For two people who are in a masters program about words they are terrible communicators. Leigh and Will were high school classmates where Leigh had a crush on Will who never gave her the time of day. Now 10 years later they are in the same MFA program and still find each other at odds creatively but drawn to one another.

I think that there was just too many little things added together that I couldn't get past and enjoy the book but I feel like for some people they may not be a bother: Leigh being the "I'm not like other girls" pick me archetype, the cringy Taylor Swift and One Direction poetry (and this is from a Swiftie and Directioner), Leigh being 27 and overly invested in her parents failing marriage, and the number of times her and Will make one step towards being together before ultimately saying "we can't for xyz.." weak reasoning. Also I cannot get over Will's daddy issues being used as an excuse for plagiarism???

The writing in this is very beautiful though, and I think I have realized after reading this that any book that uses Beach Read as a comp title will just end up missing the mark for me. Thank you Forever and NetGalley for an ARC & ALC of You Between the Lines.

I absolutely adored this debut! I thought the writing was beautiful, the plot creative and interesting, and the characters were complex and unique. The setting and environment, Leigh and Will, and their past, had me completely devoted. I enjoyed all of the characters and the different dynamics they brought to their MFA writing group. Books about writers are always fun, and I loved the poetry throughout.
There were so many unrequited feelings between Leigh and Will, and the rivalry, angst, secret pining, and tension that came with that had me eating this right up. I also enjoyed the parental layer, where complicated feelings stemmed from each of their relationships with their families, and how that played into the mix. They just felt so real and raw, and relatable. And the ending was the sweetest!!

🎧 The audiobook is narrated by Sarah Beth Goer, and she did a fantastic job! I thought her voice fit Leigh’s point of view perfectly, and I loved the voices she used for each character. I highly recommend listening!

Read/Listen if you like ⇣
Second chance
Rivals to lovers
Creative writers
Mental health rep
Found family
Single POV
Spice

Thank you Hachette Audio, Netgalley, and the author for the ALC!

Thank you to Hachette Audio & NetGalley for an ALC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was really looking forward to this one, but it honestly fell flat for me. The relationship between Will and Leigh felt very unnatural and forced almost, they had zero chemistry. I also felt like Leigh was a bit insufferable as a FMC, she didn’t have many redeeming qualities, and spent most of the book complaining.

I also tend to enjoy dual POV more, and as this was single POV, I had a hard time listening to just one narrator tell the story.

I think others may enjoy this book, but sadly it wasn’t for me.

I thought this book was going to be made for me as an English grad.

Unfortunately, I had such a hard time thinking that Leigh would have made it into this MFA program. And there's no way I could have ever believed she'd have a shot at the special apprenticeship. She's immature, stubborn, and has a big case of the "not like other girls." Why was Will so obsessed?

Not to mention the amount of Taylor Swift references in this book is absolutely egregious. It got to the point that if it was a drinking game, you would NOT be ok.

Thank you Forever Pub and Hachette Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews for You Between The Lines from friends. I really enjoyed this and binged it in about a day.

Leigh and William went to the same high school, had an almost romance in college and are reunited when they attend the same MFA program. Leigh is convinced as a former sorority girl that she’s never good enough. She’s also dealing with the separation of her parents. In the meantime she’s competing for a fellowship with her favorite poet.

This has very similar vibes to me as Not an My Book by Katie Holt. I wish they’d be been published further apart because I liked that a bit more. I liked seeing Leigh learn and develop as a poet. I really liked William. He was so swoon worthy. I enjoyed how they both grew and learned to be better for each other. I enjoyed the narration and didn’t want to stop listening.

I will definitely read future books from Katie Naymon.

Set in the world of a masters level poetry course, this rom com felt fresh and unique, delivering chemistry and romance with a more introspective focus.

I really enjoyed our main characters, Leigh and Will. Their flaws and personal growth felt genuine, significant and relatable. The progression of their relationship over time was a slow burn, and while set at college it had a more mature feel, waiting for the stars to align for both characters rather than a more instalove. I loved the themes of people pleasing, vulnerability, and finding your voice.

