For the most part, I absolutely LOVED this book. The banter between Jack and Bryony was truly top tier and, ugh, the build-up to their relationship was so so good. There’s also something about a pining man that will get me every time …
That being said, there are some drawbacks. First, there was too much “fluffy” stuff at times - a very in-depth description of the people/things going around the character rather than a focus on the plot (however, this has more charm later in the book).
My main issue is ultimately the third-act issues between the two MCs. Not to give away too much, but Jack’s betrayal is a rough one and one that took some serious time (I mean … a whole two years?!). So while I know he was ‘down bad’ for Bryony and he claimed this was a way of protecting her, I just think it was the ultimate betrayal to Bryony given her emphasis and love for the book. So, yes he sorted it out in a grand romantic gesture (a serious romantic gesture!!) but he did still lie to her for a while… I think we as readers still forgive him but have to point out that he’s not the perfect MMC one initially thinks he is. It’s because of this that the book moved from a 5-star read to a 4-star read.
Ultimately, I still really loved this book. I was gripped by the characters’ stories and was rooting for the MCs to get together throughout their friendship. I will definitely be picking up books from this author again!!

Bryony Page is an author who’s written several best selling books. You’ve never heard of her? That’s not a surprise considering that Bryony is a ghost writer. She writes books that get published under someone else’s name. Bryony has written a book about the ESL program her grandmother started but she’s never been able to get it published.

Bryony writes for well known romance author, Amelia Benedict. Amelia’s agent, Jack Sterling, keeps a close eye on her and spends a lot of time with Bryony. Unfortunately, Amelia doesn’t read the books Bryony writes, so she can’t answer questions about them. Bryony and Jack need to keep her in check as they all go on a book tour.

This is a slow burn romance, but it’s very satisfying when they finally get together. I enjoyed the inside look at the publishing industry, and the ending was great.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

I love books about books and I love romances. Melissa Ferguson has brilliantly blended the two worlds together in 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐦-𝐂𝐨𝐦.

Bryony Page teaches ESL to adult immigrants at her grandmother’s organization. But her dream is to be an author. In fact, she has her manuscript in hand; now, she has to get it published. When she bravely approaches one of the biggest agents in the publishing business, Jack Sterling, he rejects her lengthy novel. But he does offer her a ghostwriting position for one of the biggest rom-com novelists.

I couldn’t get enough of Jack and Bryony! Sure, Jack’s her agent, and they have worked together for years, but let’s just say they work very closely and have become friends. But when Bryony feels like it’s time for her to walk away from ghostwriting, tired of being unseen and unrecognized, it's Jack who has been watching and waiting all along. Ugh, my heart.

I also adored Bryony’s students; they were funny and sweet and added so much personality and charm to the story. This book is not just a workplace romance; it's a journey of self-discovery and a peek into the publishing world. It has substance, yet it has humor, wit, and warmth - truly a delight!


Thank you @uplitreads and @ourfriendlyfarmhouse for a spot on tour and a gifted book and ebook via NetGalley.

3.5 stars - This was a good story! You have to suspend disbelief a lot, but I did enjoy the characters and most of the story. The side characters made the story for me (the students and Gloria and Penny!)!

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

I really don't like to leave negative reviews because I know authors spend so much time on writing and perfecting these stories for their readers. But as a reviewer who had the opportunity to read this prior to release, I wanted to hold up my end of the deal and provide an honest review. Here it goes:

1) The first half of this book (literally the first 52%) was so slow and hard for me to read. It took until they were on tour for Amelia for me to even somewhat engage with the characters. There was a lot of emphasis on Bryony's manuscript, which i get the premise of the book is about her getting her manuscript published, but it was beat to a pulp and honestly, I didn't even want to read her manuscript by the end of the book.

