Meet Me in the Margins

Ferguson (The Cul-de-Sac War) enchants with this whimsical tale set against the evergreen culture war between literary and commercial fiction. Savannah Cade, an assistant acquisitions editor at Nashville’s stately Pennington Publishing House, hides her love of the romance genre and the novel she’s writing from her colleagues—until she accidentally drops her unpublished manuscript at the feet of her new boss, Will Pennington, whose CEO mother has recruited him to rescue their failing enterprise. Desperate to hide the evidence before anyone else sees, Savannah stashes her manuscript in a hidden room that few employees know exists, but when she returns to claim it, she finds that a mysterious editor has marked up the pages she thought ready for publication. Though initially indignant, Savannah takes the advice and comes back for more, falling for her unknown editor’s charming way with words and spot-on advice—while simultaneously softening to her stern boss, though she’s still sure he disapproves of her romance habit. An idealistic, competent heroine, a swoon-worthy hero, and delightfully quirky supporting characters bolster this often hilarious send up of the publishing industry, which doubles as a love letter to the power of stories. This is sure to win Ferguson some new fans. (Feb.)