Meet Me in the Margins is an absolute treat of a book. Featuring workplace romance, publishing, loveable characters and a sort of love triangle, it has all the ingredients for a bookish lovers ideal read.

I loved the plot of this story and was engaged from the moment I started reading, right until the last page. The mystery and romance was cute, quirky and funny but the book also featured some really interesting discussions on family, as well as the publishing world. What's also great is how slowly the romance developed. There was no insta-love in sight and instead the pair unknowingly build up a really strong emotional connection. It's a bit like Love is Blind really!

There are all the classic features of a rom-com, of course starting with a meet-cute! But what's so great about this book is that it's very self aware and acknowledges the cliches in a way that is humourous and entertaining.

Character wise I really rooted for the main protagonist, Savannah. In a family of overachievers she constantly felt inferior and like she wasn't achieving enough in her life. I found myself sympathising with her and willing her on throughout. I loved reading about her strong work ethic and also how she managed her social life as well. Her best friend Lyla is a brilliant character too, I could definitely read a spin-off book about her adventures! Overall I found all the characters to be pretty well rounded and there was a good level of development and back story to make you understand their actions and the motivations behind them.

If you want a wonderful romance with great tension and references to make your bookish heart soar, then this is definitely the book for you.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Me in the Margins was a really cute romcom. It also made me insanely jealous of Savannah's job. She's basically living my dream. She is an editor for a publishing company but is also working on her own manuscript in secret. Sure, some people know about this book, but once her new boss gets wind of it do things really start happening.

And by getting wind of it I mean she kind of drops her papers during a meeting and he ends up reading a piece of it. Little does she know that he's actually helping her edit it along the way. Now I really enjoyed watching her and Will, her boss, dance around one another. In some ways, he was protective when he needed to be and helpful in others.

Then there's the romance. Which, yes, I liked but I kind of wished the romance sped up a bit here and there. Don't get me wrong, I like slow burns every once in a while, but this was just way too slow for me. Things definitely needed to move on between them before I got to the drama. Which, yes, it did come but it quickly went away.

Other than that, I just really enjoyed this book. I could totally see it becoming a movie one day and I would probably end up watching it. I also really enjoyed the epilogue. It was just really cute and I'm happy that they are happy.

3.5 stars - Meet Me in the Margins was a very sweet, light romcom. I love books that are set in publishing houses, and this one did not disappoint! I loved the references to book conventions, the different writers that were portrayed, because it reminded me that there are books out there for every type. I also loved that some of the characters were atypical but successful.

Savannah is a perfectly normal main character, and maybe that's what I liked so much about her? She was an editorial assistant who lost her boyfriend to her sister, who doesn't exercise enough, who is fine being "average" in ways that people dread, and yet she didn't give up on her dream of being a writer. When her manuscript is declined because it just isn't ready, she finds help in an unlikely place: the secret room attached to the ARC room (which HONESTLY SOUNDS LIKE A DREAM), with a secret editor who leaves her notes in the margins.

While Savannah and her secret editor work through her manuscript, she's torn in a couple of directions. First, she has a truly horrific relationship with her "loving" parents and sister. From the beginning of the book, we know that the women in her family are wildly successful, including her grandmother, her mother, and now her sister. This adds to her feelings of averageness and make her feel like she's adequate but not extraordinary. Then, her ex-boyfriend and soon-to-be brother-in-law Ferris is constantly being sweet and lovely toward her, reminding her about the "great love" that she lost because she's average. Her family continues to expect loyalty from her when they should a supporting wall for her to lean on when the rest of her world feels like it's coming crumbling down. This was my least favorite part of the book - her family expecting her to just continue to be OKAY with her sister stealing her man, forcing her to do everything that is asked of her because "that's what her family does." Not cool. Then, she kind of starts to crush on her secret editor, and she spends a lot of her work day trying to figure out who it could be. Finally, there's her new boss, William, son of the founder, who has come in to make some tough financial decisions because of the dire financial situation of most small publishing houses in today's market.

I adored the witty banter between Savannah and William. It brought a smile to my face every time they communicated in such a way. It reminded me of Pride & Prejudice a little bit, and it also reminded me that I enjoy really smart characters. It takes a smart author to write in this way, and I enjoy character development a lot.

