This was my first Melissa Ferguson novel and I am hooked and ready to start reading through the rest of her bibliography. Karissa Vacker Was a great narrator and perfectly executed multiple character dictations and appropriate accents. I enjoyed Karissa’s voice for the MMC and the way she delivered the material. I found Melissa’s writing educational yet relatable, witty and poignant. This one was hard to put down and is my second 5 star read of the year and the first 5 star closed door romance I have come across in a long, long time.

I do not think I could have loved a book more. The Perfect Rom-Com was in face THE perfect rom-com. Bryony is the epitome of grace and class. A woman who cares deeply for others and also has true grit and determination when it comes to her life goals. This book is how you truly include immigration in the conversation in today's political climate, surrounded by positivity and light. Bryony is passionate to teach ESL to those who need it and more desperate to save her grandmother's ESL program that has run out of funding. She wants her book to be picked up and published so badly and at the same time is in a situation where she is ghost writing for a huge author but is getting none of the spotlight to be able to promote her own work. Jack, her agent and friend turned lover is entertwined in her story as well. I don't want to give too much away but I felt this was a perfect slow burn, friends to lovers romance book that I very very much enjoyed listening to. The narrators did a wonderful job and really made this story come alive with their emotion. Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins for the copy of the audiobook.

Let me start by saying that I enjoy Melissa Ferguson’s writing. I was just introduced to her in the past couple of years but have read the following books: Snowy Serendipity, The Dating Charade, The Cul-de-Sac War, Famous for a Living, and Meet Me in the Margins.

Meet Me in the Margins is my favorite to date but The Perfect Rom-Com is a close second. The Perfect Rom-Com is the perfect writer’s meet cute. Bryony Page has been a ghostwriter for authors on many projects but has decided to make the big and terrifying step to publish a book of her own. She attends a writer’s conference to pitch her book. After meeting with several publishers and receiving rejection after rejection, she strikes a deal with her agent (Jack Sterling) to be a ghostwriter once more in exchange for his work to get her book approved for publication. Most ghost writers would absolutely be thrilled at the chance to write for Amelia Benedict, famous influencer but Bryony can’t quite view this opportunity as anything but a punishment.

A series of unexpected events including an in person tour with Amelia and Jack and a breakup with her boyfriend leave Bryony windering what she is doing with her life. Can she move past her breakup and find love again? Can she push through and become a published author?

Review for The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson – 3 Stars

Okay, so first off—what the hell was that trope? A sue trope? I was fully prepared for a classic rom-com setup, and instead, I got… whatever that was. The premise was cute: a ghostwriter finally getting her chance while a literary agent is swooning in the background. But the execution? Questionable.

Bryony was fine, but her sister? Oh my God, she was so annoying. Every time she showed up, I wanted to skim. I get sibling drama, but this felt unnecessary and forced. And then there’s the whole “suing” plotline—why? Who asked for that? It added unnecessary tension to a book that should’ve been light and fun.

Jack was decent, but the romance felt more like an afterthought. There were a few swoony moments, but not enough to make up for the weirdness of the plot.

Would I recommend it? Maybe, if you go in knowing it’s not the fluffy, predictable rom-com you think it is. But if you’re looking for something to make you giggle and swoon, there are better options out there.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for access to this eaudio ALC. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The narrator, Karissa Vacker, was great, I felt all the characters come to life through their performance, I was well-immersed in this story from beginning to end. This was a one-sitting experience and I listened into the wee hours of the morning; I wanted so badly to watch Bryony see her dreams fulfilled. I read some reviews that complained that this was more chicklit than romance, I will say that fact was appealing to me, not off-putting. The fact that it was marketed as a romance gave me the assurance that Bryony would have her happy ending, no matter the struggles and set backs she faced. This story had the depth of character growth of chicklit and the hopeful, happy ending of a good romance, which I enjoyed. Bryony's fevered search and struggle to grasp her dreams and goals and find fulfillment and meaning in her life and save the program that means so much to her and the many ESL students that it serves was contagious; it inspired me to find my cause, the thing that matters more than anything else and go put my heart and soul into that project! I hope we can all find our own Bridge to fight for.

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!!

P.S. absolutely loved the acting in the audio version of this book!! Dual narrators will always be superior.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the audiobook The Perfect Rom Com by Melissa Ferguson. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook and completed it in one day.
Bryony Page is an author and has and is trying to get her own book published when she receives an offer to ghostwrite for someone that did write a popular rom com book.
I love Bryony’s determination and passion that she has for the ESL students that she also teaches on the side.
This is a quick read or listen and I would recommend you reading it.

Minimal humor, minimal romance, maximum monologuing.

Bryony Page is quite literally exhausting. I should have known from the blurb that the main focus of this book would be about her getting her manuscript published with a smidge of romance thrown in but even then my expectations fell way short.

What we get is Bryony constantly rambling about every possible thing, becoming annoyingly focuses on her book, and feeling used when things don’t go her way. Yet for the past two years SHE was the one using Jack as an “in” to get her manuscript to a good publisher and refuses to accept any sort of criticism for it.

Don’t get me wrong. I can appreciate a romance book without any smut but there was no romance here. We go from enemies to friends to potential romantic partner all because he was nice to her and does nice things for her? We skip two years of potential moments between the characters to make the romance believable but we get no opportunity to read about it.

This may sound harsh but Bryony did not deserved the ending she got. However, I thought the narrator did a great job in making each character unique.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

eh, this one kind of missed the mark for me. zero spice which is fine, but there was no butterflies or anything like that and then suddenly the MMC changed into a different person. i was slightly dissapointed.

Thank you @harpercollinschristian for the gifted audiobook. #audiobooks


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!


