so much fun, as a reader and aspiring writer myself i loved the basic plot but more than anything i just loved savannah, she felt so genuine and real, like someone i would actually know, these romance novels often have very manufactured leads but i never felt that way here

thank you NetGalley for a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review

I have read several books by Melissa Ferguson. My favorite book of hers is The Dating Charade. Meet Me in the Margins would be a close second.

I loved the originality of the storyline for Meet Me in the Margins. I enjoyed the secret room, the way Savannah accidentally left her book behind, and the story that emerges from it.

Meet Me in the Margins had a bit of a slow start, but enough was going on to keep me engaged and wanting more. I appreciated the humor and witty banter. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I emphasized with Savannah about her family expectations and feeling like she was never enough. I really enjoyed the blunt banter between Savannah and Will. One of my favorite parts is when Will takes up for Savannah in regards to some family stuff. When I finished the story my thought was, "what a sweet story." It left me with a feel-good feeling.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love Love love this book! Savannah is your typical girl next door with a dream and it makes her feel REAL. I devoured this book so quickly and would do so again in a heart beat!

While I enjoyed Meet Me in the Margins it was not my favorite Melissa Ferguson book. To me on paper as a book it didn't work as a rom com. And that's not on the author. It's on the publisher for marketing it as a rom com when it reads more like women's fiction. It's in first person but you only get the heroines point of view. So you don't know what's going on in the hero's head while your reading it. The premise of two people in publishing falling in love over editing a manuscript by writing notes pretty much back and forth was new and different and cute. But to me based on the way it was written and marketed in writing it's more women's fiction, but as a movie the way it's written would work perfectly as a rom com. If we could get inside the heroes head just a little bit.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Ok y’all, I was so so so excited for this book!
Publishing house love!? Yes, please! I love a book about books and book lovers!

I went back and forth over how to rate this one and finally settled on 3.5 stars rounded down to 3! I enjoyed a lot of it, wished some parts had lasted a bit longer, and in the end felt it lacked in some areas.

What I liked:
-the concept. Seriously the blurb and plot hooked me. It was bound to be something I’d love!
-the Arc room nook and the back and forth with the mystery editor. Seriously the “margin” aspect of this story was my favorite and I truly wanted more of it!
-the book industry vibes that made my Bookstagrammer heart soar!

What I didn’t like:
-the romance! There just wasn’t enough of it.. especially for this to be considered a romance read. I think my clean romance friends will like it.. but I unfortunately found it lacking with not enough spark!

Overall this was okay. I was left a bit underwhelmed but I wasn’t mad I read it!

Thanks again to the publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to read this one in exchange for an honest review!

Cute, quick read rom-com. I liked the main character and the love interest. The bookish setting was unique but follows your typical rom-com formula. I could not stand the main character's family and could have done without so many details on them. By the end, there were a few plot questions I never got answered. Pick this one up if you want a cute, G rated rom-com.

This super cute romance follows Savannah Cade, a editor at a pretentious publishing company. Despite her jobs dismissal of any book considered 'fluffy' or 'low-brow' Savannah is writing a romance novel. With the help of a secret editor our main character learns to trust herself and her writing while dealing with some fun shenanigans along the way.
Overall this book was very sweet but ultimately fell a little flat for me. I enjoyed the banter between our main character and love interest but wish there was more. So much happens while they're writing to each other that I didn't get the full sense of longing or tension that there could have been having them be in person together more. I also felt their dynamic moved fast for no reason and I didn't like the way he took her word so thoughtlessly when it came to work related ideas/complaints. He would ask her opinion about work things and than act on it immediately, which didn't seem fair to the rest of the employees. Even when she expressed being uncomfortable being his mole, they continued to have these conversations. This was a little to worst of both worlds for my enjoyment.
Still an enjoyable romance, but not one I'll be revisiting anytime soon.

This was a good book. Not amazing, but decent. Savannah is an assistant editor at Pennington Publishing by day who has been working on writing a romance novel by night. When she leaves her manuscript behind in "the ARC room" at work, she finds scribbled edits left for her by a mystery editor. Her first thought is to shake off the criticisms, however, she is working on a deadline for her publisher. Maybe these notes are good after all. Maybe she is falling for her secret editor--who can it be?

I liked how Savannah was very relatable and funny, and her boss, Will, has a surprise around every corner and was so down to earth. Overall the book had extremely fun bookish vibes and was full of awkward fumbles to ultimately get a HEA. As I mentioned, not a profoundly extraordinary read, but it was cute. 3.5 stars that I will round to 4.

Savannah and William were a couple that I wanted to shake at times and yell at to open their eyes, in a totally good way of course. They were cute and sweet and just the type of HEA you want in a romance book. I loved how the characters were developed through the notes through the book within a book as well.

I was genuinely so excited to read this seeing the plot. But I was disappointed. I could not vibe with the writing style and was confused a little from the beginning. But the character as well as the plot felt very boring and non directional to me. Sorry but the book did not work out for me.

This is one of the best romcom books I’ve read so far this year (2022).

As a book lover, nothing is better than a book about a book and the world of books. I loved learning more about the publishing business and I dream of going into an ARC room someday.

I thought the character of Savannah was great. What a trooper she always was in this book. I loved the scene with her pretending to be a music talent scout for her friend and her family of over achievers.

I love clean romance reads that make me chuckle and swoon. This book did both! !

