The Perfect Rom-Com

This book is an absolute delight! With witty banter, a touch of romance, and a fascinating look behind the literary curtain, this is a must-read for anyone who loves a feel-good story.

An ESL teacher at a small, struggling organization called The Bridge takes it within herself to write the perfect novel of how the organization came about. In order to save it from years of dwindling funds, budget cuts, and fading grants, she attends a writers conference to get someone to take it on. In her exuberance, she covers multiple genres, writes almost 150,000 words (twice the industry norm), and tries her best to pitch it to publishers at a convention to vast disinterest.

She meets with her last chance, a ruthless top of the line publisher who doesn't want to be there, and he dismisses her within 5 minutes. She stubbornly stands up for her work, and in a moment of challenge, he tasks her to find fault in a wildly successful authors book he has on his laptop. She reads it and, in sheer desperation, tells the truth. All of it is wrong. It's shoddy writing and awful, and she details what needs to change, tosses her business cards at him, and walks away in tears.

Little does she know this is the start to an entire new chapter of her life as a ghostwriter, forever on the hook to wait for her own work to see the light of day.

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I greedily devoured this book in one sitting. I've never read this authors work before, but I was charmed by her characters before the end of the first chapter.

Seeing the friendship with Jack in its full blossom as she becomes a ghost writer for his horrendous client was entertaining. I could empathize with watching her describe the push and pull of being a peace keeper and pushover, and fighting her own bitterness of her work being credited to an awful person who doesn't care about it. The entire time, quietly being told, staying in the shadows suits her perfectly fine and to carry on while she pushes it down.

There are nods to Jack keeping a secret, being a master at manipulation, but also being deeply affectionate for her. Seeing the juxtaposition of her own long-distance partner who she hasn't seen in years being a neutral force and not present for her life. Yet Jack being an openly manipulative and convincing force, twisting and turning his words and her perception, yet being there for every moment was so oddly satisfying. He was never presented as the hero, and she never really regarded him as such, which made his actions stand out so much stronger than his words. He eventually works his way into her heart, and she convinces herself this is friendship, for it all to fall apart with massive lies and betrayal.

This book made me so genuinely root for the lead, and I loved it when we slipped into Bryony's eyes and saw the world around her in her author voice. It makes you wish you could read the books she details with so much emotion and description. You could feel the fourth wall of the author herself describing her love of books and characters and descriptors, and it made this such a warm read.

Seeing Bryony sacrifice her joy and work and all that was important to her for a last hurrah, and then to have that perfect conclusion? Exactly what made this book 5 stars for me.

There honestly isn't a single part of this that I could find glaring fault with. It was a cozy read, with interesting characters and a sweet friendship and love that wasn't overly saccharine. I'd recommend this to anyone who needs to break their way out of a reading slump and find the joy of a good book again!

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Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing - for the digital ARC copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this rom com about a rom com ghostwriter. Bryony's emotional development mirrored that of her writing development which I thought was a great parallel. I wish there had been a touch more backstory to Amelia as a character, but the other side characters were a big add to the story, especially the assistant. As a love interest, Jack was both a good friend and also a champion of Bryony's writing!

A sweet romance about an author and her secret

Bryony Page is dreaming of publishing her own book. But since none of the agents will accept her lengthy manuscript, she accepts an offer to ghostwrite for one of the biggest romance authors in the genre. While getting closer to her agent Jack, she doesn't lose sight of her original goal of releasing a semi-biographical novel that could well save her Grandmother's ESL school.

I breezed through this book! The dialogue is snappy, the protagonist stubborn but very likeable and the love interest a perfect friends-to-lovers hero. The book is on the shorter side but does not have a dull moment. Melissa Ferguson crafts very memorable characters and while she is not big on descriptions, she makes the bits count. This book is funny, serious, frustrating and rewarding!

I am not sure about the publishing interna, but would be happy to recommend this even to people who know the industry a little more intimately.
There are some elements that are a little bit far fetched and a few characterisations that felt very over-the-top but overall, this book is a fantastic read for romance lovers, aspiring writers and people looking to see that their antagonists get what they deserve. Because all's fair in love and business..

