This really was the perfect rom-com!! This was so fun and absolutely swoon worthy, I am officially obsessed

This is a very cute romance between a ghostwriter and her agent. The problem? She's engaged to somebody else. The entire time I was reading this, I was thinking 'how are they going to resolve this without making me hate all of the characters?' and the answer is... [cheating. Because of course she was being cheated on by her long distance fiancé who she never sees. While this made me less mad at Bryony, it really ground my gears about her fiancé... well ex fiancé. If you're seeing someone else JUST SAY THAT! I don't understand why he would string her along while he dates other people(but I guess she was dating someone else too and just didn't realize it). Cheating is not a trope I normally choose when selecting a book and I wish I would've known going into this. (hide spoiler)]

That being said, I surprisingly found this scene very sexy:
"That for all intents and purposes, up to this point, we have been dating."
"What? No, sir." My ears flame at the boldness of his suggestion. "I think I would know if I am dating someone. And I was dating someone." I clarify with an indignant air, "I was dating Parker, and I was very loyal."
"You were indeed. Maybe I should clarify then," Jack says, and there's a bemused grin on his face as he looks down at me.
He slows the moment down.
Lets silence rest between us, so that only the sounds of humming HVAC systems and cicadas whisper around. He takes a step toward me. "You weren't dating me. But I was dating you."

I think maybe I'm so used to commitment phobes that a man knowing what he wants, waiting for hit, and grasping it when the opportunity comes really did it for me.

What ruined it was his big grand gesture. Honestly, this would've been a 4 star read if the third act drama had a different resolution. That was a big ick for me. However, there were layers to this. While I didn't like him surprising her in such a public manor, I was brought to tears that all of her students were there to support her. So, while there were a couple of things I really disliked, overall I liked the book more than I disliked it.

Tropes:
publishing agent x client/ghostwriter
dislike to colleges to friends to lovers
forced proximity
he falls first
long distance/cheating
closed door romance

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This closed door romance will warm your heart and you will be cheering on Bryony and The Bridge.

# The Perfect Rom-Com
# 3/17/2025 ~ 3/18/2025
# 4.5 / 5.0

ARC/ ALC REVIEW:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Melissa Ferguson pens the “perfect rom-com” in her latest novel!!!

Bryony Page has dedicated her adult life to educating a marginalized community (non-English speakers). Working as an ESL teacher has been fulfilling work. After build lasting relationships (beyond the classroom) with many of her students, she has witnessed them successfully reach their goals. But when she learns the school she works for is on the verge of closure, she vows to save it. Will she be able to garner enough exposure and money to keep the school afloat, or will she lose part of herself along the way?

I had the pleasure of experiencing this book in two formats. As much as I loved the written version, I feel the audiobook is the way to consume this story. Brittany Goodwin is the voice actor who narrates the entire book. She did a phenomenal job bringing the story and ALL the characters involved to life!

Read this book for:
-workplace romance
-friends to more
-he falls first
-slow burn
-books about books

Special thanks to Netgalley, Zondevan Fiction Audio, and Melissa Ferguson for allowing me to read and listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. I give this book 10 out of 10. I was excited to read another book by Melissa Ferguson. And she did it again with another amazing story.
The cover of the book caught my eye right away.
Then I read the story line and I knew I had to read it. So glad I got to!! What an incredible story line. I loved the heartwarming story of how she wanted to save the bridge program and she would do anything know matter the cost and try to save it.
I loved this plot line of a ghost writer. They made me want to read those books she was writing. I simply loved the ending. I honestly, didn’t see that happening. Great book Melissa can’t wait to see what other story you come up with. Keep up the great Work!

Cutie book! Sweet and cozy read. Great as an audiobook!

Thank you NetGalley and Melissa Ferguson!

This was a lovely story that had humor and depth. I enjoyed the FMC but the MMC really annoyed me. Bryony’s story and her students is what made this book enjoyable.

