Thank you to ForeverPub and NetGalley for making this arc copy available in exchange for an honest review!

You Between the Lines follows Leigh as she begins a poetry MFA program in North Carolina. Enter William—Will—someone Leigh used to know in high school, a rival if you will, who now also happens to be a part of her poetry cohort. Both characters are dealing with their own issues and insecurities, and yet seem to be more similar than they realize.

Leigh felt relatable, struggling with self-doubt, feeling as if not worthy of being part of the program. There were moments where she was scared of people judging her, invalidating her work, and in the process of this insecurity she ended up doing the same to others (and later becomes self-aware of course). It felt realistic to have someone so wrapped up in their head that they closed themselves off to possibilities.
I was probably one chapter in when I knew how special this book was going to be. I could feel the characters and the humor coming off the page. I was quite literally giggling and kicking my feet, okay? I couldn’t get enough of it.

Don’t even get me started on Will. “I was born eight pounds, eight ounces, and eighteen inches long—which is to say, both too much and not enough.” What a sentence! The passing of notes in the margins of their assignments. Stolen glances. Moments where they find themselves alone (halloween party I’m looking at you). A farmers market and a corn maze. I was (and still am) obsessed!
I loved the writing cohort as a whole, the way they felt truly like a found family—they had my heart! I loved the scenes where they discussed their work in length, it’s probably the English major in me.

The setting and the circumstances felt all very raw and real and I couldn’t get enough of it. I read this in a 24 hour time frame which is extremely rare for me, so let that be a testament to how obsessed I was with the characters and the writing. Katie Naymon you have my heart and I will read anything you write from now on! This book is out February 18, 2025, trust me you’ll want to read it!

Poetry, angst, chemistry - I loved it!

Leigh can’t quite believe she got into a MFA program that accepts five poetry students a year. She is intimidated and excited until she finds out that her high school crush, whose criticism she has never forgotten (or quite gotten over), is part of her cohort. Things are awkward for a while, then they become a little friendly, and there seems to be potential for more if only Leigh and Will can learn to open up.

This was a joy to read. I adored the MFA/poetry writing plot. Leigh’s analyses of Will’s work to see if he was writing about her was funny (and somehow relatable). I also loved the little written comments and messages back and forth during workshop sessions and how their relationship progressed (though it also zigzagged, perhaps one too many times). Leigh and Will are so different and yet make so much sense together thanks to the author’s thoughtful storytelling. 4.5 stars.

Thank you very much to Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

A woman and a man in a writing program, where the woman has a grudge against the man for being too critical of her writing. Am I talking about Beach Read by Emily Henry? No, lol.

Leigh feeling so dumb and inadequate on the first day of class brought back such a visceral memory of being in law school and feeling completely out of my depth.

I still don’t understand what took these two so long to get together. They explicitly tell the other how much they think about them, and for how long they’ve desired the other. And then just…? Both of them refusing to believe the other genuinely likes them? Over and over, across 10 years. Exhausting.

Leigh’s insecurity and anxiety and inaction are so stressful to read, but at least the author knows what’s up, with the stone cold reads delivered by William, Gen, and Bridget the therapist. (I really liked William a whole lot.) Like this line from William:
“Leigh, sometimes I feel like this is just a self-fulfilling prophecy with you. You’re looking for reasons why this won’t work, and I have to be honest, it’s pushing me away.”
(this quote is from an advanced copy, so it may change)

Taking all of that together, it sounds like I didn’t like the book, which is not accurate. I liked that Leigh matured and grew more confident interpersonally and in her writing. By far her biggest flaw was her insecurity, so seeing her work through it felt rewarding. I also enjoyed a lot of the side characters (not Leigh's parents, god). And, surprisingly, I didn't mind all the poetry, which I normally hate reading in a book (though I definitely agree that Leigh's earlier poems seemed surface-level).

The debut novel is a powerful and emotional and heart-wrenching read, yet beautifully written. Kate Naymon writing in truly fantastic, leaving me in awe that this is her first book. The way in which she crafts her characters is done so beautifully, adding depth to the story in a way that enhances the overall experience.

This book follows two characters Leigh and Will who were once ‘rivals ‘ in highschool but years later they met each other at a MFA program. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about both the , as their characters were incredibly relatable. Both were dealing with personal challenges , making the progression of their relationship understandable and natural. things in their life’s so understanding the progress of their relationship taking it slowly to get into a relationship was really understandable. At times you might question Leigh’s actions and notice how she tends to self sabotage in certain situations . However the more you read the book , you gain a better understanding of her behavior and the reasons behind it . Will is simply just perfect. Honestly he is now included in my favorite book boyfriend category.

The only issue I had with this book was the time jump; at times , it felt unrealistic, especially with how quick the “months” went by . Nevertheless this was a very fantastic read and I highly recommend it . I can’t wait to read more from her in the future!!

