I was genuinely so excited to read this seeing the plot. But I am highly disappointed. I could not vibe with the writing style much. But the character as well as the plot felt very boring and non directional to me. Sorry but the book did not work out for me.

Super cute book. It is a little familiar, I feel there is a trend of books about books recently. But this one was fun and interesting to read. I didn’t see the purpose of Lyla, but I loved the main character’s sister!

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson is a seriously fun read. The premise of this story is what drew me to this book — I love the idea of a relationship that blossoms into romance based on secret letters being passed back and forth. Yes, it is Jr. High-esque, but it’s also a great way to get the hero and heroine to be more vulnerable and honest with each other. The anonymity of the notes in the margins of Savannah’s manuscript provides both Will and Savannah a sense of safety to be themselves. There is no pretense to impress anyone, and in this, the relationship is allowed to grow into something a bit more authentic. I also like this book because it made me chuckle … a lot … and I really needed the laughter. Savannah Cade is a great protagonist and I really liked being in her head. What I love the most about Savannah is her ability to go from 0 to crazy in like 3.2 seconds in her thought processes. This is actually where most of my chuckles came from. I feel like Savannah is one of my fictional kindred spirits. I, too, have the unfortunate ability to take my thoughts from sane to spiraling out of control faster than Speedy Gonzalez can run. Another aspect of this story that I appreciated is the fact that this story is all Savannah’s. Yes, there is a great cast of characters — I really love her best friend Lyla and Will is the perfect hero for Savannah — but this story is all about Savannah and her journey to self-discovery, claiming her voice, standing up for what she actually wants, and finding her happily ever after. Meet Me in the Margins is a fun read, but it’s also a subtly empowering one I won’t soon forget.

Meet Me in the Margins is a unique, well-crafted Rom-Com that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. This is a novel I highly recommend, and I highly recommend you add it to your TBR pile today.

I received a copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, via NetGalley, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved this book so much. I really can't say enough about how happy it made me. It was well written, touching, and included numerous laugh out loud moments.... always a big plus. The tension built at a perfect pace and it was enjoyable to watch the characters develop and grow. Savannah is extremely relatable, and Will is a lovely surprise.

I fully recommend this author's other books - they are excellent - but this is my favorite of them all. If you enjoy romantic comedy that is NOT typical and will keep you laughing until its happy ending, this is definitely the book for you!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

4.5*

Very unique story with a wonderfully flawed protagonist.

Ultimately, this book is a romance. The thing about it that is so great is that it's also a book about a lead character who is growing and changing and finding her place.

Savannah is an assistant editor for a small publishing house in Nashville. She has been writing her own novel for about 4 years, but hasn't told anyone because it is a romance novel and that genre doesn't align with the mission of the company she works for. During a meeting, she trips and her manuscript goes flying. The final page gets picked up by the owner's son, who has just returned from NYC to run the company. He glances at the page, but Savannah is hopeful that he didn't read it. Because the pages are all askew and she cannot work on it at her desk, she takes the manuscript to her secret hidey-hole in the building and leaves it on the table. When she return there are editor's notes. Thus begins a clandestine relationship through the written word. It was cute, clever and lovely to read.

While Savannah writes her novel and notes to her mystery man, she navigates the fraught familial relationship between her sister and her ex-boyfriend. Savannah's ex, threw her over for her sister and they are about to be married. To make things more complicated, Savannah lives with her sister and has to be around the couple often. This relationship created some much needed tension and helps Savannah to grow.

There were a few moments in this book that were super cheesy and ham handed, but otherwise this was a great book.

I KNEW it couldn’t be Sam, but I was wondering how the you light up my life mugs fit in there. Love the Narnia closet. Perfect for a book about books and book lovers. The ex boyfriend/sister’s fiancee piece fit in way better than it might sound. AndI am so good Olivia got off that dang bike finally. Yeesh! Really enjoyed this one!

Adorably hilarious! I laughed so hard at the first chapter, I had a hard time putting this book down. A fun, sweet romance perfect for bookworms, librarians and hopeful romantics.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love books about books, and while this was cute - I felt it was extremely G rated in a way that didn't work for me reading about adult characters and their lives. I wish the main characters had more depth in their intimacy and conversations. But instead they fell flat. It was definitely a cute premise and quick read though.