Melissa Ferguson's "The Perfect Rom-Com" promised a delightful escape, and while it eventually delivered, the journey there was… bumpy. To be blunt, the first half of this book nearly sent me packing. I found myself battling through what felt like endless, rambling monologues from the protagonist. These internal dialogues, while perhaps intended to be quirky and relatable, quickly became tedious and frankly, unnecessary. I seriously contemplated DNFing.
However, something compelled me to persevere, and I'm ultimately glad I did. Around the halfway mark, the story finally found its footing. The monologues lessened, the plot began to pick up pace, and the chemistry between the characters started to shine. Ferguson's humor, which was initially buried under the weight of excessive introspection, began to emerge, and I found myself genuinely chuckling.
The latter half of the book was a much more enjoyable experience. The romantic tension built nicely, and the supporting characters, who were previously overshadowed, began to contribute more meaningfully to the narrative. The resolution, while predictable, was satisfying and heartwarming, as any good rom-com should be.
Ultimately, "The Perfect Rom-Com" is a tale of two halves. If you can push through the slow and monologue-heavy beginning, you'll be rewarded with a charming and entertaining romance. However, the initial hurdles prevent me from awarding it a higher rating. Three stars, for a book that eventually found its stride, but definitely had a very rocky start.

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

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Spice: 0/5
Genre: Humor & Satire | Romance | Women's Fiction
Theme: slow burn, forced proximity, banter
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Publication date: Feb 11, 2025
Book Cover first thoughts: Love the cover, its cute and clean, the peachy coral POPS
Audiobook Narrator: Karissa Vacker
Audiobook Length: 9 hours 10 minutes
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 5/5

Narration Review: I loved the narrator, Karissa’s voice fit with the book and story wonderfully.

One Liner: A cute and fun romance about a ghostwriter and her journey with publishers.

Story Review / Summary: The romance between Bryony and Jack was cute, fun and sweet. This was more of a cute funny banter romance compared to a spicy romance. I enjoyed the banter and storyline about a book and struggles of an author. Interesting view into what I expect is very real in the industry with a fun romantic twist.

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Thank you to #NetGalley , HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of #ThePerfectRomCom by #MelissaFerguson @ourfriendlyfarmhouse
All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is Feb 11, 2025.
This review is being shared on NetGalley, Goodreads and Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo Audio

Loved this book! Very cozy, funny, and feel good! Love the premise and integration of ghost writing and inner workings of publishings. Reminds me of Book Lovers but more comedy than romance.

Bryony is an author, trying to make it in the publishing world She is at a author agent meeting at the start of the book and NOONE wants her story they keep telling her to cut edit change change change and she doesn't want to change anything and if she can just find that one person. Enters Jack he is a tough agent with a select number of clients he takes on look at her book and tells her the same thing everyone else has and all she wants to know is why change everything he brings out his top author newest manuscript and shows her how it should be and he finds flaws in how she would change it and the story there time is up she thinks that's it she doesn't know what she's going to do.

Jack offers her to be a ghost writer for this book/ author it started with one romantic comedy and turned into a multi book deal in exchange Jack would help her get her book published under her name. I loved the friendship created between Bryony and Jack and the ups and downs of publishing and all the tolls she had to go through.

This was a near perfect rom-com and I was sad to see it end. Love the audio narration

Thank you NetGalley for this audio arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book follows Bryony, an aspiring writer hired to ghostwrite for an heiress-turned-novelist, Amelia Benedict. When Bryony's books, published under Amelia's name, take off, the literary agency is unwilling to let her go. Bryony still has her sights set on publishing her own book, which is meant to raise awareness and support for the ESL organization she works at (and that her grandmother runs).

I generally enjoyed reading the book, but it did not feel like it had a lot of plot. This is a more character-driven plot, so we see Bryony's character development as it goes on, but the story also seems to take place in a relatively short period of time.

I found most of the characters charming, except for Amelia (of course) and Jack, who really bothered me throughout. It rubbed me the wrong way that he considered the meals they had together dates while she was still dating someone else and thought they were only co-workers. It also seemed as if he was manipulative with her.

The story was fast-paced, and I finished it in a few days. I found the storyline entertaining and loved seeing Bryony's care for her ESL center students.

This story has a lot of heart, but it did not meet my expectations. I think it's a 3.5-star book for me. I would read more from this author in the future.

4.25 STARS

Thank you so much to Thomas Nelson for this advanced copy on NetGalley! 🤍

This book was so lovely! I enjoyed my entire time with this book and I was so pleasantly surprised by all of the simple twists and turns that it took. Bryony and Jack’s friendship was both hilarious and sweet, which really made for the best experience as a reader. I thought that the entire concept of Bryony being a ghostwriter for probably one of the most entitled people was such a fun plotline!

The ending was *chefs kiss* and I absolutely devoured this book to find out what the heck was happening. Jack – I thank you for being a man who can APOLOGIZE when being in the wrong. The most humble fictional man I have read in a long while. My stamp of approval is all his. Bryony was a bit oblivious at times, which did frustrate me, however it made her more human so I’ll allow it.