My favorite quote:
"It turns out, racking up accomplishments doesn't mean anything. Life is not simply some game where the person with the most plaques wins. It's not about a perfectly organized home or acquiring degrees you'll never use or the number of inches around your waistline, or, most especially, counting steps. Life is about movement, and pause. Work, and rest. It's about relationship. About valuing others and truly taking the time to show them they are precious. About valuing yourself, too, and your uniquely given, whispered-into-your-DNA goals and dreams. Life is about making dripping pancakes on a Saturday morning, and leaving the dishes in the sink to sit down with Lyla at the kitchen table and talk about her new agent. It's about making a bath a spending so much time reading in it the water gets all cold and my fingers go pruny. Yes, there should be fundraisers and shoebox drives and hard work, too, but it's also about slowing down. Truly being present. It's about appreciating the miraculous gift that is existence. It's about loving on others as much as you can. And yes, it is also about appreciating what organically makes you happy and, where reasonable, finding it."

Meet Me in the Margins was the perfect February read!⁣
⁣
Savannah Cade is living the dream. Well, sorta. She has a great job in publishing and she’s almost finished her own romance novel. But her dreams start to crumble when she realizes her book needs an editing overhaul. And who better than a secret editor who doesn’t know it’s her book?⁣
⁣
Savannah has discovered a Narnia type nook in the ARC closet (hello dreams!) and when she leaves a draft of her book in there by accident - she returns to find edits in the margins. And they are good edits.⁣
⁣
Soon, she’s reworking her book with their help, and finds herself also reworking her life. But who is this mystery editor and will she finally get the HEA she deserves?⁣
⁣
All the fun book vibes! From insider publishing scoop, book expo type events, and all the author drama - it’s an ode to all lovers of books and a swoony romance that is bound to give you warm fuzzies while feeling surprisingly relatable.

I pretty much devoured Meet Me in the Margins. I seem to have a love for mysterious/anonymous correspondence love stories. Perhaps it's because my husband and I fell in love through correspondence even though we both knew each other in real life and knew exactly who we were talking to. But I just have a soft spot where these love stories come from. And Meet Me in the Margins handled all of the pieces so well.

Savannah has been working as an editor at a small publishing house in Nashville, Tennessee. She's also been secretly working on her own novel for years. Only the publisher she works for looks down on commercial fiction--specifically romance. Savannah feels like she barely has it together. Her long-time on-again-off-again boyfriend is now engaged to her sister. And she's living with the same sister. Her family prioritizes sticking together and helping each other out no matter what. Only Savannah seems to be the one who always has to sacrifice for the good of other members of the family and not the other way around. She dumps her manuscript in a hidden room at the publishing company in an attempt to hide it one day, but when she returns to it someone has written notes in the margins--essentially editing her novel. At first, she's incensed, but she comes to realize the editor has some good points.

Will left his position in New York as an editor for one of the bigger publishing houses. He hopes to save the drowning smaller publishing company that his mother founded. Only, the going isn't easy. He has his hands full trying to make the changes the company really needs to survive. And Savannah just happens to give him some candid information. He learns to trust her opinion and judgment. Now we're left to hope and wonder if Will is the mystery editor or not. Of course, I won't ruin things for you by telling you the answer.

I absolutely loved the insight into the author/editor relationship. I think almost all readers are fascinated by the process. We don't get to see the entire publishing process. We only see the end result. And I found every piece of this interesting.

My only real critique is that so much of the book was dedicated to the romantic build-up and big reveal that I didn't feel like I got to enjoy the payoff as much as I wanted.

Favorite quotes:
-Maybe the best thing to do now would be to play dead.

-Free books. Free prerelease books. Only a true reader would understand.

-The man took my ardently felt monologue, gave it a polite pat on the head, and told it to go and play while the adults stayed on task.

-Writing is what makes me happy. Writing, even, is how I feel I contribute to the world. Reminding people of what's important. Letting them escape the harsh parts of life, even if just for a few hours. Feeling happiness in watching happily-ever-afters unfold. Remembering truths. Recalling their self-worth. Loving others. Living well. Learning. I want to do that.

Meet Me in the Margins wasn't just a great love story. Meet Me in the Margins was a love story to readers, to authors, to publishers, to the love of books and stories, to the writing and crafting of them. I only wish I had more time to dwell on the happily-ever-after before it was over. But being left wanting in this way is a good thing. I stayed up until midnight reading this book, and I also neglected working on Baby Boy's birthday party in favor of finishing this book. That ought to tell you something. Meet Me in the Margins gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read Meet Me in the Margins? What did you think? Let me know.

This one unfortunately fell flat for me. The plot is reused, I didn’t like the writing style, too much rambling on and I couldn’t connect with the characters.

Meet Me in the Margins was a fun romance where we follow an editor at a publishing house trying to edit her romance manuscript with the help of an anonymous editor. Margin flirting ensues.

The main character, Savannah, was fun to follow along, although she kept saying her life was a mess, and I didn't see it. It was quite a short read so it did at times feel more like things were said and not shown. One thing I really enjoyed was all the editorial/publishing stuff.

