The Perfect Rom-Com is a clean, feel good, slow burn rom-com that, for the most part, lived up to its title. It has a unique plot, a behind the scenes of the world of writing and publishing and the trials, tribulations, and rejections that come with becoming an author. To be honest, with that title, I was worried it would be full of cliches, but thankfully it wasn’t. It was uplifting, super cute, and had a good balance of humor, romance, and self discovery.

Bryony is an aspiring writer and an ESL teacher assisting immigrants and refugees. Having little luck getting anyone interested in her own manuscript, she takes a job as a ghostwriter to a famous author who doesn’t appreciate her or her hard work and is an entitled, toxic person. She is just buying time while making a name for herself without breaking contracts. Thankfully, she has Jack, a literary agent who has become more of a best friend than work colleague.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Not only was the plot charming and unique, the diverse cast of characters were well developed and easy to fall in love with. I adored their relationship and the swoon worthy and witty banter. However, I felt like it was a little repetitive and the lengthy monologues took away from the story.

The narrator, Karissa Vacker, did a phenomenal job with giving several different characters their own voice making it easy to follow and listen. I loved the southern slang accent she gave Gloria, and she made Amelia’s voices just as annoying and arrogant as I felt her character was. As always, she did a great job with pacing, tone, and inflection which really helped to set the scene and bring the story and characters to life, delivering a flawless performance from start to finish.

Thank you @prhaudio @thomasnelson @uplitreads @netgalley and @ourfriendlyfarmhouse for the #gifted eARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @uplitreads and @netgalley for this free digital copy 💖.

✨What is about:
Bryony Page, a teacher and writer, has written a debut novel raising awareness for The Bridge, her grandmother's financially-struggling organization where she teaches ESL full-time. She attends a book conference in the hope of finding a literary agent to take on her book. She doesn’t do well on her pitch with one of the most ruthless agents in the business Jack Sterling. She stumbles into correcting another author's work in a last-ditch attempt to make a good impression with the agent, and she is spot on. He then makes her a proposition to be a ghostwriter for a socialite. She turns that writer into a household name and best selling author, and now the agency can’t let her go, all the while the only things she wants is to get her own book published.✨

💭My thoughts:
This was a light, quick, and interesting read. It felt more like a story of self growth rather than a romance though. I liked seeing Bryony’s journey, but I could not get behind the attraction or romance between her and Jack. It almost seemed to come out of nowhere, and I also felt Jack did a lot of strange things people in love don’t really do to the one they are in love with. I felt a lack of chemistry in Jack’s interactions with Bryony, and also like we never got to really know him. It was however really nice to see Bryony reach a goal and grow throughout the story. If you like stories about the world of book publishing and are a writer yourself, I think you might connect and enjoy this story a lot more than I did. It was interesting to see how much writers go through sometimes to get that coveted book deal.

3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (Rounded up to 4 stars)

Read if you like:
✍️Stories about writers
✍️The publishing world
✍️Slow burn
✍️Forced proximity
✍️Workplace romance

⚠️CW: Death of a parent, infidelity, grief.

I was absolutely swooning over this very cute romance between an aspiring author and book agent! Although some parts of this book were a little predictable, I really enjoyed reading this!

THE PERFECT ROM-COM is amazingly well-written and filled with relatable, well-developed characters. I was drawn to Jack instantly and deeply invested in both his professional and personal relationships with Briony. I also loved to hate the spoiled, ungrateful author for whom Briony is a ghost writer, and I rooted for that character to get her comeuppance as much as I rooted for the couple. I think this is Melissa Ferguson's best book to date!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
0/5 spice

First off, I would like to say thank you to NetGalley, Melissa Ferguson, and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing me with an E-ARC in return for an honest review.

Tropes:
📖Friends to lovers
🚍Forced proximity
📖He falls first
🚍Workplace romance

The Perfect Rom-Com is a cute contemporary romance that centers around Bryony and Jack. Bryony is our FMC who is a ghostwriter for another one of Jack’s “authors”. Jack is her literary agent who has fallen more than he ever expected to.

I liked that Bryony was passionate about her writing and getting her book out there to tell the story of her grandmother and the program that her grandmother started. I liked that Jack was open to helping her, until the end when he lied. She is loyal to her family and to her students that she teaches. However, I don’t know how the ex played a part in the storyline. There was never conversations or interactions. He was only mentioned a couple of times prior to the “breaking up”. I feel like there could have been more added there.

I’m unsure of my feelings toward Jack. On one had, he had Bryony’s best interest at heart. He wanted her to succeed and become that best ghostwriter that she could be. He stood up for her at meetings when no one else would. On the other hand, I knew there was something sneaky and conniving about him. At the end when I found out that he had lied to her about sharing her manuscript, I was ready to give him a few choice words. He didn’t communicate with her the way he should have if he was so in love with her.

