Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson

1 review

abbey_marie's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I LOVED this book! I gobbled it up in about a week. It normally takes me longer to finish a book, but this was just perfect - perfect pacing, perfect writing style, engaging story, great characters - so good! I’m officially buying this book when it comes out - it is that good and heartwarming. It’s definitely more of a “glimpses and kisses” romance book, which I don’t always go for but it was sweet how Bryony and Jack’s friendship built up over time and I loved seeing them grow closer. There are so many things I loved about this book, it’s hard to list them all, but here goes….

WHAT I LOVED:
  • The Writing Style - Melissa Ferguson has the perfect balance of show and tell in this book. I felt like I could orient myself to each scene quickly without much need for her to be overly detailed or flowery in her prose. This matched well with the medium pacing and made my reading experience so much smoother. I could really get lost in the book thanks to that and quickly move from scene to scene and chapter to chapter without feeling like I needed a break.
  • The Characters - These characters were top-notch. Every one of them was well-written and fleshed out with unique personalities, quirks/eccentricities, and relatable flaws and struggles. They felt real and I especially loved getting to hear Bryony’s internal monologue, which was full of humor and relatability. I loved her. Gloria was my favorite though - good lord, she is hilarious and the BEST sister a girl could ask for. I want her in my life, now! Lol! Jack was also well fleshed out and a complex love interest. Amelia and Penny were great as well. Just all around great characterization!
  • Witty Banter - I really enjoyed the back-and-forth banter and sarcasm exchanged between Jack and Bryony. Their interactions were funny and it felt like I really was watching a rom-com or sitcom with a hint of romance. They were perfect together and I loved seeing their banter grow from the first time they met to when they became friends and eventually got together. I’m a sucker for the friends-to-lovers trope, and this did not disappoint.  
  • Humor - From interactions with ESL students to Bryony’s internal dialogue to interactions between her and Jack or her and Amelia, this book made me laugh out loud multiple times with its charming humor. I love it when a book can be heartwarming and funny, and this takes the cake! Again, this had a very real movie feel to it and I loved that so much! I could live in this world forever surviving only on Ferguson’s banter and humor between characters. It’s such a vibe - like watching your favorite sitcom and watching the characters slowly fall for each other.
  • Focus on Sweet Small Details - I love it when a book focuses on the small details between the love interests, and Ferguson did this superbly well, capturing the essence of the friends-to-lovers trope: the little things. Jack’s watch, the meaning of certain facial expressions, bowling bags, little food details. The janitor scene! 🥹 It’s those little things that make this book so heartwarming, that make it a five-star read and one I will gladly buy for my bookshelf when it comes out.
  • The Pacing - Again, Melissa’s writing is superb. I love the pacing, how the book starts out with the first meeting and moves on to their friendship and goes from there. At first, it seemed a bit jarring but it all makes complete sense now, and I think that time-jump was well done. The movement between scenes and chapters was flawless, in my opinion. I loved how Ferguson moved the plot along at a steady pace, keeping us engaged while slowing down and speeding up at just the right times. Again, at the risk of sounding redundant and cliche, it was perfect! Chef’s kiss! 
  • Character Growth - The final thing I loved about this book was the character growth. I loved seeing Jack’s character soften and evolve over time, and I also loved watching Bryony’s confidence soar towards the end of the book. The bus scene with Trina was freaking awesome! (Also love you Trina! You always were my favorite! Lol) It really felt like the characters moved forward and grew in big ways, and I loved to see Bryony gaining so much confidence towards the end and going after what she deserved!
    And Jack for supporting her! That big reveal was effing brilliant! I’m not usually one who likes grand gestures since they feel unrealistic, but this was fucking perfect! Takes the cake! Again, why I am BUYING this book when it comes out! YES PLEASE!
  • The Cover - This cover is gorgeous! I love the colors and the symbolism with the two tour busses! (IYKYK) Cartoon covers are my fav!

WHAT I LIKED:
  • I couldn’t think of anything I liked that I didn’t love. It was hard to pick something I didn’t love about this book.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
  • Again, I usually have some type of detail or component I don’t like about a book or that I think could be better/done differently that I could point to, even for my beloved five-star books. This one floored me. I have nothing. In fact, the only real thing I would say is that I’m sad it ever ended. I want to keep reading this book forever. Good job, Melissa Ferguson! Brilliant job, actually!

This book is so heartwarming and sweet! Even if glimpses and kisses isn’t your thing, I’d still highly recommend you read it. The plot was great! It really felt like watching a movie and I got completely absorbed in it. Beautiful escapism! I LOVED it! It was gorgeous and I will definitely be reading all of Melissa Ferguson’s other books now! I was surprised to see that I’d already seen some of her covers at the local library and I am now keen to pick them up! Keep writing, Melissa! Your work is fantastic! ❤️❤️❤️

p.s. The main character’s name is Bryony, which I honestly just found out since I’ve thought this entire time it was Byrony LOL! 😂 I think it’s hilarious I read this entire book having switched out those letters and not realizing the entire time.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings