I LOVE me a little academic rivals to lovers. That trope is just going to absolutely hit EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

I really enjoyed this book so much. I adored the main character, will, and the past/present timelines so much. The characters felt so real to me and I really bonded with them!!

While this wasn’t my favorite, I also didn’t hate it. I really enjoyed Will but I felt myself not loving Leigh’s character so much.. Now, while I’m always down to clown some men… i felt like she pushed about how much she hated straight white males works while also simultaneously never reading them?

Anyways, Leigh had some anxiety which i totally could related with. I also felt for her inner self which seemed to harbor a lot of self doubt. I think we can all relate to that in some point in life. I wanted Will to be certain on his decisions and at times I felt he was indecisive. I wish Leigh wouldn’t have pushed Will off so much for his one criticism but I also know she was a high schooler and honestly i would’ve held a grudge too😂 i really wanted to love this so much, but it fell a bit short for me.

Thank you so much NetGalley & Forever for this ARC!!❣️ (i love y’all fr)

🪻You Between the Lines 🪻

4/5 ⭐️
3.5/5 🌶️ (2+ open door scenes)


She can’t stand him.
He can’t forget her.



*tap tap tap* Is this thing on? 🎤

HELLO!! All my fellow “yearning, slow burn, it’s always been you” lovers, why have you not picked this up? I AM UNWELL.

I absolutely fell in love with this story & @katienaymonwrites writing. Meet Leigh and William, her high school nemesis. Both accepted into the same prestigious MFA program in North Carolina after years of not seeing one another. The claws are out you guys.

I loved being in Leigh inner monologue, she’s sassy but unsure of herself. I loved where her characters ended, with a lot of self discovery. But man was it a bumpy ride. And can we just protect Will at all costs? Any man who writes poetry about losing it over a woman’s wrists deserves the world. Seeing them interact and avoid each other, I FREAKING LOVED IT.

I couldn’t give it a full five stars because a lot of the yearning (which I LOVE), steamed from a lot of miscommunication. Which might be my least favorite trope. 🫣 but other than that, I whole-heartedly recommend this! And a debut Miss Katie?! 👏🏻👏🏻 How on earth did you produce something so wonderful right off the bat? You Between the Lines is out now! Thank you @readforeverpub for the advanced copy. 🫶🏼🌼

“i can’t write a single poem where you don’t exist.”

feeling the vulnerability of leigh while simultaneously falling in love with will had me feeling like the main character (sub law for mfa)

a million & ten stars this book was so poetic & so absolutely perfect i have to go stare at the wall for a bit.

You Between the Lines is a solid debut from a romance writer with promise. The chemistry between the two leads was palpable and I especially found Leigh's struggles with self-esteem real and moving. I wished the supporting characters in her MFA program felt more fleshed-out. Looking forward to what Naymon does next!

This is a must read romance! Leigh and Will are two people who have an undeniable attraction. In high school, they were too shy to admit it. When they meet again by happenstance, it wasn’t the right time. But third times a charm, right? There was so much pining and longing! Each individual was also having internal battles within themselves, part of the reason why they feel a romantic relationship between them will not workout.

✨ Slow burn, years of pining and the academia setting is something I’m becoming a fan of
✨ Loved the comraderie between the MCs and their fellow MFA cohort
✨ Mental health rep- Leigh’s and Will’s characters are relatable; it’s not easy to show vulnerability
✨ If you want a romance that will pull at your heartstrings

Thank you to @readforeverpub for the e-arc!

I have mixed feelings on this book! I'm between a 3.5 & 4 stars depending on what parts I focus on. I really enjoyed it and yet there were some things that just did not work for me!! I wish it had been in third person because being in Leigh's head was suffocating!! She lowkey is an unreliable narrator and it just was a lot and I had to take breaks with it. Would've also liked Will's POV.

I also know nothing about poetry so both the "good" and "bad" poems felt the same to me. Also all the Taylor Swift poetry was a lot for me (AND I SAY THIS AS A MASSIVE TAYLOR FAN!! LEAVE HER ALONE CONTEMPORARY WRITERS!!!!). Leigh also has imposter syndrome and doesn't know the "big" poets which is fine, but she must have studied some in school? Like even I did and I barely took any English classes.

I do always love two writers falling in love and LOVED that they critiqued each other's work. I could've read way more of that. Writing in the margins to each other?! LOVE. I appreciated that this book took the whole school year since these two needed the time to fall in love. Plus we got a lot of seasonal moments.

What made this book work for me was Katie Naymon's writing. It felt purposeful and while a lot of this book didn't work for me I believed it and could excuse a lot of it because the writing is interesting and felt a bit elevated in a way that I liked. I also fell into the story easily which I always love.

I always say I want to read more books about imperfect people falling in love and whew!! Leigh and Will are both flawed and messy and do some things that I was like ?! And aside from both of them claiming to have FEELINGS since high school it was all believable!

