I was quite stoked for this one, the plot was quite intriguing and had so much to give..
It’s sweet, has real life experiences and it is very surface level when it comes to the plot.
The romance between the main characters felt quite subdued to me.
The storytelling takes the complicated characters in real, complicated situations and tries to give them the most realistic/suitable ending, doesn’t matter, however, rushed it was. So, it’s a three star read for me.

- Thank you publisher for the arc!

Meet Me In The Margins by Melissa Ferguson is an adorable romantic comedy that book lovers everywhere are sure to enjoy given its setting in the world of publishing.
Savannah Cade works at a publishing house dedicated to "high brow works" where the words commercial fiction are accompanied by a shudder of disdain, which makes her dream of writing a romance novel a secret, one that she almost manages to expose to the entire company at a staff meeting to introduce the new hire, William Pennington, son of the current romance hating chief. She would never have risked taking the manuscript to work but for the fact that she is on a deadline to show it to the editor in chief of another publishing house that has the biggest romance imprint in the country.
She manages to hide the manuscript in what she thought was a secret room in her office building ,but apparently it is less of a secret than she thought because when she returns later, someone has annotated the first chapter , and though the notes are critical they are also good. Thus begins a correspondence relationship that soon starts to bleed through into real life as Savannah starts to fall for the mystery editor.
While there may be no real surprises in this book, it really is a warm comforting blanket of a read, perfect to snuggle up with on a cold winter's evening . The characters are vivid and very human, and I loved the thread of humour that is very evident throughout the book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I read this book in one sitting, it was a quick and lighthearted read following Savannah, an assistant editor who is writing her own debut manuscript and the anonymous individual who has been scribbling critiques in the margins of said manuscript.

I found Savannah to be very relatable. The romance had a ‘will they or won’t they’ kind of vibe which was slightly predictable but that’s what we love about this kind of book.

I also love that the story was set in the world of publishing, it was definitely one of the things that drew me in and made me want to read this book.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC which I received via NetGalley, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Meet Me In The Margins

I was intrigued from the get go based on the blurb about the book.

I was really impressed with this author. I felt a large range of emotions from this book and it was due to the way she wrote it. I’ll try to share some of my thoughts without spoilers.

In the beginning I find Savannah frustrating with her lack of backbone and self doubt. I found myself at times rolling my eyes and wanting to pound my head on my desk. The entire situation with the exboyfriend is now the sister’s fiancé was 😳. And she lives with said sister… how incredibly uncomfortable and you can feel that coming to the pages. Which shows you how good the writer is.

On top of that Olivia, the sister, is incredibly annoying. I feel like Savannah lets her family run all over her! There is a point in the story where Will suggests that while Savannah is loyal to her family, it doesn’t sound like they are loyal to her… in my head that TikTok trend “Go Best Friend” popped into my head because I feel like he is so spot on! And her response after… damn 😭👏🏼

Ultimately the author shows growth and change not only with Savannah, but many of the other characters too. I feel limited on what I can say without spoiling, but it was a really enjoyable read with a few twists and snags. Some I saw coming and others not so much.

The HEA I actually went back and read a couple of times because it gave me the warm and fuzzies!

Overall I’d give this 4.25 stars.

I received this book via NetGalley for free for my honest review which is posted on GoodReads and StoryGraph.

slow burn baby slow burn

this is more....4.5/4.8 rather than 4 stars? I really liked the characters and the plot and the general theme of the story? her struggle with writing her own book and finding what worked and what didn't just struck so true. also, unsurprisingly, i'm a sucker for any romance where the main character's 'fall' for each other over text/email/not-in-person-communication (yes, i'm looking at you geekerella).

it's a bookish romance, it tugged at my heart strings and i already want to re-read it again.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

*I got a free copy through Netgalley, this in no way affected this review*

I really liked this cute romance book. I thought the plot was nice, the characters were well written and the ending left me very pleased.

It was great to see a book take place in a publishing house and that our main character wanted to be an author. Obviously I love reading and I always love it when books take place in these specific settings.

While there clearly was a heavy case of the miscommunication trope, which I usually don’t really enjoy, I found myself not really bothered with it in this book, because the characters were so enjoyable.

It’s also becoming more and more clear to me that I enjoy reading books where the characters are around my age instead of the teenagers in the books I usually read.

Definitely would recommend this if you’re looking for a light romance book.

Savannah Cade may finally get all she’s ever dreamed of. The editor-in-chief at the biggest romance publisher in the country has interest in her manuscript. A manuscript Savannah has written in secret for years while working as an editor at a small publisher. One who does not believe in “frivolous” literature— such as romance.

