This book is very well written and I really enjoyed the excerpts of poems written by various characters through the course of the writing workshop scenes. The sexual tension between the lead characters, Leigh and Will, really crackles and it’s very convincing. Although, I had more difficulty believing the depth of their feelings for each-other, especially at the beginning. Will is very wishy-washy and, though the reasons for this are understandable, I still found myself fighting not to roll my eyes. I also felt that Leigh’s character growth was rushed and tacked on at the end. I think it would have been more effective if the character growth happened gradually or earlier in the novel. Leigh’s constant laments of the MFA program not being like greek life with sororities/fraternities, had me holding in sighs. While I understand and it’s addressed that this is due to Leigh’s inferiority complex, I still giggled when she framed sororities as beacons of acceptance.

A cute friends to lovers or maybe enemies to lovers with a lot of back and forth. I enjoyed the literary inputs throughout the book and loved the character of Will. Leigh was harder for me to like as she was whiny and very insecure, but overall it was a cute story and I would recommend it to my friends!

I really liked this! My favorite part was how Leigh's writing echoed her own emotional journey, finding strength and who she is through vulnerability. The depiction of a MFA workshop made me laugh, but I really appreciated how all the secondary characters were much deeper than just the clichés they could have been.

3.5 stars! This was pretty entertaining! I liked that it was a sort of second chance romance and the tension was PALPABLE!!! Not too spicy, so if you’re not into that it can be skipped! I don’t think I liked the main character, Leigh, very much because of her personality. But she was also VERY relatable so mayyybe that’s why her self-destruction annoyed me. I did feel dumb when they were reading poetry because I was just straight vibing. Overall a fun, entertaining read!!!

Rivals to lovers wrapped in folklore and whimsy and the magic of words. You Between the Lines is perfect for fans of Emily Henry's Beach Read.

This was an absolute joy and fantastic read! It made me feel so warm and cozy inside and just genuinely happy. Leigh, a former sorority girl has just been accepted into a prestigious MFA program after leaving a job that didn't bring her joy yet she has this talent with words and a cool way to incorporate lyrics into her words and swifties will rejoice but its not all fun until Will comes back into her life and turns it upside. Their chemistry right off the bat is amazing. One thing I loved is the word play, the banter, the animosity, the rivals to lovers trope in academia. I loved seeing their past, present, how they started to where they end. This book just makes you feel so happy and swoony. Will and Leigh are absolutely perfection. A must read next year!

4.5⭐️

I’ve always loved creative writing, either for an assignment or as an outlet. It can be so freeing to express yourself or as someone else on paper. You Between the Lines reminded me how much I enjoy writing and has inspired and motivated to pick it back up again.

There were many moments I had to look around for a hidden camera because this one hit a little too close to home for me. Leigh and Will both have their insecurities and toxic traits and I’ve never felt so called out but comforted at the same time. From the very beginning, we can sense there’s tension between them in an academic and romantic way. And almost a decade later and after an almost kiss, there’s the constant ‘will they, won’t they?’ between them as they’re both cohorts in the same MFA program.

For some, they might not like the back and forth between Leigh and Will, but I personally enjoyed it because their history and connection is so fragile and unexplored, they still don’t understand why they still have strong feelings for each other even a decade later. I loved how vulnerable (or how Leigh was at least trying to be vulnerable) all the other characters were with their writing. This gave major found family vibes and I loved how they all became so close near the end. All the poems written in between were beautiful and had me speechless. But let’s be real, that was me with the whole book.

“Will, who’s the poem about?”
“Who do you think, Leigh?”
*me: screams into a pillow*

This debut of Katie’s was absolutely beautiful and raw and I couldn’t put it down! I know the romance readers who also love to write will LOVE this one! I can’t believe this comes out NEXT February, because I need this NOW!! Thank you Forever Pub and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

This is a fantastic debut novel, it is beautifully written and I could not put it down once I started it. The book follows the female main character, Leigh who is a poet entering a MFA program in North Carolina after working a copyright job she found to be unfulfilling. Her parents are going through a divorce and she wants something new and to start to find herself. At her previous job her creative freedom was limited which seems to leave her slightly insecure as she starts the program. She also keeps thinking back to high school when her high school crush, Will said “It’s all style, no substance” about a poem that Leigh was extremely proud of and that memory stick with her as she contemplates if she and her work are good enough for the program.

