I listened to The Perfect Rom-Com audiobook and found it to be a charming, if somewhat misleading, title. The story follows Bryony Page, a ghostwriter for the demanding Amelia Benedict, as she navigates the publishing world while trying to save her grandmother's ESL school. Bryony's journey is relatable and engaging, but the romance with Jack Sterling feels subtle and underdeveloped due to time jumps that gloss over key moments in their relationship.

The audiobook narration was excellent, bringing the characters to life. The behind-the-scenes look at publishing was fascinating, though some characters, like Amelia, felt more like caricatures. While the book has its moments of humour and heart, it leans more towards a story of personal growth than a traditional rom-com. If you're looking for a light, feel-good read with a focus on self-discovery, this might be for you. However, if you're expecting a laugh-out-loud romance, you might find it lacking. Overall, it's a pleasant listen, but not quite what the title promises. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

This is a fantastic book. A perfect rom-com as they would say.
I love the characters, I love the inspiration behind it and the motivations that the characters have.
Having Bryomy as an ESL teacher does bring a lot to this book that I really like because even though all the characters are white, you do get some diversity in the background.
I love that we have a bitch of a character who is not nice in any way, shape or form. I think I really like mean characters in every book, no idea why but I do. And the love story between Bryomy and Jack is very kind. I love that they had that force proximity along with 2 years behind them going into this routine and the way that Jack was so in love with her. Oh my God I loved it!
Along with that I think that the classic third act breakup was very well justified and didn't come out of left field because so many rom-coms have that, I'm just like please give me a reason.
Though in this book, they gave Jack a very valid reason!

On a side note, listening to the name Bryomy was wild but what was even more wild was seeing how it was spelled.

4/5 ⭐
Thank you netgalley for the audio recording ARC of this book!

Actual rating: 3.5 ⭐

Okay, but unfortunately nothing special.

I can’t say there weren’t interesting parts, but there were definitely more things that bothered me. What affected my rating the most was the fact that I just wasn’t really invested in the plot—it never truly pulled me in.

Also, her relationship with Parker felt pointless. They were supposedly dating, yet barely saw or spoke to each other, and it just added nothing to the story. <spoiler>I also didn’t like that Jack lied to her for an entire year, no matter how good or sincere his intentions were.</spoiler>

Another thing that irritated me was Bryony’s stubbornness. If a highly respected agent has been telling you for two years to revise and cut down your book, why wouldn’t you just listen? From the start, she came off as way too set in her ways, acting like her manuscript was a masterpiece that couldn’t be touched—even though everyone around her disagreed.

Lastly, while the ending was sweet, it felt completely unrealistic. There’s just no way both of them could walk away without any lawsuits or consequences after what they did to Amelia (even though she totally had it coming).

All in all, if you can overlook those issues, then give it a shot.

This was my first Melissa Ferguson novel and I was not disappointed. This was so entertaining and chatty. I enjoyed Bryony and Jack as they develop their friendship and working relationship. Bryony is an aspiring author and Jack becomes her manager after he proposes she becomes a ghost writer. She is kind of stuck in this position as Jack but she is also an English-as-a-Second-Language teacher. These two were stuck on the friend-zone forever but the story is cute and comes together nicely (a little cringey) but nonetheless, it works out. This a closed-door romance but it is a self-discovery journey for Bryony. Lastly, and kind of a spoiler, I was not fond of the whole "I've been dating you for years" thing (you'll know when you read it). I don't know, it felt weird to me and not necessarily romantic. However, all in all this was solid and I truly enjoyed this audiobook as well. I borrowed the book but listened along.

Thank you, Netgalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing - Thomas Nelson Fiction for the free audiobook copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Woah. I was not expecting to like this one so much. I was just looking for something quick and easy and this one packed a punch!! The “sneaky” relationship and behind the scenes peek at publishing were all so fun to read. But also hard at the same time. But also very informative… I don’t know. I just do know that I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
Thank you so much NetGalley and HarperCollins for this audio to review!

I adored this book—so much that I willingly lost sleep over two nights because I simply couldn’t put it down. While the cover says “a novel,” and it truly is centered on Bryony’s personal journey, the slow burn romance and razor-sharp banter completely hooked me. The chemistry between the main characters gave me serious Emily Henry vibes, especially in the dialogue.

The side characters are just as vibrant—from the delightful bowling team in her ESL class to her supportive sister, even to Amelia Benedict, who somehow manages to be infuriating and compelling at the same time.

