Where do I start?? I love this books is much you don’t understand. The fact that I was thinking about dnfing this is quite embarrassing. Savannah, I love her so much. I love everything about her. I love that she wasn’t a main character that was out of her way talented. I loved that she was normal and still had an interesting life enough and could be a main character. (It gives myself hope that I too can be a main character lmao.) Savannah wasn’t described as skinny and utterly beautiful woman like in most books and I appreciate that. I love that she said that your self worth isn’t defined by the size of your waist. At some points I did find her sister quite annoying but it was all worth it in the end. Savannah’s best friend Lyla is to DIE FOR. I aspire to be her. She was so supportive and I loved that she was so straight up and didn’t sugar coat anything. Now to William Pennington. WILLIAM FUCKING PENNINGTON. HE HAS RUINED EVERY MAN ON THIS EARTH FOR ME. I am convinced that I’ll stay single the rest of my life because of him. He has set the bar up so high for me. I’m so sad that he’s fictional. If he wasn’t fictional I’d drop down to one knee and ask him to marry me and if he rejected me I’d kidnap him and force him to marry me. (Jkjk I wouldn’t do that 😭) Every time he appeared in the book I’d smile. Just thinking about the book makes me smile. It breaks my heart that I’ll never get to read it for the first time again. I’ll tell you that it was a bit predictable but that didn’t make me love it any less. Yes the start is kind of slow but I assure you after 12% things will start to pick up and you’ll LOVE it. If you’re Melissa Ferguson and you’re reading this I just want to say THANK YOU. Thank you for writing this book it was absolutely brilliant and amazing.
This review is so messy and I apologize for that but if you’ve read this review to the very end thank you and I hope that I’ve convinced you to read this book.

I. Adored. This. Book. Oh my goodness, I smiled through all 300+ pages and was sad to have it end. And I’m immediately checking out this author’s backlist.

Savannah works for a small publishing house (which is literally located in an old Victorian house) in Nashville and dreams of having her romance novel published. Will is the new VP of her division (from NYC) and happens to be the son of the CEO (who is dead set against mainstream titles, especially romance).

The premise here (without going into details) involves a secret room, mistaken identities, post-it notes (and margins), overachievers, family expectations and a love story that is one of the sweetest and most endearing that I’ve read in a long time.

It’s funny (love the banter), poignant, the leads are both cheer-worthy and a pleasure to watch (I especially loved Savannah and consider her my new book bff), and there is not a swear word in sight (or sex, for that matter). Yes, you read that right…no sex in a modern romance. It wasn’t needed and was refreshing without it.

If you’re looking for a true rom-com and something lovable and fun to curl up with…this one fits the bill.

My sincere thanks to #NetGalley, #ThomasNelson and #MelissaFerguson for providing me the free early arc of #MeetMeintheMargins for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Yes, it’s another rom-com! And no, this is not going to become a regular thing - I’m still not a rom-com fan! It just so happened that this was one of the books from my 12 Challenge list (12 recommendations for 12 months from my stories - see highlight for the complete list). So I requested it on NetGalley and I read it.

And guys, it’s really cute! I really did like it a lot. The characters, especially, were really good - particularly Will. You couldn’t help but cheer for him! And it’s so well written!

I liked the cute bookishness of it & the humour was good. To be honest, all of it was good. I just personally usually prefer a little more ‘kick’ (aka suspense or grit), but if you love a good rom-com, or Hallmark movies, your gonna love this!! She really nails all the Hallmark feels in this one! And it even has a bit of depth to it too! Overall, a totally enjoyable read!

If Hallmark movie meets the writer life meets painful family dynamics sounds like your cup of tea, then you should totally get around this one! Because it’s not my cup of tea, and I still really liked it! And I think that speaks volumes!!

Thanks so much @netgalley and @tnzfiction for the ARC. All I was asked in return was to provide an honest review, which you have here!