🎧The audiobook was narrated by one of my favorites, Karissa Vacker. Her narration brought the characters to life and added a new dimension to the story. I loved pairing the physical copy with Karissa’s narration - it was an absolute treat.



Thank you @harpercollinschristian for the gifted audiobook. #audiobooks

I **LOVED** this book!

First, I am OBSESSED with the narrator, Karissa Vacker. She is SO, SO good! Definitely one of the best!

Seconrd, this story. Oh.My.Gosh. I really, really loved it.

I laughed out loud. I felt for Bryony. I cheered for Mr. %Agent, Jack Sterling.

So much yes for The Perfect Rom-Come by Melissa Ferguson.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars rounded to 5.

Let me start by saying I think this book had some good aspects. I love Bryony being an ESL teacher and learning about her students. I enjoyed some of the witty back and forth. The setting was nice and beautifully described. Sadly, as a whole, this book fell flat. My biggest issue is that our first impression of Jack is him being a jerk. That is all we know about the character, and then suddenly, we have a two-year time skip where they are friends. Without that relationship building shown on paper, my impression of Jack wasn't stellar, which made it difficult for me to root for him as a romantic interest. That and Jack being known as a womanizer didn't help my impression of him. I also thought the Parker storyline was a bit weird. It seems like his character was only included, so Jack and Bryony couldn't be together. I wish we had seen and heard a bit more of him so things came as more of a shock. I felt a lot of the plot was predictable as well, which would have been fine if I had enjoyed the characters a bit more. I did enjoy how much we got to see the behind the scenes of the writing world. It was a fun aspect that made this book unique. Though I wasn't a fan of how much the legal aspect was glazed over.

I wish Jack's character was a bit more complex. It felt like he only existed to help and be with Bryony. We never get to hear about his family or friends. We only see him in the context of Bryony's world. It didn't feel like he was his own person at times. This is one of the reasons I found it so hard to connect with him. Sometimes, I felt like too much was happening, while at other times, nothing was happening.

Overall, this was a pleasant enough read. The story's premise is interesting, and I enjoyed seeing more of the writing world throughout this book. While the romance wasn't my favorite, I loved hearing about Brynony's students and how passionate she is about teaching. I liked certain parts of this book, but I don't think it's very memorable for me specifically. I can finally see why others would enjoy it, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

A book lovers twist on the movie 2 weeks notice. Bryony Page wrote her first book about her grandmother's organization where she teaches ESL. When she goes to a writers conference to pitch her book everything goes wrong but then she meets the guy who changes her life forever.

I loved learning the behind the scenes process of creating, writing and selling a book.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Rom-Com, a title that had me expecting a swoony, laugh-out-loud romance, but unfortunately, that’s not what I got. If you’re thinking of picking this up, go in with the right expectations, this isn’t a romance novel. It’s women’s fiction with a romance subplot, and if I had known that beforehand, I might have enjoyed it more.

The story follows Bryony, an aspiring author who dreams of publishing a book inspired by her grandmother’s legacy. But instead of securing a book deal, she ends up ghostwriting for a famous romance author, under the guidance of literary agent Jack Sterling. Sounds promising, right? I thought so too. But the execution left a lot to be desired.

For more than half the book, not much really happens. Bryony’s endless internal monologues overshadow the actual plot, making it feel like I was just stuck in her head instead of experiencing the story. Jack, the supposed love interest, barely gets enough development to make an impact, and their romance? Practically nonexistent for most of the book. Then suddenly, a two-year time skip! Instead of watching their dynamic evolve naturally, we’re just told they’re now friends, and out of nowhere, the romance is tacked on. It felt rushed and unearned.

I also struggled with the book’s attempt at inclusivity. While I appreciate diverse representation, it felt under-researched, especially one particular moment involving a Muslim character that completely took me out of the story. Small details like this matter, and unfortunately, they weren’t handled with the care they deserved.

I really wanted to love this one, and I do think some readers might connect with Bryony’s journey of self-discovery. But if you’re looking for a true rom-com, this isn’t it. It’s mostly about Bryony’s personal growth, with a sprinkle of romance on the side.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the audiobook ARC! While this one wasn’t for me, I appreciate the opportunity to read it early.

Loved the characters and the banter in this story. Loved the development of the relationship between the two main characters. Thanks for the advanced copy to net galley and the publisher.

This story took a while to get going but I enjoyed the way it was written and all the descriptions. An easy read/listen with captivating characters. This book has such a unique storyline.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Rom-Com provides readers with a view of the publishing industry. It's clear aspiring authors need tough skin and commitment.

Bryony Page meets literary agent Jack Sterling at a writer's event. He's painfully blunt about her work in progress resulting in Bryony being shocked to be contacted by Jack a few days later. Bryony's offered a sparkling deal to serve as a ghostwriter for a celebrity. In desperation she accepts, but later mourns her inability to be publicly recognized for her work.

There were snatches of humor throughout the novel and it was interesting to learn more about publishing, but overall, I didn't love either Bryony or Jack.

Nice job by the narrator and the cover is cute.

This was a great rom com! I absolutely love books about books. The FMC(Bryony) is a romance ghostwriter and the MMC(Jack) is a literary agent. I had a lot of fun with the story line and how you really see Jack and Bryony’s relationship grow. I see it as enemies to friends to lovers. Jacks character was everything I want in a Romcom book. Definitely book boyfriend material. I will for sure be buying this book to add to my library! Thank you NetGalley

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. This was a really cute, whitty romcom. I actually laughed out loud in a few spots and I loved the banter between to two main characters. It is very Gilmore Girls feeling and sometimes other authors try and write whitty novels but it just doesn't hit. Highly recommend this author and would read from again.

LOVED the book! The narrators were phenomenal. The storyline especially with the ESL portion was fantastic, especially as a reader who took ESL classes. I really liked the main character as well. Highly recommended!