I loved this book. Just... loved. It got off to a bit of a slow start for me, but once it got rolling I was super into it. As far as heat level goes, it's ENTIRELY lead up, slow burn goodness and entirely closed door. It has The Shop Around the Corner/You've Got Mail vibes, in what I've previously called "online romance" but now I think I need to call "penpal romance" or something because that's what I mean usually. It also has some fun mistaken identity elements that, okay, you can see what's actually going on from a mile away but that didn't make it any less satisfying. This cute and quirky rom-com is exactly what it presents itself to be, done beautifully.

The entire book is told from Savannah's point of voice, and once again I found myself wishing for some chapters from Will's POV. (Which is how I usually feel about romances told from a single POV, honestly.) The chemistry between Savannah and Will is delicious. I also really loved many of the side characters and would love to go work at Pennington Publishing with them all. I especially appreciated the way Savannah's relationship with her family develops and plays out, with her learning that there are boundaries to how much a person should give.

I loved this book so much that when I had to start partway through to sleep, I had dreams about trying to get to Savannah's secret ARC room from the house next door, haha. I'll definitely be reading more by Melissa Ferguson!

Endearing, heartfelt and Rom-comy heaven.
Savannah Cade is our new to the game editor at Pennington Publishing and she's got secrets, the biggest being shes writing a romance novel while working in a firm that prioritizes 'high-brow non-fiction'. On a particularly stressful day, enter new boss, falling on her face moment. She stashes her manuscript in her very own secret book-nook hideaway, antics ensues. She comes back to find someone has organized and edited her manuscript...leaving notes in the margins. Now, we know the culprit but, she doesn't.
This is a fun book about books, and about falling in love in words.
I loved this book, ate it up and fell in love with both characters, the slow realization on Savannah's part of who exactly she is dealing with was an absolutely adorable slow burn long haul.

you love to see it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Melissa Ferguson, and Thomas Nelson Publishing for the opportunity to receive an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Savannah Cade wants nothing more than to get her manuscript published - the same manuscript she has been working on for four years. Through a twist of fate, she's given the opportunity to submit her manuscript to one of the top publishers in the business. Unfortunately, it isn't quite up to snuff and it gets rejects and unless she performs a major rewrite, she doesn't have a chance of Baird Books picking her up. With the help of a mystery editor she finds in the confines of her secret hideaway, she's able to make the necessary changes and somehow find her Happily Ever After in the process.

Between the cover, the blurb, and the setting, this should have been a slam dunk for me. But it wasn't. Personally, I couldn't get into the flow of the writing style, I didn't connect with Savannah (we get it, she's ~ordinary~), Will was boring, and the fact that the grand finale was their first kiss was...not for me.

Even though I'm not the reader for this book, I still think it should be given a chance, especially if you like:
Anything bookish
The idea of publishing houses
Warm fuzzies
A break from the usual hot and heavy steam of romances
You've Got Mail

Thank you so much @ThomasNelson, @TLCTours & @NetGalley for giving me this physical ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 15 February 2022)

SYNOPSIS | Savannah is an assistant editor at a small Nashville based nonfiction publishing house, but she dreams of becoming a romance author. She discovers a hidden room at work & spends her free time editing (& re-editing!) her manuscript, but when she leaves it overnight she finds that a mystery someone has added comments in the margins too.

WHAT I LIKED:
- loved the setting of a publishing house (an ARC room sounds positively glorious!)
- the concept of getting to know someone through notes was really cute

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- its a VERY slow burn type of romance
- I think it's pretty obvious from the first few chapters who the mystery editor is...
- Savannah had doormat vibes & I really wanted her to have more gusto in changing the course of her life (rather than having everything happen to her)
- that literally no one in her family questioned the fact that her ex-boyfriend of 8 years is now engaged to her sister after 3 months?! I wanted to bang all of their heads together.

Having never read anything by Melissa Ferguson before I went into this book blind because I loved the premise. Who in the book world doesn’t love a book about the book world! The idea of an editor falling in love with her publisher while trying to write her own romance novel is right up my alley. People having conversations about ARCs and dealing with authors is my idea of a good time! That being said Meet Me in the Margins was fairly predictable which doesn’t make it bad but it does make it unoriginal. Also I have to say that I genuinely couldn’t stand the main character Savannah’s family members. Every time they were on the page I cringed. This was definitely something that I enjoyed reading on a Sunday afternoon but don’t plan on rereading anytime soon.