This was an incredibly pleasant surprise! If you love books, Hallmark movies, and happily ever after, then this one is a must-read! The writing style is reminiscent of Denise Hunter & Debbie Macomber, yet stands out on its own.

Savannah works for a small publishing company that’s struggling to keep up with the bigger publishing houses. She also secretly aspires to be an author, working hard to finish the love story she’s writing. The only problem…it needs a heavy hand when it comes to the editing!

William Pennington, son of the CEO, is brought in to help revitalize and give new life to Pennington Publishing. Broody and confident, he begins making many changes to the publishing company. There’s something about Will that Savannah is drawn to.

One day, Savannah leaves her manuscript in the hidden ARC room at work, and it’s found by a mystery editor who helps her make the final tweaks she needs to her story. Through post-it note exchanges, she finds herself finishing her story, but also unexplainably drawn to this mysterious editor. Who could it be? Well…it’s a Hallmark-style book, so it won’t be too hard to figure out. 😉

I absolutely loved this book & found myself gobbling it up. The characters were sweet and easy to love. It was clean, well-written, and left me with a smile on my face. I could hear the characters & imagine what their voices sounded like. I loved how naturally they interacted with each other. You could tell the author loves what she does & is good at it, too! I highly recommend this one! It would be great as a physical book, an ebook, or an audiobook.

This book was frustrating but gripping in a sense. Savannah was so clueless to the point where I just needed to get to the end and get some closure done on her putting the pieces together. It was obviously not Sam, he isn’t even an editor, he is a lawyer.

Grown adults decide to wait for the other to write a note for, I believe, multiple weeks instead of just walking down the hall of the office everyone works at. Was Savannah supposed to be played as that immature? If she really thought it was Sam, why not get that confirmation when the book was all said and done.

I was really excited to read about people falling in love working in a publishing house. People who love books...who also love each other? Now thats some straight up magic. Also this cover is incredibly cute so there's that.

Savannah cade works at a publishing house that doesn't love "fluffy" commercial fiction....which also includes the secret manuscript that she's been writing...which is yes indeed...a romance. When she discovers a secret nook in the ARC room and accidentally leaves her manuscript there -- a mystery editor picks it up and leaves her notes which leave her feeling very unsettled.

I really thought this book was quite lovely. It had moments that made me laugh, and that were very sweet. I loved the idea of the ARC nook...who doesn't dream of walking through a room full of beautiful book ready for the reading? I loved the back and forth between Savannah and her mystery editor. It had a little bit of "The Flatshare" vibe. There were so many relatable moments with trying to get into the industry...and trying to promote yourself on social media as a book influencer.

What lacked for me was the romance. I just wanted MORE. What was there was good, but I just wanted more chemistry and a little more tension between our lovely couple. So while this book had a lot of great things I just wished the romance would have stood out a little more. The ending kiss just needed that spark that was given flint but never got the flame. I think sweet romance readers will be really happy with this regardless. I am definitely not mad I read it and it was a lovely read.

This was a fun, sweet, romance that also gives a cool look into the world of Publishing, including a secret ARC room. Savannah is small editor at a very literary publishing house, but who is also secreting writing a Romance book. When someone starts secretly editing her book, edits she desperately needs, she wonders if this is something she can actually do, but also is wondering who the editor truly is.

The was definitely a sweet book, but it was very much a slow burn and not very hot and heavy if that is what you are looking for. I really did enjoy the growing relationship between Savannah and her secret editor, as well as some other work colleagues I quickly fell in love with was really great. The look into the publishing world was fun, though I don't know how true it all is but it was an enjoyable setting for this fun book.

3.5

What I loved:
-getting to see a bit of what it might be like in a small publishing house
-an ARC room at the publishing house, every readers dream!
-Will, the sometimes stoic/other times fun new VP who's mom happens to run this pub house
-Savannah, our main girl. She is an editor who is secretly writing her own romance novel. She leaves it in this secret room and gets feedback from an unknown person.
-the manuscript goes back and forth between Savannah and mystery person with harsh critiques green the unknown but actually helps Savannah improve a lot of stuff she's written.

