The story is pure, heartfelt, unique, creative and so enjoyable. There is a fantastic balance of sarcasm and sensitivity. I loved the narrator. I was quickly engrossed in the story.

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon
Contemporary romance. New adult. Enemies to lovers troupe. High angst.
Leigh Simon is shocked when she’s accepted in a prestigious poetry program in North Carolina. She wanted it badly but didn’t believe she had a chance. Now that she’s in the program, she’ll do whatever she needs to in learning, growing and maybe even winning a fellowship. Leigh is floored when she finds that William Langford is in the same program. She won’t have a chance against him in poetry or a relationship relaunch. Can she step up her game and hold her own with her poetry and her love life?

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. The narration was performed by Sarah Beth Goer who was able to create specific voices for Leigh and William, as well as emotional spikes. The audiobook narrator is able to keep the reader’s attention using the dialog as conversation, banter and arguments between the characters. I did increase the speed to 1.5 which more closely matches my reading and conversation speed.
I’d recommend the audio in this instance for the lively new adult situations.

Ultimately a good romance in the end but to be honest if a couple breaks up more than once in a book, I tend to distance myself from them so I don’t get hurt. This couple, over the years had a yo-yo relationship that was too much on and off for me to keep being invested. Too much angst for me.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Hachette Audio.

6⭐️ brilliant. I loved everything about this.

Two poetry students with a past dating back to high school poetry workshops end up in the same MFA program post-college. When former sorority girl Leigh realizes she and her former crush-turned-‘nemesis’ would be vying the same prestigious fellowship, she knew she was screwed. Leigh has always associated William with the ‘high brow’ literary bros ever since he criticized her work in high school. Little does she know, that isn’t the full story. As Leigh works through this program with her poignant but pop-culture centered poetry, circumstances bring them closer and closer.

I am GUSHING at the artistry that went into this novel. I cannot believe this is Katie’s debut. It is stunning. The use of epizeuxis (repetition of a word in rapid succession) emphasize the emotion in certain scenes throughout this book made my nerdy little heart flutter every time. Being a child of parental issues myself, I deeply connected with both of the main characters and felt all of their raw emotions. There are so many beautiful poems and lines from the main characters that I ATE up. I could go on for days and days about how much I loved this novel and the characters for days, but I will leave you here.

The narrator, Sarah Beth Goer, did a phenomenal job! I typically prefer dual/duet narration and a dual pov book, but this exceeded my expectations for a single pov/solo narration book! The different voices the narrator used were distinct and unique.

Thank you so much to Hachette Audio & Forever for this ALC!

‼️UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT‼️

2.5 stars

Just a warning since I know so many people loved this book and raved about it. I wanted to love it so badly.

This book was not merely “meh” for me, I actively disliked it by the end. At first, I just struggled with all of the poetry. There’s a LOT, and while I knew the book dealt with writing going in, I guess I did not realize how poetry-heavy it was going to be. At times it felt like the romance took a back seat to our FMC’s classes and personal struggles. Which, you know, is totally fine if that’s made clear up front. I’m just not a huge poetry fan, so right away I found myself tuning out of the story.

I don’t usually dnf books, and this alone wasn’t enough to make me quit reading the book, because really, the writing in this book is beautiful. I would definitely give Katie Naymon another chance in the future.

I also struggled feeling a connection between the FMC and MMC. There’s a reconnecting of sorts between them (not quite second chance though), and the FMC, Leigh, just seemed to actively dislike the MMC, Will, most of the book.

And then my biggest issue is Leigh herself. I appreciate a female character being written as “finding herself” and openly tackling her mental health struggles. But Leigh really can’t handle any amount of criticism (in an MFA program…) from her peers, has negative thoughts towards others constantly when they’re innocent, and in her and Will’s big third act breakup fight, literally says the meanest things I think I’ve seen written in a fight before.

Is it all bad? No! Like I said, the writing is great, I do love the mental health rep, and the found family aspect with their peers in their program is endearing. I just think it wasn’t for ME.

But I am clearly in the minority, so you should read this if it’s caught your eye!

🎧The narrator is definitely talented, and maybe it’s just my lack of love for poetry, but this felt “overacted” to me. Almost trying too hard to evoke emotion, if that makes sense.

Thank you to @hachetteaudio for my #gifted audiobook.

Leigh is a poet entering an MFA program in North Carolina. She is plagued by self-doubt, people-pleasing, and assuming that her interests in pop culture and being a "sorority" girl make her different from the typical poet. She judges her classmates for being too judgmental, ruminates entirely too much on her parents' relationship, refuses to be vulnerable within her poems, and decides that a smart man could never actually love her. Also, in the program is Will(iam), her high school crush. The two cannot seem to stay away from one another but she fears that they cannot be together either.

