The Perfect Rom-Com is Melissa Ferguson at her finest. I absolutely fell in love with the FMC Byrony from the moment I met her. She is tenacious and scrappy. I loved her relationship with her sister and her meeting with potential agent, Jack, was so good. Epic!

There are so many laugh out loud moments and many other subtle moments that had me smiling or giggling. This is a book that I needed to relish every word for fear of missing something.

I loved that this took place in the literary world, it seemed so real, highlighting many of the challenges writers experience in this age of social media.

It concludes with the most fabulous grand gesture, truly unmatched!

So so good! The perfect clean romance and truly the "perfect rom-com" 😉

If you have an opportunity to listen on audio, I highly recommend that format. The narrator, Karissa Vacker, was fantastic!

Although funny and bubbly, I love how Melissa shines light on using your voice, self respect, and self worth. I nearly cried in Bryony's moments of feeling used, or when she felt her own work was not good enough. This gem speaks of perseverance when you see no way out, of sticking with what is important to you (even if you need to cut out 50k words out of you manuscript), and support from those who matter. I loved the sister relationship, the student love, and of course the swoony moment when Javk so cleverly rescues all of them from a contract in his fight to win back Bryony. This novel offers plenty of chuckles and satisfaction sighs you won't want to miss!
The narrator was spot on!

5 stars - A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC audiobook of 'The Perfect Rom-Com'! I absolutely adored this book—everything from the characters, to the tone, to the story was fantastic! Amelia, though... woofta. Girlfriend really needed a reality check! Her audacity, entitlement, and the way she treated others had me rolling my eyes at every turn. That said, the ending had me tearing up, and I’m genuinely sad it’s over. This was a true rom-com in every sense and felt "perfect" in every way!

Oh my stars, I absolutely adored this book! From the very first chapter, I was completely hooked. This book is like a warm hug, a slice of delicious cake, and a night out laughing with your best friend—all rolled into one delightful story.

Melissa Ferguson has created such a charming and witty world, filled with characters that feel so real, I wanted to jump into the audiobook and join them for coffee. The story itself is just so clever and fun. I was constantly smiling, and there were definitely a few moments where I burst out laughing!

Speaking of the audiobook, I have to give a huge shoutout to Karissa Vacker. Her voice brought so much life and personality to the story. She perfectly captured the humor, the heart, and all the little nuances of each character. Honestly, Karissa Vacker's performance elevated the whole experience to another level. I could listen all day long!

If you need a book that will lift your spirits and make you believe in the magic of love, look no further. This one is exactly that. perfect! I highly recommend this book. Your heart will thank you.

Cute and empowering but I was really craving some more context in the beginning before such a big time gap and the MMC’s actions throughout the book regarding the FMC’s manuscript really frustrated me.

Special thanks to NetGalley, author Melissa Ferguson and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for an advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

I abosolutly loved The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson. Melissa Ferguson is a new to me author, and I'm so excited to read/listen to more of her novels in the future. I really enjoyed the unique storyline—it offered an inside look into both the publishing world and an ESL (English as a Second Language) school. I could totally picture this book being adapted into a Hallmark movie!

The book was narrated by Karissa Vacker and she did a fantastic job!

Publication date- Feb 11 2025
#ThePerfectRomCom #NetGalley

I absolutely loved this book. The chemistry between Bryony and Jack is flammable! Bryony is such a smart, caring, strong woman who loves her family. She is witty and always has smart comebacks to Jack's comments. Which brings be to the banter in this book. It is so good. I love the friends to lovers trope. This is such a fun read. The only part I didn't like was the whole long distance boyfriend thing. The hints are emotional cheating always feel awkward to me. But otherwise, I would highly recommend this book!

I listened to the audio and as always Karissa Vacker is a queen. Her narration is spot on, and I would listen to anything she reads. Her voice and characterization are perfection.

4.25⭐️ | 1🌶️

If you love books about books, publishing, and all the chaos that comes with them, The Perfect Rom-Com is an absolute treat! It’s heartwarming, funny, and unexpectedly inspiring—kind of like a rom-com with a double shot of ambition and a side of self-discovery.

Bryony’s journey had me completely hooked. She’s determined, hardworking, and occasionally a bit of a mess (relatable, right?). Her moments of overthinking were both hilarious and painfully accurate—I wanted to jump into the story just to give her a hug and tell her to breathe.

Now, let’s talk romance! Bryony and Jack’s dynamic was adorable and filled with the kind of witty banter that keeps you grinning. Their chemistry was there, but I couldn’t help but wish their romance had been given more space to shine. It had all the makings of a swoon-worthy love story, but it felt more like a subplot than the main event. Still, their evolution from colleagues to something more was fun to watch unfold.