What I needed more of:
-wish we could have seen the actual edits Savannah makes after getting the critiques
-there were some cute moments between our romantic MCs but I needed more. It's a VERY slow burn.

But it was pretty enjoyable and I read through it quickly. A fun little book perfect for this month of love

To sum this up, it's a book about books, book publishing, the library and literary world, etc. What more do I need?! And it's set in the city I currently live in. However, that is one of my critiques. If Ferguson wants to use Nashville as the backdrop, I feel like it could have been even more incorporated and highlighted. I'm not sure if there are copyright issues that come with using the actual names of places and restaurants in books, but it just comes across a little cheesy to fictionalize some of it.
I somewhat related to the work environment and concerns and struggles she faced and how she was working towards stabilizing herself at her age. I enjoyed the workplace romance. It wasn't overdone. Her sister and fiance were a bit annoying to me and not very believable. It was one part of Savannah's character that made her seem a little weaker than I believed she would be.
Overall, I really enjoyed this charming book.

This one actually surprised me and I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. It's pretty predictable, but it's also a fast read and I had fun with it. I'm super jealous of the Book Nook; I want one too!

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Savannah and Will, both as friends and when Will was acting as her boss. The way he stepped up to protect Savannah from an author who was clearly harassing her made me happy, and he clearly took issue with any type of mismanagement towards his employees, which was nice to see.

Savannah as a heroine wasn't irritating, which made for a pleasant change from the norm, but I did have some issues with the book. For one, the whole side plot with her sister, Olivia, being engaged to her ex-boyfriend, Ferris, is a hot mess. Then there are the constant fatphobic remarks that Olivia makes (Savannah isn't even fat, btw). The entire Cade family smacks of the kind of elitism that I really despise. The author describes the family as "a pure breed distinguished by indefatigable energy, marked enthusiasm, and a dash of insanity", and I'm sorry, but "pure breed" is now an instant red flag for me. This book also somehow lives under the delusion that the pandemic ended in 2020; I only hope that this is just because the author would like us to escape into this book without confronting reality, and not because she actually believes this.

I finished the book in one sitting. OH MY GOD. I love this book so much that I'm not kidding.

The plot is a bit cliche, yes, since we all know who the secret editor is and who Savannah is going to end up with. What I'm deeply satisfied in particular is how the sexual tension --- at some point I couldn't help from exclaiming out loud, 'Ohhhhh this sexual tension is everything!' --- is weaved into the scenes and witty dialogue, along with the thrill whenever Savannah and Will share a moment. I (can't speak for all readers, but at least for me it was) fell in love with this story very, very easily, by the time I got past through the first few chapters, I was totally rooting for these two.

If I had to give the writing a score, it would be 70 out of 100, however. Throughout most of the portion of the book, I loved how descriptive it is, the authenticity in the words as we read the thoughts in Savannah's head:
"How long have I dreamed, even in the quietest way, of marrying him? A third of my lifetime. And yet. More than anything else, the biggest thought in my headthe strangest part of it all—is the words of Will Pennington. Not Sam, my mystery editor. Will."

I also adore the humor, humor is on the very top of my list whenever I decide how much I like a book, and although not with a huge portion (I've read funnier stuff), the overall tone, hilarious segments and witty dialogue is enough for me to love it *chef's kiss*:
"His work frown has apparently lost the battle against amusement entirely now, because the twitch gives up and finally concedes to a grin. 'The drunken miller’s fabliau about a carpenter and the two men who want to sleep with the wife. That message?'"

What I appreciate about the book is the glimpse into an editor/a publishing house/librarian's world. Growing up in Asia, "book con" and "ARCs" are not a common thing in the country I lived in, and I have always been curious what it's like to work as an editor, how the fates of manuscripts are decided in a publishing house office, and this book presents all that -- I believe quite authentically -- to my great delight.

