This was a sweet, modern retelling of Cyrano, perfect for a light beach read. At times I found the letters slightly too long and skimmed them, but it still made for an enjoyable, easy read.

“When something is right, the heart always knows.”

Looks Good On Paper is a fun You’ve Got Mail meets Cyrano de Bergerac style romance. The paper artisan and the papyrophile meeting through a penpal service may be one of the sweetest meet-cutes I’ve ever read. When Zuri and Nico meet in person, their instant connection is enchanting. In this heavily technology-dependent era, Looks Good on Paper is a beautiful reminder of the precious art and romance of written correspondence. As a stylophile and lover of all things sticker, planner, and notebook related, I connected deeply with Zuri. She is a lovely, brilliant old soul stuck in a toxic tech job. Nico is a suave yet reserved businessman who has given up on love and has forgotten to find the joy in his family business. Nico and Zuri are everything heartfelt and swoon-worthy this jaded, tech world needs. The romantic history of papermaking and correspondence is a fascinating aspect of this love story. Kilby Blades once again takes readers on an incredible European adventure with her vivid imagery. Looks Good on paper melted my heart; Nico is my favorite hero of Kilby’s to date.

Looks Good on Paper by Kilby Blades centers around Zuri Robinson, a customer service rep for a “dating” app that has done nothing but make her more hesitant about looking for love.
A bright spot in her life is her pen pal relationship with Alessandro, an Italian man that listens attentively to all her interests and is quickly becoming her best friend.
When we peek into Alessandro’s POV on the story, though, we find a man who isn’t quite so elegant with English and has enlisted the help of his brother Nico to write the letters to Zuri.

This book was like a modern day Cyrano de Bergerac and was such a fun read. Zuri is relatable and Nico is an absolute dreamboat. Their relationship throughout the book is believable and intriguing, and I’m rooting for them so hard that I got nervous anytime I thought they were going to have a misunderstanding or the truth was going to come to light in the wrong way.

Kilby Blades is so talented at writing a story that grips you immediately and makes it hard to put the book down, and this book was written for you if:
-You love the movie Cyrano but want a little less heartbreak
-You love romantic stories set in far off places
-You want a quick read that is adorable and hard to put down!

This is my first time reading a book by Kilby Blades and it most definitely will not be my last. So what happens when you’re writing letters for your brother to his pen pal and you find out that you want said pen pal for yourself. Well take a seat, sit back, grab your favorite snack and favorite drink and get that kindle charged up and ready set go and let take the romantic journey with Zuri and Nico. Nico and Zuri forged a friendship of pen pals; but Zuri thinks that she is corresponding with Nico’s brother Alessandro. Nico is corresponding with Zuri because Alessandro is not that fluent with the English language. Zuri and Nico have a lot in common. Zuri gets the chance to visit Nico and he welcomes her to his home town in. Nico hasn’t informed Zuri that he is behind the letters sent to her and not Alessandro.
So what happens when Zuri finds out that she has been corresponding with Nico and not Alessandro, will she forgive Nico, how will Alessandro feel that Nico has fallen for Zuri, will Nico and Zuri get their HEA?

You will not want to miss out on this awesome read, I suggest you pick up your copy and I know you will enjoy “Looks Good On Paper” just as much as I have. Happy Reading.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and Entangled Publishing and I am leaving my review voluntarily. Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book and I loved everything I learned about making paper! Very fascinating!

Looks Good On Paper is a contemporary romance set in California and then Italy, with pen pals, secret/mistaken identity, world traveling, finding yourself and your passion and full on nerdiness about letters and paper.

I learned so much about the art of letter writing and creation of paper, card stock, and stationary. You can really feel the characters' and author's passion about this topic and I thought it was conveyed beautifully. Nico, an Italian man, and Zuri, a Californian woman, unlikely to meet in any conventional way connect while being pen pals as a part of a program run by Nico's paper business. The initial surprise is that Nico writes to Zuri as his brother but the two of them fall in like as they get to know more about each other. their struggles and connect wholeheartedly over their shared passion for letters.

