Member Reviews

I really, really loved this one!

How could I not love the story of an editor at a small high-brow publishing house who's writing a romance on the side?

Savannah's easy narrative in first person POV, the way she interacts with her family and co-workers, her insecurities, and her writing.

One word about Will—wow. I love how steady he is, how listens, and how well he supports Savannah without expecting anything in return.

If you love a good slow burn romance, you'll love this one.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

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I thoroughly enjoyed Meet Me in the Margins, and I thought it was a sweet and funny you've got mail type of story. I loved seeing Savanah's character growth as she worked on her novel. Writing makes you so vulnerable and I was impressed that she was able to take the criticism her book experienced and make it into something great. I thought the slow burn romance was very sweet and I loved watching Savanah and William get to know each other on and off the page. I loved that the setting was a publishing house because I am a sucker for books about books. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a great new romance!

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This adorable rom com had me hooked right away with its You’ve Got Mail vibes.
Set in Nashville in the world of publishing. Our main character is a hopeful author and starts exchanging notes on her manuscript with a mystery editor. The dialogue between the two is charming and witty. The tension between love interests perfect. There is angst and problems to overcome but nothing over the top or super frustrating for a reader which was so refreshing in a rom com.
It was a sweet and light hearted romance that kept me well entertained and wishing it wasn’t over. Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Thank you to Net Galley for letting me read Meet me in the Margins.. This was a cute, charming story. Kinda slow but a very fast paced and easy read. I liked the use of the main character being in the publishing industry so that was kinda cool. The characters were all good and had connections to one another. There was fun and a little bit of romance but not too much which I felt would have been nice if there would have been more romance involved. Most of the book I felt was predictable.
Overall it was a cute read.

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Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Meet Me in the Margins.

This book made my bookworm heart so happy! I loved all the bookish references for my fellow book lovers. I was instantly hooked when I picked this one up. I loved the witty writing and found myself smiling throughout, I enjoyed the humour and it was overall such a cute, wholesome read.

I was expecting it to be an enemies to lovers romance (which I’m not always the biggest fan of) so I was very happy that it actually turned out to be more of a friends to lovers story. Although I’m a fan of some spice, I actually enjoyed that this one didn’t have any because it made a nice change from my usual reads.

I would have liked to find out abit more about Will, he was great but I felt like his character was abit surface level but I have to say I absolutely adored our MC, Savannah. She was so funny, relatable and brilliant. I was rooting for her throughout and could not be more proud of her by the end of the book.

I’d highly recommend this one if your looking for a feel good, romance book set in the publishing industry.

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Well I wasn't quite prepared for this one! A book about books - go figure (love).

Savannah Cable is an assistant editor at Pennington Press, a struggling publisher of non-fiction and literary reads. She loves her job and is one of the few employees maintained after a restructure. What she dreams about though is writing her own romance novel. We see her indecision in the early chapters as she sends off her manuscript and gets a rejection email with some suggestions. When she leaves the manuscript in a room infrequently visited at work, she returns to find her manuscript has been edited. What ensues is a delightful backwards and forwards between Savannah and her mystery editor, with her daylight hours spent looking for clues as to who he (its revealed it's an he very early so not a spoiler). There's a couple of possibilities but Savannah is mindful of her steadily growing feelings for William Pennington, the owner of Pennington Press' son. The question is whether Savannah can reconcile the feelings she has for the the two men in her life and fulfil her writing dream at the same time.

This book was quite the fun read. A great premise, a little mystery regarding who the mystery editor is, a great best friend in Layla who says all the things you were thinking but weren't game to say. There's family who treat Savannah terribly, and she puts up with it in rather wholesome though naive way, as well as a certain cluelessness in her character that's a little hard to reconcile. The banter was nice and it tends towards tension, however I think a whole lot more could have been made of it.

Will appeal to people who like:
1. Multiple potential suitors providing the mystery.
2. Stoic male character with a hint of ruggedness and commitment to family obligations.
3. Gentle good girl female character with a cheeky streak, also committed to family obligations
4. Subtle romantic overtones and chemistry.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for approving my request to read Meet Me In the Margins.

3.5 stars tending towards 4

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The plot of this book is so adorable. I absolutely loved Savannah as a character. She is extremely relatable and funny. I would have loved a little more of their romance. But overall, really solid book!

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I loved this Love Story! It is quirky, funny and sweet and Savannah and Will are perfect for one another.

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Meet Me in the Margins is an absolute delight of a romantic comedy. Like a warm, cozy hug of a book. Savannah works at a small publishing company that specializes in rather niche interests. On the side, she is struggling to finish the romance novel she has been working on since graduating college. After years of work and a gentle rejection from one of the biggest romance publishers in the country, Savannah is determined to fine-tune her novel and get it published. With the help of a not-so friendly mystery editor, Savannah just might meet her deadline.

I loved Savannah’s personal growth throughout this book. After comparing herself to her sister, her coworkers, and Will, she is constantly belittling herself in the beginning. She always “does for family,”even if that means sacrificing her own self worth. By the end of the novel she believes in herself not only as an author but as an actual person. Also, Ferris is the absolute worst.

The romance here was very slow burn, but sweet. Savannah is careful not to blur the lines between personal and professional with her new boss, but I loved reading through the moments where Savannah and Will grow their friendship. While I was unsure in the beginning, Will ends up being a very likable character who is very good as his job. I do wish we could have see a bit more of his side story though.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I will definitely be checking out more from this author.

