This book is admirable that Bryony will do anything to prevent the Bridge from closing including her being the ghostwriter for the detested Amelia that even though her books may be emulated as ROM coms, doesn't deviate from her being a soulless human being. Bryony is determined to fight for her cause to help those entering the country to have a better quality of life. Knowing that her insufficient income will do so, she takes on the role of ghostwriter as well as touting her own book. During the entire time, she has Jack as her agent and as becomes to realize, her most staunch supporter. I must admit to shedding tears that Penny and Gloria convinced to realize that Jack is her person. She will be a success but to celebrate in that outcome with Jack even makes it better. This book makes one laugh at their sarcastic exchange as well as champion Bryony to fight for what she believed in. Great book. Her and Jack ended up living the perfect ROM com.

Aspiring author x publisher

bryony has tried everything to get her book published and is meeting with every person but constantly getting rejected until jack comes along. They strike up a deal for Bryony to ghost write until Jack came get her book published. Byrony also has a boyfriend majority of the book but he plays a small part. The book was long and a little slow but bryony finally gets her book published and there is romance

Thank you NetGalley for the arc

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

3.5 stars.

I can't lie. This book gave me anxiety. A background, ever present hum. It was the lying. Not just with Bryony as a ghostwriter, but you know that other characters are lying to her. You KNOW it. And that never works well for me.
I also don't much like the trope where one or both of the protagonists is in a relationship with someone else at the start of the story. It's nothing I vibe with.
Other than these things, it was a well written story, though I'm not sure it was really a romance. It was more a contemporary about Bryony finding her voice and growing as an author. There was a bit of romance off to the side, but most of the development between Bryony and Jack happens off page in the time jump after the prologue. And I didn't really like Jack as a romantic option, so I think I would have preferred if the romance was cut all together.
The side characters were fun, and seeing more stuff about the publishing industry was interesting. I would still try something else from this author, but I just don't think this story was for me.

The Perfect Rom Com truly lives up to its title! Melissa Ferguson has crafted a story that’s both heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny, capturing the charm and quirks that make rom-coms so irresistible. The characters are wonderfully relatable, each with unique personalities and hilarious quirks that make them feel real. The banter and chemistry between the leads are spot on, and I found myself rooting for them from the first chapter.

One of my favorite aspects was how Ferguson balances humor with genuine emotional depth, making for a story that’s both light-hearted and meaningful. The plot is refreshingly original, with plenty of delightful twists that keep you hooked. This book was everything I hoped for in a rom-com and more, blending humor, romance, and just the right amount of heart. I can’t wait to see what Melissa Ferguson writes next!

So the premise of this book is really interesting to me. I’ve always loved the idea of writing, so any book on the inside of publishing is sold to me already. The concept is fun, and, whilst I didn’t love the characters at the start, they grew on me. Jack was cliche and intense, but I warmed up to him in a bit. There are certain parts of his character though, where, to not give anything away, push the friendship, were frustrating and hard to read, however, probably very plausible. Whilst Bryony was a little whiny and gave off slight ‘pick me vibes’ I also warmed up to her, because feels man, you’re doing it tough.

My big problem was the flow of the story, whereby it’s jumping ahead then going back to tell us what happened. Multiple times. No real flow. I feel like I’m living in the past, whilst here. The book was just rushing to get to the points but then realizing ‘oh crap, I need to give backstory’ and I found it jarring. That; and how many times can we give looks that ‘somehow tell everything the person is feeling and trying to say in a single look’. So many times. Some different writing tools needs to be used I think to help the flow. The book overall was just a little hard to read because of this. However, I did push through and liked the storyline in itself. Would recommend for a fun, quick read.

The book begins by introducing us to Bryony Page, an aspiring author searching for an agent to help publish her work. This leads her to Jack, who, rather than offering to publish her original book, proposes she ghostwrite for popular romance author Amelia Benedict.

I’ll admit, it took me almost 40% of the book to realize that The Perfect Rom Com isn’t a typical romcom (don’t let the title fool you!) but leans more toward chick lit. Nevertheless, I had a great time reading it. The relationships between characters develop naturally, and Bryony, being clever, funny, and sharp-witted, quickly wins over the reader. It’s also been a while since I’ve encountered a character as dislikable as Amelia.

