This book was adorable and I loved it so much! Savannah was such a likable main character and her chemistry with the love interest was so sweet. I laughed aloud a few times and smiled throughout! I loved the subplot involving Savannah’s sister, Olivia, and her fiancé (Savannah’s ex), it helped bring another interesting piece to the story. Although the end was predictable, the story had heart and I loved the journey there. Highly recommend this one!

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

Will and Savannah work together at Pennington Publishing. Will/William belongs to the Pennington family and comes home to help his mother try to save their publishing house from going under. Savannah is an editor who dreams of publishing her own book - a romance. The publishing house is located in an old Victorian home. Inside is a room with a hidden door and Savannah likes to slip away to this room to get away from the drama at work. She leaves her working manuscript in the room one day and returns to find that someone has started editing it and leaving notes in the margins. These notes become more personal as time goes on and she starts to think that she could be falling for the mystery editor. At the same time, she is getting to know Will and is finding that she rather likes him as well. She even thinks that he may be her mystery editor until she sees evidence that changes that assumption. There is also some family drama and ex-boyfriend thrown in to make Savannah's life a little more challenging.

This book started out a little slow for me. There was a lot of internal dialogue on Savannah's part that seemed to be a bit much even though it helped by giving background to her story. Once I got past that, I rather liked the book. Savannah loved her family and put up with a lot that most would not have. It really spoke to her character overall. We learn more about Will as the story progresses and I came to love his character as well. He and Savannah were cute together and I enjoyed their interaction. I wished there were more scenes of them together. The ending was just what I expected with no real surprises, and I was ok with that. Overall, it was a pleasant read that I will recommend to friends who love sweet romance stories.

My sincere thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Meet Me in the Margins and give my unbiased opinion of it.

Savannah Cade dreams of being an author. She wants to write romances, which are not exactly appreciated at the publishing house she works as an editor. To make it worse, her manuscript has been rejected by the most successful romance imprint of the country, and now she needs to make it better. But how? In her opinion, it was already perfect. She's so proud of it.

And that's when a mystery editor starts helping her, writing notes in the margins, showing her everything that needs more attention. Sometimes he's a bit rude, and it's even worse to admit that most times he's right. She has a long way ahead and it's not gonna be easy, but he's willing to help her. Anonymously. But why? Who is he? Why is he doing this?

This is a extremely slow-burn romance. No steamy scenes at all. Almost no kisses. Not really what I expected, to be honest. But it was a great read for me. I truly enjoyed her journey, fighting for the things she believed that were right about her work, and learning to let go of what was necessary. The story has a beautiful, inspiring message. My sense of humor is a bit different and some jokes didn't work for me, but still it was amazing to see her career and their feelings developing at the same time.

* I received this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.

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

Contemporary Romance
No Spice
RomCom, feel good vibes
Slow-burn romance

This book... THIS BOOK! I was so conflicted about giving it 2.5/5 because there were parts of it that I really enjoyed, but then there were others that were a little problematic for my tastes, so unfortunately my enjoyment of the story evened out.

Overall, it is a cute clean romantic story that is entertaining. The romance, the male lead William is great, especially for the fem-lead because he not only sees her but supports her, listens to her advise, and puts her first from early on.

However Will seems to be the only person who puts her first. There's triggers, such as fat shaming, cheating - it was really frustrating to read about a main character that lets everyone around her, her family, her ex-partner, now her sister's fiancé, and colleagues treat her like a doormat. What I would've liked to have seen towards the end there was more of a character arc, more of a personal growth towards self-love and unfortunately that; and the final *punch* that the story needed was missing I just wanted better for her, and while a lot worked out, and we got the HEA, I felt that her personal growth fell flat.

TW- The fem-lead is only about a size 6 (US I'm assuming) and she is treated as though she's overweight/curvy/plus-size, is shamed by her sister, as well as a lot of negative self-talk about her size, which I found to be problematic.

Language was a little superfluous at times, which did pull me out of the story.

After a night’s sleep, I’ve decided to drop my rating by one star. Because 3 stars tends to mean I would still recommend it to a friend and/or spend money on this book. I just don’t feel that way here.

If ever there was a book destined to be a cheesy Hallmark movie in the worst kind of way, not all romantic comedies are created equal, this is it. Honestly, for a book that pokes fun at the clique and cheesy aspects of rom-coms, it sure doesn’t manage to escape falling into them.

