A meta offering about the publishing industry in general. Easy to read with good flow, but particularly given the title, I don’t know that I’d call it a romcom. The focus is on the behind-the-scenes writing and publishing aspect far more than the romance that results. It makes good points about the business of publishing, particularly that it’s more business than art. In doing so, that removes some of the whimsy and romance of it all. I found that my favorite moments were actually the interplay between the leads that didn’t directly involve publishing. I feel like maybe this could’ve been two books, each with a different focus taking on the same story, and while good, I think I would’ve preferred if it had been firmly one or the other.

Another Melissa Ferguson book that I could not put down! Bryony is an author, trying to make it in the publishing world with her debut when she meets Jack and the trajectory of her life changes. Bryony is given the opportunity to become a ghostwriter for a popular author, writing romantic comedies. The ins and outs of the publishing world detailed throughout this book was interesting to see and read about. I love getting the behind the scenes look of different industries but most definitely the book world. The friendship to relationship between Bryony and Jack was so sweet to watch unfold on the pages, and in fact becoming a "Perfect Rom-Com". Thank you to Thomas Nelson for an advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own! The audio version was also wonderful, as it made it seem as I was watching this book unfold like a movie!

This was such a witty and charming rom-com that was a total dream for us book lovers. It delivered a fascinating behind the scenes look at publishing, a loveable heroine, and a swoony male love interest in Jack Sterling.

The perfect balance of humor, heart, and industry drama.

The author's signature humor made every page a delight - perfect for fans of books about books and slow-burn romances.

I enjoyed this novel, it is a quick and light read about a young aspiring author (Bryony) with a dream of saving the ESL program her grandma founded with a lucrative book deal. However, I found the pacing of this novel to be a bit odd. The first 20% of the book was just at the writing conference and then all of a sudden the reader is jumped forward 2 years and Bryony is best friends with the grumpy agent who turned her book down at the beginning. I struggled with how we got from point A to point B, but it's romance so I powered through.

I enjoyed Jack's "new" character in the second half of the book and his relationship with Bryony. Having been in a long distance relationship I questioned Bryony dating someone for 21 months overseas without seeing them ever but again it's a romance 🤷‍♀️ Overall the book was sweet but I didn't get a rom-com vibe, more second hand embarrassment for how naive and awkward Bryony was throughout the novel.

The ending was just 🤯 And that is where the author lost me completely. It wasn't believable or realistic, so the last 20% of the novel I read with my mouth hanging open in shock.

I don't know if I'd recommend this novel to a friend, i don't regret reading it but it didn't stand out to me as being well written or with a great plot. I was definitely disappointed with this one because it could have been amazing

This is a charming romantic comedy.

But.

The dramatization of the publishing industry is preposterous. Imagine the following scenario:

A woman flies to the US for an appointment with a Washington, DC hospital administrator. She says, “I have no formal medical training, but I’ve assisted at a Doctors Without Borders clinic for two years. I have a suggestion for a new technique for treating cleft palate.”

The hospital administrator says, “We don’t have any needs right now for treating cleft palate. But two of our surgeons called in sick today, and we don’t have anyone to fill in for them. Can you perform a lung transplant on the president?”

That’s the level of absurdity in the way the publishing industry is portrayed. Clearly, everyone associated with this book knows that—since it’s their industry. Readers need verisimilitude to suspend their disbelief. This book insults readers with all of its inaccuracies.

It’s impossible to enjoy a book when no effort has been made to make it believable. A few small tweaks would have fixed the problems, but clearly, no one on the publishing team cared enough to do the work.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Aspiring author Bryony Page dreams of getting her debut novel published, which was inspired by The Bridge, a school for English Language Learners where she teaches full-time. However, the only deal she can secure with an agent, Jack Sterling, is writing as a ghostwriter for bestselling novelist Amelia Benedict, with hopes that her book will eventually get picked up.

