Member Reviews
DNF. The premise was exciting, and the setting was phenomenal, but I couldn't connect with the main characters. I still highly recommend to any romance reader.
I loved Finding Mr. Write; the premise was a little zany and allowed for many antics, the romance had me swooning, and the takedown of sexism in traditional publishing and fantasy writing was quite refreshing. I loved Chris and Daphne- both of their journeys individually and together were a good time and I was rooting for them; their chemistry clicked right away! The only big downside I had was that the main conflict and pacing of the ending felt like it lost the thread just a little bit but this was still a great read!
In a fit of desperation, Daphne submits her novel under a pseudonym - a male pseudonym - and is delighted when it gets published. The only problem, Daphne is a woman and can't portray her author persona. Incomes Chris Stanton, account, actor and the new face of Daphne's novel. When the ruse goes too far, Daphne and Chris are thrown together in a wild series of book tours, media interviews and signings that make the deception hard to bear. What will happen when the lies come tumbling down?
Kelley Armstrong jumps into a new genre with aplomb! Although the situations were much less dire than in most of Armstrong's books, the characters stand out on the page and the humour was spot-on.
For an author who doesn’t usually write rom-coms, she figured it out quick. This book has lovable characters with just the right amount of wit and sexiness. I also liked that the characters don’t spend the entire book pining for one another; they have other conflicts to face head-on together. This book is a definite recommend for those who are fans of the rom-com troupe.
This was one of the best Romcoms I have ever read. A lot of them I find silly and always wanting to slap the characters upside the head but this one I was on both of their sides and I really liked them.
Daphne hasn't had much luck in wanting to get a book published so she sends in her book with a male name as an author. But with her friend as a lawyer, they figure how to cover her ass incase it gets out. Not only did her friend find a man to play the part but you could tell she was also up for doing some match making..
I have read quite a few books by Ms Armstrong but never a Romcom and she hit it out of the ballpark.
'Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC to review.
#NetGalley #findingmrwrite #Foreverpublishing
Daphne has written a book, a pretty fantastic one if you ask her. One night after a couple rejections and even more glasses of wine she decides to submit her manuscript to an agent under a pseudonym. The only problem, she's given herself a male name. Honestly it wouldn't really be an issue except the agent took her, I mean him, on as a client and has sold the book for a half a million dollars. Now Daphne has to find the perfect actor to play Zane, the author of her book.
Chris is an actor, well he's an accountant and that's close enough right? He really needs this job and being, also he LOVES this book, but Zane would never say that. Zane doesn't read, and is a bit of an ass while Chris reads everything and finds comfort in numbers. Sparks fly and so do the rumors when these two are thrown together for a whirlwind tour of interviews and book signings.
The first book I ever read by Kelley Armstrong was Bitten. It was during my Twilight vampire/werewolf phase and it was soooo much better than twilight. Then a couple years ago I was approved for an ARC of A Rip Through Time (another great read). It made me realize how multifaceted of an author she is, so of course when I saw she wrote a new book in yet another genre, I had to have it.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Forever for the advanced copy of this book.
"I need a penis" - Daphne
If you are going to open a book with a single line to grab your readers attention...this is the one. From that first line, I knew I was going to love Finding Mr. Write. Okay, maybe I was a little bias because I have enjoyed everything else that I have read by Kelley Armstrong, but just because an author is good at writing one or two genre styles, doesn't mean they will be good at all of them. If you are asking me, which you aren't but I will tell you anyway, rom-coms are where Kelley slays. This book had me laughing out loud at all of the back and forth between Daphne and Chris constantly.
"Bear spray? What for?"
"The squirrels. They're very dangerous this time of year."
Daphne and Chris have quite the roll reversals a few times during the book that I really enjoyed. I wouldn't say they were grumpy and sunshine, maybe more of a jolly and jaded because Daphne was definitely jaded, and she had every right to be with the experiences she had throughout her life. Chris really helped to break down her walls and show her that not everyone and everything is as it seems from the start. I appreciate that this was an adult couple. If they had something that they were keeping from the other person, it wasn't revealed in some huge blow up. It was discussed, maybe not right away but as soon as they were able.
If you are looking for a fun rom-com that is laugh out loud funny, you will enjoy Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for my second rom-com in a month.
I loved this story! With one heck of an opener 🤣🍆🤣, I was hooked from the beginning in this forced proximity friends to lovers. In trying to sell her book to a publisher and getting continually denied, she tries submitting under a male pen name and lo and behold, it is an instant hit. With upcoming promotion for her book requires the author's presence, she hires Chris to pose as Zane, the 'author.' Through book promo in the Yukon, to the tour, to coming clean, it was so fun to root for the two MCs through the story. There were funny moments, heartfelt moments and meltingly sweet moments. And the scenery description, I definitely want to venture to Yukon, the area surrounding Daphne's house sounds so serene!!
Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for my review!
