This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

I truly enjoyed this rom-com about a woman trying to save a place close to her heart by writing a book. She ends up ghost writing rom-coms to help get her book published and falling in love along the way. Of course, along the way there are misunderstandings and touching moments.

This was a really cute story. I loved both main characters. The drawback for me was that I found myself a bit bored by the descriptions of the ghostwritten books. It made the book a bit unbelievable for me, but I truly loved every other part of it.

3.5 Stars

This one gave me major Singing in the Rain vibes and I love that movie!

Bryony is a celebrated Rom-Com writer; but celebrated only in her work, not by name. She is ghostwriter to the selfish annoying starlet Amelia Benedict, and longs to have her own manuscript published someday.

For years now her editor Jack has been by her side, cheering her along and promising to give her her own shot when the timing is right. Feelings start to grow between them and everything is about to blow up in this literary arrangement.

The resistance to realizing their true feelings was adorable and I loved the way Jack protected Bryony throughout their journey.

I could visualize poor aspiring performer Kathy Selden, singing for Lina Lamont while her relationship with Don Lockwood continues to deepen. Took me back to a movie I love and now a story I had so much fun with.

Okay wait this book had me kicking my feet. When Jack looked at her and said “you weren’t dating me. But I was dating you” that was it. I literally covered my mouth in glee. The only complaint I had was the miscommunication of the conflict at the end, and I also think the way Jack handled it was also kind of crazy. But still a solid 4 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC!

Melissa Ferguson has been one of the authors that I've had on my list to read. I'm so happy for the opportunity to read The Perfect Rom-Com- and this book did not disappoint.

As the tile of this book says- this book was definitely funny and had me laughing. The romantic part was a bit slow but the banter between the two had me entertained. I also love stories that give behind the scenes/insight in the publishing world.

I'd rate this book a 3.75 (so round up to a 4.0).

If you love books that have: workplace romance, slow burn, forced proximity, he falls first, closed door romance, strangers to lovers then you may love this book.

The Perfect Rom-Com is the first book I have read written by Melissa Ferguson. This was a fun story. I loved getting to see the inner workings of the publishing world. Things you don’t think about-like ghost writers.

The storyline and setting were great. I loved getting to see a little bit behind the writing process and the world of publishing. It was fun. The title seemed a bit deceiving to some, because the romance in the rom-com was a little lacking for much of the book. Though I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The romance aspect was cute. It was all very closed door. Slow burn, friends to lovers.

There was no Christian content, though none overtly against.

*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

3.75 stars! Decently intriguing, nice twist, mildly infuriating.

Two big things: 1) the formatting for this ARC was really weird and inconsistent which took me out of the story so many times. 2) Bryony was so annoying.

Jack was fine, I did enjoy his “he fell first” speech, and while I didn’t like his “betrayal”, he was an absolute gentleman otherwise and I did like him a lot. On the contrary, some times Bryony came off as so whiny and impulsive and narcissistic sometimes and it was too much to be in her head all the time. I almost DNF’ed within the first 20% because of her character. And I got even more mad at her when she was on the boat. Just infuriating having her be the FMC.

But, all things aside, I loved the take on the plot and all the tropes it had. It was unique, but still feel-good, loved the ghostwriter/agent aspect and I very much enjoyed the story they told.

This was an incredibly sweet rom-com to read, that had layers to it that kept me hooked as I read. I absolutely devoured it, and felt that the writing was poignant and a true delight to read.

This one was a bit misleading, I was expecting a cute and fun romcom but instead was faced with a chick lit. I have nothing against chuckles just not what I was expecting. I did enjoy seeing byronys journey and everything she accomplished. I wasn’t really a fan of Jack and part of that is I didn’t feel like we really got to know him as readers he felt very 2 dimensional

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. Bryony is an aspiring author who wants to publish the story of her Grandma establishing a ESL program/school. To do this, she attends a conference to showcase her work to publishers. At the conference, Bryony meets Jack. This meeting goes sour quick as Jack tells her her story won't get published. Later they meet up again and Jack asks Bryony to review a book he has. This leads them to working together and making a deal. Bryony will be a ghostwriter for a famous author and Jack will present her work to a publisher. This leads them to working together and ultimately falling in love. This was a fast and sweet read that was filled with fun banter and great side characters who gave the story depth.