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Savannah is writing a romance novel. Whilst working at a publishing house that most certainly does not approve of romance novels. When a mystery colleague finds her manuscript and his response is to edit it instead of turning her in, she embarks on a romance worthy of her own book.

I loved Savannah and her family dynamic, but this book definitely felt more like a romance between a woman and the publishing industry than a romance between a woman and a man. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing! The romance didn't really feel genuine though until close to the end. A quick, satisfying read for a Sunday afternoon though!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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

This book is a classic example of a good and comforting romcom. It all felt like a romance movie I have already seen, however, with characters that are way more relatable and understandable. Seeing Sav's character growth as she navigates editing her book with the - mysterious- editor is really really nice and heartfelt. Also, seeing her family's character development is really incredible because, since the beginning, we can see that her sister needs some serious help. The only thing I did not really feel was Will's attraction. I don't know why, but I did not feel convinced that he actually had feelings for her. I mean, it's a slow burn, but I reckon they have like four scenes together? It was more about finding out who she is and her struggles as a writer than her romance with Will. I just feel like they could have interacted more, because it's kind of unbelievable that he truly fell in love with her only through the arc editing. All in all, it's a great and attention-grabbing read that I would recommend to every book lover/aspiring writer.

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Meet Me in the Margins is a sweet story for anyone who loves love, books or Nashville. Savannah and William’s romance is set in a small publishing company. They find each other while secretly writing & editing a romance together.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for sending this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Meet Me in the Margins will be published on February 15, 2022.

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I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this eARC in exchange for an honest book review!

If you're looking for a warm, easy romcom read that talks about bookish romance set in a literary publishing house, THIS IS THE PERFECT BOOK FOR YOU!

What I love about this book was it made me appreciate and understand the writing process of authors and how difficult it is to thrive in their world. PLUS, I love Will! I love his character, he's mysterious, complex (in a good way) and I love how there's no toxicity in him! He's just a walking green flag.

PLUS, the other supporting characters are also cute & nice! aaah I love this book and this new discovery of Melissa Ferguson (brb gonna binge-read her other books!)

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Savannah is an assistant editor at a small publishing company that fills an elitist niche of obscure topics. When she goes rogue during a meeting and works on a romance novel she’s trying to get published, her new boss catches a glimpse of her forbidden obsession! Will she get fired for working on something commercially viable *GASP!* or will she fall head over heels (literally!) for the new publishing vice president?

This is a light, easy story that reads like a rom-com. A few chapters in, I found it to be quite ridiculous and didn’t know if I’d be able to finish it. It’s predictable and the characters are over-the-top to the point of becoming caricatures. I stuck with it so I could write a fair review…………and ended up sort-of enjoying it. Beneath all the fluff and pomp this is actually a relatable story about finding your own path to happiness instead of trying to live up to the expectations of others. When Savannah and Will start to open up to each and really connect, this story begins to sing. Unfortunately, it takes a while to get there. There were a few moments sprinkled here and there that made me laugh, but I would’ve liked for the comedic and more heartfelt aspects of the story to be more balanced. I also got really tired of Savannah constantly referring to herself as just a “lowly” assistant. I was hoping for more of a character arc about her finding her confidence.

As an aside, there are several acronyms used throughout the story; ARC, LOA, etc. Even though they are initially explained, to those unfamiliar with the terms they are also easily forgotten which leads to confusion when reading.

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

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This was such a creative romance idea I honestly loved it it was such a breath of fresh air from the typical romance books! I would definitely recommend this to my friends and I enjoyed reading this so much!

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A rom-com that features books and is set in Nashville? Sign me up! This was a fun and happy read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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This sweet tale is made even sweeter by the fact that it is all about books — the main character works for a publisher. Melissa Ferguson’s writing style had me hooked from page one until the end.

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A story within a story.

This was really beautiful and gave me the feels. I really enjoyed going on this story with these characters.
Loved it

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A romance novel about romance novels. 4 stars.

This sweet romance is set in a literary publishing house and stars Savannah, an editor who aspires to write romance novels, First, though, she has to get her manuscript up to snuff - quickly! - without her snobby boss discovering what she' spending her spare time on. Savannah stumbles on an insightful but anonymous reviewer, whose notes not only help her refine her manuscript but spark an epistolary friendship. But who is the mystery man with whom Savannah finds herself falling in love?

Meet Me in the Margins is a fast read, but it has a lot going on. There are a number of interwoven plots - Savannah's relationship with her sister, an ex-boyfriend who treated her poorly, and the travails of the publishing house where she works, among others - that keep the story interesting. But I felt that many of these plots were underdeveloped; the novel either needed to be twice as long (which I wouldn't have minded!) or take on less material.

Perhaps most disappointingly for a romantic comedy, I wasn't particularly invested in the love story. Did I want Savannah to get her guy? Sure. But I didn't feel a conviction that he was the perfect guy for her, or any sense of urgency regarding their relationship. Still, I was happy enough to see them get together - except that it meant this enjoyable read would soon be over.

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This was just a fun, easy read. It was pretty easy to determine the story line but developed nicely. I thought there were a few confusing parts, but I’m guessing editing will clear that up. The main character got herself into some funny predicaments and her sister was a hoot.

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