Overall this book was mostly enjoyable, but I see why a lot of people didn't like it LOL

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon is a heartwarming and deeply relatable story that introduces readers to a lovable protagonist with so much room to grow. The lingering ache of not feeling "good enough" shadows her journey, making every triumph and setback feel incredibly real. But at its core, this novel is a beautiful exploration of the craft of poetry and the power it holds to shape and tell your story. Through poetry, the main character begins to find her voice and her worth, leading her to someone who sees her for who she truly is—proving that she was always enough. This touching and inspiring novel is perfect for anyone who believes in the transformative power of words

I really enjoyed this book. As someone with recently divorced parents, there were a lot of quotes in here that punched me in the face. It was really validating seeing Leigh struggle with the same things I did when my parents got divorced. I loved seeing her find her confidence and putting an end to people-pleasing and living for HER. Will was SWOON-WORTHY and all I'm gonna say is THE EMAIL? READING THE POEMS? I LOVE THIS MAN

Little angst but a lot of heart. The original poetry was a great addition to the writing. The history between Will and Leigh is very little but the impact it had on her was a kick to her self-esteem. Now years later they end up in the same MFA program, Leigh having moved on from her past and Will struggling with his. I very much enjoyed the ride the story took me on, filled with mixed messages from Will, miscommunication from Leigh all around was a great read.

I simply adored this book. I couldn’t get enough of Leigh and Will. They were both complex, imperfect characters and that made me appreciate them even more. The story was heartfelt and original and their chemistry was just spot on! Will was down BAD for Leigh and I enjoyed every second of the pining.

I related to Leigh in so many ways with her insecurities and I think anyone with people pleasing tendencies will relate to her character so much. Some of her decisions were frustrating, but it was also honest. Her growth throughout the story was beautiful from her self-worth to her relationships/friendships. The use of therapy throughout the book was such a beautiful touch.

w h a t i l o v e d :
+ second chance
+ academic rivals
+ poetry workshops
+ angst & tension
+ he writes poetry about her
+ therapy
+ found family

Thank you to the publisher, Forever, for the #gifted copy of YOU BETWEEN THE LINES, by Katie Naymon via NetGalley.

I really wanted to love this novel because it came highly recommended. I mean, it's one of those one-sided hate/rivals/nemesis to love stories, which is usually right up my alley. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect emotionally connect to Leigh, which I think was needed for how the story was told (1st person, single POV), and its contents.

To me, Leigh spent most of the book not really caring bout the daily decisions in her life that affected her, and her future. At the same time, she has a very people pleasing personality, wondering how people are judging her and if she can try to make them like her more. It seemed that Leigh would rather do what would get her the most universal likes/acceptance rather than taking a chance to go after what she really wanted. It was as though she had a lack of agency - she wanted other people to direct her, rather than doing what she wanted. This gave me some not like other girls/pick me vibes, particularly when she worked on, or presented assignments for her MFA.

Overall, the novel was fine, just not for me.

A smart, swoony academic rivals-to-lovers romance! You Between the Lines is packed with sharp banter, undeniable chemistry, and the perfect mix of humor and heart. Leigh’s journey from self-doubt to confidence is deeply relatable, and her tension-filled dynamic with Will—her high school crush-turned-MFA rival—makes for an addictive read. With poetic storytelling, witty dialogue, and a slow-burn romance that keeps you hooked, Katie Naymon is my favorite new author and delivers a perfect debut! OBSESSED <3

While I enjoyed this book, I did find it to be a bit slow at times. I found myself getting super frustrated with both Leigh and Will and found them both to be a bit immature. I also feel like there was no real chemistry with them and the banter was not great. I hated that they had the same fight over and over again and no real character growth.

This book was a mix of slow burn, self-improvement, manifesting aspirations, hard work, family issues, and friendship.

I was immediately drawn to this book because the main character is in her late 20’s. She's been out of college for several years working at a job she hates but decides to chase her passion for Poetry and apply for an MFA program. While in this program, as the audience, we see her vulnerability as she navigates her parents' separation, feeling like she is not good enough in her writing or relationships, finding her passion for poetry, and so much more.

I simply could not put down the book for the last 150 pages. We get to see her progress through the program through the first few months, but after her parents drop the bomb of their divorce, we see Leigh go through a slew of emotions as she processes everything she has been holding back.

Then you have Will…. Oh Will. I truly fell in love with him. The way he listens to Leigh’s wants, only goes as far as she will allow, gives her feedback on her work, weaves her into each of his poems. Swoon (Insert Heart Eyes). He is definitely not perfect, but we get to see his growth throughout the book as well. The way they both challenge and seek each other out is done in such a clever way to show their growth. Katie did not just throw these two together because that was the end goal but shows how the characters found their paths to each other despite denying their feelings. His character was portrayed with such grace by including pining, acceptance, resistance, consideration, and self-awareness. In FMC romance novels, we usually do not get a lot of open conversation. The male love interest is cagey and closed off, but the FMC opens him up. That is not necessarily the case here. Yes, the aspects are still there but I feel like we get a deeper view of Will as a whole from his own words via dialogue.

