A sweet read with an undercover romance writer and her anonymous editor. The idea intrigued me and even though it went differently than I was expecting I still enjoyed it for what it was. Not into the typical Hallmark stories as they feel too one dimensional and predictable, this story has potential even though I'm not their target market. If you enjoy this genre I'm sure you will love this book.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

This was a cute book about books.
It's a sweet romance story. It was just adorable read. I needed something sweet and I totally got it with this book.

4 stars

Fresh take on the publishing world.

In a nod to The Devil Wears Prada, but set in the publishing world, Savannah Cade is getting a rewrite with the aid of a mystery editor (who is editing her life along the way). We all know who her mystery editor is but its still a fun, contemporary read that combines editing and falling. Like Dash & Lily, but for a slightly older set. Enjoyable.

I’ve always loved when the main characters of a book are writers or work in publishing (such as The Hating Game, Beach Read, The Roughest Draft). Meet Me in the Margins did not let me down. You feel the sparks between Savannah and William from the beginning, and want to keep reading to see how both their professional and personal relationship progresses. The added mystery of who has been writing notes in Savannah’s secret manuscript also keeps the intrigue alive. This was a fun, cozy read in the publishing world!

Meet Me in the Margins is a really cute story about aspiring writer Savannah Cade. Savannah works as an editor at Pennington Publishing, but secretly dreams to have her own manuscript published. When a new editor gets introduced on a team meeting, it’s the perfect timing for Savannah to be reading through her manuscript for the hundredth time while tripping and loosing all the pages in the big meeting room. While desperately trying to save all her pages before anyone sees, the final page lands in the hands of the new editor- who turns out to be none other than William Pennington, her bosses son.

Pennington Publishing isn’t like any other publishing establishments. They have strict program of what gets produced and not, and romance is a big no. Funnily enough that’s exactly what Savannah has written, and with her bosses son now knowing, she believes she’s doomed. With it being an uprising in people being booted out, Savannah is sure she’s next on the list. Surely this isn’t the only secret she has when it comes to her work life, Savannah has also discovered a hidden room where she spends all her time thinking about her writing. One afternoon she leaves her manuscript behind in the secret room, all to be shocked when she returns to the room to discover that someone has written comments in the margins. Not only that but they’ve discovered her secret place. At first Savannah’s response to the obvious criticism is defensive, but with time she realizes she does in fact need help from this mystery person to complete her manuscript.

When the back and forth notes to her mystery helper takes a romantic turn, all while Savannah’s life gets even more complicated, she must use this time to her advantage to eliminate and identify her mysterious helper- all while coming to the conclusion that what she really wants may be different from what she first thought. And coming to terms with being okay with taking one step at a time.

This was such a sweet story and I really enjoyed this quick-read. And that one epilogue comment, absolutely loved it!

This was a well-written, entertaining book. It was clever, creative, fun and held my interest. I wanted to find out what would happen next. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really liked this book a lot. The romance is a slow burn, and there’s hardly any steam, but I really didn’t miss it. It’s a great look at the publishing industry, and at the work it takes and emotions a writer feels getting their book published.

From the Publisher:

Savannah Cade is a low-level editor at Pennington Publishing, a prestigious publisher producing only the highest of highbrow titles. And while editing the latest edition of The Anthology of Medieval Didactic Poetry may be her day job, she has two secrets she’s hiding.
One: She’s writing a romance novel.
Two: She’s discovered the Book Nook—a secret room in the publishing house where she finds inspiration for her “lowbrow” hobby.
After leaving her manuscript behind one afternoon, she returns to the nook only to discover someone has written notes in the margins. Savannah’s first response to the criticism is defensive, but events transpire that force her to admit that she needs the help of this shadowy editor after all. As the notes take a turn for the romantic, and as Savannah’s madcap life gets more complicated than ever, she uses the process of elimination to identify her mysterious editor—only to discover that what she truly wants and what she should want just might not be the same.

