Thank you to NetGalley for a copy to review. I really tried to read this but I did not like the writing. In the first 11% of the book (2 chapters plus a page), the author used “creak” 3 times. It was not used to describe the same thing and I really felt like a thesaurus should have been used. Also, Vanna White presenting prizes behind a curtain was mentioned but she never did this so the factual inaccuracy was frustrating. Because of these things, I couldn’t push myself to get into it. Maybe others won’t be as nitpicky as me.

This book was adorable! I loved reading a book about other people who are passionate about reading and writing! It made for such a cute romance. I loved the relationship dynamics between Will and Savannah. I would love to see another book unfold and see where their life takes them. The ARC room has a special place in my reader heart!

Savannah Cade is an editor for a small scale publisher, struggling to compete with and stay on top with the rest of the publishing industry. There's just one big secret: Savannah dreams to have her own romance novel published, but she needs to make some major revisions before she can submit it to an agent. She gets the help of a mysterious editor who leaves comments in the margins of her manuscript, and Savannah realizes they might be her only saving grace.

This was a cute book! I really related to Savannah's own struggles in this story, especially when it comes to the fear of her own story coming to light and judgement falling upon her. It really reflects well I think the fear of almost every writer/inspiring author. I love that we see her really struggle through both the editing process as well as the process of getting a manuscript wanted by agents and publishing houses. I will admit that it ended a bit ceremoniously, but this is a romance and what else do you expect? Although I will admit it did make me tear up.

I liked a lot of the characters as well. Olivia was rough to get behind for a majority of the book, but I'm glad that she gets the classic "slap in the face that makes her look at life differently." I really liked William, although I do wish that there were more moments between him and Savannah. I thought they were cute, but was I desperately wishing they would get together and gushing at the end? Not really.

When it came to getting into the book itself, it took a while for me, especially since I am not entirely familiar with the publishing industry and how everything works. As a result, I didn't really get hooked until close to almost halfway through the book. I do think a lot of the side conflicts were good, but I wish that there could have been a bit more tension that causes us as the reader to really question what we know. The biggest example is the identity of the mystery editor, which to me was obvious because I know plot twists at this point, but there could have been a bit more of a nail driven between what we expect and what we know at that moment.

There was also a really funny meta moment at the end of the story and it honestly made me laugh out loud.

Meet Me in the Margins is a fresh, honest take on the life of an inspiring writer that will really let you see yourself in Savannah's image.

I received a copy of this book as an e-ARC from NetGalley. Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The movie "You've Got Mail" meets the publishing world when aspiring author Savannah (editor at a high-brow publishing house) stashes her romance manuscript in a hidden room at work only to return to find notes on it from a mysterious editor. As they continue to trade edits, she starts to fall for the stranger while she also starts to warm up to the company's new boss. On top of that, Savannah is also dealing with helping her overachieving sister plan her wedding...to Savannah's ex. What's a writer to do?

This is a very enjoyable read that is funny, includes engaging characters, family dynamics, and a sweet romance.

I was worried this would be too romcom-y (which generally means it takes me a while to work through) but this immediately pulled me in! Savannah Cade dreams of being a romance novelist, but the staid publishing house she works at would never dream of publishing something like romance. One day, when she goes to retrieve her manuscript from where she's hidden it in the office, she's shocked to find that someone has begun to edit it, and they aren't pulling any punches! At the same time she begins to fall for the son of the owner (also her new boss) she also is developing feelings for her editor. Where can this possibly go?! While not steamy, this book was so so sweet. The way the author speaks so lovingly of books and writing was really a love letter to all who love to read. What a wonderful surprise!

The writing style did not appeal to me. However, I found the character as well as the narrative to be tedious and unfocused. Sorry, but I was not able to finish the book.

I'm really in two minds about this book as there was aspects I absolutely adored and parts that I just felt didn't work so well.

The characters were a big hit for me, our story was narrated by Savannah who clearly is having a hard time feeling like she's the least successful of the family. Savannah's character, whilst annoying at points I will admit, was like a breath of fresh air and I found it really pleasant to read the book from her POV.

I also liked our side characters, although I do feel the author could have taken a little more time to develop them and include them in the story more, it would have added real value for me.

