What a delightful read this was! It'd be easy to say that it's predictable... which it kinda is, but I went into it expecting that. Wanting that. I needed a happily ever after.

The blurb suggests it's You've Got Mail meets The Proposal. I'm not entirely sure how it relates to the latter other than being about the book industry but it also reminded me of The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary, in which love grows from notes left between two people sharing a an apartment - albeit at different times so never meeting.

I think the thing I love about this book is that it's a reminder that (apparently) love can grow from non-physical attraction... via a meeting of the minds. I suspect I've always liked this idea and secretly hoped someone would be attracted to my personality and that the physical me wouldn't impede their growing affections. (Although a brighter and shinier personality probably would have helped! *grimaces*)

I mean, surely that means as you grow older and fatter and saggier, the love remains. Rather than fade along with the physical traits that attracted you in the first place.

I still remember being in my mid-late twenties before realising I could be attracted to someone because of their intellect when their physical self did nothing for me at all. (I should mention I didn't spend time with that person, rather they were running a workshop and I was very much drawn to them which was a bit of a change from the boofhead sporty types I'd liked until then!)

But, enough about me.

Although (a wee bit more about me)... as someone who potentially thinks about 'writing' a novel one day I liked that Ferguson didn't have Savannah offer up an amazing manuscript from the beginning. I liked that it's flawed and needs work. (And don't we all, really?!)

Which of course is where her mystery editor comes in. Although affronted initially, when they offer similar comments to the potential publisher she realises she needs help.

And in the background there's other stuff happening. Savannah's been determined to make her lead character 'normal' because that's just what she feels she is. Her sister and parents (and their parents) were / are all overachievers and Savannah feels as if she's the family disappointment. Even worse her long-term boyfriend actually left her for her little sister who's now a fitness influencer and constantly at Savannah to meet her exacting 'step' targets. (I initially wondered why Savannah was so anxious about the number of steps she'd done during the day until I met Olivia!)

I could easily point out that the improvements to the hiding spot Savannah and her mystery editor use are sure-fire indications as to their identity, or that colleague Lyla's introduction is a bit confusing as Savannah's just referenced her sister so I assumed Lyla was the sister.

But... all of that aside I ripped through this book in one contented sitting. It hovers somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 star read for me. I could see its flaws but enjoyed it nonetheless. And I felt at ease as I <del>turned the last page</del> closed the reading app on my iPad.

It was also a timely read as the Savannah's publishing company is one of those that prefers non-fiction (and probably dead Russian authors) and so there's a bit of commentary on genre fiction and commercial fiction. Which comes at a time when there's been controversy over a Sunday Times / The Times listing of the '33 best books of 2021' that includes various genres but not romance. The genre responsible for half of all books sold over the period that has seen the world beleaguered and beset by Covid.

As a complete aside, one of the things I love most about all of the new streaming services is that so many books are being adapted into movies or television series and I cannot help but think this would make a fabulous TV movie. (Assuming it's well-done of course!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

This was such an easy, quick rom com to read! I finished it in a few hours 😅 I loved some of the witty banter between Savannah and her “mystery editor”; I even cackled a few times. I enjoyed the mystery around the secret room and Savannah’s endeavor to write a romance novel. Furthermore, there were themes of acceptance and family that played out well throughout this book.

I liked seeing how the friendship between Savannah and Will progressed, but I do wish the ending wasn’t so abrupt and we got to see more of our love interests as a couple!

Thank you @netgalley and @thomasnelson for the #gifted e-ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

(3.5/5 stars) Savannah is an assistant editor at a snooty publishing company (think: literary fiction and non-fiction ONLY, don't even THINK about mentioning romance or any other sort of lowbrow genre). Her secret? That she's been working on a romance novel, which she had to hurriedly leave in a secret room in the publishing company's mansion. Savannah comes back to find that a mysterious editor knows both her secrets, and has added notes to her manuscript.