However, what I had a teeny-tiny bit of hard time getting my head into was the writing in Chapter 1 and 2. It was very, very, very descriptive, in other words, quite lengthy, and it took me three times to reread some segments before I fully understood the words and picture the scene in my head. (To be more particular, the scene on the very few pages in the meeting room, and the scene when readers are introduced to Savannah's secret space in the ARC room.) I also believe the file requires some more careful editing and proofreading before being published, as several places were missing punctuation (e.g. on page 299, line 8, a quotation mark is missing).

Pushing all errors aside, I love this book, love, love, love this book. I wished there were some more romantic scenes and a few more kisses, but overall I'm satisfied enough to give it 5 stars. (If there were more kissing scenes I'd give it 6 or even 7! Please consider it, I'm begging you.) I have already posted this book on my instagram stories and have recommended to some of my friends. I'm now patiently waiting for it to hit the shelves so that I can grab a copy and add it to my personal collection.

What a masterpiece. *chef's kiss*

⭐️ ⭐️ this story just did not do it for me. I was not excited to pick it up, and it took me forever to actually finish. The main characters were boring and forgettable, the secondary characters were mostly unnecessary as they didn’t bring much to the story anyway. The premise was cute, the writing was grammatically solid, but otherwise I was not a fan.

Cute book! Light, fluffy and funny with a fun plot. It reminded me of a sweet Hallmark movie! I would love to read another book in this world with Lyla as the main character!!

Very cute, well plotted, fun to read. Love a book about books, love a book about publishing. You got a real sense that the author knew what a publishing house felt like, and it really brought a believable texture to the entire novel. Had some reservations with the unearned sense of second place that Savannah only occasionally brought up (her actions didn’t seem to match her self talk, and it wasn’t really addressed as to why?) and the mention of the title at the end wasn’t my fave, but all in all, great story, fun cozy romance.

I liked the good old fashion romance aspect of Meet Me in the Margins. I loved the setting Of Nashville. I loved the smaller publishing house ensconced in a Victorian with a secret garret, sigh. I loved the banter and tête-à-tête between the two main characters via post it notes and sidebars on Savanna’s manuscript.
I loved Savanna’s candidness, but wished she had dealt with some of her family issues earlier. Olivia was quite insufferable for most of the book.
I have to admit, Lyla was my favorite character. From her hairdo to her blunt approach with clients, she kept me laughing.
The ARC room is a bookaholic’s fantasy!

I found this book to be very predictable. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters. I found myself skimming chapters when the storyline fell flat for me.

3.5/5
I received this title from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

When I first saw this book and the title, I was instantly drawn to the idea of it. It seemed like a meet-cute type romance. Once I started reading this book, I realized that it wasn't the kind of romance that I was initially hoping for. Savannah is an editor at a publishing company that publishes interest books. She has recently written a manuscript for a romance novel, which would be highly frowned upon at her company. The company is soon taken over by Will, the son of the owner. During his welcoming speech, Savannah drops her manuscript right in front of him. Later in the story, Savannah leaves a copy of the manuscript in the ARC room, which someone later found and reviewed. Savannah is having whole conversations with this secret person. This back and forth exchange is the entire premise of the book.

I will say that I did enjoy some of the conversations that were had in the margins, but it was way too dragged out for me. I was looking for something to HAPPEN between them. As what I think was supposed to be a "plot twist," it was way too predictable. Even when Savannah ruled out a character who could have been the secret person, I knew that this could not be true. To make this more convincing, Savannah's relationship with Sam should have been more involved.

