This book left me speechless. Leigh’s personality, hopes, and dreams leap off the page, and I just want her to be happy! I especially loved reading each character’s poetry, which is a sentence I never thought I’d write. Also…who knew poetry could be so hot??

I am going to shove this down so many people’s throats, it’s going to be great. This was ridiculously enjoyable even with heavy themes mentioned and just damn, this was phenomenal.

I love Will so much.

I honestly wasn't sure if this book would be for me. I'm not a Swiftie and I'll admit that knowing the main character is a former sorority girl was a detail that made me think I would not relate to her. Well, it turns out I was being overly judgemental because Leigh turned out to be one of the most relatable characters I've read in a while.

I completely DEVOURED this book from the moment I started it. Reading it this week was such a moment of brightness during a dark time, and the level of joy this gave me was massive. This is truly a book for the Beach Read and You, With a View fans. The chemistry between Leigh and Will was so ridiculously good, and I'm going to remember some of the things they say to each other, their poems, and their feedback for a long time.

I'm just obsessed with these two and their vulnerability. Thank you so much to Forever for the ARC! This book wasn't on my radar until this got sent to me, and I'm so, so happy it was.

You Between The Lines was quite the journey. Main character Leigh is beginning an MFA program after leaving a unfulfilling corporate marketing career and unexpectedly is met with a high school crush/rival also attending the same MFA program.

Leigh’s character can be frustrating to read. She has a mountain of self doubt with no follow through. But this is a good sign of great writing on the author’s part. While frustrated, I was intrigued enough to continue reading her story.

Great slow burn, rivals, frenemies romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this romance. I couldn't put it down. I think the two characters are do different and fit well together. The pacing is fast and kept me engaged. Their banter and romantic moments were equally cute and I over all really really enjoyed this and can't wait for it to come out

Leigh has left her job to start an MFA program, only to discover that her high school crush(who gave her writing some very harsh criticism), is in the program too.

This was so beautifully written. The main characters writing was included throughout the book and it really added to the story. I loved the characters, including all the grad students in their program. I felt transported back to grad school in the best possible way.

Once I started reading, I could not put this book down. I loved absolutely everything about it. Easily the best romance book I’ve read this year. I don’t know how I’ll wait for Katie Naymon’s next book. This gets all the stars from me.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Leigh and Will have a past and that past is rocky. So when she is accepted to an MFA program she doesn't expect to see him there too. They are both poets and unfortunately Leigh can't forget what Will thinks of her. It is going to be interesting to see what WIlliam thinks of her now and if she can even stand to be in the same room with him. He is as infuriating as he is attractive and she's not ready for all he is bringing.
Will has had a crush on Leigh for as long as he can remember, but it has always been the wrong time with her. He knows she deserves so much more than him, but he can't help getting closer and closer to her again.
The enemies to lovers tension is there in spades and I loved these two and their banter so much. They just had a connection that couldn't be ignored and I loved seeing all the past connecting with the future and how sweet Will was. Both of these characters had tremendous baggage and I felt they both could do with some therapy, but they seemed to realise that they shouldn't be fighting against one another, but fighting for one another and it melted my heart.
Leigh's poems were amazing. I love reading poetry and this book had so much in it and it was so fun to be able to see what they were writing not just hear about it. 4.5 stars.
Thanks to Forever, Katie Naymon and Netgalley for an early copy.

I keep seeing great reviews of this one! Leigh starts a poetry MFA program, only to discover her high school crush is in the same program. And guess what, they hate each other.

I loved this book. The enemies to lovers tension was just right. If you loved Beach Read by @emilyhenrywrites, especially the fact that the MCs are writers, you'll love this book. It's just a little spicier. This was such a well done debut. I'll be reading everything Katie Naymon writes after this.

a book for everyone who loved the gus and january university years dynamic in beach read (which should be everyone ever, right?) we follow leigh and will who were somewhat acquainted in high school and present day are both poets in the same MFA program. i really loved the setting and experience of reading about an MFA cohort, it was rife for drama and tension between the leads, and the supporting characters were well-drawn. leigh and will are both complex and endearing characters with a lot of their own baggage and issues. i found some of the poetry excerpts to be a little cringe but i'm not the biggest poetry person to begin with so that checks out.

Beautiful story. Characters were written well and plot was entertaining! This was my first book by this author and I’m definitely excited to read more! 4 stars recommendation!

this is a dazzling debut for katie naymon!! her style of writing is very comparable to emily henry! i would definitely pick up her next book! this was one of the most beautifully written romance books I've read in a minute. everything felt intentional. i could tell a lot of thought went into each word written on the page.

i struggle with reading emotion so don't usually gravitate towards poetry since it oftentimes requires you to read between the lines to get the deeper meaning but i actually "got" it with leigh's poems.

i will say the slow burn was slow burning!! the angst was borderline talking too long for the reader to find it the history between leigh and will. we didn’t find out until like 46% of the book what happened the last time they say each other. BUT other than that, this was a delightful read :)

3.75 rounded up to 4.

