You Between The Lines by @katienaymonwrites

“You have always been the brightest thing in the room and I have never not wanted to be in your spotlight.”

A former sorority girl starts a prestigious poetry MFA program only to discover that one of her fellow grad students is her high school crush-turned-nemesis— who can’t stop writing about her.

Guys… I read a lot of books. Most of them don’t make it to my feed. I only post the ones that I fall absolutely head over heels in love with, and this one meets that criteria. This book had me feeling deep feelings. Don’t let the cute cover fool you. It was cute, but it was so much more.

Leigh is very insecure but very relatable. She wants everyone to like her, and her first instinct always is to question what is wrong with HER. Will is a sad boy and so broody and tortured and I absolutely fell in love with him. This story is for fans of Beach Read by Emily Henry, Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood, Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto, and Legally Blonde.

Read if you love:
-Teenage rivals to almost college lovers to enemies to lovers
-They’ve been secretly in love for years
-Found family
-Academia setting
-Toe curling tension and angst (you will be BLUSHING)
-Poetry as a love language
-Broody Tortured poet in glasses and his muse
-Sexy mirror time
-“Good girl” and other praise
-Hot hot hot, zero cringe sex (your jaw will be OPEN and you WILL be blushing and suddenly feel like you’re having a hot flash)
-Taylor Swift and other pop culture references
-TTPD/Evermore/Folklore with a sprinkle of Lover and Midnights
-lavender haze, labyrinth, mirrorball, down bad, so high school, the prophecy, this is me trying, invisible string, willow, right where you left me, lover, afterglow, you’re on your own, kid

Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the e-arc!

I can’t wait to get my greedy hands on a physical copy. This is one of those books that is going on my favorite romances shelf and will be reread when I need a comfort read. 🧡

Pub date: 2/18/25 (add this to your list! You don’t want to miss it, I promise!)


And while I respect everyone’s right to review a book honestly… I don’t get the critique of this one. Yes, our FMC is insecure and judgmental. But aren’t we all? Isn’t this a wildly normal way to experience being a human being? Especially as a woman? How boring would books be if all of the characters were perfect human beings with no flaws. Leigh grows so much as a person throughout this book and I felt like her growth journey was inspiring and authentic.

I loved this book. What an incredible debut that stands out insanely well amongst the others ive read. it was so good. the poetry, the romance. it was so gutwrenching and gorgeous. I cant say enough good things.

Oof, this one just wasn’t for me. I decided while reading it, that this is actually my least favorite type of story to read. It’s a classic story we’ve all heard before. Super insecure girl has had a crush on a guy since high school, but has been convincing herself for ten years that she’ll never be good enough for him. Now she’s twenty seven and stuck in a tiny grad school program with him where she can’t avoid her feelings anymore.

You Between the Lines is only in the female’s POV, and boy, does it get old being inside her head the whole book. She is the most wildly insecure person and spends the whole book telling herself how terrible she is at everything, and I just got so tired of reading it. Maybe I’m just too grumpy today and in a bit of reading slump already, but I just did not have a good time reading this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC!

Quick Summary
A former sorority girl/aspiring poet goes head to head with her high school crush turned nemesis for a prestigious writing fellowship.

My Thoughts
I liked the found family aspect in this book and the impostor syndrome that the main character experiences was super relatable!

However, my biggest issue was that the main characters and main conflict seemed to be very high school. Although the FMC and MMC are in their late twenties, they often acted like teenagers when it came to their relationship and personal struggles.

The back and forth between the main couple started to feel repetitive, but I did continue to root for them. The book also had some charming moments that still kept me interested throughout.

