I want to start by saying I absolutely love the title of this book and think it's absolutely adorable in relation to the book. I loved the setting and the poetry and most of the characters were decent. My main problem is I didn't really like the FMC and I feel bad because one of her biggest personality traits is literally thinking people don't like her. She did not feel like a late 20s character, she felt WAY younger. Super immature and self-absorbed and I hate that she actually gets a happy ending lol. Neither of the main characters are perfect but I don't see how Will can tolerate her. She was straight up cruel to him and others on multiple occasions and they just instantly forgive her. I do think the epilogue was really sweet but she didn't deserve it.

The start of the book was a little slow and I found myself sad that the fmc thought so lowly of herself. However, I think a lot of the ways she thinks reminds me of myself too. Her anxiety around what other people think of her is relatable. I loved the use of writing/ poetry and how she interacted with the mmc. You could tell from the writing that he’s always liked/loved her but she’s too caught in her anxiety to really see it. I really loved this.

First, this is not a romance book. It's a fiction novel with a romantic subplot. The romance is purely incidental and - in my opinion - solely a tool to illustrate Leigh's issues. Which would be fine, if the book was actually classified as a fiction novel and not a romance. If I pick up a romance novel, the romance should be a main focus of the book. Our love interest in this case doesn't matter, he really could be anybody. Which I found quite disappointing, because he had fantastic potential and was a really multi-dimensional character, that could have brought much more to the story. Instead we are solely focusing on our heroine, who is relatable, but ultimately not very likable. Which brings me to my main problem.
Leigh is insufferable. At first, I thought she was great and could really relate to her imposter symdrom and fear that she wouldn't fit in. But then the author went overboard and tips Leigh into the territory of never taking responsibility for herself. She constantly goes on and on about how straight white man poets get preferential treatment and of course no one likes her poems, because they don't fit the "whiny, self involvement of male poetry". Which, true to some extent, but more importantly she doesn't put in any work. And this feedback is brought to her many, many times. She just chooses to reject any criticism by saying people just don't get her, because she sees the feedback as an attack on her person. Even worse, she doesn't acknowledge the fact that she - as a white woman - also has some privilege. She loves to blame her lack of instant success on straight white man, but doesn't look around herself and ask whether she is doing anything to include queer people or people of color. Which makes her criticism of systemic injustice in academia feel somewhat hollow and like she's only looking for ways she's personally disadvantaged in order to not have to work as hard.
Throughout the book Leigh continually tells the reader that she wants to be a poet, but seems to be unwilling to take any risks or even work hard. She doesn't venture into new-to-her subgenres, she doesn't reflect on any well-meaning criticism, doesn't believe any positive feedback either, and frankly doesn't put any vulnerability into her poetry. But then turns around and wants her classmates to praise her depth. It's incredibly frustrating for the reader, but anytime things don't go her way, she takes into as being deliberately disadvantaged. When another woman in her class get recognition, she explains it away by saying she's pretentious and does what the male audience expects. Which is untrue. Funnily enough, there is a scene that encapsulates her hipocracy incredibly well. At some point Leigh explains that she's always deliberately been conventionally girly, because she doesn't like the "not like other girls" mindset and liked feminine stuff. But almost immediately she turns around and makes a point to distance herself from almost all other poets. She thinks she's better than them, because she doesn't like poetry by old white man, doesn't dress preppy, doesn't write about death, and isn't pretentious. And while Leigh ultimately does realize all of this, it happens way too late. None of these realizations happen on page, even though she does recognize at points how dismissive and mean she's being. So, the reader spends the entire book stuck inside Leigh's toxic mindset, which witnessing the changes. She's just suddenly better in the epilogue after having gotten Will and some recognition. It feels somewhat undeserved. To be quite honest, she shouldn't have ended up with Will. I went into the book thinking the hero would have some groveling to do and all that, but quite frankly, he had apologized and realized his mistakes before the main story even starts. The heroine creates 90% of the problems by not listening to what he's saying and not believing that she's the only one with issues in her life. I actually felt incredibly bad for Will. He kept putting himself out there in his writing and to some extent with Leigh as well and she didn't give him any grace. Ultimately I doesn't really matter though, because Will's backstory is mentioned and should play a bigger role, but actually doesn't. He's simply the trophy that Leigh gets for being a better person, while completely ignoring what's going on with him as a person. It feels like wasted potential. If the romantic interest doesn't really matter, don't flesh him out. Instead we see some intriguing glimpses that are abandoned in favor of Leigh doing self-sabotage.
Overall unfortunately not what I had hoped for and one of the very rare books where I think the hero deserved better. I did enjoy the narration though. The narrator was great and made the character voices distinct without overdoing it. I would definitely listen to another audiobook narrated by her.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and voluterily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

Delicious, but also I cried.

I loved this book, and I didn't expect to cry like I did.

When Leigh was in therapy, it felt like it was me.

Amazing debut, really!

