3.69 AVERAGE

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Melissa Ferguson’s *The Perfect Rom-Com* delivers exactly what it promises—a light, breezy read packed with wit and heart. It follows Bryony Page, an ESL teacher with a passion for writing and a determination to save her grandmother's ESL school. Bryony lands a gig ghostwriting for a wildly popular rom-com author while trying to get her own manuscript off the ground with the help of her literary agent, Jack. Their friendship is charming, although it would be nice to get a bit more of Jack's backstory.

That said, the novel stumbles a bit toward the finish line. Not to give too much away, but the resolution feels totally implausible, like something out of an 80s movie, and the timeline doesn't quite make sense. It feels a bit rushed.

Despite this, it’s a charming, easy read for those who love rom-coms, though you might find yourself wishing for a more satisfying conclusion. In any case, I'll be looking for more from this author!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
emotional funny informative medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

unfortunatly i did not enjoy this at all :( first things first, while titled ‘the perfect rom-com’, i’d argue that this isn’t a rom-com, maybe not even a romance book at all?

the romance plot starts at 52% of the way into the book which feels like a little late, the chemistry is lacking, and i honestly don’t know where the romance is?

i think the book wouldv’e worked better if it wasn’t marketed as a romance book and was more so a funny / feelgood book about the publishing industry. learning about the publishing industry was the best part of this book and the main thing it had going for it.

overall a fun idea but just not executed to my liking.
also the formatting on the kindle could use a LOT of work.

thank you netgalley for the arc! 
adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was an adorable romcom that gave me “Singing In The Rain” vibes. Lovable characters, intriguing plot. I loved the conflict resolution in the end. 

Spice🌶️ : sweet kisses only
Language 🤬: none
funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
slow-paced
Strong character development: No

One thing I’ve noticed after reading a couple of books by Ferguson is that her romcoms tend to be very light on the romance. This one in particular felt more like it belonged in women’s fiction, in my opinion. I didn’t mind that much, but it’s definitely something other readers might want to know going in.

As for the writing, I enjoyed it for the most part, though I did find myself losing focus at times when the prose got a bit too flowery for my taste.

The publishing aspect of the story was fascinating—especially as a writer myself—but I do wish we’d gotten to spend more time at The Bridge. That part of the book had so much potential and I felt like it was a bit underused.

Now onto the characters—Bryony was a bit annoying at times, and while I liked Jack, he could have been more fleshed out. I especially wish we’d seen their friendship develop naturally at the beginning instead of jumping ahead two years, where they’re suddenly besties. That would’ve made me root for them a lot more.
emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book enough but the FMC was a little annoying with her persistence in trying to get her book published and ignoring everything MMC told her about her book. Did she ever stop to think maybe there was a reason? And MMC was a liar, he should’ve just told her from the beginning that he didn’t think her book was good. It would’ve saved her a lot of heartache and time. Especially since he knew that getting the book published was so important not just to her but to other people in her life. I feel like this had a lot of potential but unfortunately just fell flat for me.