Overall, I would give this book 3.75 stars ⭐️

2⭐️ As someone who loves to write, loves poetry, the premise of this book enthralled me immediately. Combining my two favorite things, a romance novel and writers…I’m in. To start on a positive note the added elements of the included poems written throughout was refreshing and such a nice added element. The number of books I read where one of the main characters were writers/poets and the plot heavily includes talking about them writing something, and how amazing it was, but never including it, I always found to be a bit of a drawback. I loved the fact that this book included poems written by Leigh and William. It added a newfound depth into the characters that a lot of books don’t have. With this positive note considered, it still just wasn’t enough to fully immerse myself into the book. I’m all for unlikeable characters, I’ve read a ton of books with that being the premise, but as much as Leigh talked about wanting to change, grow, and mature she seemed to be harshly and unfairly judging everyone else along the way. Some of her quips, remarks, and observations just really made me a bit uncomfortable. The plot felt a bit monotonous after awhile. The same scenes of going to class, reviewing peer work, tutoring, and small get togethers I felt pulled back from the progression of the story. I couldn’t feel the sparks between William and Leigh. I was very excited for this story, and wanted to love it, but unfortunately this was a book that just didn’t meet me at the right moment. To end on a good note, I do want to include some of the quotes that stuck out to me.

“That’s the problem with me. I constantly read the room and cater my movements, words, thoughts, which-comma-goes-where to other people. (Prologue)”

“How do you know when you’re good at something?” “When someone else tells me I’m good at it. Is that bad? (Chapter 1)”

Thank you Net Galley and Forever for the eARC!

loved this romance about two writers in a MFA program who meet up again. They were in high school together and saw each other again after college. They try really hard to resist their love. They finally find a way and figure out their future. Loved her friends.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to give my honest review!

I'm afraid I might have an unpopular opinion... When I first saw this book, I saw such amazing reviews and I thought maybe this will be right up my alley. I will say, I think this book is perfect for Emily Henry and Ashley Poston fans. I'm not obsessed with these authors as some others might be, but I always tune into their works. When I read "You Between the Lines", I was getting similar feelings as their books. So, if you absolutely adore those two authors, I think this might be for you. Sadly, I thought this was just okay.

At first, it did take me a little bit to get used to the writing style. To me, it was hard to get through the text but I eventually got my groove and flew through it. Once the romance started picking up, I was intrigued and engaged with the story. My absolute favorite part is when our two main characters, Leigh and Will, go to a pumpkin patch. It was so cozy and just what I was looking for. The interactions between the two were believable and fun. I was excited to continue my journey with their romance. Though, their actions soon became irritating. These characters are supposed to be late twenties but they felt way younger. They were making decisions that didn't make sense and at times they felt childish. Leigh and Will's relationship was sweet and I was rooting for them, but they kept deciding now wasn't the greatest time for a relationship. This conversation happened multiple times and I was starting to get tired of it. I understand not being in the space for a relationship, but stop engaging in romantic actions if you don't want to be together. Other than the annoying parts, I did still think this was enjoyable.

I also loved how writing was a major part of the story. I loved getting to see the different poems and the creative process for other characters. The whole idea of loving something but being critiqued was relatable. I'm an artist and I'm always being critiqued for my art. It doesn't feel good but I understood why Leigh was feeling the way she did. Though, she could be a little childish about it like I mentioned before. Another thing I liked was how the writing aspect tied up at the end. I won't spoil anything, but I was satisfied and glad where it ended.

I might have had my problems with this book, but I still found myself having a good time. I think if you go into this book with the mindset of the characters making bad decisions all the time, then you will enjoy it more. I just think I wasn't prepared to go into this with what it actually was going to be about. If you are looking for an enjoyable and quick read, this will for sure do the job. This is a good debut and I hope this author continues to grow. I'm for sure interested in reading whatever she puts out next!

3.25 stars

I absolutely loved this! Such a beautiful story and emotional writing. It had my stomach in knots so many times! There is so much angst here. How is this a debut?!? After reading this you're going to want to binge watch Gilmore Girls and listen to Taylor's The Tortured Poets Department. I'm excited to see what is next from Katie Naymon, I'll definitely be picking up whatever it is she's written.

wow. An absolutely stunning debut full of delicious sexual tension, angst, pining, and gorgeous prose that left my breathless. If you loved How to End a Love Story,or have always wished for a Gus/January prologue, THIS book is for you. Katie's writing is insightful, clever, and swoon worthy and I can't wait to read absolutely anything she writes.