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 stars)

It took me quite a bit to get into You Between the Lines because I just didn't connect with Leigh right away. But my interest picked up the more we learned about Leigh's classmates and her relationships with each of them (or lack thereof). I enjoyed the back and forth between her and Will, especially when it led to steamy makeout sessions because you could really feel the angst and tension between these two writers. But the various "off again" times were difficult to wade through because it felt like Will was trying too hard not to enjoy Leigh's presence, even when they were with friends.

However, I did really appreciate Will's mental health representation in the book and how normalized his medication was. But I also liked that he acknowledged he wasn't perfect even with the medication and he still had lower moments.

I almost DNFd the book when Will & Leigh had one too many off-again moments, thinking this just wasn’t the book for me. But I finally finished the book and I am so glad that I did! Their final come together moment was just so good and so beautifully written! I ended up loving all these characters so much!

I am so glad to have been able to read an early copy of this book! Thank you to Katie Naymon, Forever Publishing, and NetGalley for sending me an early copy!

4⭐️s This is a story of rivals to lovers and mental health rep. When there’s family drama, mental health is so important. Leigh is trying to find someone to acknowledge her work, but she may not even realize the depth she needs. William is confident in his writing. So confident, he writes a piece for their workshop about Leigh. Both fighting for an opportunity and fighting their growing attraction. What will happen the closer they get?

Thank you to @netgalley @katienaymonwrites and @grandcentralpub for the advanced copy. #netgalley #youbetweenthelines #romancereader #arcreview

this book felt like reading a coming of age film, except all the characters are in their late 20s. which is what made this book fun for me! from the beginning, you can sense how lost leigh feels. how badly she wants to fit in somewhere and how desperately she wants to find a place she belongs. and when she finds herself in an mfa program, she thinks she’s found her place, but instead she’s seized by imposter syndrome so strong, you want to remind her of how brilliant she is. how she should focus on pleasing herself and not the people around her. and of course we have will. the boy who admires leigh from afar and seems scared of all the same things leigh is. will who writes leigh in the lines of each of his poems. will who leaves flirty little notes in the margins of leigh’s work. will who has demons of his own that he’s fighting. will who sees leigh better than the other students in their mfa program.
being on leigh’s journey with her is both heart breaking and frustrating. heartbreaking because you want to remind her that she is her own person and that she gets to decide who she is. and frustrating because she is in so many moments of this book, unfortunately, the type of person she accuses her mfa classmates of being - judgmental and pretentious.
i loved getting to be with leigh on the journey, but i think what made this book fall a little short for me, was the way that leigh was so quick to judge hazel and will in particular. i think she was so fixated on what was the “norm” that she pitted herself against hazel and refused to see her brilliance and understand her depth. which was the point, but i think the execution just fell a little short for me. and with will, it lead to so much miscommunication and so much start and stop, that i was over it by the time they took their last break. i understand and accept both the miscommunication trope and the third act breakup as realistic parts of life and i enjoy both when the story calls for it. this story definitely called for a third act breakup and the miscommunication makes sense for both will and leigh’s characters. so i understand the use of both in this story. but there was something about both that felt rushed, even though it made sense for the story and the characters.
overall, i really enjoyed this story, there were just some moments that fell short for me.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

When aspiring poet Leigh was accepted into a highly selective MFA program, insecurities were amplified when she found herself face-to-face with her former crush who crushed her. But Leigh was ready and determined to prove she deserved her spot in the program, and now she just needed to keep those old feelings at bay.

Confession - I almost DNFed this book. First there was the raging about white straight men by a white straight woman, and then there was all this talk about how Leigh isn't a "serious" person, just some former sorority girl. I don't know what the Delta Gamma chapter at Tufts is like, but the one at Rutgers was comprised of some fierce women who I know went on to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, and even profiled in business magazines. I know because they were my sorority sisters.

So, yeah, those comments were working my last nerve, but then I got to the meat of the story. I found myself very invested in Leigh's personal journey. I wanted her to reunite with Will and allow those old feelings to sweep her away. I liked spending time with their crazy cohort as they worked on their craft. And I allowed myself to fall into this story which (no surprise) was beautifully written (even the non-poetry parts).

I feel this book falls into women's fiction territory more than romance. Though both Will and Leigh had some issues to comes to terms with, the story was told from Leigh's point of view and focused on her personal growth more than anything else. I was very pleased with all the progress Leigh made, and I think that's why I was able to tolerate a level of angst that was very high for me (I am more low angst/drama), but this was a high pressure situation with a romance that had started and stopped multiple times for whatever reason and involved feelings that had been simmering for a decade.

I was thinking that this was a solid story for me. I loved Will and Leigh was growing on me as she tamed her demons, and then, the last 10 percent of the book, my heart grew two sizes. There were a few things that happened in that final part of the book that pushed this up a notch for me. I was smiling through my stupid tears as I tried to keep my heart from exploding. It was just lovely and perfect and it made me happy.

Though this had a bumpy start for me, I found myself pulled into Leigh's story and was glad I got to be part of a personal journey where she was able to find love, her voice, and belief in herself.

I really loved this book! While Leigh could be a bit frustrating, I think that is what made her the most real and relatable. She shows a lot of growth throughout the story that made me feel really hopeful and proud!! This was a beautiful love story, filled with real-life issues and showcases living with trauma.