Well SURPRISE Will shows up to the social for the first year students in the MFA program. The way he caries himself seems confident and even a little arrogant. Leigh can feel the old feelings from high school starting to stir again but tries to repress those thoughts and feelings because of the rocky marriage of her parents and the way Will’s criticisms still stick with her from over a decade ago. The tension between them in the beginning sucked me in immediately and I enjoyed reading how their story unraveled. The way the characters act is a direct reflection of the things they are internally dealing with, and felt very relatable. This is a must read for anyone who is into academia romances and doesn’t mind a nod to Taylor Swift here and there.

Over all I would give this 4.5/5 stars (I rounded up) because the pace of the book was slow at times and then other parts seemed a little rushed. Overall a fantastic read and I look forward to any other works Katie publishes in the future.

Thank you Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the Advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for providing this ARC! I absolutely loved this debut and felt so connected to the characters. The lush, dreamy prose was so lovely, paired perfectly with complex characters and their fraught sexual tension. Besides this beautiful journey for Will and Leigh, I’ll be thinking about the poetry in this book for a long time. Perfection!!

You know a book is going to change your brain chemistry when you're up until 3am audibly sobbing and crying off your 9-step skincare routine, oh and all on a workday.

The synopsis is simple, this is a story about a girl named Leigh who starts her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program with the hopes of pursuing her dreams in poetry. Her dreams of honing her craft and learning are shattered on day one when she finds out that her childhood crush/rival/nemesis with impeccable, sexy poet fashion sense and annoyingly perfect writing skills who she simped for since high school is in the same program. And well… two years is a long time for history to stay in the past.

My favorite part of this story was the exploration of the main character, Leigh Simon. She is your pathological people pleaser forged from the unfortunate life experiences that repeatedly told her that she was not enough. From childhood crush rejections (not one, but multiple… I know, yikes) to being the middleman bearer of the spillage from a failing marriage between her parents… Leigh quickly learned that there was no point in being herself because that only resulted in hurt. When people tell you that being you is not enough to be more than friends or save a marriage, what’s even the point? Yes, I got so frustratingly annoyed at her (especially towards the end), but I think that is just a testament to how the author got the characterization nailed down.

Then, cue Will Langford. Remember the name kids, he is book boyfriend material and out to shake up your rankings. He is Leigh’s childhood crush and the universe keeps playing this game of throwing Will back into her life just when she was about to get over the last rejection. But this time things are different. When the forced proximity starts to unravel years of unresolved tension, feelings, and secrets, hiding behind time is no longer an option. The tension between Will and Leigh was magnetic and dare I say, fateful. When two exceptionally talented writers like Leigh and Simon fall in love, the result is a beautifully crafted masterpiece that the author executed with flying colors.

I was OBSESSED with the execution of this story. The author’s ability to write poetry for various characters in her story and then adding criticism on that… I was speechless. She did an amazing job exploring depths of poetry and this industry while keeping it friendly and not too technical for the average reader. Also, a significant trope of this story is miscommunication. NOW BEFORE YOU ROLL YOUR EYES, I feel like the execution of this was done very well. I have 0 complaints. I truly can’t believe this was Katie Neymor’s debut novel and I will be on the lookout for everything she writes!

Please do yourself a favor and this to your “Want to Read” list!

