Real rating: 3.5 stars

This was such a cute read! It was pretty difficult to get into it at the beginning because I felt like there were such long paragraphs and descriptions I couldn't get to.

But later, the story started moving at a faster pace, with more things going on.

What can I say, I really loved Nico and Zuri as characters, they were pretty well written, likable, and had great chemistry together.

Their romance was absolutely cute, because who else gets the choice to talk via letters anymore? It was a good plot, especially with the Alessandro mix-up.

Something I truly, absolutely loved about this is the type of research Kilby Blades must've gone through. It's the first book I read from this author, but, as a former customer service representative, EVERYTHING WAS ON POINT. How you constantly help make good changes in the system, rules, and yet, you're undervalued.

I loved her knowledge of Italy, Italian, and the way she made paperphiles so interesting. I just loved this aspect of the book. KUDOS on the research.

* Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I'm not going to lie, I picked the book because of its cover, but Kilby Blades delivered a story that I couldn't put down!
Looks Good On Paper is a beautiful story.
It's sweet, heartwarming and everything you could want in a rom-com. It doesn't really delve deep into heavy situations and covers Zuri & Nico's journey in a way that you cannot stop reading.
Hidden identities, a swoony MMC and an independent, strong FMC in a pen-pal romance...these make this story one of my favourite rom-coms so far!
There's no way you won't like the characters.
Kilby Blades did an amazing job with Looks Good On Paper.,

A contemporary romance between two pen pals; one from the States & the other from Italy. They are connected through letters that Nico’s brother, Alessandro, asks him to write since his English isn’t well. I liked Zuri’s journey and adventure as she traveled to Italy; it was fun reading about that! I liked Zuri’s character and her overall personality. Her and Nico were cute together! I also liked seeing their growth in the story.

👍🏽What I liked
No doubt, I would be friends with Zuri. She loves her bullet journal, is a stationary nerd, has funny stories from working for customer service for a dating app, and she’s trying to figure out what to do next in her life. She is kind to others but also refuses to accept toxic relationships into her life, which I totally respect! Meanwhile outside of luxury cars, Nico was more down to earth than I would have expected for a billionaire. His heart was always in the right place, and I loved the end scene where he made up for his mistakes. I also appreciate that even though I’m referring to his actions as “mistakes,” his actions were totally understandable.
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🤷🏻‍♀️What wasn’t for me
I too love good quality paper and specifically buy 120gsm for printing planner inserts, but there were A LOT of very detailed descriptions of the paper making process. The romance piece was pretty slow to start, and the in-depth paper descriptions slowed it down even more.
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Overall, this isn’t my favorite book by Kilby (I LOVED Forrest for the Trees). But if the storyline intrigues you and you want to learn alllllll about the paper making process, then you should check it out!

"Looks Good on Paper" was a fantastic, quick, and fun read. Kilby Blades creates very likeable characters who you are rooting for to get their HEA. I love a pen-pal romance and one with characters who are so different. I adore the added travel and mistaken identity elements. This is a fun, contemporary romance with a smart and spunky heroine and a hero that we can root for the growth he makes and the natural spark they have.

The plot is standard fare, Zuri Robinson wants a real connection with people in this digital world. She is feeling stuck and frustrated. She has been exchanging letters with a wonderful & charming guy in Italy, Alessandro. Things (of course) get more complicated though because Nico, his brother, is the one she is actually talking to. Nico was helping Alessandro with the first few letters but has gotten out of hand. Nico is falling for Zuri, and she thinks she's falling for Alessandro. She goes to Italy to meet Alessandro and Nico needs to sort out how to tell her the truth and not let everything fall to pieces. It's like Cyrano de Bergerac, but with a romcom twist!

If you love a book that travels with pen-pals, mistaken identity, learning and growing, then this is the book for you. I really liked Zuri and even when I was frustrated with Nico, I still was rooting for him. I can absolutely recommend this for anyone that wants a light, fun, and clean romcom that is easy to love.

***I received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions are my own and voluntary***

Zuri & Nico develop a friendship through a pen-pal program sponsored by Nico’s paper-making company. Their shared love of paper & gardening grows into a deeper connection that has them both thinking of each other as more than pen-pals.

When Zuri has the opportunity to visit Europe, Nico of course welcomes her to visit him in his little Italian town. But Zuri thinks she has been corresponding with Alessandro, Nico’s brother, this whole time. What Nico thinks will be a simple matter of explaining the “little white lie” to Zuri becomes more complicated due to Nico’s situation with a contentious divorce & the impact that is having on his company.