Thank you Netgalley and Forever publishing for the Arc . The Arc was provided in exchange for my honest review.

this was written beautifully, the prose was so descriptive and the metaphors were actual works of art. i was constantly rereading and pausing to sit with passages because they were so captivating. having actual poems included for different characters gave you deeper insight into their personalities and writing styles without having to blatantly state it, and seeing how they each analyze each others poems was interesting from a non-writer perspective. it was an enticing story that had style AND substance!

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon is a contemporary romance full of substance and style.

Leigh Simon isn’t your normal MFA candidate and she has a lot to prove, even to herself. William Langford is your typical lit bro, or is he? The next 2 years are going to be very interesting.

They may be new cohort members, but their story started 10 years ago in a high school classroom. When William starts to submit poems about Leigh, everything changes, even them.

Read if you like:
🤎 Academia Romance
🤎 Rivals to Lovers
🤎 Poetry

you know a book is good when it takes 3 days to finish but you aren’t even mad about it because you get to sit in the way it makes you feel during it

this was a PHENOMENAL debut from katie naymon and it’s so absolutely insane i cannot fathom what her future books will bring.

if you love any book by emily henry and you love an academia setting in romance, this is a must read. the emotions from both leigh and will, together and on their own, were so real and raw and relatable, it broke my heart and put it back together.

i think this may be one of my top 10 reads of the year and katie naymon has grabbed my attention from here on out.

thank you to netgalley for this arc<3

This story was both sort of an enemies to lovers and second chance romance. I liked both aspects and connected well with the characters. I also liked the fact that Leigh went to therapy and wasn't embarrassed by it.

Sometimes the amount of mental health talk got a little tiring, but in general I really enjoyed this book.

I freaking loved this book! Katie nailed it on her first try! Bravo! I read this book in a day. I couldn't put it down!
It was so fun reading this book, especially because I grew up in Northeast Ohio (in the middle of nowhere, not in Cleveland haha) but all the references to the 216 area code reminds me of my late Grandma who lived in the Cleveland area. So many other fun references too, which made it so fun for me!
Leigh's character also touched me in so many ways. She's a people pleaser that lacks confidence in herself and fears rejection. I felt like I was reading my story (minus my lack of creativity and writing ability!) "She’s never been able to shake the “all-style-no-substance” feedback her high school crush made in their poetry workshop" and it really hits home that the things we say to people can really leave a lasting impact on their lives. So many times we forget the fact that most people say mean things because they are feeling badly about themselves. I feel like there were so many underlying lessons in this book. Most of the poems went way over my head, not really my thing, but there were so many times where I could totally relate to how Leigh was feeling and even Will sometimes too.
Will was one of my favorite grumpy sunshines. Everyone thinks that he's a pretentious jerk but there are so many times in the book where he proves that theory wrong. I feel like Will just wanted to bring out the best in Leigh and that he wanted the best for her. We all carry so much baggage and it can weigh us down, especially in relationships. Taking care of mental health is so important and I love how this book touches on that.
I'm so glad that I was able to read this book and I would highly recommend reading it to anyone else! If this is Katie's first novel, I can't wait to see what she does next!

The start of the book was a little slow and I found myself sad that the fmc thought so lowly of herself. However, I think a lot of the ways she thinks reminds me of myself too. Her anxiety around what other people think of her is relatable. I loved the use of writing/ poetry and how she interacted with the mmc. You could tell from the writing that he’s always liked/loved her but she’s too caught in her anxiety to really see it. I really loved this.

You Between the Lines
Author: Katie Naymon
This book would probably be your cup of tea if you like contemporary romance with cute poetry intermixed, second chance/ enemies to lovers style tropes, and relatable characters.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to have an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the cute story and relationship within the book. The poetry vibes that were intermingled throughout the book made it different and kept things fresh. I’m a fan of academia settings so this was a good read for me with the location and theme. It was cute and realistic and the energy of the book was enjoyable.

I loved this! It was so fun and sweet. I also loved the academic setting. Plus, I’m from Northeast Ohio so the references (shout out to The Learned Owl) were so much fun!

This was a very solid debut novel for Katie Naymon. It was full of intelligent, intellectual commentary, which admittedly at times felt way over my head but I have to imagine will really connect with the academics in the audience of readers who pick this one up.

While this is a romance, the part of the story I connected with most was Leigh’s own personal journey throughout. Her intense insecurity was at times really grating to me, but as the book went on and I delved deeper into asking myself why, I think it’s because I saw a lot of the things I struggle with myself in that sense and the mirror was doing its job in reflecting that back to me. I really, really appreciated that Katie Naymon didn’t shy away from showing the ‘ugly’ side of Leigh’s thoughts and let her be a real human at the risk of her character being labeled “unlikable” as often happens to FMCs. Did I like her 100% of the book? Nope, but I don’t like myself 100% of the time either. The way things came around in the end felt like a triumph in growth for Leigh’s character and I was glad to have experienced the lows and the work that went into bringing things back up to a higher ground.

