A huge thank you to @readforeverpub for the eARC and @hachetteaudio for the gifted audiobook!
I have never felt more seen than when reading this book. I related to Leigh so much, reading this book was cathartic and enriching. The story is so real - the characters' vulnerability and identities felt near tangible. This was such a beautiful and healing story. I loved the romance. I loved Leigh's emotional journey. This was such an incredible book. My favorite romance of the year so far. Please read immediately!

Katie Naymon’s You Between the Lines is a contemporary romance that explores personal growth, mental health, and creative expression. The story follows Leigh, a former sorority girl pursuing an MFA in poetry, who is forced to confront unresolved tensions with her high school crush-turned-rival, Will.

I think the author’s poetic writing captured Leigh’s struggles with self-acceptance well. I also enjoyed the mental health representation in the book. What I did find frustrating was I felt Leigh’s insecurities seemed somewhat immature her age as well as the miscommunication between her and Will. I also wanted to feel more of a connection and angst between Leigh and Will. I think the fact that I wasn’t a huge fan of the FMC and there was little character growth was the biggest reason for my rating of this novel.

Thanks the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

"You Between the Lines" by Katie Naymon was a cute second-chance rom-com with touches of slight enemies to lovers.

I enjoyed the angst between Leigh and Will and could see plenty of readers calling Will their new book boyfriend.

It was nice to see Leigh's journey as she achieved her dream of being in grad school coupled with the self-doubt she possessed about belonging there in the first place. It felt refreshing and relatable.

I will be keeping an eye out for Katie Naymon's new work moving forward.

Thank you the NetGalley and Forever for gifting me this ARC.

If you need a book that’s going to break you down and then put you back together, this is the book for you. The story follows Leigh an MFA student attending a school in Asheville, NC who happens to find her high school crush turned rival Will is also in the program. This was such a brilliant debut. I kept flipping back and forth between wanting to read it in one sitting vs savoring it because I wasn’t quite ready for the story to end. Leigh struggles to let her true self shine in her poetry & in her life as she is a chronic people pleaser. I loved the snippets of her work as she twisted pop culture into her poetry.

I loved going a long her journey with her as it felt so vulnerable and real as we’ve all had moments of impostor syndrome and anxiety. Shes so messy, and relatable to me specifically. The yearning between Will and Leigh was just so good too! I’m obsessed with both of them.

As this is Katie Naymon’s first book, I’m excited to read whatever she has coming next!

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

1/5 ★

DNF at 38%... -- I am so sad I could not get into this book because I really did want to love it! Initially what drew me in was the cover art, title, and concept but this just fell really short for me. I struggled to find any connections with the characters in this book. But what really stumped my desire to continue reading was Leigh. Her personality was not my cup of tea. Her whiny attitude (especially during any constructive feedback) annoyed me. I looked past that though because it was short, but then it was the weird Taylor Swift references that just made me cringe a bit. Pair all of that with the chemistry between both main characters that was giving nothing?? I could not continue. Maybe I'm being picky but I just didn't love their connection in the start of the book.

I didn't love this book but many do, so maybe I'll attempt again in the future

Oh this book is an absolute DELIGHT. I went into this book blind & didn’t expect to be smiling at the pages while I read. Emotional in the sweetest way.

This is the second book in a row (unintentionally) I've read about writers that knew each other in high school and reconnect later , and I really loved this one. Leigh is one of the more realistic characters I've read, in terms of her people-pleasing tendencies and thought processes. I enjoyed that this book was single-POV, it gave Will some added mystery because we couldn't see his thoughts/reasonings behind his actions. Watching these two characters grow and come together was such a joy, and it gave me that giddy romance feeling!

Really loved this. Leigh is so relatable. Loved the moments of clarity that she had with her therapist. Will is perfect. The yearning is top tier. THE POEM! This is a wonderful debut novel and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Who knew pinkies touching would make me go so feral?

I loved this story so much—the composition, prose, and progression hooked me. I loved the callbacks to their past and the hope for their future.

I was fascinated by each of their family's emotional complexity. I enjoyed seeing how their experiences shaped and affected them in the MFA program and as partners with each other.

I enjoyed the mental health representation of how he was on medication, speaking about it, and the insight into her therapy sessions. Leigh needed a good kick in the ass now and then, so it was fun to see someone do that professionally.

I loved all the side characters and felt they really added to the story.

Will and Leigh are inevitable, and I fear I won’t be able to shut up about them for a while.

You Between the Lines is a well written debut and I would recommend it to anyone who loves poetry and rivals to lovers. Leigh and Will are academic rivals that have known each other since high school and have quite a past. So this sets up lots of angst and tension when they reconnect in the college during their MFA program. I was frustrated quite a bit with the characters but overall thought the story was pretty good.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC!

I really liked this book! The writing was absolutely beautiful, and the yearning?? Top-tier. Leigh and Will’s dynamic had just the right mix of tension, history, and chemistry to keep me hooked.

I also loved all the little details, like the Taylor Swift and DMV references—they made the book feel even more fun and relatable. The only thing that didn’t really work for me was the poetry. Not that it was bad or anything, I just don’t get poetry, so those parts went right over my head.

Even with that, this was such an enjoyable read, and I’d definitely recommend it!

Thank you, NetGalley and Forever, for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a sucker for books about writers, it's so calming to me. So I ate up the fact that our MC's, who have history, are both in this writing program together. The characters and what they went through felt honest in a lot of ways: them both experiencing insecure moments, regrets and this desire to grow. But I did struggle to connect with the characters at the same time. I could have been just me though. That aside there was a lot of great representation and a lovely slow burn that definitely delivered!

