I really really really wanted to love this book so badly. It had everything that should have made it a perfect read for me: an emotional rom-com with mental health representation, an cute poetry setting, and a super cute cover. I was ready to be obsessed. And at first, I really thought I would be. The prologue pulled me in, and the setup had so much potential.

But somewhere along the way, I started to disengage. The biggest issue? They kept having the same argument over and over. "We’re not good for each other, let’s stay friends." The first time, I thought, okay, that makes sense. The second time, I wasn’t thrilled, but I let it slide. By the third time, I was frustrated. By the fourth or fifth, I was just done. It felt like the story was stuck on repeat, and instead of feeling the emotional weight of it all, I just felt exhausted.

Leigh, the FMC, started to annoy me. She felt immature, and the constant miscommunication didn’t help. And while Will had some really sweet moments, I eventually stopped caring because their relationship felt forced. Even the romantic tension, especially the spicy moments, just didn’t land for me.

I don’t think this is a bad book by any means. It has its moments, and I can see it hitting differently for people who really connect with the academic/literary themes. But for me? It just fell flat, and I walked away feeling more frustrated than anything else.

Thank you Forever Publishing for the eARC.

This one's premise was good. However neither the MMC of FMC were likeable and not just part of the books. Because an unlikeable character can become likeable with character building. That was something that this book lacked. I would give the author another chance but this book wasn't for me.

Loved this one! Such a sweet story. I couldn’t read this one fast enough once I got started. Despite never being in an MFA program, I found the MCs very relatable.

Of course! Here’s the revised version:

5/5 Stars – ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED

This book?? UGH, it slayed and i am so obsessed. I was hooked from page one, and let me tell you—Katie Naymon gets it. The way she wrote the characters and their struggles felt so real—like, for once, the reasons they couldn’t be together actually made sense instead of being some overdramatic nonsense. And don’t even get me started on Will. Perfect MMC. The standard. The blueprint. I love him.

Everything about this book just worked—the tension, the emotions, the way it all played out. If you love romance that feels genuine and doesn’t rely on unnecessary drama, this one is IT. Run, don’t walk, to read it!!

A romance for readers who love Julie Soto's style of emotional writing! If you're a romance reader who loves poetry as well, then this is the book for you. The main characters initially meet in high school in a negative encounter, but reconnect years later (not "enemies" to lovers but dis-like.) This is a forced-proximity novel with beautiful poetry (the mc's are both doing a fellowship for poetry) that was well written, but had a lot of highs and lows. The mc was unlikeable at times, but I did enjoy the characters and the tensions/chemistry between them. Realistically, those two would NOT last in the real world, but the happy ending was cute nonetheless. Bonus points for mental health representation.

A new MFA student looking for a fresh start gets more than she bargained for when her high school nemesis is in the same program, and cannot stop writing poetry about her.

Such a fun read, rivals to lovers is one of my favorites! I adored the banter, pacing and overall vibe of the whole book. It's truly a good time, yet still had depth in the both the FMC and love interest's self discovery journeys and overall character arcs. Absolutely recommend, excellent debut!

A huge thank you to Katie Naymon, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for the ARC xx

This was excellent. So many good lessons in here too. The romance was an epic slow burn. I felt like this touched on a lot of real issues and actually had realistic resolutions to it. It was very well done. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

YOU BETWEEN THE LINES by Katie Naymon is a poetic romance with beautiful writing and tenderheartedness. We get pining, yearning, and pop-culture poems (amazing!). Naymon put so much love into these characters.

DNF at 38%!!! I could not connect with the characters whatsoever and the writing was not my style :( the beginning started off okay, but as the story developed, I just didn’t like how often TS was brought into her writing. I also didn’t like the MMC at all and I only found a few qualities I liked from the FMC but I still couldn’t finish :(

You between the lines by Katie Naymon is a slow burning and sweet second chance romance about two poets who keep finding each other at the wrong time in their lives. For Leigh, her parent’s impending divorce and a feeling of never feeling quite good enough makes for a rocky start to an MFA program. It only gets worse when Will, the literary god who made her believe her writing was inadequate in high school and pushed her away in college, walks into the welcome barbecue for the same program. Can they put their past aside to work together in a small cohort based on peer review and feedback?

This was quite a slow burn but towards the end I couldn’t put it down. Spicy and sweet, Will and Leigh story really shows that the only way to love someone else is to love yourself first.

Triggers include parental death, divorce, infidelity (not the main characters), and mentions of anxiety and depression.

Thank you to NetGalley and Katie Naymon for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I would definitely add this to your TBR if you’re into slow burn, spice, poetry, and an MMC that’s part golden retriever and part grumpy sunshine.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the premise soo much! Being a big fan of poetry I hung on to every chapter!

I loved the MMC. At first, I didn't trust him, but that goes to show how much I related to the MFC. I think this book is not going to be for all but it was definitely for me.

I did like Leigh a lot. I loved watching her growth throughout. I can 10000% related to her fear of being rejected. I feel this to my core. This may be why I enjoyed it so much.

Overall, I enjoyed the art of the book and the "enemies to lovers" aspect!

Thank you Netgalley and Published for a review cop

I really enjoyed Leigh, and loved how real and authentic she felt. I really enjoyed the romance between the main characters and it felt real and refreshing to see imperfect people figuring out life.

