𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘮-𝘊𝘰𝘮 by Melissa Ferguson

Thank you, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Melissa Ferguson, and Net Galley, for this ALC audiobook of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘮-𝘊𝘰𝘮.

Narrator:
🎤 Karissa Vacker

Review:

This was a cute, light story. I think it's perfect as a beach read or for when you just need something to lighten your mood. It was funny and I liked the plot.

I loved Bryony. She was passionate about the book she wrote, and she showed a lot of love for her family and her ESL students.


Also ~ Karissa Vacker is an awesome narrator, and I think she was just right for this audiobook.

I absolutely adored this book! From the very first page, Bryony and Jack’s dynamic had me hooked, and their journey together was heartwarming and entertaining.

Bryony Page is an ESL teacher with a dream - she wants to publish a novel inspired by her grandmother’s legacy and use the proceeds to save The Bridge (the ESL school her family has poured their hearts into). But the publishing world isn’t exactly welcoming to unknown authors with passion projects. When Bryony crashes a conference to pitch her book, she ends up with something unexpected: a ghostwriting job from literary agent Jack Sterling. Suddenly, she’s behind the scenes of a bestselling empire, watching someone else take credit for her work while struggling to keep her own dreams alive.

Jack and Bryony’s relationship is everything I love in a rom-com...banter that sparkles, undeniable chemistry, and a slow-burn romance that feels earned. Jack’s quiet support for Bryony, his belief in her talent even when she doubts herself, made my heart melt. The book tour chaos, the secret-keeping, and the growing tension all build toward a satisfying and emotional payoff.

If you love charming romances with humor, heart, and just the right amount of angst, this one is a must-read! The third-act conflict was a bit predictable, but it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed this book. Definitely a feel-good rom-com worth picking up!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts! 💕

“I wanted to live in his nothing, and have him live in mine.”

The Perfect Rom-Com by MelissaFerguson is a 3.2 ⭐️ read.

She's written dozens of smash hit romance novels. Too bad no one knows it. 

Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers conference bursting with optimism and ready to sell her manuscript with long-shot dreams of raising awareness for The Bridge, her grandmother's financially struggling organization where she teaches ESL full-time.

But after a disastrous pitch session, she stumbles into correcting another author's work in a last-ditch attempt to make a good impression with the agent. And she, as it turns out, is spot on. 

—:—:—:—:—

A rom-com worth the time! The warm feeling this cozy close door romance book gives, is right up there with those hallmark movies we all love to watch! Bryony Page is a woman I so loved to follow, seeing the world out of her eyes was interesting!

Such a good February read for all who love to LOVE!

Best quote: “I liked you better when you were in awe of me!”

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

I really enjoyed parts of this book and really didn’t enjoy others. It was very up and down for me. I think the best way to review it might be to break it down into pros and cons. Just very cut and dry.

First, a little recap: This book follows aspiring author Briony Page as she aims to get her passion project novel published. Briony is full-time adult ESL teacher for The Bridge, a program where immigrants can learn English and get their GEDs. Unfortunately, The Bridge is struggling to stay funded and will close soon if nothing changes. Enter Jack. Jack is an agent who Briony queries at a writer’s conference to take her on as a client, and in the process, save The Bridge with her advance. While hesitant to take on her book, Jack does pick Briony up as a ghost writer for one of his most famous clients, Amelia Benedict. We follow Jack and Briony as they navigate the world of publishing while trying to save The Bridge and inevitably grow closer.

Ok. Pros: I really loved the story of the ESL students. The author pulled from her real-life experience as an ESL teacher, and some of the stories were just hilarious. These characters had so much heart and soul, and their love for Briony just leapt off the page. They were a shining light in this book, and I was so invested in seeing The Bridge saved. I loved Briony’s dedication to them and her willingness to try literally everything she could to make sure the program stayed open.

I also enjoyed the plotline of Briony as Amelia’s ghost writer. Amelia Benedict is easily one of the most infuriating characters I have ever read. She was heinously awful. The ending she got was so sweet and satisfying. I absolutely ate 👏 it 👏 up 👏, despite it being supremely unrealistic haha, but what do we read for if not suspension of disbelief. Amelia deserved every single thing she got. I love that Jack facilitated it, and finally, put Briony’s best interests first like he should’ve been doing for years as HER agent.

