I’m happy to report that Kelley Armstrong’s foray into romantic comedies was a success…at least as far as I was concerned. The characters were likeable, the premise felt fresh to me—and there was no murder in sight! I don’t know how Armstrong writes at the pace that she does, but I’m glad she can, because I enjoy what she’s putting out in the world.

What didn’t work for me

The miscommunication trope: I’ve been reading more and more books lately that veer away from this, which has been refreshing, but I get so frustrated when characters just don’t talk to each other before doing something dramatic and over the top. There were many other ways we could have introduced conflict between Daphne and Chris just by their situation.

What I liked

The Yukon: Armstrong is Canadian (as am I!), and I always love it when a Canadian reference makes its way into her books. Having Daphne live in the Yukon is a really great shoutout to a territory that is often forgotten in our country, and it makes me want to go there even more.

The inside baseball of the publishing industry: I work in publishing, but my world is magazines and I always love when I get to learn more about what my life would have been like if I chose to edit books instead of articles. I loved that we got to see the PR process and the book tour and all of those things we don’t generally consider when we’re thinking about an author writing a book.

The strong female character: Daphne is a badass. Although she’s not super comfortable speaking in front of people (fair enough!), she knows how to survive in the wild by herself. I like that we position her against Chris, who has his strengths as well, but that when it comes to things like chopping wood or fending off a bear, she takes the lead, and he isn’t threatened by it at all.

4.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Kelley Armstrong is a HUGE name in the book world and has long been on my shelves to read but I've never gotten around to any of her books, I was excited to get this book because it was the push I needed to finally read one of her books! I loved it so much, I was laughing out loud and swooning, but it was also really thought-provoking. Daphne is fed up, her manuscript has been rejected over and over again UNTIL she submits under a man's name. Then she gets signed and a big fat cheque and uh-oh she's in too deep. Enter her BFF who's a lawyer and her hunky accountant, Chris, who pretends to be an actor so he can pretend to be the male author! Things spiral from there.... Chris is just a shining star in this book, he's so fricken hilarious acting like a deuche but internally is just this big sweet nerd who loves to bake! Daphne was kick-ass, independent, and her frustrations with the double standards is everything!! There was a bit of third act breakup but not really and it was handled soo well!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy. I can’t believe that this is the first rom-com by Kelley Armstrong. I usually have a tough time enjoying rom-coms, but I flew through Finding Mr. Write. Daphne is a writer who is tired of getting rejected. She decides to submit her manuscript under a male name. This leads to Chris portraying Zane Remington. It was interesting to read about the publishing world and how everything works.

Rounded up fron 3.5
After some rejections, Daphne thought that tweaking the pitch of her book and changing her name to a male pen name would get her more attention from literary agents. Lo one behold, it did work, a little too well: her book sold for a huge amount. The thing is, now she has to find and men to play her. Enters Chris, who is an accountant who owes Daphne's lawyer friend a favour amd is willing to play an actor playing the role during interviews. But through their exchanges, she realizes that not only is Chris good looking, but he's a softie and she starts melting for him.
This is a forced proximity, friends to lovers, sorta workplace, slow burn romance. The Yukon setting for this story is amazing. The story is told in dual POVs (his and hers), in the third person. I would've much preferred to read this story in the first person. The third person kept me from really connecting with either MCs, which I felt could've been explored more deeply. I did appreciate the insights (and critique) about the publishing world and all the marketing gimmicks. This was a cute and fun rom-com from an author that usually writes fantasy.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

FINDING MR. WRITE is a quick, fun, and adorable summer read. There's romance, there's honesty, and the best part: there's communication between the characters. Your classic rom-com misunderstanding is nowhere to be found and it is SO refreshing. You'll easily fall in love with Chris (so much better than Zane), Tika, Daphne, and even the Yukon.

I've been reading a lot of romance lately, but Daphne and Chris have my favorite story of them all.

You know what’s fun? Books about books. Maybe not for you, but it 100% is for me, so I had a good time reading FINDING MR. WRITE by Kelley Armstrong. (Yes, but before we go any further, it’s THAT Kelley Armstrong of THE DARKEST POWERS and OTHERWORLD has written a romcom!!!!!!! I’m just geeking out a little bit…) Tired of rejection, female author Daphne sells her book under a male pseudonym, and it becomes the next big thing in publishing. So instead of telling anyone, she hires an actor, Chris, to play her pseudonym, Zane Remington, and that’s when all the hijinks begin and never stop, as I (and hopefully you) will fall in love with this romcom!