Thank you to #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

3 stars

Our heroine was likable and the struggles she went through were relatively relatable and felt real.
I like the set up with the publishing company and the reality of working in publishing business.
I liked the way it was written and how it was fast paced and entertaining.
Overall this was cute... is just this felt more like women fiction than romance so if you like Beth O'Leary books then you're probably going to like this one.

Savannah Cade is a low-level editor and she has two things that have recently entered life. One, she has decided to write a romance novel. Two, she has discovered the Book Nook - a secret area at her office where she can find inspiration. One day, she leaves her manuscript behind, and when she returns she finds someone has written notes in the margins. It's not long before a relationship develops. As the notes turn romantic, Savannah wonders what will happen when she discovers the mysterious editor. But what happens when she does?

MEET ME IN THE MARGINS is a love letter to books, readers, and romance - and leaves you laughing out loud and swooning till the last page. If you are a fan of romance, you will love this book. It has a cute story and loveable characters. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t put it down!

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

Savannah Cade is an editor who writes under a pen name. One day at work, she leaves her manuscript in a hidden ARC room. When she gets back to it, there are notes in the margins from an unknown editor, giving brutally honest criticism. Despite the unwelcome notes, she submits her manuscript, and - oh surprise - it ends up rejected. But it’s not over yet : she’s given a chance to rewrite it under a strict deadline : maybe her dream will come true after all.
But Savannah will need all the help she can get - the notes may not be so unwelcome after all. She just needs to write back to her mystery editor and convince him to help. Will Savannah succeed and finish her book in time, while having to deal with conflicting rising feelings for the person leaving notes in the margins, who she suspects might just be her boss? Read this book and find out.

Okay. To be honest, it took me a few chapters to get in the story. The beginning was a bit slow, but as Savannah and her mystery editor started to communicate, I found myself starting to be hooked. I wanted to know what the end product would be like, and what would happen when the two characters would inevitably meet.
I also loved Will’s character - Savannah’s new boss that she befriends throughout the book. He’s actually very sweet - much more than he lets on, as most of his interactions with Savannah show. His character carried a huge part of this book on his back.
Savannah’s whole relationship with Will and the way she interacted with Mystery Editor was fun and kinda cute. I’m not going to spoil the plot (or Mystery Editor’s identity - though I’m pretty sure we all knew before it was revealed) so I’m just going to say I liked the way the entire misunderstanding played out and how it was resolved.

What truly intrigued me was the plot👀 For me, it’s kind of cute how Savannah and the mystery editor would back and forth fill up her notes. This is good book and I really enjoyed reading🤎

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Ferguson's story begins slowly with a few too many details but picks up the pace after establishing the main characters' roles. Savannah works as an assistant editor for a small publishing house and, in a bit of an overdone role, also has a manuscript she wants to publish. Readers also see the intense pressure within her family structure, and again, in a bit of an overdone plotline, learn about the complex relationship with her sister and former boyfriend.
Though the story has some uneven flow, it is a sweet, light read for those who enjoy humor and beginning romance.

I was so thrilled to be able to read Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson. Savannah Cade is an editor who wants to be a writer. She navigates living with her younger sister, hysterical co-workers, and is on a mission to write the next great romance. Never mind that she is not a fan of kissing. What she really needs is a good editor.

I found this light romance the perfect winter read. Savannah’s co-workers, the writers she works with, and her family were a wonderful cast of secondary characters who were laugh out loud funny! The story had some twists that had me guessing till the end who was her true love.

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson is a delightful, romantic, and laugh-out loud funny book. I enjoyed every minute of reading it, and found it the perfect light read! I highly recommend this story!

I was given a complimentary copy and not required to write a positive review.

This is a wholesome, G-rated romance set in the world of publishing. Savannah Cade works for what's left of a small publisher of elite non-fiction. But in addition to being an editor she wants to get her own romance novel published. When she leaves a draft of her novel in a spot in a quiet ARC reading room she returns to see edits and suggestions. She starts revamping her work with the help of the mysterious editor. William Pennington is the son of the CEO and has left his NYC publishing job to return and help his mother's company. He takes an interest in Savannah and her thoughts about the company and its employees.

Savannah and Will do have some run ins which are fun and almost count as dates. I never felt I got to know Will except he is different that Savannah first assumes. Savannah has an overachieving family that really made me cringe and I was glad things worked out the way that they did because they were a bit toxic to her. This is a cute book but I thought it took a really long time for the reveal of who is the mystery editor. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 stars)

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

This was an adorable second chance romance book. The secret writing room and the whole passing notes back and forth was too cute and kept me guessing. I absolutely loved the witty banter back-and-forth between Will and Savanna. The court house scene on Valentine’s Day was hilarious.