Now for the cons … in a book titled “The Perfect Rom-Com,” one would think that the romance aspect of the book would not fall into the cons category, but it — unfortunately — does. There really is no other way around it. The romance in this book sucked with a capital S. I actually think I preferred Briony and Jack as friends. There’s no build-up, no chemistry, no burn, no tension, no banter. Nothing about their relationship said to me that they should be together romantically. It just came off as two really good friends/coworkers.

Briony gets broken up with halfway through, Jack immediately asks her on a date, then bam, they’re together. I was actually thrown off by how quickly it happened, thinking I might have accidentally skipped a section of the book. I didn’t. It was really just that quick. Then, it immediately takes a backseat for the rest of the story. Jack royally screws up, and Briony dumps him for it. AS SHE SHOULD. What that man did was so beyond ridiculous, and there is absolutely no logical reason he couldn’t have been honest with her from the start. Yeah, sure, he fixes it, but if I were Briony, there is no way I would have forgiven him. NONE.

I am happy with the ending and with what happens to Briony and The Bridge. That was my favorite part of the book. It was so endearing and made me smile. They were a family. It was beautiful to read about it, especially knowing it was inspired by a similar program in real-life. It makes me happy to know that places like that still exist in this evil world.

This book has good bones, but, sadly, is not a perfect rom-com.

Thank you to NetGalley, Melissa Ferguson, HarperCollins, and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions stated are my own.

The Perfect Rom-Com was a fun, quick romance read. I really enjoyed the characters and liked the ESL storyline the author included from her real life experiences. At just over 300 pages, this one was short and sweet.

Melissa Ferguson writes rich realistic characters and wonderful storylines and playful banter. It starts with meeting Bryony. As a first time author, she's trying to get a book published, and her pitch doesn't go the way she planned. Instead of selling her own novel, she's suddenly faced with an opportunity to ghost write for someone else, the larger than life, Amelia Benedict. She goes from an unknown author to the brains behind the best selling novels, attributed to someone else.

Bryony is always putting her students, her family and of course her work first. She is always with Jack, her now friend and agent. However, is Jack being up front with her, or is he keeping her novel so that she doesn't get her dream? You soon find yourself rooting for Bryony to get her happily ever after with Jack, but more importantly you want her to get credit for her hard work.

The work she has put into creating stories that everyone loves. However, would she have been able to do this and achieve what she wanted with HER novel, without first writing the other works for Amelia?

The audio book is beautifully narrated, in a way that you feel like you are standing right there with the characters.

If you are looking for a light romance, with just a touch of comedy, this is the perfect book.

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

I've read all of Melissa Ferguson's books, but there was something extra special about this one that landed it firmly as my favorite of her novels. I don't know that I can put my finger on it, but I seriously LOVED everything about this book. It just hit the spot for my reading mood and I ended up bingeing it unexpectedly. I simply didn't want to put it down, it's that good. It was just a great escape, exactly what I hope to have happen when I pick up a rom-com. Low stakes, but high reward. Dynamic characters and a really fun plot for a bookworm.
Told through Bryony's POV, I felt like her character was relatable and even as she was navigating everything, it was impossible not to feel the chemistry between her and Jack. It was just fun. I loved the plot and the characters as a whole. The romance was nice; the way they danced around each other in denial (friendzone/work place romance) and then Jack making his move and his end grand gesture … yeah, I was here for it. It put a smile on my face.
I listened to the audiobook version and really liked the narrator, Karissa Vacker. I felt like she encapsulated Bryony really well and handled the dialogue in an engaging way. It was easy to listen to and something I’ll pick up and reread again.
This is a clean romance. I received an advance listening copy of this novel from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was really interested in the book until I started scrolling the authors social media.

Not for me.
Closed door romance is great, but we don’t need to villainize spice to advertise it.