The cherry on tops: Taylor Swift and One Direction references, the very millennial pop culture references, mental health awareness/representation, when he writes notes to her (I am squealing while writing this)

Recommend if you enjoy:
- Poetry (whether you are kind of interested or immersed in it, READ THIS)
- Artistic prose, writers being writers and it’s *chefs kiss*
- Spice with class (I kid you not, I was highlighting the spice scenes…)
- Rivals to lovers in an emotional romance format that remind you of Beach Read and Book Lover vibes from Emily Henry with a sprinkle of Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
- An act-of-service book boyfriend who steals glimpses, protects, and has large hands, corded veins… I understand I may have a problem…

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sharing this masterpiece for my honest opinions.

3 stars!

This book was a pleasant surprise!

Leigh’s journey from self-doubt to finding her voice in a prestigious MFA program was relatable, especially as someone who also struggles with imposter syndrome. Her dynamic with Will, her former high school crush-turned-nemesis, brought plenty of tension and some unexpected laughs. The poetry workshops and academic setting added depth, and it was fun watching them face off while slowly unraveling their feelings for each other.

Leigh’s character was flawed, but that’s what made her real. And while the push-pull between her and Will got repetitive at times, it reflected their hesitance to let go of past hurt. I do wish the pacing had been tighter, but the angst and slow-burn romance were totally worth it. The mix of witty banter, poetic moments, and academic drama made this a fun, thought-provoking read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC!

This was incredible and pulled the same heartstrings as Guy's Girl by Emma Noyes. Deeply emotional, thoughtful and witty. I respect authors that can develop good supporting characters without having to rely on toxic mean girl behaviors. The characters showed maturity while working through their own challenges. Really well done. The poetry was a bonus and only deepened the character development. I wasn't ready for this book to end.

I loved this book and didn't want to put it down! I'm always impressed by authors that write other mediums within books. There were so many lines that I loved. I found myself rereading them over and over again. All of the characters felt so real. The chemistry and the angst between Leigh and Will was so well done. This was a wonderful debut, and I can't wait to see what Katie Naymon writes next!

I'm excited for all the 2025 debuts because this was yet again a pretty good one and Katie Naymon definitely knows what she's doing (and I loved her writing style). I was first drawn to this after seeing a comparison with Beach Read but they honestly feel like distant cousins at best. I still had a great time with this book.

Leigh, frankly, felt like a bit of a caricature at times (yes, she loves Taylor Swift, Gilmore Girls, and is very much a pop culture girly and not at all a highbrow literary type, thank you very much). But at the same time she was flawed and messy and real, from her anxieties around herself and her parents to her impostor syndrome and people-pleasing tendencies. It was very palpable from the beginning and the author had a way of weaving all of these together to also make her relatable that when she finally works through all of this, I just wanted to give her a hug.

Will, as a character, was also an interesting dichotomy of your hot-broody-literary-nerd but also deeply craves validation, reserved and introverted but also incredibly emotional and passionate, but I wanted so much more of him. Let's be honest, none of us would complain if we had more of Will Langford.

Now for the relationship - I rooted for them, hard. From the very first few chapters, the tension and yearning was palpable. But that said, it still felt rather shallow and the reasons behind their push-and-pull felt repetitive midway through. I'd have loved to see it develop more deeply.

Also it wouldn't be a review if we didn't mention the poetry. Now this surprised me (in a good way?), even though in retrospect it really shouldn't, given that we're going into this knowing fully that the main characters are poetry MFAs. I may be biased as a former poetry editor but what a delightful surprise (and the workshopping, and the comments!)

All in all, a delightful read and gorgeous debut.

This was so good. It felt strong, genuine, and unfiltered. Leigh's fear of being judged and her efforts to overcome it felt relatable.

“You can take the girl out of high school, but you can’t take the fractured remnants of an obsessive crush out of the girl”

We all love to rave about books by saying the writing is so beautiful it's like poetry—well, guess what? This one literally is!

While this book is clearly a romance, the real love story, in my opinion, was Leigh learning to love herself. Sure, Will is hot, nerdy, and intelligent (we love a man who can work his words in more than one way), so he's definitely a strong contender for first place. But Leigh’s journey? That’s what really got me!