The behind-the-scenes look at ghostwriting was a highlight! Seeing Bryony navigate the publishing world, dealing with a larger-than-life (and completely clueless) socialite author, was both eye-opening and wildly entertaining. It had me wondering just how many bestsellers are secretly written by someone else.

As for the narration, Karissa Vacker absolutely nailed it! She brought Bryony to life with just the right mix of vulnerability and determination. Her performance made the book even more engaging—she captured every character’s personality, from Amelia’s over-the-top arrogance to Gloria’s charming Southern warmth.

Overall, The Perfect Rom-Com is a feel-good, slow-burn read with a unique premise and an endearing cast of characters. While it leans more toward chick-lit than romance, it’s still a delightful listen, perfect for cozying up with a cup of tea. If you love stories about writers, second chances, and finding your voice (both on and off the page), this one’s worth checking out!

Very cute and entertaining story. The main character was a strong female lead. She never lost sight of what she set out to do from the beginning of the story until the end. This would be a great read for anyone who loves a romantic comedy/easy, fun read. I loved the narrator too.

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson is a fun, heartfelt read with lovable characters and witty humor. The unexpected twist at the end made it unforgettable. Highly recommend!

REVIEW: The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson
2.5 stars

The Perfect Rom-Com focuses on Bryony, a writer and ESL teacher, and Jack, the writing agent. Bryony wants to publish her book more than anything, but she starts ghostwriting for a famous romance author from a connection through Jack. I liked the plot around an agent and ghostwriter. Ghostwriters are not typically in books, so it was a nice, unique premise.
There is a lot of focus on rom-coms, which is great for fans of the genre. The grand gesture at the end was also an excellent moment for the characters and satisfied me.

Unfortunately, a lot of The Perfect Rom-Com didn't do it for me. First, I wouldn't call this book a rom-com; it's more of a women's literature book. There were only a few funnier parts, and the romance didn't start until almost halfway through the book. The beginning was very slow, and not much was going on. Some unnecessary characters (Parker) didn't play much into the story. There was also an odd time jump at the beginning, where they went from enemies to friends right after the jump. I would love to hear from them about how they became friends. Lastly, I really wanted to develop a better relationship between Bryony and Jack. Their relationship started super slowly, and they were suddenly profoundly in love. I wanted to know more about how their relationship changed and the little sparks back and forth.

Overall, I enjoyed the premise of a ghostwriter and agent, but The Perfect Rom-Com didn't quite do it for me. I just wanted to focus more on Bryony's and Jack's relationship and how it evolved.

Thank you, Netgalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

4⭐
And I've been in love for quite some time. I just didn't realize it was with him.

Imagine being an international best-selling author but no one knows who you are or that you've written these best-sellers. That's the reality for Bryany Page. After getting yet another ghost-writing opportunity, she also lands a new literary agent, Jack Sterling, who she may or may not fall for...

Love, love, loved this cute, fluffy romance! Can't wait to read more of Melissa Ferguson's work!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Christian Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love Melissa Ferguson’s books. I know I’ve only read two but I’m a forever fan. Not only are they funny (they are hilarious, actually), they are so well done.

This book has all the things I love in a romcom. Humor, heart, a wonderfully snarky MMC, a sweet and caring FMC who’s an ELS teacher turned ghostwriter. Along with moments that had me laughing so hard and smiling so big from the inner thoughts of Bryony.

I adored Bryony and Jack. Jack is so arrogant, it’s enjoyable. I loved how they knew each other. How they would know what the other was thinking. Ferguson’s descriptions are spot on. She even made me crave a tomato pie and I don’t even know what tomato pie is. I haven’t read a book about a ghostwriter before and I really enjoyed this plot line. (And of course the romantic tension between Jack and Bryony was also enjoyable.)

The story has a usual villain and the supporting characters are just as well done as Jack and Bryony. I can’t say my favorite moments for fear of spoilers but there were many.

The narrator does a perfect job expressing Ferguson’s words. Karissa Vacker’s tone was very well done on each character she portrayed. There are variety of accents too that are spot on.

I received a paperback and NetGalley approval for the audio and ebook from the publisher for your purposes. Huge thank you to Thomas Nelson.

