This book was a delight to read right from the first page. I flew through the story and went back to read my favorite parts again. It was really that good. I adored both the main characters, Savannah and Will. The secondary characters were also quite well written. It is one of the stories that just makes your heart bubble up with happiness. This is going to be one of my go-to books whenever I am down. Loved it! The only part I didn’t think was realistic was Savannah guessing the mystery editor. I mean it was quite obvious so either the author should have also written it from the editor’s POV or just not kept it as a surprise for us as it wasn’t really a surprise. Even then, I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for a warm hug of a book, this is the one.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

This was such a cute book! I really love the literary backdrop of the story and thought that the two main characters were so cute and really rooting for them the whole time

One Sentence Summary: Savannah works at a serious-works-only publishing house, secretly wants to become a romance novelist, and receives editing help from a mysterious coworker to achieve her dreams.

On one hand, I loved this book. I kept wanting to pick it up and read more, I liked the characters, and the style of writing was easy to read. It wasn't complicated, but it was fun. Most importantly, it avoided some tropes that I hate. It didn't fall into the mean-boss-is-secretly-nice trope. Will was intimidating at first but never rude - he comes off as shy and a bit awkward. It also mostly avoided the if-you-just-actually-communicated-there-would-be-no-conflict trope. I hate when plots revolve entirely around characters' wrong assumptions.

On the other hand, some things just bothered me. Based on the criticism her mysterious editor leaves, Savannah's manuscript is not good. It was hard to believe (annoying?) that someone who edits for a living (even if they're not romance novels), and reads a lot could be so oblivious to how bad her manuscript was. Maybe I have high standards? And don't get me started on her family. Her sister ends up coming around, but no one ever really addresses how poorly they've treated Savannah all this time.

However, while I think it has weak spots, they didn't stop me from enjoying the book and the story. Like I said - I had trouble putting it down. Ultimately, that's what matters most to me - that the story is entertaining. I wouldn't be surprised if it's adapted by Hallmark in a couple years. I will be recommending this book to friends and patrons. Thanks to Netgalley, Melissa Ferguson, and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

The plot was original and enjoyable with a ‘secret not-so-secret helper/admirer’ trope. There are some very cute, funny moments, entertaining conversations . Savannah and Will were both instantly likeable characters with a very mature, but aspirational approach to life. Even though the end was a bit predictable, you can’t help but be immersed throughout anticipating for the end.

I enjoyed Melissa Ferguson’s smooth, clear way of writing and I will definitely be picking up more of her work!

The only complaint I have and which limits me to rate this book higher is that the characters had little growth. I get Savannah is overlooked but there was little to no growth or development. I would loved to have seen more about them, given that they were very unique.

If you’re looking for a easy, quick read I would definitely recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC!!

Love the premise, quirky and nerdy in the best way. I love how it offers insight into a prospective writers journey and all the ways publishing can scoff at he value of romance books. I found this hard to put down, binging it all in one sitting and staying up too late to finish. While it is fun and charming, it did suffer from some issues.

I wish we could see more of these margin notes and exchanges of personal anecdotes instead of being told they happen- it would go a lot further to build and support the love story. Overall I feel like Will is a bit too removed, there need to be more scenes of interaction, his personality is hard to read and the pressure over the job and saving Pennington doesn’t come through like it should. I also needed a bit more heat between them, they didn’t have many face to face interactions and getting to 90+% and they still aren’t even together or on a date was a bit tough.

I found it weird Savannah kept asking Will what he would do for all these romantic scenes - what pick up line, what first date idea, first kiss ideas. Aside from the fact that they didn’t illicit the flirty exchanges that I would have expected, these are also major tenets of a romance book and it seems Savannah is uncomfortable with them. Apparently she can’t even stand kissing and thinks its unnecessary at all in life…which seems really extreme?

It’s also not quite clear WHY Savannah wants to write romance. I think we’re meant to read between the lines and understand that her relationship with Ferris wasn’t the love affair it should have been but it’s a stretch. The premise of the book, and therefore her supposed passion for writing and her story, doesn’t seem connected or personal to her, there’s even mention of how writers often grow and work things out within themselves while writing but I don’t see that clear connection with Savannah and her manuscript. There’s the same repeated line about how love is about growing old together and all that, which is sweet, but I don’t see how that PERSONALLY connects with Savannah. She doesn’t mention any movies or ILR romances that do that inspire her, she doesn’t reference her parents marriage or any other family marriages that she’s idolized and pined for, so honestly I just didn’t understand what is was about romance that she found inspiring and drew her.