Both of them are dealing with their own personal issues of divorce, familial estrangement, and struggling with their careers, but they find solace in one another. Despite these difficult topics, this was a lighthearted and sweet story. I loved the realism of Nico and Zuri being interested in each enough to meet up with one another after talking for months. The way they didn't instantly fall in love, but built up to it through physical attraction, talking about themselves to a degree you only can with someone you know will treasure it and love you anyway.

It was a really fun and quick read! The description of Italy were so serene and made me want to plan for my next trip to be there. The chemistry between Nico and Zuri was so natural and the build up didn't feel as quick as I expected for these whirldwind type of romances. Since this was a situation of secret identity and there is a painful reveal that comes from that - I'm so glad the author gave Zuri the agency to be hurt, upset and angry. We also love to see a man grovel and show remorse for his unintentional but ultimately crappy actions. All in all, I really liked the conversations between the main characters, seeing them fall in love in Italy and getting to learn so much about the art of letters.

Thank you to Valentine PR and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book!

Zuri and Alessandro have been corresponding sending letters to each other through a pen pal program. What Zuri doesn’t know is that Nico has been the one writing all these amazing letters to her on behalf of Alessandro. A white harmless lie. Yeah?

The storyline was so heartwarming that it easily pulled me into its web. This one was well written and I commend the author on the way she captured the essence of the places described. I was simply transported there. If it was that easy to just be there in Italy?!

I loved reading their pen pal correspondence. You got to know them through their own writings, witness the blossoming of a beautiful accidental friendship, observe their growth and fall in love with their love. An uplifting story about finding love even if its across seas. Two people across continents being able to connect and click. Evokes its own kind of magic right?

I loved the characters. Interesting, mature, and passionate. Zuri, Nico, and Alessandro all were at crossroads in their lives; tough decisions to make to reach their serenity.

My heart soared reading about Zuri’s passion in the art of paper. I may not fully understand it, but the knowledge transcribed and talked about, you can genuinely sense the pouring love for so. We all have our kinks; whatever makes your blood boil. I honestly never knew paper making can be this soothing and hypnotic and paper itself can convey more than just being a piece of paper. I for sure will never look at paper the same or take it for granted.

In need of a travel? Don’t look further. Buckle your seat belt and hop-on on this one with Zuri on her Europe well deserved trip for an exciting romance trip.

Many thanks to Netgalley for sharing with me copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is my first book by the author & I really liked it. I have read only one book with the pen pal trope which unfortunately did not meet my expectations, so I was a bit skeptic going into this one. But the author has done a wonderful job of portraying the idea of falling in love through letters. I loved the way Zuri & Nico slowly and gradually got to know each other through their letters & formed a connection which only intensified once they met. The tension between them was so thick that it could be felt through the pages as I read. The best part was how they both had a shared passion for paper. The author has done some really great research on paper & its manufacturing because the technical details in the book felt super professional.

The story was a bit predictable but nevertheless, sweet & tender. The idyllic sceneries of Europe have been described beautifully so much so that I felt like I was right there with Zuri experiencing it all.

However, the book started a bit slow & did not get much interesting until Zuri left for her trip to Europe which only happened after 40-45% of the book was over. Moreover, the ending was a little rushed for my liking, as in it would have been better if it had been a few pages longer so that the story felt more complete & wholesome.

Overall, it's a cute love story with the right amount of humor & romance. I would definitely recommend it to people looking for a quick romance read with a unique premise.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing: Amara; Valentine PR & Literary Management; and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Valentine PR and Entangled Publishing for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

This book had no right being so cute!! Zuri and Nico are the absolute most adorable couple ever, and the fact that I never stopped smiling when they were together or writing to each other just speaks to how good this book was! I was worried that it would feel a bit slow because of the pen pal nature of the book, but that wasn't the case at all. It felt perfectly paced and by the time it started to slow down, Zuri was off to Europe for herself and things picked back up.