This book confused me. It is labelled as "New Adult" on Net Galley and read very "New Adult" but the characters are in their late 20s. Everyone parties like they are still in their early 20s even though by their late 20s those hangovers should be hangovering, whether or not one drinks water. I can also only read or listen to someone hate themselves for so long before I start to lose my mind. In many ways, this felt more YA with older characters and some open door scenes.

While there were quite a few things that I disliked, I still rooted for the characters to get their HEA because their insecurities fit together. In many ways, I wonder if this would have worked better as a dual-POV, breaking up Leigh with some of Will's thoughts to give the reader a break. Also, the language was gorgeous and lyrical. I wanted Leigh to use her inner monologue as a poem, because it was better than what she was turning in.

I am really torn on rating this book, I think 2.5 stars. There are some that may love this but I struggle to believe that anyone has no part of themselves that they are confident about.

Thank you to Net Galley, Forever, and Hachette Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Fantastic! I really enjoyed this book! I was so excited to see this book come up because it kept getting advertised to me and when I began reading I understood why.

For anyone who has struggled with feeling inferior or less than because you are not the scholar that everyone around you seems to be then you will enjoy this book. I think there are so many women who have doubted themselves because of "basic" girly interests that they have. Genuinely this book was so relatable and the love interest was so dreamy.

Overall, I loved this book and cannot wait to read more from this author. I felt like she really understood the struggle of feeling good enough and the way that it translated to their relationship made sense and was so realistic. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a book that feels like they have struggled to meet their potential but also struggled to get pushed outside of their comfort zones. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read such a fantastic story.

We meet a writer who seems pretty insecure about her writing because she doesn't believe she is as well versed in the subject as her peers. After an incident with a classmate in high school and his criticism of her writing she sort of gives up on her writing. Then she gets an opportunity to join a masters program. Unexpectedly crossing paths with the one person she thought she'd never see again. It's there that after failed attempts she comes to realize that her writing just needs to be her own and that it does not matter it if isn't what she believes everyone else wants from her. The complications between the main characters made for an interesting story.

Thanks to the publisher for the ALC~

I read a lot of romance books, so many truly. Hundreds in the last few years, and I truly have not wanted a couple together so badly or rooted for a couple so much as rooted for Leigh and Will—my god. There's nothing as good as two messes who get it together. The audio book was beautifully voiced, I loved how the narrator captured Leigh's unsure nature and fear in her feelings and herself and then her strength. I thought the stakes were perfect for these two, and I thought the academic setting was really rich with side characters I cared about too! This was really really well done and I'm looking forward to more Katie Naymon in my future!

2 stars⭐️

I had decent expectations for this book because it started off pretty good, but then she wrote the Taylor Swift poem which felt more cringey and cliche instead of a statement on society like the main character intended. Honestly, most of what the main character wrote felt very cliche. Overall, it felt like her character didn't have a lot of solid traits, she was more shaped by the differences she had with the other characters which made her feel like an "I'm not like the other girls" character. The love interest felt like the generic Emily Henry love interest, so I'd recommend reading this if you're fans of her work. I was more invested in the main character's parent's relationship than her own.

I’m not even going to pretend to know what it’s like being a woman in a male dominated field, but I also didn’t need it shoved down my throat so many times while reading this book.
That aside, I quite enjoyed myself. A little baby second chance and sloooooow burn. Uhhhggg and a little academic rivals competing for the same fellowship?! I love. What a ride thank you for taking me!
As for the audio itself I quite enjoyed it. The narrator had a vast range and made distinguishing who was actually speaking quite easy.
Thank you for this ALC

Short synopsis: Leigh is accepted into a masters program for poetry, when her teen crush turned nemesis walks into the class.

My thoughts: I am not a big poetry reader, but I do love some good song lyrics, which are basically the same thing. My personal favorite was the random TS lyric drops, and pop culture references.

I had a hard time feeling empathy for Leigh, she was a bit immature and had some things she needed to let go of. Which is also part of growing up, and finding yourself. She held on to the grudge with Will for way too long. Will had so many internal wounds, and I liked watching the growth in him too.
By the end of the book I did really like Leigh and Will together.

I did part of this on audio and think it was so well done. I loved how the narrator told the story, especially the poems. Thank you Hachette Audio for the audio!

Read if you love:
* Writing and poetry
* Taylor Swift lyrics
* Pop culture
* Forced proximity
* College life
* Men in glasses

I was very excited to start reading / listening this book. I thought I would devour it and love it so much by the amount of buzz I heard. However, I left a bit disappointed since it didn’t meet the expectations I had.