All the issues with her sister and family felt very reminiscent of Little Women, where the family must come first at the expense of the individual's sanity and respect i.e. forgiving the sister and ex-boyfriend for being engaged (honestly such weird situations). Except for the relationship with the sister, nothing really gets resolved with her family and their 'reputation'.

I enjoyed the margin romance and the in-person chemistry of the main love interests. It was fun to see the problems of communications happen in a respectful way as opposed to so many other novels where characters suddenly turn on each other.

It was a light read with no original concepts, but I enjoyed the mood of it. I ended up watching The Hating Game the day I finished reading this novel and this felt like a less-good version of that office romance trope. If you're into romance though, this is a short and fun read that I'd recommend.

I have been totally enjoying all kinds of contemporary romance readers lately, but sometimes you just need a slow building love story, and #MeetMeInTheMargins is just perfect for this! And this title is made for bookworms everywhere, I mean, how much more of a bookish setting can you get when this one is set at a publishing house?!
⁣
I so enjoyed this slow burn storyline and all the reading references, including the ARC Room, which I want to visit ASAP!! My brain has kind of been at capacity during the last few weeks and this book was the perfect easy read I didn't know I needed. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to seeing what author Melissa Ferguson comes out with next. 4.5/5

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for my free review copy.

This book was a fun read. I loved reading about a woman in the publishing world who also dreams about publishing her own novel – because that’s honestly kind of my dream, too.

What I found kind of interesting about this book though is that every fault they nearly nitpick about the main character’s novel felt similar to the issues I had with the book itself. The meet-cute worked for me, the assumingly enemies-to-lovers trope worked better than was was in the main character’s book – but there were certain elements that were not believable, and in this realistic fiction novel, it was hard to suspend my disbelief that much. THAT said, I did enjoy the book and would still recommend it to be read with these things in mind!

Meet Me in the Margins is a delightful rom-com that takes place in the book publishing world! Savannah is an associate editor at a small, niche book publisher in Nashville. When the owner's son comes in to take over, she is expecting a stuffy new boss. However, she finds Will to be much more than that. At the same time, she is also getting help editing her own manuscript from someone she just calls Mystery Editor.

I found this book to be so cute! I loved the dynamics between Savannah and Will, and loved the cute comments in the margins of the manuscript. The characters were all great, and I definitely will buy this one!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one!

I found that it got off to a slow start, but the more I read, the more I fell in love with the writing style and the story (and, of course, Will Pennington). The characters were so loveable, and I was rooting for them the entire time. I also loved the dive into the world of publishing and found it extremely interesting.

If you're looking for a cute, slow-burn read, this one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Me in the Margins was really cute. I enjoyed Savannah a lot, I would love to be friends with her. I also really appreciated her dedication to her writing and working to make it better.

Will Pennington shows up at Pennington publishing and immediately starts rocking the boat - and it's a much needed rocking. His mom has not changed with the times and they're falling into struggles. He was thoughtful and caring and just the spark the publishing house needed.

The only thing that let me down in Meet Me in the Margins was that Savannah and Will didn't get together until the very end. We saw the glimpses of what could be between the pages and their working relationship, but we didn't get to see them together.

I got this ARC on the recommendation of someone on Bookstagram. She seemed totally enthralled with this book and now I understand why. The plot was so unique. The romance was developed without the characters even being in the same room most of the time and almost seemed to develop just by chance because it was so subtle and totally lovely.

I loved the setting of a small publishing company that set up business in an old Victorian mansion that has a hidden room that few know of. It's in this room that Savannah and her mystery manuscript editor exchange notes and mild flirtation in the margin of the romance manuscript she is hoping to get published.

The secondary characters are well developed and also play an integral part of the story. The entire plot is very smooth and the transitions from one scene to another graceful and seamless. Beautiful and memorable!

I was gifted a copy of this book via Thomas Nelson and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

This was a cute wholesome romance. The secretive slow burn relationship built literally in the margins was a fun trope very reminiscent of You've Got Mail (one of my most favourite romances of all time!) I enjoyed every bookish aspect and while Savannah's sister irked me endlessly, the other cast of characters were a great foil to that irritation. Overall, this was an easy fast and flirty read.


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

Not at all what I thought it was going to be. Not romance at all. (IMO) it was a good book though which is why I gave it 3. It kept me wanting to keep reading. I enjoyed the new idea of meeting someone editing a book and not really meeting ever in person. Clever, intriguing & unique. Thank you netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the gifted copy.