I adored their chemistry and the way that they clicked. Romances can often feel very forced, but this just felt so natural and right. The letters between them gave them such good time to know each other and actually develop a relationship.

The stakes in the book really helped to get my attention. It was just the right amount of drama to keep me hooked and help it be believable. I do think the ending was a bit rushed as far as the third act breakup and then forgiveness. But I did really love the way that both Zuri and Nico developed and learned so much about themselves and their lives. There was so much about loss, grief, trust, forgiveness, and self-identity. And I adored every second of that depth!

If you're a romcom fan, definitely be on the lookout for this!

Zuri Robinson is tired of her job and her life. She needs a change. Zuri’s one luxury in life is her stash of beautiful stationary, so when she signs up for a pen pal, she starts exchanging hand written with a charming man in Italy. There is something about paper and beautiful stationary that warms Zuri’s heart. When Zuri’s job situation takes a turn, she decides that she will treat herself to a trip to Italy to tour all the famous stationary makers. Little does she know that Italy will be quite the adventure.

Nico Fabricare is helping his brother Alessandro by being his ghost writer for a pen pal in America. When Nico finds out that Zuri is on her way to Italy, he is backed into a corner. He would love to meet her, but for how long can he keep up the charade?

This novel by Kilby Blades is fresh, fun and full of adventure. I loved the characters and the story line immensely. I also enjoyed the tour and description of the Italian culture and countryside. Thanks so much to Entangled Publishing for my advanced copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily. It’s a great book to curl up with and get lost in the adventures of Zuri and Nico.

LOOKS GOOD ON PAPER By Kilby Blades

Nico and Zuri are pen pals. Zuri thinks she's pen pals with Alessandro but that's not the case.

😊What i liked -

✔ Pen Pals/ Mistaken Identity.
✔ I liked the concept of centering the book around letter. It was different for sure.
✔ I liked Nico's character development.
✔ This book has history, family ties and love.
✔ It's a sweet and easy read.


🤔What could have been better -

✔ I liked the book but it fell a little short for me.
✔ Vanessa's character had so much potential but suddenly went poof.


📚Who Should read :
👶 Beginner's
❤️ Romance Lover's
💕 Pen Pals Trope



📈My Rating : 3/5

P.s- It's surely a different from other books i have read in the past.

Thank you Kilby Blades, Entangled Publishing and Netgalley.

I absolutely adored this book. I really enjoyed reading about two paper nerds - I use that term endearingly.

Zuri and Nico were freaking wholesome. Through it all they were both true to themselves, if you look past the whole Nico being Alessandro thing 🥲. Zuri is unapologetically herself and I would trade places with her in a heartbeat - going on a 6 week trip to Europe and being pen pals with an attractive Italian man 😍

Where can I find a pen pal like Nico?

I am also a huge fan of letters, emails, and texts being exchanged between love interests in a novel. So this was perfect!

this book has:

- dual pov
- pen pals/letters
- slow burn
- friends to lovers

zuri begins exchanging letters with a pen pal, alessandro. unbeknownst to her, it is actually alessandro’s brother, nico who is writing the letters & the two quickly become friends. after a few months, zuri goes on an europe trip and makes a stop in Italy to meet her pen pal.

this was an easy, light-hearted read but lacked depth and didn’t really pull me in. zuri was an interesting character but somewhat two-dimensional but nico was rather dull and didn’t interest me at all. i appreciated the development zuri had with her family problems as well as the natural and healthy way she resolved them. however, nico’s problems with his divorce was portrayed as being significant but resolved abruptly with barely any explanation. there was also a fair amount of side characters which led to it being a little confusing and hard to keep up with at times.

tw: gambling addiction

thank you to netgalley and the author for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Looks Good on Paper was a delight to read! Kilby took an old trope, pen pals and infused a current twist. Zuri is at a crossroads in her life, we follow her finding passion both professionally and personally, letting go of pain and letting someone in to love her. This is a wonderful story with a delightful HEA. Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

Looks Good on Paper

This book was a super cute romance focused on pen pals, where one of them isn't fully being truthful. I felt for Nico having to do this, knowing that he and Zuri would inevitably fall in love. I felt their struggle of meeting in person so deeply, more for Zuri's sake than his. I appreciated that these characters were fully formed, with backstories that showed them as full people; not just people that exist and float through the world but people with intention.