The writing itself was another high point, as I felt the author managed to craft this glorious setting for Meet Me in the Margins... It's set in a publishing house!!! Our main character is an editor!!! I honestly got so excited when I started reading it and I learnt this information. It felt incredibly real as the author was writing about an ARC room and how bookfluencers can get their hands on early release copies, it just felt like I'd been transported into a magical dream.

However, I did feel that the plot let this book down. It didn't feel to me as if this book had a purpose or an end goal. I found myself struggling at points to really get stuck into the story and hooked on it. Which I think is part of the reason why it took me quite a while to read it.

And on the same vein, the romance aspect of this story just didn't work. It felt more like an afterthought, as other than a few comments here and there about Savannah's crush and her love life it only really came to fruition in the epilogue. It felt very rushed to me.

On the whole, Meet Me in the Margins was definitely a book I enjoyed reading! I just felt it needed a bit more on the romance side to really help this story elevate itself.

This is a really fun read, and I think it will really appeal to readers who enjoy stories about writers and writing. I liked the humour, and I really enjoyed the friendship between Will and Savannah. While I had some (ok, many) misgivings about their professional relationship, I found their romantic relationship both convincing and charming. My full review will appear on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.

MEET ME IN THE MARGINS - MELISSA FERGUSON
Savannah Cade working as an assistant acquisition s editor at Pennington publication has secretly written a romance book and a successful editor in chief for a romance imprint wants to see her manuscript.
But one day during a staff meeting Savannah accidentally drops her manuscript exposing herself and her pages to none other than William Pennington the new publisher. She races to hide her manuscript in the secret room off the old office.
But when she returns she finds that someone has written notes in the margins..critical ones and only 6 weeks to resubmit her manuscript Savannah has no option but to seek help of the secret editor after all.
MY THOUGHTS
I enjoyed the plot of this story..it was cute and unique.
I only found the start to be quite slow and it took quite sometime for the main action to begin.
Check this one out...
If u enjoy book and publication house as the centre theme...
Mention of arc room and all the copies available..
Slow burn and clean romance!
I give this one 3.5⭐

rating: 4.5 stars / 5 stars

if you love:
office romance
slowburn romances
miscommunication tropes

then honey i've got news for you, this is definitely up your alley!

i loved the premise, the plot, and the characters!! i really think that the plot is unique in terms of romance but in terms of storyline, it's definitely predictable. but I still ate up every bit of it! I definitely loved the funny banters between Savannah and her mysterious editor together with the banter of Sav and Will when they're together HAHAHA.

The characters are charming and hilarious. the story was also very slowww and i have to agree with the other reviews that i really really hope that we've had more scenes with the two of the Main Characters. One of my issues here are the writing, i just had a hard time trying to follow through the timeline of the story. like one paragraph you're in Savannah's apartment then all of a sudden you get thrown off into the office. Or some scenes are a bit confusing since the explanation are a bit late such as Savannah's role playing as Lyla's agent on a bar.

But overall, the story was charming and the plot of the book was amazing. The characters were adorable and i genuinely enjoyed every bit of the book. if you are looking for a book to read that is swooning and funny, then the story of Savannah is definitely for you.

check out the full review on my goodreads account!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4497425106

Meet Me in the Margins was so much fun. As a reader, I always love books that revolve around books (or the book industry). The secret room in the ARC room is such a brilliant way to stage an epistolatory romance.

This book was so good! I’ve never read a romance quite like this one, and every moment I was on edge, waiting to see what happened next. I loved the workplace setting, especially a PUBLISHING COMPANY with a secret spot in the ARC room?! Literally every readers dream. The concept of the book was super unique, and i loved the slow burn between the two characters. I only wish that there was more romance between Savannah and Will! I wanted more from their relationship at the end, but overall, this book was such a fun read!

Lovely, enjoyable book. I absolutely loved Savannah. She was endearing and for a book reading, writing, introvert- very easy to connect with. I would absolutely love it if a sequel to this happened in the future.