Armstrong has always been a descriptive writer—one of the reasons why I’ve been a fan for so long. I can easily imagine her books, characters, and scenes as they happened. I loved the descriptions of Daphne’s home and its surrounding area, Zane with a shirt and without a shirt, and, especially, one of my favorite scenes, the porcupine! This level of detail made the characters feel real and drew me further into the story.

The book’s humor and romance are brought to life in the audiobook version, narrated with perfect comedic timing by Natalie Naudus, Will Peters, Patricia Santomasso, and Sean Patrick Hopkins. Their performance had me laughing out loud and even experiencing a few belly laughs, a testament to the book’s entertaining ability. The narration is so engaging that it’s hard not to genuinely laugh along with it.

I read and listened to the audiobook simultaneously; whichever way you choose is a win. If you love romcoms, the wilderness, books, people pretending to be people, falling in love, and outstanding comedy, this book is for you. I enjoyed every moment of FINDING MR. WRITE, and I hope you do, too!

Thanks, Forever, for the arc! Thanks, Hachette Audio, for the ALC!

When I first picked up "Finding Mr. Write" by Kelley Armstrong, I was hooked. I loved the writing, the characters were enjoyable and the dialogue kept me intrigued. This was my first book by Kelley so I was excited to see what it was like.

Essentially, Daphne McFadden finally makes her dream come true of landing that book deal. The only problem? She went by a pen name - Zane Remington - who doesn't exist. The book takes off, and as such, needs someone to fulfill that role. Daphne's lawyer friend hires someone she thinks will be the perfect match (and maybe romantically speaking,too). But, oh, what a tangled web we weave. Zane is actually "Chris" - who lies to Daphne at first - Because he isn't actually an actor like she thought. He eventually admits that to her and it brings them closer together. Throughout their book journey together, more obstacles are thrown against them like fake dating and a creepy neighbor who tries to blackmail Daphne for her home.

A lot of action going on, which I thought was great. However, as I was reading along, it kept feeling like the pacing was much further along (rather than just at 16 or 20%), but more story lines were added as it progressed.

It was good and entertaining, but I'm not sure I would read it again. I would definitely be open to trying another book by this author. It just unfortunately didn't click for me this time around.

**Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review**

Reading author Kelley Armstrong was a first for me and I found the read easy and charming. the depth of the characters where well developed and you rooted for them the whole way through the read. ARC from NetGalley

Finding Mr. Write is a huge departure from the books I associate with Kelley Armstrong. I started with her paranormal books and most often associate her with Bitten and other books in the series. Different doesn’t mean bad, it is just different. This book weaves together a light and airy romcom with a hard-hitting issue that women understand.
When you read the description, you may immediately picture a movie on Lifetime or Hallmark. For me, however, after reading the name of our fictious male author, Zane Remington, my mind went to another famous Remington. The other Remington I am talking about is Remington Steele, which I suppose dates me a bit. However, that Remington like Zane Remington was created for the same reason. In both cases, a strong woman with skills to do a job needed to create a man to sell her product. In this case that product was a book that some how was more appealing with a male author. What is scary about the whole scenario is these two stories are set decade apart, yet the same issues still exist.
Make no mistake, this book does tackle a tough issue, but it does so in a very readable way. Out leading lady, Daphne loves the idea of selling her book and early on glosses over the need to sell that book as a man. She wanted people reading her story, her words. However, she comes to resent the idea a bit as the book progresses. It is in those feeling being expressed that we see the issue come to light a bit. Fortunately, after a rough meeting, she finds a man who is something more than a character playing a role. On the surface, Chris is a shallow egotistical man who enjoys the spotlight without putting in the work to read the book. Chris is a terrific character because he is playing 2 roles, one as Zane and one as the other Chris. It is Chris the accountant that we come to really like. Even the dog, Tika, has a favorite and it is the real Chris. He starts to show himself bit by bit to Daphne and she to likes the unguarded moments where there is no subterfuge. But subterfuge leads to conflict and conflict makes a good story and this is a very good story. We have terrific characters, the requisite cute animal and some fun scenes that keep the story moving. From Chris nearly cutting off his own limb to him opening the door in his boxer to stay in character, something is always happening to keep the pages turning and the readers giggling to themselves. We even get the perfect happy ending.
If I had on complaint, it is that this book is a skosh longer than it probably needs to be. We have a few too many lengthy descriptions and little too much repetitious introspection. Setting aside those two issues, this is a solid book and well worth the read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Felt wonky, inconsistent. Writers fever dream. Resolution felt rushed, the conflict had no stakes, almost like the deception never even happened. Romance was lacking, I'm still not sure if it was supposed to be a close door romance or not. I really liked Chris at the start, but he annoyed me by the end. Daphne had almost no character arc besides lusting for Chris and throwing up.