2) There was a very unnecessary and confusing time-hop in this. It starts with Bryony meeting Jack at a publisher's conference and trying to convince him to publish her manuscript to jumping 2 years in to the future and her being a ghostwriter for a popular Romance author and suddenly her and Jack are the best of friends. You see absolutely NOTHING about their relationship development, considering Bryony loathed Jack during the first couple of chapters. This jump really did a disservice to the book IMO and we don't see Jack and Bryony working together at the beginning, get to witness their friendship grow so much that they are even on a bowling team together, and we don't get to see any early developments of a romantic spark between the two until 2 years in to their working relationship/friendship and all of a sudden they love each other? No. Did not work for me.

3) Amelia was awful. She was a spoiled brat that everyone had to bend over backwards for because her daddy owned half of the publishing industry. She was the face of the romance novels that Bryony was writing but never had any idea what any of the books were about. Hell, at that point I'd stop scheduling any kind of book tours cause she was a disaster and everyone on her team kept letting it happen. WHY?

4) The whole talk show reveal at the end where they turn on Amelia and put Bryony in the spotlight was super cringe to me. Like, that's not realistic at all. I'd have a hard time believing that anyone would burn a publisher's daughter in such a public fashion as what happened in this book. Amelia was horrible and honestly deserved it, but it just wasn't done in a believable, root-for-the-underdog way.

All in all, this one was a no for me but I know there are a lot of positive reviews out there on this one so maybe it was just me.

2.5 stars.

As everyone knows, I love books about writers and writing. I kind of wish we got a bit more of her writing process. This romance was super cute, and even though from the beginning I kind of knew what was going to happen, I didn't really guess the why! While this plot was super cute, I do feel like some depth was missing. I kind of feel like there was a lack of communication in regards to their relationship, and while we got a lot of them hanging out, none of it felt...romantic? Something was lacking for sure, and I think that was it. 3.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

I requested this book from NetGalley because the premise of the book sounded so good. Bryony, an aspiring writer attends a writers conference hoping to find an agent to help her publish a book to help her grandfather's financially-struggling organization where she teaches ESL full-time. She's turned down by everyone. After having a terrible interview with Jack, an arrogant agent, he asks her to review another author's work. She gives a spot-on assessment of the work and he offers her the opportunity to ghost-write a popular rom-com author's next book. In exchange, he'll help her find a publisher for her book. The book then takes a time leap and we find that Bryony has ghost-written several successful books but wants out.

The book is more about Bryony ghost-writing the book and her struggles with the author she is writing for. The first half of the book is really slow and didn't have anything to do with romance. Bryony had a long-distance relationship with a boyfriend, but we hear almost nothing about it and he never makes an appearance. At the end of the book Bryony and Jack realize they are in love. There is almost nothing to indicate the two have feelings for each other and there is no chemistry between the two. There is a touch of romance, but again, this is only in like the last 5% of the book.

Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. It just wasn't what I was I was expecting. Perhaps if I went in with different expectations, I would have liked it more. I did like the ESL students Bryony teaches and the way they look out for her and support her. The book is well-written and a quick read. Check the book out for yourself, you may like it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction. All opinions are my own.

Fun, quick and witty rom-com that I enjoyed! I love the cover of this book also. Character development was good and kept me hooked theough the entire book!!!

A quick and enjoyable read. Favorite aspects were definitely the banter, and friends to lovers angle. Also Gloria, I want a whole book of the quirky sister. But the whole idea of a “perfect rom-com” being one that has love and levity but also true depth and meaning is definitely something I agree with through all my rom-com reading.

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

This was a story within a story. One about an aspiring writer who has a book she is trying to get published, which is also about her grandmother and an ESL school she started for immigrants. It also has another story line about her ghost writing for a wealthy woman, and her journey with all of that. It was fun read, but it was a little long on the character development.