What I liked: I enjoyed reading this novel! I thought the pace was good and the main character was endearing. I love a hidden room, and thought that the way that the author kept things interesting/mysterious was well done. I normally hate miscommunication tropes but I think it was alright in this situation to maintain the mystery. There was one scene (at the courthouse) that I loved (loved!) and wish that there had been more of that in the latter half of the book.

What I missed out on: I think any romance novel can be improved with a dual point of view, and this one is no exception. I wanted to know more about the love interest!! I also felt like the side story with Savannah's family was a little distracting; it should have either been wound in more, especially near the end of the book, or left out. It added to her character but also added in a lot of extra plot for me that was only partially resolved.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for allowing me to read this ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I wanted to read this book because the concept immediately spoke to me. The idea of editing a book and sending notes back and forth? Incredibly romantic... especially to a book lover.
However, I felt the idea fell flat. Our male protagonist was perfect in every way, which came off very unbelievable to me. The only drama we faced was our female protagonist guessed wrong on who her secret writer was. And that didn't fit with the smart and quick woman we had been introduced to.

Another thing I couldn't get past was how cringe-y it was for the male lead to fire/hire someone and her command. This is very unprofessional in the work place and could never happen in real life.

In all, I would recommend this to someone who was simply interested in a clean, perfect world romance. However, I couldn't overlook plot holes, lack of character development, instant love without knowing each other, everything balancing perfectly, etc. This novel was more hallmark move than realistic romance.

Thank you again for allowing me to read and give my comments.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I loved it! The underlying You've Got Mail vibes were familiar and fresh at the same time. Savannah and her struggles were relatable on many levels and her relationship with Will was perfect.

Meet Me in the Margins is a charming romantic comedy with a slow but steady plot and interesting main characters. I will definitely seek out more books by this author.

I adored the bookish themes (there is a secret book room! Fun!) This book is set in a publishing house and the character is writing her own manuscript. It was super engaging to “listen in” on how the character writes her book and the inner workings of a publishing company. I was worried the “writing about writing” would come off cloying but instead was one of my favorite parts of the book.

The romance is a super slow burn. I personally wouldn’t have minded a little more spice but to each their own! There is plenty of witty banter and a few laugh-out-loud moments. I’d love to read more about main characters, Savannah and Will.

Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for a complimentary digital copy is this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Reading an advanced copy of an as yet unpublished romance novel that revolves around the attempt by the MC to get her romance novel published while working in publishing was, oddly, gratifying. Sure, it felt a little meta, but that’s what made it cool. I also really liked the fact that the romances within the novel were real…not perfect and shiny. And I always love when some of the love story is about family. Sisters and their folks. I dug it. 💜💜📚

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.


My favourite type of book is a book with a book in it. This didn't do it for me but it also wasn't bad. Meet Me in the Margins follows assistant editor, Savannah Cade as she works in the worlds most pretentious publishing house. Aside from editing books on gardening and the history of words she harbours a secret dream of becoming a published romance author. Skip a few things and now somehow, as if by magic, someone at work stumbles upon her manuscript in the hiding place she left it. They edit it and the rest is history.

The start was a bit rough. That could just be because I hate second-hand embarrassment so ill give it a pass.

Other than that this book was cute. I enjoyed the writing style as well as savannah's interaction with the love interest but I feel like the book ended right when they were getting good.

The secondary characters were lacking. I felt like they could have been developed much better instead of just fitting an archetype and leaving the reader to assume why they are the way they are. I'm fine without secondary characters not having conclusions to their story but I dislike when they are just there for shock value. For example, we briefly addressed how problematic her family was and then never addressed it again. I don't even know if Savannah grew or learnt from that because like I said we never circle back to that.


P.S: The book Savannah was writing was such trash im sorry I have to say it. Like every snippet we got was terrible. I don't even know what the editors saw in it.

This was a cute, very slow burn romance. Savannah is an editor at a publishing house that absolutely does not deal with commercial fiction, so when her brand new publisher, William Pennington, sees the first page of her secret romance manuscript she's certain she's about to be fired. Instead she finds a secret editor at the company who helps her polish her manuscript in secret all while the two get closer together over their notes.