Thank you so much to Grand Central Publishing for my ARC <3 I appreciate it!

3.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. Following Leigh’s experience at an MFA program and growth as a poet, this book toed the line of sometimes even too bookish for me. Although i skimmed some of the poetry, i ultimately enjoyed the antics and friendships of Leigh and her cohort of fellow students and writers.

A slow burn academic rivals to lovers, full of tension, pop culture references, and beautiful poetry.

Leigh, a former sorority girl and proud Taylor Swift-lover, starts a Masters Poetry program with fellow grad students, when she realizes her old high school crush, turned enemy, who couldn’t stop writing about her… is in her cohort. Leigh is determined to prove herself after getting no substance feedback, and she can’t avoid Will for long. Will we find out what is happening for them between the lines?

This was so creative and witty! I listened to the audio and it added so much extra personality. Katie’s writing was fun, impressive, and beautiful. I love a down bad man and I love a girl who loves to write. Hidden feelings, angst, and falling in love through poetry?! Yes, yes, and yes please!

Leigh and Will’s story was unique, fun, and extremely well done. There was great mental health and therapy representation, and so many relatable personality traits in both of them. I love a down bad man and I love a girl who loves to write. The side characters in the cohort were a great added addition!

This book wrecked me.

Leigh, arguably an enneagram 4, resonated so much with me. She was written with such authenticity that it’s hard to believe she isn’t real.

And Will? Perfection. There is not much to say other than this book wrecked me and comforted me all at the same time. The fact that this is Katie Naymon’s first novel feels like losing a first love, because there’s nothing else to move on to.

5 stars. Perfection. Thank you to NetGalley & Forever Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, @readforeverpub for an advanced digital copy of this book!

You Between the Lines was a delightful blend of academic rivalry and unexpected romance. Will has had a crush on Leigh for as long as he can remember, but it’s always been the wrong time. He knows she deserves more than him, yet he can’t resist getting closer to her again. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was fantastic, and I adored their banter. They shared a connection that couldn’t be ignored, and seeing their past tie into their future was heartwarming. The writing was beautiful, and I loved how poetry was woven seamlessly into the narrative.

The mental health representation and character development were standout elements, with Leigh and Will’s growth feeling authentic and compelling. Their complex past and the intense tension between them kept me hooked, making the emotional push and pull both believable and engaging. I appreciated the vulnerability and introspection in their journey.

Overall, the book provided a beautiful exploration of poetry and emotional angst. I’m eager to see more from Katie Naymon in the future.

When Leigh enters an MFA program and finds that her high school crush slash nemesis is also in her cohort, she's about to get a swift lesson in facing her feelings and insecurities all while going against Will for a coveted fellowship spot in the ultimate will they won't they but instead it's, is the piece they're sharing actually about me?

Of course Will and Leigh were inevitable. This was one heck of a slow burn, major feelings romance and i really wanted to love it but found most of it to be messy, lacking emotion and wishful for more character growth. This was a story that very much needed to be dual POV. I wanted this book to hit me in the feels, a what could have been with all the years lost between the two but it didn't Leigh had so much growing up to do but didn't, Will had so much potential depth to his story and the book very much missed the mark there.

I anticipated a romance with the MFA as a subplot, but the majority of the book was the pieces being submitted as part of the program the two MCs are in. I didn't doubt their feelings for one single minute but ultimately needed more from them for the story, the epilogue was great but it wasnt enough of them being each other's person. Despite that though, I would pick up another book from this author in a heartbeat!



Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for my review!

This enemies to lovers story is wonderfully written, Katie Naymon wrote two characters that I found myself rooting for from the very beginning. I really liked that they were both a little broken and had all these doubts about themselves but they helped each other bring out the best of themselves.

the premise of this book is what drawned me to it... but unfortunately my expectations were not met!

i can, however, say that leigh and will definitely had great chemistry. but i just couldnt take her seriously!!!! she kept complaining about straight white male, whole time YOU ARE ALSO WHITE. YOU ALSO HAVE A SHIT TON OF PRIVILEGE..... stop acting like you don't!!!!

things i enjoyed: her relationship with gen, the chemistry with will

things i didn't like: the complaining about her parents divorce, her not being able to stand on business w that weird guy at the writing center, her being wishy-washy with will.

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon
Contemporary romance. New adult. Enemies to lovers troupe. High angst.
Leigh Simon is shocked when she’s accepted in a prestigious poetry program in North Carolina. She wanted it badly but didn’t believe she had a chance. Now that she’s in the program, she’ll do whatever she needs to in learning, growing and maybe even winning a fellowship. Leigh is floored when she finds that William Langford is in the same program. She won’t have a chance against him in poetry or a relationship relaunch. Can she step up her game and hold her own with her poetry and her love life?

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. The narration was performed by Sarah Beth Goer who was able to create specific voices for Leigh and William, as well as emotional spikes. The audiobook narrator is able to keep the reader’s attention using the dialog as conversation, banter and arguments between the characters. I did increase the speed to 1.5 which more closely matches my reading and conversation speed.
I’d recommend the audio in this instance for the lively new adult situations.

Ultimately a good romance in the end but to be honest if a couple breaks up more than once in a book, I tend to distance myself from them so I don’t get hurt. This couple, over the years had a yo-yo relationship that was too much on and off for me to keep being invested. Too much angst for me.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Hachette Audio.