This book turned out to be nothing like I expected. It was so slow, the writing was extremely hard to follow. I found myself having to re-read multiple pages because I wasn’t grasping the flow from one thing to the next. More research also needed to be done as some of the places mentioned do not exist.

The timeline was all over the place too, the book starts with Bryony at a conference, confronting Jack about her manuscript. Then all of a sudden you jump forward 2 years when they are best friends and Jack is in every part of her life. So you miss the entire building of their relationship.

The characters had very little personality and there was so much rambling from every single one. I would get bored and not know what point was trying to be made. They were also very hard to relate to, the sister was just all over the place, and Amelia was so bitchy and self-absorbed it was almost unbelievable .

This honestly would have been a DNF for me but I wanted to see if Bryony and Jack ended up together, and even that part was very lackluster. I was expecting more of them being together, not just brief mentions of it.

The ending also had so many plot holes, there would be someone many lawyers and lawsuits if that happened.
There was not much Perfect about this “Rom-Com”.

Thank You Netgalley for an early arc of The Perfect Rom Com and indeed it was just that and more. I really enjoyed this one and the characters were funny as well. I rated this 4.5 stars.

A delightful, page turning, perfect Rom-Com of a book to keep you reading into the wee hours of the morning.

The Perfect Rom-Com will take you on a trip (literally) as Bryony and her literary agent Jack navigate the world of publishing, ghostwriting and the will-they-won't-they that makes the best romantic comedies come alive.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s take a step back.
Bryony is an ESL teacher who is committed to publishing her debut novel. While an avid reader, and lover of books, Bryony’s desire to be published has an ulterior motive, saving The Bridge that is her place of work and the legacy her grandmother has built.

Her step toward publishing has an unexpected detour that leads her to writing the Amelia Benedict household of books three years after Bryony’s fateful meeting with her agent and best friend, Jack Sterling. As the lines between agent/bff and something more become increasingly blurry, Bryony finds herself questioning the foundation of her work as Amelia while the real Amelia gets all the glory (and none of the facts right), and wondering where she really stands as a writer, a teacher, and more than a friend?

A special thank you to netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the opportunity to read The Perfect Rom-Com ahead of the crowd. All thoughts and viewpoints are my own.

What could you want in the perfect rom-com? A writer and agent duo who spends ample of time together under the guise of friendship while they each date other people obviously. Bryony, ghost writer extraordinaire, and Jack, literary agent, are forced to go on a book tour for Amelia Benedict's newest release since Bryony is her ghostwriter. Sick of being a ghostwriter, Bryony pushes Josh to get her own book published under her real name to save her family's organization ESL center. I found the characters to be relatable and fun! The book was full of charm and witty! I loved the supporting characters and the girlhood in their relationships with Bryony. This ones for anyone looking for that quick, cute rom-com for a weekend read. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram review will be live 05Feb25.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. Part of it I think was my expectations. Based on the title and the plot summary, I expected this to be a rom-com. There was neither much romance nor comedy. It was mostly about Bryony’s career as an aspiring author who gets the opportunity to ghostwrite for a popular romance author, but also continues to try to publish her own book.

The MMC is Bryony’s agent, Jack. For the first 1/4 of the book, he is so unlikable. Then the book skips forward two years, during which time Bryony and Jack become best friends, but the reader doesn’t see any of that development or the chemistry of their feelings developing. The middle half of the book is all about Bryony’s career and Jack’s apparently very strong feelings for Bryony. Then, the third act breakup happens (after they date for two weeks), and Bryony spends the last 1/4 of the book being irrational, assuming the worst about Jack and not letting him explain anything. I had such high hopes for this book, but it was unfortunately a let down for me.

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

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the overall plot. I always love learning more about publishing, And this book gives you an excellent look into the industry. Bryony's fight to get her book out into the world and help The Bridge was inspiring. I loved the drama with Amelia, and the setting of the tour bus was perfect! The only thing that didn't hit as hard for me was the romance. This is a spice free book, which I love. But there's not much tension, and nothing really happens between the two MC's until about the 50% mark. If you love slow burns, this one is definitely for you. It was just a little too slow for me.

The Perfect Rom-Com was perfection! I throughly enjoyed Melissa Fergusons writing and the way she portrayed Byrony. I love the ending so much, this book would make the most perfect movie!

I absolutely adored this book! The friends to lover storyline was written so well, I seriously felt their connection and believed their progression. Bryony as a ghostwriter and Jack as her agent was a fun, unique and new take on the romance writer trend. The book was witty, adorable, and heart-warming. I definitely recommend picking up this “Perfect Rom-Com”!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Romance books about romance authors are always fun! This story was great. I loved the main characters and enjoyed their banter throughout their changing relationship. The other characters were also a lot of fun. The parts where they are all “trapped” on Amelia’s tour bus had me cracking up. If you need a fun, clean romcom to read, this one is a winner!

I was provided a free copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a cute book. Refreshing and easy. But still manages to not be overly cliche or too predictable.
Bryony wants to be her own success. Her own author. But after one disaster attempt she finds herself pulled in to ghost writing for someone else. And makes them the success she dreams of! She has been promised by the agent that he will then push her own book. But will all turn out as planned and will all she first planned be what she wants?
Byrony goes on real journey herself her and I really liked how she found that in herself outside of the romance. That's not to say the romance isn't fab. It's light,fun and full of everything you need for a great sit down of feel good proportions.