I've been waiting to read this ever since it was announced, and oh boy, did it deliver!

The book follows Leigh and Will, who were once "rivals" in high school. They've seen each other here and there but haven't spent much time together since—until they both attend the same poetry program. They are both such complex characters with many flaws, which made this book even better. They felt real, and in many parts, I felt seen by both of them. As the program progresses, they start spending more time together and realize that maybe they never actually "hated" each other—maybe they both really liked each other but just never communicated properly. I loved how they started getting closer through their writing. Will's little comments on her notes had me giggling and kicking my feet in the air. I loved how their connection grew, even though I wanted to hit them in the head sometimes because EVERYONE could see they loved each other—except them. This book was such a delight to read, and I loved the writing so much. If you love angst, yearning, rivals-to-lovers, pining, and poetry, this book is for you.

Thank you so, so much to Forever for sending this my way. I truly loved it.

Ugh I loved!! The ONLY reason this did not get 5 stars was because I really really reaaallllyyy wanted to see Will's perspective!

The writing? Top tier. The plot? Amazing. The book itself? THANK YOU

I devoured this book, and since we've been hit with the hurricane and the power has been out, this is exactly what I needed today. The story was so smooth that I just flew through it. Honestly, I could not get enough.

Like where do I get my own Will???? I want the hot academic man too please universe, thank you! Back to the topic at hand- the characters were so amazing, and I loved them! Leigh and Will were perfect for each other (duh), but they were each great on their own, which made the book even better. They each had their own trauma, and while I wish we got to see more of Will's, we saw enough to not hate any of the people in this book (praise!)

I will absolutely be reading more of Katie's work, don't worry. If you got nothing from this review, know this: this one is for the English major girlies with impostor syndrome that want a hot academic man in a quarter-zip crew neck.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Grand Publishing for the eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for a digital ARC of You Between the Lines.

I'm sorry, but I did not like this at all. I should have stopped reading at 30% the first time I thought of it. I'm all for an unlikeable character because I love to see growth and transformation. The FMC was whiny, entitled, self-absorbed, adolescent, etc etc. & she didn't become likable until the epilogue. She really was insufferable. Based on the cover, I thought I was getting a romcom. When I learned there was no humor that was fine too, so a romance then. It's more about a 27-year-old complaining about not being good enough because a boy in high school critiqued her work. I rolled my eyes often, and the white male privilege was mentioned five too many times. I did like the MMC and my favorite character was the FMC high school best friend. The author has an MFA so while reading I thought, am I crazy? Hence why I continued. And why I gave two stars instead of one.

I stayed up wayyyyy too late binge reading this book but I just couldn’t put it down. I inhaled it! It was everything I love in a romance. Academic setting, second chance, 10 years of pining, let’s just get it out of our system…loved all the tropes here and the poetry element was fantastic! Love notes written in the margins of poems during critique? SWOON. Related to Leigh’s insecurities and adored Will’s character. Definitely pick this one up when it releases in February!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC. :)

I loved this book. Perfect, precise writing that really captured the exact brand of imposter syndrome one experiences in grad school (not just an MFA!). Leigh’s insecurities were so well-explored and felt. I loved the development of her relationship with Will, and also seeing her come into her own with her cohort. There were also a few twists in the end that were perfectly planted and executed just right.

3.5 ⭐️
1.5 🌶️

One thing I can say about this book is that it was certainly well written. The author really dug deep setting the scenes and developing the characters. But on the flip side of having such complex characters is that I had a hard time connecting with Leigh, the FMC. She felt so self destructive at times and some of her choices really bothered me. I understand she was going through a lot but I was so frustrated with her for the majority of the story.

As for the romance between Leigh and Will, there definitely was some steam without being overly explicit. The buildup of their romance gave me all the feels in the “will they, won’t they” push and pull of it all.

Overall, this was a good read- full of angst, romance, and a nice sprinkle of pop culture and Taylor Swift references. Thanks NetGalley and Forever for an ARC!

