This man!!!!!! this man. Oh god god I cannot get over how good this book is. and for a debut too??? absolutely masterful, gorgeous, a f*cking dream. also leigh is me, i am leigh and i’m not ready to talk about it. gusjanuary truthers this book is for US!!!!

A promising debut! I will keep Katie Naymon on my radar in the future. I would have given this story 4 stars, but the audiobook narrator drove me crazy (sorry!). Way too breathy and dropped the second half of sentences. I love the emphasis on writing, poetry, and self-discovery. At some points, the romance felt underdeveloped and like it was taking the backseat. I would have loved to learn more about Will & see more of him and Leigh in a healthy spot.

I felt a little too giddy listening to the audiobook of You Between the Lines. I can totally myself reading this book multiple times.

I felt obligated to like this book because the publishing date was my birthday, but luckily it's even good without that as a caveat. I am hard to please with romance books, but this one actually worked relatively well for me. There were definitely some things that annoyed me, and I can't say that the characters are my favorite romantic couple of all time, but I did still truly enjoy the story.

Having slightly older characters who are going back to school felt fresh and enjoyable to me, and I really liked all of the side characters. Leigh is sweet, but also SO self-conscious (while also having a superiority complex??) that it made it hard to feel for her at times... but I think that may also be because I am like that sometimes. Will was fine, but felt a bit too boring to be pined after so much by so many people. A nice, quick read if you're looking for a decent love story that doesn't feel too farfetched!

Thank you to Katie Naymon, Hachette Audio, and NetGallet for a ALC of You Between the Lines!

This listen was just ok for me. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it.

I thought the narrator did a great job, but the book and the love story wasn't super engaging to me. I found William and Leigh's interactions to be lackluster and I didn't really find myself rooting for them.

While there were some laugh out loud moments and I thought the characters were relatable - who doesn't have imposter syndrome? - I felt like Leigh harped over and over about not being good enough and was a bit too passive aggressive to be super likable.

3 out of 5 stars.

I really enjoyed YOU BETWEEN THE LINES by Katie Naymon. Two high school classmates who both thought they had unrequited crushes on the other are reunited in an MFA program. He’s your stereotypical lit fic cis white male and she’s a former sorority girl and swiftie with major imposter syndrome. And then they fall in love, duh. This came out a few weeks ago so you can read it now.

A Tension-Filled Academic Rivalry

You Between the Lines is a sharp, well-written romance that thrives on longing, miscommunication, and literary competition. Katie Naymon captures the intensity of an MFA program, the weight of imposter syndrome, and the complicated dynamic between two people who seem destined to orbit each other—sometimes colliding, sometimes pulling apart. While I enjoyed the book overall, it did feel about 100 pages too long, with a back-and-forth that became frustrating at times.

Leigh is an engaging protagonist, full of self-doubt but determined to prove herself, especially to the ever-serious William (formerly Will, her high school nemesis/crush). Her voice is witty, her insecurities relatable, and her journey toward believing in herself as a writer was one of my favorite aspects of the book. Will, on the other hand, remains more of a mystery. We get hints of his struggles, but his emotional walls make it difficult to fully connect with him. It’s clear he’s always liked Leigh, but his reluctance to be open about his feelings—combined with Leigh’s tendency to assume the worst—leads to a lot of unnecessary miscommunication.

The tension between them is strong, and some moments absolutely deliver on the slow-burn payoff. But the constant cycle of almost getting together, then pushing apart, started to wear on me after a while. I wanted more clarity from Will and a little less self-sabotage from Leigh. The writing itself is excellent, though, and the academic setting adds an interesting layer of competition and personal growth.

If you love rivals-to-lovers stories with plenty of angsty, intellectual longing, You Between the Lines is worth picking up. Just be prepared for a bit of a slow burn—both in the romance and in the pacing!

I read this as an audio book and the narration was great!

(Thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC!)

This was really good for a debut novel. When Leigh and her high-school crush turned nemesis, Will are selected for a prestigious MFA program in North Carolina, how will it turn out? Sparks and poetry will fly... Sarah Beth Goer was a great narrator for this story.

Publication February 18th, 2025

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Katie Naymon’s You Between the Lines is a unique and introspective story that blurs the lines between fiction and reality. The narrative is both thought-provoking and emotionally engaging, offering a fresh perspective on self-discovery and storytelling. Sarah Beth Goer’s narration adds depth to the experience, capturing the nuances of the protagonist’s journey with skill and emotion


Thank You NetGalley and Hachette Audio

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Unfortunately this book was a DNF for me. I tried a few different times, and never made it past 50%.

