If you, like me, want your contemporary romance with a healthy (??? is it??) helping of angst and pain and pining this book is for you!

As someone who is basically a Taylor Swift hater, I went into this thinking I wasn’t going to like it but I was sent a book so I was just gonna try it out… and I ended up crying, relating, and loving it.

I combo read this with audio and the narrator was so great, there are a lot of characters and she did a great job of giving them distinct voices and also her Will voice uhhhh does something for me 😳.

Thank you Forever for the eARC and finished copy, and Hachette audio for the ALC!!

LOVE LOVE LOVED this book! The tension! The chemistry! The yearning!!!
Beautifully written, and I highly recommend!!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the eARC and Hachette Audio for the ALC.

I wish I had liked this one. But I think I’m a little too much of a STEM girly for most of You Between the Lines.

There is so much about poetry, and composition, and writing, and I felt like my eyes were glazing over. But I think I could have persevered and continued had I enjoyed the main characters—at all.

Leigh is a ‘pick me’ girl; always judging and putting down others in her classes. Acting like she’s better because she wears pink and listens to current pop music. And she PINES for Will, despite acting like he’s the devil. It’s like whiplash at times.

And Will? He gives off so many mixed signals. While I appreciate him being open about his depression and treatment (and I wish we all could talk about it more freely), he still felt like bland and forgettable.

Sorry, despite the great narrator, I couldn’t finish.

Admittedly, I had really high expectations for this. I saw a lot of good reviews, and I loved the premise-- rivals in a poetry MFA program fall in love. Ultimately this fell flat.

Leigh has always wanted to be a writer, but in her high school creative writing class, Will describes her writing as "all style no substance." As she had a huge crush on him at the time, this shatters her and is the reason for their rival status. When they end up in the same MFA program, feelings resurface.

Leigh was an unlikable main character, and her and WIll together were really toxic--this was not a couple that I can imagine surviving beyond the page. With the writing critique and workshopping plot line, I kept comparing this to Beach Read and the Roughest Draft and it came up short. Maybe thats not a fair comparison, but I couldn't stop thinking about how much better those two are. I'm also not a big fan of poetry, and did not connect with any of the poems shared in the book.

All in all I can see why some folks really love this, but unfortunately it was not for me!

2.5/5 rounded up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever publishing for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

*Thank you @netgalley and @katienaymonwrites for the eARC in exchange for an honest review 🫶

If your insufferable highschool crush (that you kissed 6 years ago) got into the same MFA program as you and was competing for the same prestigious writing fellowship as you, what would you do? ✍️

Leigh and Will have been writing poems since highschool, where they met. The two writers’ pens are unique and utterly different, creating much discord and tension between them - as lustful as can be ❤️‍🔥

It is Katie Naymon’s first book and I fell in love with her writing style - it clearly shows her own experience as an MFA poet herself! It was super flowery and poetic, which served the plot beautifully 🌸

I loved both of the main characters : Leigh, the people pleaser and pop culture addict (cuz same), and Will, the authentic and tender poet! They were both so fascinated by one another, it made my heart hurt ❤️‍🩹

I’d say this is around (3.5 🌟) I enjoyed the story and appreciated the mental health representation. I felt like the descriptions were well done and enjoyed the writing style for the most part but at times the descriptions were over done. Loved the side characters but sometimes I did grow a little frustrated with the FMC, she is in this program but gets so triggered by any critique. Honestly she seemed a little immature at times for the age she was. She was very focused on her parents divorce and at times felt that she was unfair to her mother. The miscommunication went on for too long and I just wanted to shake them. Will was nice. I wasn’t too invested by the end I was a bit frustrated.

The hype does not lie with this one. Wow. I say with full confidence that this is one of the best contemporary romances that I've read in YEARS. The writing was beautiful, the pacing perfect, the chemistry scorching. I enjoy a lot of books without feeling fully vested in the characters but I found myself truly vested in Leigh and Will's love story. Leigh was just so relatable! The original poetry added a little pizzazz to a book that, quite frankly, didn't need it because it was perfection.

Thank you to Forever for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own!

I picked this up after hearing a friend recommend it several times. I think this is a really strong debut for Katie and others will really enjoy this!

One thing I really enjoyed is just how angsty this book is. There is so much sexual tension between Leigh and Will and it was absolutely delicious. I also felt like there was great commentary on the concept of imposter syndrome, especially in creative spaces like an MFA program. I loved the concept of surface level vs reading between the lines in terms of personality and vulnerability.

However, I felt like the pacing was a bit strange at times (we had some pretty big time skips) and overall, I wanted even more scenes of Will and Leigh together to really emphasize their tension.

The writing in this was really romantic though and there's quite a bit of Swiftie references for the girlies, so I see this being a really popular release and I certainly look forward to what else Katie does after this one.