That being said, I think I might've enjoyed this book much more overall if it weren't for the glaring issues I had with our protagonist's family. I do not like them. In fact, I loathe them. The fact that Savannah's sister found it acceptable to get together with Savannah's on and off again boyfriend of EIGHT YEARS, especially during a time where they were on-again, is infuriating. Though I will admit the fact that Savannah allowed that relationship to drag on the long is upsetting in and of itself. But the most outrageous thing is that her parents fully support her sister and welcome said ex back with open arms. Then after a few short months of her ex and sister dating, they get engaged and her parents sit her down to essentially tell her to get over it. Because he is going to be family, and the Cade moto is loyalty and support blah blah. Like wtf? LOYALTY!? What loyalty? YOU ALL SUCK!

And while I know the sibling dating an ex thing has been done before. A popular example is The Hating Game. This was a whole different ballpark. Josh hadn't been dating his ex for years only for his brother to poach, and as far as we knew he was never in love with her. That is not the case here with Savannah's ex Ferris. She had very much been in love with him. He was all her firsts. And the parents? At least in The Hating Game, the main characters address what an awful father Josh's dad is and how blatantly he shows favoritism. Here? It gets completely glossed over. Never at any point does Savannah confront them for this utter mistreatment. In fact, the only one who really points out what a problem it is that her family betrayed her in such a way is Will.

Speaking of Will, we did not get enough of him. I liked him and Savannah. The book would've been infinitely better if we'd gotten more of him, either in scenes with Savannah or as his own POV.

Anyways, it's not a great sign when I walk away from a romance book and the thing I remember most about it is how much a hate the heroine's family. The romance and story had potential. I genuinely loved the idea of secretly falling in love with someone based on their comments and feelings about a story you poured your heart into. But the approach left me feeling detached and markedly irritated. When I read a romance I want warm fussy feelings, butterflies in my stomach. Or if I'm going the other direction, I want to feel distraught, heartbroken, invested in the outcome of our main characters, and hoping they resolve their issues - whether those are internal or external.

Instead, I was left wishing Ferris got hit by a bus.

Rating 3

This was a cute extremely slow burn romance story that made me chuckle a few times but ultimately left me underwhelmed. If you plan on reading this one I recommend going into it prepared. Do not expect a lot of romance or spicy moments. This book is very PG and light on romance. It’s weird the story started out slow but also fast at the same time. In my opinion, there is a lot of unnecessary information being given to the reader from the start. A lot of background information from side characters that didn’t seem to add anything to the overall plot. This just added to the story being a bit wordy. Unfortunately, the story stayed a slow burn and while I thought the ending was cute I expected more for my time. I don’t think this book was bad, it just overall was okay. It definitely needed more. The main character's banter was cute and I loved the notes William left on the manuscript. If it wasn’t for those notes this story would be a 2 star for me. I didn’t really care for Savannah’s character because of how she acted. I feel like everyone took advantage of her and she never stood up for herself. She just kept allowing it to happen. William was a good love interest but he felt a little generic to me. I also wasn’t a huge fan of most of the side characters but due to spoilers can't say why. One thing I did enjoy was the publishing background. I loved that this book primarily took place at the publishing company because I love books that have to do with books!

If the synopsis sounds good then I say give this book a try! Even though I found it to be just okay doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it.


Thank you so much @thomasnelson for a #gifted copy on #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first book by Melissa Ferguson and I'll definitely be adding her backlist to my tbr, because I absolutely loved ithis close door witty romance. I really enjoyed reading about the inside workings of a publishing house,  yet also getting a first hand view of a writer trying to create and edit her manuscript to top quality to get a deal.  Although the book revolves around the manuscript and publishing it is so much more. In the novel there are so many relationship dynamics that peak your interest and really make you think where the story is headed. The relationships in the story are real, cute yet raw at times making it believable plus the banter was top notch.  Highly recommend for a quick cute read with a literary twist.

I absolutely adored this book! I loved the main character, Sav. She was a breath of fresh air. She was NORMAL! She had insecurities, a job she didn’t feel appreciated in, a family who was caring but unapproachable and demanding. While working in a publishing company that loathes romance she finds herself immersed and committed to finishing her debut romance novel. Unfortunately, while she can dish it to her author clients….Sav has a hard time taking in criticism. Sav learns a lot about herself and what she wants through the notes she and her mysterious author leave for each other. This book was just so sweet- I found myself swooning and laughing in the same minute. I definitely recommend!