The angst in this book? Absolutely consuming. It had me on the edge of my seat, staying up way past midnight on a workday (the horror), but it was SO worth it.

In most books I pick up, it’s the male love interest who needs to grow and mature before the relationship can work. But in this story, it was so refreshing to see that both our characters had plenty of growing to do. Especially Leigh our imperfectly real female character. Her critical and sarcastic inner monologue? Pure gold.

“Do you want to grab coffee with me?” I touch him lightly on his arm.
“Um.” He paused, looks around and over my head. “Sure.”
It’s the kind of enthusiasm girls dream about.

Leigh is an anxious people-pleaser, struggling with imposter syndrome and trying to find her own sense of security. I loved that she’s girly, is obsessed with pop culture, and throws shade at boring classic literature. That doesn't make her basic—it makes her real. And her habit of overanalyzing the tiniest details about the people around her? Same, girl, same.

“I look down at our feet and see that he’s oriented his to point slightly in her direction, which I once read on wikiHow is a sign that someone likes you.”

Also, can all future book characters please go to therapy? Leigh’s therapist practically echoed what I was shouting at my Kindle pages earlier—it was like free therapy for me!

If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else- can I get an amen up in here?

Now, let's get back to Will. Imagine Spencer Reid, but instead of being an FBI agent, he’s a poet and writer. He’s smart, passionate, notices every detail about you and remembers every conversation you’ve ever had (hot). But he’s also introverted and anxious himself—what a combo. Will was such a wonderful love interest, and I promise you’ll fall for him too. You might even find yourself dreaming of cute farmers’ markets after finishing this book.
I mean, a guy who’s got a way with words, dresses well, treats you right, and buys local goat cheese? Come on, that's the dream.

This book was an absolute delight. I don’t have much experience with poetry, but it was such a treat to learn more about it while watching Leigh’s poetry evolve along with her,
You will want to copy-paste every second sentence and plaster it on your walls. The writing is just that beautiful.

So if you're in search of a new author and love amazing writing and poetry, you absolutely need to read this book. Honestly, forget what you're looking for—just read it. Trust me, you won't regret it.

4.5 stars. Oh I looooved this! Absolutely flew through it in one sitting, the YEARNING WAS SO PALPABLE. God I was a wreck over Will and Leigh, they were so adorable and I loved seeing the ups and downs of their relationship. I don’t much care for when lyrics or poetry, in this instance, is on page, but this one I’ll make an exception for because it was necessary for the story. Knocked a half star off because Leigh’s self-destructive implosion at the end was hard to swallow, and her inner monologue of fearing rejection seemed a bit heavy handed at times. But I thought the ending was so sweet and I’ll admit I teared up! Will definitely look out for more from this author.

Thank you to Forever Pub for the gifted early copy of You Between the Lines.

Have you ever just *known*? You see a book cover, you read its description, and even though you know nothing about the author or their writing, you just *know* there’s something special about it? That was “You Between the Lines” for me. A second chance romance set in North Carolina, featuring a hot nerdy lit bro and an unapologetically girlie heroine who loves Taylor Swift and neon pink? YES. PLEASE.

Amazingly, You Between the Lines not just met but *EXCEEDED* my sky-high expectations. It’s got the heart and humor of an Abby Jimenez book. It uses poetry the way Julie Soto uses cellos (IYKYK). The writing is “Emily Henry”-esque with characters that could’ve walked straight out of Emily’s latest novel. If you gave me this book without a title page and told me Emily Henry wrote it, I’d believe you. Truly, YBTL is the whole package and an absolute must read for anyone who has ever enjoyed a romcom.