As a reader, I always enjoy books about books, and this was so exception! The characters are interesting and well developed, and you feel for Bryony in her struggles to become a published author {especially when she is stuck writing for the AWFUL Amelia Benedict!}. This was such a feel-good, uplifting read, and I’d definitely recommend!

Thank you to UpLit Reads, NetGalley, and Thomas Nelson Publishing for my gifted physical + digital copies!

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson is a delightful and lighthearted read that’s perfect for fans of feel-good romance. Bryony Page, an aspiring author, finds herself in an unexpected situation when she’s asked to ghostwrite for bestselling rom-com author, Amelia Benedict. As Bryony’s writing takes Amelia’s career to new heights, Bryony struggles with the fact that her own writing dreams are still unrecognized. Enter Jack Sterling, a charming literary agent who might just be the distraction (and support) Bryony needs.

The premise is fun and unique, and I appreciated Bryony’s journey of balancing ambition with the desire for personal recognition. However, while the book had plenty of charm, I felt it was a bit predictable at times, especially with the romance between Bryony and Jack. The chemistry was there, but I would have liked to see more tension and build-up between them.

Overall, The Perfect Rom-Com is a sweet, entertaining read with a lot of heart. It’s not without its flaws, but fans of the genre will still enjoy the humorous moments and warm, satisfying conclusion. A solid 3 stars from me! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Excited and filled with hope, aspiring author Bryony Page steps into the bustling city for her very first writer’s conference, eager to pitch her brand-new manuscript. But as she quickly discovers, fate doesn’t seem to be on her side, at least, not yet.

After a disastrous first pitch session, Bryony ends up correcting a fellow author’s work—an accidental move that catches the attention of a top literary agent. To her shock, she’s offered a ghostwriting gig for the famous rom-com author, Amelia Benedict.

Bryony agrees to the arrangement, but with one stipulation: literary agent Jack Sterling, of the prestigious Foundry Agency, must work on selling her own book. What she doesn’t anticipate is that her ghostwriting will catapult Amelia into superstardom, transforming her into a bestselling author with millions of copies sold worldwide.

As Bryony’s career takes off, the Foundry Agency becomes more and more invested in her success, but Jack soon finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her, complicating everything all over again.

‘The Perfect Rom-Com’ is a new and interesting approach to the beloved genre of romantic comedies, but doesn’t withheld us, as readers, from the typical laugh-out-loud moments, romantic highlights, and the powerful nature of a slowburn..

One of many things that make Melissa Ferguson's romcoms stand out is how unique the plot of each novel is! Every one of her stories is so memorable I can still summarize them to my friends years later.

In this novel Bryony is desperate to publish her book to use the funds to save her beloved ESL school she has been teaching at. But fate (and a stern literary agent Jack) have a different plan for Bryony. She is to be a ghostwriter to Amelia Benedict, the mediocre author with the bigger-than-life name in exchange for the possibility of publishing Bryony's own novel.

I loved that this book had a very dramatic beginning with a twist (Bryony meets Jack)! It grabbed my attention from the first few chapters. And so began this unusual Agent-writer-colleague-friend-support-system-relationship. The romance side story was sweet, friends to lovers, close proximity, slowburn, kissing only - just my cup of tea!

There was a hilarious cast of ESL student characters I just fell in love with. Bryony's internal monologues were to die for! I laughed outloud reading her signature "self-loathing anti-pep talk". The novel is unique and imaginative. The author so masterfully conveyed an incredible experience of someone writing a book. It gives you a very good look inside the world of publishing.

This was indeed the perfect romcom and so much more! If you're looking for a clean romance/feel-good fiction, I hope you pick up this book!

Nothing about this book makes any fucking sense. The pacing is terrible; the characters are so flat that one dimensional would be too generous a description. There’s a two year time jump between the prologue and the first story when maybe an interesting story could have happened as the characters got to know each other, but we SKIPPED that part and went right into the dumbest do gooder / ghost writer on earth and the agent who has too much of a crush on her to be honest about the fact that her book SUCKS getting together then breaking up then doing something that would get their skin flayed off in a lawsuit and then happily ever after.