It’s a closed-door, no-spice romance, but don’t let that fool you—this story is full of depth, tension, and heart. Absolutely worth the read. Not my first and definitely not my last Melissa Ferguson book.

Was it perfect? No. Was it a lot of fun? Yes. I really enjoyed this story. It missed a few notes for me, the whole scenario with her long distance boyfriend was ridiculously unbelievable to the point where I almost DNFed the story. Who waits for 2.5 years for a man they knew for 4 months? It's stupid. As soon as he took an extension on that contract without asking her to join him, they should have been done, and the fact that her outspoken sister never told her so in so many words is ridiculous. It felt contrived for the story and ultimately lazy on the author's part. However, I was enjoying the banter well enough to keep going. I really did enjoy the characters and the set up, and third act break up felt pretty reasonable for me. The Singing in the Rain ending was dumb, and I saw it coming a mile away, but it was also fun and got us where we needed to be. Overall it was a mostly enjoyable story that could have done with another draft or two to work out some of the kinks.

I've read several books by this author, and this one is my favorite! Very fun plot line and great narrators. Really enjoyed the characters!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook!

I absolutely loved this book! This was my first book by Melissa Ferguson but it won’t be the last! I don’t understand why the reviews in Goodreads weren’t better-people kept saying that the monologues were excessive. I find that funny because Emily Henry is the Queen of boring monologues and yet people love her writing. The writing was thoughtful and the whole first chapter made me laugh out loud. I loved the build up of the romance. The ending was the only thing that I did not like because it was unrealistic.

The Perfect Rom-Com is my first book by this author, and I started off enjoying it. It’s always fun to learn about the publishing process, and this book gave me some behind-the-scenes. I liked that there were a lot of bipoc representation and that ESL teachers and students were given importance. I also appreciated that there was no smut at all, and I think all my stars go to those reasons.

Now, for the things I didn’t like: There are a lot. Sure, Amelia was quite annoying and frustrating. But the main characters, Bryony and Jack? They didn’t have any personality. They felt one-dimensional and boring. At least Amelia made me mad, gave me something to feel, you know?

For a book about a “perfect rom-com,” this had none of that. Not once did I laugh or even get a chuckle. The narrator carried this book on her back like no other. On second thought, part of my rating goes to her too.

What made my rating final was the ending. It was so unbelievable and ludicrous that it made me cringe and roll my eyes. So bad. That ending made me feel bad about Amelia and I hated her attitude so that tells a ton.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ALC! all opinions are my own.

This was cute. I love reading books with bookish themes (ie: her ghost writing, a lot about the publisher/writing world). It was intriguing to go through it right there with the FMC. It was interesting the turn of events and the twist. I loved how the author wrote the depth of the main character and her development throughout the story, it truly made me enjoy the story even more. This was so much greatness in 1 cute little package, I thoroughly enjoyed this!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this alc in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book enough but the FMC was a little annoying with her persistence in trying to get her book published and ignoring everything MMC told her about her book. Did she ever stop to think maybe there was a reason? And MMC was a liar, he should’ve just told her from the beginning that he didn’t think her book was good. It would’ve saved her a lot of heartache and time. Especially since he knew that getting the book published was so important not just to her but to other people in her life. I feel like this had a lot of potential but unfortunately just fell flat for me.

As a rom-com lover for decades I was excited for @ourfriendlyfarmhouse The Perfect Rom-Com especially when in the author’s note one of my favorites Two Weeks Notice was mentioned.

Bryony is an aspiring author who wants to share the story of her grandmother which would help raise awareness for her g gf grandmother’s struggling organization, The Bridge, where Bryony works teaching ESL. After being rejected by lots of literary agents at a writers conference she stumbles upon Jack. Jack isn’t interested in the manuscript but Bryony might be able to help him with another issue he is having and could be a ghost writer for Amelia Benedict, the bestselling romance author. But now as a successful ghost writer, will Bryony ever get recognition for her own work?

I devoured this audiobook and loved the story of Bryony’s growth as a writer and her relationship with Jack from literary agents to love. This was a book about books, closed door, major early 200s rom-com vibes and hijinks, he falls first, workplace romance that was such a fun read/listen. My only gripe was the third-act break-up which was the catalyst for a lot of the actual action in the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I really enjoyed the insight into the publishing world, but the lies the MMC told the FMC just don’t hold up for me. Even when explained I just got so angry about it all. The narrator was great and I loved the ESL teaching elements.

This is my third book by Melissa Ferguson. There was a lot I loved and a lot I didn't love about this book, but overall, it was really smart and enjoyable.