What a fun read that immerses you in the world of publishing. I'm sure many of the occurrences in this story are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the reality of what authors face trying to get their stories out into the world. I also enjoyed the depth that "The Bridge" part of the story line brought to the book. This was my first Melissa Ferguson book and I really enjoyed it. I'd heard that her romcoms are more com than rom and the only somewhat negative thing I can say is that that fact left me wanting a tiny bit more. Definitely not a deal breaker whatsoever though...I added all of Melissa's books to my TBR immediately after finishing this one!

Bryony...First of all, I love this name...so pretty and unique! She definitely has pluck and confidence and the kind of wonderful personality that seems to come from having no idea how truly amazing you are. As a teacher, I connected with Bryony's concern and care for her students and the haven that "The Bridge" was for them. So many of her decisions were made to provide hope and continuity for them. Her love was extremely sacrificial and meant the world to so many people.

Jack...Man, I don't think this guy was expecting to fall so hard and fast for Bryony whatsoever. He was so known and successful in the publishing realm and probably had no idea that he was even missing anything in his life...and then she walked right into his world and totally rearranged it. This guy had some incredible lines and his charm was impossible to resist.

Things I loved:
❤️The writing conference (particularly Bryony's brave moment)
❤️Gloria's pep talks (especially the ones with her southern accent and sayings 😂)
❤️Excellent banter
❤️Bowling night
❤️The incredible friendship between Bryony and Jack
❤️Tour bus moments
❤️Everyone bonding over how absolutely terrible Amelia was
❤️Bryony and Jack's culinary adventures
❤️The morning show interview (absolutely epic)
❤️Epilogue (especially Gloria getting her love story)

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for an early copy of this sweet audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

"Maybe I should clarify, you weren't dating me, but I was dating you."

"I've been in love for quite some time, I just didn't know it was with him."

This was such a cute story. It would make THE perfect rom-com movie ;-) The audiobook was perfect, I adore Karissa Vacker and all of her narration work! I highly recommend this book or audiobook to any romance fan. This is a closed-door, friends-to-lovers romance.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ARC of this book. Truly this was the cutest, feel good read. Inspired by Two Weeks Notice, this is a darling story of a sassy literary agent and a down on her luck ESL teacher who is trying to break into the literary world to make money to save her Grandma's company. It was a tad rocky in the beginning, which is why it wasn't an automatic 5 star read for me, but it truly grows and morphs into the most beautiful story. No true third act breakup which I enjoyed and I adored how it wrapped the story up. Audio and narrators were 10/10.

I found myself really swept up in this love story. Byrony Page had so much heart and desire to represent her grandmother's dream and the ESL adults who defined the fabric of her life through her writing. And yet, the story was held so dear to her that she couldn't imagine edits and no publisher would take the content seriously without them. What followed was a stint at ghostwriting and a strangers to friends to lovers plot line. Was it predictable? Certainly. Does that mean it was bad? Not by a longshot.

As I made my way through I was feeling like it was a pretty decent romance. Then the ending caught me by surprise and made me love it all the more for its originality.

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson is a charming, lighthearted listen with an engaging premise and plenty of humor. The story follows Bryony Page, an aspiring author who unexpectedly lands a gig ghostwriting for a famous rom-com novelist. As her words make Amelia Benedict a literary sensation, Bryony remains in the shadows—until literary agent Jack Sterling starts taking notice of both her talent and her heart.

The narration adds to the book’s overall charm, making the witty banter and comedic moments even more enjoyable. The pacing is smooth, and the narrator does a great job bringing the characters to life. However, while the story is fun, it felt a bit predictable, and the romance between Bryony and Jack lacked the tension and slow-burn buildup I was hoping for.

That said, if you love a sweet rom-com with a unique writer’s journey twist, this audiobook is an easy, entertaining listen.

⭐⭐⭐ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank You Netgalley and Melissa Ferguson for this Audio book. Narrated by Karissa Vacker who did a great job. I enjoyed this romance book, and it was a fast read. Byrony a ghost writer has more to deal with in her life than just writing and being forced on a book tour with the writer the world knows. I choked up a little. Loved how the story played out and completed.

