You Between the Lines

November 1, 2024

DEBUT In high school, literary journal editor Will Langford called Leigh Simon's poetry "all style and no substance," criticism she hasn't quite forgotten when she enrolls in an MFA program in North Carolina a decade later. When she runs into Will at a gathering for new students, former sorority girl Leigh discovers that all of her high school insecurities have come rushing back, especially since she already feels like she doesn't fit in at her new program. Leigh, who prefers pop culture to the highbrow literature and poetry that the rest of her new classmates like, is still determined to land a coveted second-year fellowship with her all-time favorite poet, but so is Will. With only 10 students in their MFA cohort, Leigh and Will soon learn that it will be impossible to avoid each other, especially when Leigh realizes that some of Will's poetry may be about her, and they're forced to admit that their longstanding academic rivalry might have been a cover for something more all along. VERDICT Naymon's sparkling, propulsive writing, well-drawn secondary characters, and believable conflicts make this perfect blend of sweet and sexy a must-read debut. Perfect for fans of Jessica Joyce.--Whitney Kramer

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January 1, 2025
When an aspiring writer enrolls in a prestigious MFA program, she's shocked to discover that her high school crush-turned-nemesis is her new classmate. Leigh Simon has only ever had one true, life-changing crush in her 27 years, and that was Will Langford from Cleveland, Ohio. They attended Rowan High School together, where Will was a wunderkind poet whose father often wrote for theNew Yorker. Back then, Leigh had dreams of becoming a writer herself, and was desperate for Will's approval in their creative writing workshop. Unfortunately, he said her poem was "all style, no substance." Ten years and a stint at a Boston copywriting firm later, Leigh is hoping to rediscover her passion for writing at Perrin University's MFA program in North Carolina. Leigh is ecstatic at the prospect of studying with like-minded writers for the next few years; that is, until she meets her fellow classmates. Will Langford is not only enrolled at Perrin, he's Leigh's workshop partner--and he's vying for the same fellowship she's coveting. When it comes to their work, Will and Leigh have little in common--he's a somber, soulful poet with a Moleskine notebook always at hand, and she's barely even sure if she belongs. But when Leigh remembers an eventful night she shared with Will six years ago, she can't help but imagine what could've been...and what could be now. It seems like Will feels the same way, and it's hard to deny the existence of a spark between them when Will hands in a poem that's almost certainly about Leigh. Naymon's debut is a charming take on first loves and second chances. The characters suffer from old wounds--Leigh and her high school insecurity, Will's issues with his father's success--yet the familiarity between them makes it easy to root for their love story, and readers will be itching for the moments when their actions speak louder than their poems. A treat for writers and hopeless romantics.

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December 9, 2024
Naymon makes a promising debut with this contemplative contemporary whose sensitively drawn characters express themselves through poetry. Feeling stifled by her advertising job, Leigh Simon is both delighted and nervous to upend her life by moving from Boston to the North Carolina mountains for an MFA program in poetry. The “Taylor Swift–enthusiast sorority-girl Ohioan” doesn’t fit her own preconceived notions of what a serious poet might look like, but her high school crush–turned–fellow graduate student Will Langford does. Leigh is torn between scorning his pretention and longing for his approval. As their rivalry intensifies, they each work to parse the meaning from every line the other writes—wondering which pieces are about them. Their forced proximity necessitates more trust, and they slowly open up about what drove them apart after high school and help each other cope with complicated family lives. Naymon keeps the poetry accessible, and it’s a lot of fun reading between the lines to understand the protagonists’ true feelings. Second-chance romance fans will find this hits the spot.