May I have your attention, please! I urgently need to put this fantastic read on your radar! I know I might be generous with my frequent five-star reviews, but this book truly earns and deserves more than five stars! There's nothing formulaic or cliché about its romance. Everything feels pure, heartfelt, unique, and thought-provoking, with a perfect blend of sensitivity and sarcasm that tugs at your heartstrings like a beautiful love song.

If I had the talent to write a love poem for this book, that would be my review instead, as it feels like the most fitting feedback for such a brilliant debut—one that I enjoyed with every fiber of my being! The slow-burn romance between Leigh and Will, their insecurities and resentments, their coping mechanisms that hold them back from fully being themselves, their witty yet sensitive banter, and all the small, sweet moments—from sharing cider and donuts while pumpkin picking to stolen kisses behind closed doors—are nothing short of magical. It’s an underrated gem, and I’m convinced it’ll be one of the best romance reads of 2025!

The plot centers around Leigh, a former sorority girl in her late twenties who, after being accepted into a prestigious MFA program in North Carolina, leaves behind her soul-sucking copywriting job. After witnessing her parents’ troubled marriage and being dissatisfied with her career choices, she sees this as a fresh start—a chance to embrace her high school self who loved writing freely without the restrictions of corporate life. She has long missed the power of creative freedom.

Her ability to weave pop culture lyrics into her poetry sets her apart, though she’s still hesitant to fully reveal her true voice, preferring to write from other perspectives to avoid rejection. What she didn’t expect was to run into her high school crush, Will Langford—the same guy who once harshly criticized one of her favorite poems in front of the class, crushing her self-esteem. And six years after a near-kiss at his apartment, he rejected her again.

Leigh has moved on in her own way, through therapy and coping with lingering insecurities, but Will—now a pretentious, intellectual, and confident man—is also struggling. After the loss of his father, he’s numbing his feelings and focusing too hard on work, yet he sends mixed signals to Leigh, making her wonder if letting her go was a mistake. But how can she trust the boy who broke her heart, now a troubled man who could ruin her all over again? Even her parents’ 30-year relationship is on the rocks—how could she risk starting something that may not last? What if she’s still not good enough? What if Will chooses someone more like him?

Overall, this book is angsty, lyrical, eccentric, and utterly unique—A MUST READ! I’ll be promoting this book among other romances because when you find something this special, you hold on to it and treasure it. This book deserves to be highly appreciated!

I’m eagerly anticipating Katie Naymon’s next work, as much as I fell for this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sharing this FANTASTIC WORK in exchange for my honest opinions!

Okay, I picked this book up fresh off reading an ARC of The Launch Date, and now I’m like, maybe 2025 romance will save me…Seriously though, similar to that book, I didn’t have super high expectations going into this because I’ve been having such a bad streak of romances, but man, did this book blow me away. In You Between the Lines, a former sorority girl who can’t take herself seriously navigates imposter syndrome and the culmination of finally getting closer with the guy she’s been wanting for the past ten years in a prestigious MFA program.

After burning out after years of working in marketing, Leigh finally pursues her dream of being a poet by starting a prestigious poetry MFA program. On the first day she immediately feels like she doesn’t belong with all these academic people, a feeling that’s confirmed even more when she realizes that Will, the guy whom she’s had a crush on since high school and who represents everything she finds lacking with herself, is one of her classmates. As the year goes on, they can’t help but give into the tension between them, especially when Will submits a poem that’s clearly about her.

If I’m being honest, I hate reading romances where the characters are hung up on a slight that happened in high school because let’s be honest, you are grown now and should be able to get over it! Thankfully, I didn’t feel that way in this book, mostly because Will’s condescension toward Leigh in class once was just one more thing in the long timeline of their thing. She’s always had a crush on him throughout high school, and when they ran into each other once in college, him rejecting her advances cements something for her that she’s still grappling with today. All this to say that I think the high-school hang-up thing works here because both of their characters are dealing with deep-seated issues and holding onto that one event says more about themselves than is used purely for the plot.