QOTD: Have you ever thought about writing your own novel? If yes, what genre?
My A: Yes! I have two stories I randomly tap into when I feel like writing, romances of course. 😜
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A sweet, slower paced novel with a fun plot, Meet Me In The Margins is the easy kind of read you pick up on days you need a pick me up. While I wouldn't personally call this a romance as much as a women's fiction with a splash of romance mixed in, I still enjoyed it enough to finish! The plot felt a little slow at some points and predictable at others, but that's to be expected when you read as many romances as I do a year. Unfortunately that's the downfall of this book for me. There wasn't much to make things stand out in the sea of romancelandia and I'm afraid this one will be forgotten soon enough.
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BLURB:
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.

What a breath of fresh air!! Savannah is a really good protagonist and I was happy with her arc throughout the book, especially in regards to her and her sister's relationship.. The only problem I really had with this book is that Will gets almost no character or character development - I wish it had been dual POV so that we could see his feelings not just Savannah's. I do think there are some really cute moments in here and it's relatively PG which is a nice break from other romance's if that's not really your jive. It's definitely not a perfect book but I think it's a cute little breakaway from other books if that's what you're looking for.
Also, on goodreads it is classed as a "christian romance" which made me a bit dubious but there's literally no mention of faith in this book whatsoever so if that's something that's holding you back from this book if you'd think you'd like it don't worry about that at all!!
Overall, it was super cute, I had a great time reading it; it was light and fluffy and easy to read with a protagonist I really liked!

I can pretty confidently state that no matter what I may write in my review, it won't do this hilarious and heartwarming story justice. I was initially drawn to this one after reading the synopsis and finding out it's about the publishing world. I'm someone who loves bookish themed books, and while I did think this one sounded cute, it wasn't one I was too overly excited about. However, I was quickly proven wrong as this story dragged me right into it, and the real world pretty much seized to exist while I was caught up in Savannah's world, and never wanted to see it come to an end.

This lovely read had pretty much everything in it I could ever want in a romance story. A bookish setting, a couple that falls for each other through letter writing (made even better that it's through notes on her work in progress romance novel manuscript), many moments of hijinks and hilarity, a swoon worthy romance that stays completely clean, and many great examples of friendship that span out throughout the pages.

Some might say it was completely predictable, and of course it was, but in the best way possible. Everything was still believable and authentic, emphasis was placed upon the idea that everything and everyone are not always what they seem, and the writing was both witty and engaging, and had me wanting much more after the story finished.

This book is truly a love letter to anyone who loves books, and I can't possibly recommend it enough. Without a doubt, it's my favorite read of the year so far, and I know I'll have to reread it in the very near future.

While I had so many favorite parts, in particular I loved the scenes that were set at the book festivals. I laughed at just how accurate the author is able to capture the chaos that exists when ARCS are free for the taking, and those scenes were pure perfection.

Final Rating: 5/5.

It was everything I could have wanted, and the only thing that could have made it better would have been if the story had a faith element woven throughout, but overall I loved it, and highly recommend picking it up if you're a fan of squeaky clean romances like I am.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a cute book! Such an easy read, hooked me in right from the beginning. The aspect of a contemporary novel including a main character who also loves contemporary novels is so compelling, and I related to the character a ton. I loved the workplace romance aspect of the novel, as well as the side characters of her sister and sisters fiancé being a big part of who she is. And the man candy that was Will... amazing. Could not ask for a better written grumpy, brooding boss-to-lover character. Once the shell is taken off of him, and you get to see a different side of Will, I fell absolutely in love. Overall, cute and quick read that is a feel good and a must-read for 2022.

Cute, quick read. It was fun being inside the inner workings of the book pub industry.

Thanks to Netgalley & Thomas Nelson for my review copy.

Meet Me in the Margins is a super lighthearted, fun, read, and I really enjoyed it!

It follows Savannah, an aspiring author who works at a publishing house. When she leaves the manuscript of her first book out on her desk, she finds someone has made edits in the margins. She goes back and forth with them, and builds a relationship with them. On top of that, she's dealing with her picture-perfect sister, who just so happens to be engaged to her ex-boyfriend.

I really liked this book, I thought the romance was super fun (though it was a bit of a (slowburn), and I recommend if you're looking for a quick book to read!

We reviewed this book on our podcast which I am linking below. I can easily speak for both my cohost and myself when I say that we absolutely loved this book. Will Pennington has sky-rocketed to the top of our romance book boyfriends list with the likes of Josh Templeman and Jack Devlin. Please listen to our episode where we give our spoiler free review.