Even with the unfortunate deception, Nico is a very sweet & earnest man who is trying to do everything he can not to hurt Zuri. But once the truth comes out that is exactly what happens.

Zuri’s time in Europe gives her space to evaluate her life and learn what is important to her and what she needs to let go. Will it be enough to provide her the strength to forgive Nico? Has Nico learned to trust in himself to continue his path forward, even if that might not include Zuri?

Give yourself a book vacation to Italy to spend time with these two delightful characters to find out :)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Looks Good on Paper was such a fun story. It's part traditional storytelling, part epistolary novel. We get to read Zuri and Nico's letters, but there is a fair amount of traditional story. I really liked the mix. I have a hard time with full epistolary novels that are just letters or correspondence.

The synopsis says it's a modern day twist on Cyrano de Bergerac, and I can kind of see that. But I see it more as mistaken identity that is a run away train.

I truly enjoyed Zuri and Nico's story!

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange of my honest opinion. This is a cute novel about pen-pal living thousand of miles apart falling in love. In the age of technology, where everyone is communicating with a cellphone, Zuri and Nico learn to discover each other on paper. Honestly, it’s a good novel, however I did not succeed to connect with the characters, hence the 3 stars. They had modern issues, and felt real but it was like watching them from very far away, and not discovering them.

Looks Good on Paper is my first book by author Kilby Blades. Overall this was a cute book, but I felt like something was missing.

In this modern take on Cyrano de Bergerac, Zuri and Nico are pen pals but Zuri doesn't know she is talking to Nico. Nico Fabicare is CEO of a paper company in Italy and just wanted to help his brother with his English when he agrees to translate letters for this new pen pal program. Well, Nico decides to write his own letter's under his brother, Alessandro's, name and now Zuri is on her way to Italy to meet Alessandro and Nico is running out of time.

Looks Good on Paper by Kilby Blades is the perfect book to end the last, lazy days of summer. Kilby Blades is a prolific and gifted writer, and her books warm the heart and lift the spirits. Looks Good on Paper is no exception. Zuri and Nico become pen pals and eagerly wait for their mutual communication. The only problem is that Nico is pretending to be his brother as he writes to someone, he increasingly comes to hold dear. The reader is pulled into his gentle duplicity, and we root for a happy ending for this deserving pair. Ms. Blades gives us a sweet and gentle love story with the added bonus of the Italian landscape, who could ask for anything more?

Let me start off by saying this was such a fun read. The coming together of two people over shared passion, who cares if one person doesn't know who their truly talking to?

This story follows Nico and Zuri (absolutely love that name) on their wild ride. Zuri works as a customer service rep for a dating app and has seen her fair share of heartbreak and creeps. Nico is one of the co-owners of a large family business in Italy with his brother Alessandro, that is going through a messy divorce. He can't bother to leave his home unless necessary. Zuri signs up for a pen pal program by the very company Nico and his brother owns and unknowing starts receiving letters from the CEO. She is under the impression that she is talking to Alessandro however Nico has stepped in to write to Zuri on his behalf due to Alessandro being unable to communicate in email. The course of the story follows Zuri and Nico's blossoming friendship as they get to know each other through their written words. Everything is all good until Zuri is on her way to Italy expecting to meet the person she thought she was talking to. Nico has to figure out how to make the girl he has fallen for fall for him too.

I loved this story and the characters involved. This story gave me Letters to Juliet vibes and I was absolutely hooked. Loved the progression of the story and the sweet letters written back and forth. I am dying to see the views of Italy after reading this story. The simmering romance was so sweet and had me rushing to get to the end. This is the type of clean romance where you laugh and feel he butterflies in your stomach.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kilby Blades for a eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A charming slow burn romance with a unique trope!

Kilby Blades took pen pals and letter writing and brought it to the modern age with Zuri and Nico’s story. I absolutely loved seeing Zuri and Nico’s connection come to life through letters and I was rooting for them the entire time.

Now I’m left wanting to go to Italy even more than I already did and so fulfilled after reading this sweet, clean romance!

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own

I remembered when I had a pen pal back in the day so was excited about the premise of the book. The book tells the story of Zuri who is a little disgruntled and in need of something amazing and she gets in the form of letters from Italy, The only problem is that the guy she is talking to is not the same guy with the namesake,. Looks good on paper is perfect for fans of romance that involves letters, mistaken identity and of course Italy. I enjoyed the story so much and I recommend it highly.