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

Such a cute read! If you like hallmark movies, you'll love this book. It's a little bit romance, a little bit mystery, a little bit comedy. Not too campy but also doesn't take itself too seriously. Savannah's self-consciousness and relationship with her sister felt very real to me.

Meet Me in the Margins follows Savannah Cade, an assistant book editor and aspiring romance novelist, and Will Pennington, the new boss at Pennington Publishing where Savannah works. Will is demanding and a bit intimidating, and with the threat of consolidation looming, Savannah is determined to prove her worth. During a particularly hectic day, Savannah stashes her manuscript in a secret room at work. However, when she goes back to get it, she notices that someone made constructive notes in the margins. At first, Savannah is nonplussed, but she soon sees that the suggestions are good. With the help of her secret editor, Savannah reconstructs her manuscript, and when the notes start to become more personal, Savannah realizes she is falling for her secret editor. But who is it?

I knew I was going to love this book even before I started reading it. Between the cute cover and the premise of the story, I couldn’t wait to dive in, and I was right. Meet Me in the Margins is such a fun and sweet contemporary romance! Savannah and Will are great main characters, and I enjoyed their love story. They are both smart and determined, and I like how they develop a deep respect for each other. The more time they spend together, the more they see past their first impressions. Will is an honorable man of integrity, and he really listens to Savannah and makes her feel heard, which is unusual for her. I love how much he values her opinion. Savannah comes to realize that Will is not the arrogant and elusive man he initially appears to be. He is kind and caring and innovative. Their relationship is slow-building and burning, and their chemistry is great!

The story takes place at Pennington Publishing, and I absolutely loved that a smaller publishing firm was the primary backdrop of the story. Every time Savannah mentioned the ARC room, I salivated just imagining all those books! Plus, Savannah is surrounded by like-minded people who also love reading, writing, and everything book-related. What’s better than a book about people who are passionate about books?

There are some characters that aren’t part of the book industry, particularly Savannah’s family. They are difficult people, and I hated how unsupportive they were of Savannah. And Savannah’s ex-boyfriend, who became engaged to her sister, is horrible. It’s such an awkward situation, though Savannah handles it maturely. I like how this toxic situation helped Savannah to grow and learn what she wants and deserves in a relationship, but I didn’t find him or Savannah’s sister particularly likable. They definitely contrasted Savannah and Will well, as they are the exact opposites of each other.

Meet Me in the Margins is a super cute, fun, and charming contemporary romance. The book also addresses more serious issues like dealing with pressures at work, healing after a break-up, and trying to maneuver through difficult and unsupportive family dynamics and expectations. I think readers who like contemporary romance or rom-coms with great characters and messages will love this story. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Genre: romance
Pub date: Feb 15, 2022
In one sentence: Savannah Cade has just finishing writing her debut romance novel - until she finds the margins of her misplaced draft filled with notes from a mystery editor.

I really enjoyed this sweet romance - if you like your romances light on steam and heavy on cuteness, you'll love this one! Savannah was a fun character to follow - I loved her quirky personality and her determination to get her novel published! Her coworkers at Pennington Press were very entertaining as well. If you like books about books and the publishing world, pick this one up!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Meet Me in the Margins" is most likely the best romance novel I've ever read via NetGalley!

The book tells the story of Savannah, a book editor and an aspiring author. After changes in her company, she gets a new boss, to whom she has to prove herself, while simultaneously struggling with writing her book and getting it published, with the help of a mystery editor who leaves notes on her manuscript without ever meeting her... and towards whom she starts to develop feelings.

I really enjoyed both the plot and the main characters. Savannah was a normal person, flawed like any other, and trying to measure herself up to what she believes are society's expectations of her, while also feeling down on her luck when it comes to romantic interests. The mystery editor was both a fun aspect of the book and had a nice personality, as did William, Savannah's new boss who terrified everyone, but was honorable and had integrity.

I also liked the bookish aspect, considering that Savannah's working in publishing - I specifically drooled over the idea that there are free ARCs all around in the publishing world. Do I think I made a wrong career choice? Why, yes, I do.

If I were to name any negatives, I'd point out the excessive use of the word "pivot" in the first 15-ish%, as well as Savannah's terrible parents, who basically told her to get over it when Savannah's boyfriend dumped her in favor of her sister. The sister had a redeeming arch, so I don't feel as strongly about her.