Savannah Cade, a low-level editor at a publishing house, has been secretly writing a romance novel since college. After hiding her manuscript away in her hidden book nook, she's shocked to find edits all over her draft. While the notes seem pretty harsh, she realizes this mystery editor really knows what he's talking about. Together, they revise the novel so that Savannah can submit it and get a step closer to reaching her goals.

I enjoyed reading this book, but I was hoping for a few surprising twists in the plot to keep me own my toes. The main characters were likeable and the story was sweet, but I wish the family dynamics, workplaces changes, characters, and especially, the main relationship, were developed in more detail. This book was just "good" to me, but it probably won't be a story that sticks in my brain long-term.

Meet Savannah, a low-level editor at a boutique publishing house in Nashville. Savannah has been recently jilted by her longtime boyfriend (who is now engaged to her SISTER!), is constantly compared to said perfect sister, and has now made a fool of herself in an all staff meeting in front of her new boss, William Pennington. Savannah's had a stroke of luck though...a bigwig from a big publisher wants to read her romance manuscript! When the comments she gets back from the publisher are less than enthusiastic, she has just 44 days to completely rewrite the story, aided by a mystery editor she writes back and forth with in a secret room at work. ⁠
⁠
I. LOVED. THIS. Savannah was such a relatable character and Will, the grumpy new boss slash love interest was written in a way where you are not just rooting for the couple, you're rooting for him. This entire book was a love letter to bloggers, librarians, and bookstagrammers everywhere, which was just the cherry on top. As a bookstagrammer myself, it was interesting to learn a little bit about what goes on "behind the scenes" in publishing. This was a super cute clean romance that will have you begging for a second book!

Rating 4: Stars

What can I say, I'm a sucker for a romance book WITHIN a romance book!

Meet Me in the Margins follows Savannah Cade, an editor, and an aspiring romance author. But her publishing house has a rather unfavorable view of commercial fiction and romance, so she keeps her passion a secret. Until one day, her new boss (ahem, the chief editor's very handsome son!) gets a sneak peek at her manuscript. To keep it safe, she hides it in a hidden room in the office, only to return later to see that someone has mysteriously begun to edit it!

When I tell you this book is super adorable and wholesome, I really mean it. The plot is just so fun! Savannah's mystery editor is sarcastic and does not hold back in their criticism of her writing. The conversations they have in the margins of her manuscript are just wonderful. It's all you could ever want in an editing partner.

While I do prefer a dual POV for a romance book, staying with Savannah's POV throughout the novel is obviously beneficial to the storyline. Especially when trying to figure out just who her mystery editor is, you know only as much as Savannah does which helps to keep you in suspense. And I'm not going to lie, Savannah has me questioning even my own suspicions.

Savannah is lovely as a character and someone you want to see have her own happily ever after. Not only is she falling in love, but she's also reconnecting with her sister – and oh boy is there drama there! Full disclosure: Savannah is a much better person than I am, as there is no way I would've stood for that.

I must stress this is a s l o w b u r n! Emphasis on the slow. I was pining enough for the both of them by the end. I would've loved to have seen a little bit more physical romance for Savannah. But Melissa Ferguson certainly makes up for it with the most unforgettable Valentine's Day I think I have ever read. It was cute, spontaneous, and brought a smile to my face.

Meet Me in the Margins is perfect for you if you love a more cute, slow-paced romance to make you feel giddy inside. Plus who can say no to that cover it's gorgeous!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an early edition of the book in exchange for an honest review!

Review is posed to Goodreads and an edited version will be posted to my Instagram shortly. Both are linked below.

Meet Me in the Margins is a cute rom-com. The characters are hilarious, especially Savannah, and since we spend the entire book in her point of view, that's an excellent thing. She has some quirks, and her internal thoughts were a riot to read. I loved her insecurities and how realistic that made her. It was fun seeing Will completely through Savannah's perspective, though I'm dying to know what was going on in his head. This is one of those books that takes the reader on a fun, flirty adventure. Savannah's relationship with her family, her feelings that she would never measure up to the Cade legacy, kept her grounded when she wanted to fly, and I loved how Will gradually showed her that she deserved happiness.
My only complaint is that this is marketed as Christian fiction yet I found nothing within the book to uphold that idea. Sweet romance? Yes. Rom-com? Yes. Did I enjoy the book? Absolutely. I'm in no way opposed to a book being a sweet romance. I love all forms of romance books, but I kept waiting for a faith element to be introduced, and I was disappointed when it wasn't.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Savannah is an author who one day leaves her menu script in a secret room at the publishing house she works in and when she comes back she finds notes on her manuscript.

The premise of this story sounded promising but I wasn't a fan of the way it was executed. Savannah as a character was just not interesting and romance barely had any development. I also found Savannah*s family situation a bit extreme.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.