Although I DNF'd her last book, I wanted to give this one a chance. The writing was a little better, not a lot of romance, and I enjoyed the ending. Thanks #netgalley

Read If You Like:
- Romantic comedies
- Enemies-to-lovers trope
- Stories about writers and the publishing industry
- Witty banter

Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers' conference with high hopes of selling her manuscript and raising awareness for The Bridge, her grandmother's financially struggling organization where she teaches ESL full-time. After a disastrous pitch session, she unexpectedly lands a job as a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict, a popular rom-com novelist. Bryony agrees on one condition: that Jack Sterling, a literary agent at the Foundry Literary Agency, works to sell her own book too. As Bryony's ghostwritten books propel Amelia to greater fame, she finds herself entangled in the complexities of the publishing world and her growing feelings for Jack.

This novel offers a delightful blend of humor and heart, with engaging characters and sharp, witty dialogue. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Bryony and Jack adds tension and charm to the story. The behind-the-scenes look at the publishing industry provides an intriguing backdrop, and Bryony's dedication to her community adds depth to her character. The narrative is both entertaining and uplifting, making it a perfect choice for fans of lighthearted romance.

The Perfect Rom-Com is a charming and enjoyable read that will leave you smiling and believing in the serendipity of unexpected opportunities.

Thanks so much to the publisher for my ARC and ALC!

Book 041 of 350 ~ 2025

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I think this is my favourite one by Melissa! One star because the protagonist is an ESL teacher!

I've actually got a CELTA myself, and I thoroughly enjoyed teaching English as a second language!

What a wonderfully paced romance with none of the spice, yet you can feel the sparks.

Enjoyed both the well narrated audiobook and ebook!

I received a complimentary copy of both the ebook and the audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#book041of350 #amreading #netgalley #tbrpile #instareads #readstagram #reading #bookreview #bookreviewer #booklover #booksAreLife #booksForTheWin #thisbookfairyisreading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #bookshelf #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookworm #goodreads #booklovers #theSGbookfairyReads #theSGtrekkiereads #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookchallenge2025 #reviews #lovebooks #booknerds

Received as an ARC from NetGalley.

Bryony needs to save her beloved ESL school and tell her grandmother’s story—so she writes a novel, goes to a writing conference to meet with agents. She meets Jack and becomes a best selling author, just under someone else’s name. We follow Bryony as she continues to try and save The Bridge, survive Amelia, and find love.

This was such a cute story. We love a man that falls first and yearns for the FMC. There is zero spice in this story, so it lives up to its name as a perfect Rom-com.

I didn’t enjoy how many parentheses were used in the writing to show what she thought others were thinking or seeing. But, aside from that this was an enjoyable, easy, palate cleansing read.

I expected it to be a quick delightful light-hearted "perfect" rom-com but unfortunately it was anything but.

I hate dnf-ing arcs but ugghhh i was suffering way too much to get going further.

Lesson learned:
Pretty Cover & Perfect Title ≠ good book.

Tropes:
☞ Agent x Ghostwriter
☞ Friends to Lovers
☞ Workplace Romance
☞ Forced Proximity
☞ Slow-burn
☞ He falls first

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the ARC.

I really wanted to love The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson. 

Although this is literally put out there as the perfect rom-com, I felt like this book...wasn't? Yes, it was a cute book and the vibes were sweet and fun, but there is no spice, one kiss, and that doesn't truly convince me it's a true love or 'perfect'. I'm not sure I believed the couple's love.

I had really high hopes due to the FMC Bryony being an ESL teacher (and I'm a previous ESL teacher), and the publishing industry plot. I thought those two things would really make me love the book, but it was just a bit too predictable for me, and felt like a slog to get through at points. 

Not the one for me, but thank you NetGalley for the eArc - all opinions are my own!

A bit delayed with this review, but better late than never hopefully! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC - all thoughts and opinions on this book are my own.

Reading has felt the tiniest bit like a chore so far this year, and this book really helped me get out of a reading slump!

