and Gloria convinced to realize that Jack is her person. She will be a success but to celebrate in that outcome with Jack even makes it better. This book makes one laugh at their sarcastic exchange as well as champion Bryony to fight for what she believed in. Great book. Her and Jack ended up living the perfect ROM com.

Aspiring author x publisher

bryony has tried everything to get her book published and is meeting with every person but constantly getting rejected until jack comes along. They strike up a deal for Bryony to ghost write until Jack came get her book published. Byrony also has a boyfriend majority of the book but he plays a small part. The book was long and a little slow but bryony finally gets her book published and there is romance

Thank you NetGalley for the arc

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

3.5 stars.

I can't lie. This book gave me anxiety. A background, ever present hum. It was the lying. Not just with Bryony as a ghostwriter, but you know that other characters are lying to her. You KNOW it. And that never works well for me.
I also don't much like the trope where one or both of the protagonists is in a relationship with someone else at the start of the story. It's nothing I vibe with.
Other than these things, it was a well written story, though I'm not sure it was really a romance. It was more a contemporary about Bryony finding her voice and growing as an author. There was a bit of romance off to the side, but most of the development between Bryony and Jack happens off page in the time jump after the prologue. And I didn't really like Jack as a romantic option, so I think I would have preferred if the romance was cut all together.
The side characters were fun, and seeing more stuff about the publishing industry was interesting. I would still try something else from this author, but I just don't think this story was for me.

The Perfect Rom Com truly lives up to its title! Melissa Ferguson has crafted a story that’s both heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny, capturing the charm and quirks that make rom-coms so irresistible. The characters are wonderfully relatable, each with unique personalities and hilarious quirks that make them feel real. The banter and chemistry between the leads are spot on, and I found myself rooting for them from the first chapter.

One of my favorite aspects was how Ferguson balances humor with genuine emotional depth, making for a story that’s both light-hearted and meaningful. The plot is refreshingly original, with plenty of delightful twists that keep you hooked. This book was everything I hoped for in a rom-com and more, blending humor, romance, and just the right amount of heart. I can’t wait to see what Melissa Ferguson writes next!

So the premise of this book is really interesting to me. I’ve always loved the idea of writing, so any book on the inside of publishing is sold to me already. The concept is fun, and, whilst I didn’t love the characters at the start, they grew on me. Jack was cliche and intense, but I warmed up to him in a bit. There are certain parts of his character though, where, to not give anything away, push the friendship, were frustrating and hard to read, however, probably very plausible. Whilst Bryony was a little whiny and gave off slight ‘pick me vibes’ I also warmed up to her, because feels man, you’re doing it tough.

My big problem was the flow of the story, whereby it’s jumping ahead then going back to tell us what happened. Multiple times. No real flow. I feel like I’m living in the past, whilst here. The book was just rushing to get to the points but then realizing ‘oh crap, I need to give backstory’ and I found it jarring. That; and how many times can we give looks that ‘somehow tell everything the person is feeling and trying to say in a single look’. So many times. Some different writing tools needs to be used I think to help the flow. The book overall was just a little hard to read because of this. However, I did push through and liked the storyline in itself. Would recommend for a fun, quick read.

The book begins by introducing us to Bryony Page, an aspiring author searching for an agent to help publish her work. This leads her to Jack, who, rather than offering to publish her original book, proposes she ghostwrite for popular romance author Amelia Benedict.

I’ll admit, it took me almost 40% of the book to realize that The Perfect Rom Com isn’t a typical romcom (don’t let the title fool you!) but leans more toward chick lit. Nevertheless, I had a great time reading it. The relationships between characters develop naturally, and Bryony, being clever, funny, and sharp-witted, quickly wins over the reader. It’s also been a while since I’ve encountered a character as dislikable as Amelia.

If you’re a fan of classic romcoms, this might not be your first choice, but I highly recommend it.

Thank you to netgalley for this arc

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

Pub Date: Feb 11 2025

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Książka zaczyna się, gdy poznajemy Bryony Page – początkującą autorkę szukającą agenta, który pomógłby jej wydać książkę. W ten sposób trafia na Jacka, który zamiast zaoferować jej publikację autorskiego tekstu, proponuje Bryony pracę ghostwriterki dla znanej autorki romansów, Amelii Benedict.

Muszę przyznać, że potrzebowałam prawie 40% książki, by zrozumieć, że The Perfect Rom Com to nie typowy romcom (tytuł może być nieco mylący!), ale bardziej literatura typu chick lit. Mimo to świetnie się przy niej bawiłam. Relacje między bohaterami rozwijają się naturalnie, a Bryony, będąc sprytną, zabawną i błyskotliwą postacią, szybko zdobywa sympatię czytelnika. W dodatku dawno nie spotkałam bohaterki, do której czułabym taką niechęć jak do Amelii.

Jeśli szukacie klasycznego romcomu, może nie będzie to wasz pierwszy wybór, ale gorąco polecam tę książkę.

Dziękuję NetGalley za ten egzemplarz przedpremierowy.

Data premiery: 11 lutego 2025.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a captivating read that held my attention from start to finish. The story was well-paced, and the characters felt real and engaging. I’m grateful to the publisher for providing an early copy—it was a pleasure to read!

This was a super quick romance read — I loved the relationship between the two main characters and definitely felt like there were interactions that made me believe in the chemistry.

The Perfect Rom Com written by Melissa Ferguson is a charming romance story about an aspiring author looking to publish her first novel. Jack, the agent who passes on Byrony's book, promises to publish her book if she ghostwrites for a best selling author.

It's a complicated strangers turned lovers story with the humor we have come to expect from Melissa Ferguson. The side characters added charm and interest. This is a fun quick clean read.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Aspiring author Bryony is an ESL teacher by day and ghostwriter by night. Like the author’s other rom-coms, this book is about much more than romance. The long time friends to lovers story is sweet, but it is almost secondary to the main story. This book explores what being a ghostwriter and aspiring author is like. Can Bryony finally catch her big break and make enough to save the organization where she teaches ESL?

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction!

3.5⭐

This was a cozy story about Byrony, an aspiring author, and Jack, a literary agent. I enjoyed learning about the world of authors but could have used a little more romance and for Byrony to stand up for herself more. It felt like the story was more about Byrony's journey to become an author vs. Byrony and Jack's romance.

Read if you like:
📚 friendship to lovers
📚 authors/the literary world
📚 character growth

Thank you to the publishers and NetGally for this Advanced Release copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.