This was a wonderful story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Leigh was a relatable character. She seems content with who she is, but is scared of being vulnerable and a people pleaser to the extreme. Will was not my favorite at the beginning, but grew on me and I loved him by the end. While poetry is not my thing, I appreciated the prose in the story and the vivid detail used.
Sarah Beth Goer did a wonderful job on the narration. She portrayed all the nuances of Leigh’s character and emotions so well. I was sucked into the audiobook and didn’t want to stop listening.

Thank you to Hatchette Audio for the alc. All opinions are my own.

This was such a sweet book. There were times I was super frustrated with Leigh, but I think that’s the mark of a well written character that shows growth. She had a journey through the book that acknowledged her flaws and in the end, I was really satisfied with her journey.

The audiobook was so well produced. Sarah Beth Goer and her voice was super pleasant. She did a lovely job for both Leigh and William and I could definitely tell one character from the other. I sped up the audiobook just to see how well it held up at 2.0 speed and it was still great. Very wonderfully produced overall!

Okay, this is going to be a DNF from me unfortunately. The opening scene turned me off so much there is no recovering. The character takes a strong stance to essentially demonize so much of the world’s greatest writing and entire writers because she has a dismissively progressive attitude. Then when someone gives her a little bit of criticism on her class poem she emotionally implodes.

I just…I can’t. I will not be posting on any review sites for this one.

I was highly anticipating Katie Naymon's You Between the Lines. As an avid romance reader, and a high school English teacher, I am always drawn to novels surrounding literary characters. There was a lot to love about this romance, and I think it had great potential. The angst and yearning that the two characters had for each other is definitely something I look for when selecting a romance. However, there were several things that I could not connect with the FMC over which affected my overall reading and listening experience. I truly think this novel would have highly benefitted with a dual POV. So much time is spent with the FMC's insecurities - which impacted my overall opinion of her - that it would have been nice to get some different perspective. From the start, when the FMC mentioned how she loves to write poetry yet refuses to read basically any literature except for one poet's work, I was quick to judge her. Because of my literary background, I understand that this is a matter of personal preference from me, not based on the writing of the author. Also, I continued to have problems with the FMC when I felt like much of her self-deprecating personality got to be too whiny for my taste. If it never listed her age as late twenties, I would have expected her to be much younger. I think adding in dual POV would have given the reader a reprieve from this. Finally, I was not a fan of the narrator's breathy delivery. I know that this is a matter of personal preference as well, but along with some of the FMC's personality traits that I didn't care for, the narrator's delivery made me dislike the FMC even more than if I would have physically read the book instead. Overall, I did enjoy the story and the fantastic references to poetry and literature. Although I wasn't a big fan of the FMC, I think the author has tons of promise and potential, and I will pick up her romances in the future.

This story follows former high school classmates, and somewhat enemies, as they find themselves in the same MFA program. There’s bad blood, tortured poets, family drama, and competition throughout. Overall, this was a sweet, lighthearted story with characters sorting through deep emotional baggage.

Thank you, Katie Naymon, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this audiobook! The sound quality was excellent. The narrator, Sarah Beth Goer, did a great job bringing the characters to life.

I fell in love with this cover and was intrigued by the premise. Rivals to lovers in a writing program? Sign me up.

There's a lot to like in You Between the Lines. The writing itself is great. I really enjoyed Naymon's writing style and her descriptions. She has great prose that doesn't feel too flowery so it doesn't take you out of the story. I definitely highlighted a lot. The MMC, Will, is good. i liked Will as an MMC and love interest. I thought he was complicated but also willing to be vulnerable. He isn't perfect which made him a relatable character. Plus, I liked the academic setting of a MFA program. It felt different and refreshing to have a romance set in the MFA writing world. I feel liked we don't see that at all. There's also a great emotional journey for both characters.

My main issue with the story was the FMC Leigh. She came off as immature/childish throughout most of the book. It made her hard to like at times.

I did enjoy the romance. It had it's ups and downs but overall the Will & Leigh had good chemistry and tension. It's low steam but has plenty of swoon!

Narrator Sarah Beth Goer does a wonderful job. I really liked her voice for Leigh and thought she characterized her perfectly. If you're going to pick this up, I would say go with the audiobook.

Overall a good read, especially if you like emotional contemporary romances.

This book wasn’t for me but I think the narrator did a wonderful job! I did like that the author focused on therapy and mental health. I think that’s super important and very relatable. I could definitely relate to Leigh and her people pleasing anxiety. The writing program held no interest to me.

If you are a fan of Taylor swift, I’d definitely recommend this book. It wasn’t bad but it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Katie for the ALC!

#NetGalley #YouBetweenTheLines

Publication Date: Feb 18th 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an addicting romance full of poets & poetry and I blew through it. I'm sure it'll be one of my favorite spicy romances this year. The narrator was great as well- even for us weirdos who listen to audiobooks at 2x speed. Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ARC!

Sarah Beth Goer narrates this slow-burn, swoony but angsty academia romance about finding your voice and courage.

After quitting her soul-destroying copywriting job to study a poetry MFA, Leigh is stunned one of her classmates is Will, her high school crush who said her poem was ‘style but no substance’ then rejected her after a chance encounter a few years later. Both nurse deep insecurities and feel the other is out of their league.