First the story just didn't reel me in. I felt the main characters lacked depth and pretty much all likability. There didn't seem to be anything drawing me into their personal stories or rooting for them to get together. The plot was also so heavily about writing, and felt a bit repetitive.

Beyond that I unfortunately really did not care for the narrator. Truthfully the way that she made her voice all breathy and hyper sexual when anything remotely intimate was happening gave me some serious ick. I listen to a lot of audio books with sexy scenes and I've never cringed so hard. It honestly made me have almost second hand embarrassment feeling even though what was being read wasn't embarrassing. Really not a good choice for this book.

DNF @ 40%. I really gave "You Between the Lines" by Katie Naymon proper time to change my mind about it, and unfortunately, it didn't. I really did not like Leigh at all! She is SUCH an annoying, immature snob, almost irredeemably so. She is constantly saying that she's not a good enough writer for her MFA program even though she was accepted into it in the first place. It's not like they'll take just anyone!! Leigh's deep-seated insecurities about her writing abilities stem from an incident in high school when the guy she liked, Will, was a vocal critic of one of her works. They have plagued her ever since. Years pass, and she eventually crosses paths with Will again because, what do you know, they are in the same MFA program! Leigh proceeds to make assumptions about Will and his life with little to no frame of reference about who he is now. She keeps stating that "all he likes to read is material written by only white men," which is ironic because Leigh has approximately one personality trait: she is a sorority girl, and she'll use ~*any~* excuse to tell *~anyone~* who will listen that she is ~*the black sheep~* of her MFA program and that she's ~*sOoO different and not like other girls~* because she was in a sorority and all the other people in it are cool and emo and edgy and she's just soOoOooOOo preppy and loves pink and Taylor Swift, you guys!! VOM!!!!! I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly fell out of their sockets. Beyond this, I didn't think Will and Leigh had any chemistry, and I did not particularly want them to get together in the end. I found all of the minutiae about poetry pedantic and uninteresting, and I usually *love* books about writing and the writing process. I didn't enjoy listening to this, either, as Sarah Beth Goer was not the best audiobook narrator. She did not pull me in, and I was not particularly interested in finishing this story. I gave it a fair shot, and sometimes, that's all you can do. I feel bad about it, but this was definitely not the book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katie Naymon, Hachette Audio, and Forever for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I loved the story of Leigh and Will. Though both characters’ actions frustrated me at times, I appreciated the focus on mental health and the character development was outstanding. The language and poetry in the book was truly lovely. I loved how Leigh’s and Will’s relationship unfolded throughout the book. The narrator was outstanding, and I loved her voice for Will as well as the female characters.

💜 academic rivals to lovers
💜 Longtime crushes
💜 Poetry writers
💜 Found family
💜 Single pov


Unfortunately I really struggled with our FMC in this one. I found Leigh to be extremely whiney and just plain rude at times. I didn't connect with her whatsoever. Maybe I grew up too fast and had a completely different life then her but her reactions to her parents divorce at the age of 27 😱. She was flat out toxic for a good portion of the book. Not being able to connect with her really didn't help me feel the relationship and live with Will.
I did however love Will. I think if we had his pov it would have helped things as well. He was what kept me reading.



Thank you netgalley, forever and hachette audio for this ALC

I loved everything about this book! The character development of each of the characters was both believable and endearing. The diversity of characters was also very enjoyable. I deeply resonated with the main character and found myself rooting for her success throughout the book,. This was a different kind of romance book - with the characters being involved in literature themselves. It felt as if we were almost breaking the fourth wall, but we never did. It was such a unique take on a romance book. I absolutely loved it!

This book was... interesting. I think I fell for the pretty cover and skimmed the synopsis too much because It was not what I was expecting.

I started this one in physical copy and then received an audio copy (thank you Netgalley/Hachette Audio Group!).

What I liked about this book:
-I liked the poetry and writing. I took a creative writing class in high school that I loved and it was fun to be back in that scene. Hearing about the writing and the prompts/students works gave me that itch to want to start writing (for fun) again.
-Some of the background parts of the story were good and kept me interested.

What I didn't like:
-Leigh was infuriating to me. She gets into this writing school somehow by just regurgitating Taylor Swift lyrics? I like Taylor Swift songs as much as the next person, but this was just odd. She also can't take any criticism, which I get is never fun, but you're at a school where peer review is apparently a huge part of the courses? Not to mention her unlikability made it hard to connect to her and I just felt bored. I was hoping she would grow up throughout the book but I guess not.
-There was no chemistry between the main characters. It could have been my distaste for Leigh that caused this but I just didn't feel like they would make a good fit for each other. I grew disinterested in whether they got together or not and it made it hard to get through the book.