Overall, this book was a great read and I would highly recommend it to anyone who asks!

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson was a quick read but I enjoyed it so much. The characters were fun and I felt their connection. I also loved the unique jobs and what forced these two together. I read this one when I really needed a light read and it was just what the doctor ordered. I loved the narrators in this audiobook and felt that their voices really matched the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and the author for this gifted audiobook.

The Perfect Rom Com is a cute bookish themed novel that I really enjoyed reading. Bryony is trying to save her families ESL school that is on the verge of shutting down due to funding by getting her book published. She’s never been published but she’s determined it’s a hit.. unfortunately no one else does. Agent after agent, Bryony has one more shot to make her dream come true with the agent no one wants to dare chat with. Jack is not particularly impressed but thinks of a much better offer that Bryony would be stupid to pass up. Throw in a little bit of love and a little of of hate (cough cough Amelia) and this book is everything you could want. The narrator of the audio makes Bryony come to life!
3.5/5

"The Perfect Rom-Com" was a pleasant book, with an interesting intrigue and some quirky characters.

Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers' conference with the hope of finding an agent to represent her book, and therefore earn enough money to save the charity where she teaches English to foreigners. While no one at the conference is interested in what seems a poor first manuscript; she miraculously finds an agent that offers her to become a ghostwriter for a celebrity. This first section of the book was very strange, as you do wonder how Bryony's unconvincing manuscript managed to get her such a prestigious offer! It was my favourite part of the book and didn't quite fit with the rest of the book, I found, but I'd urge readers to wait until the next section as it does get better.

Most of the book takes place a couple of years later, as Bryony has become a successful and rich ghost writer thanks to her agent Jack Sterling. She struggles with the whims of the celebrity who she writes for, who doesn't have one loving bone in her body. They have to do a book tour, all crammed together in a bus; and that's when Bryony realises she might have feelings for her best friend and literary agent Jack.

For a book entitled "The Perfect Rom-Com", you'd expect more of the book to be centred on romance. Bryony and Jack's romance was very cute, especially on Jack's part — I found Bryony a little too excitable, immature, or even petty at times. She's not a character I very much appreciated all along, and when you put yourself in Jack's shoes, you sometimes wonder why he likes her so much... That being said, I found the rest of the intrigue (apart from the romance) interesting, well developed and it showed us a good glimpse into the ESL world in the US and how literary agency can function. There were some parts of the books that dragged out or were repetitive (e.g. Bryony pestering Jack about her first book), but they were compensated by the good bits. The resolution of the intrigue, while not terribly credible, was very sweet.

All in all, an enjoyable book that was more than a romance. I listened to it as an audiobook and found the narration very good (especially Jack's voice). Listening to this made a long train journey seem much shorter!

Thank you HarperCollins Christian Publishing | Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Summary: An aspiring author’s dream opportunity turns into a nightmare when her ghostwritten novels make another writer a household name—while she remains invisible, even to the literary agent she’s falling for.

My review: Giving off strong Emily Henry vibes, this story follows Bryony as she navigates the highs and lows of ghostwriting, learning to stand up for herself while chasing her dreams. Her dynamic with Jack is utterly charming—their friendship crackles with humor, their banter is sharp and delightful, and Jack’s obvious affection for her is swoon-worthy (even if Bryony is hilariously oblivious). The only drawback? The miscommunication trope, which added some frustration. Still, this novel is a delightful blend of romance, career struggles, and personal growth that will leave readers smiling.

Fiction / Romance - Romantic Comedy / Romance - Clean & Wholesome / Romance - Contemporary

The Perfect Rom-Com is scheduled for publication on February 1, 2025, by HarperCollins Christian Publishing | Thomas Nelson Fiction.

Perfect feel good rom-com.
Felt like it started a little slow but turned out to be great!

The audio book was great with the multiple voices as well.


Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author of this book for the eARC!

The first half of this story was very slow and boring. We spend a lot of time in the narrator's head voice, which usually I don't mind but in this case it was too much. Towards the middle I really enjoyed the MMC and thought he was adorable but the FMC still continued to bother me. And Amelia, I could not handle the character. She was so vile. I know that was the point, but it made the read less enjoyable that she was so self-righteous and privileged. The ending of the book did redeem itself so it wasn't a total bomb, but I don't know that I would recommend this book to others.

This was son much fun to read! Friends to lovers romance and character development, realizing you can improve yourself and a big gesture, I mean, what’s not to like! Sweet and clean read that left me swoon and heart eyed.