Bryony is an aspiring author who also wants to save the ESL business that is owned by her grandmother and where she works. So she writes a huge clunky novel. At a conference, she is rejected repeatedly before she is offered an opportunity: become a ghost writer for a very successful romance novelist and the agent will represent her. Of course, the two develop feelings for each other which come to a head when Bryony is forced to come on tour with the rude author. But time is running out to save her school, what will she do?

This is a fun romance novel with some great comedic bits. I LOVED the ESL students. They brought so much to the story! Also, this is a clean romance so there is a small amount of kissing but that is it, nonetheless it is very romantic.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and Net Galley for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction | Thomas Nelson for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this sweet rom-com. Loved the storyline and the characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

A sweet and cheesy story with some drama and snarky comments thrown in. This book will make you laugh and get all the feels. Could this be the perfect rom-com?

4.5⭐️s There are so many good moments in this book! Bryony is a mess and I loved every minute of her. Jack is so good!! If you love a man who subtly wins over a woman’s heart through hidden gestures, you’ll love him too.

5⭐️ narration. @karissavacker is amazing. She is very talented to give each character their own voice. I never felt lost in the characters. Truly, every one was given life.

Brief synopsis:
Bryony is a struggling writer. Rejected by countless publishers, she just needs one. One to see the potential in her manuscript. But the more rejection, the more she sees that maybe her work isn’t as polished as it could be. That takes time for her to truly see however. One day, she’s given an opportunity to become a ghost writer. This helps her find great success with selling her books. The only problem, they’re not in her name. It’s hard to keep going when your work is being attributed to someone else. So one day she tries to leave the publishing company, but one particular person can’t let her go.

This book is available now!! Highly recommend it!
Thank you to @netgalley @ourfriendlyfarmhouse @thomasnelson and @harpercollinschristian for the e-arc and advanced listener copy. They are both beautiful works. So happy to have been a part of this books journey. #netgalley #theperfectromcom #melissafergusonauthor #advancedlistenercopy #advancedreadercopy #alcreview #arcreader

Uwielbiam w książkach Melissy to, że romans nie jest na pierwszym miejscu i najpierw wciągamy się w życie głównych bohaterek, a dopiero później pojawia się wątek miłosny.
“The perfect Rom-Com”, która wyszła wczoraj, opowiada o Bryony Page, która marzy o wydaniu książki o fundacji założonej przez jej babcię. Szukając agenta, który pomoże jej w zrealizowaniu tego marzenia, na konferencji pisarzy poznaje Jack’a, który po zapoznaniu się z jej rękopisem, proponuje jej bycie ghostwriterką książek ekscentrycznej celebrytki. Nie tego spodziewała się Bryony, ale ta propozycja daje jej wejście do świata wydawniczego, więc zgadza się na pozostanie w tle pod warunkiem, że Jack w tym samym czasie będzie starał się znaleźć wydawcę dla książki o fundacji.
Czytało mi się ją świetnie, szybko wciągnęłam się w fabułę i polubiłam główną bohaterkę. Uwielbiam ten humor, z główną bohaterką sporo się utożsamiałam i myślę, że ta przebija poprzednie książki Ferguson. Jest raczej lekka (tak, to w końcu perfect rom-com), ale pojawia si tu kilka smutnych momentów. Czytanie o relacji B i Jack'a to sama przyjemność.
Mamy tu motywy: friends to lovers, forced proximity i he falls first + jest to książka o książkach!

The Perfect Rom-Com was so good. It made me laugh out loud at times and a hopeful romantic other times!

Bryony Page and Jack Sterling are the perfect combo of enemies to lovers! You can feel his disdain for Bryony when they meet, only to eventually fall for her charms. Only they are not on the same page much of the book! You eagerly wait for the sparks to fly while on tour.

Her nemesis, Amelia Benedict is a diva and the outcome is so perfect! Hence the Perfect Rom-Com!

Bryony Page has a heart for her grandmother's non profit, The Bridge. She also has aspirations of becoming a best selling author. She combines her love for The Bridge and her career goals by writing a unique manuscript that isn't being picked up by an agent. Enter Jack Sterling. He promises to help Bryony in exchange for some help from her. This is a fun, quick read. Give it a try!

The Perfect Rom-Com was perfectly hilarious and FUN! Romance, dramatics and stellar characters come together to form this amazing romance!

This story has everything that is wildly attractive about romantic comedies. It was even better than any Hallmark romance because the characters were so well-developed and lovable. There was drama and comedy and swoon, but all at just the right amount.

The only thing that I didn't love about this book was Bryony's long-distance boyfriend. He felt underdeveloped and like his part in the plot was just thrown in last minute to explain why the two MCs were not together from the beginning. I never understood why Bryony was with him, it was just a bit odd.

This really was exactly the romance I needed and you need it too, even if you don't realize it. I love a book that can balance hilarity with serious, and cozy with romantic. I have loved all of the books I have read by Melissa Ferguson because her writing and storytelling is so great, and this book was no different. All romance lovers need to pick this up as their next read.