Overall, it was a cute book. I enjoyed my time reading it, but it's not something that I would pick up to reread. I did enjoy that it was a book about books. Even though I read a lot of books, I never thought much about what the publication process was like. In that way, I found this book to be a bit educational and eye-opening!

to begin this february, I read an ARC of meet me in the margins by and this book has been sitting on my arc list since october. I’ve dying to read it bc it was one of my most anticipated read for 2022 and I absolutely wanted to read it this month

you are following savannah she’s an assistant of an editor in a publishing house who worship non-fiction and despised fiction (romance especially). but sav is currently writing a romance book. as a result of an unfortunate event with her new boss, she hides her manuscript in a place at work. when she gets back, someone made comments on it. the same comments her editor does during their meeting. which will lead in sav asking her mysterious editor to help her. from there, through interposed annotations, an expected love story blossom. but who’s behind these harsh but constructive comments?

i loved this story. I know I would but you know you always have this uncertainty. this was the perfect story for Valentine’s Day. it was cute, fluffy, hopeful and what you would expect from some chick lit book

savannah was so relatable, she is a real bookworm and she represents all of us with her flaws and in all greatness.
plus, i, like sav, would have project myself into a relationship with the only man who would have helped me and show a slight interest at me at work….

william pennington? i would do anything for him. from standing on my feet to sitting on my knees. that man was so thoughtful and showed his feeling by actions, which is my favourite thing. he was so into her but never quite vocalised it, he kept his attraction to her in a quiet place and showed her

the playfulness and sense of right between sav & will had my heart warm so many times. the banter guys THE BANTER. nobody should have the right to have that much chemistry with her BOSS

i really loved the writing style because you could feel the love the author has for her job. she gave us the same lessons savannah was putting in her book. this story was a love letter to us bookworms

i didn’t get the book 5⭐️ because at some point I had difficulty with understand all of the terms and there was a lot of descriptive moment but this book is going to be a comfort read and I WILL be buying a physical copy for sure!

reading an arc about ARCS was a brilliant experience I LOVED IT

this story has absolutely no spice, it’s slowburn af, MZ style. we had enough crumbs to be fed and since you related to the characters you don’t feel bored by following the different storylines that aren’t putting will and sav in the same place. even me who’s a big fan of forced proximity didn’t mind

it’s out on February 15th and you should treat yourself and read it!!

rating: 4.5⭐️ 2.5⚡️

I love a good rom-com. It's always a treat to read something light and funny. Meet Me in the Margins has the making for a great one with its You've Got Mail style of story, eccentric characters, plot about authors, and a heroine who has a tendency for anything bad to happen to her.
So I'm sorry to say that I didn't love it more. I'm not a fan of the present tense, so I know this hindered my enjoyment. I've enjoyed this author's work in the past, so I look forward to trying her again.

Rating: 3.75

Meet me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson is a delightful, low angst, slow ~slow~ burn romance. I’m going to start by saying I like my reads with a lot of romance, I want to feel myself falling in love as the MC does. This book is not that, but definitely not in a bad way. Following Savannah through the story I can see why, she has a lot to deal with, and that’s okay. Her experiences with love and support are… not great, to put it nicely. She basically has been stuck her whole life trying to be the bigger person and that’s something that’s truly engraved in her as a character, it essentially makes her her. I think Savannah is a very relatable and funny character. Following Savannah as she tries to figure out who her mystery editor is was such a joyous journey, and even I was also wondering who it was at times.

That being said, I can’t say much for the other characters which makes me sad. I feel like I barely scratched the surface with Will or Lyla, both characters important in out heroines’ life in the story. I honestly think this book would’ve benefited from Dual POV, allowing the reader to see Will’s thoughts, perspectives and feelings in ~certain~ situations (that I won’t say because spoilers). And that’s basically the reasoning behind my 3.75 rating. I would’ve loved to see some confrontation on our heroine’s side with *ahem* certain people and also be more present in our MC’s relationship.

All in all, I do think the book is good, it flows really well and it’s a fun, easy read.

POV: First Person

Great if you’re looking for:
- Slow slow burn
- Friend(ish) to lovers
- Bookish/writer-editor romance