If you’re a fan of classic romcoms, this might not be your first choice, but I highly recommend it.

Thank you to netgalley for this arc

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

Pub Date: Feb 11 2025

_____________________________________________

Książka zaczyna się, gdy poznajemy Bryony Page – początkującą autorkę szukającą agenta, który pomógłby jej wydać książkę. W ten sposób trafia na Jacka, który zamiast zaoferować jej publikację autorskiego tekstu, proponuje Bryony pracę ghostwriterki dla znanej autorki romansów, Amelii Benedict.

Muszę przyznać, że potrzebowałam prawie 40% książki, by zrozumieć, że The Perfect Rom Com to nie typowy romcom (tytuł może być nieco mylący!), ale bardziej literatura typu chick lit. Mimo to świetnie się przy niej bawiłam. Relacje między bohaterami rozwijają się naturalnie, a Bryony, będąc sprytną, zabawną i błyskotliwą postacią, szybko zdobywa sympatię czytelnika. W dodatku dawno nie spotkałam bohaterki, do której czułabym taką niechęć jak do Amelii.

Jeśli szukacie klasycznego romcomu, może nie będzie to wasz pierwszy wybór, ale gorąco polecam tę książkę.

Dziękuję NetGalley za ten egzemplarz przedpremierowy.

Data premiery: 11 lutego 2025.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a captivating read that held my attention from start to finish. The story was well-paced, and the characters felt real and engaging. I’m grateful to the publisher for providing an early copy—it was a pleasure to read!

This was a super quick romance read — I loved the relationship between the two main characters and definitely felt like there were interactions that made me believe in the chemistry.

The Perfect Rom Com written by Melissa Ferguson is a charming romance story about an aspiring author looking to publish her first novel. Jack, the agent who passes on Byrony's book, promises to publish her book if she ghostwrites for a best selling author.

It's a complicated strangers turned lovers story with the humor we have come to expect from Melissa Ferguson. The side characters added charm and interest. This is a fun quick clean read.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Aspiring author Bryony is an ESL teacher by day and ghostwriter by night. Like the author’s other rom-coms, this book is about much more than romance. The long time friends to lovers story is sweet, but it is almost secondary to the main story. This book explores what being a ghostwriter and aspiring author is like. Can Bryony finally catch her big break and make enough to save the organization where she teaches ESL?

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

3.5⭐

This was a cozy story about Byrony, an aspiring author, and Jack, a literary agent. I enjoyed learning about the world of authors but could have used a little more romance and for Byrony to stand up for herself more. It felt like the story was more about Byrony's journey to become an author vs. Byrony and Jack's romance.

Read if you like:
📚 friendship to lovers
📚 authors/the literary world
📚 character growth

Thank you to the publishers and NetGally for this Advanced Release copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I found the writing in the first few chapters to be very choppy, I did feel it improved and the main characters began to grow on me, but towards the end once again it felt rushed to get to the point. The grand gesture didn’t really make sense when there was so much emphasis on the contracts not being possible to broken with the owners of the company being so close to Amelia etc. there were some plot holes that were only very briefly discussed, such as the FMCs long distance boyfriend. I felt like everything was wrapped up neatly in a bow, but getting there just didn’t make a lot of sense to me, unfortunately. I did really enjoy learning about the Bridge and wish there had been some more insight into some of the students, I feel that this could have added to the story line.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!
I really enjoyed this book! Read it right before I went into a reading slump and honestly think it was the only thing that kept me from going into such a deep slump, because I kept thinking about this book and these characters!
My first Melissa Ferguson book, but certainly not my last, will be reading through her back catalog over the next few months!

This book really drew me in! To me, it was like a delightful mashup of Two Weeks Notice and Singing in the Rain, both which I love.

While at a writer’s conference, aspiring author, Bryony, presents her novel to Jack, a respected literary agent. She is disappointed that he is not interested in her book as it currently is, but he does offer her an opportunity to be a ghostwriter for one of his famous clients. Flashforward two years, and this unlikely pair have developed a close friendship and the books she’s penned have become best sellers.