DNF Sadly, this one wasn't for me. I was immediately drawn in by the cover and the fact that it's a Forever title. The concept of this one is fun, but it just wasn't working for me. I couldn't connect to the MCs and it was hard to keep the various personas of the MMC straight. The writing felt clunky. Glad to see there are plenty of other readers who enjoyed this one!
Daphne McFadden is frustrated that no one is really looking at her book. One night after a few drinks, she submits her book under a male pseudonym. In no time, her book will be published but they want to meet the male author. Her best friend and attorney finds her a man to play the role, but he is not what she expected. The saying 'Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive’ fits this book. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. Kelley Armstrong writes a romantic comedy as well as she does her suspenseful books. While I'm a fan of her 'Rip Through Time' and 'Casey Duncan' series, I enjoyed this book just as much. This is an amusing story and I would love to see it made into a movies.
Super cute and fun rom-com about an author who fakes her identity to get a chance at a book deal. Daphne is in a whole lot of trouble when she realizes that her teenage zombie fighter book has sold under the pen name and fake biography of Zane Remington. Luckily, her best friend and lawyer has an actor lined up to play Zane for photo ops and interviews. Except Chris is not actually even an actor, he’s actually a nerdy accountant who needs a break. Chris and Daphne are adorable together and definitely each have a crush on the other, even as they try to keep things professional. It’s nice to see them team up together as the book gets even more popular and they end up on book tour. It’s a whole lot of mess as they navigate their respective fake identities.
I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis sounded like something I would typically enjoy. But it was so hard for me to get through because I never felt inclined to pick it up to read. If I’m being honest, I almost DNF but I pushed through because I wanted to see how it ended.
The beginning was really slow for me and it dragged on until about 60%. While I liked Daphne and Chris’ characters separately, I didn’t really feel the connection between the two of them. I was never pining for the two of them to get together, and when they finally did, it didn’t make me feel anything.
One thing I did like was the Yukon setting. That was probably my favorite part of the book. I enjoyed all the scenes that took place there, especially with the film crew and the bear incident.
Overall, this book wasn’t for me, but others may really enjoy it! Thank you NetGalley and Forever for a copy of this eARC!
Daphne McFadden is tired of her novel being rejected. She reworks it and sends it out under the pseudonym of Zane Remington. When her novel sells for big dollars there has to be a face to the book. Her lawyer suggests her accountant, Chris Stanton, who is an absolute Canadian hunk. Of course Daphne is at home in the Yukon wilderness but Chris fits the image the publisher wants. After filming him at her home and with creative editing he is going viral and her books are flying off the shelves.
It is a tricky balancing act. There are pressures to give him credit for writing and out right black mail attempts. There is also sizzling chemistry between the pair. The romance is a lot of slow burn longing and is eventually kept closed door. But it is sweet. And while Zane may be every woman's dream Chris can still be inept and stumbling. The cover is cute and spot on for the story. I like how everything works out and the epilogue as well. This is the author's first time writing contemporary romance after a solid history in paranormal and fantasy novels. I hope she will write contemporary again. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.
The premise was interesting. It’s something I’ve never seen before! And I really wanted to like it.
I like a fast paced book. But this wasn’t it for me, I didnt like that the POV was switching within the chapter. It made sense they weren’t together… but it didn’t work for me. And I just couldn’t get over it.
And I didn’t love the dynamic between Daphne and Chris. Yes it was early and things did change once he got to her house and I know things are going to change again. But I just don’t think I really LIKED either of them??
dnf @ 25%
Thanks to Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Finding Mr Write was such an incredibly fun book!! The chemistry between Daphne and Chris so good! It’s definitely a slow burn but the mutual yearning was fantastic! I loved the setting of the Yukon and how Daphne living there influenced her writing in her book! The premise of Chris being hired to pretend to be the author for the book Daphne wrote lead to so many fun shenanigans! I loved how we also got a little bit of fake dating too! The book had the perfect amount of tension and spice! I love how both Daphne and Christ grew as characters, with Daphne learning to trust Chris and Chris learning how to support Daphne. This is going to make for such a fun summer read and is something I would definitely recommend others to check out!
My Instagram review is now live!
What a fun RomCom!
These love interests are witty, funny and incredibly likable. Finding Mr. Write is an entertaining story told from Daphne and Chris (aka Zane) alternating points of view. The landscape of the Yukon was lush with sizzle as these two slowly fall in love. A swoon worthy read.
Thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever
Daphne is tired of having her book rejected so one night, fueled by frustration and alcohol, she resubmitted her book but slapped a male name on it and lo and behold it got accepted. Amazing but that leads to a major problem for Daphne when the publisher wants her to go on tour so she needs to find someone to play her “male self”. Enter Chris aka an accountant (only Daphne doesn’t know that) and he embodies the crafted persona of Daphne’s male author so well while also being a nice guy. On top of wondering if she can pull off this book tour without being caught, she has a feeling Chris is too good to be true and hopes her growing attraction to him isn’t just a product of their circumstance.