This is a wonderfully slow, but satisfying romance, however, the emotional beats needed to hit earlier. The push/pull with Will was frustrating and I'd like for Leigh to have reached her growth earlier so we could see more of her making amends with Will. I also wasn’t a fan of her stereotyping her classmates while behaving like a stereotype herself (URGH NO MORE Taylor Swift references please!). I loved the depiction of academia, especially the duality of the comradery and competition.

Goer is an engaging narrator, though I'd have expected a lighter younger voice given Leigh's outwardly 'sorority girl' persona, instead she sounded a bit more serious and older than 20s. Overall though a great listening experience.

Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC.

I’ll start with the good…. I loved the tension and raw emotion the narrator brought to the table. I thought she did a great job capturing the feelings of the characters and portraying it. The chemistry between Leigh and Will was palpable, and the intimate scenes were written well….

Now for the not so great….. I heard so many wonderful early reviews for this one, so I may be a total outlier opinion on this, but I was not a fan of Leigh AT ALL. She was self deprecating, self sabotaging, insecure, and just very wrapped up in herself. I didn’t really connect with Will either, and I struggled to fully emerge myself in the book with all of the poetry. Apparently it’s not my thing, and it just got too repetitive throughout. I was hoping for a lot more character growth through the book, but to me it all felt jammed into the very end, and while I was glad it ended up the way it did, I was hoping for it to be more gradual. The book had good bones and potential, and hit on important topics with anxiety and counseling, but the delivery with the rest fell a little flat.

Thank you NetGalley and Hatchett Audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest feedback! This was a 2.5 rounded up to a 3 for me

I love love love when a narrator is able to pull out the emotions that are seeping through the pages. Sara Beth Goer did a great job capturing Leigh's raw emotions and franticness. She also gave Will just a great voice. So soft and pleasant. I was able to full immerse myself into this story because of the narration. It fit the book so well.

I clung to every single word. I will definitely be interested in hearing more from Sara Beth and reading whatever else Katie Naymon releases.

I appreciate the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this book but I have to DNF @ 50%! I just didn’t care to keep going🥲

I really wanted to love this one because it’s been getting such good early reviews but I didn’t feel connected to it at all. The FMC wasn’t likable and it was overly repetitive🥴 plus I’m not a big fan of poetry - maybe it would’ve been different to read it bs listen to it - but all went right over my head!

The narrator was good! but the content just wasn’t for me!

Leigh is starting her MFA with a specialty in poetry. On the first day, she discovers Will, a guy from high school, is also in the program. They have a love hate relationship, that's mostly in her head, as they've never really talked much.

This was a great story on one hand, but it was tough to like because Leigh doesn't believe in herself and makes poor choices throughout., I'd have liked to see her growth a little faster and separate from her relationship. The romance part of the book was great and I really liked the whole storyline.

An excellent job by the narrator! I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book

This book is not for me. The narrator did a good job but the FMC was not someone I could stomach for long.

I loved this! I thought it was so sweet! Will and Leigh had so much to work through it was nice to finally see them work it all out.

Once high school classmates, Leigh Simon and Will Langford now find themselves back in each others lives a MFA program. Now that they’re back sharing a classroom and vying for the same fellowship Leigh needs to work out how she really feels about Will.

🖊 Rivals to Lovers

🖋 Forced Proximity

🖋 Slow Burn

🖊 Found Family

🖊 Second Chance (Third Chance, Fourth Chance… yikes)



Romance ✔️ Cute Cover ✔️ Taylor Swift References ✔️✔️

This book? Eh….

So let me start off by saying I listened to the audio book of this. I have a feeling looking at some of the other reviews that the audiobook version just didn’t sit right with people. I want to be clear that I did like Sarah Beth Goer’s, the narrator, voice but it may have been the delivery on top of a “just ok” plot that tipped the balance. There were times it felt as though our FMC was manic.

Like others, I didn’t really connect with Leigh. While I do appreciate more novels broaching the subject of mental health and therapy, Leigh’s character growth seems like it was shoved in right at the end. The majority of the book she is self sabotaging and riddled with people pleasing anxiety which often resulted in her lashing out or making rude comments. Her character didn’t seem to have the maturity level of someone who is post grad, entering a MFA program.

I didn’t love that she leaned so heavily into hating the “straight, white male poet” but then also admits she doesn’t really read their work. If I was Will, I don’t know if I’d be able to get over comments about the poetry I was writing about my dead dad or how she felt about my work in general.

I was never really routing for Leigh and Will as a couple. The back and forth between “yes we can and no we can’t” didn’t build up a slow burn, longing that other romances have. It mostly made me think that they aren’t right for each other at all and didn’t really believe that they had any love between them.

I’m not sure I would market this book as a Julie Soto-eque book. I’ve read her two published books and one of her upcoming books and I can’t really find the comparison between them.

While I like the concept of the plot, this book fell flat for me. It’s hard to enjoy a romance book when you’re not rooting for the main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy! You Between the Lines
by Katie Naymon is set to be released on Feb 18 2025