This novel is a fun read with a taste of You’ve Got Mail light in a frothy first person voice. Readers will find much to enjoy about the heroine Savannah and her missteps and miscues as she navigates being an editor by day and a writer by night. An enjoyable read for romance lovers.

were so many sweet and funny parts to this book!

I really liked Savannah as a character. She was funny and felt really relatable especially in her life stressors. I just wish we got … more. There wasn’t a ton of character growth, which is fine, but could have added a bit more depth. I also would have loved to see more about the relationships around her, like her sister and Lyla. We got a little bit but again, it could have gone deeper.

I did enjoy the pacing of the relationship between Savannah and Will. It was a slow burn for sure, but I think that felt pretty authentic for these characters. And I actually really liked the ending — it’s not going to shock anyone but it was still really heartfelt and full of genuine kindness.

Overall, I enjoyed Meet Me in the Margins and would recommend for anyone who’s looking for a fast, sweet and clean romance!

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

A cute, light read, perfect for the beach or a lazy Sunday afternoon. I would highly recommend this.

I tried, I really did. But I just could not get into the book. I couldn't connect to the chat and the story line was just kind of lacking.

Meet Me In The Margins is the fourth novel by American author, Melissa Ferguson. Savannah Cade works as an Assistant Acquisitions Editor for Pennington Publishing, known for non-fiction and literary fiction. But Savannah’s real passion is the romance novel she’s been writing since college, tentatively titled Pining For You.

Savannah is probably the least accomplished member of her overachieving family: it would be so good to succeed at something, especially beside her highly qualified younger sister. Living with Olivia, super-fit and studying for two PhDs, she (unfortunately) regularly encounters her ex-boyfriend and soon-to-be brother-in-law, Ferris, the awkwardness of which has mostly worn off.

Trying to meet a submission deadline for a romance editor she met at a conference, Savannah brings that manuscript to work to do some final edits, then has to quickly hide it away: CEO Patricia Pennington would NOT approve. When she later retrieves it, she finds someone has written comments and criticism in the margins. Savannah is miffed, but also intrigued: who at Pennington has critiqued her work?

Patricia Pennington’s son, William has recently joined the team as VP and Publisher of their Pennington Pen division (Savannah’s) and somehow, she has a number of somewhat embarrassing interactions with him. Her colleagues are worried about their jobs: William is there to save Pennington from going under, but out of hours Will and Savannah seem to connect.

When she later meets with Claire Donovan, chief editor of a romance publishing house, Savannah listens carefully to her criticism, which aligns with her mystery reviewer: she has to concede that perhaps those remarks are valid. Soon, she has returned the manuscript to its hiding place with a polite request attached for help. She’s almost convinced that Will is her mystery editor, and not unhappy when the comments turn a little flirtatious, but then she spots another colleague near the space where she usually leaves the manuscript…

Even if the outcome is predictable from the start, this is still an enjoyable journey to a sweet ending. Ferguson gives the reader some appealing characters and witty dialogue. The Cade family’s idea of loyalty is a little warped, and Savannah draws out the mystery of her editor longer than is perhaps realistic, but romance fans will appreciate the happy-ever-after ending. A fun rom-com.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction.

i was excited to read this book when i first requested and i hate to say that it didn't meet my expectations. the writing style did not click with me and the plot felt very non-directional. i so badly wanted to like it :( at least the cover is cute

3.5 stars! This one was cute and I liked it okay. I wish there was just a little more action in it.

Definitely for you if you enjoy:
- Pen pals flirting
- Publishing industry behind the scenes
- Cosy romance

Savannah is a low level editor at Pennington Publishing and though she loves editing, she has a secret dream. She wants to become a romance author. When the opportunity shows itself, she sends in a manuscript to the best romance publishing house only for the editor who reached out to her tell her it’s not quite ready to be published but if she can have it ready in a month and a half, she might have a chance.

Already down on her luck with the CEO’s strict and bossy son, Will, becoming her new boss, Savannah accidentally leaves her rejected manuscript in her secret book nook and finds it with all kinds of edits in the margins. She’s bewildered by the audacity this person has judging her characters and making all kinds of criticisms. She’s immediately defensive but when she realizes this could help her, she leaves it in the book nook hoping they’ll help to get it ready to send it off again.

As she and her mystery editor strike up a pen pal-ship, she also finds herself in moments with Will, proving he’s not as dejected as he seems. Subtle flirting in the margins with someone she can’t seem to pin down and warm moments with Will, she has to decide who all these feelings are for and trying to be optimistic that her romance novel can really take off too.

📚

This one was cute! I thought maybe there’d be a little more action in her personal life on top of the flirting in the margins but I didn’t find what I was looking for. I did really adore all the fun banter between Savannah and Will though. Their chemistry was sweet and I found them both loveable.

In terms of story, I found myself not able to stick to the pace or plot. In some parts it just felt a little slow. The drama with her family was wild but I really didn’t care for them or that subplot at all. Every side character just seemed so mean and/or negative and I wish Savannah had one person in her life rooting for her. That would’ve made the book a little more enjoyable for me, I think.

Thank you Netgalley and publishing for sending me this one in return for a honest review!

The plot of this one seemed right up my alley and I was excited to read it, but ultimately the writing style and lack of character development prevented me from being able to rate this one any higher than a 2 out of 5. I also wonder if the formatting was off for my ARC, as it was a bit disjointed and odd to read.

Another thing that was really tough for me was the incredibly slow burn of the MC romance and then the lack of time together.

Thank you for this gifted ARC of Meet Me In The Margins.

I really enjoyed this book! There is something about the books out there that are about books and authors that really suck you in. I thought that this was a really cute work place romance story, with a few twists and turns as well. I thought that I had figured the book out pretty quick, but Melissa’s twists had me second guessing myself. I found myself rooting for Savannah and Will from the start.

