A super cute, witty, and fun read. I enjoy grabbing a YA from time to time and this was the perfect easy read for me. I will be grabbing a paperback for my daughter to read this summer!

This book is a good read for those just starting to read YA who are looking for romance. Unfortunately for me, the story fell a little flat.

Pros
* cool writers' retreat in Berkeley, even if writer mom pulled strings to get in
* talks a lot about the writing process
* there is a mysterious missing manuscript the students are looking for
* Macy is paired with "swoon" Caleb as a critique partner though their families have a strong feud.

Cons
* What kind of writers' retreat has them all write romance and doesn't tell them that ahead of time? That would seriously piss me off if I was attending or had a kid who was attending
* The issue between their families is never fully explained to my liking
* The story doesn't seem to know if it is a romance or a mystery and then it doesn't really manage to feel like either.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Joy Revolution for a digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was short but a little on the slow side for me here and there. I would recommend for younger YA readers though. I enjoyed the little mystery scavenger hunt the characters went on! The characters were so fun and sweet and I enjoyed their little romance.

Love on Paper was a sweet, fun read. I loved the dorm-like scenario the characters found themselves in. The inclusivity of this book made my heart sing! I was so happy to see characters referenced that didn't fit the normal young adult "mold." While I loved the mystery of the plot at times I questioned if the focus was on the approval from family, romance, friendship, of the mystery itself. These all led to an enjoyable read!

This is one of the books that I was so desperate to love that I kept reading it even when I knew I shouldn’t have. It had everything that I would normally love tho so I just kept reading. It did in fact, not do anything for me.

The thing that stood out the most and honestly the reason I didn’t DNF this was because I HAD to know how the mystery ended. I really don’t remember a single thing other than this part. The mystery aspect was good because it involved everyone and at some point. It ended up being really cute and I was glad I stuck around for that part at least.

However, that was the only thing I really enjoyed. I’m not sure if it was my mood or the narrator or what, but I fell asleep every 30 minutes of this audiobook. I thought that maybe I was just tired because my cycle was coming, but I ended up listening to the one before and after this one with no problem. Idk, I just couldn’t get into it and I tried multiple times.

The romance was cute but unfortunately it wasn’t memorable. I can’t say that I remember anything besides the fact that their parents didn’t like each other. And then they stopped liking each other and I was like eh ok by that point. Y’all know I’m not a huge fan of enemies/rivals to lovers. So basically I lost interest. And no it’s not because its a teen book. I understand that sometimes books can just be HFNs. But this one just didn’t seem memorable TO ME. I don’t think I would have even realized if it was a HEA or not.

The relationships that I thought were more important that the romance was the one with her mother. I was glad that that got a lot of time and some explanation, but at the same time, it HAD to because it was the main plot point. It really made this feel more like a coming of age book instead of a romance. But I was glad that she got the answers from her mom. The other people she got answers from was kind of weird, but I had to admit it was kinda cool.

This usually would be something that I would have loved, but I just didn’t vibe with it. And that’s ok. Maybe someone else will. And when it finds its readers, I hope they genuinely love it.

"Learn a lot, write your heart out, take chances, be brave, find a story that surprises you maybe even scares you and dig deep into that."
"Because we all do, we all have important stories to tell if we allow ourself to."
"Break downs tend to lead to break throughs"
"Different doesn't mean bad, it just means different."

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Children for a E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a cute, quick read! I really liked how fast paced the story was! Macy is going to a writer's retreat and her journey with trying to get out of her parents shell and lime light was a typical growing pain that the average young adult goes through. I really enjoyed that the story and the growth of Macy and Caleb was extremely relatable and a full circle moment. The mystery behind the script and bread crumbs from Betty Quinn was the cherry on top for this story because it brought the characters together and find their interests and love on paper. Macy and Caleb not only have experiences with their growth in writing but their separate accomplishes with family was just as important in the story as well. Although different paths but same destination. There was an equal amount of plot, mystery, and romance.

This story definitely read like a young adult story, at first I thought Macy was 13 0r 14 but then in a random scene she said she was 17 and in the epilogue she is 19. So I was bit shocked due to the language, and dialect it read like a younger person than her actual age. It wasn't necessarily annoying or anything bad but her age did kind of shock me. However over all this was still a nice read and cute plot.

The cover is adorable. The story idea has so much promise.

Unfortunately for me it fell flat. I was bored. I found it hard to like the characters at all. It was also chaotic.

It also reads a little more middle grade than YA for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Young love at a camp for teen writers! Both Macy and Caleb are children of famous writers with a lot to prove. And their families don't get along. They team up as writing partners, trying to figure out a mystery, and find "romance."

Our characters felt really young at times. And while some of the moments between Macy and Caleb were sweet, the romance felt a little forced. The family drama felt lacking, too.

The overall book was just okay.

3 stars

I just finished Love on Paper by Danielle Parker and here are my thoughts.

Nepo-babies have it better right? Macy and Caleb do not agree. Both from writer parents and it doesn’t make it any easier for them to write too but they both end up at the same writing retreat and they find themselves pushed together… even though their parents had open hostility. The trouble with the writing retreat is that it's not just about the writing… There is an unofficial scavenger hunt going on too and it’s almost as distracting for Macy as Caleb is….

It was a pretty cute read. I always love books that have something to do with writing and books as part of the plot. It wasn’t just a YA romance. It has so much more to it than that. It gives us family romance and parental issues in a rather charming way. I loved the mystery as well. It wasn’t a huge part of the book but I can see how the writers got caught up in the need to find the manuscript.