This was a bit slow for me at the start but I really enjoyed the last half. Jack was sweet and it was cute to see how long he'd been pining for Bryony. But a few things were hinted at but not clearly laid out - like was he making up fake girlfriends the whole time? And did she realize that?

I did not love the name Bryony - it seemed out of place with several of the other character names (like Jack, Susanna, Parker, Amelia, etc.). Bryony was very uptight and kind of irritating. She was very controlling and didn't listen to her agent when he obviously knew the industry better than her.

I did like how passionate she was about The Bridge and the love she had for her students. I wish we had more of the Wednesday night bowling league time! The students made me laugh.

The miscommunication at the end was problematic. I never understand why people won't hear someone else out and let them explain when they have made a mistake. Even though the big reveal was justified given Amelia's poor behavior throughout, I felt like it was unlikely her agent and team would go to such lengths in taking themselves down along with her reputation.

Overall it was a pretty quick read with some quirky characters.

Thanks to Net Galley for the eARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson!

First of all, let me say that my own ego would not let me be a ghost writer for anyone. In such an introvert but you worked hard for that, get your credit!

This book was a 3.5/5 for me. The chapters are doable, the female main character is sweet and I really felt entwined with her dilemma . I like how you can see Ferguson’s passion in Byrony’s job. The male main character is desirable if not a little cocky (but aren’t they all?!).

If you’re looking for a fun, quick and cozy read, this may be what you’re looking for!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction, NetGalley and Melissa Ferguson for the ARC. I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in the review are my own.

This book is available for purchase now!

4.5 stars!

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson was such a joy to read! It had me laughing out loud, swooning over the romance, and feeling all the emotions. But what really stuck with me was Bryony’s passion for helping people integrate into the U.S. and learn English. As a non-native speaker myself, that part hit me right in the heart—especially in such a divided time. It was such a beautiful reminder of empathy, kindness, and embracing diversity.

And that ending? I loved it! It left me with the biggest smile on my face. But I have to say… I was so frustrated with how everyone treated Amelia like she was the best when she was honestly so unlikeable! I wanted to shake the characters sometimes, but honestly, that just shows how real they felt. Melissa did an amazing job making them all feel like actual people—flaws, quirks, and all. If you love rom-coms with heart, humor, and a little something deeper, this one’s definitely worth picking up!

I had an amazing time reading this book and I’m so grateful I got to read this ARC! Is my second Melissa Ferguson's ARC and I hope it wont be my last! Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and Melissa Ferguson for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley! It was an amazing experience and I’m so happy to share my honest review.

This was a great read! I loved it! It has a truly despicable villainess in Amelia. She is so self-centered and awful. I couldn't wait to see justice meet her. Bryony was gutsy and unique. She does incredible work helping immigrants learn English and makes time to write to try to save her Grandmother's agency. She doesn't expect the offer she gets for her work, however.

I loved Jack and his patience as he seeks to help Bryony. There were a couple big reveal scenes and I delighted in both. The romance was incredibly sweet and poignant.

As someone who loves books, I found it fascinating to get a sneak peek into the publishing world. It made me wonder how many ghostwriters are out there. I understand it for a celebrity who wants to get their memoirs out there but not in this context of an ongoing relationship. How crazy is that! I laughed when Amelia would get tripped up for not doing her homework on her "own" books.

I thought this was a fun book. I'd highly recommend it. Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson, and enjoyed getting to read it through NetGalley. I love Melissa Ferguson's writing style. While this book itself wasn't rom-comish, it is a pursuit for the Perfect Rom-Com. The book grabbed me from the very beginning and I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed it so much, I also grabbed the audiobook on Audible, and thoroughly enjoyed the narrator. This book made me laugh, made my heart hurt for Bryony, and also made me feel the gooey feelings. I also enjoyed the references to another of her books, Meet Me in the Margins.