The narration was immersive and really rounded out the earnestness and emotional experience of the cast of characters. I was so glad to be listening to the story, as hearing the poetry recited in character just amplified the emotion and lyricism of the work.

A great audiobook for anyone looking for a reflective rom com with a lot of heart. 4.5⭐️

Thank you Hachette Audio for a complimentary copy of this audiobook. Opinions expressed are my own.

**Review of *You Between the Lines* by Katie Naymon**

Set in the world of a Poetry MFA program, *You Between the Lines* brings together Will and Leigh, two characters with a past—one where Will was once Leigh’s nemesis. Now, as they must navigate their shared journey in the MFA program, they are forced to confront their past misunderstandings, prejudices, and the life changes that come with this new chapter.

Geared toward New Adult readers, the novel offers a compelling blend of romantic angst and miscommunication, which will likely resonate with fans of this genre. The characters' evolving relationship, paired with the intense academic setting, adds an intriguing layer of drama.

While the story itself is engaging, I give it 4 stars for its depth in exploring personal growth and change. However, the audiobook narration deserves 5 stars. It enhances the experience, bringing the emotional beats and nuances of the characters to life in a way that makes the story even more immersive.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a sweet story of second (and third) chances. Some of the pacing was off, but it was otherwise a nice read.

This was a super cute love story I loved Leigh and Will so much! Leigh was incredibly relatable and written so well! Will was perfectly tortured and swoony! Fantastic narration job as well!

The audiobook is STELLAR! Hearing the poems out loud is beautiful and haunting, adding a whole new level to the story. My previous review (below) stays the same. I loved every single second!

THIS. BOOK. The yearn is YEARNING in this rivals to lovers, blast from the past romance. It is smart and GORGEOUSLY written. What an absolutely fabulous debut novel. @katienaymonwrites is certainly one to watch!

Not only is this a stellar romance, Naymon weaves poetry into and between the writing in such a smooth and perfect way. The characters, the dialogue the prose, all of it is sublime! I knew just a couple chapters in that this would be an easy five star rating for me.

This book brought me back to my own grad school days (though I was in a cohort of four other women), and it was nice to revisit some of the creativity and stress of being back there without *actually* being there again. Naymon captures the expressly vulnerable period of grad school, complete with the love, lust, creativity, and drinking sessions that go along with it.

I’m not always one to say that I’ve got a bunch of book boyfriends, but Will Langford is my book boyfriend. And I will love him forever.

I was lucky enough to buddy read this book with @midwestreading and @bookologist_phd and we all LOVED IT. We agree is was a top read of 2024!

Thank you so much @readforeverpub for the eARC in exchange for my honest (and RAVE) review.

Audiobook/Book Review ✍🏽🪻

Thank you so much @readforeverpub + Hachette Audio for the gifted copy & audiobook!

You Between the Lines
by Katie Naymon
Narrated by Sarah Beth Goer

About the book 👇🏽

No one’s more surprised than Leigh when a prestigious MFA program in North Carolina accepts her. A former sorority girl, Leigh’s the first to admit she knows more about the lyrics of Taylor Swift than T.S. Eliot, and she’s never been able to shake the “all-style-no-substance” feedback her high school crush made in their poetry workshop. Leigh's insecurities become all too real when Will, that same high school crush-turned-nemesis, shows up at orientation. And now, he’s William, exactly the kind of writer Leigh hates, complete with his pretentious sweater vests and tattered Moleskine. Leigh’s determined to prove herself—and William—wrong by landing the program’s highly-coveted fellowship. But Will’s dead-set on proving himself too, and in a small cohort, they can't keep apart for long.

When Will submits an intimate poem (that's maybe, probably, definitely about Leigh) to workshop, they’re both forced to realize there’s more to the other than what’s on the page.


🪻 My thoughts:

This was a breeze to get through. If you love poetry, you’ll love this one because you get a lot of it! This truly is a fast paced and entertaining read/listen. Sarah Beth Goer did great at narrating this story and kept my attention throughout. Here’s my only gripe… I found this story to be mostly sweet but truthfully Leigh was not my favorite* character and made it difficult to truly LOVE this story. I understand the complicated emotions especially when you’re younger but I didn’t love that one comment was carried into her adult life and shaped the trajectory of it. Other than that, I thought it was a great book and it’s still one ai’d recommend! You get a wonderful academic setting, tension between the main characters, and a swoony love story… perfect for the month of love! You Between the Lines is out 2/18/25!