I will definitely be looking into Melissa’s other books.

Truly a great romance, especially for a book lover! Even though you know who the secret editor is and you really know how it is going to end it still is an all consuming book, I had to keep reading. Definitely worth putting on your radar and I will be recommending this like crazy even though I am pretty confident it will take-off like wildfire.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC (Advanced readers copy) of Meet Me in The Margins.

This book follows Samantha, a book editor and an aspiring author, as she navigates her life and, tries to uncover who the mysterious editor is that keeps commenting and leaving notes on her manuscript. The same manuscript that she has hidden in her ARC room.

This book was very enjoyable. The premise is a book lovers dream and the main characters were both perfectly human and the cutest people ever. While I wished we could have seen the main characters interact more, this book was a very easy, predictable and overall enjoyable read to start my 2022 year off.

This is a sweet romcom set in the world of publishing. I had a hard time getting into the flow of the book and the characters, so it wasn't for me, but I do recommend it.

Ooh what a delightful book this is. A little predictable at times perhaps? Could there have been a bit more adventure, a bit more ups and downs? Maybe. But these are negligible. It does not negatively impact upon anything in this book whatsoever.

It is warming and cosy and light-hearted and funny and happy and real. The main characters - and secondary characters to that point - are so well-rounded, you can clearly identify familiar people. In fact, the main character of Savannah is my dream future self. I have experience in copy editing, and would love to earn my keep doing it. But also - and it is no secret - my dream is to publish a book or two, and if there’s a handsome man thrown into the mix too, then all the better.

This book gave me everything I wanted. It made me happy and joyful; I read it in one sitting, and ended with a big smile on my face. This is my first Melissa a Ferguson book, but I’ll make it my aim to source her others if they’re as beautiful as this one.

This story was a little long developing but was interesting enough to keep my attention. Even though I was sure of the outcome, I wanted to keep reading to see how the characters succeeded.. The story is set in the publishing world, in a publishing house that only deals in non-fiction and "literary fiction". The main character is writing a romance novel which her boss would never approve of but she has hopes of selling it to another publisher. She brings the book to a work meeting to finish up editing it and drops pages on the floor. The boss's son, the new assistant publisher, finds one and reads it. She then hides it in a special secret room in the building to work on it later, only to come back and find that someone has begun to edit it for her. She and the publisher's son start to develop a relationship. The secret editing continues with lots of drama, mistaken identity, and angst. Of course, love never is easy but as in most romances, all is well in the end. It's a fun trip to get there.

A booklover's dream, to work as an editor and find a hidden room between ARCs. Although it was obvious who the mystery editor was, it was nonetheless very cute!

What a wonderful book! There are so many rom-com style novels out there, and it delights me to no end when I find one that is a bit deeper than the rest. "Meet Me In the Margins" is just that. Truly funny and smart with a concept that I've never come across before, this is the perfect book to pick up when you need to renew your spirit in the middle of the dark winter.

Savannah is an editor secretly dreaming of becoming an author herself. I loved this character and could relate to her on so many levels. I found the characters to be very well written and that the story really came to life. I definitely stayed up too late needing to know how it ended. This is such a fun RomCom and I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved seeing a little bit of the behind the scenes in how much work goes into writing and publishing a book as well. Definitely recommend this clean romance to anyone looking for a light fun read.
#MeetMeInTheMargins #NetGalley

This was a pleasant read. I've not read any books by this author but the summary caught my attention and I'm glad it did.

This is a romance, but it's also an interesting little sneak peek into the publishing business and the world of aspiring authors as well.

I liked Savannah and Will. They were engaging, interesting characters. I liked the setting of a work environment in the publishing business and that both of them had a bit of a hidden history of challenges behind them. It was a bit of a meet-awkward, which I liked.

I was very drawn to the idea of a mystery editor–a strangers to lovers feel to it, with the bonus of getting to know each other through the pages of a book, a book being written by one of the main characters. Their notes to each other were progressively revealing and vulnerable.

I particularly loved the secret room. A place of their own, out of the day to day world that surrounded them. One that progressively seemed to become more of a cozy retreat and sanctuary.. The story behind that was an entertaining twist.

There were a few side characters that were intriguing but I was not a fan of Savannah's sister or of Savannah's ex-boyfriend. I understand they were in the story to give some credence to Savannah's self doubt and issues with self worth (her whole family contributed to that) but they felt a little thinly drawn and were somewhat caricatures of those types. I'm not sure the way that situation was resolved worked for me--I understand why it was part of the story but I think this could have been as interesting a book without that particular element/twist.

Overall I enjoyed the book. It gave me what I needed–an easy, comfortable read, with some twists, some fluff. I could take or leave the sister and ex-boyfriend as characters and plot devices but I liked Lila.

Read this if you:
*are an aspiring writer/author
*work as an editor
*like secret narnia-like places
*like to laugh out loud
*like cute swoon worthy men

This book was so cute!!! It’s a slow burn, but it was a good change up from some of the books I’ve read recently. I laughed many times reading this and loved everything about this book!

Thank you NetGalley & Thomas Nelson for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: Feb 15

This is Melissa's best book yet. Loved it. All of it. My only wish would be that it would be longer. That we could experience more of Will. Yum yum.

What a great premise - I enjoyed learning more about the publishing world and all the work that goes on behind the scenes. The meet cute was original, such a fresh and unique take on a romcom.

Melissa writes in a way that draws you into the story from the first paragraph. I couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend this contemporary romance novel. What a great way to end off the year.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review. I'm looking forward to recommending this read on other platforms and social media.