Bryony Page is an aspiring author and ESL teacher who’s sure her manuscript would be a hit if she could just get someone to publish it. After countless rejections by other agents, Bryony accidentally impresses agent Jack Sterling and lands herself a gig as the ghostwriter for romance author Amelia Benedict. After Amelia’s books explode in popularity and Bryony’s contract requires her to go on a publicity tour, she finds herself in close quarters on the tour bus with the publishing team – including her hottie agent Jack!

This is such a charming, heartfelt read that’s more than just a romance! Bryony is a great character, and I loved the way the author shows us how special Bryony is through those whose lives she touches, especially her ESL students. The romance is a slow burn, but there’s some great banter between Bryony and Jack along the way. The glimpse behind the publishing curtain is really fun (and it makes me wonder if any of my favorite authors secretly have ghostwriters!). The way it wraps up everything in a bow and gives everyone the outcome they deserve is perfect escapism and very satisfying!

Perfect for fans of:
• Strangers to Friends to Lovers
• Workplace Romance
• Slow Burn
• Forced Proximity
• He Falls First
• Closed Door Romance
If you love books about authors or were a fan of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center, The Perfect Rom-Com might be for you!

Many thanks to UpLit Reads and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the #gifted book!

Bryony Page has finished her first manuscript and attends her first writers conference hoping to sell it so that everyone will learn about The Bridge, the organization her grandmother started where Bryony herself teaches ESL. It’s struggling financially and if she could get published, the profits could help keep the doors open. Her pitch doesn’t go as well as she’d hoped, since it isn’t any one genre and has an astounding word count. In a last-ditch effort to be seen, she corrects another author’s work and hits the nail on the head.

Even though Jack Sterling doesn’t want her book, she’s shocked when he offers her the chance to ghostwrite for Amelia Benedict, a popular rom-com author. She agrees to write Amelia’s books if Jack agrees to try to sell her book.

Bryony ends up turning Amelia Benedict into a bestselling author, something no one could have predicted. She has become priceless to the Foundry Literary Agency, and she might be priceless to Jack as well. What will he do to keep her?

I loved this book! What better way for an aspiring author to get her start than to ghostwrite for someone who becomes a bestseller? I was invited to read an advanced copy of this book and look forward to reading other books by Melissa Ferguson.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for allowing me to read to an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #ThePerfectRomCom

This story was cute and entertaining! The plot was a fresh idea and the characters were fun and easy to like. While I think that this was a cute and fun story, I discovered that this author’s writing style is not for me. This is personal taste! The main thing I struggled with is the lack of actual dialogue between characters and the excessive amount of inner dialogue of the main character. It was from one POV, so the heroine would frequently trail off on long and wordy inner thought monologues that went on page after page before answering someone’s simple yes or no question. I don’t think there is anything wrong with this style of writing, I just know it’s not for me. I enjoy back and forth fast paced witty banter! Gilmore girls style sparring, and the inner dialogue situation really slowed the pace of the story for me.
There was a romance that was happening, although a 2 year time jump didn’t allow the reader to participate in the initial sparks of this budding romance. I wanted to see more romance on the page and I wanted to know it was intentional! All that said this was a cute story, there is plenty to recommend to rom com readers. The perfect Rom Com has Friends to lovers, miscommunication trope, sarcasm, and a lighthearted feel that I think a lot of rom com readers will enjoy!

This was such a fun rom-com! This is the third book i've read by Melissa Ferguson and I really enjoy her writing. They are such entertaining romances, and they are closed door which I really like! My only issue with this one is that I wish we had got more of Jack and Byrony's story on the page, as most of their friendship was backstory that was alluded too but we didn't get to experience it first hand. I loved all their banter that we did get though. Lots of the focus of this story was on Bryony's journey and not just on the romance, which made the book feel more natural and I was invested in the plot. The ending felt a bit crazy and far fetched, but ehh it's a fun romance book I don't really mind if the conclusion is a bit unrealistic lol. I'd definitely recommend giving this one (or Melissa's books in general) a go if you are after a closed door romance!