All of her dreams could come crashing down when she drops her manuscript at an all staff meeting. Immediately Savannah rushes her manuscript in to hidden room only she seems to know. Or so she thought. That night, she returns to find comments in the margins— comments that are quite critical of her book. Savannah refuses to listen and turns in the manuscript under a pen name. But when her manuscript is denied by the larger publisher with similar critiques as the mystery editor, she turns to them for help.

Over the next six weeks, Savannah and her mystery editor bond through the notes in the margins. They divulge personal stories as they edit the book into something worthwhile and begin to fall for the other. The problem? She has no idea who he is.

Alright this was absolutely adorable and gave me <I>You’ve Got Mail</I> vibes. I loved watching Savannah fall for her editor while also gaining confidence in herself.

Likes
• <I>You’ve Got Mail</I> vibes
• falling for someone through written word
• books are a main topic
• learning more about the publishing world

Dislikes
• how predictable it was who the editor was— I would’ve liked more ambiguity between the two possibilities.

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

Meet Me in the Margins was a great concept and had cute characters, but I struggled to get into the story. Although it was a quick and easy read, I felt like the characters and their relationships fell rather flat. The writing style sometimes caused me to snap out of Sav and Will's story and have to reimmerse myself a few sentences later. Overall, a cute concept and good bones, but the story ultimately did not deliver.

PUBLICATION DATE: December 31, 2021

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this book up the other night as I wanted something to read that didn't require a lot of thought process. Meet Me in the Margins fits the bill.

(Dear TK, I hope you were able to get the editing requests done before final publication.)

The book was fun and a delight to read. A fast book, one that I'm always fond of, I started it before bed the other night and finished it the following day. Some odd bits were the stress on Savannah's shortness and her propensity to wear tall heels when that didn't get picked up again later in the story so the mentioning of her shortness, at barely five feet, seemed a bit odd, however, it helped propel her meet cute with Will.

I wish there was more development between Will and Sav which seems to have started out as a slow burn and not enough fire to keep it going. The ending just kind of happened. Sav's relationship with her ex-boyfriend now potential brother in law was too close for comfort. I know the family motto was loyalty for family and to buck up and keep your chin up but there should have been more angst and pain rather than "Oh, he brought me flowers. How kind." situation going on. Her sister, Olivia, is a nightmare and I'm glad she got taken down a peg or two.

The mix-up with Sam and his lady friend was sweet. While I was not so crazy about how Ferguson treated Sav with her family, I did love the loyalty she had for her friend Layla the soon to be country music queen and the lengths she would go to support her. Also, Layla sounds like good fun. More of her please.

tl;dr I feel like this is not an original story but I can't quite place why. I feel like the setup is not new but I do like Ferguson's version of the story quite a bit. The book was well written and except for a few nit picks, the execution was good. There is enough here to investigate reading more of Ferguson's works. Would recommend.

This a was a quick fast paced read and I enjoyed the clever plot, witty dialogue and the slow friendship to romance. At first the writing was too frenetic for me but I stayed with the story and it slowed down. Some outcome was as I expected and there were not many surprises except the other couple. The character development was nicely presented through interaction and their dialogue in the margins of Savannah’s manuscript. The message of the book is inspiring to those who struggle with their place in family dynamics, pursuing far-reaching dreams, and a finding someone to love you for who you are. My major disappointment was the lack of exploration of the faith in the characters. Overall clean and inspiring read

This was a fast read, but I just did not enjoy it. The characters weren't all that flushed out, and I wanted wayyyyyyy more development for all of them, but especially the main characters. The whole romance aspect and the "twists" weren't done very well, and it was way too predictable and cheesy. I also think the ending was extremely rushed. This just wasn't for me.

This was such a fun read! I'm such a sucker for books about books and writing and I really liked how this one focused on the editorial process. I thought it was really sweet how the two main characters connected through the edits of her manuscript, and as a romance writer myself, I really connected with the female main character. I also really liked her dynamic with her family and the way those issues were dealt with. Overall this was a really entertaining read that kept my interest and left me wanting more!

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

Rating: 3.5 to 4-ish stars (rounding up)

Meet Me in the Margins is a cute, light romance about Savannah Cade, assistant editor at Pennington Publishing and aspiring romance author, and Will Pennington, son of the publishing house's CEO and new head of Savannah's team. When Savannah's romance manuscript is almost discovered at work, she leaves it in a secret room, and when she comes back to retrieve it, someone has left edits in the margins. Thus ensues a pseudo-pen pal relationship with an unknown coworker while Sav gets to know her new boss, falling for both of them at the same time.

I had a few problems with this book. First of all, Savannah's sister? And her comments about Savannah's diet and body? That whole plot point was not okay. Fat-shaming a size 6??? Fat-shaming period??? A huge no. I also didn't like how the storyline with Ferris played out. It came across as out of character, and the relationship between Olivia and Ferris was too underdeveloped to make it impactful.