After working for years at a literary publishing agency, Savannah Cade feels as if her secret dreams will soon come true. A highly respected editor from a different publishing house (one which makes money from popular fiction) wants to see the manuscript Savannah has poured her heart into.

When Savannah accidentally spills her manuscript all over the conference room floor—in the middle of a staff meeting—she worries her secret will get out. She gathers her pride (slightly bruised from the fall that caused the spill) and her manuscript and hustles to hide her precious pages in the secret turret room in the Victorian mansion which houses the publishing company.

When she makes it back to retrieve her pages, she discovers someone has neatly stacked the pages in order. Even more horrifying, the mystery person had the temerity to add notes in the margins.

Notes Savannah has difficulty believing—after all, who at a high-brow publishing house would know anything about romance writing? But when the romance editor rejects her manuscript—citing the same flaws the mystery writer noted, Savannah must rethink her strategy. The editor gives her six months to resubmit, and Savannah starts a frenzied correspondence with the mystery editor in the margins of her manuscript.

To further complicate things, the new editor—and son of the romance-hating publisher—just might have a romantic interest in her. But she’s starting to fall in love with her mystery editor. How will she finish her manuscript, sort out her love life, and discover the identity of her helpful editor in just six months?

What I Loved About This Book

This clean romance sparkles with quirky characters and funny scenes. Readers will relate to the relational problems both Savannah and Cade have with their families. The identity of the mystery editor (and turret decorator, candle lighter, and twinkling light stringer) keeps the reader turning pages searching for the truth.

Fans of Emma St. Clare and Jessica Kate will love this book.

Perfect for fans of You've Got Mail, this sweet PG-13 rom-com is for readers who enjoy a relatable heroine in realistic circumstances finding her own version of happily ever after. Savannah, the main character, feels real yet there's also a balance of unrealistic (i.e. scandalous LOL) plot points, such as her ex-boyfriend being engaged to her sister and she's living with both of them in the same apartment. I liked the slow-burn between Savannah and Will, and watching Will's character evolve both professionally and personally was endearing. The bickering between Savannah and her "mystery editor" was funny and downright adorable at times. I also loved Savannah's metaphor for what real love looks like over time -- scrambled eggs on wedding plates. IYKYK. I do have to say that I had high hopes when I realized where this story was going but was left a little disappointed at Savannah and Will's "aha" moment -- I could've used more emotion (but maybe Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks ruined me in You've Got Mail). I also wish I had more of Will's perspective, but readers get to know him the same way Savannah does so it makes sense. But I really enjoyed this cute rom-com that is being released at the perfect time for a sweet Valentine's read.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.**

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. How our heroine was writing her own book while falling for the anonymous person who's editing it (through the annotations made in the margin). However, I didn't find the story I was hoping for.
Don't get me wrong. There are many cute, sweet and funny moments. And that's why I'm giving it a good rating. But I can't rate it higher.
To begin with, I'm not a huge fan of the narration when done by our protagonists. Most of the time, it just feels like the protagonist is blabbing on and on and on. And it felt a bit like this. In fact, I think too many paragraphs did not add anything at all to the story or our characters.
And on the other hand...I felt like the ending needed more development. The romance ended too abruptly for my taste.
Asides from that, and like I said, there are many sweet things that compensate for the rest. So, as a whole, it was an enjoyable read. But I'm somewhat disappointed since I felt it had a lot of potential.

Meet Me in the Margins follows assistant acquisitions editor and aspiring author, Savannah Cade, who works for Pennington Publishing in Nashville. The story begins with Savannah communicating with Claire Donovan, the chief editor for romance novels at Baird Books Publishing. The two of them are discussing getting Savannah’s manuscript to Claire for her to review. Before even beginning the actual story, I loved that the setting was not only at a smaller publishing house but that it was not located in Los Angeles or New York, which is where books about making books are usually set. This story also has the added element of the main character working with novels on both sides as she edits the works of others while also trying to get her published. While at a meeting, Savannah’s new boss is announced to be the owner’s son, William Pennington, who is now the VP and publisher of the Pennington Pen division after parting ways with his previous job at Sterling House in New York.

