Fast-paced, quick witted, and clever dialogue make The Perfect Rom-Com a delightful listen. The narrators captured the chatacters well and it was almost like getting caught up in watching a movie. I hardly realized much time went by.

Such a cute book! Definitely giving Emily Henry vibes. I loved every minute of this book from the banter back and forth from literary agent to ghost writer. Very uplifting and endearing audible listen.

Melissa Ferguson may be the most under appreciated romance writer.

Overall: 5
Spice: 1
Narration: 5 (Karissa Vacker)

Bryony is an aspiring author and her first book is a personal one about the ESL school her grandmother founded. She hopes getting it published will save the struggling finances of the school. Jack is a well-established author agent who already has many big name clients on his roll and doesn't need an unknown with a too big, too many genres manuscript. When Bryony finds her backbone and tells Jack how she feels about the proposed next book for one of his famous clients, she finds herself facing an offer she can't refuse - become a ghostwriter for the famous Amelia Benedict. Two years later, Bryony has put Amelia on the top of the best seller lists, but she can't tell anyone. She and Jack have become best friends, but he still hasn't found an editor for her manuscript. When they are forced together on a tour bus to follow Amelia and make sure she doesn't accidentally reveal that she knows nothing about the books she supposedly wrote, everything comes to a head. Can Bryony make her own way in the publishing world and will Jack be with her or has he been working against her the whole time?

This was my sixth book by Melissa Ferguson and on my list of most anticipated reads of this year. I was happy to get access to the ALC on NetGalley. First, for the narration, Karissa Vacker is always a win. She does great with the voices with each character being unique and she adds a lot to the story. I really enjoyed this story with its insight into the publishing world (I really wonder if Ferguson was a ghostwriter for one of our fave authors), a great character arc for Bryony and a sweet love story (if you can forgive Jack for a bad lie). Ferguson does a great job of creating Amelia as a true villain that you are rooting against. I saw that some reviews felt there wasn't enough romance in this one, but I liked the "he falls first" story of them and felt the moment of his declaration to her to be truly swoon-worthy. This is a romance with great chemistry between the main characters, but only kissing. I will continue to read everything Ferguson writes, with Meet Me in the Margins as one of my all-time favorites. I highly recommend this book to fans of romance and especially those that appreciate a spice-free romance.

Getting this out of the way from the start: the big plot point here that wraps up the story, and will make you smile from ear to ear, would never, could never happen for so many reasons. It is utterly ludicrous on every level. But it’s fun, and so is this whole book. I enjoyed it so much.

Bryony Page doesn’t have the money to attend an author conference where she will have the opportunity to pitch her book, a passion project written from her experience working with an organization founded by her grandmother that helps immigrants resettle into their new lives and learn English. But she blows all her savings on going to the conference anyway, because this book being published could be in big things for her as an author, and for the organization, called The Bridge, which is in big financial trouble.

Problem is, her book is a wreck. It’s extremely overlong and she spends the conference being rejected over and over until it’s time to go home. But she has one last chance, and when well-known literary agent Jack Sterling rejects her, too, she’s just not going to take no for an answer. This all leads to an unexpected and quite lucrative opportunity to ghostwrite romance novels for an insufferable heiress who became beloved after her debut novel, but didn’t have another hit book in her. Bryony agrees to this arrangement only if Jack takes on her book to pitch, too. But the ghostwritten books are incredibly successful, nothing seems to be happening with her own novel getting any interest, and things aren’t looking good for The Bridge staying open to continue to serve the community.

I just really enjoyed all of the elements here. Bryony has a literal heart of gold. Jack may at times seem like a bad guy, but his motivations are largely good. Amelia Benedict, the heiress who can’t even bother to read the books that are being ghostwritten for her, is a delightful villain. The characters from The Bridge are absolutely lovable. There is a romance element but it’s not very spicy or heavy-handed. The book is just fun and light and exactly what I needed right now. Immigrant/refugee resettlement programs also happen to be particularly close to my heart so the author’s clear passion for this had my heart, too.

I haven’t read anything from #MelissaFerguson before but I would like to read more from her now. Thank you #NetGalley #HarperCollinsChristianPublishing #ThomasNelsonFiction for this review audio copy, which came out on Feb. 11. I would be remiss not to mention that the narration here is from #KarissaVacker who is a master and always a treat!

I absolutely loved the first 75% of the book and the last 5%. I laughed out loud. My heart broken for Bryony with everything she was doing to save The Bridge. I loved how their relationship developed. I loved how she stayed true to herself. I didn't like how she refused to listen to Jack. She was being a brat. If that had happened earlier, I might would have DNFd the book. I get that she was mad and hurt, but give the man a chance to explain. She acted like a toddler throwing a fit. In spite of all she did, he still did what he did in the end. I wish we knew a little more about what happened to Amelia. Hoping she got what was coming to her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it. Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for my audiobook copy of The Perfect Rom-Com.