This was a great debut! This was really well written, but I think a lot of time was spent talking about writing when I would have enjoyed a little more time with Leigh and Will. I'll be picking up what Katie writes next, though.

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.

Overall, I found this to be just okay.
Although the premise immediately drew me in with MFA students who know each other, like each other, and can't seem to keep their hands off each other, BUT refuse to really talk, the execution left me a bit wary.

Will & Leigh are interesting characters. I felt like I understood Leigh as the misunderstood sorority girl type who wanted to be seen as more than just shallow and cares about people's opinions about her a bit too much, but she is also tough to exist alongside as her decision making and POV left me utterly frustrated. While Will is our broody MMC who seems lovely, but also relatively flat given he has no POVs for further insight outside of Leigh's warped perspective. They're both kind of clueless, which is endearing at the beginning but gets to be a bit much towards the end.

The plot of them being a part of a two year MFA program was initially dreamy as they get to drop everything and just write to their heart's content and essentially live as college kids in their 30s, but that too gets drawn out with slow pacing as not much action happens to push the story and we're just walking through their first year together and taking class after class, writing poem after poem. The pacing was just very slow and I honestly couldn't identify a true climax nor did any of the external conflicts feel pressing. Like yes they both have mommy/daddy issues, but outside of that and normal school happenings? Nothing happens...

Regardless of the miscommunication and slow pacing, I think I would have loved this more if Leigh's growth & internal work was given more space and time and Will's point of view came across more clearly. But overall, if you're looking for a small college town romance with artsy MCs and battling poems, this may be the one for you!

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

**Review of *You Between the Lines* by Katie Naymon**

Katie Naymon’s *You Between the Lines* is a sparkling gem of a novel that perfectly captures the chaotic and often hilarious journey of finding your voice in a world full of pretentious literary types. Meet Leigh, our charmingly flawed protagonist, who’s just been accepted into a prestigious MFA program in North Carolina—much to her own astonishment. As a former sorority girl who knows more about the lyrical genius of Taylor Swift than the greats of poetry, Leigh's entry into this elite literary realm feels a bit like a cat showing up at a dog show. And trust me, it’s as delightful as it sounds.

From the get-go, Naymon gifts us with Leigh’s sharp, self-deprecating humor that makes her feel like an old friend—one who’s constantly grappling with imposter syndrome while trying to pretend she belongs. Surrounded by her tattooed, turtleneck-wearing classmates who can quote T.S. Eliot in their sleep, Leigh’s insecurities bubble to the surface, especially when her high school nemesis, Will (now fabulously rebranded as “William”), reappears like a bad penny. I mean, who wouldn’t feel a little shaken when their crush-turned-rival strolls into orientation in a pretentious sweater vest and an aura of literary superiority?

The tension between Leigh and Will is electric, and Naymon masterfully turns their rivalry into a delightful dance of sarcasm and simmering attraction. When Will submits an intimate poem that might just be about Leigh, you can practically hear the literary alarm bells ringing. Suddenly, Leigh is forced to confront not just Will’s pretentiousness, but the fact that he might just be more than the annoying boy who once crushed her hopes in a poetry workshop. The chemistry between them sizzles, igniting a connection that neither of them saw coming—and it’s utterly delicious.

As Leigh hustles to prove herself and secure the coveted fellowship, the narrative becomes a witty commentary on ambition, identity, and the messy, beautiful struggle of growing up. Naymon captures the essence of a writer's life—where the lines between ambition and insecurity often blur, and every rejection feels like a personal tragedy.

Ultimately, *You Between the Lines* is a charmingly witty exploration of love, self-discovery, and the delightful chaos of chasing your dreams. Naymon’s writing is sharp, clever, and filled with enough laugh-out-loud moments to make you want to read passages aloud to your friends (or just to your cat, no judgment here). This book isn’t just a love story; it’s a celebration of finding your voice—complete with all the messiness and magic that entails. Grab a copy and dive into this delightful literary escapade; I promise you’ll come out smiling and maybe humming a Taylor Swift tune or two!

Katie Naymon's debut novel, You Between the Lines, is the most heartwarming friends to enemies to lovers story that you'll ever read and it had me squealing with joy the entire time. I know 2025 is shaping up to be an amazing year for the book community, but Katie's debut needs to be on your radar. It's a must-read and I will be counting down the days until my physical copy lands on my doorstep so I can re-read it and squeal in delight over and over again.

I love Leigh. She's a former sorority girl filled with insecurities--some of which I know all too well--that she's been able to ignore until meeting Will again at their MFA program orientation. I love Will, too. I mean, how can I not love a man that has literally pined for the girl he loves since high school?! The tension between the two at the orientation is so intense that I wondered if someone could drop dead from merely staring at one another. It was in this moment that I knew I was hooked and I wouldn't be able to put the book down until I finished the story of Leigh and Will.