I really enjoyed this book! I felt like we really got to know Leigh and Will as actual people which really just enhanced the story for me. I wish we had a couple more flashback chapters because I wanted to see more of their interactions in high school and beyond. However, I did enjoy how the story progressed and it did feel like they were two people who would end up together! I would read more from this author!

Thank you so much for this advanced copy of You Between the Lines.

While I thought there were some really cute and sweet AWW moments, I was very. frustrated for most of this story. As I get older (38 here) I am turned off more and more by main characters that just cannot communicate with each other in an adult way. Leigh and Will are both almost 30, and I felt like for most of the story they were acting half their age just because they were scared to tell each other how they feel. I want to say that the author was intending for this to be a slow burn build up with a lot of anticipation, but it did not come off that way to me as a reader. Please just talk to each other Leigh and Will before the 85% mark of the story. I did like the way it ended and I think a lot of romance readers will enjoy this story.

I felt all of the feelings!
The pining, relatable self-doubt, chemistry, family drama, the poetry. I enjoyed Leigh + Will. I would recommend this romance!

As a writer, I was excited to read this novel!

Our FMC, Leigh, never expected to get into a prestigious MFA program in North Carolina. Her classmates seem effortlessly literary, and her self-doubt only deepens when she realizes her high school crush-turned-nemesis, Will, is in the program too. Determined to prove herself and land a much-desired fellowship, Leigh refuses to let him shake her confidence; however, their rivalry turns complicated when Will submits a poem that’s unmistakably about her. As they clash in workshop and beyond, Leigh starts to wonder if what’s between them is more than just competition.

I definitely related to Leigh’s struggles at times with self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the feeling of never being "smart enough" or "talented enough" when it comes to working with other creatives. While her insecurities had me frustrated at times, I appreciated that she was actively working on her mindset instead of just wallowing.

I enjoyed the push and pull between Leigh and Will, but there was so much unsaid between them, I kept wanting them to just lay everything out on the table! I always love when characters are like, "What if we just get this out of our system?" because we all know how that turns out. It never works, but it's so much fun to watch. Their history unfolds gradually, and I really liked how their past experiences shaped their present dynamic. Plus, there was a twist with Will that I didn’t see coming, which made things even more interesting.

Also, LOVED the epilogue.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Grand Central Publishing for this ebook!

I really enjoyed YOU BETWEEN THE LINES by Katie Naymon. Two high school classmates who both thought they had unrequited crushes on the other are reunited in an MFA program. He’s your stereotypical lit fic cis white male and she’s a former sorority girl and swiftie with major imposter syndrome. And then they fall in love, duh. This came out a few weeks ago so you can read it now.

Leigh is a poet stuck inside the body of disillusioned copy writer. When she's accepted to a prestigious MFA program for poetry, she takes the opportunity to chase the passion she set aside. However, Leigh knows more about Taylor Swift lyrics than villanelles. Navigating self-doubt Leigh must face her anxiety if she wants to succeed, but a ghost from her past crashes into her plan -- Will, her high school crush she couldn't forget. Can Leigh overcome her fears and step into her potential as a poet? Or will her self-doubt send everything crashing down?

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! As someone who lives for the creative writing requirements for an English degree, stories about poets will always be instant reads for me. Leigh and Will were the ultimate slow burn, will they won't they? The push and pull between Will and Leigh Naymon creates is electric. Leigh and Will are both stubborn who couldn't admit their feelings but once they gave in, sfheiufhfhqjhfbhjrbf. Also the poetry they write is so so good and I enjoyed watching their writing grow as they progress through the program. I loved everything about this, plus its set in Asheville, NC! (Reading this after the hurricanes made my heart twinge. Asheville is an artistic, passionate city and this book reminded me of the rebuilding process artists are going through to bring back Asheville's art culture).

I would recommend You Between the Lines to many who love a slow-burn and for fans of Emily Henry.

“You Between the Lines” by Katie Naymon was such a delightful addition to my TBR. Leigh and Will share a complicated past and find themselves unexpectedly reunited in a graduate poetry cohort. Despite their best efforts to resist, the chemistry between them is undeniable. This romance is beautifully written, with touching poetry woven throughout the story, adding to its depth and charm. If you love second-chance romances with a literary twist, this is definitely one to add to your list! Plus, that cover is just lovely. I need a physical copy as a shelf trophy.
Thanks to NetGallery and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced copy of this eBook in exchange for my honest review.

I love romances about writers but this is PERFECT for me. This is a romance about Creative Writing poetry undergrad students turned professionals entering an MFA poetry program. One of the writers is showing up the program after being disenchanted with working as a copywriter at an agency. This has so many parts of me it's almost scary but it's also interesting to know all millennial poetry majors have lived the same life.

^^If any of these are your parts, you'll fall for this book too.

There's so much vulnerability between these pages. Will is dealing with grief over the death of his 1000% unsupportive father. Leigh is dealing with the recent separation of her parents and her people pleasing needs. We also see Leigh working through a lot of her issues in therapy.

There's nothing more vulnerable though than learning about the characters through their own poetry (yes, there are real poems in this book!). I love how they match the emotional journey of where are characters are and they give me an entirely new reading list (I need to read more poetry after this!).

I'm obsessed with this book and can't wait to see more from this author!