Bryony still has a dream of selling her original novel, but despite being the brain behind numerous well received books, that dream is starting to feel further away now that she’s become indispensable as a ghostwriter. Jack is now in a tough spot as a literary agent having to manage his client, honor contracts and still help Bryony pursue her actual dream.

•Strangers to Friends to Lovers
•Workplace Romance
•Forced Proximity
•Single POV (1st Person)
•No Spice and No Expletives

I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to anyone looking for a short, sweet read.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Thomas Nelson Fiction for giving me access to an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Perfect Rom-Com! I'm giving this 4 stars because, while there were a few errors in this early copy, I really enjoyed it overall. I loved that this story didn’t focus just on the main character’s romantic struggles, but instead dove into her purpose and mission in life. It felt so refreshing! Melissa Ferguson flips the typical romance formula, moving past "everything is sweet and fluffy" tropes and getting into the real stuff.

The book really shines with:

1. The Romance Industry – It gives a cool look at the world of romance writing, with ghostwriters, aspiring writers, and all the hurdles that come with it. I thought this added an interesting depth.
2. Cultural Diversity and ESL – I loved how the book highlighted cultural acceptance and differences, especially around the experiences of ESL speakers. It added a sense of authenticity and made the story feel fresh.
3. The Romance between Bryony and Jack – I liked both Bryony and Jack as individuals, and as a couple. Their chemistry felt natural and real. My only wish here is that the reader could have seen more of the transition from work partners to friends to something more.

I also saw some reviewers call this the “worst rom-com" on Goodreads, and honestly, I think that’s kind of the point! This book is a critique of the industry that pumps out tons of cookie-cutter romance novels (which I do enjoy reading), but those often have little to do with real life. It’s true that The Perfect Rom-Com isn’t a typical romance novel where all the heroine does is think about the main lead, it doesn’t follow a specific trope, and it’s not smut (which, to be clear, I love reading too—bring on the hockey romance and small-town romances!). But this wasn’t that, and I think that’s okay.

As for the ending—it’s happy (yay!), but given how realistic the story was overall, I think a slightly more down-to-earth ending could have fit the vibe better. But hey, no complaints here; I loved that they ended up happy!

This is such a solid, well-rounded novel that’s a bit of a breath of fresh air in the rom-com world. Highly recommend!

This was a cute story! It focused a lot on the writing/publishing world which was hard for me to relate to, but I enjoyed the way it all wrapped up at the end.

no, this was in fact not the perfect rom com. it’s a quick palette cleanser and absolutely nothing else.

if you’re looking for a short, quick, fluffy little romance book then i would recommend this! i liked the writing, it was cheesy in the best ways, and served its purpose for why i picked it up when i did.

with that being said a lot threw me off. the timeline most of all because ??? there was a jump of a few years where the characters really formed their relationship and we MISSED IT. it was the worst possible place you could’ve put in a time jump. it also felt like there was a lot missing from the story? plot holes or forgotten points or whatever, it felt like the story itself didn’t go through any beta reading.

so this was okay, like i said it served its purpose and if you go in with low expectations then you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised.

This was a good one, first time to this author loved it will definitely check out her back catalog. This is a story about our MC Bryony an author who is trying to get her bookpublished to save her grandmas legacy (an ESL school) she meets book agent Jack and being persistent somehow ends up being a ghost writer for a hugely famous author- she still wants her book published but she accepts and starts writing the books- best sellers! There is a love story wrote in with Jack and the secondary characters of the ESL stories are so good(especially when knowing how hard these students work, her sister needs a book too!!! Of course we get a villian also who we want to get what's coming - this is definitely highly recommended!

This book was excellent! Jack and Bryony had such a charming romance! I cherished their camaraderie and friendship, but I think what I cherished most was Bryony's perseverance and pursuit of her goals! The characters were endearing and realistic. The story is made light and fun by the humor and the charming side characters. Even though there are some predictable parts, anyone who enjoys romantic comedies will still find it to be a wonderful feel-good read.

Okay, this book was so fun and so good! I have loved all of Melissa Ferguson’s books and this one did not disappoint. Bryony and Jack are the best main characters and their relationship is so fun and sweet. The ending was a little different than expected, which I loved!

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