My only complaint would be that it started off slightly slow but by the halfway point I couldn’t put it down. I struggled with the whole ex fiancé now engaged to her sister part but I loved how that situation turned out in the end. I would love to read a book with her sister is the main character.

Overall, this was such a fun read and I would recommend it to every one!

A very mediocre PG romance that fell flat for me. I wasn't hugely impressed with Savannah - while I understand the difference in her professional and personal lives, I just felt she needed more depth for me to fully engage with her character, and to ultimately root for her.

Meet me in the margins is a cute and easy to read novel with an idea that I loved: the heroine chats with a stranger through the margins of her book. She doesn't know who he is but accepts his help to improve her manuscript and eventually they learn to know each other more through more personal questions and anecdotes. The "mystery man" gives very good and very interesting editing advice that Melissa Ferguson should have followed herself. Sad irony. Because yes this novel is quite pleasant but there are many lengths, especially in the first half, some characters are not necessarily useful except to show that Savannah is much too nice to everyone, we don't see enough Will...
I admit I didn't really understand why Will trusted her so much so quickly. That said, between them the story is very cute and they are two characters that we can only love. Their chats and shared scenes are really good, too bad there aren't more of them.
In short, a sympathetic romance but not unforgettable.

When I came across this book I was completely blown away by the cover (what a difference an appealing cover makes 🤭) and then by the synopsis, which made me ask to read this book in a heartbeat! The premise of this book revolves all around books with an emphasis on the publishing world, what could we readers and assumed book addicts ask for more? Ahahahah
Once I started this read, I was hooked right away by the writing and story itself. The main characters are highly relatable, with their lives that are not always perfect and the typical challenges of everyday life. Savannah navigates the publishing world while secretly writing her own book and trying not to disappoint her family with perfect and successful lives. This combination brings a series of challenges that the character confronts and that I loved to follow. William, the other protagonist, brings a certain mystery to the story, a mystery that unfolds little by little and we gradually discover what lies beneath the rigid image he presents to the world. The unfolding of the relationship of these two was enjoyable, but I just wish I could have seen more romance and moments of interaction, although I understand that this lack serves to maintain the mysterious aura. I also missed a greater presence of the secondary characters who could have added more to the story but were left too much in the background. The story itself, while having some overly stagnant moments, made up for it in surprising me in others! It's not totally predictable, something that is always welcome, a cliché romance that still surprises me is all I ask for! And this book delivers just that, especially if you want a kind of love triangle that isn't exactly a love triangle... 😉
A very enjoyable read that I highly recommend especially for all the literary vibe it emanates!

Plot | ⭐⭐⭐
Characters | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ease of Read | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quality of Writing | ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall | ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review to be soon published on my bookstagram account @direadsomebooks!

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

Thank you netgalley for providing me an arc of this book!

Meet me in the margins is a romcom novel about Savannah Cade who works at a publishing company called Pennington. She secretly writes a romance novel at a small room of a publishing house until one day, she saw the manuscript full of notes.

I almost dnf-ed this book because it was a little bit hard for me to get into the story. It was cute and lighthearted but i find the story cliché and flat. Meet me in the margins was underwhelming for me and i ended up kinda disappointed. Nevertheless, it was still a cute and sweet book. I recommend this for those who want a lighthearted read.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this eArc!

This book felt like it had potential but it fell flat. The characters didn’t feel three dimensional to me and the romance started off too slowly. The whole book felt a little slow to me. I hate when books feel too draggy and theres hardly any movement. The idea of there being an anonymous person who’s editing your manuscript sounds appealing, interesting, mysterious, and it felt anything but.

I didn’t connect to the characters and didn’t get a spark of interest. It felt more like I was reading words rather than seeing a story.

3.5
Sweet romantic comedy that would be especially appealing to anyone who loves books and the world of publishing! The romance is G rated but very cute. I also enjoyed the humor even though some of it seems a bit over-the-top. This novel is not a fast moving or passionate/burning romance but I thought it was a cute and charming story. There are certainly some stretches to the imagination needed, as in wouldn't they see each other in the special arc room and wouldn't other evidence have been apparent? However, in the nature of some cute rom-coms we have to overlook unrealistic elements. :)

This was adorable and exactly what I wanted it to be. Set in the world of publishing, but in Nashville instead of NYC for once, this very sweet romance was charming. The hard part of this book was reading the way Savannah is treated by her family- the expectation that she be okay with her ex moving on virtually immediately with her sister is infuriating. The book world within a book is always a fun place to visit, and I really liked both Savannah and her mysterious editor love interest.