This book is a solid 3 stars.
The beginning started out strong until after Daphne and Chris meet. Once they begin texting and calling, it all fizzles out. The book picks up again when they live together for two days for the filming (which, a lot happens in that small amount of book, and it easily overshadows the middle), but then we go to the book tour, and I was just kind of slowing down on caring about the story. The third act breakup was actually written well... until the "reconciliation". That was poorly done. It took all of 30 seconds, and everything was peachy enough for them to bang again. It was underwhelming and didn't feel organic. The ending was satisfying enough, and I'm glad Tika made a reappearance.
Daphne was a decent character. I liked her well enough. She was strong and independent in the beginning, but then she became a horn dog who lusted openly after Chris at every turn, and I just couldn't take her seriously anymore. It was cringey more often than not. She became so dependent on him. It was like her personality did a complete 180 in the middle of the book.
Chris was an okay character. I wasn't really rooting for him because he had too many personalities. I could never tell which person he was supposed to be. It made his feelings for Daphne feel insincere, like he was just playing another part. Also, his actions during the third act breakup was... wow. He's an idiot, and I lost what little respect I had for him.
As a couple, their chemistry was basically nonexistent. They had one in person meeting and a handful of texts and calls and already Chris is wanting to date her? That was odd to me. It felt very forced. Like they go from being two strangers to practically becoming BFFs in a matter of two days, and it made me cringe more than swoon. Usually forced proximity works for me, but this time it didn't.
I loved the setting of the Yukon. The details of Daphne's home were some of the best writing in the whole book.
I did not like how the POVs switched mid-chapter. It threw me off on multiple occasions.
Nia, Tika, and Sakura are the best characters in the book.

This book calls out the publishing industry for how male and female authors are treated differently.

I appreciated how the author gave us both main characters points of view. At first, I wasn’t sure about the male main character and I had a hard time getting into the story. But as the characters had to keep the charade going more and more in a public way, the more I started to like the male main character more.

Also the romance in this book is definitely a slow burn. Pacing overall was inconsistent throughout the book but it was still a fun read.

If you enjoy the miscommunication and forced proximity tropes with a dash of witty banter, then this book is for you.

Thanks to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for providing the ARC.

#FindingMrWrite #KelleyArmstrong #readforeverbooks

I loved this! This book was not only a very cute rom com but also brought up some topics that need to be brought up! Daphne is a writer and wants to get her manuscript published! She is rejected time and time again and so she resubmits her work, but under a mans name. Her work is accepted so now she has to find a man and quick to go along with her plan to make a name for herself, under his name of course. It is a wonderful story and I would definitely recommend it.

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong delivers a fun romantic comedy about a woman writing under a male pseudonym and the man she hires to play the role in public.

Daphne McFadden already knows that as a female author, the cards are stacked against her. Now she knows just how much. Because her sudden whim to pose as an "outdoorsy hunk of masculinity" male author for her new book just resulted in the unthinkable: a bidding war, a huge book deal, and the kind of fame every author dreams of. Now she's in big trouble. Because she needs to convince the world that Zane Remington actually exists...but how?

By hiring an actor, of course.

Only Chris Stanton is not an actor - not officially. He's used to balancing the books, not pretending he wrote one. Still, he's mostly certain he can pose as some overly macho bro-author. But when the media descend on Daphne's gorgeous remote home in the Yukon, it's not enough for Chris to just be the face of Zane Remington - he'll have to become him. All while hilariously balancing the terrifying dangers of the wilderness, a massive femme fandom, and a serious crush on Daphne. But as the hype circus gets more out of control, it's just a matter of time before someone discovers their little write lie..."