Leigh comes to the MFA program to escape her soul-sucking job as a copywriter. She sees this program as her chance to become creative again and write without the corporate world sticking her into a restrictive bubble. Her poetry is a magically fresh and she has an unbelievable talent for weaving pop culture references and lyrics into her poetry. It's vastly different from most of the poets that come to mind (think straight, white, male poets), but still, she's holding back from who she can truly be because she's afraid of rejection. And that rejection, it began with Will in a high school writing class.

Will comes to the MFA program to prove to himself (and, in a way, to his deceased father) that he is a poet. He sees this program as a way to right a wrong he made in college and find himself again. His poetry largely focuses on the relationships in his life and the regrets he has in how they ended. All he's ever wanted is his father's acceptance and he can never have that now. But maybe, if he can get out of his own head for long enough, he can fix the other relationship that's occupied his head space since high school.

I loved watching the story of Leigh, the story of Will, and the story of Leigh and Will unfold through flashbacks and present day. Leigh and Will are highly relatable characters and everyone, myself included, will find a part of themselves in Leigh and Will. And, I absolutely love that moment when two people are pulled closer and closer together and then one of them decides to just go for it (AKA, the "f*ck it" moment). I swoon every single time.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for this e-ARC. Without a doubt, everyone should pick up a copy of Katie's debut on 2/18/25!

Single POV
Setting: MFA English program in eastern North Carolina

Tropes:
High school crush
Missed chances
Forced proximity
Daddy issues (his)

TW: anxiety rep, death of a parent

I needed to wait a bit to review this because I couldn’t figure out if I loved it or hated it. I am settling on a very strong like.

We meet Leigh and Will from Ohio find another for the second time post high school.
It took me a while to warm up to Will. I wasn’t sure if I could trust him. But I think that’s because this story is through Leigh’s POV.

Leigh people pleases so much it was giving me anxiety.
It’s hard to get a read on her (pun intended) when she isn’t honest with herself or others. She constantly presents herself in a way she thinks will be best received; chasing gratification and positive feedback. However, she cannot handle constructive feedback, and while she is 27/28 years old in an MFA writing program, she has an immature mindset/self image. Leigh was self-obsessed with putting herself down for being a sorority girl during undergrad. She paints being a sorority girl as negative, shallow, and also something everyone is judging her for. Girl, I need you to look internally and ask yourself why you believe that. Some of the smartest and kindest women I know were in sororities.

As with anyone who attends grad school, friendly competition in your program is still competition. But with Leigh: everything in life is a competition. She believes she is the best and then spirals when she realizes she’s not the best and denies others their greatness. When in reality, she constantly was in her own way. I can’t knock Will’s criticism of her writing.

I liked that she is in therapy, and while her therapist has given her the necessary tools to break old habits, we all know that’s easier said than done. This is a HEA and she does have her ah-hah moment(s). The ending felt a bit rushed, but the storyline was great and had me invested in their career paths and a will they/wont they.

While this review seems critical it’s only because I really went back and forth on this love/hate with Leigh and Will. But I truly did enjoy them in the end.

Side note: It’s sauce. Not gravy.🙄

3.5 ⭐️
1 🌶️

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Book Group/Forever for this eARC.

I haven’t been obsessed with a book in a long time but I am OBSESSED with this one. Leigh and Will who haven’t seen each other in years end up in the same MFA program. While not necessarily enemies their relationship is strained. Watching their relationship evolve throughout the book was beautiful but also frustrating in a good way. I LOVED all the Taylor Swift/One Direction references. Leigh overcoming how she sees herself and her relationships with her parents and others was a difficult journey but one that I felt deeply. Will having to sort out his feelings for Leigh while also dealing with his unresolved feelings over his father was an incredible journey to watch.
The only thing I struggled with was Leigh’s situation with Lucas. It had, what I felt like, a rushed/incomplete ending. It didn’t detract from the book, but I felt something was missing.
Loved all the side characters in the MFA program and Gen!

4.5/5
Lyndsay Rush & Raquel Franco are my favourite poets so reading a romance where the FMC writes just like them was a perfect palate cleanser after binging on fantasy all October. Leigh and Will were so relatable- their struggles and personal lives especially. Even though this was chock full of my least favourite tropes, I really loved it. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

This book had a great premise. The poetry throughout was interesting and helped add to the story. The chemistry between the leads was off the charts. However, the female protagonist felt much younger than her 27 years during the majority of the novel. At times it was so distracting and obvious that it took me out of the story. I don't think it needed to be that heavy-handed. The ending did redeem the story for me, though.

I devoured this. Katie Naymon writes so beautifully, and Will is an ultimate broody boy. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and I can honestly say it’ll be one of the best books to come out next year. Her characters are so relatable and I found myself relating to Leigh constantly. Absolutely loved. Cannot wait to see what this author releases next.