So, this book is percepted as a Christian story about a writer's journey. At least, that was how my friends percepted it to me.
I enjoyed Melissa's writing a lot, her writing is really fun and fluid, which makes us read the books the Speedy way.
However, the characters felt a little flat to me. I did enjoy how they were normal, clean and tried having fun. But I feel like they needed more development.
Even so, if you love a gentle romance, this book is definitely for you!

Dreams come true. Dreams of a common person like you and me come true. Book devotees, and beautiful messages. This is in a few words what I found in this book

I felt so related to the main character that made me realize I have to keep going, I can not stop, I can not give up, no matter how harsh this long road has been.

In the beginning, I wasn't sure it was the right book for me but it turned out it had a lot to give. It made me feel I still have the right to dream and dream big, why not? Oh I know is fiction, but I also know is not impossible.

This was my welcome-to-2022-book, that simple. I hope I have the chance to read more books by this author, she gave me that one little kick that I needed.

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

I loooooooooooooved this concept!!!!
Maybe it is because my husband is a writer and I leave notes on his manuscript 🤣Any book that has to do with authors/writers or that lifestyle always get me because of him.

Okay--to the romance! I enjoyed the chemistry between Savannah and Will is slooooow burn, but I enjoyed that. I also enjoyed the element of it being a mystery who was writing her notes on the manuscript for a bit.

If anything, this book could have been longer and I would have loved it more.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Expected Publication: February 15th 2022

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Meet Me in the Margins was my first book to read by this author and now I'm hooked. What a delightfully cozy romcom! The characters are entertaining and the conclusion held a bit of a surprise in the way she chose to wrap it all up. If you're looking for a fast read and a sweet little romance with humor, this book will do it.

This book was super cute! It was fast paced and I just loved Savannah. I was not a fan of her sister and could have done without her. The rest of the characters were perfect. Loved the idea of the cute little attic room. Highly recommend everyone reading this!

Overall, I really enjoyed Meet Me in the Margins. I liked that although it's a book that fits into the romance genre, Savannah's story didn't entirely revolve around her love life. She has goals and dreams, proper character growth and real problems.

This book speaks to any true book lover - writers and readers alike. Savannah's pure love for the written word outshines all else. Savannah is an editor in a publishing agency and a writer herself, so she understands the need to be surrounded by books and how they're truly remarkable pieces of art. I loved little scenes where she spoke about books with nothing but adoration in her tone, and the little inside view into things like the ARC room. Having her perspective from both sides of the publishing industry was really interesting, and I liked how that was discussed.

The romance aspect was cute and fulfilling. It wasn't immediate, and Savannah had to work through her own issues first before committing to a relationship, which I appreciated. Life isn't always as clean and easy as it seems in fiction, and Savannah's life was real and relatable.

Additionally, some of the minor characters really had their moments in the spotlight. Lyla was a truly spectacular character and I would definitely read a book based on her own life. I also loved Savannah's relationship with her sister, Olivia, and how Olivia also faced her own growth. The pair come from a family filled with pressure and high expectations, which put a lot of strain on their own relationship.

I would have liked to see a bit more of William throughout the story, as he very rarely popped up. Some of my favourite scenes were ones with him and Savannah outside of their work environment. I'd love to see a few more of these to really help connect their characters more.

I loved the character growth and tone of reality tied into a cute and wholesome romance. This book is a wonderful escape from daily life. Sure, it's cliché at times, sure, the ending is a bit fairytale-esque, but to me, that was half of the joy.

I received a complimentary copy of Meet Me in the Margins from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book seemed to check so many of my boxes when I read the blurb. A book about books, lots of them. ARC rooms... yummy. However, this book was not really my cup of tea. Unfortunately, because the premise was quite nice.

I never really got to like the heroine. She is trying to publish a romance novel while the publisher she works for (or does she? She seems to be most busy with her own book instead of working) is not into romance at all so she has to hide her manuscript.

