This was an easy, quick read. But I found the plot to be slow and the characters (mostly the FMC) were too immature.

I would rate this book like 3.75/4 stars! I loved the premise, and that it’s definitely a book about books! I really found myself relating to the avoidant measures taken in this book, and the defensive nature you can take when you get scared. I found myself at times being beyond frustrated with Leigh, I think her judgmental nature makes her a bit unlikable at times. However, I say this knowing that I am very similar to her so I know my frustration was at seeing someone act how I would act. Lol. That being said, this book felt a bit cathartic for me!

Such a fantastic read! It was splendidly sweet and heartfelt and the slow burn romance was such a fun touch for this academia based novel.

As someone who is also in grad school, I LOVE reading books where the setting is academia themed (hi love hypothesis).

First, Leigh is completely relatable. You definitely question her choices and self sabotaging behaviors but after reading more and more, you come to understand the why in a different light. She’s someone who is looking forward to a fresh start after witnessing the downfall of her parents’ marriage and leaving a job that wasn’t right for her. She never would have thought she’d end up in the same program as Will, her old high school crush.

Will, what can I even say. The tension between these two: I was living for it. He is someone who I WISH had a pov in this book because he is someone who has also struggled and is looking to find his voice after some regrettable choices.

There’s angst, tension, romance, sooo lyrical as the characters are literal poets so the writing just flowed insanely well. Their relationship also progressed in such a natural and realistic way that I appreciated.

You Between the Lines is beautifully written. It has captivated me and I’m so excited for what Katie Naymon writes next. Leigh and Will’s story is beautiful and I find both of their characters very relatable. The best read to close out my 2024 reading year.

I really went into this book with high hopes. I loved the first few chapters and looked forward to getting to know the characters. But then I really started to get to know the two main characters and I wasn’t in love. I really couldn’t get past how immature the FMC was. She acted like a spoiled child through most of the book. It almost made me put down the book several times. I knew we would get to see her grow and change by the end, but it was honestly too much for me. She judged every single character in a negative way during the book. I kept thinking she was the pretentious one, not the other way around.

I also didn’t feel much for the MMC for most of the book. I wanted more to why they fell for each other as teenagers. What drew them to each other? Maybe some flashbacks to their high school days would have allowed me to see more of a connection between them from the start.

I honestly bumped this up to 3 stars because of the ending. I liked how we finally get to see the FMC see the good in people. It’s just a shame that she was so unlikeable for most of the book. I will give this author another try since I liked the writing style. I also liked the concept of the book, but these characters were a major miss for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Forever, and Katie Naymon for an advanced copy of this book.

I wanted to like this novel more but unfortunately it felt very similar to "Not in my Book" by Katie Holt but with a second chance feel as Leigh & Will are from the same high school.

The two are enemies from high school who find themselves in the same poetry MFA program years later. Leigh is a party girl turned poet after experiencing a quarter life crisis and I just couldn't relate to her at all as I found her immature and dismissive. Will was very pretentious and rude to everyone in this book so from the first few chapters I didn't really care about either character 🤣

This is probably a me problem and not a problem with this book but it wasn't for me.

You Between the Lines* by Katie Naymon

You Between the Lines was the perfect final read for 2024! Katie Naymon absolutely nailed it with her debut novel. This book is packed with angst and tension that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

Leigh and Will’s story completely drew me in. Their struggles and growth felt so authentic, making it easy to root for them both individually and together. Leigh is a wonderfully complex character—you might find yourself frustrated with some of her choices, but the deeper you go into the story, the more you understand the layers of her personality and the pain she’s working through. And Will? He’s such a beautifully written character, supportive and kind, yet so real that he leaps off the page.

It gave me all the Gus and January feels in the best way. Watching their relationship develop was deeply satisfying, and I couldn’t get enough of their dynamic. If you’re looking for a heartfelt, tension-filled read to end the year on a high note, this one’s for you!

Thanks to Forever for the ARC! WOW! This book was incredible! I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was absolutely blown away! The book follows Leigh as she embarks on journey to get an MFA in poetry. She has always had a love for writing, and poetry specifically, but has never really seemed her self worthy or smart enough to pursue it. She loves reading and writing, but her interests seem less academic to her compared to peers. As a former High School English teacher and English major, I so relate to this! Her career as a copywriter has left her feeling stifled and so she decides to go for it. When she arrives she is definitely feeling imposter syndrome and runs into her high school crush and the "one that got away" Will. They haven't seen each other in 6 years and him being there definitely throws her off. As the book follows her journey at school, it also follows her relationship with Will. I have never read a book where I loved the "will they or won't they" so much! And goodness, who knew a scene where they almost hold hands and nothing more could be so seductive?
This one is a love story of two very imperfect people who are placing their self worth on the wrong people and things. They are flawed and they eventually come together and it is just beautiful! I saw a lot of myself in Leigh with her desire to feel wanted and desired and worthy. The ending of this one was also just beautiful as well. An added bonus was all if the poetry sprinkled throughout , too! I cannot wait to read more by Katie Naymon! Infinity stars!

“Are you drunk? I’m a poet.”

YOU BETWEEN THE LINES is a Taylor Swift coded romance. Actual tortured poets. A yearning between lovers that you’ll feel through the pages and it’ll cut right to your soul. Have I sold you yet?

