“You can take the girl out of high school, but you can’t take the fractured remnants of an obsessive crush out of the girl”

We all love to rave about books by saying the writing is so beautiful it's like poetry—well, guess what? This one literally is!

While this book is clearly a romance, the real love story, in my opinion, was Leigh learning to love herself. Sure, Will is hot, nerdy, and intelligent (we love a man who can work his words in more than one way), so he's definitely a strong contender for first place. But Leigh’s journey? That’s what really got me!

The angst in this book? Absolutely consuming. It had me on the edge of my seat, staying up way past midnight on a workday (the horror), but it was SO worth it.

In most books I pick up, it’s the male love interest who needs to grow and mature before the relationship can work. But in this story, it was so refreshing to see that both our characters had plenty of growing to do. Especially Leigh our imperfectly real female character. Her critical and sarcastic inner monologue? Pure gold.

“Do you want to grab coffee with me?” I touch him lightly on his arm.
“Um.” He paused, looks around and over my head. “Sure.”
It’s the kind of enthusiasm girls dream about.

Leigh is an anxious people-pleaser, struggling with imposter syndrome and trying to find her own sense of security. I loved that she’s girly, is obsessed with pop culture, and throws shade at boring classic literature. That doesn't make her basic—it makes her real. And her habit of overanalyzing the tiniest details about the people around her? Same, girl, same.

“I look down at our feet and see that he’s oriented his to point slightly in her direction, which I once read on wikiHow is a sign that someone likes you.”

Also, can all future book characters please go to therapy? Leigh’s therapist practically echoed what I was shouting at my Kindle pages earlier—it was like free therapy for me!

If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else- can I get an amen up in here?

Now, let's get back to Will. Imagine Spencer Reid, but instead of being an FBI agent, he’s a poet and writer. He’s smart, passionate, notices every detail about you and remembers every conversation you’ve ever had (hot). But he’s also introverted and anxious himself—what a combo. Will was such a wonderful love interest, and I promise you’ll fall for him too. You might even find yourself dreaming of cute farmers’ markets after finishing this book.
I mean, a guy who’s got a way with words, dresses well, treats you right, and buys local goat cheese? Come on, that's the dream.

This book was an absolute delight. I don’t have much experience with poetry, but it was such a treat to learn more about it while watching Leigh’s poetry evolve along with her,
You will want to copy-paste every second sentence and plaster it on your walls. The writing is just that beautiful.

So if you're in search of a new author and love amazing writing and poetry, you absolutely need to read this book. Honestly, forget what you're looking for—just read it. Trust me, you won't regret it.

4.5 stars. Oh I looooved this! Absolutely flew through it in one sitting, the YEARNING WAS SO PALPABLE. God I was a wreck over Will and Leigh, they were so adorable and I loved seeing the ups and downs of their relationship. I don’t much care for when lyrics or poetry, in this instance, is on page, but this one I’ll make an exception for because it was necessary for the story. Knocked a half star off because Leigh’s self-destructive implosion at the end was hard to swallow, and her inner monologue of fearing rejection seemed a bit heavy handed at times. But I thought the ending was so sweet and I’ll admit I teared up! Will definitely look out for more from this author.

Thank you to Forever Pub for the gifted early copy of You Between the Lines.

Have you ever just *known*? You see a book cover, you read its description, and even though you know nothing about the author or their writing, you just *know* there’s something special about it? That was “You Between the Lines” for me. A second chance romance set in North Carolina, featuring a hot nerdy lit bro and an unapologetically girlie heroine who loves Taylor Swift and neon pink? YES. PLEASE.

Amazingly, You Between the Lines not just met but *EXCEEDED* my sky-high expectations. It’s got the heart and humor of an Abby Jimenez book. It uses poetry the way Julie Soto uses cellos (IYKYK). The writing is “Emily Henry”-esque with characters that could’ve walked straight out of Emily’s latest novel. If you gave me this book without a title page and told me Emily Henry wrote it, I’d believe you. Truly, YBTL is the whole package and an absolute must read for anyone who has ever enjoyed a romcom.