4.25⭐
.5 🌶️
Tropes/Themes: Workplace romance, hate to love, forced proximity
Single POV 1st person

This book started off slow, and it took me a while to get into it. And when they sat down to watch the Keira Knightly version of P&P I almost took a whole star off because everyone knows that the BBC version is superior. 😤
(I legit wrote in my notes *considers giving you up* like that Rick Astley meme 😂)

Movie preferences aside, once I got into the story I really started to enjoy it. At first I felt like I was thrown into the middle of the story with her relationship to Bancroft, which I understand is the point to build tension and not give it all away at the beginning but it was a little too vague I guess.

I wasn’t a huge fan of how Grace is simultaneously super insecure but hates me and talks like every man is a piece of shit but I also have a love/hate relationship with feminism.

Amelia’s character is exceptionally written because I found myself hating her so much. So, so much. But again, that’s the point. Actually, I found all the character to be very well written.

Despite not being sure if I would enjoy this book at the beginning, I did eventually get sucked into it about 30% in. It’s a really cute premise for a book. Obviously the storyline is pretty predictable but it’s still enjoyable. The story sort of reminded me of a modernized Bridget Jones’ Diary mashed up with The Devil Wears Prada, both of which I enjoy. In the end, my biggest complaint is the lack of spice.

If you are trying to find the perfect rom-com for Valentines Day (or any day for that matter) then you will find this book is aptly named. The author has written an opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine story in a fresh way that had my rapt attention from start to finish. I especially loved the character development of both Bryony, the hopeful, sweet and incredibly talented new author who was trying to get her book published in order to help keep her grandmother’s ESL school afloat financially, and Jack, the brilliant but jaded, curmudgeonly literary agent who hired her to be a ghostwriter for a difficult client. Both characters had lessons to learn in their journeys toward being their best selves and following their journey was also enlightening for me. Even though I expected a happily-ever-after outcome (it’s a rom-com after all), the book was never formulaic and continued to surprise me right to the very end. Highly recommend! I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions expressed are strictly my own.

I adored The Perfect Rom-Com.

It’s sweet and funny and charming. And why does Melissa Ferguson write such perfect heroes? They are always witty and you can’t help but fall in love with them.

I don’t mind steam but this is a clean romance for those who are looking for that. I also need an epilogue in a romance book and this delivers.

I loved Bryony’s story. She is such a kind, caring character. I always enjoy books about writing and authors but I particularly loved her journey with her own really meaningful book.

I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this adorable romance. You will finish it feeling warm and fuzzy.

3.5 stars for this Rom-Com. This read had the potential to be more, but it is a light read that will work after an angsty read. It's just a bit too perfect. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this one.

thank you netgallery for this arc!!

THIS WAS PERFECT. LITERALLY THE PERFECT ROM COM!!!
I finished this in less than 24 hours it. was so so good.

Bryony & Jacks relationship was addicting from the second she stepped foot in the room at the publishing convention. A lightbulb clicked when I realized i’m the first chapter that this would eventually be her love interest. You just wanted to know MORE about them - Like I needed to know their ending.

Bryony’s journey of ghostwriting for Amelia was genius. It kept me on the edge of my seat especially to see her dream being dangled in front of her with a plethora of empty promises.

The final scene had my jaw on the ground as I watched it all play out - And i loved joe were truly had to wait till the end to see it all happen

ANYWAYS!! I’m obsessed. I loved it. I was so so shocked to love it this much

Rating: 3 🌟

When I first saw this cover and read the blurb, I expected a charming, feel-good romance that would leave me giggling and swooning, but sadly, that wasn't the case.

I felt like up until the halfway point, all I was getting was back story and not much else was happening. Bryony attends a writers conference where she meets Jack and becomes a ghost writer for him and a socialite under his agency. Now i'm all for monologues as long as they are funny and relevant. Bryony was great, but they did get repeatitive and over the top. Especially as the book seems primarily about her and her journey rather than what is supposed to be the romance between her and Jack.

This is where I felt the title was misleading as there was only a tiny bit of romance between Jack and Bryony. I’m not talking about spicy content, but for a closed-door romance, I expected at least a hint of developing chemistry, right?

Unfortunately, I never felt connected to the characters. There was no tension, no emotional pull that made me lean in with excitement. I had high hopes because the premise seemed promising, and the cute cover added to my anticipation, but in the end, my expectations were too high. Once they start dating, a simple misunderstanding leads to a 3rd act break up, something I don't always agree with, then—surprise—they get back together at the end. That's about it.

This book has potential, but it needed more real romantic development between the characters and pack a punch from the get go rather than halfway through the story. However, the ending did bring some just desserts for one particular character I did not like 🤣.

Rating 3.5

This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed it.

If you are looking for a light story where you can just relax and escape real life, this is a book you should try. The title, for me, had more to do with Bryony’s writing career than the plot of this story.

The writing was smooth and flowed easy and fast. I didn’t even realize how fast I was flying through the story. It is an easy, not so serious story, and perfect after my heavier gothic read.
Bryony and Jack were fun to get to know and I enjoyed watching their friendship.

