This was such a fun and light hearted rom com. The characters are likable but I wasn’t took emotionally attached to them. Their romance was cute, but I think that it would have been nice to slow it down and not make it feel so rushed. I would definitely give another book by this author another try. I think that this one just wasn’t for me

This book, while an entertaining romcom, is much more too. The book is a quick read and includes fun banter between two very likeable characters, and hilarious internal monologues shared with the readers. The romance, however, is almost secondary to the story of how after repeated rejections, Daphne submits her manuscript under a male pseudonym and has an instant hit on her hand. She hires a man to play the role of the author in public, they both get a lot more than they bargained for!
I think the book did well in delving into the disappointing and different treatment of women in the publishing world. And who would know better than a woman author. This part of the plot was well developed. The romance side of this book was a bit different than I expected. I never felt the build up, felt a bit forced and didn’t necessary feel like part of the story.
I did like the characters. Daphne is a strong, independent women and surprisingly her book is a Zombie Apocalyptic genre. Chris is a soft cinnamon roll play acting a hard ego centric character that just doesn’t come naturally to him. The setting is beautiful rural Canada – yes lumberjack vibes!
Interestingly, I’m also reading By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult which deals with a very similar plot of two women, generations apart dealing with authoring their works. Jodi’s book is more literary fiction and I almost think this one was geared more to that but trying to make it a rom com.

**Disclaimer: I received a free eARC of Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity.

Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong is an adult romance novel about a female author who decides to try and publish her novel under a male pseudonym and needs to find a man to pretend to be the author.  Hijinx ensues.  The novel was set to be published on June 25th, 2024.  I rated it 4 stars on GoodReads.

Here's the summary from GoodReads:

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 is tired of rejection. After submitting her manuscript to dozens of agents, she's gotten rejection after rejection, and now it's time for something drastic. And so, Daphne submits her manuscript again… under a man's name.
Imagine her surprise when it sells for big money at an auction and soon becomes a publicity darling. Only she needs a man to play her super macho alter ego Zane Remington. Enter Chris Stanton, who absolutely looks the part of a survivalist and has a talent for pressing her piss‑me‑off‑I‑dare‑you buttons while somehow being endearing at the same time. But Chris has a few secrets of his own, including the fact that he’s really an accountant who has no idea how to chop wood or paddle a canoe. When Daphne's book becomes a bestselling sensation and they're forced to go on tour together, Daphne finds herself wondering if this city‑boy geek is exactly what she needs to push her to claim her dreams.

Kelley Armstrong is an author that I totally love, but I do admit that I have a bit of a mixed track record with some of her works.  However, this ended up being a book that I really enjoyed on the whole.  I will admit that I went into it with different expectations for what kind of romance this would be, and I thought it would be spicier than it was.  However, this is definitely more of a fade to black romance, which there is nothing wrong with, but I did want to give other readers the heads up about.

To start off with review wise, I really enjoyed both of our main characters.  Daphne was a really interesting character, and I related to her desire to do whatever it takes to get her book out there in the world and also the anxiety that she felt about what it might be like for that book to be out there in the world.  I enjoyed the way that she had chased her dreams, and the way her past issues came to light in how they affected her.  Her motivations and conflicts made a lot of sense to me.  I also found that Chris was a really interesting main character.  The explanations for why an accountant was so buff were well done, and I appreciated his motivations for getting involved in the situation at all.  He was into Daphne pretty quickly, and it's very much a he fell first situation.  I would have liked a bit more development of the romantic tension on his side of things, but I did enjoy his personal character journey and the way that he learned to be himself and not anyone else.

Chris and Daphne had a great dynamic, and he was a very supportive partner for the most part.  The conflict that built between them made sense to me, though I did wish that maybe they had talked just a bit more.  However, again, it was realistic for them not to talk based on their pasts and how they coped with the world.

Each main character had a support character who kind of acted as a voice of reason.  For Chris it was his sister and for Daphne it was her best friend.  I loved both of these side characters and how they talked sense into the main character.  They maybe weren't as developed, but on the whole they played a key role in the book and it wouldn't have been as good without them.

The pacing for the book felt a little strange, as parts felt a bit rushed.  I also wanted more consequences for the nemesis, Daphne's gross neighbour.  However, on the whole, I had a very fun time reading this book and discussing it with my friend who was reading it at the same time as me.  The plot and the writing were both great, and I can definitely add this onto my list of solid Kelley Armstrong reads.