That being said, I loved Will, and I loved all of the interactions between Savannah and Will. And the ending was fantastic. So, these hates and loves net out to a decent romance novel - overall, I would recommend it.

So much of this book made me want love it. The secret hideout in the publishing house made me dream of a secret nook. There’s a bit of mystery that kept me turning the pages up through the end. I definitely rooted for Savannah as she navigates upheaval at work, a difficult break-up that hasn’t totally gone away, and her own manuscript that won’t write itself. I could relate to her willingness to accept what life has ended up as rather than what you might have intended.

It fell a little short for me in the relationships between the characters, particularly Savannah and her family, but it was an overall enjoyable read with some fun insights into the world of publishing.

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

A romantic comedy with lots of twists and turns and funny situations. Savannah works for a publisher and dreams of writing a romance novel. She takes her manuscript to work while getting ready to submit it to a rival publisher. To avoid letting anyone see her manuscript she hides it in a secret room. Someone finds it and makes corrections and suggestions.
This was a fun romance full of humor and secrets as Savannah struggles to finish writing her romance novel.

I absolutely loved this book! I stayed up past my bedtime because I couldn’t put it down, and I woke up excited the next day (despite getting less sleep than usual) because I was happy to read more of it!

Savannah is an editor at a small publishing house that prides itself on publishing nonfiction and literary fiction. So what’s an editor to do when she is also writing a romance novel? I loved Savannah so much, and I really related to her in many bookish ways! She was depressed after reading all the books by a favorite author and was sad to have to wait for the next release. She loves ARCs and books, and the book mentions bookstagrammers and their role in the publishing industry!

William is the son of Savannah’s boss, and he was brought in to cut positions and make hard choices for the good of the company. At first he was a little stiff around Savannah, but I loved when it became apparent he has a good sense of humor!

The contrast between always trying to rack up accomplishments and truly loving and living is done so well in this book! That is something I had been thinking about before I read this story, and this theme gave me more food for thought.

Sometimes Savannah is a little clueless about the men in her life, but there are good reasons for why she doesn’t realize things about them. I don’t always like it when characters are naive about certain things like that, but in this case I thought it was endearing, and it works for this book!

5/5 stars!

Content:
Mild swearing

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A secret room, a manuscript in need of an overhaul, and a mysterious editor consume Savannah’s thoughts as the deadline to submit her manuscript quickly approaches. Will Pennington is the new publisher at Pennington Publishing and son of the CEO who despises romance novels which is exactly what Savannah has written. As Savannah rewrites her manuscript with the help of her mysterious editor, their notes in the margins change from strictly critics to personal questions in the name of improving Savannah’s story. Savannah begins to develop a real connection to her mysterious editor but she can’t figure out who he is; could he be Sam, contract’s manager she’s seen lurking near the secret room, or Will based off the few enlightening interactions they’ve had.


Such a cute story! I truly enjoyed the concept of editors falling for each other through notes written in the margins of a manuscript and in a secret room nonetheless. Savannah and Will’s interactions were professional yet sweet and endearing and for Will to listen to Savannah showed her how valued she was to him even when she wasn’t sure if he was her mystery editor or not. This is one of those books you read when you are looking for a cute story to escape in while snuggled up on the couch.


Thank you @netgalley and publishers for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Meets Me in the Margins is a cute romantic comedy that reminded me very much of The Hating Game but better (yeah, I said what I said). While the pacing does start a bit slow, it does eventually pick up and I could not stop reading.

I absolutely adored Sav’s story and loved seeing the romance slowly unfold between her and Will. Their banter was the best and had me rolling. Loved this!

Thank you so much to the publisher and to netgalley for the arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book, It was right up my alley a romcom centered around books with the main character also being an author. I found it really easy to fall into step with the characters and the plot. A lot of people said this was a predictable story but i digress i found some of it to be a surprise for me, in some chapters. And as someone who wants to pursue writing i related to savannah in a lot of ways. Overall it was a fun cute read and I definitely recommend it especially if you’re a fan of books like the hating game where there’s a workplace romance taking places

Thank you so much to to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc of this one.

The premise of this book made me so excited, who doesn't love a book about books. Our main character works for a literary agency focused on highbrow and influential works but secretly writes romance 🙈

When a series of events unfolds so that a secret editor is giving her anonymous feedback on her work through a hidden room. It's a very sweet, albeit slightly convenient premise, (I know they have a schedule so they don't meet but I find it hard to believe they never crossed paths when they were going there multiple times a day)

Regardless of this I found this a super fun and quick read, it had elements of The flatshare and The hating Game (both books I adore)

There was some truly laugh out loud scenes (the one in the courthouse had me grinning)

Definitely give this one a go if your looking for a fun contemporary rom com ❤️ A solid 3.5⭐ for me xx