Overall, this book was just okay. The story was written beautifully but the characters ruined it for me. I liked the narrator of the audio book as a narrator but I have to say that her voice was not what I expected when I switched from physical to audio - which is obviously no fault of theirs at all, just not a voice I would have picked to match to Leigh.

The storyline being largely focused around poetry is interesting and different in the sense of a writers trope which normally leans towards novels or ghostwriting memiors.

In the background of the story are sub storylines that gave insight into Leigh’s family and thus part of her insecurities and struggles. I gave this book 3 stars. It was good story, but it fell flat for me. I wasn't in love with either character and thus didn't feel connected to them or their story. The ultimate ending for them wasn't a big deal to me. If they walked away I could feel fine about it, which isn't what I look for in a romance.

I didn't dislike the narrator but I also wasn't invested in the story and found it to be to easy together distracted. It’s hard for me to tell if this was the story or if part of it was due to the narration. Overall, if the synopsis sounds good to you, try it out it wasn't a waste of my time, but I also wouldn't re-read it.

This story masterfully blends humor, ambition, and the messy reality of revisiting an old rivalry. The academic setting adds depth without overshadowing the emotional journey, making the tension between competition and connection feel real and compelling. Leigh’s struggles with self-doubt and artistic validation resonated deeply, and the sharp, witty banter made the evolving relationship all the more satisfying. The balance of humor and heart kept me invested, making this more than just a romance—it’s a reflection on growth, creativity, and the stories we tell ourselves.
Sarah Beth Goer’s narration brings the characters to life with nuance and energy. She perfectly captures Leigh’s sharp wit and underlying vulnerability, making every moment feel genuine. Her performance adds layers to the tension and chemistry between Leigh and Will, drawing me further into their dynamic. The audiobook format made the dialogue feel even more vibrant, enhancing the emotional highs and lows in a way that kept me completely engaged.

Thank you so much to Hachette Audio for the complimentary ALC!

This book is out now!

I am in a buddy read for this one that was spearheaded by a bookstagrammer who made this book her personality which meant I totally had to read it.

I love that this took place in a college and we really got to see the side characters in this. Of course my focus was on our main couple Leigh and Will. The way Will would always have his eyes on Leigh in class and in the library - swoon. And there was a moment towards the end that we learn that he assists her in a task that she was not able to complete that literally made me go "of course he would do that!" The two have been pining after each other since high school and it's very apparent that those old feelings just don't go away no matter how hard you try. Also who knew hooking up in a library would be SO sexy?!

"I can't write a single poem where you don't exist."

I am very torn on how I feel about the HEA in this. Leading up to the end I thought it was more a Happy For Now until both characters took the time to grow separately and perhaps seek therapy. The turnaround time between the 3rd act break up to reconciling was just not enough. They really needed to work on themselves. Leigh was just TOO competitiveness and insecure and I just found it hard to believe that it wouldn't happen again if she would stay with Will while they were still in classes together.

There was a moment with Leigh and her therapist where I thought "Am I Leigh?" There is a moment when the therapist says, "Your first reaction, when someone ignores you, is to assume that there's something wrong with you. You assign your self worth based on your perception of what others think about you. WOOF - I felt attacked when I read it and attacked again as I type this out. I love that the author made it a point to have Leigh see a therapist on the pages. I also thought it was refreshing to show Leigh's parents relationship unfold in adulthood.

I paired my reading with the audiobook. This was narrated by Sarah Beth Goer and I thought she was a fabulous narrator! She was able to bring out the vulnerable Leigh needed and when she would do Will's dialogue, she would have to bring out a softer side to him too.

Ultimately I still really enjoyed the book and was invested on how the story would end. There were parts that had me smiling from ear to ear and giggly over what their future could be (*cough* pumpkin patch*cough*).

This was a debut and I'm excited to see what Katie Naymon will do in the future.

I recommend this book if you are looking for an academia setting, second chance romance with occasional flashbacks.

PS - I often don't fancast while I read but I could not get German actor Damian Hardung (Maxon Hall) out of my head for Will especially after seeing a photo of him with glasses on.

4.5

I wanted to DNF this book at 35%. I trudged along and can’t say I’m glad I did. Leigh was immature and I honestly didn’t care much for her. Not sure what will saw in her. This book took me forever to get through because I never really connected with or related to the characters. It was also heavily MFA and poetry focused which I didn’t realize would bore the heck out of me.
Also the straight white male comments got old. Prob should have just ended it at 35%. This book just wasn’t for me!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

DNF: Could be amazing so don’t take my rating to heart. I started the book and got partway through but I had sudden flashbacks to Creative Writing classes & Poetry Club and remembered how much I hated the round table discussions and peer critiques in that setting. So, absolutely not the book for me.