If you want more specifics, here are a few of the many things I loved about it:

- YBTL is FUNNY. Leigh has the wry humor I find hilarious and had me chuckling and even straight up laughing a few times. In a book with so much angst, this humor kept everything from getting too heavy.
- Will is an absolute dreamboat. He’s smart and sensitive and obviously gorgeous, and he’s so down bad for Leigh. He fell first and he fell hard.
- I love the growth we see in Leigh and Will as people over the course of the story. They’re each dealing with heavy family stuff and neither handles it well. They have to work at it, and seeing them try and fail and keep going, and finally learn how to cope in healthy ways is so relatable and comforting. I finished the book feeling empowered — if Leigh can work through her issues, so can I.
- Related: I love how the book includes multiple on-page depictions of therapy. Scenes like these go far in helping destigmatize mental health treatment. The scenes with Leigh’s therapist also serve as a fantastic plot device to get inside her head and give her advice, directly shaping the plot.
- Finally, I love how real everything feels. Katie is a talented writer, and she brings her characters to life in a way I don’t often experience. You will fall in love with these characters and you might cry on your way to work the next day when you remember they aren’t real. Or maybe that’s just me.

In the immortal words of Kathleen Kelly: Read it. I know you’ll love it!

P.S. In the time since I wrote this and posted it (like 10 minutes), I've already remember two other things I wanted to talk about in my review but forgot to. Like just trust me, this book has so much to love, you need to read it.

The author is an MFA author, so be warned. She write about it very honestly and almost tongue in cheekly, but it’s just funny because the FMC has such a disdain for pretentious MFAer, yet is one herself.

It starts with a prologue that I just don’t feel like was necessary. Everything in the prologue could’ve been woven throughout the first few chapters. Especially because the prologue felt very info-dumpy, in a “I’m telling you a story!” way. Very self-aware and straight forward. She’s also annoying is the sense that she wants to be a writer and a poet but her confidence was killed by one high school boy’s comment?? Gurl. And then the Third Act Conflict was him doing something nice for her and her completely overreacting out of insecurity. Ya ain’t gon cut it as a creative like that babe.

The writing was fast paced and engaging. The characters were fun and real. The FMC’s self-consciousness was a huge plot point that I think was handled well and realistically, despite my minor complaints. I wanted to keep turning the page and read more.

This is single, FMC only POV. It’s open door. There’s a lot of therapy and anxiety talk. Discussion of parents divorcing when she’s an adult. MMC struggles with parent issues and dad’s death (prior to the story)

I just started this book today and I really like it so far! I will leave my full review to follow. I am tandem listening to books at once since I have 497 arcs but I really am enjoying this book!!

Be sure to get yourself a copy the pub date is next year on February 18,2025.
*Full review to follow but this is a funny book for me I am excited to finish and read this book!

I struggled to connect with Leigh. She was saying she was not a ‘not like other girls girl’ and yet she othered herself almost the entire book. She was a Swiftie sorority girl, and claimed she could not connect with anyone from undergrad or in the MFA. She and Will had the same issues repeatedly, and her therapy was obviously not working. It got a bit stale, and by the time they got together I was really ready to be finished. Will must have felt the same way, because they dropped that engagement epilogue at the end of the MFA like they hadn’t been hot and cold for almost the entire first year. Overall, this was pretty angsty, and I could see Taylor Swift fans liking Leigh and her poetry.

Thank you @readforeverpub for this ARC of You Between the Lines by @katienaymonwrites !

(US Pub Date: Feb 18th ‘25)

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I don’t think that I can adequately describe the way this book made me feel, especially since everyone in it (all of whom are technically Katie) is so much better with words than I am. I, like Leigh, am deep in the throes of imposter syndrome.

I think for me, what is most delightful about the overall *gestures at everything* of this book is that we see all of the vulnerable and ugly and messy parts of Leigh before she shares any of them with anyone else. And we love her. Because we too are vulnerable and ugly and messy in ways that we don’t show. And if we love her for it, why not ourselves?

