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.*

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"You Between the Lines is an absolute gem—a heartfelt, swoon-worthy romance that perfectly blends humor, longing, and emotional depth. The characters leap off the page with such authenticity that you feel like you’re living their journey right alongside them. The banter is sharp, the tension is electric, and the emotional moments hit you right in the heart.

What sets this book apart is its ability to balance wit and warmth. Naymon crafts a love story that is not only captivating but also deeply relatable, making you reflect on your own experiences with love, vulnerability, and second chances. The chemistry between the leads is undeniable, and their slow-burn romance unfolds in a way that keeps you eagerly turning pages.

Whether you’re a fan of flirty, feel-good romances or stories with emotional weight, You Between the Lines delivers on every level. It’s the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve finished the last page. Highly recommended!"

This book was really cute. I liked it except for Leigh’s constant repeating at the start that “it’s not going to work out” without any real reasoning. The conflict that arises did seem believable, and I appreciated the self-awareness the author gave Leigh about different areas of conflict with her family and with Will. I enjoyed the narration as well for this audiobook. The emotion and character development made this a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ARC!

This book! I absolutely loved every single minute of it. It was definitely a cute romance but different than most of the others. It definitely spoke to my writer heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for access to this ALC!

When Leigh starts a prestigious MFA program in North Carolina, the last person she expects to see is her high school rival, Will (who, annoyingly, now goes by William because of COURSE he does). Leigh and Will are competing for the same fellowship, and through their rivalry become friends somewhere along the way. Leigh's high school crush on Will never *really* went away she finds, and as it turns out Will's didn't either. When Will submits a poem that seemingly goes deeper than what is on the page, he and Leigh are forced to face their true feelings for each other.

I adored this book. The writing, the banter and the spice was all *chef's kiss*. I was NOT expecting the scenes to be as spicy as they were, which was an extremely pleasant surprise. Will and Leigh had a complicated relationship throughout the book, and it was so interesting to see it unfold. I loved the audio narration throughout the book, I thought Sarah Beth Goer was the perfect voice for Leigh.

Leigh was a very interesting and complex character. I liked seeing how her work was tied to her emotional trauma and seeing the impact of the therapy on her life across the board resonated with me. I wish we would have gotten a bit more of Will’s pining for Leigh earlier in the story. I felt like he was all over the place and it made sense in the end but I didn’t trust him early because of it. The audio narrator really sold the emotion in the story especially when it came to the poetry reading.

3.5*
I enjoyed this book, it reminds me of Not in My Book by Katie Holt. Two MFA students in grad school reconnect after years apart in a second chance romance of sorts. Nearly 10 years after meeting in high school and having a rocky and complicated past.
I liked the plot of this book. Ironically, for two people who write a lot their communication was lacking and I feel like that left a bit to be desired. I wish they had talked things out, miscommunication could have easily been avoided.
The physical chemistry between our MCs was good, I just wish the yearning and emotional connections were a bit better developed.

4.5 stars rounded up because this is just the romance that I needed. Leigh and Will are literally such the perfect pair that I am obsessed with them. I love who they are and become throughout this story. I found that the premise was really fun and well rounded, LOVED that the main characters were late 20s. They both felt true to age (speaking as a 27 year old) and I enjoyed being in Leigh’s mind as she continued to find herself.

This is a TRUE slow burn. I wish that that had a few chapters of Will’s POV so we could really truly feel the longing and yearning. I feel like it his POV would have been the cherry on top as his character has such depth and so much to say internally. I took away a half star because Leigh’s character just annoyed me a tad bit in her self destructive tendencies, those felt a bit juvenile for her age. I think that the resolve maybe should have been that her drs prescribed her some anti-anxiety meds lol.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hachette audio for this arc! Really enjoyed it.

Sadly, I didn’t love this one but I still enjoyed it for the most part. There were parts of this story that were lowkey cringe. The constant pop culture references, namely TS but still… I understand she wrote a lot of poems regarding pop culture but after what felt like the 20th time I was over it. While I looooved Will. I felt like the characters didn’t have a lot of depth. I didn’t feel like I really knew much about either of them. If the book sounds good to you, read it. I personally wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review an audiobook of You between the Lines. I enjoyed the narration.

the narrator was phenomenal! I honestly would probably have rated it lower if I had read the physical book because the main character, while complicated and still lovable, was just so self-destructive that I could not bring myself to root for her! Will tried so hard to get her to see how much she was worthy of love, and yet she couldn’t notice anything about her behavior until she was at rock bottom ? it just bugged me but that might just be a me problem!

Little angst but a lot of heart. The original poetry was a great addition to the writing. The history between Will and Leigh is very little but the impact it had on her was a kick to her self-esteem. Now years later they end up in the same MFA program, Leigh having moved on from her past and Will struggling with his. I very much enjoyed the ride the story took me on, filled with mixed messages from Will, miscommunication from Leigh all around was a great read.

I was lucky to get approved for the ALC from #netgalley and the audiobook narrator did an excellent job.

Read if you like:
~books about books
~enemies to lovers
~mental health rep

I loved everything about this debut novel by Katie Naymon. I cannot wait to see what she writes next! I am so happy that I got You Between the Lines as one of my BOTM picks because it definitely deserves a space on my shelf.

Thank you Hachette audio for the copy of You Between the Lines! This was a wonderful story and as an English Major I really enjoyed the storyline a lot. This was a fun listen and the narrator Sarah was great to listen to! She did an incredible job with this story. She has the perfect voice for reading audio books and the cadence and emotion was all there! Leigh and Will have a pretty cute “pining” type of relationship - things never seem to line up time after time, but maybe this time is finally their time! 5 star read for me!

Katie Naymon definitely has a unique style that caught my eye in the first few chapters and didn’t ease their grip on my until the very end. I loved everything about this book and the main protagonist, how it was raw and real and so very vulnerable despite Leigh trying not to be. It will resonate deeply if you ever had trouble finding your voice, your confidence and the courage to open up to the people closest to you. I recommend reading or listening to this book.

Thank you to #netgalley and #hachetteaudio for an advance listening copy of this book. I enjoyed the story but was really put off by the narrator.