Books that dive into the world of publishing are always so fascinating to me, and this one really kept it real, especially with the honest discussion about rejections. It's refreshing to see that front and center, showing the gritty side of the industry. Sure, the ARC formatting is a bit rough around the edges, but honestly, that’s not the book’s fault—just a minor thing in the grand scheme of things.

As someone who has absolutely no clue how the publishing world works or what it's like to even get picked up by big-name authors, I loved watching Bryony take control. She’s totally owning her journey, going back to the interview table, fighting for herself, and giving feedback and edits to Benedict’s book. Talk about empowerment! I’m all here for it.

Their banter? I’m obsessed. It’s witty, it’s playful—just the perfect dynamic. And then there’s Jack. Honestly, I couldn’t tell if he was being genuine or just stringing her along with promises of getting her book out there. It was kind of heart-wrenching at times, but the twist? Wow. Turns out he *was* stringing her along, but for a good reason? I don’t even know if I’m fully buying that (in terms of how the publishing industry works, not his intentions to protect Bryony), but I guess it makes sense in the end.

The time jump totally threw me off at first, but I ended up loving it. It works so well for the story, and I’m really glad it happened. Also, the fact that both Bryony and Jack are technically in relationships adds such a compelling dynamic. I’m already rooting for them, and really appreciate the path Ferguson took with their story

And can I just say? I’m beyond obsessed with Bryony being an ELL teacher. As an educator myself, I loved that representation.

But the absolute cherry on top? The twist and the resolution at the end. I was so shook, I had to make my boyfriend stop playing his game just to tell him what happened. I’m still thinking about it. Seriously, what a ride. Highly recommend!

⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ (4/5 stars)

As a former foreign language teacher, I knew I was going to like this book. Bryony Page is an ESL teacher for a language learning school (The Bridge), that her grandmother founded. The program is struggling and all Briony wants is to publish her novel about The Bridge to keep the school running. She pitches her novel to numerous agents with no luck, until she meets Jack Sterling. Jack has no interest in her novel but gives her the opportunity to ghost write for the popular (but really annoying) rom-com writer, Amelia Benedict. Briony’s books under Amelia’s name are wildly successful and she finds herself stuck in the contractual agreement to keep writing for Amelia but wanting to breakout on her own with her own novel, all while wanting to save The Bridge. The relationship with Jack and Briony evolves overtime and muddles the agent/author relationship and Briony’s end goal. I read part of this book and listened to the audio for part too. I audio was excellent and Briony’s wit really shined. I really enjoyed it but by the end I was missing the rom-com spirit for Briony and Jack. This was definitely a slow burn but to the point that I didn’t really feel the spark between the two main characters. Yes, they were cute together but I was missing the glue (the real chemistry) that makes the reader really fall for their love story. The rest of the story I really loved though.

Workplace romance / agent & author (ghost writer)
Friends to lovers
Slow burn romance

Thank you NetGalley & Thomas Nelson Fiction for the eARC and audio ARC in return for my honest review.

This was a book. Idk what else I can really say about it? There were parts I equally liked and disliked, but overall this was just a very middle of the road book for me. I liked the premise but the FMC absolutely ruined it for me. I liked that she FINALLY had some character development near the end and listened to what practically EVERYONE was telling her. But she was just so stubborn and sure of herself, while also thinking she was nothing like the self-centered author she was ghostwriting for.

There was absolutely zero spice. I think there was only one kissing scene? The romance was basically and overthought, and hardly mattered at all. Funny bc the title is literally “The Perfect Rom-Com” and there wasn’t even any romance, and hardly any comedy. I feel misled.

Also, I got this book as an ARC on NetGalley.

I thought this was a really relatable storyline and the FMC was quite believable. We've all struggled with having a dream and having to fight against being pulled in other directions. Bryony is so passionate about her writing and her grandmother's organization, so it's really hard not to root for her. It did feel like Jack could be a bit self-centered and was subtly holding Bryony back at first, but showed good character development by the end. I thought the banter was fun and the characters were great together. Overall a fun read!