We never talk about Olivia and her workout and dieting obsession. It reads quite unhealthy and as if there may be some severe mental health issues at play - body dysmorphia, depression, anxiety, OCD, anorexia athletica, something. I mean there’s several references to Olivia actually jogging in place while doing things after working out for hours. To me this didn’t read as someone passionate about the gym or dreaming of owning one, but rather someone clearly suffering from something and running themselves into the ground. I don’t understand why the author doesn’t explore this and actually give us a moment of sisterly boding towards the end between them. We’re simply told by Savannah that a big apology from Olivia and even their parents happens off the page. I sorely wanted that interaction because I think it’s a key piece of the plot and Savannah’s character - that the family mission statement is to do for family but they have all abused and discarded her to fit a model of perceived perfection. It’s quite unhealthy. I think if the author hadn’t gone SO overboard with the Cade family mission statement references and Olivia’s workout obsessive behavior, the strained family dynamic would still be there and work without distracting, but as it was, all I could think about was how much Olivia needed professional help.

I thought the ending with Ferris was a bit forced and uncharacteristic for him, also the Valentine’s Day note was very strange. It seems like for most of the book he’s really genuine and nice, but then does a complete 180 and we are meant to hate him. I think it makes sense he wanted to walk away from Olivia, but I didn’t think that meant he had to want Savannah back. I actually think it would have been stronger to have Ferris and Savannah have a it heart to heart about Olivia’s behavior, how its affected them both, how their break up affected them (Savannah being betrayed by all, Ferris feeling forced to lay in the bed he made) and have that propel Savannah into speaking up for herself.

Lastly, I found it odd that there’s a whole exchange in the margins about character names yet the author names both the new intern and Savannah’s mom Moira. Their names are also used within pages of each other so it especially stuck out. It’s a small thing but really stuck out to me.

However, for all of these critiques, I really did enjoy reading this. It’s great to peel back the curtains and see the inner workings of publishing and the writing process for prospective authors. I also have a completely new appreciation for editors and their work.

"Meet Me in the Margins" by Melissa Ferguson was simply adorable.

If you enjoyed Betsy St. Amant's "Tacos for Two," you'll love the cute "You've Got Mail" feel of "Meet Me in the Margins."

If you love the classic movies "Shop Around the Corner" and "In the Good Old Summertime," you'll adore all the epistolary bits in "Meet Me in the Margins."

If you're an author or an editor, well, "Meet Me in the Margins" is a love story just for you.

This is the second book I've read by this author. I enjoyed this book but it did seem to drag on a bit for me.
I'd say this book about Savannah and Will is a mix between You've Got Mail, Dash & Lilly and How to Lose a Guy in 10 days.

What I loved about this book:
-The setting was in a publishing company and there were so many bookstagram references
-The You've Got Mail vibes that this book gives off
-Savannah's family and what she was learning from them.

What I didn't love about this book:
-At some points, this book lacked direction and I had no idea where it was going
-The lack of communication between the characters
-Will's prestigious vibes

I did enjoy this book and especially loved that it was set in the ARC (advanced reader copies) of a small publishing company in Tennessee. It made me feel like bookstagram has its own language.

As a Nashvillian, I really enjoyed the overall plot of this story. Savannah, works for a small publishing house in Nashville. She has been through a rough patch, but now things are starting to turn around. The story provided fun visits to places I see every day, which made it personal to me.

Even, with these sentimental aspects the beginning of the book seemed to lag in the begging. After, I read about a third of the book it started to pick up. The dynamics improved and the characters started gaining more depth.

All in all, it was a cute read with main character who is relatable to readers.

I Received a reader's advance review copy of #MeetMeintheMargins from Net Galley. All views are my own.

Meet Me In the Margins by Melissa Ferguson is fun to read. From the opening embarrassing encounter between Savanna and William to the closing scene, it is hard to stop turning pages. The insider’s view of unsolicited fiction manuscripts and the interactions between editors and authors was enlightening to see unfolding.This is an entertaining story.

What an endearing love story. It was just the palate cleanser I needed. The story is lovely and relatable on many levels.

First and foremost, I loved Savannah, honestly I did. I love a woman in a strong business role. And I loved the idea of this book, it reminded me of the movie where they communicate by writing letters to each other and leaving it in the mailbox. But I expected it to develop more, I thought the romance aspect would be a little more than it was. I feel it fell flat on that, and it didn’t leave much mystery. You have to be kind of dumb to not know who the secret editor is. I just wish the author focused more on the developing relationship.

This sounded really cute. The title is adorable, the concept is fun, and who doesn't love a book set in the publishing industry? I just wish I had liked Meet Me in the Margins as much as I hoped.