I enjoyed this story and really liked Chris and Daphne as individuals as well as a couple. I think they complimented each other well and despite their few misunderstandings and insecurities they made a great team. Finding Mr. Write is quick and easy reading perfect for a day by the poolside.
Thank you @readforeverpub and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
Such a fun premise. I love that the "city girl in the wilderness" trope that we see in books like Love, Naturally and The Catch was gender-swapped in this book, with Daphne being the outdoorsy one and Chris being the city boy. I enjoyed the lesson of the misogynistic publishing world. Chris was an adorable MMC with his internal monologue about who he was pretending to be--of course, his nerdy baking self was his best persona.
I'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope for the third-act breakup, but at least Chris realized his error and apologized. I also don't love insta-love--their relationship felt a little rushed and not entirely believable to me, but that's a product of the trope rather than the book itself.
This is my first book by this author. I thought it was a cute romance and I liked the story of an independent female lead character. It took me a while to get in the story and a long time to finish for that reason. Would rate 3.5 stars.
Chris Stanton had a job interview. To be a writer. Or, at least, to play one for author photos.
Finding Mr. Write was a story about what you'll do to achieve your dreams, with the complication of finding love along the way. Daphne has sent out her manuscript, a young adult story about a girl surviving in a zombie apocalypse but doesn't get any takers, until she creates a male pen name with a MFA. Suddenly there's a bidding war and Daphne finds herself planning with her bestfriend how “Zane Remington” can exist.
Chris is trying to save his business and reputation after partnering with an old college buddy who, it's now revealed has a coke habit. When one of his accounting clients, who is a lawyer, offers to help but in return wants him to pose as an actor, posing as an author, he jumps at the chance.
Daphne hates how she's regulated herself to the sidelines of her own success, Chris hates how pretending to be Zane could be keeping him from exploring these feelings he's having for Daphne, and both want to start mixing business with pleasure.
He had something with Daphne. Something he’d been looking for, even if he hadn’t realized it.
If you're already a Kelley Armstrong fan from her mysteries and thrillers, this would be a good pickup to dip your toe into rom-com. This did have a lighter side with Chris trying to pretend to be this tough outdoorsy guy, when he's really a math geek, with a specialty in baking brownies, and who matured into his looks really well. The subterfuge between him pretending to be an actor who can pull off a Zane type to Daphne, gets resolved in the first half, allowing them to be their selves and showcase some of the flirty by-play between them, which worked well.
A sweet and smart guy who wasn’t afraid to get a little silly.
As someone with both feet firmly planted in the romance genre, this had romance but more of the logistics, rather than heady, heavy emotion. These two are immediately physically attracted to each other and as they start to get to know one another, Chris having to stay at Daphne's cabin for a few days for a magazine shoot and going on a book tour together, they talk and start to realize they play off each other well. The problem is their working relationship, Chris pretending to be the author Daphne is and how Chris lives in Vancouver while Daphne lives in the Yukon. There's some emotional fear from Daphne's past over her last boyfriend saying he was all in but then bouncing after her mother was diagnosed with cancer that comes into play for a third act break-up but Chris, for his part, is mostly all-in right from the beginning, just wondering who will live where to make things work. This had both their povs, which I greatly enjoy, but it was written to keep a lot of the relationship development in their heads, we're told a lot but not shown to feel more. You'll also get some hot and heavy foreplay but then a slammed door in the face until the next morning for physical scenes.
She took hold of the front of his shirt and pulled her to him, and before he fully registered what was happening, Daphne was kissing him.
While the first half was setting up their working relationship, physical attraction, and getting to know, the second half has Daphne wanting to come clean that she's the real author. If you're an author reading this, the career workings, how men authors get treated differently and how the merry-go-round at publishing houses can be, will probably have you locked in and raising toasting a glass, as you drink deeply from it in commiseration. As a reader, it worked to fill out Daphne's character and world. There's a blackmail scene to force their resolution to Daphne and Chris' working relationship problem, Chris causing the third act breakup, and then some work by Chris but still felt like a quick forgive by Daphne.
“That’s all this is,” he says. “Our first chapter. Pen to paper with the hope of finishing the story.” He met her gaze. “Do you want to start a story with me, Daphne?”
Like I said, if you're already an Armstrong fan, this would probably be a good pick to dip your toe into contemporary romance, a lot of the story focuses more on the logistics of how these two can be together, rather than heavy emotion development. This had cute light moments with some deeper commentary on what it means to be in the business of being a writer.
Daphne has been trying to get her book published, but nobody is interested. Until she changes her name to that of a man ... And suddenly she's sold her book for an outrageous sum and needs a man to be the face of her author!
This is such a lovely romance with two fun characters that I was totally rooting for!