Nevertheless, this was a very nice romance and I'm happy I had the opportunity to get a copy from NetGalley and the publisher.

Ever find yourself looking for the book equivalent of those late '90s/early 2000s movie romcoms? With likeable leads, a quirky supporting cast, and a comfortably familiar format, Melissa Ferguson's upcoming novel, Meet Me in the Margins, is here to help.

Savannah Cade works at Pennington Pen, a publishing house that proudly producing Literature with a capital "L" — and woe to the unlucky employee who expresses interest in crass commercial fiction! But Savannah has a secret: in her off-hours, she's writing a romance novel. When circumstances force her to hide it in a secret corner of the office for a few hours, she comes back to find someone has left notes in the margins. After initial fury that someone would not only look at but criticize her precious novel, Savannah realizes the commenter's notes are right and asks for help. Soon, written conversations on manuscript pages turn personal, and Savannah is falling for her mystery editor. But who is he? And what if, once she figures out his identity, she realizes it's actually someone else she wants?

The start was a little rough (our heroine has a tendency to babble both in conversation and in narration), but I soon found myself thoroughly enjoying this light, endearing read. The leads are immediately likeable, with a warmth and sweetness that never veers too far into saccharine. There's also an implication that the heroine is asexual, or at least demisexual, which was a nice surprise — I'm not sure if the author meant to imply that, but I like that it's there and would have loved to explore that in a more nuanced way.

Meet Me in the Margins does nothing to reinvent the romcom wheel — and has its share of minor missteps — but what it does do is put a smile on your face and leave you with the warm fuzzies. 🥰

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--Fiction for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Savannah Cade's work life is shaken up at the promise of change when the sexy yet intimidating Will Pennington comes in as the new boss. Her company has always specialized in more intellectual topics, while disregarding commercial fiction. The Arc room is Savannah's haven at the publishing house and just happened to leave her manuscript for her secret romance novel she has been writing. However, an unexpected stranger begins to provide content notes and edits in the margins to improve the story. At first Savannah is hesitant before taking the help from her secret friend. Before long, the simple edits become more substantial and Savannah finds herself developing feelings for her mystery man. The thing is....who IS he?

**
I adored the premise going into this book. I love a good mystery-man trope when the protagonists gets to know someone for their thoughts and who they are. Don't get me wrong, the love interest was hardly a mystery and the plot was completely predictable, but I also read the point of romances is to end with the two love interests together and that's what I got. The story moved along well, with several likable supporting characters, and the book wrapped itself up with a pleasant little bow. I left this book getting exactly what I sought.

When you mix books inside of books I love it. Our main female character is an editor at a publishing company. It’s the cutest rom com. You get a little bit of everything and it’s super heart warming

What a charming read! While I wish there was more time with them together it was just so sweet. Will and Sav had such a fun mix of interactions in person and on paper. I wish I could hide away in that secret room for a few hours with a book! Highly recommend this read!

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson follows Savannah Cade who works as an editor at a publishing company whilst secretly writing her own book. She drops her manuscript and hides it, when She looks at the manuscript again she sees someone has written comments in the margins. The person who has done this is Savannah’s love interest and she needs his help to write her story. This was a really sweet romance told in first person POV that many people will love.

When I first read the synopsis I was immediately sold! I am such a sucker for meet-cutes via anonymous letters/notes. So I knew I would enjoy this book.

I will say this book is my dream life.... living in Nashville, working in publishing, and writing a book on the side?!

While there were some cute moments, it did drag in some places. But, ultimately I will recommend this book to friends who love a cute rom-com.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not sure how i overall feel about this book on the one hand loved the ending, it was a very slow burn and super quick ending though would have liked a little more HEA detail.

On the other hand i feel like the main character was not overall relate-able, without spoilers who she lived with was bananas and I was more angry at her situation than she was.

Quick and cute read will likely read more from this author.

This book is proof that the romance genre is not outdone. I thoroughly enjoyed all of Savannah's relationships, and felt that her world was properly fleshed out and exciting. There is a hidden gem in her relationship with her sister, and what found like a true meeting of equals with William. It is such a joy to find a fresh voice, and knowing this isn't a debut has me so excited to dip into her backlog! If you're into contemporary rom coms like I am, I absolutely recommend Meet Me in the Margins.