Will also had his own insecurities and shortcomings that had to be worked out. For two characters so intensely focused on words for their futures, neither one of them was great with using the spoken word to communicate. Can relate. I’m much better at putting my thoughts and feelings into words than I am speaking them directly. When Will got things right though, I found him endearing. I did feel like I wanted something more from the 10 years worth of backstory between Will and Leigh, but I can’t explain where I wanted it to come from. I just felt like I missed some of it.

Overall, a very impressive debut with a very distinct voice to the writing. I look forward to more from Katie Naymon in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

You Between the Lines is an ode to people who love writing and poetry. The poetry was amazing, and the overall writing was great. I liked how each writer in the MFA program was given a distinct voice and background.

Leigh goes through an emotional journey of self-discovery and self-love as she experiences her parents' separation/divorce and the embarrassment/trauma of running into high school crush Will. As Leigh evolves throughout the book, this is reflected into her poetry subject matter, and I liked how it became a more in depth representation of Leigh's personality.

Will and Leigh also go through an angsty rivals/enemies to lovers trope. Even when they were "enemies," it was obvious how much magnetic chemistry they had with each other. I liked how they truly supported each other's writing and careers: even when they were ignoring/avoiding each other, Will would still provide helpful, constructive feedback to Leigh - it felt like he truly wanted the best for her and her career. Both Will and Leigh had self-esteem/self-love issues, and it was nice that they could provide each other the reassurance and love that they both deserve.

This was a beautiful debut novel, and I would definitely read more of this author's books in the future.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was extremely cute, it was very reminiscent of Beach Read by Emily Henry. I loved the pining and longing between the two main characters though I wish the conflict wasn't a little back and forth.

Overall, this was a solid read and I definitely encourage everyone to read this when it comes out!

was so excited to get this book!! It was giving beach read by em hen vibes which is my favorite. Fellow writers with a shared tension filled past?? the longing and pining was great. I do wish the conflict wasn't as frustrating and they didn't go as back and forth as they did. I love a clear communication moment and this book did lack that a bit! but for sure worth the read for the rom com girlies.

I don't usually gravitate towards romance books, but the cover and description hooked me! I love a workplace/publishing/writing romance, and this was the perfect fit. I thought the characters all fit together perfectly - you had so many different types of supporting roles that all came together to create a lovely group dynamic. I loved the scenes with all of the friends together! I loved Will as a love interest...he was perfectly grumpy yet you could tell he had a soft spot for Leigh right away. The various different conflicts coming from Leigh's parents, her relationship with Will, and her application to the fellowship with Erica gave the story multiple heartbeats, which I thought kept it interesting and multi-sided. Overall, I loved this read and would recommend to anyone when it comes out!

This is a fresh and captivating story that beautifully intertwines humor and heartfelt emotion. The writing sparkles with wit, drawing you into Leigh’s world with sharp, relatable prose. The chemistry between the characters crackles off the page, creating a tension that’s both palpable and irresistible. Leigh’s journey of self-discovery is rich with authenticity, while her dynamic with Will adds layers of complexity and depth to the narrative. The exploration of creativity and vulnerability is handled with finesse, making every moment feel genuine. This book is a delightful blend of romance and personal growth, leaving you eager for more. A truly enchanting read!

I really liked this book! I loved the history of Leigh and Wills characters and I think the 6 years ago flashback comes at just the right time in the buildup of their relationship arc. I wish we got to see a little more pining from Will in the present tense of the book throughout the book (maybe in the workshops), but I also understand that this may have been intentionally left out as Leigh wasn't able to fully see how deeply Will felt for her until the end of the novel. I also wish we got to see a few more "cute"/happy scenes of them together post-conference and pre-poetry reading breakup. Similarly, I wish I got to see more of Kacey and Leighs friendship growing and the two of them having conversations about Will. Overall, there's nothing really I would change about what's already there I'd just love to read more about these characters! I especially appreciated the way you portrayed Leigh's time in therapy and feelings of imposter syndrome, it added an important layer of depth to her character that made me connect with her and the story so much more than I anticipated when going into the book. I cant wait to re-read this book when it's officially published and recommend it to my friends!

Thank you NetGallery and Katie for letting me read a pdf of this book. Let me tell you guys when I say I am SWOONEDDDD over Leigh and William. I am a sucker for enemies to lovers. This book has second chance x a bit of enemies to lovers. When I read “nemesis” I IMMEDIATELY downloaded a pdf. I’m very grateful for receiving an opportunity to read this book. I found myself relating with the characters a lot! I won’t be giving any spoilers though lol. Will be posting a review soon on my instagram: a.and.z.reads