I thought the book was a heart tugger for sure. I love how cute the cover is and I love cutesy love. I am a huge romantic and first love is always special.

The writing almost had a poetic quality to the way it came across and I kinda loved the romeo/juliet type love story they had.. Without the poison though haha.

I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

Tropes - Read if you enjoy the following.

Coming of age
Mystery
Families at war

4 stars!

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhousekids for my gifted copy

The premise was cool, but the execution wasn’t good. The main character is the daughter of two famous authors, so she goes to a writing summer camp to follow in their footsteps. There, she meets the son of her parents’ rivals, but falls in love with him.

The romance didn’t feel realistic, it really felt like the author was just trying to do rivals to lovers and they didn’t even dislike each other? They started dating almost immediately. And also there was forbidden love in the sense that their parents are the rivals but their parents were not upset at all about their dating which sorta gets rid of the whole rivals thing that they were worried about for the entire novel.

The amount of teenage slang written into this book annoyed me. It stood out excessively from the rest of the writing. The dialogue (mostly) was ok and fine because I know that people speak like that, but when it was inside her head it was unbearable. Also it just felt like it was trying too hard and overall was so cringy. “Womp womp. Kinda mid” was actual dialogue???? That's just random words put together at this point. Tiktok/Instagram slang shouldn’t be included in books and most people never even say some of it irl, just online.

This one took me a minute to get into, maybe 25% before I was invested but it ended up being a beautiful heart tugging story. It focuses on future dreams, parents, relationships, dating, a mystery, and of course, because it's my page, a YA romance. Add all of that to a cute cover, and I think it's worth your time.

Reader Expectations: language, including 4 uses of the F word, teenage drug use, death of parent off page,

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is such a charming, heartfelt romance that seamlessly blends the world of aspiring writers with personal growth, tension, and unexpected romance. The author does a good job of balancing the romance with internal character struggles of family, identity, and self-discovery. This book is a perfect read for fans of YA romance that explores the theme of truly finding your own voice. This story is relatable and engaging which makes it hard to put down. Thank you Random House Children's | Joy Revolution for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

While I enjoyed this one I think it would have been better it it had been it had been an adult book instead of YA. Because it actually read older.

What happens when your parents are rivals and you’re linked to their son? The rivals are authors while their children are at a writing retreat and paired as partners. Enemy to lover fans unite!

Macy is secure in her writing, just not the romance topic - since she’s cynical. Then she finds out her critique partner is Caleb, the rival's son, who is sensible and endearing. There is plenty of tension - until there’s not. The switch from enemies to lovers is wonderful. The dialogue snaps, the pull is strong, the future is bright, and the story is believable. The retreat honors romance author, Betty Quinn. The lucky person to solve her mini mystery will face a life altering consequence. Think plot twist. Overall, a good storyline makes this an enjoyable read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun book. I enjoyed it a lot!

A wonderful story of first love, friendship, and finding your place. This books on all types of love, including parental and highlights the oh so important lesson that parents are human and have their own histories and stories.

This was a cute palate cleanser of a read. And it gives off Romeo and Juliet/ Hatfield and McCoy Vibes (with a not tragic ending). I especially loved how both came from parents who were also writers. Some of the things I read, including non fiction and historical fiction can be heavy, so it was nice to read something that was cute, light , fun and fluffy. And it contained cozy mystery elements as well. It was a solid read and I will be reading from this author in the future.

This is a perfect fit for readers who adore heartwarming, swoony romance, writing, and mystery, and are looking for a story that celebrates the power of creativity, family legacies, and the magic of finding love in unexpected places.

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 9
Atmosphere: 10
Intrigue: 10
Narrative: 10
Build-up: 9
Originality: 10
Wow Factor: 10

Love on Paper follows young Macy as she attends a prestigious writing retreat she doesn’t believe she belongs in. Her deep desire to find her voice and passion for writing is what truly pushes her to hope for the best. That is, until her critique partner turns out to be Caleb—the charming and handsome rival from her family’s past.

This may be the best YA romance I have ever read. Parker writes about love in a way that is both poetic and authentic to every experience. The story doesn’t just focus on romantic love but also highlights familial and platonic relationships in ways that filled my heart. Macy and Caleb’s dynamic was so much fun to read, but what makes this story exceptional are the narratives surrounding their romance.

The inclusion of Macy’s parents’ stories added depth, giving the novel a multi-generational richness. And then there’s Betty Quinn, a character who felt integral and meaningful to the story despite not appearing in any scenes. This alone is a testament to the power of Parker’s writing.

I will absolutely be picking up more from this author, and I hope you will too.

For such a simple story about two kids at a writing camp, there was a lot going on both emotionally and with the plot. Macy and Caleb’s parents having issues with each other, Macy’s relationship with her mother, Caleb’s dealing with his mom’s recent death, writing a romance, and solving a mystery that involves their families. Whew! There was barely enough time for Macy and Caleb to do all that plus develop feelings for each other in a four week time period. Somehow, the author, and these characters, ended up doing it all culminating in a sweet young adult novel that teaches a few life lessons along the way.

The mystery I was alluding to is what held my interest through this novel. It allowed the two main characters to actually act like young kids, finding corners to hold hands and smooch, breaking and entering, doing socially silly things, then of course find clues that help them both figure out some of their emotional issues with their parental units. It was a little bit like floating down a lazy river with a ton or twists and turns, but eventually the characters got their conflicts solved and the plot concluded nicely if not totally at a pace that pleased my style of reading. As this is a very clean, sweet, young adult novel, the pace fit the plot and characters very well.