"The perfect rom-com" is a very lighthearted, sweet and easy read.
But unfortunately, there wasn't enough romance for my taste and Jack was a bit of a questionable love interest (imo).

I loved everything about ESL students and The Bridge. I think the book needed more of that.

3 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5/4.75 ⭐️

I really just had the best time with this story! I had the digital copy sitting on my kindle for MONTHS & then opened the audio and I was immediately captivated. I loved the plot of the story and the characters!

I loved watching our FMC come to the realization that she wanted a different life for herself and she took her life by the reigns and tried to make it happen for herself. I think it’s also such a good lesson for aspiring authors to learn - that a million nos don’t matter if that one yes is coming.

Our MMC made me love him and hate him and i still don’t know even i like him 😅 but the strong feelings still ilicited me to be tied super strongly to the story.

I would definitely recommend the audio for this one! I’m not sure why but overall it was super enjoyable!

You’ll find:
-He falls first
-Aspiring Author / Agent
-Workplace Romance
-Ghost writing trying to break away
-HUGE grand gesture

I would def recommend this to my peers & would be interested in reading more by this author!

“She’s written dozens of smash-hit romance novels. Too bad no one knows it.

Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers conference bursting with optimism and ready to sell her manuscript with long-shot dreams of raising awareness for The Bridge, her grandmother’s financially struggling organization where she teaches ESL full-time. But after a disastrous pitch session, she stumbles into correcting another author’s work in a last-ditch attempt to make a good impression with the agent. And she, as it turns out, is spot on.

No one is more surprised than Bryony when the agent 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 Jack Sterling, literary agent of the legendary Foundry Literary Agency, works to sell her own book too.

What nobody predicted, however, was that Bryony’s books would turn Amelia Benedict into the Amelia Benedict, household name and bestselling author with millions of copies sold around the world.

And just like that, the Foundry Agency can’t let her go.

But on a personal note, Jack is realizing he can’t either.”

**What I enjoyed about this book:
I really enjoyed Bryony and Jack in this book! I loved that Bryony was so driven and ambitious and that Jack really fell for her! A great workplace romance!

This was definitely more chick lit than romantic comedy, which did disappoint me. It’s marketed as romance and there’s really only a small sub plot of it

Talk about a fun book! The Perfect Rom-Com is a delightful and witty romance that was the wonderful lighthearted escape!

✔️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:

Forced Proximity
Friends to lovers
Ghost writer
Fun supporting cast
Laugh out loud moments
Slow burn romance

🩷 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲?

I loved following Bryony and Jack’s building romance and found myself rooting for them to find each other from the very first chapter.

🔥Steam Level - Clean romance

📖 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?

This was a steady paced story that I couldn’t get enough of.

✨ 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?

If you are looking for a fun story to lose yourself in, that is full of lively characters, and humor, then I hope you pick this book up to read soon.

Thank you Thomas Nelson, UpLit and NetGalley for my gifted copies in exchange for my honest opinion.

A light read, palette cleanser for me in between books. I don't think that the title matched the content of the book, well I found it a bit deceiving.

A closed door, very very lightly dotted romance in the pages. First person story.

Most of the romantic references were talked about and as in past tense, I prefer to experience current events / situations on the page and feel the build up of emotions whilst it's happening.

Overall, I think an interesting read regarding the book making process, However fell flat for me as a rom-com, which I don't think it is. A title change would probably ensure it hits its target audience.

Thanks to Net galley, Melissa Ferguson & Thomas Nelson fiction for the ARC in return for my review on the book.

This was a sweet romantic comedy! I loved Bryony's character. She was funny and relatable, and her inner dialogue was hilarious. Also, I absolutely loved the ending! I think the pacing of the overall story could have been better; it felt like it took a while for the story to pick up and start moving. Although it was clearly meant to happen, I felt the relationship between Bryony and Jack came out of nowhere. Leading up to it, there was no indication of either one of their feelings for one another, in my opinion. Despite that, their relationship made sense and they were so cute together. I would recommend this book if you want a quick, sweet romantic comedy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC!

I enjoyed reading The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

This book was such a funny and sweet read! The dialogue and banter between the main two characters was so funny and witty! The chemistry between the two leads was really strong, but it was still a closed door romance. I don't always love books about writers, and I knew there was going to be some third act issue with her book, but it really felt so genuine and still interesting. Highly recommend!

I didn't mark this book as "currently reading" cuz I literally read it in one sitting 🫣 I found the audiobook so I did the immersive reading thing - I finished in 4 hours. The FMC has not a single evil bone in her body; it's actually frustrating like girl, go slap that b**ch - my anger issues could never. The MMC though I for him to be an a**hole If I were the FMC I could never forgive him ANYHOW huge thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC 🩷🩷

My perfect rom-com it was not, but there were some things I really liked about this book and others that I really didn't. The concept for the book was interesting with a look at book publishing and ghostwriting, but despite being what initially drew me to this book, a lot of the book-related content (which was like 75% of the story) just didn't jibe with me. Parts of it really read like "woe is me," which I found off-putting, and the "resolution" to Bryony's ghostwriting dilemma especially didn't sit right for me. I really enjoyed the parts about Bryony's involvement with The Bridge, however, and I almost feel like I would have preferred to read her fictional book than this one.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

The Perfect Rom Com is a warm and heartfelt read, set in the cutthroat world of publishing and ghostwriting.