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson is a cute story about Bryony & Jack's relationship. The story starts with them meeting at a writing conference, then it jumps ahead 2 years later. Throughout the story, the readers are informed how their relationship grew into friendship, then more. Add plenty of characters to keep track of in this story, lots of self-reflection through Bryony's viewpoint, a little drama, a sprinkling of romance.
Thank you, #NetGalley & Thomas Nelson, for allowing me to read The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book on #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, but if you're a romantic at heart & a book lover, then you'll enjoy this sweet story.

This book is all I love about Melissa Ferguson. It's bookish and hilarious and the sweetest relationships with a great friendship character (sister in this case) hyping up FMC in the background. I loved the friendship and the evolution of these characters and while there's a lot of the book that was expected and you could see it coming, the characters, dialogue and a few twists made it totally worth it. The end was chefs kiss fun.

#arc
#netgalley
#theperfectromcom

Audio 🎧

ARC through Net Galley. This was a super easy listen, cute story line (ESL teacher who ghost writes for a famous author).

Narrator was good! Easy and enjoyable listening.

This EAL teach gives it a 4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you @uplitreads @ourfriendlyfarmhouse @thomasnelson for the #gifted copy/ALC!

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: The Perfect Rom-Com
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Melissa Ferguson
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿: Karissa Vacker
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: February 11, 2025
4⭐️

💛 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 💛
This was a fun story to read - I enjoy reading books about authors and think it’s interesting if they are a ghostwriter! This gave some behind the scenes information on what that looks like and had me wondering who might have a ghostwriter out there! 👻

Bryony wants to get a novel published and gets an opportunity to be a ghostwriter for a popular romcom writer. Bryony agrees to the job as long as her agent Jack works to get her own book published. Meanwhile, Bryony’s romcom books take off in popularity and she’s become indispensable to her writing agency.. and her book agent!

The author Bryony has to work for was a hot mess and it made for some comedic moments with how little she did to learn about the books being written under her name!

The romance in this book is a slow burn, and more of the story focuses on Bryony’s journey and time as a ghostwriter! The ending surprised me at how everything turns out for Bryony, and it was a feel good story to read and cozy up with!

🎧 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 🎧
Karissa Vacker did an amazing job narrating Bryony’s story. Vacker knows how to bring vulnerability and emotion to her roles and delivers here! She is easy to understand and made listening enjoyable!

💛 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
💛 Books About Authors
🧡 Ghostwriters
🧡 Closed Door Romance
💛 Agent/Writer Romance
💛 ESL Teacher

This book started out with such high hopes! Super cute concept, very likable characters but the further along I got the more it just fell flat for me. Bryony was so hard working and driven and Jack was such a lovely friend but also, held so much too close to the vest. The miscommunications, manipulations just weren't my thing! Cute how it wrapped up but felt implausible.

The audiobook was great though, the narrator did a fabulous job! Thanks for the ALC!

Based on the classification and title of the book, one would expect a *bit* more romance woven into this story. This was the first book I've read from this author and found it to be enjoyable enough to possibly read more in the future. However, I think the romance in this really gets overshadowed by talks of book writing and publishing and growth of the main character. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the character of Bryony, but it's just not what I was expecting.

I found the start of the book to be interesting in how want-to-be authors have to shop around for the right publisher, but I was thrown when we got shot two years into the future. We then find our main characters have a formed friend/coworking relationship that is innocent enough. They rely on each other throughout the story to do their respective jobs, Bryony writing her novels and Jack to protect her best he can in the publishing process. Otherwise, there isn't a whole lot of romantic development. Now I understand this is a clean romance, but there wasn't much happening at all, and the romance ends up getting thrown onto us pretty close to the end. I mean, I don't even remember the main characters kissing, which could've happened, but was clearly so insignificant that I can't recall it. You definitely don't get to see the pair develop their romance at all, as they really get together right at the very end.

Overall, I would recommend this audiobook if you're looking for a very low-stakes, clean romance that mainly focuses on the female main character navigating her sometimes difficult job and building self confidence. Just don't anticipate a whole lot of romantic elements, as you will not find them here, so manage your expectations accordingly. The narrator did a good job of embodying the characters, and I really did care about Bryony's story, I just wanted more from the main pair's relationship.

*Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest review.*

I received the ARC this audiobook and I am so glad I did. This rom-com was unlike any I have ever read! It uncovered some of the inner workings of the publishing industry (how many books have I read that were written by ghost writers?!?) and demonstrated how challenging it can be to break into the writing industry. Our FMC has a passion for helping the immigrants in her community learn English and make their American Dreams come true. She takes this passion and funnels it into writing a book that will hopefully save the ESL school she works for. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast paced, fun rom-com with a whole lot of heart!