Some of Bryony’s language students created some funny moments.

The ending was a bit more drama than real life, but it fit the story (good overcoming evil) and I enjoyed the fun, easy read.

This book is like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day-comforting, sweet, and impossible to put down! Bryony Page is a total gem of a character, and her journey had me giggling one moment and tearing up the next. The story kicks off at a writer’s conference, where Bryony is desperately pitching a manuscript inspired by her grandmother and the immigrant school she’s trying to save. The stakes are high, emotions are raw, and then in waltzes Jack Sterling with *other plans* for her writing career. Cue the drama, the charm, and the slow burn!

Tropes and themes I enjoyed:
*Forced Proximity
*Agent x Author
*Slow Burn
*Workplace Romance

The writing is where this book really shines. Slipping into Bryony’s perspective feels like diving into an author’s dreamworld, full of emotion and vivid detail. The way she describes her stories makes you wish you could grab them off the shelf. It’s meta in the best way-like the author’s love for books and storytelling shines off the page.

I won’t spoil the ending, but let me just say-it’s perfection. The balance of humor, heart, and a little bit of heartbreak made this a rom-com that truly stands out. If you’re looking for something that’s equal parts inspiring, hilarious, and downright adorable, this book is calling your name!

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC.

I did enjoy this fun read from Melissa Ferguson. Bryony is trying so hard to get into publishing with her book which is a tribute to the ESL school her grandmother started that she teaches at. No one is interested in her long book that needs many edits or in her until she meets Jack at a publishing conference. She intrigues him and he agrees to take her on as a client if she will be a ghostwriter for one of his other clients who is a whole nightmare in herself.

I really liked the look into publishing and everything that goes into including the office politics. I wasn't the biggest fan of skipping 2 years in the future but I understand it is easier for the story to move along. The romance was sweet as the friendship had built up over the years but it was hard to get into because we missed the build up.

This is a nice closed door romance which was a quick read that I could not put down.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. This review is my own opinion.

This is such a fun, cute and interesting book that kept me turning the pages to the end. Bryony Page is trying to save her Gran's group, The Bridge, where immigrants are taught English to help them get started in this country. But it needs a lot of financial help. Bryony's solution is to write to raise interest and money. But no one wants to buy it. After pushing her way to talk to an editor at a writing conference, Jack Sterling talks her into ghostwriting for a popular author and the promise to try to get her book published. Interestingly, Bryony's books are far better and really good. But she cannot breathe a word to anyone. A book tour that she has to go on really shows what a princess the author is. I was pulling for Bryony to get her own book published but it doesn't look good. It is really sweet to watch how Jack works with and spends time with Bryony in her element and backs her up but misunderstandings almost end things. Except for the contract. Surprises and smiles abound in the cute rom-com. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my thoughts.

This is the perfect rom-com, it was witty, fun and lighthearted. Loved the characters. The friendship between Bryony and Jack that developed after their not so great meeting was hilarious and perfect. Enjoyed reading from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Publishing, and Ms. Ferguson for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. An honest review was requested but not required.

I'd give this a solid 3.5 stars. What shone for me was all the publishing world background and, well, dirt. I sort of wonder if things are as sordid and corrupt and hopeless as depicted in this story? Perhaps. I've read enough blog posts of various authors to get the idea that it's pretty difficult to break in. Bryony, an aspiring writer, is attending a writer's conference when she meets cutthroat agent Jack Sterling. Her manuscript fails to impress, but her critique of a draft he shows her does. Thus she ends up with a position as ghostwriter for famous rom-com writer Amelia Benedict. ((((I don't know why I kept picturing Nora Roberts, who is older than Amelia purportedly is, and who by all accounts is a very nice person, but I did.)))).

Several years and several bestsellers later, Bryony is forced via contract to accompany Amelia on a publicity tour in which her role is to (A) [ghost]write Amelia's next book and (B) feed Amelia details about the books she "wrote" so that she doesn't look foolish in front of her fans. Meanwhile, this whole time Bryony has become fast friends with Jack, going to lunch and bowling with him, meeting up with him in the city, etc. Bryony's sister Gloria is convinced that Jack is in love with her but in classic rom-com fashion Bryony is utterly oblivious. The publicity tour and its close quarters aboard the tour bus make it very obvious that Gloria is right.

My favorite part as previously mentioned is the behind-the-scenes of the publishing world, but a close second is Amelia, who is absolutely rotten and SO fun to hate. I laughed so hard when Bryony discovered that Amelia had been hogging the tour bus's only bathroom for *hours* when she'd had her own private en-suite bathroom the whole time! LOL.

I would have liked Jack's perspective to be a little too fleshed out, because it was so easy to completely take Bryony's side regarding his lies. His rationale was explained but it was very quick; I had to read it a couple of times to catch it all. But the TV ending was perfect. The highlighter blouse!!! MAGIC.

All in all, this was a really fun book, a great beach read. I enjoyed it and would seek out more from this author. ⭐⭐⭐1/2