The thing about creative types - especially those who specialize in words - is that in spite of all of the vibrant and urgent and chaotic feelings being right at the forefront of who we are, we often have a hard time communicating them. Will and Leigh both spill themselves onto the pages of their writing but withhold the most delicate parts of themselves because there’s nothing more terrifying than being too raw and being unable to take it back.

It’s clever and gorgeously descriptive and had me in tears more times than I can count. I loved the crossover of the two - the way they were both almost caricatures of themselves but very apparently only on the surface. Will is broody, masculine academia whose softness becomes an integral part of who he is. Leigh is fun, sparkling femininity with a sharp undercut that shimmers when she lets it show. And the two complement each other delightfully.

You Between The Lines by @katienaymonwrites

“You have always been the brightest thing in the room and I have never not wanted to be in your spotlight.”

A former sorority girl starts a prestigious poetry MFA program only to discover that one of her fellow grad students is her high school crush-turned-nemesis— who can’t stop writing about her.

Guys… I read a lot of books. Most of them don’t make it to my feed. I only post the ones that I fall absolutely head over heels in love with, and this one meets that criteria. This book had me feeling deep feelings. Don’t let the cute cover fool you. It was cute, but it was so much more.

Leigh is very insecure but very relatable. She wants everyone to like her, and her first instinct always is to question what is wrong with HER. Will is a sad boy and so broody and tortured and I absolutely fell in love with him. This story is for fans of Beach Read by Emily Henry, Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood, Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto, and Legally Blonde.

Read if you love:
-Teenage rivals to almost college lovers to enemies to lovers
-They’ve been secretly in love for years
-Found family
-Academia setting
-Toe curling tension and angst (you will be BLUSHING)
-Poetry as a love language
-Broody Tortured poet in glasses and his muse
-Sexy mirror time
-“Good girl” and other praise
-Hot hot hot, zero cringe sex (your jaw will be OPEN and you WILL be blushing and suddenly feel like you’re having a hot flash)
-Taylor Swift and other pop culture references
-TTPD/Evermore/Folklore with a sprinkle of Lover and Midnights
-lavender haze, labyrinth, mirrorball, down bad, so high school, the prophecy, this is me trying, invisible string, willow, right where you left me, lover, afterglow, you’re on your own, kid

Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the e-arc!

I can’t wait to get my greedy hands on a physical copy. This is one of those books that is going on my favorite romances shelf and will be reread when I need a comfort read. 🧡

Pub date: 2/18/25 (add this to your list! You don’t want to miss it, I promise!)


And while I respect everyone’s right to review a book honestly… I don’t get the critique of this one. Yes, our FMC is insecure and judgmental. But aren’t we all? Isn’t this a wildly normal way to experience being a human being? Especially as a woman? How boring would books be if all of the characters were perfect human beings with no flaws. Leigh grows so much as a person throughout this book and I felt like her growth journey was inspiring and authentic.

I loved this book. What an incredible debut that stands out insanely well amongst the others ive read. it was so good. the poetry, the romance. it was so gutwrenching and gorgeous. I cant say enough good things.

Oof, this one just wasn’t for me. I decided while reading it, that this is actually my least favorite type of story to read. It’s a classic story we’ve all heard before. Super insecure girl has had a crush on a guy since high school, but has been convincing herself for ten years that she’ll never be good enough for him. Now she’s twenty seven and stuck in a tiny grad school program with him where she can’t avoid her feelings anymore.

You Between the Lines is only in the female’s POV, and boy, does it get old being inside her head the whole book. She is the most wildly insecure person and spends the whole book telling herself how terrible she is at everything, and I just got so tired of reading it. Maybe I’m just too grumpy today and in a bit of reading slump already, but I just did not have a good time reading this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC!

Quick Summary
A former sorority girl/aspiring poet goes head to head with her high school crush turned nemesis for a prestigious writing fellowship.