After some financial hardships, Savannah moved in with her younger sister, Olivia. Not only is Olivia a perfectionist and over-the-top personality for being the best, but she is also engaged to Savannah’s ex-boyfriend, Ferris, who Savannah dated for eight years. When Ferris was helping Savannah move into Olivia’s apartment a year ago, the two of them connected and became engaged a few months later. As the two plans on getting married soon, Savannah’s parents tell her to get over the situation and move on as this is what their family does. The entire situation was extremely toxic as both Ferris and Olivia are terrible people to do that to Savannah. While she was very mature about it, the situation never sat right and I started skimming any sentences with either of them. Olivia is also running a program called the Steps-4-Life Step-a-thon and she refused to understand that situations happen where Savannah could not meet her daily quota.

When Savannah initially sends the draft of her manuscript to Claire, she initially rejects it. The two of them strike a deal that Savannah will need to submit a new draft in 44 days, so Claire is able to potentially publish it before she retires. As Pennington is about other types of novels, Savannah must hide the fact that she is writing a romance story. She hides her manuscript in a hidden room behind a metal cabinet of the ARC room and is shocked to find notes written by a secret person. The ARC room was the thing of dreams for an avid reader, like me, where I would be beyond excited to be in one. Through the story, the trials and tribulations of the many obstacles authors go through to get a book published is explored.

Overall, I loved the slow burn build-up between Will and Savannah. Their interactions were greatly enjoyable and I love the two of them getting to know each other. Savannah was a very fun and enjoyable protagonist as she was trying her best with the cards that she was dealt. While I personally disconnected from her relationship with her family as I would not forgive and move on as quickly, I am sure there are other readers that will not mind this element as much. This novel was a fun and easy read and I greatly enjoyed it and will read more from the author.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

You've Got Mail is one of my fave movies so I generally enjoying retellings of this in book form. And this did not disappoint!
Refreshing, sweet, and funny, this is the perfect Valentine's Day read. You will find yourself rooting for the two main leads Savannah and Will. There's also family dynamics involved, and a lot about fighting for your dreams. All in all, a really enjoyable read fans of Emily Henry and Lia Louis will love!

Thank you NetGalley for providing an advance copy for me!

This book was really sweet and I finished it in one sitting. Books about books are always a winner for me and the plot and character were interesting enough to keep me gripped from beginning to end. This romance was definitely very clean, which was sweet but I do prefer my romcoms to be a bit more spicy. I think It's definitely suitable for younger readers, for anyone whose wondering.

There were lines in the books that surprisingly had me in tears laughing, which I wasn't expecting! The blunts critiques the "mystery editor" left in her manuscript were so blunt/mean that it was comical.

I do wish that the characters were a little more fleshed out and had a little more time actually getting to know each other in person. I also feel like the ending was a bit anti-climactic - the third act misunderstanding was a bit lacking.

Overall a very enjoyable read though! Just the thing I needed to put me in a good mood for Valentines day.

Did I think about quitting my job to intern at a publishing house? At least 4 times. Savannah Cade works as an assistant in acquisitions, but dreams of getting her own book published. After hiding her manuscript in a secret alcove at her publishing house, she returns to find notes in the margin. At first upset about the directness of the notes, she realizes this mystery editor is just who she needs. Not only that, she finds herself falling in love with them, along with her new boss along the way. Who will she choose? Or is the choice even necessary? ;) Overall, a cute, fun romance.

It seems to be the year of books about authors/editors for me, but so far I’m 0-2. I loved the premise of this story where an editor is secretly writing her own book and develops feelings for someone who edits her book in secret. Adorable if you ask me, and yet it didn’t quite come together.

The story centers around Savannah so I’ll start with her.

I’m assuming that Ferguson is trying to make her be the “average heroine” like the one in Savannah’s novel and yet she comes across as the down on her luck gal. To me, she came across a bit pathetic letting her family dictate her life. And the whole issue with living up to the “Cade family,” and then her neurotic sister and her sister’s fiancé were all side stories I could have done without as they really didn’t add anything to the story or to Savannah besides make her look like a willing doormat. Show me more about what a great editor she is or where her passion for writing came from or what she’s even looking for in a partner. I want to know more about her.

As for Will, I would have liked to have seen him more developed too. He was supposedly fired from his New York job but why? Or if not, why is he back and why do we care? What makes this guy tick? I really don’t know and I’m not sure what he sees in Savannah.