So I liked the idea of the book but the execution lacked something. And I absolutely hated Sav's family. Her boyfriend dumped her for her younger sister, asked her to marry him and the family sits Savannah down to 'speed things along'? Crushed my teeth. Because she just thought it totally normal.

The romance in this book is very minimal. I wished for so much more.

Savannah is an editor for a literary publisher and (secretly, of course... if her publishing house found out she was writing frivolous fiction.... the scandal..... ) is facing a submission deadline for her romance novel manuscript . She is walking out of the conference room at work and falls, dropping her manuscript at the feet of her new supervisor. She might have just blown her cover, so she hustles to hide her precious manuscript in a secret hideout. When she returns, a mystery person has added some not-so-welcome editing advice. When her manuscript is rejected by the editor for deep revisions (with a 44-day due date for resubmission), Savannah starts to listen to those marginal notes.

For those of us that fall in love with and through books, this rom-com is such a welcomed escape. What I loved most about this book is that it is more about the growth of Savannah than about the romance itself. She faces some pretty difficult learning curves for herself - learning to put herself first, grow as an individual, and explore what it means to be a good friend, coworker, partner. It is about the harsh realities of chasing your dreams and your dream person and what it means to be attracted to someone.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone that has a bookish bend and is looking for a good rom-com to keep them company. :D

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

This was such a lighthearted, sweet, heartwarming and cute story.

It definitely hit the ground running! I was a bit overwhelmed at first and felt like I'd been thrown headfirst into the deep end of the pool. Everything felt very energetic and chaotic; a veritable whirlwind!

I liked the cast of characters and the flow of the story. Plot wise, I have to admit it was extremely meta reading about an aspiring author and the hardships, trials and tribulations that come with venturing into that particular field. It was a nice touch how Savannah had the dual perspective of being on both sides of the publishing industry as a green, first-time author, but also as a somewhat experienced editor. But, at times it felt like the book's author was venting her frustrations about how much work goes into writing a novel and how impossible it can be to carve a space for oneself in the literary world using Savannah as a proxy. I didn't feel like it was Savannah talking during those parts, but Melissa herself. That side of it made me feel weird and a little uncomfortable.

Everything else, I quite liked. How Ms. Pennington, the CEO of the publishing company Sav worked for was a total snob; how Savannah was the black sheep of her crazy overachieving family; the little side plot about the on-again-off-again ex-boyfriend of many years being engaged to the ridiculously successful and uber-overachieving little sister; the sincere (if maybe a little underdeveloped) friendship between Sav and BFF/co-worker Lyla.

I thought all the little interactions outside of work with William were delightful. I think that was my favorite part of this novel. How they slowly and organically got to know each other. I do wish there would have been more William, though. Every time he and Sav interacted face to face was a momentous occasion as it felt like half the time he was away on business (and therefore out of the story). I think it would be a great treat for the readers to maybe include a second epilogue at the end of the book narrating William and Savannah's first meet from his perspective.

I also feel compeled to point out that for a love story, there wasn't much romance going on. There was some vulnerability, a few candid conversations and little bonding moments, but nothing that left any sort of impression on me.

As I read an advanced copy of this book, I can't know that the final version will be like the one I was provided. But I think one necessary change would be using different fonts for Savannah and the editor during their short conversations on the margins of her manuscript. In the version I received, her parts were in italics, but his where in normal font, which made following along a little tricky at times. There were also a couple consistency issues I spotted, but those will probably be fixed before publication date, so there's not much point in bringing them up.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading other works by Melissa Ferguson.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction**

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson was a romantic comedy about books. It was an okay book. I think I had too high of expectations for it since it was compared to You’ve Got Mail.

The storyline with her family was disappointing. I think it just made her seem weak and a doormat.
I enjoyed the parts about the publishing business and the editing parts were fun. I liked how he would challenge her.

Also since it was published by Thomas Nelson I was thinking there would be more faith based elements included. It is a clean book but not much on the faith front.

Light hearted romance with special appeal to all who are big readers, or have large collections of ARCs or work with librarians. While I wish our protagonist was a bit wiser, and the kiss better, I can see both as necessary errors.