The idea was good but the execution felt lacking. The connection between the two characters was hard to get behind as the reader. The two character POV could have been stronger in first person because it was hard at times to tell who’s lens we were uncovering the story through as it changed so often.

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for access to Finding Mr. Write in exchange for my honest opinion. I had not read this author before, in part because this was her first romcom. However, I found I have the audiobook for one of her previous thrillers, Someone is Always Watching, which has a main character with my name - kind of funny that I posted earlier this week about a book where that was the case.
Last summer I spent most of August in Alberta, Canada, which is closer to the setting for Finding Mr. Write, where the FMC owns a remote home in the Yukon. After getting another rejection for her YA fantasy novel, Daphne changes the wording of her cover letter and submits it under a male name and gets an agent and publishing contract! Daphne uses a friend of a friend to pose as “Zane Remington” for the book tour of her bestseller, while keeping the pen name and her true identity hidden. But of course some issues pop up…
I really enjoyed this book, doing a mix of the ebook and audiobook. I loved the concept, and while it didn’t quite go where I thought it would, I was along for the ride. My favorite scene was when Daphne and her stand-in are out near her lake and have a bear encounter, with a publicity team visiting to catch it on camera!

✨ Publication date: June 25, 2024✨

Finding Mr. Write is a contemporary romance by author Kelley Armstrong. I’m a big fan of this authors paranormal, mystery, time stitch novels. I believe this is her first book in the contemporary romance genre.

Daphne McFadden finds herself in a bit of a situation. As a debut author she was struggling to get her book noticed…until she put a male name as the author. All of a sudden, her book is getting noticed and published. Except she isn’t Zane Remington the supposed author and now she needs to find someone to play him for her!

In comes Chris Stanton…..Daphne’s hired actor to play the author. The deal is, Chris will take a few pictures, answer a few emails and do a few virtual interviews with Daphne instructing him the whole way.

Except Chris isn’t an actor, he’s an accountant that needs the money to help dig him out of a financial hole his thieving partner left him in. He needs to tell Daphne the truth sooner rather than later.

The publishers want more, they have booked a small book tour and now Daphne and Chris need to travel together and figure out how to keep the charade from damaging Daphne’s new career and explore the budding romance between them.

This was a cute introduction into this genre for the author. I enjoyed it but definitely not as refined as her other genre work. This is a 3.5 star for me but I’m a huge fan of this authors writing so will definitely check her out again!

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

#NetGalley #kelleyarmstrong #findingmisterwrite

A comedy of errors ensues when a writer decides to use a male pen name to sell her book, but then is caught in a web of lies when the book is a bestseller and she pays an accountant pretending to be an actor to pretend to be the author. Chris and Daphne were hilarious together. I listened to the book on audio and that format worked well. I love a romcom like this full of relatively low stakes (but feel high stakes) hijinks. Would recommend!

I enjoyed this bookish romcom about a female author who uses a male pseudonym for her book, and is then faced with filling that role when the book is a huge hit and she has to go on tour. The look inside the publishing industry was enlightening, the characters were likeable, and I loved the Canadian setting. A good quick read.

DNF @ 45%

I was really disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more. I really liked the premise of the book, I've read a few romances with the ghostwriter trope and I thought this would be a little similar. I just didn't really connect with the characters well and I was really bored for most of it. :(

When I saw Kelley Armstrong had written a romantic comedy I could not wait to read it. As usual with all her books I was not disappointed. Finding Mr, Write was witty, set in Canada, in an area that reminded me of home. Her two main characters were so fun to read about! Daphne felt very relatable when her anxiety would get the better of her, but also the times when she was more impulsive really made her character feel alive. Chris was also a very fun character, using his high school drama classes to bring about the “character” he portrayed for her book. Finding Mr. Write is about a young female author who uses a male pseudonym to sell her books, that is until she needs a real life man to appear when her book takes off. She hires an “actor” to play this outdoorsy man who also writes. When these two meet things start off rocky, but later turn into something special, as they explore this new adventure together!

3.5 stars

After pitching her book under a male pseudonym, Daphne has to hire a man to play the role of “Zane” for the press tour and author photo.

Chris needs some legal help. In exchange for acting as “Zane,” Daphne’s friend will provide him with free legal council. He’s a Canadian accountant now tasked with playing a rugged woodsy man. A few photos and interviews? Easy. Then, Daphne’s publisher coordinates an interview at “Zane’s” aka Daphne’s cabin. So the two have a weekend of forced proximity and faking it....or are they?

