Thank you to the author, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley - I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This should have been completely my jam - a romance set in the publishing world - and I tried so hard to like it. The notes left in the secret room, the working together to edit and make a manuscript come together are cute and fun, but the weaknesses overrode the charming for me. Our heroine wants to write a romance novel, yet hates physical intimacy. Not coincidentally, she produces a story so flat and unappealing that it seems to need a complete rewrite, but is offered a contract anyway, because of course. And she wants to orient herself toward non-standard heroines, but is completely standard inside and out... not to mention the toxic sister, the ex-boyfriend of 8 years turned sister's fiancé, and the gaslighting parents. This makes for a highly unpleasant mix, as well as a very obvious twist viz. the romance part of things.

I voluntarily received a copy of "Meet Me in the Margins" via NetGalley in exchange for for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Savannah Cade is living her dream - she is in the publishing industry and she is working on her first novel. Stumbling on a secret room in the publishing houses ARC room she works on her manuscript. But suddenly there is someone else's handwriting on her manuscript and she begins a courtship in the margins. Unfortunately for her she doesn't know if its her new boss Will or her coworker Sam.

This book was not for me. "Meet Me in the Margins" is sold as a contemporary romance set in the publishing industry but reads a bit more women's fiction which is just not my style when it comes to the books I pick up. It is also a very sweet, slow burn romance where the couple though falls in love does not kiss until the very end.

The details about editing and publishing industry are very rich and definitely comes from someone who absolutely adores books. I just wish the romance and the characters were a bit more fleshed out to match the world they were set in.

I'm conflicted with this book, There are aspects of it that I liked and some that i really didn't.
I'll start with what I liked.
The behind the scenes of the Publishing world. ALL THE DEETS AND ARC ROOMS AND EDITORIAL DRAMA AND YESSS! love it.
Give me all!
But then what bugged me was that the romance wasn't the main thing. This book is a romcom but it felt like just inspirational fic? like there was romance but the only parts were it was evident and not imaginary was in the last couple chapters.
Also, its super slow. Like, if you dont like reading tons of descriptions then this book probably is not for you.
The MC dude had so much potential in my opinion and I wanted to fall in love with him but I feel I couldn't see past his façade and get to know his persoanlity well.
Overall a nice clean book with Great infromation and anecdotes about the Publishing world :)

Perhaps because I am the perfect audience (a rom com obsessed “book industry professional) - I adored this sweet and romantic story. The concept is so fun, and I truly did adore the cast of compelling and engaging characters. I had a LOT of fun reading this book, and while it was (comfortingly) predictable at times, enjoyed the fact that it didn’t overuse some of my least favourite tropes.

I will say, I could have used a bit more character development for Savannah — she did feel a bit one dimensional at times - but it didn’t detract from the story.

I can’t wait for readers to fall in love with this book like I did!

Savannah Cade, an assistant acquisitions editor at Nashville’s stately Pennington Publishing House, is forced to hide her love of the romance genre and the novel she’s writing from her colleagues. That is, until she accidentally drops her unpublished manuscript at the feet of her new boss, Will Pennington, whose CEO mother has recruited him to save the failing enterprise. In a desperate attempt to hide her manuscript from anyone else, Savannah stashes it inside a hidden room that no one knows about. But when she returns to claim it, a mysterious editor has marked up the pages she thought were ready to be published. Indignant at first, Savannah takes the advice and comes back for more, falling for her editor’s charming way with words.

Drop everything and read this book right now! Y’all 🥺 This book. First off, I LOVED the Nashville setting. It’s a city very close to my heart because it’s where my husband proposed to me! It was so fun to learn about what goes on inside a publishing house and how much heart and soul is put into an author’s work. This is a slow burn romance but it was honestly a nice change of pace from some of the other romances I’ve read lately. And the ending was so worth it! My husband caught me laughing or smiling whenever I was reading, so you know it’s a good one! Thank you so much to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and Melissa Ferguson for my E-ARC. This book is out now!

Clean, slow burn. Apart from being a editor, Savannah dreams of being an author, specifically romance author, so she has found a secret hideout room in the company's ARC room. One day she leaves her manuscript there to hide it from everyone, she returns the next day to find comments in the margins of her manuscript. She and her secret editor then work through the manuscript to help her fulfilling her dream of being an author. Meet Me in the Margins reminded me of a Hallmark Christmas movie. It was cotton candy sweet. It was squeaky, G-rated clean; there were two kisses in the entire novel (and nothing more). I don’t think there was a single profanity. I am a sucker for stories that take place in the world of publishing and I adore all things related to books, and this one fit the bill just right.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for giving me this ebook in return for a review.

This is a light, amusing read that is perfect for people who are interested in the world of books and publishing. It is a romance but it mainly focuses on the life of the main character, Savannah.

It’s undemanding and has no sex or swearing in it, if those things worry or offend you. I requested it because I love everything to do with books!

The main relationship is pretty sparse - they hardly have any interaction and when they have their first kiss it’s not until right at the end. There’s none of that burning sexual chemistry that is so key for a good romance.

It’s light but it’s not really very funny. And the main character hasn’t got enough about her to carry a novel. There’s nothing special about her, nothing that makes her quirky or interesting and it’s not really clear why the hero would fall in love with her - how does he know her?

Nice enough but nothing special.

This book wasn’t for me, I just couldn’t get on with the writing style. The story itself was cute and I liked the characters but it just wasn’t for me.

Savannah is an editor at Pennington Publishing, but her true passion is on the other side of the manuscript. When Savannah is granted a rare opportunity, for 𝒕𝒉𝒆 Claire Donovan, chief editor at Baird Books Publishing, to review her romance novel, Savannah faces a complete re-write - but she can’t do it alone. To her surprise, a mystery man finds her hidden manuscript and starts making edits, but while they continuously write back-and-forth in the margins, tidbits of personal information are revealed and feelings arise. However, Savannah cannot determine who her mystery editor is - Sam, a man she went on one date with and who she has caught sneaking in and out of her manuscript’s hiding place, or Will, her new boss who has made an effort to personally get to know her inside and outside of work.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet little romance, so much so that I have already added Melissa’s other novels to my wishlist!

Savannah was such a relatable character, and a truly pleasant MC! Though her family members are all hotshot overachievers, Savannah is so refreshingly 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭. She has a job she loves, but she is powerless and often overlooked. Even her own parents neglect her feelings and well-being for the greater good of the 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 family. The only thing Savannah has to look forward to is her manuscript and her dream of becoming an author, but even that gets shot down. It was so nice to read about a person living a completely average life, who must endure the most normal and annoying of setbacks, because it made me genuinely happy for her to experience the 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 of meet cutes ever! I mean, isn’t it every book lover’s dream to fall in love over one’s love for books!?

I don’t want to say too much about the mystery man because I don’t want to ruin the surprise for anyone but let me just say, he is the most darling and just really exceeded all my initial expectations. I do wish I could have got into his head a little more, maybe read a few chapters in his POV, but that’s just me nitpicking.

Also, that epilogue was the perfect ending to this novel!

Thank you so much to @netgalley, @thomasnelson and @ for allowing me to review this eARC.

Usually every romance that I read is just horny people being horny and confused, and don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that. But this book? Oof. It’s a cozy Sunday morning with take out brunch, a little crossword, and coffee with your lover. This is aspirational.

I love that the main character is a mess, but in a very sorted way. She loves what she does, she knows what she doesn’t want, and the messy parts are manageable. The love interest is not an absolute jerk- he has his shit together and respects her space and all of the nice things. The miscommunication is not even annoying! They talk to each other and don’t snap at each other- it’s so cozy and wonderful. I want this in my life!

The book stays true to the blurb, and seems realistic. I couldn’t stop reading because it’s like this warm and soft hug. It’s cute and funny and quirky and charming without pretentions.

recommend for:
• fans of PG, closed door, VERY backseat romance
• those interested in publishing, writing books, editing, behind the scenes of author life
•witty banter & funny inner monologues
•women’s fiction story with limited romance scenes
•ending was sweet!
•<300 pages


dislikes:
•very slow burn
•marketing this book as a “romance” - it’s more womens fiction
•passive main character - she never stands up for herself
•meandering plot line with unnecessary details
•predictable

side thoughts:
The title of the book is absolutely perfect - my favorite part of the story were the margin comments by the “mysterious editor” (this “secret” however was extremely obvious).

📖Review - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5📖

Meet Me in the Margins is set in Nashville, TN and focuses on Savannah Cade, an editor at Pennington Publishing.

While editing is her day job, Savannah’s real passion is writing. Unbeknownst to most people, Savannah is writing a romance novel that she believes is ready to be submitted and considered for publication. That is, until she trips, falls, and sends her manuscript flying into the air and scattering the pages all over the floor during a meeting with her new boss, Will Pennington.

After finally getting the pages picked up, with Will handing her the last one, she retreats to the hidden ARC room to sort out her manuscript. Few know the ARC room exists, so in a rush, Savannah leaves her manuscript with plans to return later to reorganize the pages. When she finally returns, Savannah not only finds her manuscript put back together, but with notes about her novel in the margins.

Savannah has no idea who wrote the notes, but eventually found them helpful and continued to leave the updated manuscripts in the ARC room, in hopes her secret editor would continue to help.

Throughout the story, we meet Savannah’s family and their complicated history. With personal and family problems of her own, Savannah is also trying to solve the mystery as to who her secret editor is.

I found this story to be a very light hearted, slow burn romantic comedy. I often found myself chuckling at the banter between characters.

I do wish we got to see a little more of Will and his history. It is briefly touched on, but it left me with questions and wanting more. I also loved the story so much, I wanted more of what happened after Savannah figured out who the editor was and what their life looks like now.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet and light hearted romantic comedy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very sweet read for book lovers! This was such a fun look at the publishing world and inside look at developing a book from proposal and contracts stages to reviewing cover art and book signings. The description of the ARC room is also a bookstagrammers dream! ⁣
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This feels like a Hallmark movie - very G rated, clean romance, and overall charming story! This is a slower read and took a bit to get into and have the characters start interacting, but once they did, I really enjoyed the relationships progress. I loved seeing what notes Savannah and her mystery editor left for each other as well as the scenes with her new boss, Will, and their evolving friendship. ⁣
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If you are a fan of Very Sincerely, Yours and To Sir, with Love - I think this would be a win for you as well!

This sweet story will leave you with the biggest smile. Few books leave me thinking, "Aw, how cute!" at the end and this was one of them.

The chemistry between our main character and her secret manuscript editor is palpable and adorable. The written conversations they have as he gives input to her book are enjoyable to read.

Thr plot was good, but my favorite parts were reading their back and forth throughout the story. There were a few plot points I was confused on, but it didn't take away from the story or the budding romance.

Meet Me in the Margins just wasn't the book for me. I was off to a rough start from the get go because of how the ARC draft was constructed. The chapters were all just lumped together in the middle of pages. It was chaotic. Maybe I wasn't sent the correct draft? I felt bored with the plot as well and I ended up DNF'ing about half way through. Sorry :(. I do know of some good reviews on this one!

Bookish rom-com...sounds perfect! I don't know anything about publishing a book, so those parts of the books were super cool. I really liked the characters, and while the "twist" isn't really a twist, it didn't make it any less enjoyable. I absolutely LOVED the epilogue.
Cons--The plot didn't start until around 33% of the way into it. There were some parts that I skimmed through because--SO. Many. Adjectives. I thought the book could've been both simultaneously longer and shorter at the same time. I wish we got a little more after the ending and before the epilogue.

All in all, I really liked it, and I absolutely flew through it

Meet Me in the Margins uses common tropes in romantic comedies masterfully. I love Savannah and Will as characters and found their joys and heartbreaks believable. While I predicted the ending, I still found the book enjoyable.

Meet Me in the Margins was a really fun, literary version of "You've Got Mail," where our two main characters, while seemingly complete opposites, bond over their love of books and writing via notes written quite literally in the margins of a manuscript. While the book was strong in following through with the premise, it's definitely more of a contemporary women's fiction book rather than a romance. The main character Savannah was a character so easy to root for, but this book needed more interactions between her and Will outside of their notes in order to flesh not just Will as a character out, but also make the reader want to root for their relationship. I loved the banter that they had in their written comments, and I just wish we got to experience this more with their interactions face to face! This definitely would have strengthened the romance aspect of the book and would have helped establish their growing relationship a lot more. It definitely would've made this book a book lover's go-to romance!

Book covers are what initially grab my interest when deciding to read a book. The title is a close second. So when I was given the opportunity to read a debut novel with thee best title seen so far this year, Meet Me in the Margins, I gladly downloaded the galley and started reading...only to be soon disappointed.

An assistant acquisitions editor at Pennington Publishing is going through the motions of her day job. Right now she is supposed to be editing the latest edition of a medieval anthology. While other low-level editors are lugging around thick manuscripts, she is secretly working on her own romance novel.

After leaving her manuscript in the Book Nook—a hidden room in the publishing house—she returns to find that someone left notes and a harsh critique in the margins. She must decide whether to follow the mysterious editor's advice or continue down the path of writing her dream novel as she sees best.

What was meant to be a cute and clever bookish read turned out to be just okay. Way too predictable. Way too many eye-rolling moments about the main character's clueless behavior. Although, it will make a good Hallmark/Lifetime channel rom-com movie adaptation with the right cast.

Happy Pub Day, Melissa Ferguson! Meet Me in the Margins is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

~LiteraryMarie

I always find it hard to resist books about books. Especially ones set in the publishing world. I love the glimpse behind closed doors, getting even a fictionalized version of how a book is born. Throw in a love story and I’m in my happy place.

Meet Me in the Margins is a heart-warming, light read, perfect for when we need a romance with an uplifting and positive experience.

Savannah Cade is a people pleaser. Which makes her good at her job keeping authors happy at Pennington, the selective publishing house where she works. She’s also loyal. To her friends and her family. Even the younger sister (and her roommate) who is currently engaged to Savannah’s ex-boyfriend. But she’s also secretly writing a romance novel, a genre that is not allowed by Mrs. Pennington, the CEO at her publishing house.

After an unfortunate first meeting with the new VP, Mrs. Pennington’s son Will, Savannah stashes her secret manuscript in a hidden room at the publishing house she thought only she knew about, then discovers it the next day with notes in the margins. After initially being outraged, she realizes she could use the help and a clandestine editing exchange begins.

I enjoyed the witty exchanges on the manuscript and how Savannah and her secret editor grow more confident in their exchanges, revealing more and more about their personal lives to each other. And as Savannah’s confidence in her story grows so does her confidence in her personal life.

This first person, single point of view romance is a quick read and could easily be finished in one day. It’s set in Nashville, Tennessee, mostly through the month of February, which means a cute Valentine’s Day addition to the story, as well. And if you prefer your romances less steamy, this one is a solid PG.

Meet Me in the Margins had me smiling, loving the peek into the publishing world, with the secret editing exchanges and the hidden room being the cherries on top. I was rooting for lovable Savannah to find her footing at work and in her family, to finally get the recognition she deserved. A bookish romance guaranteed to warm your heart!