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4.

Spice - 0 (just fyi, but didn't impact my enjoyment)

An absolutely charming and a quick listen! Bryony and Jack are a great duo with lots of good banter and sweet moments and the conflict was actually an understandable conflict that resolved exactly as you hope. I would definitely recommend this as a palate cleanser if you come out of a hard/exhausting read or want something to distract, but not suck you in too deep.

My negatives:

1. How quickly Bryony was to jump to worst case scenarios sometimes, but also was completely optimistic others. It was strange as I never knew what to expect from her.

2. How the entire relationship building between Bryony and Jack seemed to happen between the first and second sections and not on the page. We go from their first meeting to 2 years later and being friends. I wanted to see their relationship grow so the romance actually makes sense. As it is, the romance felt shoe-horned into a story of family and friendship.

3. There were too many plots and not enough resolution for any of them. I love a happy ending, but there were about 4 plots happening and they all got wrapped up with a neat bow after the resolution of 1 of the plots. It just seemed... silly.

Overall, I liked the style of writing and would read more by this author, but maybe this wasn't it. You could tell her heart was in the story of the school and students and maybe she should have written that book instead of the romance/ghostwriting book.

♡ Thank you for the free audiobook, Harper Collins | Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.

I loved this story! I have now read a couple Melissa Ferguson love stories, and I have a couple more in my TBR. She writes sweet romances that are a breath of fresh air. I absolutely adored Bryony and Jack’s love story. The publishing and teaching facets added a lot of sweetness, drama, and depth to the novel. Pick this up if you enjoy slow burn, clean romance, grumpy x sunshine, rivals to lovers, and workplace romance.

This is not the Perfect Rom-Com book, please don't let the title or photo fool you.
It's employees that argue a lot with some sexual tension while they are both in relationships. More than half of the book was getting to know the characters. The 2 main characters are annoyingly cute together in their banter. I've read many reviews of this thinking I was missing something but it appears I was not. So many people called this a palette cleanser and I have to agree.

If you are looking for a quick story and palette cleanser then check this out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook arc.

This book was an easy to listen to story that had a right amount of plot to make the story engaging. It did not have a lot of deepth but it was a sweet romanance. I found myself smiling during the story even if you good see the whole story coming.

I was pleasantly surprised by The Perfect Rom-Com. I love the ESL aspect, once again showing that write-what-you-know books almost always work and add an extra layer of storytelling. I love hearing about all of Bryony's students and the community they've created. For a rom-com, the romance is actually a pretty small part of this story which I didn't mind. The ending is a tad far-fetched and made me roll my eyes a little. Overall, it was fun and light-hearted and I definitely will go back and read Ferguson's other books.

This was a cute closed door romance story, but I would have to disagree with the title, there were many elements missing from this being "The Perfect Rom-Com". It was single POV so we did get to see his side of pinning for her, she was in a ridiculous long distance relationship the majority of the story, and then as soon as that relationship ends BAM they're in love. The third act and resolution were predictable. Would I recommend this to someone? Wouldn't be my first choice, but probably. Would I re-read it? no.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The narrator did a perfect job of telling the story, without boring the reader.
The story itself was really enjoyable to me, it had a good pacing so I flew through the book. The only thing I wasn't too big a fan of, is the miscommunication trope. I feel like quite some issues in this book could've been avoided had the two main characters communicated more with each other.

Overall, I really enjoyed this (audio)book, and give it 3,5 stars.

This was a really cute and heartwarming story, even though I occasionally felt a little lost in Bryony’s constant inner monologue. Her thoughts run wild, making it a bit overwhelming at times, but it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed her journey.

I loved how her relationship with Jack unfolded— from their first meeting, full of tension and banter, to the slow but steady build of trust and friendship that eventually turned into something more. There was a real tenderness in the way he saw and supported her, and his quiet, patient devotion was one of my favorite parts of the book.

Also, I have to mention the audiobook because it was so well done. The narrator’s performance brought the characters to life, and her male voice was chef’s kiss, absolutely perfect for Jack.

The ending was sweet and satisfying, and while the book wasn’t particularly high-stakes, it had the kind of comforting, easy flow that made it a perfect cozy read.

This is my first Melissa Ferguson book; I was not disappointed! The story was realistic and had layers to it. The characters felt like real people.

The main character, Bryony, is determined to have her manuscript published. She is an ESL teacher for an organization called The Bridge. Bryony meets Jack at a writer’s conference. After their meeting, Jack becomes Bryony’s literary agent. This arrangement does not come without its stipulations. Bryony agrees to become a ghostwriter for popular socialite author Amelia Benedict.

I genuinely enjoyed this book being written in the first person. There are several unexpected turns that will keep you engaged. I enjoyed the banter between Bryony and Jack. There are no spicy scenes in this book. However, there is plenty of chemistry between the two. The ending was unexpected and wonderful.