I enjoyed this book so much. The chemistry that both the main characters had was so heartwarming and pure. This book also gives you an inside look into the publishing agency and what it’s like trying to be a writer. Byrony and Jack’s meet cute was awesome. Jack’s devotedness to making sure Byrony gets what she wants and deserves was swoon. All the side characters were really likable also.

Sometimes after some heavy books, you need something light, laugh out loud funny, and a cute story. Which is exactly what I got with The Perfect Rom-Com. I was sucked in with the opening chapter as Bryony attends her first writing conference. Struggling and nervous she prepares for her pitch sessions. As one who has been to a number of conferences I totally felt for her.

While trying to save her grandmother‘s school for ESL Bryony walks away from said conference with an opportunity that just might save it, even if her manuscript is door stopper in size. While there were times, I found the story dragged a little in terms of the plot I was thoroughly entertained with the witty banter, a look into the publishing world along with some characters that I liked. Well, until there was one that I didn’t.

A lot of the story took place in Bryony’s mind which was fine for me as it made me root for her and understand her way of thinking. She has had an interesting life and always puts others before herself, so it was nice to see her transformation throughout. Jack is her agent who is somewhat mysterious, well charming at the same time. Yes there is romance but this is more about Bryony's journey as she endeavors to follow her dreams.

You can find The Perfect Rom-Com on your book shelves on February 11. My thanks to Thomas Nelson for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

This low-stakes rom may not be my perfect rom-com, but some may really enjoy this.

The Perfect Rom-Com tells the story of Bryony as she tries to get a publishing deal for a story. The story of her grandmother and The Bridge, an ESL school that is in need of funding. The story is a memoir, romance, magical realism, and all the genres in one. After failing to secure a deal, she heads home. Until Jack, an agent, makes a deal with her. If she can ghostwrite for a famous author, he can try and get her her own book deal.

As Bryony works her butt off ghostwriting, the school is failing by the minute. She decides to take matters into her own hands.

The plot of the story was interesting, but I felt that it was repetitive at times. I LOVED the ending though. I think that the way Ferguson wrapped it up was the best way to do it and I shed a few tears!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I started off really liking this, but the longer it went on the worse it got. The beginning was great - and sure, there is an abrupt shift in character relationship, but I was even on board with that. But the rest of the book was absurd. Our main character fights tooth and nail to get an agent - but then proceeds to not listen to him?? She is obsessed with her book and despite the fact that she is getting legitimate feedback on her novel (it needs to be shorter, it needs to be reworked, etc.) she decides that she is smarter and therefore makes no changes. Not to be like what did you expect, but of course her book isn't getting published. She's not listening and thinks she is a special unicorn who wrote a perfect novel.

And while I was fine with the relationship in the book, a lot of plot points were forced in. Her initial boyfriend? Useless. Why is he even here? To have as an obstacle to be later removed? There is nothing meaningful in that relationship it feels fake. And the main "villain" veers a little bit into misogyny territory. I'm not saying that women can't be villains, but the way that she is portrayed has big pretty girls can't be smart energy. Which definitely left a bad taste in my mouth.

Just as the title suggests, Melissa Ferguson knows how to write the perfect rom-com. I thoroughly enjoyed every inch of the book as I laughed, groaned, and cheered on the hero and heroine. Although, Jack did take me a little while to like. But the host of supporting characters were so entertaining and filled out the plot completely, that I felt nothing was lacking.

This book was quirky, romantic, and tender, infusing me with delighted emotions and contented sighs. I think this is Ferguson’s best novel yet.

I received this book from the author. All opinions are my own.

I haven’t read a book this refreshing in a long time. With fun characters, a nicely-paced plot, and an easy-to-read writing style, this was a fast read that made me want more. This was my first book by Melissa Ferguson, but I definitely don’t plan on it being my last. I was looking at her backlist and recommending this novel before I’d even finished reading. Was this book the most realistic or profound I’ve read? No. It didn’t need to be. But it was like a glass of chilly lemonade on a hot summer day. I wish I found more books as refreshing and beautiful as this.
Read this book if you like bookish characters, friends-to-lovers, sweet rom-coms with more focus on the characters than romance, and casts of memorable characters.
CW: none, just some very mild romance

Sadly this one was a DNF for me. I tried to push through this one. But the lack of romance and their caustic relationship was off-putting for me. I’ve enjoyed Melissa’s writing in the past, but this one just wasn’t for me.

This book was so funny and cute! Once I started it I had such a hard time putting it down. I just had to know what was happening next. The main characters are lovable, and the story progresses very smoothly and naturally. Definite recommend if you need a light and funny rom-com that doesn't delve too terribly deep.

This was a sweet rom-com.

Bryony is a successful ghost writer and irreplaceable for the agency she writes for. However, Bryony has a dream of writing her own book under her name to support the school she works for teaching ESL.
Jack- the agent- is trying to help Bryony sell her own book.

This was a fun and light book to escape into. I loved the characters. However, I would have loved more romantic interaction between the two main characters.
Overall, I recommend for this who like clean and sweet rom-coms.

Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. I didn't mind that it was a closed door romance however the rest of the plot took too long to really get going for me and I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style.

This was my first book from this author and I've heard good things however in the end I did have to DNF at 20%.