Actual rating: 3.5

This is a nice cute, adorable quick read. I appreciated that Zuri and Nico were pen pals and paper enthusiasts

Zuri has trust issues since her dad's gambling issues have left her paying back bills and putting her plans on hold. She feels like she's stuck in one place in a job she hates. Her passion is paper and letter but does that make a career

She gets a chance to go on good vacation and she decided to go and see her pen pal. Little does she know that Alessandro was Nico the older brother of the paper copy

I appreciate all the research into Italy and the paper that was needed to make the authentic. Zuri and Nico were adorable and I loved reading about them falling in love

I do feel like the storyline with the ex eas quickly wrapped up with not much details

Anyways a good read

Working at a dating app is not nearly as gratifying as Zuri would have liked. Dealing with sometimes problematic clientele and workplace microaggressions, is taking its toll. She does find joy in her appreciation of letter writing and stationary craftsmanship. She looks forward to the arrival of her new pen pal Alessandro's letters.
Nico and his family own a renowned paper producing company in Italy. When the company embarks on a promotional pen pal campaign, Nico steps in when his brother Alessandro's letter writing skills prove to be lacking. Through the pages the two from a friendship that goes beyond the superficial.
A change in circumstances provides Zuri the opportunity to travel to Europe including a trip to Italy.
The story comes to life is a way that is entertaining, reflective, and enriching. There are hurdles, doubts, passion, and emotional turbulence that occur as Zuri and Nico find their footings, and each other along the way. Zuri and Nico's coming together are sexy, sweet, heartfelt and very satisfying.

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I loved it so much I know I will be reading more of her books. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC,

Enjoyed the pen pal theme and how they got to know each other through their letter writing. The storyline was good and I enjoyed the characters in the book.

Check it out, I think you will enjoy it too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
This was an enjoyable and quick read, but not quite the romance I expected.
I simply did not ever feel the chemistry between the MCs or understand how their relationship could have developed. It was like insta-love without the spark.
On the plus side, this was a unique setting and story, I leaned a bunch about paper making, and it worked well as a sort of family drama/coming of age of sorts as the MCs dug deep to find out who they wanted to be.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was creative, fun and sweet. It held my interest and I wanted to find out what would happen. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC of "Looks Good on Paper" by Kilby Blades.

Overall, I rated this novel a 3.5/5 stars!

The book focuses on Zuri, who loves gardening and letters. She is not a huge fan of her boss, who always seems to be stealing all of her good ideas at work.

I really enjoyed the section of the book where Zuri gets to travel through Europe on vacation - the author definitely made me feel as though I were there.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5

Tropes:
Penpals ✔️
Light Romance ✔️
Friends to Lovers ✔️
Slow Burn✔️

Looks Good on Paper is cute, <i>light</i> romance that had all the good feels & some super low angst which was <b>EXACTLY</b> what I needed (since I'm a big MOOD reader)

Zuri Robinson feels a little lost in her life. Her job sucks, her family drama isn't any better, and she just feels like she's missed out on an adventurous life. She's a big fan of paper and decided to sign up to a Penpal Program that was hosted by a big paper company in Italy, the same company that makes her favorite type of stationary. Through this program she meets, Alessandro, her Italian penpal. Their friendship blossoms through paper and she's ready to start finally living by taking a vacation, one of her many stops? Italy.

Nico Fabricare was reeled in by his brother, Alessandro to write a few letters back to Zuri as his english isn't as sophisticated as Nico's. Nico agrees and soon finds himself waiting for Zuri's letters. Even though he's says he's Alessandro, everything he disclosed in those letters, were all him. He gets excited when Zuri tells him that she'll be going to Italy and that she would like to meet him. He agrees to meet but how is he going to tell her that he isn't Alessandro, but Alessandro's brother?

A book with letters in them is just fxckn <b>EVERYTHING</b> to me! It's a totally lost art form so I enjoy seeing them in books. Zuri & Niko had great chemistry and I loved how their letter writing relationship evolved.

While I did like the book there were some things I could've done without
1. The extreme details about... <b>PAPER</b>
I felt that took too much of the storyline (but it's probably just me)

2. We moved on from Zuri's work place (which I honestly thought was fxckn hilarious what it was named) too fast, & would've liked to see more of Zuri's friendships or anything of more significance (besides Nicole) & not having her go to Europe ASAP.

3. I would've loved more letters and them falling in love through that type of communication first <b>THEN</b> meeting. <i>AGAIN</i> that can quite possibly be just a me thing.

I did like Kilby Blade's writing style, just wanted more details & may try more of her books.

<i>*Thank you to Netgalley & Entangled Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review