The Perfect Rom-Com is the ninth novel from author Melissa Ferguson. Aspiring author Bryony Page spends hard saved money to travel to a writer’s conference hoping for representation. It isn’t that she personally cares about publishing her manuscript, it’s that the Bridge, her grandmother’s ESL school, needs the funds to stay open. Her appointment with literary agent Jack Sterling doesn’t really go the way she would have wanted or expected, but the offer she receives gives Bryony an opportunity to help the Bridge in a different way.

Jack sees the potential in Bryony’s writing and makes her the offer to be one of heiress Amelia Benedict’s ghostwriters. Amelia had a passable debut novel but her subsequent offerings had been less than passable, But with her raw talent, it isn’t long until Bryony is the lone ghostwriter. And with the money she earns she can not only fund her own living needs but also make monthly substantial contributions to the Bridge to help keep the school going.

This lovely tale pits the entitled and talentless Amelia against the selfless and very talented Bryony in a story that makes a remarkable twist that the reader will not see coming. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

This was okay - nothing really happened majority of the book. I did enjoy the ending but if it hadn't been an audiobook that I listened to while getting other stuff done I don't think I would have finished it. Thanks for an advance copy!

Read If You Like:
- Romantic comedies
- Enemies-to-lovers trope
- Stories about writers and the publishing industry
- Witty banter

Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers' conference with high hopes of selling her manuscript and raising awareness for The Bridge, her grandmother's financially struggling organization where she teaches ESL full-time. After a disastrous pitch session, she unexpectedly lands a job as a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict, a popular rom-com novelist. Bryony agrees on one condition: that Jack Sterling, a literary agent at the Foundry Literary Agency, works to sell her own book too. As Bryony's ghostwritten books propel Amelia to greater fame, she finds herself entangled in the complexities of the publishing world and her growing feelings for Jack.

This novel offers a delightful blend of humor and heart, with engaging characters and sharp, witty dialogue. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Bryony and Jack adds tension and charm to the story. The behind-the-scenes look at the publishing industry provides an intriguing backdrop, and Bryony's dedication to her community adds depth to her character. The narrative is both entertaining and uplifting, making it a perfect choice for fans of lighthearted romance.

The Perfect Rom-Com is a charming and enjoyable read that will leave you smiling and believing in the serendipity of unexpected opportunities.

Thanks so much to the publisher for my ARC and ALC!

This book had me laughing out loud! I absolutely loved the humor, and Jack completely stole my heart—he made me swoon so many times with his unwavering support of the main character. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a fantastic job keeping me engaged—I was so hooked that I finished it in a single day!

This is a workplace romance with forced proximity, but what really stood out to me was the journey the author took us on. It wasn’t an instant-love story; instead, we got to experience their friendship develop over several years before romance bloomed. That slow build made their relationship feel so much more meaningful, and I loved being along for the ride!

This book finally got me out of my month-long reading slump🙌🏻 it truly is a perfect rom-com — pun intended.
Key Details:
- SEL teacher with lovable and quirky students
- Ghost writing for an awful author
- Forced Proximity/Forbidden Love
- Closed-door romance
- Passionate, strong-willed, and hard/working FMC

The introduction from the author, and her personal experience with SEL students made this story even more heartwarming and lovable!

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟

When you are in the mood for a happy, friends to more romance with no spice, pick this one up!!

Aspiring author Bryony Page becomes the ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict, popular rom-com novelist. Bryony agrees on one condition: she’ll write books for this vain, demanding woman just as long as Jack Sterling, legendary literary agent, works to sell her own book too.

I don't know if it was really this good or if it was the right time, but I enjoyed it so much. The friendship between the main characters was endearing, while they were also in a working relationship, which caused romantic tension.

The villain was the most terrible woman ever. The ESL teacher/student relationships created such depth to the story and showed the wide gap between the well-connected (Amelia) and those who are just arriving in America.

The 3rd act conflict made sense, but the resolution would've never happened in real life. I didn't need it to be realistic though, because it was entertaining.

Try this book if you like:
Aspiring writer
Confident literary agent
Books with heart
ESL students 🫶
Behind the scenes in the publishing industry
Spice level: just kisses

The audiobook narrator did a wonderful job.