The characterizations were some of my favorite parts of this book; everyone really felt like real people to me. Leigh’s character particularly resonated with me. She’s a people pleaser, clearly dealing with some anxiety and tying her self-worth to other people’s opinion of her. One aspect of the book is her dealing with her somewhat-recently separated parents, who constantly pull her into their fights.

She’s also never really taken herself seriously, constantly comparing her sorority girl self who likes Taylor Swift and doesn’t go out of her way to study much with her more seriously academic peers. This is a very simplistic connection to make in the real world, I know, but one that I think works in the scheme of the book because she’s had a lot of people in her life who don’t believe in her. She’s clearly dealing with imposter syndrome, especially entering this very small MFA program with people who are clearly stronger writers than her, or so she thinks.

This plays into the romance because as much as Leigh can’t deny her chemistry with Will, she also self-sabotages the whole situation since she doesn’t want to be hurt. Still, the tension between them is always there, and I really enjoyed their conversations together. As much as he was rude to her years ago, he clearly supports her and wants the best for her, even as they compete for a fellowship with Leigh’s favorite poet.

I honestly was holding my breath reading some of their scenes because the tension! By the time we get to read Will’s poem about her in class, I had to admit I was a goner for this book. I absolutely could not put it down until I finished it, and even then I started reading slower in the second half since I didn’t want it to end.

A strong debut, this book grapples with imposter syndrome and never feeling good enough, even in romantic relationships. I loved the characters and the romance, and I really can’t wait to read more from this author! You Between the Lines is perfect for fans of Beach Read; I can’t recommend it enough.

I 100% support characters like Will and cheered when he said in the prologue: “It’s all style, no substance” when critiquing a piece written by our female lead Leigh. I’ve personally said this about certain pieces and books I’ve read this year and readers: it’s not a mean spirited comment, it’s a substantive critique.

On the flip side, it also made me instantly not like our female character Leigh (who obviously has to have an emotional reaction of tears welling because she cannot take constructive criticism). It’s the first time someone told her, that her writing was mediocre and challenged her to step her game up. But to use the excuse and defence of “white literary men” as the reason why the character doesn’t take the criticism and level up at the end of the prologue was just quite honestly not working for me (and for this to happen in the prologue, was a red flag for me). Believe me there’s a serious conversation to be had about the toxicity of the literary world being dominated by a select few writers (and it’s not only ‘white literary men’ that have a grip on it).

There were a lot of moments that made me cringe (I had a visceral reaction of shock, disappointment, and some cases I was just disgusted). An author not choosing her words wisely, without a care in the world, an author operating with I dare say a sense of privilege? For example the characterization used in chapter one “the pot smoking, the ones who brought books to parties” line. There’s so much to unpack there (the connotations alone in that line). I had a lot of ‘why’ and ‘wait, what happened there?’ moments while reading.

But once the romance and conflict comes around I could not bring myself to like Leigh. “You Between the Lines” lacks substance, and needs an author to once again read between the lines.

Thank you Forever for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and forever publishing for the e-ARC. My opinions are being left voluntarily. What a fantastic debut book. I really enjoyed the way the author included writing and the attempts by the fmc in the book.i enjoyed how their history and self doubt played into their connection. The romance part was my favorite part. They were both down bad, but he was down bad more.

I look forward to the authors future work.

4.5/5☆

When a book makes you stay up until 2 am and cry, you know it’s a good one! I couldn’t put this down. The writing was absolutely beautiful and just draws you in.

Will and Leigh had such a sweet love story! There was a lot of miscommunication, but the book deals with the reasons behind all of it so it makes sense. I understood why they hesitated to get together. The exploration of how anxiety and depression can affect one’s relationships was handled well. The characters had great chemistry and tension. No matter how hard they tried, they could never stay away from each other for too long.

I loved the poetry and English department talk and how they wrote notes to each other on their poems in class. Reading their poems and seeing how they analyzed each other’s poems added to the development of each character. The found family aspect was top notch!!

When the book was over, I found myself wishing it was longer because I loved it so much. I can’t believe this is a debut. You will definitely want to pick this up come February. If Taylor Swift’s 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑷𝒐𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝑫𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 was a book, it’s this one!