Ultimately this is a book that has pieces of what I like and read in other books but it just failed in its execution to feel cohesive. Too many pieces felt needless and distracting which ironically is one of the gripes her secret editor had about the novel Savannah was writing.

Many of the initial editing comments for Savannah’s novel are spot on for this novel as well ironically. Cut the needless wordiness for example.

And about her novel…from the tidbits we got, I didn’t get the impression that Savannah was that good of a writer at all. And to believe that she turned her book around so quickly that it deserved to be published – I’m not buying it.

This book grabbed me with the idea of secret messages left within the margins that lead to a full-fledged romance, but these moments got drowned out by other needless aspects of the story. I wanted more of this interaction to really understand their feelings. I will say that Savannah and Will’s interactions outside of the office were fantastic but even those were few and far between.

The idea of this novel holds such promise but it just didn’t deliver for me.

*Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Savannah Cade is living a life that’s mainly to please others. When a book editor she admires reminds her she’s waiting on her manuscript, Savannah sends it off only to be told it’s not close to being ready. Upon learning someone has found her secret room at work and left notes on her manuscript that echo what the editor said, she enlists their help whipping it into shape for one more Chance with the editor. At the same time, she’s got a new boss who is making changes. She finds herself drawn to him on run-ins outside of work and realizes she likes both him and the mystery editor. All the while trying to keep her resentments and frustrations about her sister getting married to her ex-boyfriend (who broke up with her to date her sister Olivia). And, oh yeah, she’s living with Olivia.

A thoroughly enjoyable book about an editor who’s also a wannabe romance author and what happens when you finally go after what you want.

Cute, light, and heartwarming!

Meet Me in the Margins is a sweet, engaging, quirky tale that takes you on a journey into the life of nonfiction editor Savannah Cade as she navigates career uncertainty, financial struggles, romantic entanglements, demanding expectations, an unsupportive family, and a mystery reader who is blunt but nevertheless extremely helpful.

The writing is amusing and fluid. The characters are endearing, dependable, and supportive. And the plot is a lovely blend of tension, humour, chemistry, friendship, workplace drama, awkward mishaps, tender moments, self-reflection, tricky situations, taking chances, moving forward, and the ups and downs of editing.

Overall, Meet Me in the Margins is a charming, tender, delightful story by Ferguson that was a pleasure to read, with its characters I couldn’t help but root for, and an interesting, insightful look into the complex world of publishing.

What a perfect book for valentine’s day!

Warm, charming and saccharine, Meet Me In the Margins was such a pleasure to read.

Synopsis -

Savannah Cade is a lowly editor at the Pennington Publishing House. She is a writer at heart and is secretly writing her first romance novel. One noon, she has to leave behind her unpolished manuscript in a secret ARC room that she has discovered in the attic of their office. Soon, someone is writing notes in the margins, giving feedback. Will Savannah accept it? And who is this “mystery editor”?

Review -

Savannah’s first person narrative instantly drew me in. She gives us introductions about her job, the publishing company and its inner workings and most importantly, the status of her current love life and her family.

The hilarious and awkward situations she gets into at work, keep us entertained all the way with some laugh out loud moments.

I loved how the author develops the relationship dynamics between - Savannah and her perfectionist sister Olivia, ex-boyfriend Ferris, Lyla her coworker and trusted friend and most importantly Will, her boss, the Publisher himself.

Savannah was simply at her best– a simple but driven down to earth girl, with practical and realistic goals. I adored and cheered for her, as she dealt with all the toxicity surrounding her family, while also, juggling her writing and work-related stress.

The unique idea of passing of notes back and forth in the secret room, was certainly the highlight of the book. Speculating about his identity, Savannah begins to rediscover herself, learning that it is the journey that matters more than the end goal and the importance of just being present in life’s precious moments.

Although I would have loved to get Will’s POV, I truly appreciated the gentle budding romance the author gives us here. The book is very much predictable, but I think that’s where its magic lies.

The joyous and uplifting ending left me smiling ear to ear, certainly wanting more.

A thoroughly delightful read and tailor made for book lovers, I highly recommend this if you love rom-coms!

Thanks NetGalley, Thomas & Nelson for the ARC!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the advance reading copy. I was sold when I saw it described as You’ve Got Mail meets The Proposal - both movies I love! Unfortunately this wasn’t feeling like those to me. I wasn’t connecting to the writing or the characters so I decided to DNF.