I also had trouble with the title. The title states that it’s the perfect rom-com and I do not believe that it was a rom-com. The romance that you expect in a rom-com was not there. There were a few parts in the story that had me ohhhing and ahhhing, but a majority of the story was backstory and not the actual relationship building that is what makes a romance. The comedy that you expect in a rom-com was not there. Yes, there were a few moments that I could myself giggling, but most of the book was lacking.

Overall, if you want a quick book to read that I would consider a palate cleanser, then this book is for you. This book is truly about a female who wants to enter the world of book publishing, standing up for herself, finding her gumption and passion, and finding love at the end.

Goodreads review posted on 2/11/25
Amazon review posted on 2/17/25
IG review posted on 2/10/25

Such a fun and interesting look into the book writing and publishing industry! The love/hate chemistry between Jack and Bryony was laugh out loud funny at times and kept me hooked. The sister relationship and the hilarious way that Gloria helps to alleviate Bryony's anxiety and nervousness was the icing on the cake.
This was the 'Perfect Rom-Com'!

Okay, The Perfect Rom-Com is seriously chef’s kiss perfect! 😍 Bryony Page is an aspiring author with big dreams to get published and save her grandmother’s ESL school. But after a cringe-worthy pitching session, she ends up ghostwriting for a bestselling author (who’s, like, the worst) while still trying to get her own book out there. Her agent, Jack, is a total swoon-worthy mess—funny, sweet, and just a little bit flawed, which made him way more relatable and charming. I loved watching Bryony’s determination and ambition unfold. She’s not your typical rom-com heroine—she’s bold, smart, and unapologetically herself.
The whole ghostwriting aspect was such a fresh twist! It gave the book an extra layer of depth, making it feel more unique than the usual rom-com tropes. Plus, the dynamic between Bryony and Jack was perfection—there was so much banter, and it made me laugh out loud more than once! 😂
And shoutout to Karissa Vacker, the narrator—she absolutely nailed the voices, especially the playful back-and-forth between Bryony and Jack. She brought their chemistry to life in such a fun way!
This book? Definitely worth the read (or listen). It’s witty, heartfelt, and so easy to root for the characters. If you’re into rom-coms with a little more substance and lots of laughs, you’re gonna LOVE this one. ✨📚

I loved this book!!!

It was so entertaining! I stayed up all night to finish it. The characters were very relatable, I LOVED the main character. The way the plot unfolded was very fun. I wish I could read more about the characters and The Bridge.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!!

This book was a sloooooooooooooooooooooooooow burn. I was half way through and kept thinking to myself nothing has happened yet.! Especially for the title, The Perfect Rom-Com. I couldn't see how Jack and Bryony were to ever make sense. I was really rooting for Bryony though and her backstory was very special and I actually wanted more of that! There were a lot of subplots and I just couldn't get that invested in all of them. I am definitely willing to try other books by the author.

If you need an easy read, a palette cleanser, consider picking this one up!

'Bryony Page. What agent would be crazy not to want this?'

I dare you to read this book and not feel completely endeared to Bryony Page.

...and Jack
...and Gloria
...and Penny
...and Trina
...and Susanna
.... and even Albrecht

This book is without a doubt making my top 2025 favorites list and to be quite honest by all-time favorites list. This is my first book by Melissa Ferguson and I have never been happier to see a backlist from an author.

I am completely hooked.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

This book had so many fun elements to it from the characters, the romance, the dialogue (Bryony + Jack are completely swoon worthy together!), the settings, the side plots and back stories, the villain (and woowhee is she a great villain!). If you're looking for a romcom filled with HEART AND SOUL this is the book you want to read.

10 OUT OF 10 RECOMMEND, ALL OF THE STARS, ALL OF THE THUMBS-UP, SERIOUSLY--GET YOURSELF THIS BOOK ASAP!

I really cannot recommend this one enough. If you finish this without tears in your eyes (or completely running down your face) you are not human :) This book is quite possibly the definition of perfection. Thank you Melissa Ferguson for bringing this beauty in to the world (sincerely, your newest fan!).

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Content/Trigger: death of a loved one (off page), romance-kisses only!

This was a fun story about a ghostwriter, Bryony, and her literary agent, Jack.

Even though this one is considered a romance, I feel like the romance wasn’t the focus of the book. There was romance but it was about Bryony and her struggles as an aspiring author (to get her own book published) and the grueling publishing industry. I loved Bryony especially that she was ESL teacher by day/writer at night. She was a strong-willed character with the desire to help others, and I was rooting for her every step of the way. The romance was slow burn but it was definitely worth the wait because I loved the ending.