Happy reading! 📖🪻✍🏽🎧

this was a sweet and swoony debut! I loved the MFA setting and the deeper dive into the world of poetry and first loves. the pining and yearning gave the best butterflies while the prose tickled my brain in the best of ways. so thankful for this early copy!

the narrator was perfect for this one! her tone was lovely and cadence was so easy to follow. I listen on 2x speed and easily completed this audio within a day.

I want to start by saying I absolutely love the title of this book and think it's absolutely adorable in relation to the book. I loved the setting and the poetry and most of the characters were decent. My main problem is I didn't really like the FMC and I feel bad because one of her biggest personality traits is literally thinking people don't like her. She did not feel like a late 20s character, she felt WAY younger. Super immature and self-absorbed and I hate that she actually gets a happy ending lol. Neither of the main characters are perfect but I don't see how Will can tolerate her. She was straight up cruel to him and others on multiple occasions and they just instantly forgive her. I do think the epilogue was really sweet but she didn't deserve it.

The start of the book was a little slow and I found myself sad that the fmc thought so lowly of herself. However, I think a lot of the ways she thinks reminds me of myself too. Her anxiety around what other people think of her is relatable. I loved the use of writing/ poetry and how she interacted with the mmc. You could tell from the writing that he’s always liked/loved her but she’s too caught in her anxiety to really see it. I really loved this.

First, this is not a romance book. It's a fiction novel with a romantic subplot. The romance is purely incidental and - in my opinion - solely a tool to illustrate Leigh's issues. Which would be fine, if the book was actually classified as a fiction novel and not a romance. If I pick up a romance novel, the romance should be a main focus of the book. Our love interest in this case doesn't matter, he really could be anybody. Which I found quite disappointing, because he had fantastic potential and was a really multi-dimensional character, that could have brought much more to the story. Instead we are solely focusing on our heroine, who is relatable, but ultimately not very likable. Which brings me to my main problem.
Leigh is insufferable. At first, I thought she was great and could really relate to her imposter symdrom and fear that she wouldn't fit in. But then the author went overboard and tips Leigh into the territory of never taking responsibility for herself. She constantly goes on and on about how straight white man poets get preferential treatment and of course no one likes her poems, because they don't fit the "whiny, self involvement of male poetry". Which, true to some extent, but more importantly she doesn't put in any work. And this feedback is brought to her many, many times. She just chooses to reject any criticism by saying people just don't get her, because she sees the feedback as an attack on her person. Even worse, she doesn't acknowledge the fact that she - as a white woman - also has some privilege. She loves to blame her lack of instant success on straight white man, but doesn't look around herself and ask whether she is doing anything to include queer people or people of color. Which makes her criticism of systemic injustice in academia feel somewhat hollow and like she's only looking for ways she's personally disadvantaged in order to not have to work as hard.
Throughout the book Leigh continually tells the reader that she wants to be a poet, but seems to be unwilling to take any risks or even work hard. She doesn't venture into new-to-her subgenres, she doesn't reflect on any well-meaning criticism, doesn't believe any positive feedback either, and frankly doesn't put any vulnerability into her poetry. But then turns around and wants her classmates to praise her depth. It's incredibly frustrating for the reader, but anytime things don't go her way, she takes into as being deliberately disadvantaged. When another woman in her class get recognition, she explains it away by saying she's pretentious and does what the male audience expects. Which is untrue. Funnily enough, there is a scene that encapsulates her hipocracy incredibly well. At some point Leigh explains that she's always deliberately been conventionally girly, because she doesn't like the "not like other girls" mindset and liked feminine stuff. But almost immediately she turns around and makes a point to distance herself from almost all other poets. She thinks she's better than them, because she doesn't like poetry by old white man, doesn't dress preppy, doesn't write about death, and isn't pretentious. And while Leigh ultimately does realize all of this, it happens way too late. None of these realizations happen on page, even though she does recognize at points how dismissive and mean she's being. So, the reader spends the entire book stuck inside Leigh's toxic mindset, which witnessing the changes. She's just suddenly better in the epilogue after having gotten Will and some recognition. It feels somewhat undeserved. To be quite honest, she shouldn't have ended up with Will. I went into the book thinking the hero would have some groveling to do and all that, but quite frankly, he had apologized and realized his mistakes before the main story even starts. The heroine creates 90% of the problems by not listening to what he's saying and not believing that she's the only one with issues in her life. I actually felt incredibly bad for Will. He kept putting himself out there in his writing and to some extent with Leigh as well and she didn't give him any grace. Ultimately I doesn't really matter though, because Will's backstory is mentioned and should play a bigger role, but actually doesn't. He's simply the trophy that Leigh gets for being a better person, while completely ignoring what's going on with him as a person. It feels like wasted potential. If the romantic interest doesn't really matter, don't flesh him out. Instead we see some intriguing glimpses that are abandoned in favor of Leigh doing self-sabotage.
Overall unfortunately not what I had hoped for and one of the very rare books where I think the hero deserved better. I did enjoy the narration though. The narrator was great and made the character voices distinct without overdoing it. I would definitely listen to another audiobook narrated by her.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and voluterily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