This is basically if an MFA program, a second-chance romance, and a lot of big poetry words had a baby. First off… I don’t enjoy the huge space poetry consumes in this book. Then, I didn’t like the main character, Leigh, who a lot of the times was childish and victimizing herself.. girl, pls learn how to take constructive criticism. And the poetry revolving Taylor Swift or pop culture reference? These had me like… 💀

All of those factors made me not connect to the book as I would hope to. But hey, If you’re into intellectual romances with smart, emotionally complex characters (who also argue about poetry way too much), this might be the perfect read for you. But if you’re here for just the romance, just be prepared to wade through a lot of poetry talk first. There’s a lot of poetry analysis, and sometimes it felt like the romance took a backseat to all the literary talk.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion. The narrator did a solid job in this but sadly the book itself just wasn’t my cup of tea.

thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

This was a quick listen, and the narrators were amazing.

The plot was not original and didn't hold my attention as I expected. I loved that the characters grew in their experiences and changed throughout the novel, but it wasn't my favorite.

I quite enjoyed this! I listened to the audiobook and I really liked the accent she gave to the southern friend Casey lol. The protagonist, Leigh, was okay but the love interest, Will, was TOP TIER. They evolved throughout the story and had good tension. I will totally read the next book Katie Naymon writes!

This one just didn’t work for me. The narrator had a pleasant voice, but the story itself? Not my cup of tea.

Let’s start with the FMC. I get feeling like an imposter in the highbrow literary world, but I struggled to buy into the idea that someone with a degree in literature would be this unfamiliar with major poets and works. It made her insecurities feel exaggerated to the point of being frustrating. She played the victim card a little too well, and at times, it just felt whiny rather than compelling.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic had potential, but the execution fell flat for me. The tension between Leigh and Will was more exhausting than entertaining, and their interactions often felt forced rather than naturally evolving. I wanted more depth, more chemistry, more something to make me care.

That said, I do think there’s an audience for this book. If you enjoy MFA narratives, academic rivalries, and introspective characters wrestling with self-doubt, you might connect with it more than I did. It just wasn’t a great fit for me

3.5 🌟

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

This book was an enjoyable romcom, but it was not original. I enjoyed it, but did not engage with it the way I was hoping. The FMC was honestly annoying and childish. I did not see much growth as a character, and honestly on me but the Taylor Swift poems made me cringe. Not my vibe or my style. It was a fine romcom and people will absolutely adore and enjoy every part of this book. I am unfortunately not one of them.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advance reader copy and to Hachette Audio for the advance listener copy. These opinions are my own.

This was an excellent debut. Leigh and William went to high school together and have a history. They're both surprised when they meet up again on the first day of their shared MFA program in poetry.

Leigh writes poems inspired by popular culture. Will's poetry follows the more formal style. I really appreciated the reflection on what counts as worthy of poetry and literary acclaim. Indeed, I loved the included poems as much as the story. And the writing throughout featured such lyrical gorgeous prose.

I felt I got to know the many characters at their school campus. And I quite appreciated the secondary plotlines featuring them. I also felt that the way in which Leigh and Will's parents influenced their own choices was so well written. But I wanted the end to speed up a bit and get to better growth and communication faster.

The audiobook was performed very well by Sarah Beth Goer. She especially excelled at reading the poems, which is a whole amazing skillset.

4.25 stars

This was such a delightful rom-com! I loved the angst, and the yearning between Will and Leigh was just perfect.

This grew on me. I struggled with Leigh. On one hand, I understand feeling like an imposter in the prestigious literature world (a little too well), but I also struggled to believe her lack of knowledge of any poets or literature after graduating with a degree in it. She played the victim a little too well. I do see why this is done, and there was definitely growth throughout the story, but I don't think it was enough for me. As someone that does teach poetry, I did love the inclusion of poetic terms, poetry readings, and the passion for the craft. It was easier for me to keep reading as the story went all. There were all the usual romance tropes, which I am fine with.

Overall, not a super memorable read for me. I can't say I didn't like it, but I also wouldn't have it on my list as a need to read.

3.5⭐?

You Between The Lines is a cute, vulnerable romance novel between two poets in an MFA program. It’s a cozy, pleasant read with a decent amount of spice.
That being said, I struggled with trying to assign a star rating to this book because I felt conflicted on the characters and their individual stories.

Will was great. I think the author did a pretty decent job giving him a strong voice and clear story arc. I felt like I knew him by the end of the book. Leigh on the other hand, felt blurry to me. I never really felt like Leigh cared about poetry. She wanted to be a poet, sure. But why? She was so focused on how she differed from the other poets and seemed a bit snobby about reading poetry in voices she didn’t care for that it kind of made it seem like she wasn’t all that interested in poetry. Leigh and poetry felt like a forced combination.

The communication and flow of the relationship between Leigh and Will also felt rough at times. You can only have intense romantic moments and then avoid each other without talking about it so many times before it becomes irritating to the reader.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. The writing style was good and the audiobook narrator, Sarah Beth Goer, performed the work beautifully.

I feel comfortable landing on a solid 4-stars since my only real complaint was Leigh’s character needed worked out a bit more. The rest was lovely and had a satisfying ending.

*Thanks to Katie Naymon, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for providing me advanced audiobook access to this title in exchange for honest review.*