The mean, bitchy character in this book keeps trying to tell our sweet heroine that you shouldn’t be shoehorning Meaningful Issues into a Rom Com, and this book proved her entirely right every time it went off on another fucking digression about her precious family run ESL school and the international cast of stereotypes studying there.

Anyway. Fuck this book. If I hadn’t read it on my phone, I would throw my copy on the train tracks.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

While the cover and title make this one sound like it will be a rom-com, I think I would categorize it more as women's fiction with a light side of romance.

Bryony is hoping to sell her first manuscript, but instead she is hired as the ghostwriter for a rom-com writer who enjoys the publicity part of being an author more than the actual writing. Their agent Jack is tasked with keeping the peace between the two women, particularly during a road trip to multiple author events.

I loved the concept, and this book was reminiscent of a Sophie Kinsella book for me - lighthearted, with a heroine who makes outlandish choices at times but that you somehow still root for. The book felt like it was more about Bryony's growth and journey than about a romance, and I liked seeing her character growth along the way.

As for Jack- I'm still not quite sure why he couldn't be up front with Bryony from the beginning about the major conflict in the book, so he frustrated me. The end grand gesture was wildly over the top and one that would surely get plenty of people in trouble if it happened in real life, but man did I love it anyway when I suspended all disbelief 😂

Thank you to UpLit Reads and Thomas Nelson for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own.

I listened to the audio version of this book. I also have a copy of the e-book. I absolutely loved it.

The story opens with Bryony trying to find an agent or publisher for her epic book. She strikes out completely. But one agent in particular really gets her annoyed. As she's bad-mouthing him on her phone, he arrives at her doorstep with a proposal to become a ghost writer. Although she doesn't want to do it, she wants the money for her English As A Second Language school where she is a dedicated and loved teacher.

It turns out that her writing launches the popularity of the named author on the books to new heights.

The narrator of the audio book is fantastic. This book was so much fun to listen to. I look forward to reading more books by Melissa Ferguson.

The Perfect Rom-Com is such a fun story. Bryony starts out with the raw determination to pitch her book, her heart. Jack is a legend in the publishing world and likes the spunk Bryony brings to the table. More than that, he sees her talent and signs her on as a ghostwriter. The more time they spend together the more the lines between publisher and friend begin to blur. They finish each other sentences and appreciate each of their idiosyncrasies in ways that made me laugh out loud. I love how Bryony grows in her talent as well as her perspectives. My favorite part? Jack’s gesture!!! By far, one of my new favorite scenes. Rest assured, there are laugh out moments, pause and reflect moments, and sign in utter contentment moments. Another winner from Melissa Ferguson.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Absolute perfection! Just like the title says, this is THE PERFECT ROMCOM. Byrony is a ghostwriter (for an absolutely horrible woman), but she's trying desperately to be published under own name to save an ESL school in her community, that she also teaches at. I would give anything to be able to read the books that Byrony has written cause they sounded so good! Jack is her agent and I rarely cackle out loud while reading a book, but some of Jack's lines got me! He's sweet, funny, protective, and just all around a good guy. I believe this is being released today, February 11th, and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy to read it again! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital and audio ARC!! ❤️❤️❤️

4.5 stars - Not your typical rom-com, but I was hooked from page one! Bryony Page has two goals, to save her grandmother's struggling school and to publish the book that will help her raise the money to do so. Becoming a published author is no easy task, Bryony knows this, but after being turned down by every agent she's spoken to, she finds herself with no choice but to *make* the final agent of her pitching session, make *Jack Sterling*, listen. Somehow Bryony's 15-minute pitch ends not with Jack desperate to get her book into the hands of the masses, but rather with Bryony critiquing another author's work, nailing it, and landing the offer of a lifetime - the opportunity to ghostwrite for Amelia Benedict. Bryony knows she can't turn this down, but she has her own condition, she'll write one book for Amelia but only if Jack takes Bryony on as a client and promises to try and sell her book too.