This audiobook was narrated by Karissa Vacker and her narration was magnificent. She gave the perfect voice for each of the characters. The right amount of emotion for each situation. I believe this story will appeal to readers whether it is in print or audio. I stayed up all night to finish the book. If you are looking for a non-spicy rom-com this is the book to pick up.

I highly recommend this book and would consider this a must-read. Thank you, NetGalley, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and Melissa Ferguson for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 Stars! 🌟 Huge thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction for the eARC & HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the ALC through NetGalley! 🎧💌

Okay, so, I really wanted to love this one because, hello, it’s called The Perfect Rom-Com—like, sign me up, right?! But OMG, this was anything BUT perfect. 😩 I had soooo many icks with this book that I honestly don’t even know where to start. Let's get into it!

Where’s the romance, though? I mean, come on, we’re promised the perfect rom-com, and I got like... barely any romance! It was all about the setup and not enough about the connection between Bryony and Jack. I swear, the first half of the book was so slow, I felt like I was waiting for the plot to show up. And then there’s this huge time skip that was just meh—why even have it if it didn’t add anything substantial to their relationship? 💤

I really couldn’t care less about the characters. Bryony? Girl, what were you even doing? I didn’t get what was so special about her, and Jack? Let’s just say I’m not buying the chemistry between them. The friends-to-lovers trope felt so forced, and the “slow-burn” felt like it was on pause the whole time. Like, give me some tension, some heat, anything! But no, instead, we get nothing until it’s like—BOOM, they suddenly like each other? Sorry, no. 😒

I also felt like the whole story was trying to juggle too many things and didn’t do any of them well. Is it a workplace romance? Is it about ghostwriting? Is it supposed to have a happy ending? None of it made sense, and the romance? Nonexistent! 😤

Oh, and don’t even get me started on the conflict. 🙄 It was dragged out, awkward, and honestly just didn’t feel right. I get that there’s supposed to be some tension, but it didn’t work for me. I kept waiting for the big romantic moment to hit, and it just... didn’t. 😑

All in all, I wanted so badly to love this book, but it fell flat. It's just not the rom-com vibe I was expecting. So, if you're here for deep character development and slow-building tension—this might be for you. But if you're craving that classic rom-com magic, this ain't it.

Trope check:
📚 Friends-to-Lovers
💘 Agent-Author Dynamic
📚 Workplace Romance
💘 Chick Lit Elements
📚 Tension-Fueled Romance
💘 Slow Burn Romance

Romance light as a feather, no real chemistry 🔥

Final thoughts: Super disappointed. This one’s just not my jam, but hey, others might enjoy it—just wasn’t for me! ✌️

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and the publisher, my opinions are my own,
A special thank you to @netgalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Jack and Bryony were such a treat to read about, and their banter had me hooked from the beginning. 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. Our FMC takes her passion and funnels it into writing a book that will hopefully save the ESL school she works for. Our FMC tries to pitch her book to an agent and ends up being asked to be the ghost writer for another romance author. Two years later, she is fed up and sick of it, especially since the romance author she is writing for is insufferable. However, she has made the romance author even more famous over the years she spent writing for her, and the agency can’t let her go, and her agent who has developed feelings for her can’t either. This rom com uncovered some of the inner workings of the publishing industry and demonstrated how challenging it can be to break into the writing industry

No spice (except kisses), very clean.

What do you do when the last literary agent you were able to get an appointment with at a convention to pitch your book completely disregards you within the first 5 minutes of your 15 min meeting? Panic, obviously, that’s usually the first step. And then waltz back in demanding the time you spent money and time to acquire more advice and info about your book. But Jack surprises her with a manuscript full of poor word choices and sentence structures and a lack of depth of any kind. And Bryony Page lets him have it. What does she have to lose at this point?! She wasn’t able to gain an agent. Her candor inspired him to stalk her to her hotel a couple days later to offer her a job as ghost writer for NYT best selling author Amelia Benedict. And she agrees and makes sure Jack will help her with her book too! It tells the heartwarming story of her Gran starting The Bridge, and organization providing ESL classes and prep for their GEDs!
When she realizes Amelia is truly a monster and is thrust onto a tour bus with her, her assistant Penny, and of course Jack, who has become her best friend as well as her agent, drama ensues. Trust is gained and broken.

There is some gorgeous tension, tho not more spice than a kiss Ana some intense longing. This book was fun and sweet and sarcastic as hell! Def worth a fun read!

Good story, good plot and great characters. I enjoyed the book, even if the ending was super unrealistic

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! Unfortunately, I didn’t like this one. It could have been cut down significantly (just like the novel the main character is trying to get published 😅). I would also not call this a romance and I felt mislead by the title & description.

This was a cute and super easy read. Definitely recommend, this book is about a girl trying to get her own book published, but she gets roped in into ghost riding for an author. If you looking for a good and clean( no spice) book. Then this is the one for you.