Things I loved:
-Bryony was feisty in all the right ways. The first chapter had her full of naivity, self-doubt, but a drive that pushed her past everything. She was a quiet nerdy girl who fought for herself and her values when she needed to, and wasn't confrontational or outgoing by nature, which I really identified with. She was also smart, and I loved how she looked at the world, and so she had a lot of funny and witty dialogue throughout the book.
-The publishing industry topic--there's a lot of rom-com books about the publishing industry, but I always find it an interesting topic. This book from the perspective of an unknown author trying to be found, and from ghostwriting.
-How ESL, knowledge of other countries, and empathy towards immigrants was a clear message. Bryony's teaching job bled in to how she interacted with other people and how she wrote. I love the message, and I love how pervasive it was. It really enriched the whole story.

Things I didn't love:
-The skip in time after signing the contract to become a ghostwriter. I felt like her connection with Jack was just starting and I wanted to see that build, but suddenly was at a different place in time entirely and had to recalibrate their relationship. I wasn't as interested in their relationship where most of the book took place.
-I wanted an overview of bridge book. There's some details when talking about the original manuscript, but after that, it's mostly just people calling it great, and not anything about the storyline or what made it so great. There were so many more details about every other book ghostwritten, that not hearing more about the bridge book almost made the ending feel rushed.

I think a lot of the wit really pulled this book. Happy I read it overall!

It wasn't as perfect, as we all expected. I'd rather it has more build up and less anxiety and overthinking of the main character. It was fairly cute and the man was that exact perfect playboy, that abandoned his lifestyle and waited for her to realize ther is something between them. Otherwise a bit flat characters, no build up of the relationship (I actually groaned in frustration, when I heard the phrase 'Two years later'). It is not bad, ut could be better

All said above is subjective and reflects only my thoughts

Thank to NetGalley, the publisher, the author and the incredible audio book narrator for providing me with the audio arc

Bryony Page, beloved ESL teacher at her grandmother’s struggling community center The Bridge, is an aspiring author. She attends her first writers conference with the dream of getting her manuscript published in an effort to save The Bridge. Through a number of unfortunate or fortunate events, Byrony is hired as a ghostwriter for a popular string of rom coms.

This book may be far fetched but it was easy to consume and fun. I also really enjoyed the glimpse into the publishing world as a book lover.

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 pitching 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.

No one is more surprised than Bryony when the agent offers her the opportunity to be a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict, popular rom-com novelist. Bryony agrees on one she'll write books for this vain, demanding woman just as long as Jack Sterling, literary agent of the legendary Foundry Literary Agency, works to sell her own book too.

What nobody predicted, however, was that Bryony's books would turn Amelia Benedict into the Amelia Benedict, household name and bestselling author with millions of copies sold around the world.

And just like that, the Foundry Agency can't let her go.

But on a personal note, Jack is realizing he can't either.

I absolutely loved this book! The main character was so sweet and endearing from the very beginning. I loved to read about her journey of putting herself first for once. The charity she works for was so sweet and I was glad they were able to save it in the end. Jack was a seemingly grumpy man but turned out to be sweet in the end. He was a welcome addition, and the friendship and budding romance between him and Bryony was refreshing. Amelia was a great villain to add to the story and I absolutely disliked her the entire time! I was so glad she got what she deserved in the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone! I enjoyed this as an audiobook and found the narrator to be exceptional!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Perfect Rom-Com isn’t just a title—it’s a promise, and wow, does it deliver! Listening to the audiobook made it even better, bringing the characters to life with perfect comedic timing, swoon-worthy chemistry, and just the right amount of emotional depth.

The banter? Hilarious. The romance? Adorable. And the narration? Chef’s kiss—it felt like I was right there, watching a rom-com unfold in real time. Every moment had me either grinning, laughing out loud, or clutching my heart (sometimes all at once).

If you love rom-coms that feel like your favorite comfort movie but with fresh, witty energy, The Perfect Rom-Com is an absolute must-listen. Get ready to fall in love! 🎧💕😂

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

The book begins with the main character Byrony, who is an aspiring writer attending a literary conference and meeting Jack Sterling, a well know literary agent. The story develops as we see Byrony becoming a ghost writer for a famous author and her work to friendship with Jack. There were some laught out loud moments throughout the book. It was my first time reading a book by Melissa Ferguson and definitely not my last.

Thank you Net Galley, the audiobook was great and I enjoyed listenind to the narrators.