Thank you @netgalley and @thomasnelson for this advanced listening copy!

Book 041 of 350 ~ 2025

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I think this is my favourite one by Melissa! One star because the protagonist is an ESL teacher!

I've actually got a CELTA myself, and I thoroughly enjoyed teaching English as a second language!

What a wonderfully paced romance with none of the spice, yet you can feel the sparks.

Enjoyed both the well narrated audiobook and ebook!

I received a complimentary copy of both the ebook and the audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Perfect Rom-Com did indeed, live up to it's name.
Excuse me while I clear the lump in my throat and dry away a few happy tears...

Byrony Page, an aspiring author is diligently working to sell her beloved manuscript with the hope that it will save her grandmothers financially struggling organization where Byrony teaches ESL. In the process Byrony meets Jac, her successful, charming, loveable agent. While Byrony and Jack share heartwarming, witty banter, their romance is more of a subplot. This is more of a focus on Byrony's personal growth and self realization. Byrony is determined, hardworking and does everything with her whole heart. She is relatable and you will find yourself always in her corner, cheering her on!

If you need a book to get you out of reading slimp and spark a little joy, dive in! You are in for a cozy, heartwarming treat... and who doesn't love reading about writers and all things books?!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson!

"The Perfect Rom-Com" by Melissa Ferguson is a delightful read filled with humor, heart, and charming characters. The story is engaging, making it a perfect escape. I enjoyed (what feels like) some 'behind-the-scenes' of the publishing world and the FMC, while initially annoying me with her unfailing optimism, absolutely grew on me by the end.

What <i>truly</i> elevated my experience was the phenomenal audiobook narrator. She brought the characters to life in a way that I might have missed if I had read the book myself. Without her, I might have enjoyed the book less, but her performance made it an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend the audiobook version!

⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ (4/5 stars)

As a former foreign language teacher, I knew I was going to like this book. Bryony Page is an ESL teacher for a language learning school (The Bridge), that her grandmother founded. The program is struggling and all Briony wants is to publish her novel about The Bridge to keep the school running. She pitches her novel to numerous agents with no luck, until she meets Jack Sterling. Jack has no interest in her novel but gives her the opportunity to ghost write for the popular (but really annoying) rom-com writer, Amelia Benedict. Briony’s books under Amelia’s name are wildly successful and she finds herself stuck in the contractual agreement to keep writing for Amelia but wanting to breakout on her own with her own novel, all while wanting to save The Bridge. The relationship with Jack and Briony evolves overtime and muddles the agent/author relationship and Briony’s end goal. I read part of this book and listened to the audio for part too. I audio was excellent and Briony’s wit really shined. I really enjoyed it but by the end I was missing the rom-com spirit for Briony and Jack. This was definitely a slow burn but to the point that I didn’t really feel the spark between the two main characters. Yes, they were cute together but I was missing the glue (the real chemistry) that makes the reader really fall for their love story. The rest of the story I really loved though.

Workplace romance / agent & author (ghost writer)
Friends to lovers
Slow burn romance

Thank you NetGalley & Thomas Nelson Fiction for the eARC and audio ARC in return for my honest review.

This book had me nearly completely - until the end, it felt forced, like it was too far into wish fulfillment, and honestly kinda mean and unprofessional in general. There were just too many things about this that wasn't realistic for me to suspend belief, and they happened back to back.

The writing is good and I liked the characters. It felt like this was forced repressentation instead of actual representation of a community as well.

3.75

Well that was just the sweetest thing I’ve ever read!! I swear I spent 90% of this book smiling! I loved it! Bryony is so relatable and the development of her character is perfect. It felt exactly right from page one to the end of the epilogue. I loved getting a kind of inside peek of the publishing world and ghostwriting too!! I really enjoyed this!

**Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I received the audiobook version, so I will be specifically commenting on some elements that are only present in this version.

“The Perfect Rom-Com” this is not. There was quite a bit of romance missing, considering the title. Let me preface: I don’t have a problem with this, but with the title, I feel like I knew what I was going into, but it did not follow through on that aspect. I loved the inside look into the publishing industry. I have gotten a few similar stories in other books, but this one felt much more “real” comparatively. I assume some of it may be truth (LOL)? 

Also, nothing really happens in the romance department until the 75% mark, which is a bit crazy, in my opinion. The characters I thought were lacking in chemistry despite this, and their pre-existing relationship finds the dynamic a bit….eh. The main characters are not quite boss/employee, but I’m not sure what else they would really be considered.

I find it hard to believe they have been working together for over two years, in relationships, and somehow, on a random weekday night, they suddenly decide that they are in love. I literally forgot about her boyfriend, and so did she, I guess. I think this was used as a crutch to defend why they weren’t exploring a relationship sooner, but with the sudden and random breakup, it just felt like it was shoved in. I think I audibly gasped when she said she was in love with Jack almost instantly. Also, miscommunication trope boooooooooo

I know I harped on a lot here, but I did enjoy it overall and find it funny! I liked the inside look of being a ghost writer, with a more comedic tone. I thought Bryony and Amelia’s dynamic was fun despite the dramatics.

For the audiobook, I thought the narrator did an overall good job, but I felt like some of the accents/secondary voices (especially her sister) were annoying and overdone. Also, as a South Carolina resident, BEAUFORT SOUTH CAROLINA IS PRONOUNCED BEW-FORT, NOT BOW-FORT. That drove me insane.

Bryony and Jack were super cute.
This is such an easy cosy and heart warming read and that I did devour this.

Melissa’s writing is lovely and her progression in her characters are beautiful I really enjoyed this.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(This was the physical read arc review)


Thank you netgalley for the audio arc in exchange for an honest review

WOW
I by my last review Melissa’s writing is great and her character progression was on point.
The audio book however made this so much better I loved the narrator and she brought Melissa’s characters to life I laughed out loud and kicked and screamed.
This book was sooooo good and I loved every second of it more so this time then the first time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️3.5

This is such a heartwarming story, I laughed, I cried.

Byrony and Jack are so adorable together!

What a cute rom com! I love this narrator so I knew I was going to enjoy it. This is my first from this author, but definitely won’t be my last! Definitely recommend for the wholesomeness alone 🥰

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and publisher for a copy of this audio ARC.

Despite its title, The Perfect Rom Com didn’t feel like a romantic comedy to me. Instead, it read more like chick-lit, focusing on personal growth and career struggles rather than romance. While I usually enjoy both genres, I couldn’t help but feel that the marketing set the wrong expectations, which left me searching for the romance that never really took centre stage.

The pacing also felt off. The story starts by introducing Bryone, an ESL teacher passionate about saving her grandmother’s foundation, which helps immigrants learn English. Her plan? Publish a book to bring attention to her cause. She attends a book conference to pitch her idea, failing miserably. This is where she meets Jack, an agent who rejects her book but then, unexpectedly, offers her a ghostwriting opportunity for a socialite.

This setup had so much potential, but then the story jumps forward in time, skipping over the most interesting parts. We don’t get to see how Bryone adjusts to ghostwriting or how her dynamic with Jack actually develops—instead, we’re told about key moments after they’ve happened. Because of this, I struggled to connect with the characters and their relationship, as it felt like the most compelling parts of their story were left off the page.

I kept waiting for something to pull me in, but the romance felt secondary, and most of the story was built on reminiscing about past events we never got to experience as readers.

While this book may work better for those who enjoy women’s fiction with a light romantic element, it didn’t deliver on what I expected from a rom-com.

📖 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

To be completely honest, I gave The Perfect Rom-Com five stars purely on vibes. This book is the cutest one I’ve ever read. The writing itself is just okay, and the grand finale is a bit unrealistic, but the romance between Bryony and Jack is exceptional. Be prepared to giggle and kick your feet in the air while reading this adorable romance.

The Perfect Rom-Com, is a bursting with heart from start to finish. This book is timely, as well. Main character, Bryony works for an ESL program for refugees and other immigrants. After writing about her experience in her debut novel, we first meet her while pitching her book to literary agents. Enter, Jack- our grumpy literary agent who sees an opportunity for Bryony to help another one of his authors. What unfolds is fun and heartfelt. I loved the multiple settings of this book, and would want *most* of them in my friend group.

I had such a great time while listening to this book. The narration was here! I loved their story telling skills! But story wise, I was captivated. I was thoroughly engaged. There were minor flaws, but nothing too major. Overall A very cute, wholesome read