Delicious, but also I cried.

I loved this book, and I didn't expect to cry like I did.

When Leigh was in therapy, it felt like it was me.

Amazing debut, really!

This was a wonderful story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Leigh was a relatable character. She seems content with who she is, but is scared of being vulnerable and a people pleaser to the extreme. Will was not my favorite at the beginning, but grew on me and I loved him by the end. While poetry is not my thing, I appreciated the prose in the story and the vivid detail used.
Sarah Beth Goer did a wonderful job on the narration. She portrayed all the nuances of Leigh’s character and emotions so well. I was sucked into the audiobook and didn’t want to stop listening.

Thank you to Hatchette Audio for the alc. All opinions are my own.

This was such a sweet book. There were times I was super frustrated with Leigh, but I think that’s the mark of a well written character that shows growth. She had a journey through the book that acknowledged her flaws and in the end, I was really satisfied with her journey.

The audiobook was so well produced. Sarah Beth Goer and her voice was super pleasant. She did a lovely job for both Leigh and William and I could definitely tell one character from the other. I sped up the audiobook just to see how well it held up at 2.0 speed and it was still great. Very wonderfully produced overall!

Okay, this is going to be a DNF from me unfortunately. The opening scene turned me off so much there is no recovering. The character takes a strong stance to essentially demonize so much of the world’s greatest writing and entire writers because she has a dismissively progressive attitude. Then when someone gives her a little bit of criticism on her class poem she emotionally implodes.

I just…I can’t. I will not be posting on any review sites for this one.

I was highly anticipating Katie Naymon's You Between the Lines. As an avid romance reader, and a high school English teacher, I am always drawn to novels surrounding literary characters. There was a lot to love about this romance, and I think it had great potential. The angst and yearning that the two characters had for each other is definitely something I look for when selecting a romance. However, there were several things that I could not connect with the FMC over which affected my overall reading and listening experience. I truly think this novel would have highly benefitted with a dual POV. So much time is spent with the FMC's insecurities - which impacted my overall opinion of her - that it would have been nice to get some different perspective. From the start, when the FMC mentioned how she loves to write poetry yet refuses to read basically any literature except for one poet's work, I was quick to judge her. Because of my literary background, I understand that this is a matter of personal preference from me, not based on the writing of the author. Also, I continued to have problems with the FMC when I felt like much of her self-deprecating personality got to be too whiny for my taste. If it never listed her age as late twenties, I would have expected her to be much younger. I think adding in dual POV would have given the reader a reprieve from this. Finally, I was not a fan of the narrator's breathy delivery. I know that this is a matter of personal preference as well, but along with some of the FMC's personality traits that I didn't care for, the narrator's delivery made me dislike the FMC even more than if I would have physically read the book instead. Overall, I did enjoy the story and the fantastic references to poetry and literature. Although I wasn't a big fan of the FMC, I think the author has tons of promise and potential, and I will pick up her romances in the future.