3/3.5 stars. I have enjoyed Melissa Ferguson's past books but this one felt like there was too much going on unfortunately. I liked the audio more than the book, but this might be because some of the book felt slow. I did like Bryony as a main character however I found the plot deviated too far away from her own story at times. Was the ending realistic? Maybe? I guess it all depends on the contract both main characters signed. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital and audio copy.

My first read from this Author. I stumbled across it on net galley, and received an ARC. I don’t usually read clean romance. But this book! It was absolutely adorable. The FMC was passionate, searching to fond someone to represent and publish her book. Her book was a love tribute to her family, and their school, which teaches English to immigrants. The story begins with them loosing their funding, her writing a book about the school, hoping to find a miracle with her book, and keep the school open.

In enters Jack Sterling, literary agent. He offers her a chance to ghostwrite for a popular rom-com writer instead, while she edits her book and finds someone willing to publish it.


Cue cute tropes, cuter banter, and a brewing romance.
Tropes: traveling together, strangers to best friends to lovers, and more.


“I’ve been in love for quite some time, I just didn’t realize it was with him”

I loved this cute rom com! I loved the characters and I loved that it was a closed door romance that I can recommend to younger readers. It was a bit predictable, but I still really enjoyed!

I really liked the premise of this book and the dynamic between Jack and Bryony. I thought they worked well together after the time skip and it made sense to me that they would end up together.

I didn’t like that a lot of this book felt like it was a summary in place of a plot. The two year time skip caught me off guard but it was necessary to the rest of the book so I’ll let it slide even though we really missed a lot of Jack and Bryony moving from unlikely coworkers to friends. I think it would’ve been beneficial to see more of that relationship growth in the novel instead of in flashbacks.

The stakes didn’t feel very high for The Bridge because of all the skipping around in time. We never really saw Bryony there so it didn’t feel like as big of a deal as it was made out to be. Her Gran isn’t really in the novel that much so I didn’t feel like I knew her enough to feel sad about the Bridge closing.

Overall I wish there was more plot development and more relationship development but it was a fun read

After a disastrous pitch session at her first writers conference, aspiring author Bryony Page stumbles into correcting another author’s work in a last-ditch attempt to make a good impression with literary agent Jack Sterling. When he offers her the opportunity to be a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict, popular rom-com novelist, Bryony agrees on one condition: she’ll write books for this vain, demanding woman just as long as he works to sell her own book too.

Bryony couldn't predict her books making Amelia literary royalty. She still held on to her publishing dream but stayed the ghostwriting course for her grandmother's struggling ESL organization.

I loved the narrator on this one. She brought out Bryony's chaotic life perfectly as she went on a book tour, tried to market her manuscript, and even fell in love. I loved the last chapters as everything fell into place for her beyond her wildest dreams.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ALC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5⭐
Steam level: 1🌶️ Kissing only

A very intriguing story of an aspiring author that starts ghostwriting! It honestly intrigued me so much and I’m disappointed I couldn’t get behind the entire novel.

The beginning of the book was really hard to get into. It was confusing because there’s this huge time jump and the beginning of the friendship between Bryony and Jack is never explained. They did not like each other at all when they first meet and I wanted to see that. We didn’t even get much of a flashback either and all of a sudden they’re in love with each other? Make it make sense please.

What I did like was the fact Bryony teaches English to immigrants and refugees. That part was so wholesome and I loved all her interactions with her students.

The last few chapters were intriguing with Amelia and the secret. Honestly one of the most entertaining parts of the book because I was not expecting it.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson

hopeful lighthearted slow-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75

A book that feels like a stroll in Starshallow. This book is all golden retriever energy & no black cat.
What I loved💕:
💕 The banter between Jack and Bryony
💕 Up and coming author FMC
💕 Literary events
💕 Bryony sassiness
💕 that it included bookclub questions

What’s not my cuppa tea:☕️
☕️ all the extra information- it slowed down the book and I’m reading a romance to focus on the main characters
☕️ Hate for affirmations in the bathroom scene

the perfect rom-com was a super cute cozy romance. i saw some mixed reviews on this was but, i enjoyed it. bryony has a dream to a be a best selling author, after lots of rejection she gets a once and a lifetime opportunity. to ghostwrite for a very popular author . while doing this she meets jack and through ups and downs their relationship flourishes.

as someone who is an aspiring writer, this book was a great way to peak behind the curtains of what writing actually is like. i loved the characters, the love story and the banter and i cannot wait to get a physical copy