My Thoughts
I liked the found family aspect in this book and the impostor syndrome that the main character experiences was super relatable!

However, my biggest issue was that the main characters and main conflict seemed to be very high school. Although the FMC and MMC are in their late twenties, they often acted like teenagers when it came to their relationship and personal struggles.

The back and forth between the main couple started to feel repetitive, but I did continue to root for them. The book also had some charming moments that still kept me interested throughout.

Overall, I would give this book 3.75 stars ⭐️

2⭐️ As someone who loves to write, loves poetry, the premise of this book enthralled me immediately. Combining my two favorite things, a romance novel and writers…I’m in. To start on a positive note the added elements of the included poems written throughout was refreshing and such a nice added element. The number of books I read where one of the main characters were writers/poets and the plot heavily includes talking about them writing something, and how amazing it was, but never including it, I always found to be a bit of a drawback. I loved the fact that this book included poems written by Leigh and William. It added a newfound depth into the characters that a lot of books don’t have. With this positive note considered, it still just wasn’t enough to fully immerse myself into the book. I’m all for unlikeable characters, I’ve read a ton of books with that being the premise, but as much as Leigh talked about wanting to change, grow, and mature she seemed to be harshly and unfairly judging everyone else along the way. Some of her quips, remarks, and observations just really made me a bit uncomfortable. The plot felt a bit monotonous after awhile. The same scenes of going to class, reviewing peer work, tutoring, and small get togethers I felt pulled back from the progression of the story. I couldn’t feel the sparks between William and Leigh. I was very excited for this story, and wanted to love it, but unfortunately this was a book that just didn’t meet me at the right moment. To end on a good note, I do want to include some of the quotes that stuck out to me.

“That’s the problem with me. I constantly read the room and cater my movements, words, thoughts, which-comma-goes-where to other people. (Prologue)”

“How do you know when you’re good at something?” “When someone else tells me I’m good at it. Is that bad? (Chapter 1)”

Thank you Net Galley and Forever for the eARC!

loved this romance about two writers in a MFA program who meet up again. They were in high school together and saw each other again after college. They try really hard to resist their love. They finally find a way and figure out their future. Loved her friends.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to give my honest review!

I'm afraid I might have an unpopular opinion... When I first saw this book, I saw such amazing reviews and I thought maybe this will be right up my alley. I will say, I think this book is perfect for Emily Henry and Ashley Poston fans. I'm not obsessed with these authors as some others might be, but I always tune into their works. When I read "You Between the Lines", I was getting similar feelings as their books. So, if you absolutely adore those two authors, I think this might be for you. Sadly, I thought this was just okay.

At first, it did take me a little bit to get used to the writing style. To me, it was hard to get through the text but I eventually got my groove and flew through it. Once the romance started picking up, I was intrigued and engaged with the story. My absolute favorite part is when our two main characters, Leigh and Will, go to a pumpkin patch. It was so cozy and just what I was looking for. The interactions between the two were believable and fun. I was excited to continue my journey with their romance. Though, their actions soon became irritating. These characters are supposed to be late twenties but they felt way younger. They were making decisions that didn't make sense and at times they felt childish. Leigh and Will's relationship was sweet and I was rooting for them, but they kept deciding now wasn't the greatest time for a relationship. This conversation happened multiple times and I was starting to get tired of it. I understand not being in the space for a relationship, but stop engaging in romantic actions if you don't want to be together. Other than the annoying parts, I did still think this was enjoyable.

I also loved how writing was a major part of the story. I loved getting to see the different poems and the creative process for other characters. The whole idea of loving something but being critiqued was relatable. I'm an artist and I'm always being critiqued for my art. It doesn't feel good but I understood why Leigh was feeling the way she did. Though, she could be a little childish about it like I mentioned before. Another thing I liked was how the writing aspect tied up at the end. I won't spoil anything, but I was satisfied and glad where it ended.