Oh my, I love this Men in Trees esque detour to the typical Kelley Armstrong fare!

Kelley Armstrong is a Canadian author who normally writes fantasy/sci fi.  I haven't read her other books, but was intrigued to read her first rom-com.
This was a super cute book.  The first half of the book is set in Yukon and I was hooked.  The main female character Daphne writes and publishes her first novel under a male pseudonym, after getting decline after decline with her own name.  She then hires an actor to play the male author of her book- Accounant Chris Stanton. I loved their banter and chemistry and truly loved both Daphne and Chris. The writing was great. It was definitely more of a slow burn romance, and overall enjoyable.  I felt the end was a little quick and the pacing was a little off for the last 20% of the novel but still enjoyed. Love the look into the publishing/ agent world, and how genderism was discussed.
4 stars from me!
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central) Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
This title is released June 25th!

I have always loved Kelley Armstrong’s writing and this book was just as interesting and fun as her previous books. This was a sweet romance. I really liked the way Daphne and Chris got to know each other and the forced proximity of it all was fun to read about.

I was intrigued while reading the commentary about publishing and using pen names. The discussion around males dominating publishing within different genres is something that still is happening and I found the commentary about that important within the book. Overall I enjoyed the romance, the discussions around publishing and Kelley Armstrong writing romances 😀

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this title to read and review. I was all-in on this premise, that a female author would publish her incredible book under a male pseudonym to give it the attention and chance it deserved. I really enjoyed the parts of the book that spoke to that point, and considered what the success of Daphne's career would have looked like if she didn't go this route. It's also a great look at what's required of modern authors -- they have to also be public figures and the faces of their work if they're to stand out and sell books in this market, which isn't always what writers want to have to be. But I did find this story somewhat tedious -- it took me actual months to get through, picking it up constantly and just not keeping my attention for very long. Several times I thought the consequences just weren't that big of a deal to sustain the plot (like, what legally could ever come of it when an author used a pseudonym to get published? Or even using someone else's likeness when that person gave their permission? I could only see that being a problem if you were pretending to be someone else WITHOUT their consent?) The romance was just not there for me either. I kept thinking Daphne was a much older character, or one who'd long given up on her dreams just to find a sparkle of them back, but she didn't have a backstory to suggest that really?

I gave it around 30% before I dnf'ed.
Unfortunately it's just not working out for me, although the concept is fun. There is a lot of telling vs showing, and I can't feel the chemistry between the main characters.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I've loved Armstrongs's paranormal books ( especially the Bitten series) so I was excited to see she was branching out to full a romance. And its a book about books! We seem to be getting a lot FMC lately in more male dominated roles and I am here for it. Daphne is one of those characters. Not only is she an architect by trade, but an avid, self sufficient outdoors woman. Chris's character gives us basically 3 men in one, with nerdy loveable Chris Stanton obviously being the fav. I mean come on, a guy who bakes amazing brownies, yes please. And the slow burn chemistry between the two was on point.

While this was a rom-com, Armstrong manages to combine the light hearted comedy with some complex societal issues like patriarchy, sexism and racism just to name a few. I also love the subtle poke at the publishing industry and how Daphne originally set her story in Canada, but was made by the publisher to switch to an appropriate American locale. Which sadly, frequently happens to Canadian authors all the time.

This was a fast paced, well rounded easy read. With likeable characters and of course a cute dog. Because who doesn't want a pupper in their love stories. Would love to see a sequel featuring Chris's sister Gemma.

Finding Mr. Write is a unique romance story. Daphne has been trying to get a book published. Fed up with the rejection letters she submits the story as a man. She soon has a publisher, or should I say Zane Remington has a publisher. What is a girl to do? Does she risk everything and tell them the truth? Does she refuse any in-person promos? Whose picture will go on the jacket? SO many questions, but are there answers.

Daphne's friend has the solution. She sends Chris Stanton, pretending to Chris Hemsworth to pretend to be Zane Remington. What could go wrong with such a plan? Almost anything.

Finding Mr. Write is packed full with drama. There are lots of twists and a lot of unexpected situations that make for a fun read. If something can go wrong, it will. The romance is a slow build that has a lot of bumps along the way.