Unfortunately, the story doesn't pick up until more than 50% in, the way it is advertised and the way it starts are so different, it would have been better to start were the summary says and then, if necessary go back to the way this book starts. Because of that you could feel a little bit more of a connection because it felt like so much time jumps were happening that it could have been better to go back when needed.
I loved the audiobook so much, it is a fast and light read, loved that he was kind of grumpy and that she has another passion which is teaching ESL, loved that the logistics of publishing a book were shown here.
It was cute but didn't like the break up which is necessary but then I felt then ending is sooo rushed you feel like something is missing
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity of listening to this book.

The Perfect Rom-Com is a clean, feel good, slow burn rom-com that, for the most part, lived up to its title. It has a unique plot, a behind the scenes of the world of writing and publishing and the trials, tribulations, and rejections that come with becoming an author. To be honest, with that title, I was worried it would be full of cliches, but thankfully it wasn’t. It was uplifting, super cute, and had a good balance of humor, romance, and self discovery.

Bryony is an aspiring writer and an ESL teacher assisting immigrants and refugees. Having little luck getting anyone interested in her own manuscript, she takes a job as a ghostwriter to a famous author who doesn’t appreciate her or her hard work and is an entitled, toxic person. She is just buying time while making a name for herself without breaking contracts. Thankfully, she has Jack, a literary agent who has become more of a best friend than work colleague.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Not only was the plot charming and unique, the diverse cast of characters were well developed and easy to fall in love with. I adored their relationship and the swoon worthy and witty banter. However, I felt like it was a little repetitive and the lengthy monologues took away from the story.

The narrator, Karissa Vacker, did a phenomenal job with giving several different characters their own voice making it easy to follow and listen. I loved the southern slang accent she gave Gloria, and she made Amelia’s voices just as annoying and arrogant as I felt her character was. As always, she did a great job with pacing, tone, and inflection which really helped to set the scene and bring the story and characters to life, delivering a flawless performance from start to finish.

Thank you @prhaudio @thomasnelson @uplitreads @netgalley and @ourfriendlyfarmhouse for the #gifted eARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Rom-Com is the perfect closed door Romance. I was able to listen to the Audiobook version and absolutely loved the narration by Karissa Vacker. I've listened to a few of Karissa's other narrations and she never disappoints!

In The Perfect Rom-Com we follow along with Bryony Page as she attempts to save her grandmother's organization, The Bridge, where they teach ESL to recent immigrants to the US. Bryony pours her heart and soul into her manuscript that she believes will bring awareness to The Bridge and cultivate donations or generate income. In her attempt to get her manuscript picked up by an agent or publisher, she meets Jack Sterling. He offers her the opportunity of a lifetime, to become a ghostwriter for the popular rom-com novelist, Amelia Benedict. Nobody predicted that Bryony would turn Amelia Benedict into a household name and bestselling author with millions of copies sold around the world.

The author, Melissa Ferguson, mentions this being a nod to Two Weeks Notice at the beginning of the novel. It definitely gives Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant vibes. Two Weeks Notice is one of my favorite Rom-Com's so this is a heavy lift and The Perfect Rom-Com totally matched up! I loved this audiobook and it was the perfect fit for my Valentine's Day Weekend!

This closed-door romance novel was an enjoyable read. While the beginning felt somewhat slow-paced, the conclusion felt rushed and artificial. Despite these minor flaws, the overall narrative was engaging and entertaining. I would highly recommend it to my closed door friends :) I absolutely loved the narrator.

THE PERFECT ROM-COM is amazingly well-written and filled with relatable, well-developed characters. I was drawn to Jack instantly and deeply invested in both his professional and personal relationships with Briony. I also loved to hate the spoiled, ungrateful author for whom Briony is a ghost writer, and I rooted for that character to get her comeuppance as much as I rooted for the couple. The audiobook narration by Karissa Vacker was excellent and though I normally only listen while I'm on my afternoon walk, I found myself keeping my earbuds in even when I got home so I could stay with the story longer. I think this is Melissa Ferguson's best book to date!

This is a great closed door romance. They start is a bit slow, but when he said I have been dating you for a year, ahhhh my heart! Will recommend to those looking for a cute romance with out the spice.