It’s no secret that I love romance books. I read, like, a lot of them. I haven’t felt this way about a book in a VERY LONG TIME. It’s got great tropes, like second chance romance, academic rivals turned lovers, and fated love to name a few. There’s mental health rep, which always scores points in my book. But what really sold me was how this story tapped into a place that I didn’t realize was there in creating Leigh’s character and how X describes the emotional and mental journey of a love-hate relationship with writing. As the little girl that wrote short stories in her bedroom that inspired huge dreams revolving around writing, who won her school’s spelling bee and was rewarded for her creativity at an early age, I felt seen in so much of this story. And as someone who pursued a career in PR within an agency setting and watched the joy and passion for writing devolve with every tight deadline and client criticism, Leigh’s journey to discovering her writing roots again but in a nurturing and fulfilling way felt very relatable to my current journey (minus the brooding, sexy what if guy – still waiting for that part!). The chemistry between Will and Leigh is off the charts and I was kicking my feet the way they would communicate and flirt through writing feedback for each other in the margins of their work. Oh, to be two yearning poets in love.

As a current Clevelander (and Ohio born and raised gal), I’d be remiss not to remark on the boatload of Cleveland/Ohio rep! I couldn’t get enough of the references to 216 landmarks, from the Cleveland Museum of Art to the Rocky River Reservation, it made the story that much more special and I absolutely loved seeing my city represented!

“I wasn’t the most popular or the prettiest, but I did write Cuyahoga County’s third-best short story for a seventh grader.” Swap Cuyahoga Co. for Stark Co. and this singular quote just managed to chalk up my childhood and the start of a tumultuous relationship with writing at an early age.

Thoughts after reading included: I need a therapist like Bridget and a ride or die like Gem and a YBTL playlist would go so hard!

@foreverpub what’s a girl gotta do for a physical copy of YBTL bc I’m intensely waving all my family’s Romanian recipes and secrets in your direction but in a hopeful and filled with gratitude way.

A touching reading about second chances, accepting new family dynamics, and learning to be yourself. The characters are very likable, but have real world problems. This book caught my attention and kept it the whole time.


I voluntarily read an early copy.

This is book is exactly what I needed! The yearning and the history was written so well, you can feel the tension flying off the pages. The poetry was written o beautifully you could see the real talent of the author in the way it was weaved in throughout. The pink. scene!!!! it's giving Mr. Darcy hand; flex. The turn of phrases stood out to me and I could really visualize the writing with the potent imagery. Love it!

Will & Leigh, my soft-hearted, thirsty poets. I love them. Beautiful prose, sensitive characters, delicious romance and yearning. I couldn't put this one down.

This book rewired my brain chemistry. The slow-burn, longing, tension-filled romance set against the backdrop of a competitive MFA program was everything the bookish people-pleaser girls want—and Will! Oh, Will. The perfect secretly vulnerable and outwardly very hot book boyfriend. So many gorgeous lines, red-hot chemistry, and raw, redemptive healing. Naymon is a stunning debut to watch.

Wow, I absolutely loved and adored this book! It actually reminded me of one of my favorite authors- Jessica Joyce. Some romance authors just have a way with words, and it’s really great when you can connect with a character. I personally felt connected to the MFC Leigh. I understood her anxiety, the people pleasing, and not feeling like you’re ever good enough- man I felt that in my bones.
I loved the relationship between Will and Leigh. The back and forth. The ANGST. He was PINING and I loved it! One of my favorite reads of the year! Can’t wait to add a physical copy to my bookshelf!

I've been hearing about this book and I was excited to read it. I just don't think this is the right book for me. I found all of the characters to be kind of immature, and maybe I just have higher expectations for a book about an MFA program. This is the second book about an MFA program that I've read lately that I really didn't enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for this ARC!

I'd classify this book as a drama/romance, heavy on the internal drama and relationship drama. The main characters have a lot of baggage that they are working through. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

oh, I absolutely adored this book. It’s already going into the 2025 favorites pile (since it comes out in 2025). Thank you to Netgalley for my early copy of this! I loved the writing style and the subject. I have such a soft spot for books about writers - and in this case, we get TWO writers in love! As someone that majored in creative writing and sat in many poetry workshops, those scenes were so fun and personal to read.

I had a love/hate relationship with Leigh, because she emotionally deprives herself of happiness to avoid future harm. It’s just not something I relate to, but I could understand her actions… I’m glad she came around though because Will utterly adored her from the beginning. I loved their dynamic. Will, also not perfect, had his flaws, but he was so fun to read for me.

I adored this book!! Leigh and Will were both such lovable characters and the tension was SO GOOD. I loved seeing the flashbacks to high school and undergrad and how they reconnected after so many years. I was kicking my feet as they communicated through their poetry to each other. The found family with their fellow students was amazing, and the characters all felt very realistic and relatable. Also, how can you resist this gorgeous cover?!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have only seen raving early reviews for this one and mine won’t be much different. I really, really enjoyed the book. What I liked especially was that poetry was such an integral part of the story and that somehow the slowness of some of the writing contributed to the dreaminess of the story to some extent, at least in my view. I liked the whole cast of characters even though I found some to not have gotten enough spotlight. The 2 main characters felt so real and relatable, and especially Leigh fulfilled that brief. She being so insecure in her inter human connections and her self doubts here and there and her underestimation of her own abilities. The reader experiences a very real person in this character and it is great to read her story. Further, Will I had my difficult time to connect with in the beginning but his character development is really great and especially how everything turns out in the end, not spoiling of course! All in all I can just add to the pool of very happy reviews for this book and I hope it gets the attention it deserves after pub day.

(A review will be posted on my accounts in February before pub date)

I have been sitting with my thoughts for a several days now on how to put into words how good this book is. I kept seeing it everywhere and when I got approved, I could finally belong and understand that all the hype is so very well deserved. Katie gave us the most beautiful and raw main characters. For a person that hadn't enjoyed poetry in the past, this book was written in a way that made me want to keep reading their poems and how they professed their loved for each other through them. Katie appealed to my senses and emotions in such a genuine way. I wish everybody could experience the absolute privilege of being changed by this book.