I rounded up to a 5 from a 4.5. A really cute romance. There’s some mistaken identities which add to the fun. Savannah Cade works at an old staid publishing house in Nashville (yeah! Not New York for once!), which only publishes highbrow non-fic and literary fictions. The son of the publisher, the aloof William Pennington, comes to work at the now struggling publishing house to run the company.His a serious sort - all buttoned up having work in the industry in NYC. Savannah is secretly working on a romance novel which she hides in a nook in the old Victorian Mansion where the business is housed. When she goes to retrieve it, she realizes that someone has found her manuscript and is making editorial comments. At first, she is taken aback at the harsh criticisms, but then she realizes the comments are well thought out and accurate. Over time, she and her mystery editor exchange person stories in the margins as well as editorial comments. Also in the background are the high expectations from Savannah’s family.

In the meantime, Will and Savannah are becoming friends, and while she finds herself falling for Will (when he is not being the serious boos), she is also developing strong feelings for the mystery editor (who she does not think is Will).

I won’t do spoilers her in NetGalley (I do that in my Goodreads), but as you know, it will somehow get figured out in the end!

Meet Me in the Margins is a delightfully adorable story about Savannah, a junior assistant at a small publishing company that only produces "the best of the best" in nonfiction and literary fiction. However, underneath it all, Savannah dreams of writing (gasp) romance novels! She has the opportunity of a lifetime when a major editor wants to see her management based on her pitch, now she just has to make it perfect. However, one thing leads to another and she finds her beloved manuscript has been edited by a mysterious editor! Though his comments are... good?
This has all the makings of You Got Mail-level cacophony and classic romcom misdirections. It also is an excellent defense against literary snobbiness. It's fun and light which is definitely not always a bad thing. This being said, I wasn't completely satisfied with the resolution. I wish that there had been more of an explosion of emotions instead of just a kiss to end the entire book. With romance, I want to feel overcome by emotion and their feelings and even that one kiss just was off. It felt like there was so much buildup that didn't go anywhere. I think it's still a fun read and will appease readers who prefer a light romance.

Perfect for the book lovers in love with love. Its a sweet, fluffy read perfect for the spring or summer months. Adorable characters who you root for from the beginning

Look, I held out high hopes and it fell flat. I thought I was going to get a romance but I didn't. Loads of positive reviews but just wasn't my kind of book.

Plot had a few holes that made me roll my eyes. I felt like I was wanting more.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Savannah Cade works at a publishing house and is secretly writing her own romance novel under a pseudonym. When she hastily hides her manuscript at work & returns to find notes, edits and criticisms in the margins, she realises this shadow editor might actually be able to help her produce a great romantic novel. As the notes between the pair become flirtatious, Savannah finds herself trying to identify the culprit amongst her workmates.

This is a sweet, fun rom com set in the bookish world of publishing - always a great setting bound to attract readers!

Though the plot’s outcome was never really a huge mystery, I enjoyed the red herrings and intrigue that played out throughout the book. The little reveal of a mystery at the end was very clever & there were some truly sweet romantic moments in amongst the hilarity and general chaos of Savannah’s work life. She was a joy to read about!

A cute, light-hearted romance in a bookish setting will always appeal to fans of contemporary romance and this one is worth checking out.

This was a cute and fun romance. It was very lighthearted and I enjoyed the storyline. Although it was definitely less spicy than I usually prefer my romances and the ending was pretty predictable from the start, readers may still enjoy this book for an easy, HEA escape and a look into the world of publishing.

Meet Me in the Margins was a super fun and cute contemporary romance. I read it in one sitting, thats how good it is! I liked how this book was romance based but touched upon more serious topics like toxic unsupportive families, pressure at work, and coping after a break up. It is a book that all bookish lovers will enjoy and dreaming that you had Savannah's job..

Many thanks to Netgalley for an e-arc of the book in exchange for an honest review!

A fun light-hearted romance read that what a great pallet cleaner in between some heavier reads of late.

It was a little slow to get into, but I think that was me trying to relax into it more than a reflection on the book, but as the story went on, I really became invested in the lives of the main characters.

Savannah is junior editor at Pennington Publishing, an upmarket publisher that focuses on high end literature, certainly not the fun and frivolous romance books that she is secretly writing.

After a mini disaster in the middle of staff meeting which results in Savannah’s manuscript being scattered all over the office floor, right in front of new boss we start to see the makings of this rom-com build.

Already on edge over possible staff cuts, when Savannah leaves a copy of her manuscript in a secret room within the publishing house, she is left mortified to find out that someone has written edits in the margins.

Annoyed that a mystery someone would have the audacity to critique her book she is soon left distraught when another publishing house she was sure would take on her manuscript rejects her. Maybe she does need help from this secret editor after all.

With only a month to turn her dreams work around a secret liaison unfolds between author and editor.
A sweet easy to read rom com that once it got going was a delight to read.

This book was such a great read to start the month with! Savannah Cade is an assistant editor at a small publishing house that only puts out non-fiction, prestigious works — but she is secretly writing a romance novel of her own, knowing that her publishing house would never approve. After leaving behind her manuscript in a secret room at work, she is shocked to find critical edits in the margins. Who could this person leaving notes be? As she tries to figure this out, she asks the mystery editor for help in refining her writing. The two start exchanging notes back and forth until they get into more personal topics, ultimately leading to Savannah falling for her mystery editor.

I absolutely love books with plots that revolve around literature, so it was really hard for me NOT to like this book! This provided some interesting insight into world of publishing while still being a cute, light romance. It was a bit hard for me to get into at first, but after I finished ~25%, I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed Ferguson's writing style and love how relatable Savannah's character is. Though it was a bit predictable at times, I really enjoyed reading it and it gave me everything I wanted in a romance novel!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing me with a complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.