This novel was an incredibly enjoyable twist on a romantic comedy. I adore stories that include a bit of a low-key mystery element, and this one nailed it. The characters were delightful, and watching them collaborate to unravel a mystery was entertaining. I highly suggest it! Plus, the cover is absolutely adorable!

I feel like this had potential, but it was under developed. The “generational rivalry” between the two families was never explained, and the relationship between Macy and Caleb was weak. I found him to be insufferable. Every time Macy mentioned her family, especially his mom, he would get angry and storm off. I get that they agreed to not talk about their families and how he might be sensitive about the topic of mothers, but I feel like that was too much. Like if Macy mentioned how something they were going together was something she used to do with her mom, or that her mom liked this one thing, he’d get mean. I didn’t see any sort of evidence at all that they cared for each other, and this wasn’t enjoyable at all. It felt extremely under developed and rushed. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone, I’m extremely disappointed.

Love on Paper was such a sweet and fun romance to read. I loved the writing retreat setting and mystery surrounding Betty Quinn. Macy and Caleb were a really cute couple and the dynamic with Macy’s parents was interesting too. Love on Paper was a fun and fast read that I recommend to any other reader & enjoyer of YA romance books.

Thank you to Danielle Parker and Joy Revolution for an advanced copy of Love on Paper. While I was provided this ARC it was in exchange for an unbiased review. This book was absolutely a 4 star read. It was really a coming of age story where a girl finds herself at a writing retreat. Throw in a little mystery, a little love, and a whole lot of healing, you’ve got a recipe for happily ever after. It was sweet and charming, and a little silly at times. It’s a YA just over 200 pages with nothing more than a kiss or two. It’s appropriate for kids and a quick palate cleanser for adults.

Macy is the daughter of famous authors who is trying to find her own voice. Imagine her surprise when she’s at a writing retreat for young adult authors aspiring to be romance writers when she’s never been in love. With the help of her friends, an author’s mysterious life, and a budding romance, she’s able to find her voice and heal some of her personal traumas.

Starting off with what I like: the cover. The pink background, green typewriter, and cup of coffee are adorable! I love how it immediately shows you the book’s genre and target age range (I still haven’t recovered from seeing "Icebreakers" in the children’s section of my local library.) I definitely think "Love on Paper" caters to the younger side of YA, but I can see adults looking for a light-hearted read enjoying this, too.

I want to start by thanking the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book. I thought this book was pretty good. Not exactly what I thought it was going to be, but still good.

In a short, condensed version that I hope no one ever reads because I feel really bad, this book just wasn't for me. I can't even pinpoint what it was about the book that just didn't hit for me. Maybe it was the main character, who seemed to have zero personality, or maybe it was the love interest that I just found insufferable. Maybe it was the "best friend" that was so annoying. Or maybe it was just me. It was probably just me. One thing that I can say is that the author didn't seem to show, she just told. There were multiple instances where she would introduce a character and just have them state every single aspect of their lives. Like, "My name is (insert name here) and I'm a girl with blonde hair and dark eyes. I'm a Virgo, my birthday is (insert Virgo birthday). My parents don't like each other so they separated when I was ten. That caused issues. My favorite color is blue. I hate mushrooms. I'm allergic to cats." And so on and so forth. It seemed blunt and quite frankly took me out of the narrative. It just didn't seem natural, and it confused me. Again, this has nothing to do with the author herself, it's just a personal reading peeve of mine.

All that to be said, this book just wasn't for me, but that doesn't mean it isn't good. It had so much potential in my mind to be great, but it just wasn't my taste, and that's fine. Thank you so much for this ARC, and I hope I'm able to get another one in the future.

The book captures a compelling mystery element, primarily centered around academic rivalry. I found myself wishing for a deeper exploration of the 'enemies to lovers' trope between Caleb and Macy, as the romance aspect seemed somewhat lackluster. Caleb is a very sweet character. It felt as though there was untapped potential. The conclusion also lacked the expected climax. Nevertheless, it serves as a decent read for those seeking a brief and pleasant experience, potentially acting as a refreshing palate cleanser following a more intense read.

Do you ever find a book that sounds like it’s written for you? One that has all your favorite tropes sandwiched between an adorable cover? I thought I would love this book, and nobody is more disappointed than I am that it ended up being an okay read. 

Starting off with what I like: the cover. The pink background, green typewriter, and cup of coffee are so stinking adorable! I love how it immediately shows you the book’s genre and target age range (I still haven’t recovered from seeing “Icebreakers” in the children’s section of my local library.) I definitely think “Love on Paper” caters to the younger side of YA, but I can see adults looking for a light-hearted read enjoying this, too. 

“Love on Paper” follows Macy, an aspiring author hoping to escape her parents’ shadow and establish herself as a writer. She applies for Pennovation (an annual teen writing retreat) and starts taking her work seriously. I think a writing retreat is such a cool setting! I love reading novels about writers and book lovers. This story delivers on that end! 

I also really like this book’s mystery subplot. It has hidden clues, a missing manuscript, and a hollowed-out book filled with thousands of dollars in cash (sign me up for the next visit to that library!). I think the mystery element is a great addition to the story. 

If mysteries aren’t your thing, there’s also a healthy dollop of scholarly competition among the characters. The writer’s retreat comes with the opportunity to have the students’ work published in an anthology (a collection of short stories). I’m a huge fan of the rivals-to-lovers trope, and while we don’t get that here (Caleb is a total cinnamon role, especially where Macy is concerned), I still think it’s a cool spin. 

Unfortunately, I also feel like that’s where this book falls short. It tries so hard to be something, but it juggles so many subplots that it fails to deliver on any of them. The missing manuscript’s grand reveal is underwhelming, the romance is bland, Macy’s rocky relationship with her mother barely has any page space, and the writing competition feels like it’s resolved as an afterthought. I wish the author focused on one or two of these plots instead of throwing them in a blender and hoping it works out. 

Which brings me to my last complaint: the pacing. With so much going on, I thought the story would be fast-paced and hold my attention. Unfortunately, I never felt any urgency or connection to the story that made me want to keep reading. That’s my experience, though, and I’m sure this book will find plenty of readers who love it!

I think this book is perfect for readers on the younger side of YA. It covers a lot of teenage experiences (first love, new friends, a summer camp-ish retreat, etc.), and I can definitely see this story resonating with that audience. Overall, I’m giving it 3.5/5 stars! 

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

This is a fun look into a writing retreat. I liked how these characters learned more about themselves during the writing retreat and found a sense of belonging.
Definitely a good book good teens.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

I really love the premise of this book, but it felt a little too young for me. I didn't think I'd be too old for a teenage nove, but the writing felt very YA and I couldn't get into it. I would have loved this if it was set in college or even post-college.

I could not get over how darling this book was! Just such a great story and the main character became my favorite person by the end of the book.

This book was a super fun spin on a romcom. I love books with a little low stakes mystery thrown in and this did it really well. The characters were lovely and seeing them work together to solve a mystery was fun. Highly recommend! Also, the cover is so cute!

Love on Paper was a great story about two teen novelist. I really enjoyed the story and I think this would be a great book for readers of the young adult to teenage.