I might have had my problems with this book, but I still found myself having a good time. I think if you go into this book with the mindset of the characters making bad decisions all the time, then you will enjoy it more. I just think I wasn't prepared to go into this with what it actually was going to be about. If you are looking for an enjoyable and quick read, this will for sure do the job. This is a good debut and I hope this author continues to grow. I'm for sure interested in reading whatever she puts out next!

3.25 stars

I absolutely loved this! Such a beautiful story and emotional writing. It had my stomach in knots so many times! There is so much angst here. How is this a debut?!? After reading this you're going to want to binge watch Gilmore Girls and listen to Taylor's The Tortured Poets Department. I'm excited to see what is next from Katie Naymon, I'll definitely be picking up whatever it is she's written.

wow. An absolutely stunning debut full of delicious sexual tension, angst, pining, and gorgeous prose that left my breathless. If you loved How to End a Love Story,or have always wished for a Gus/January prologue, THIS book is for you. Katie's writing is insightful, clever, and swoon worthy and I can't wait to read absolutely anything she writes.

I've been waiting to read this ever since it was announced, and oh boy, did it deliver!

The book follows Leigh and Will, who were once "rivals" in high school. They've seen each other here and there but haven't spent much time together since—until they both attend the same poetry program. They are both such complex characters with many flaws, which made this book even better. They felt real, and in many parts, I felt seen by both of them. As the program progresses, they start spending more time together and realize that maybe they never actually "hated" each other—maybe they both really liked each other but just never communicated properly. I loved how they started getting closer through their writing. Will's little comments on her notes had me giggling and kicking my feet in the air. I loved how their connection grew, even though I wanted to hit them in the head sometimes because EVERYONE could see they loved each other—except them. This book was such a delight to read, and I loved the writing so much. If you love angst, yearning, rivals-to-lovers, pining, and poetry, this book is for you.

Thank you so, so much to Forever for sending this my way. I truly loved it.

Ugh I loved!! The ONLY reason this did not get 5 stars was because I really really reaaallllyyy wanted to see Will's perspective!

The writing? Top tier. The plot? Amazing. The book itself? THANK YOU

I devoured this book, and since we've been hit with the hurricane and the power has been out, this is exactly what I needed today. The story was so smooth that I just flew through it. Honestly, I could not get enough.

Like where do I get my own Will???? I want the hot academic man too please universe, thank you! Back to the topic at hand- the characters were so amazing, and I loved them! Leigh and Will were perfect for each other (duh), but they were each great on their own, which made the book even better. They each had their own trauma, and while I wish we got to see more of Will's, we saw enough to not hate any of the people in this book (praise!)

I will absolutely be reading more of Katie's work, don't worry. If you got nothing from this review, know this: this one is for the English major girlies with impostor syndrome that want a hot academic man in a quarter-zip crew neck.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Grand Publishing for the eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for a digital ARC of You Between the Lines.

I'm sorry, but I did not like this at all. I should have stopped reading at 30% the first time I thought of it. I'm all for an unlikeable character because I love to see growth and transformation. The FMC was whiny, entitled, self-absorbed, adolescent, etc etc. & she didn't become likable until the epilogue. She really was insufferable. Based on the cover, I thought I was getting a romcom. When I learned there was no humor that was fine too, so a romance then. It's more about a 27-year-old complaining about not being good enough because a boy in high school critiqued her work. I rolled my eyes often, and the white male privilege was mentioned five too many times. I did like the MMC and my favorite character was the FMC high school best friend. The author has an MFA so while reading I thought, am I crazy? Hence why I continued. And why I gave two stars instead of one.

I stayed up wayyyyy too late binge reading this book but I just couldn’t put it down. I inhaled it! It was everything I love in a romance. Academic setting, second chance, 10 years of pining, let’s just get it out of our system…loved all the tropes here and the poetry element was fantastic! Love notes written in the margins of poems during critique? SWOON. Related to Leigh’s insecurities and adored Will’s character. Definitely pick this one up when it releases in February!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC. :)