Slow burn, incredible banter, and a delightful array of characters, all centered around a heartwarming story line. You can tell so much research and time went into this, and I really liked Melissa Ferguson's writing style, plus the peek into the inner workings of the publishing world was a fun bonus. I adored Bryony and her scenes with Amelia are so entertaining, but I think what I loved most was how different book was. If you're looking for your standard rom-com format then I do have to caution you, but if you're willing to give it a shot and keep an open mind, I hope you'll enjoy The Perfect Rom-Com as much as I did!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Books about the publishing industry can be a bit of a tough sell for me, but I’m glad I gave this one a chance because I greatly enjoyed it. The romance in this was sweet and cozy, with chemistry from the beginning. It was really a story of Bryony’s personal growth and growing confidence, which was really wholesome to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the eARC!

This book was such a breath of fresh air for me in the romance genre. I loved how we didn’t get much of the romance plot until over half way through which made me get used to the characters and the main plot of the book. I found Bryony really relatable and witty and her one liners made me laugh throughout. I also thought that it was such a unique addition that she is an ESL teacher and gave me insights into what her job entails since I had no prior knowledge. Throughout the story you got to know Jack and how he navigates his career which is so interesting as I love books set in the publishing industry.
I will say the one thing that knocked it down was the time jump between before and two years later. I feel like we missed a lot of the lead up of their friendship and we were expected to assume that they grew to be friends after their first hostile encounter.
That being said I feel like this was redeemed when you got to know the characters and see the banter between the two of them.
If you liked anything by Cara Bastone or ‘The Dead Romantics’ by Ashley Poston, you would definitely like this book.
I also think if you like chicklit with a small subplot of romance then you would also like this!

Such a charming and fun read!
This book is cozy and romantic amd a delight to read. It's about an anspiring author Byrony and a literary agent Jack.
I found them to be very interesting characters. Byrony felt very relatable. From her dreams and her thoughts even. While i found Jack to be very charming and I liked the way he with Byrony
I really had a good time reading this

3.75 out of 5 stars — I thought this was a fun and different kind of bookish romance between an aspiring author and her literary agent.

I loved that the FMC was an ESL teacher as well as a writer. Her multicultural found family really added color to the story, and they were all so endearing. The characters were all dynamic and felt quite real. Even to the point of seeing the flaws of the main characters at front stage and angry reading through it 😅

I think there was a lot of heart put into this story, but the ending sadly diminishes what was being built-up. It’s a cliched, Hollywood miracle ending that was particularly unsatisfying. I wished the “villain” got more of a comeuppance 😂

On top of that, the author used too many parentheses in the narration. I did read an uncorrected copy though, so hopefully that will be fixed. In general, I found this author’s writing style a bit difficult to follow. The flow between scenes was often abrupt and the narrative side-tracked a lot during especially important moments. I think this author writes quite well, it’s just the sequence that makes it confusing on my opinion.

But nonetheless, I did enjoy reading this book! It’s kind of like Yellowface by R.F. Kuang in that I didn’t realize I’d be learning so much about the publishing industry when I chose to read this book. As someone who hopes to go into publishing and writing one day, I enjoyed this aspect a lot.

Thank-you so much to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for a chance to read this ARC.

Thak you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this eARC.
I have mixed feelings with this book, I think mainly because this is the second novel I´ve read from the autor and I wanted to love this book too, but there were some details that made the story a little bit off.
I love books about books. The first chapter felt like they were talking about the author´s own experiences in the publishing world through the eyes of Bryony, an upcoming autor who have to deal with the perks of the publishing world and with Jack, a very nasty agent. This sounded like and enemies to lovers romance, but there´s a two years time jump and the story felt very odd after that. In general it was more about Bryony´s personal growth, and the romance was reduce to a subplot (with holes by the way)…I feel sad, because this had so much potential.
I´m not giving up with the autor, I will read more of her work, but this one wasn´t for me.