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A review by parklandmom
The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson
2.0
Completed: Feb. 08/25
Format: Advanced Reader Copy from Net Galley
Challenge Prompt: CNL's #43 of 50 -- "with an illustrated or typography cover"
Book #16 of 2024: I had not read this author before but I'm not one to shy away from reading a new-to-me author. It often works out. It didn't this time, I'm sorry to say. I started and stopped multiple times. I finally just read through in spurts but it just never piqued my interest. It wasn't a fit for me, or what I was expecting, but others may enjoy it. Books are so subjective.
NOTE: I was expecting a Christian fiction publication but there was no faith content at all. It was clean but not what I was expecting. I wish I had known beforehand so my expectations could have been adjusted. I don't mind clean content but I expect Christian content from a Christian publisher.
That aside, this book just wasn't for me. I have enjoyed many rom-coms but this didn't really read like a rom-com in my opinion. For me, a rom-com is funny but still has something to chew on to keep it grounded. Much of the content felt shallow and superfluous. The first 55-60% of the book didn't really go anywhere and I really struggled to keep going many times. The last 15% was the best part of the novel.
I found Bryony a weird mixture of dedicated and flighty. (???) I didn't care for Jack and considered him iffy and untrustworthy. Amelia, the untalented, annoying person that Bryony did the ghostwriting for, was just a mean-spirited, spoiled narcissist with no growth. However, I really liked the assistants, Bryony's Grandma, and her students. The scenes with them were the best scenes. They were very likeable. There were two passages that I highlighted but I did not find this book funny otherwise. That was disappointing.
[To be honest, the entire concept of ghostwriting is something that I find distasteful and dishonest. Someone takes credit for someone else's hard work and the readers are lied to. Why can't talented writers use their own name rather than giving credit to another? It makes zero sense to me. The mainstream publishing world seems to be incredibly cutthroat.]
>>> My thanks to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson (publisher) for an advanced copy of this novel. My words and opinion are my own.
Format: Advanced Reader Copy from Net Galley
Challenge Prompt: CNL's #43 of 50 -- "with an illustrated or typography cover"
Book #16 of 2024: I had not read this author before but I'm not one to shy away from reading a new-to-me author. It often works out. It didn't this time, I'm sorry to say. I started and stopped multiple times. I finally just read through in spurts but it just never piqued my interest. It wasn't a fit for me, or what I was expecting, but others may enjoy it. Books are so subjective.
NOTE: I was expecting a Christian fiction publication but there was no faith content at all. It was clean but not what I was expecting. I wish I had known beforehand so my expectations could have been adjusted. I don't mind clean content but I expect Christian content from a Christian publisher.
That aside, this book just wasn't for me. I have enjoyed many rom-coms but this didn't really read like a rom-com in my opinion. For me, a rom-com is funny but still has something to chew on to keep it grounded. Much of the content felt shallow and superfluous. The first 55-60% of the book didn't really go anywhere and I really struggled to keep going many times. The last 15% was the best part of the novel.
I found Bryony a weird mixture of dedicated and flighty. (???) I didn't care for Jack and considered him iffy and untrustworthy. Amelia, the untalented, annoying person that Bryony did the ghostwriting for, was just a mean-spirited, spoiled narcissist with no growth. However, I really liked the assistants, Bryony's Grandma, and her students. The scenes with them were the best scenes. They were very likeable. There were two passages that I highlighted but I did not find this book funny otherwise. That was disappointing.
[To be honest, the entire concept of ghostwriting is something that I find distasteful and dishonest. Someone takes credit for someone else's hard work and the readers are lied to. Why can't talented writers use their own name rather than giving credit to another? It makes zero sense to me. The mainstream publishing world seems to be incredibly cutthroat.]
>>> My thanks to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson (publisher) for an advanced copy of this novel. My words and opinion are my own.