There were lots of humorous moments too. I finished reading with a smile on my face, which is all I ask for in a cute romance! 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely adored this book!
…..
Melissa did such a fantastic job providing a romance that didn’t end with an I love you kiss in the cheesiest, most unbelievable time frame ever, and I loved that about it. I also just loved the concept in general. Watching Savannah try to decipher who her mystery editor was all while totally recreating her dream story was so fun and I found myself rooting for her and the mystery man SO deeply. Melissa created characters that you can’t help but love, and a story line that will have you feeling all the best feelings.
…..
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for letting me get my hands on this one a little early!

DELIGHTFUL!

Melissa Ferguson is one of my favorite RomCom authors. Her new release, Meet Me In The Margins, is an excellent example of why I appreciate her books so much. Her writing is crisp, her characters are realistic and likable, the plot is clever and keeps your attention to the end, the setting is a publishing company (a fun plus for book lovers), and when put together, it all adds up to a delight! The plot encompasses a cross between “You've Got Mail” and “The Proposal” involving an office romance. Savannah Cade is finally realizing her dream of having her book considered by Claire Donovan, editor-in-chief of the most successful romance imprint in the country. Only Claire is retiring in six weeks and Savannah must turn in a complete rewrite by then. Savannah works as an editor at a publisher that would never consider publishing something frivolous such as romantic fiction. She almost gets caught with her manuscript and scrambles to hide it in a secluded area. Only someone finds it and starts editing it in the margins. Before long, Savannah and the Mystery Editor have developed quite a relationship. Savannah is relatively sure she knows the identity of her Mystery Man but Ferguson throws in a element of suspense and surprise to keep you guessing. Overall, this is just a delightful read!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Thomas Nelson & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

MAYBE 3 and a half stars

Not enough romance for me, but I really enjoyed the plot - I think it was adorable and the concept is basically meant to be adapted to screen imo. Eat your heart out the hating game

Savannah works as an editor at a dying publishing house which refuses to publish anything commercial - no thrillers, no fantasy, no romance. Her dream is to be a writer - she’s been working on her romance manuscript for years, and it’s finally at a point it could be published.

She has a secret room she visits at work, which exists through the arc room - she stashes her manuscript there after being caught with it at work by the new hotshot CEO. Yet when she goes to retrieve it a few days later, she finds notes scribbled in the margins, genuinely helpful notes that she can use to edit her book to perfection. But who left the notes????

A cute, easy read that required no energy. I loved Savannah as a protagonist. Just wish there was more romance - because the romance is kind of vague, it felt YA even though the characters are most definitely adults. Perhaps that’s just my own preference talking.

Also, WAY too much use of the word ‘mirthful’. I literally think it was used 8 times. For a book about editing, pls edit that out lmao

Overall, enjoyed it! So close to being an amazing romance.

"Meet Me in the Margins" was a fun, clean romance with a very slow burn to it. As a book lover, author, editor and publisher, I love reading books about books, authors, publishers, editors, bookstores and libraries, especially if they're romances. So, this was right up my alley.

The storyline kept me coming back, eager to read the next chapter. But there were a few loose ends that never got tied up and some obviousness as well. The reader easily knows who the "mystery editor" is, while Savannah does not. The only effort made to through us off the trail is when edits are delivered even when the mystery editor was away. How'd that happen? We're never told. But it's what convinces Savannah that the editor has to be someone else.

Overall, a fun story if you're looking for something light and clean. I appreciate the opportunity to receive an advance review copy from the author, publisher and NetGalley.

honestly, one thing i really liked was the whole plot about how this was a cool concept. like i think the whole plot with how they dealt with the part where they had the secret rooms and the notes. and even the whole plot with the secretive editor was just so cool, and i mean i think it was just so cool. and i mean i think it was honestly quite a cool built up, but i think so much of this was just so disappointing. like, i also think that there was just so much going on, plot wise, that it just felt so random and weird. and with that, i think the romance really took away from the romance plot. like, i wish they did make the romance be a bigger part, since this is why most people are actually reading it, not some random side plot.

also, the family in this book got on my nerves. like, i think that they were just such a shitty family and i honestly hated reading about them. like, all of their actions were just so terrible and i really hated how her sister got with her ex when they were on again/ off again, but waiting to get with her sisters boyfriend in the on period of their relationship. like, i think it all was just so terrible and i hated how the MC's sister did that. and also how savannah just took it, it just got to be so annoying and i really wish that they didn't just make it be some plot and just let it happen.

I found this book absolutely delightful! The author added enough freshness to this familiar plot line that it was, for me, the perfect blend between new and comfortable. I loved the characters and the setting, and there were many swoon-worthy moments. My only complaint was that I thought it was going to be a Christian novel, but while it was very clean, there was not a faith element at all. I will look forward to reading more books by this author!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.

I flew through this fantastic novel in a day and loved every second. It’s a book about a book! What could be better? Ok, how about a book about a book that also has romance, quirky publishing house characters, bookstagram and influencer mentions, and a secret ARC ROOM?! Yeah, this book has all that and more and it’s as fantastic as it sounds!

The romance side of this book is a slow-burn, but there are so many other wonderful things happening in the story that it never feels slow. I especially loved the sister relationship and the family dynamics of both main characters.

I know nothing about being a writer, and that’s probably a good thing, because I don’t think my heart could take rejections and edits and “constructive criticism.” It was really fun seeing both the publisher side and writer side of things in this story.

I loved Ferguson’s writing in The Cul-de-Sac War and I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to read this one early!

I thought this was a cute story. Very slow-burn, which I didn't expect, but most of the storyline was intriguing. I didn't really like the ex-boyfriend and sister part. The overuse of hyphenated lines was also a bit distracting.

Will was my favorite character. Getting that kind of advice from someone seems to be a great way to write a novel. I did like the overall premise as it seemed pretty unique to me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my review.

3 Stars
As a lover of books and books that include any reference to them...this was an easy click and read. I had everything that a reader would expect, yet, there were some elements that were not easy to deal with.

Overall, though a worthwhile read, and it kept me engaged.

I absolutely, positively loved this book. I didn’t want to put it down and the only reason I did from time to time was…life. But I just adored this story. Maybe because in another life I would love to be Savannah, but also because I can relate to her in my current life.

I really enjoyed how this story developed, and how Savannah really settled in to who she unapologetically was. I hated Olivia and Ferris at the beginning and I’m so glad that Savannah eventually resolved things with her sister. I think Will said it best that her family wasn’t very loyal to her despite her loyalty. It pleases me that they worked things out in the end, but I wish I could have seen this a little more in action and not just told about it.

As for the romance in this book, it’s all there, but so hard to talk about in a review without giving anything away. I think it’s best to just go for it because it truly is so satisfying and real. This is such a special story and I highly recommend reading it!

Melissa Ferguson knows how to write a story that completely sucks me in with romantic comedy. Her latest, Meet Me in the Margins, grabbed me from the beginning and didn’t let me go until the very end. I couldn’t help but alternate between laughter and frustration as the hero and heroine navigated both work and family tensions all while striving for personal goals that were slightly out of reach. And through it all, the internal dialogue was hilarious and the interplay between characters perfectly entertaining. I absolutely loved this book – a clean, funny romance guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

I received this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️💫

Ironically, this is a book set in the world of publishing and spends a lot of time weaving good writing practices into this story. But this story doesn't take its own advice.

MEET ME IN THE MARGINS is very slowly-paced and revolves around a *mystery editor* who, at no point in this book, is even remotely a mystery. I struggled to keep reading.

I really wish that the author had made the heroine believe (mistakenly, of course) that the mystery editor was female. At least then the reader might have possibly been kept in suspense. But there's just no mistaking exactly how this book is going to play out. I knew as early as the 2nd or 3rd chapter.

This book had a lot of promise, but just failed to deliver.

Melissa Ferguson is a new-to-me author, and I enjoyed this clean romance. The story follows Assistant Acquisitions Editor for Pennington Publishing, Savannah Cade. Following her is more than a bit like watching a train wreck and not being able to look away! Just when it looks like a new conductor might smooth out the journey, she switches to another track just avoiding jumping the rails. To find out if Savannah ever makes it safely to the station, so to speak, you will have to read Meet Me in the Margins, a trip you will very likely enjoy.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.