Savannah's first person narration jumped and rambled around a lot to the point I sometimes got confused. It was obvious who her mystery editor was. Since there is no suspense I wish this could have been a dual POV as I think it would have helped liven it up. Savannah's sister was just over-the-top horrible, her former boyfriend was a tool, and her family sounded pretty bad too. The fact that Savannah didn't even acknowledge this and thought it was a good idea to live with the evil sister made me question her judgement and her ability to stand up for herself. Also, I was missing chemistry between Savvy and the love interest.

Sad that I didn't like this more.

A perfectly adorable, sweet office love story between Savannah, an aspiring romance writer and the mystery man who is helping edit her manuscript in secret. I really enjoyed this book set in a small Nashville publishing house. The secondary cast of characters are really strong, there's humor and heart and you can't help cheering for these characters to finally figure things out! Recommended for fans of Sarah Adams, Kerry Winfrey and Sarah Hogle. My only critique was that the story was light on steam (kissing only) and only told from Savannah's perspective. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy. This is a must-read for bookish romance lovers!

It took me a minute to get into the cadence of this utterly charming story, and once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed Meet Me in the Margins, the latest engaging, page-turning romantic comedy by author Melissa Ferguson. I love how Savannah Cade works as an editor for a prestigious publishing company, yet is secretly writing her own romance novel. She hides her novel in secret room at work, only to find an anonymous editor is giving her tips in the margins. This sweet story has a number of possible editors, and I loved how it kept me guessing until the very end. I could not put this story down, I totally enjoyed the unique storyline, I read it in one day, and completely loved how it all wrapped up.

I highly recommend Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson for lovers of books and romantic comedies. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.

very cute and easy to read, just a fun and flirty rom-com in the best ways possible. i would have liked a little more development for the actual romance side of things, but it was still enjoyable and i will recommend it to readers who liked the hating game and just haven't met you yet.

Meet Me in the Margins is a delightful rom-com by Melissa Ferguson. If you are looking for steam, this book isn't for you, as it is on par with a Hallmark movie. But the story is sweet and I found myself cheering for and empathizing with the main character, Savannah. She works at a publishing company housed in a Victorian mansion, complete with a secret room. I would love to have a hideaway like that! The scene on Valentine's Day had me laughing out loud and my favorite banter was the reference to Phantom of the Opera. I read this one in a day and it was a great pick-me-up and stress reliever. I received a complimentary copy of this book and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this opportunity. Meet Me in the Margins is out on February 15th!

Savannah works for a publishing house that publishes serious work, and would probably get fired if anyone knew she was secretly writing a romance novel and shopping it to another house... but she accidentally drops her WiP during a staff meeting, then hides it away in a secret annex (doesn't your office have a cozy secret annex?) and someone offers feedback instead of turning her in... meanwhile, she is recruiting authors, dealing with asshole clients, trying to retain her job as others are let go, and not getting along so well with the owner's newly in charge son.

Part Cyrano, part the Bookshop Around the Corner, I normally dislike hate to love and secret admirer type romances, but the writing about writing is always a strong hook. The mystery of the mystery editor is not so surprising, but that's dramatic irony for you. Overall this is a clever book.

I received a reader's advance review copy of #MeetMeInTheMargins from #NetGalley.

This was a delightful novel. I liked that the heroine was someone who wasn’t very confident in her abilities and her appeal. The other characters were a bit too cartoonish. The sister was too tightly wrapped up in her own interests and didn’t even feel badly that the heroine’s long-time boyfriend had dumped her and picked up with the sister. The others in the publishing house were caricatures that might appear on a TV sitcom, but not real life. But the relationship between Savannah and William both in their notes to each other and in their conversations in real life. I wanted to spend more time with them. That’s a sign of a good book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

A solid middle of the road romance. I was not blown away by any means but I was entertained the whole way. I liked the publishing industry setting and the characters have good chemistry. The exchange of notes reminded me a bit of *The Flatshare* and I wish we could have seen even more of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Yes, I LOVED it!

Anything to do with books is always going to be on my love it list. So the premise was bound to tug on my heart. I also loved the characters. Savannah is down-to-earth and working hard. Her sister is driven, and her parents are incomprehensible to me. Will is uptight, driven, and we're not sure how happy he is with being back in Tennessee. But if you get him out of the office, you see a whole different side to him. There's Savannah's friend who is quirky, Sam who is quiet—almost a seeming non-entity, authors with personality disorders, librarians willing to use force at conventions for merch, and even more! I laughed and smiled during this one.

This is one of those books that seemed to end a little too quickly for me (I know, I know—leave them wanting more instead of dreading the last few pages). I'm not saying it was a bad ending, just that I wanted to keep living in this little book world.