Despite the title, this read as more than a rom com, more women’s fiction, with the romance being one of a few storyline’s. I loved Briony’s strong and rambunctious character and her experiences navigating the challenges of ghostwriting. Her and Jack’s relationship was a slow burn, but I really enjoyed their witty banter and their occasional run ins. The insights into publishing and ghostwriting were intriguing and made for an excellent bookish backdrop to Jack and Briony’s story. The story was slower to build, but picked up pace in the second half to a sweet and satisfying conclusion - I couldn’t stop grinning.

Thank you to the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson

5⭐️

This was such a heart warming story. From cheesing to laughing and awing, Melisa Ferguson created the perfect love story.

Bryony Page is hoping to get her manuscript that literary fiction with a touch of magical realism, suspense and somewhat biographical published when she meets the infamous Jack Sterling. Instead, she ends up becoming the ghost writer for 1# best selling author Amelia Benedict. Bryony and Jack are strictly platonic but there’s always been a little something there.

“The Perfect Rom-Com” by Melissa Ferguson, opens with Byrony Page attending a writers’ conference, desperate to have her hefty manuscript describing the work of her grandmother’s struggling ESL school (The Bridge) accepted by a publisher. This, she believes, will provide the financial backing the institution needs to survive. Faced with rejection after rejection by the agents at the conference, Byrony’s last meeting with Jack Sterling takes a different sort of turn and she is asked to provide feedback on another manuscript. As a result of her brutally honest feedback, Byrony receives an offer. Not for her manuscript, but an offer to become a ghost writer for the a romance writing. In just a short time, Byrony’s books have catapulted that author into one of the most loved authors of that genre. Sure, Byrony can now donate substantial funds for her grandmother’s institution, but she is contractually bound to secrecy. No one can ever know what it is she does.

This was a light and easy read. I particularly enjoyed the scenes describing Bryony’s relationship with her ESL students (Having been a teacher in that industry for more than 45 years!). It was also fun getting a glimpse into that side of publishing (which is quite different from my own experiences). Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel. My opinions are my own.

Finishing this on Valentine’s Day feels so fitting! I loved reading about Bryony’s journey, and Jack Sterling? Absolutely swoon-worthy. The publishing world storyline was fascinating, and the slow-burn romance had just the right touch of charm. A delightful, feel-good read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Review was posted (Instagram, Goodreads, bookishlytara blog, Storygraph) on February 14, 2025. An additional post (with a reposted review) was posted on Instagram on the publication day as well as an Amazon Canada review. (currently pending)

This was a fairly easy & cute read. Though there were parts that I didn’t particularly love like the relationship the FMC was in for 50% of the book while she was falling for the MMC 🙃 the relationship between Bryony & Jack was cute and very much a closed door romance, which I’m not against! The ending felt a bit far fetched but her students, grandma and sister being there was sweet. Thank you NetGalley and Melissa Ferguson for this arc!

The novel beautifully captures the highs and lows of the publishing world, blending humor, romance, and self-discovery Bryony's journey is both relatable and inspiring, as she learns to balance her own dreams with the demands of her new careerThe chemistry between Bryony and Jack Sterling, the literary agent, adds an extra layer of charm to the story
Overall, The Perfect Rom-Com is a charming and uplifting read that will leave you smiling and rooting for Bryony's success. If you enjoy stories about the publishing industry and love a good rom-com, this book is a must read

This rom-com felt like a breath of fresh air! It helped me get out of my book slump and it was such a nice read. I strongly recommend it if you like this kind of books!
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this arc :)

A sparkling combination of humor and substance! The characters are unique, and the author manages to make the publishing-world setting feel fresh and authentic. I do wish the best friend hero's character development were as thorough as the heroine's. I had trouble trusting him, and I could never shake the ick factor that he's her agent too. Also—since I think it's no spoiler to mention that a book called "The Perfect Rom-Com" has a grand gesture at the end—the grand gesture felt jarringly unrealistic compared to the authenticity of the rest of the book.

Thank you net galley for an ARC of this book for my honest reviews ✨️

My rating is 3.5 stars. The idea of this book is really cute and fun but it honestly took me a solid 60% to get into the story. Now that I've read it completely, if I were to to back I know I would like the characters faster and understand some things better.

Jack is a really sweet guy and is a true mastermind. I could also really feel for Byrony and her struggles.

Overall the perfect romcom is indeed a perfect romcom within itself and I do recommend!