If you want more specifics, here are a few of the many things I loved about it:

- YBTL is FUNNY. Leigh has the wry humor I find hilarious and had me chuckling and even straight up laughing a few times. In a book with so much angst, this humor kept everything from getting too heavy.
- Will is an absolute dreamboat. He’s smart and sensitive and obviously gorgeous, and he’s so down bad for Leigh. He fell first and he fell hard.
- I love the growth we see in Leigh and Will as people over the course of the story. They’re each dealing with heavy family stuff and neither handles it well. They have to work at it, and seeing them try and fail and keep going, and finally learn how to cope in healthy ways is so relatable and comforting. I finished the book feeling empowered — if Leigh can work through her issues, so can I.
- Related: I love how the book includes multiple on-page depictions of therapy. Scenes like these go far in helping destigmatize mental health treatment. The scenes with Leigh’s therapist also serve as a fantastic plot device to get inside her head and give her advice, directly shaping the plot.
- Finally, I love how real everything feels. Katie is a talented writer, and she brings her characters to life in a way I don’t often experience. You will fall in love with these characters and you might cry on your way to work the next day when you remember they aren’t real. Or maybe that’s just me.

In the immortal words of Kathleen Kelly: Read it. I know you’ll love it!

P.S. In the time since I wrote this and posted it (like 10 minutes), I've already remember two other things I wanted to talk about in my review but forgot to. Like just trust me, this book has so much to love, you need to read it.

The author is an MFA author, so be warned. She write about it very honestly and almost tongue in cheekly, but it’s just funny because the FMC has such a disdain for pretentious MFAer, yet is one herself.

It starts with a prologue that I just don’t feel like was necessary. Everything in the prologue could’ve been woven throughout the first few chapters. Especially because the prologue felt very info-dumpy, in a “I’m telling you a story!” way. Very self-aware and straight forward. She’s also annoying is the sense that she wants to be a writer and a poet but her confidence was killed by one high school boy’s comment?? Gurl. And then the Third Act Conflict was him doing something nice for her and her completely overreacting out of insecurity. Ya ain’t gon cut it as a creative like that babe.

The writing was fast paced and engaging. The characters were fun and real. The FMC’s self-consciousness was a huge plot point that I think was handled well and realistically, despite my minor complaints. I wanted to keep turning the page and read more.

This is single, FMC only POV. It’s open door. There’s a lot of therapy and anxiety talk. Discussion of parents divorcing when she’s an adult. MMC struggles with parent issues and dad’s death (prior to the story)

I struggled to connect with Leigh. She was saying she was not a ‘not like other girls girl’ and yet she othered herself almost the entire book. She was a Swiftie sorority girl, and claimed she could not connect with anyone from undergrad or in the MFA. She and Will had the same issues repeatedly, and her therapy was obviously not working. It got a bit stale, and by the time they got together I was really ready to be finished. Will must have felt the same way, because they dropped that engagement epilogue at the end of the MFA like they hadn’t been hot and cold for almost the entire first year. Overall, this was pretty angsty, and I could see Taylor Swift fans liking Leigh and her poetry.

Thank you @readforeverpub for this ARC of You Between the Lines by @katienaymonwrites !

(US Pub Date: Feb 18th ‘25)

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I don’t think that I can adequately describe the way this book made me feel, especially since everyone in it (all of whom are technically Katie) is so much better with words than I am. I, like Leigh, am deep in the throes of imposter syndrome.

I think for me, what is most delightful about the overall *gestures at everything* of this book is that we see all of the vulnerable and ugly and messy parts of Leigh before she shares any of them with anyone else. And we love her. Because we too are vulnerable and ugly and messy in ways that we don’t show. And if we love her for it, why not ourselves?

The thing about creative types - especially those who specialize in words - is that in spite of all of the vibrant and urgent and chaotic feelings being right at the forefront of who we are, we often have a hard time communicating them. Will and Leigh both spill themselves onto the pages of their writing but withhold the most delicate parts of themselves because there’s nothing more terrifying than being too raw and being unable to take it back.

It’s clever and gorgeously descriptive and had me in tears more times than I can count. I loved the crossover of the two - the way they were both almost caricatures of themselves but very apparently only on the surface. Will is broody, masculine academia whose softness becomes an integral part of who he is. Leigh is fun, sparkling femininity with a sharp undercut that shimmers when she lets it show. And the two complement each other delightfully.