It's hard to know how to rate this book, because part of me feels that pacing could have been better. I wish we'd gotten past their letter writing to their time together, to perhaps the aftermath. I understand that my praises of this book would likely not be the same if we didn't have time for the histories of these people. But... I feel like a balance could be struck between them.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was funny and cute and romantic! My only problem was that it felt like the author was telling us more than showing us so that took me out a of it a few times. But otherwise, I really great read!

This was a very different (in a good way) read for me...

It definitely put a big smile on my face.

A happy read

I have a friend that I know is tired of me sending her the same message over and over. “I’m about to start a book that I know is going to stress me out.”

Looks Good on Paper was one of those books, and if you’re not spending a whole Cyrano-style tale stressing about the eventual reveal, then I need to know your secrets. Because watching Zuri and Nico, two sweet, wonderful characters, fall for each other, all while he’s writing to her as his brother Alessandro stressed me the heck out. Nico wasn’t even pretending to be his brother. He was pouring his heart and his secrets onto the page and then signing his brother’s name. When Zuri meets both of them, is it any wonder that she’s confused when she clicks immediately with Nico and feels distant from her supposed pen-pal and friend Alessandro?

This was a super sweet story that felt almost like a Hallmark movie. Zuri and Nico just made sense from the beginning, and it’s really more about how they get past the convoluted things that should keep them apart. I liked both of the characters, but I think I wanted just a little more depth from the book overall. They both have serious traumas in their past that get mentioned over and over again, and then their complicated feelings about those things are just resolved one day. It didn’t feel like we really saw what changed them, other than falling for each other. And I don’t love the trope that falling love can fix everything.

Honestly, this book was really a love letter to paper and ink. I learned more about the craft of making high quality paper than I ever expected, and though it didn’t convert me enough to make me want to start making my own, it really did provide good insight into both Nico and Zuri. They’re careful, thoughtful people – the lengthy process of making and drying paper and then handwriting letters with fancy ink made so much sense for them. Everything they did was intentional, and it was nice to see them fall in love with someone else who felt the same way.

Looks Good on Paper can essentially be called a romance novella as it comes in at 150 pages. In a world filled with hook-up apps, all Zuri wants to find is a "real" relationship. But thats hard to find in her world as its filled with stress, family drama and a feeling like she's missed out on so much after her step-fathers deception.

The only positive is the pen pal relationship she has with someone in Italy who LOVES paper as much as she does. When her finances shift giving her breathing room, she decides to take some much needed time away, and she finds herself in Italy meeting what she believes in the person she's been writing letters.

The two build a wonderful relationship until the truth is revealed, and after all she's been through she is unforgiving at the lie . Together, they set in motion the steps necessary to rebuild what the heart desires.

While this was a quick read, it was a bit unbelievable and honestly is she's so worried about being honest all they needed to do was talk. It was an ok read.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the complimentary copy of this novel to read and review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️. 5 stars

This was such a unique fun romance!! 😍 I loved the whole pen pal concept idea, I’ve never read anything like it. It was so nice seeing Zuri and Nico go from strangers to friends to lovers over the course of the book. It was such a beautiful idea seeing them fall in love before even seeing each other face to face.

I really liked Kilby Blades writing style and all of the descriptions of Italy made me want to book a flight over there Asap!! The start was a little slow and there was a lot of information about paper which could have been cut down. But overall, I liked the dual pov’s and it was great seeing the dynamics of Nico and Alessandro’s relationship. Especially since he started writing his brothers pen pal letters.

I enjoyed seeing Zuri and Nico’s individual journeys as well as their relationship. I did feel like the ending was a little rushed and could have been a little bit longer. I now want to buy fancy ink and paper after reading this ✍️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review