diff --git a/.github/workflows/pypi-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/pypi-publish.yml
index d398964..e13894b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pypi-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pypi-publish.yml
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ jobs:
           enable-cache: true
           cache-dependency-glob: "uv.lock"
 
+      - name: install libgit2
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y libgit2-dev
+
       - name: Sync dependencies
         run: |
           uv sync --all-extras
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 95c9bfa..ef2b751 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,115 @@
-# python-version-controller
-conventional version controller for python
+# PyVCC - Python Version Controller
+
+**Automatic semantic versioning based on conventional commits**
+
+PyVCC analyzes your Git repository's commit history and automatically determines the appropriate semantic version based on [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/) specification.
 
 [![codecov](https://codecov.io/gh/lcavalcante/python-version-controller/graph/badge.svg?token=H65NZV7N3Z)](https://codecov.io/gh/lcavalcante/python-version-controller)
 [![tests](https://github.com/lcavalcante/python-version-controller/actions/workflows/code-quality.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/lcavalcante/python-version-controller/actions/workflows/code-quality.yml)
+
+## Features
+
+- ✅ Automatic semantic version calculation (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH)
+- ✅ Conventional Commits specification support
+- ✅ Breaking change detection (BREAKING CHANGE: footer or ! suffix)
+- ✅ Customizable starting version and commit
+- ✅ Fast Git repository analysis using pygit2
+
+## Installation
+
+```bash
+pip install pyvcc
+```
+
+## Usage
+
+### Basic Usage
+
+```bash
+# Run from your Git repository root
+pyvcc
+```
+
+### Options
+
+```bash
+# Start from a specific version
+pyvcc --initial-version 1.0.0
+
+# Start analysis from a specific commit
+pyvcc --initial-commit abc1234
+
+# Verbose output
+pyvcc --verbose
+
+# Silent mode (errors only)
+pyvcc --silent
+```
+
+### Environment Variables
+
+```bash
+# Set repository root
+PYVC_REPO_ROOT=/path/to/repo pyvcc
+
+# Set initial version
+PYVC_INITIAL_VERSION=2.0.0 pyvcc
+
+# Set initial commit
+PYVC_INITIAL_COMMIT=abc1234 pyvcc
+```
+
+## How It Works
+
+PyVCC analyzes each commit message in your Git history and applies semantic versioning rules:
+
+- **MAJOR**: Incremented for breaking changes (commit type with ! or BREAKING CHANGE: footer)
+- **MINOR**: Incremented for new features (feat: commits)
+- **PATCH**: Incremented for bug fixes (fix: commits)
+- **NO BUMP**: Other commit types (chore, docs, style, refactor, test, ci, build, perf)
+
+### Commit Message Examples
+
+```markdown
+# Major version bump (breaking change)
+feat!: Redesign API endpoint structure
+
+# OR
+feat: Migrate to new database schema
+
+BREAKING CHANGE: Database schema has changed and requires migration
+
+# Minor version bump (new feature)
+feat: Add new user authentication API
+
+# Patch version bump (bug fix)
+fix: Resolve login error on Safari
+
+# No version bump
+chore: Update dependencies
+docs: Update README installation instructions
+style: Format code according to new style guide
+```
+
+## Requirements
+
+- Python 3.10+
+- Git repository with commit history
+- Commit messages following Conventional Commits specification
+
+## Development
+
+```bash
+# Install development dependencies
+pip install -e .[dev]
+
+# Run tests
+pytest
+
+# Run with coverage
+pytest --cov=pyvcc
+```
+
+## License
+
+MIT License - See [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 6a27f7e..c7ab20b 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "PyVCC"
-version = "1.3.1"
+version = "1.3.2"
 description = "PyVCC python version controller using conventional commits"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
diff --git a/pyvcc/semver.py b/pyvcc/semver.py
index a6f191a..6d0bdd6 100644
--- a/pyvcc/semver.py
+++ b/pyvcc/semver.py
@@ -49,13 +49,13 @@ def __repr__(self):
     def is_breaking_change(type: str, message: str) -> bool:
         """
         SemVer defines that a breaking change is a commit with a type ending in '!'
-        OR that contains 'BREAKING CHANGE:' in the messsage body
+        OR that contains 'BREAKING CHANGE:' in the message body
 
         # Parameters:
         type (str): Commit message type (feat, fix, chore, etc)
         message (str): commit message content
         """
-        return type[-1] == "!" or "BREAKING CHANGE:" in message
+        return (type and type[-1] == "!") or "BREAKING CHANGE:" in message
 
     @classmethod
     def semver_from_string(cls, str_version: str) -> Self:
@@ -96,17 +96,34 @@ def bump_type(cls, message: str) -> BumpEnum:
         message (str): commit message content
         """
 