This is about two poets in an MFA program competing for a fellowship- BUT they were also rivals in high school.

This is your typical rivals to lovers trope- but add in poetry. It was very well written, and I enjoyed Leigh the FMC and Will the MMC. Their tension was great, and really enjoyed the dynamic between them. However I had to keep reminding myself of their age, as they read more immature than their 30's. At times I wanted to give them a shake and yell "communicate!!!".
I'm not typically into poetry and the book focuses heavily on this (obviously). I think if you are a writer or a poetry reader- you will LOVE this book.
For me-it was a quick read and well written, but not one that will stand out for me.

3.75 stars from me!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever books for the early copy. This releases February 18th!

I've come to realize that I enjoy a particular type of contemporary romance and I think I like it when things are lighter and banter flows between the MCs. I loved the synopsis of this book, and it has made me rethink poetry but I found that the characters were hard to identify with, and it led to a lot.of confusion and angst in a way. William and Leigh have known each other in the past but something Will said in high school changed their relationship. The first person POV had so many mixed signals I stopped caring. I also found her whole view of being not good enough overbearing... But maybe her whole imposter syndrome hit too close to home. I found it ironic that there's so much not spoken by Will and he keeps letting her put words in his mouth and then shrug and walk away. Then they get back together (i.e. hook up) and then break it off again. I also find it hard to believe that Leigh is so sensitive to feedback on her poetry after studying it for years. Wouldn't they have done this in her undergrad program as well? Anyway, her character development seems very stunted until right near the end and then it's breakthrough city! We didn't see it coming! Neither did her therapist!

If the author wants us to feel the confusion of Leigh's emotions, then she has succeeded. The pull of Will and Leigh feel so inevitable, and when they get together it's so hot, even if it's pinkies and thighs grazing or touching... The Victorian feel of these scenes are quite fitting given they are studying poetry for their MFA. Also, who knew there was so much drinking in the program?

I'm glad they figured out their relationship and the ending and epilogue were satisfying if cheesy. This could make for a good movie as a main character's downward spiral plays out a lot better on screen for me personally. Thank you to Forever for the ARC, I was really anticipating this read.

Steam: 🔥🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️

The cover of this book instantly had my attention & once I read the blurb, I immediately requested an ARC! 💜📖

You Between the Lines follows Leigh Simon, a poet, who has just been accepted into an MFA program for poetry. When she arrives at Perrin to meet everyone else that has been accepted into the program, she sees a familiar face that she hasn’t seen in years. Will Langford, Leigh’s high school crush, has also been accepted into the program & she doesn’t know what to do when she sees him after so many years. These two are trying to navigate old (& maybe current👀) feelings, all while working side by side to compete for a fellowship with Leigh’s idol & favorite poet.

This book was really cute! I definitely found myself crying towards the end. There are so many things happening in this book outside of the romance & I loved every second of it. Don’t get me wrong, the romance was awesome & as much as I hate miscommunication or not explaining how you feel, I know it was so necessary for their story. The growth these two have as individuals is amazing to see. As someone who has a lot of similar traits to Leigh, it hit me right in the feels🥹 I felt like the therapy sessions with Bridget were for me😂

I would definitely recommend & I will for sure be reading more by Katie Naymon in the future!💜

Thank you to NetGalley, Katie Naymon & Forever Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

a million stars

I am not a writer so I do not have the words to express the absolutely gorgeous prose in this book. The writing is beautiful and poetic, it makes me want to come up with metaphors for every little thing in my life. I found this book to be not only incredibly romantic but also vulnerable and inspiring and deep. Being able to see both MCs struggle with their own self-worth, passions, and family relationships was a nice parallel between them - and honestly this is impressive as hell for a single POV romance. Will was incredibly fleshed out despite never being able to see into his mind beyond the poems he submits. I also am low-key in love with Leigh's therapist. You can tell the author has an MFA (but is also so unpretentious that I'm in love).

If you love Emily Henry, I truly think this is for you. Just so good and gorgeously written.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

I didn’t love this one. The MFA group was probably very accurate but they were annoying to me. Leigh’s detest of Will because of feedback on one piece of writing was so extreme and petty. I just couldn’t get into the story. I do think a lot of people will love it though and I will definitely recommend.

These debut authors are knocking it out of the park! These characters are so real with their flaws and insecurities, which is what makes them relatable, beautiful and perfect. It was beautiful to see how these two poets worked towards finding their voice (in their career and life), while realizing they have been pining for each other for years. The people pleasers, tortured poets and perfectionists will love this one.

📖Yearning
📖The ANGST!
📖MFA students / rivals
📖Anxiety, therapy, mental health rep
📖Taylor Swift love
📖“Let’s get it out of our system”
📖Former high school classmates
📖Classmates / found family

Katie Naymon has a new fan, and I can’t wait to read what she writes next!