So, so, so good! Devourable! "The Perfect Rom-Com" by Melissa Ferguson kept me turning pages all night long. All the feels, drama, laughs and depth that you're looking for.

Ferguson's protagonist, Bryony Page, whose journey from aspiring author to secret ghostwriter is both inspiring and entertaining. Her dedication to her grandmother's ESL program adds depth to her character, making her instantly endearing to readers.

The author's keen understanding of the publishing industry shines through in the vivid descriptions of writers' conferences and the intricacies of book deals. This insider's perspective adds an extra layer of authenticity to the story, making it a must-read for both romance enthusiasts and aspiring writers alike.

The chemistry between Bryony and Jack Sterling, the literary agent, is palpable and electric.

Ferguson's writing style is crisp, witty, and engaging.

In short, Melissa Ferguson has penned a winner with "The Perfect Rom-Com." It's a book that deserves a place on every romance lover's shelf. Highly recommended!

THE PERFECT ROM-COM by MELISSA FERGUSON is an enjoyable read with unforgettable characters, witty dialogue and the author’s great insight into her characters’ emotions. There were times when I laughed out loud and others when I was close to tears!
The story starts with Bryony Page at the last day of a writer’s conference where she desperately wants to encourage one of the agents to take on a manuscript that she has been working on for two years. She is emotional about the story about her grandmother and the school for immigrants that she started and where Bryony teaches English. The school has run out of funds and she hopes her book will create an interest and bring in investors to keep the school going. She has two chances of trying to persuade Jack Sterling to take her book, but he has other ideas for her literary career ……
Other interesting characters are Bryony’s intensely loyal, incredibly amusing, court reporter sister, Gloria, the foreign students with their loyalty and interesting English, and the narcissistic Amelia Benedict, to name a few.
i am not going to tell you any more as I do not want to spoil things for you.
I highly recommend this “perfect rom-com” which I found quite inspirational as well as hilariously amusing.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

I am very excited to be reading this book! My full review to follow.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and comments are my own.

Such a fun book! I devoured it and enjoyed every minute. Get ready to jump into the world of publishing with all of its quirks and behind-the-scenes drama. Bryony Page, rom-com ghostwriter, ultimately finds her own success in more ways than one. Highly recommended.

When Melissa's newsletter mentioned a new book, I could not wait to read it! I have enjoyed all her books so far and knew this one would not disappoint. I inspected Netgalley every other day in fear of missing out on the advanced copy. When it finally appeared and I was thankfully approved, I immediately downloaded it and jumped right in. That opening sentence - It was a dark and stormy night - is such an epic first line. Its fame in the literary world, and familiarity amongst my little family, brought a contented smile to my face.

The Perfect Rom-Com follows Bryony (such a lovely and unique name!) and her journey into becoming an author, albeit as a ghostwriter. It is such a fun read, yet filled with meaningful moments too. The history and motivation behind Bryony's story is deeply touching. The author shares some interesting terms used in the publishing world, ghostwriter being the most intriguing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

'The Perfect Rom-Com' is a wildly entertaining romance novel about 2 workaholics in the publishing industry with a nightmare celebrity. Bryony Page is the kind of lead you can root for: honest, compassionate, a bit insecure, and whose passion is to save a nonprofit that helps refugees/immigrants. Jack Sterling, her boss, is a morally complex character for much of the novel, yet his pining after Bryony was so sweet and thoughtful. Though I am not a writer, I liked taking a peek behind the curtain into the world of ghostwriting, the woes of first-time writers, and other industry drama.

If you enjoy reading clean contemporary romance novels, then I recommend this book to you!

Special thanks to the Publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and Net Galley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson fiction for the approval copy of my ARC of the Perfect Rom Com. I’m so excited to read more of this book. It is one of those books that will hook the reader like me who loves rom coms. I will do my full review at a later time when I finish this book. So far so good and I love it! I am here for all the rom coms!