-        regex = re.compile(r"[.*]?([a-z]*!?)(\(.*\))?:\s(.*)$")
+        regex = re.compile(r"^(?:Merged?\s+)?(\w+!?)(?:\(([^)]*)\))?(!?)(?::\s+(.+))?$")
         bump = BumpEnum.NO_BUMP
         head = message.split("\n")[0]
 
         parsed_head = regex.search(head)
 
         if parsed_head is not None:
-            commit_type = parsed_head.groups()[0].upper()
-            log.debug("trying bump", type=commit_type, message=head)
-
-            if cls.is_breaking_change(commit_type, message):
+            groups = parsed_head.groups()
+            type_with_breaking = groups[0].upper()
+            breaking_indicator = groups[2]  # Captures '!' after scope, e.g. feat(api)!:
+
+            # Combine type+breaking indicator for is_breaking_change check
+            # e.g. "FEAT!" from type or "FEAT" + "!" from scope suffix
+            effective_type = (
+                type_with_breaking
+                if type_with_breaking.endswith("!")
+                else type_with_breaking + breaking_indicator
+            )
+            is_breaking = cls.is_breaking_change(effective_type, message)
+
+            # Clean the type by removing trailing !
+            commit_type = type_with_breaking.rstrip("!")
+
+            log.debug(
+                "trying bump", type=commit_type, message=head, breaking=is_breaking
+            )
+
+            if is_breaking:
                 bump = BumpEnum.MAJOR
             elif commit_type == CommitEnum.FEAT.name:
                 bump = BumpEnum.MINOR
diff --git a/tests/semver/test_bump_version.py b/tests/semver/test_bump_version.py
index 41b0ed9..a7cc830 100644
--- a/tests/semver/test_bump_version.py
+++ b/tests/semver/test_bump_version.py
@@ -141,6 +141,88 @@ def test_bump_multiple5():
     assert str(version) == "1.0.0"
 
 
+def test_bump_scope_with_slash():
+    """Test commit with scope containing slash character"""
+    version = SemVer(1, 0, 0)
+    message = "feat(api/v2): Add new endpoint"
+    version.bump_version(message)
+    assert str(version) == "1.1.0"  # Should be MINOR bump
+
+
+def test_bump_scope_with_hyphen():
+    """Test commit with scope containing hyphen"""
+    version = SemVer(1, 0, 0)
+    message = "fix(core-library): Resolve memory issue"
+    version.bump_version(message)
+    assert str(version) == "1.0.1"  # Should be PATCH bump
+
+
+def test_bump_breaking_with_scope():
+    """Test breaking change commit with scope"""
+    version = SemVer(1, 0, 0)
+    message = "feat(api)!: Complete API redesign"
+    version.bump_version(message)
+    assert str(version) == "2.0.0"  # Should be MAJOR bump
+
+
+def test_bump_extra_spaces():
+    """Test commit with extra spaces after colon"""
+    version = SemVer(1, 0, 0)
+    message = "feat:    Add new feature with extra spaces"
+    version.bump_version(message)
+    assert str(version) == "1.1.0"  # Should be MINOR bump
+
+
+def test_bump_scope_with_underscores():
+    """Test commit with scope containing underscores"""
+    version = SemVer(1, 0, 0)
+    message = "fix(user_auth): Resolve login issue"
+    version.bump_version(message)
+    assert str(version) == "1.0.1"  # Should be PATCH bump
+
+
+def test_bump_uppercase_type():
+    """Test commit with uppercase type (should handle gracefully)"""
+    version = SemVer(1, 0, 0)
+    message = "FEAT: Uppercase type commit"
+    version.bump_version(message)
+    assert str(version) == "1.1.0"  # Should be MINOR bump
+
+
+def test_bump_trailing_exclamation_in_description():
+    """Trailing ! in description is NOT a breaking change indicator"""
+    version = SemVer(1, 0, 0)
+    message = "feat: Description with breaking change!"
+    version.bump_version(message)
+    assert str(version) == "1.1.0"  # Should be MINOR bump, not MAJOR
+
+
+def test_bump_trailing_exclamation_in_fix_description():
+    """Trailing ! in fix commit description should NOT trigger MAJOR bump"""
+    version = SemVer(1, 0, 0)
+    message = "fix: Critical bug fix!"
+    version.bump_version(message)
+    assert str(version) == "1.0.1"  # Should be PATCH, not MAJOR
+
+
+def test_bump_no_space_after_colon():
+    """Test commit without space after colon (should not match conventional commit spec)"""
+    version = SemVer(1, 0, 0)
+    message = "feat:Description without space"
+    version.bump_version(message)
+    assert str(version) == "1.0.0"  # Should NOT bump (no conventional commit match)
+
+
+def test_breaking_change_null_type():
+    """Test is_breaking_change with None type (null safety check)"""
+    version = SemVer(1, 0, 0)
+    # This tests the null safety check in is_breaking_change method
+    # where (type and type[-1] == "!") handles None type gracefully
+    message = "Some commit message without conventional format"
+    version.bump_version(message)
+    assert str(version) == "1.0.0"  # Should NOT bump (no conventional commit match)
+
+
 def test_parse_semver_str():
     version = SemVer.semver_from_string("1.1.0")
     assert str(version) == "1.1.0"
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index ee1420b..98b4300 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ wheels = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pyvcc"
-version = "1.2.2"
+version = "1.3.1"
 source = { editable = "." }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "pygit2" },