It’s third person, dual POV.

Overall, this was a sweet book. I did find myself getting bored after the 30% mark until they start to worry about it being found out.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

I’m used to Kelley Armstrong, the paranormal writer so this new kind of book took some getting used to, but her signature banter and chemistry between main characters remain. Fascinating premise that’s as frustrating for readers as it is for Daphne. And Chris is played so many characters, just for himself! I enjoyed this book.

Mistaken identity. Forced proximity. RomCom slow burn energy.

Book Review: FINDING MR. WRITE by Kelley Armstrong

🌲 Book Synopsis: Daphne knows the book she’s written is good. But after she assumes a man’s name and sells it in a bidding war, she needs someone who can pose as her male author alter ego. Except Chris isn’t an actor and he’s definitely not the macho outdoorsman he pretends to be. He’s an accountant. A very attractive accountant.

🌲 My Take: Daphne and Chris both share a charming tangle of emotions throughout the book and the press tour close calls kept me riveted. My favorite part though was how both Daphne and Chris share and work through their respective insecurities. It was really endearing and added to their slow burn, “will they, or won’t they” romance.

Read FINDING MR. WRITE for
💕 Dual POV romance
🎟️ Book press tour backstage pass
🔥 Forced proximity
🥾 Outdoorsy heroine
🤓 Lovable geek hero
🥰 He falls first
🐻 Wildlife encounters
☎️ Older sister voice of reason

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

😘 Thanks to @ReadForeverPub and @NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

While I was really excited about the premise of this book, I struggled a bit with the pacing which made me rate the book lower than I would have hoped. The characters were really well developed which I enjoyed. It was also interesting to have the challenges women face in publishing as a main aspect of this story.

Thank you to Forever for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Daphne has been tired of receiving rejection letters from publishers so instead of submitting the last one as a female she does so as a male. Lo and behold she is offered a book deal and after discussing things with her lawyer friend she hires Chris Stanton to play her character Zane Remmington. It is from there that the story takes off for Chris is a total city person and is just by chance the few times he can make it work with people around being in the outdoors. Here it is the woman who is the outdoors person. This whole book works from the characters and the entire story. I found this to be a very good book and worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Kelly Armstrong for this ARC!

I am so sad to write this review because I did not like this book as much as I thought I would. I will keep this short and sweet because I am not here to rip a book apart if I didn’t like it. Some things I did like about the book were that the characters seemed genuine and really cared about each other, I also liked that the author highlighted issues that female authors may face in the publishing world.

I was not a fan of this book due to how the plot moved along. It did not feel cohesive. Once I thought I knew where the story was going and what the goal was, it would change. If she’s gonna be the assistant, let her be an assistant, or a fake girlfriend, or whatever. It changed many times. I also did not appreciate that we got to hear so many things that Chris would say to audiences and did not get the same thing with Daphne. I think we only actually saw quotes from her in the last chapter speaking to readers. The side characters were very hot and cold and did not have specific personalities. The third act conflict was not my favorite either. I think that what Daphne did was very out of character.

I’m so sad that this was a miss for me. 😔

One of my favorite romance reads of the year so far, so mad at myself for taking so long to get to it! The plot was solid and well-executed, and in my opinion a very realistic scenario that brought to light an extremely important topic for female writers trying to break into the publishing industry. The slow-burn romance during the first half kept me wanting more, and I think the "fade to black" scenes were actually necessary for this novel to keep the reader's focus on the relationship and premise of the story, not all books need spice to be good! I really felt for Daphne in so many chapters as she dealt with her anxieties and learned to overcome them.

DNF at 34%. Although I like the banter between Daphne and Chris, I was just bored. I kept hoping with one more chapter I would get more invested in their story, but it just wasn't happening. This book sadly isn't for me.

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Finding Mr. Write is so over the top and a whole lot of fun while also shining a light on issues women frequently face. The characters were fun, flawed, frustrating and endearing. I was already a fan of Kelly Armstrong and look forward to more romcoms from her!

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

The whole premise of this book was ridiculous in the best way. I loved the first half of the book, the internal monologue of both main characters cracked me up and the set up was great. However, something about the last section of the book was just...too much drama for me. Back and forth and back and forth over the same things. It went on for too long. Still enjoyable overall though!