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the arc!

I always love the “not quite second chance”, more like a redo, where the main characters weren’t together previously but did have a moment. Naymon told an engaging story letting us slowly learn what happened between them. I enjoyed the push and pull between Leigh and William. I love when the characters have to work for their relationship.

It was hard to see Leigh struggle so much with her confidence. She didn’t feel like she was as talented as the other poets in her program, she didn’t feel like Will could actually want her long term or be as attracted to her as she was to him. Her parents’ divorce was also really tough.

I was glad to see Leigh in therapy on page, which is something I think we as a society are still trying to normalize. I loved the tension between Leigh and William.

Rivals to lovers-and poety. Leigh and Will met in high school and hadn't seen each other in years until they found themselves in the same MFA program and competing for a fellowship. Know that there's poetry woven through the novel (what a treat) and that there's some interesting (to me) insight into writing programs (and peer review). The focus though is on this pair whose banter is good and who you know will eventually find their way to romance. Naymon doe a nice job with mental health issues. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good storytelling makes for a good read.

All in all this was a fun romance read, great for the Valentines season. Leigh, was a little annoying, she was constantly putting herself down, and I know there was a point to it, she was seeing a therapist. I’ve also realized after reading this one, that I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope, Will and Leigh just needed to spit out what they were thinking, they could’ve gotten together even sooner. And after the epilogue, I was asking for more.

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 1/5 🌶️

Thank you to Forever, Grand Central Publishing, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a wonderful debut novel! You Between the Lines was such an amazing introduction to Katie Naymon’s writing! I was so invested in Leigh and Will’s story throughout. I truly enjoyed following along with their story, the overall plot, the poetry, and everything in between!

Leigh, the FMC, is accepted to a prestigious MFA program and is surprised that her high school crush, Will, is also there. The depth of this one is incredible and it really feels like we get to know the MCs closely. With the separation of Leigh’s parents and the passing of Will’s father, each of them is working to navigate changing circumstances/families and grief while adapting to a challenging MFA program. They are also rivals and are competing for a spot in a highly coveted fellowship.

What was especially notable about the story was how both Will and Leigh have their own struggles, yet they are simultaneously kind, humorous, and witty. Going from rivals to lovers made the banter, tension, and chemistry so much stronger. The romantic moments between them were so heartfelt! Seeing them grow, break down their walls, and get an opportunity to be together after so many years was so special! There was some miscommunication between them but it was navigated very well.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this one! It’s especially perfect if you love a book where there are two writer MCs, a rivals to lovers trope, an academic setting, and mental health rep!

You Between the Lines was a fine book. In this story, Leigh is in grad school, where her insecurities of writing come out when a former high school crush turned nemesis, Will, who once tore her essay apart, joins her in her MFA program.

Filled with poetry and writing workshops, we get the inside feeling of what it feels to receive peer feedback of something that you worked hard on and believed to be good, but where everyone else sees flaws. When in Leigh's head, the portrayal of that anxiety was real. Almost too real where I felt like I was back in undergrad English class myself, one class I did not look forward to. The writing assignments Leigh would receive and the anxiety on page felt like my own which I did not enjoy reading at all. The other thing that was a turn off for me was the Taylor Swift referenced poems. I didn't think they portrayed her likeness well, especially one that is an ongoing issue for Taylor who doesn't need more people adding to it.

The romance in the story was nice, and I did enjoy Leigh's story arc relating to the opinions of others towards yourself.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for an opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This one is for the pathological people pleasers. The ones molding and shaping themselves into whatever they perceive others want from them, and are experts at it. For the ones who self-sabotage so much that they’re a self-fulfilling prophecy of their own worst fears. Take a deep breath. Breathe in self imposed expectations and breathe out self love and kindness. Change is possible, even after all this time.

This book is a master class in yearning. In stolen touches,longing glances, the brushing of lips, and whispered, vulnerable words. So tender yet buzzing with electricity. A slow and wonderful burn leading to an explosion of light that is all consuming.

The poetry woven throughout. The memory of things said and unsaid. It’s all so evocative. Will and Leigh are everything.
They feel inevitable. In every universe they would find each other. It’s kismet. And after 10 years of missed moments and 10 years of longing for the other, this is their moment.

“Am I just supposed to do this forever?”
“Fall and get back up? Yeah, I think so. What other choice do we have, ya know?”
Everything about this book is earnest trying and resiliency.

If you’ve ever identified with or over analyzed a Taylor Swift lyric, this book is for you. If you’ve ever identified with Amy March (little women), this book is for you. If you’ve ever desperately wanted your therapist to like you, this book is for you. If you ever thought a wrist was sexy, this book is for you.

Grab an iced lavender latte, this book, and your favorite Taylor Swift album and get reading!