I will not be finishing this book as there was language that I did not appreciate and the book was going nowhere. I read several chapters and the character still had not stated her reason for being on the page, or making me care about the story.

This book wasn’t my favorite, and I wanted to love it more than I did. The premise of the book was super sweet, and I love a good coming-of-age story, but there was too many things happening at once. It felt like story lines on top of story lines without a major central point to focus on which left a lot to be desired.

I didn’t find myself connecting with the main character Macy, who felt way younger than what her character was meant to portray. Caleb, on the other hand, felt more fleshed out and likable. I don’t know if this was intentional or not in terms of their characterization. I also didn’t like the way their romance panned out. I love a good forced proximity romance, but this one didn’t really provide the lead up I was hoping for. I know 4 weeks is a short amount of time to work with, but when it’s two children of famous writers and there is supposedly bad blood between the families? It felt kind of weird to jump from point A to point B as quickly as it did without any tension.

That being said, despite wishing it was fleshed out more, it does make for a quick read. I would most likely recommend this to teens to give it a try, especially for the mystery aspect.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Love on Paper was a cute coming of age romance. I thought the premise of this story was fun! I especially liked the Betty Quinn mystery. I can see teen readers relating to Caleb and Macy. I adored the way Parker set up their relationship. It was cute how much they had in common. I enjoyed Macy's character arc. I found the storyline with her mother satisfying to read. Caleb was a great match for Macy. Readers will love his energy and sense of style. Despite there being a decent number of secondary characters, Fern was the only one who was focused on. I didn't mind Fern. They were a good friend to Macy. The setting was described smoothly and the writing voice was strong. The end of the book was my favorite. I liked the draft excerpt and the epilogue. Readers will leave the book happy. The only thing that really bugged me was how easy it was for Macy and Caleb to solve Betty's clues. There were too many coincidences with Emery being in her office and Taylor James being in town that made it unbelievable. Overall, this was another solid YA book by Parker. Thank you to NetGalley and Joy Revolution for the ARC.

3 Stars

I liked Love on Paper but it wasn’t a love for me. It had so many things going for it truly but I just felt a bit bored with it unfortunately. I love YA but sometimes I really feel my age with it & feel “too old” and that’s how I was left feeling here. I could see my fifteen year-old niece enjoying this story for sure!

While Love on Paper had romantic elements I wouldn’t classify it as a romance but more cozy & coming-of-age. I also thought the rivalry promised to us would have been a bigger deal but it really felt resolved by like the 20% mark.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Children’s for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute, a bit more coming of age than romance which I didn't know, but I liked it. Macy just needed to figure out her way through life and why she liked writing outside of her parents. The mystery they went on was cute and I enjoyed seeing her and Caleb solve the clues.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Love on Paper by Danielle Parker is a charming YA romance that follows Macy, the daughter of two famous authors, as she attends a prestigious writing retreat. Though she’s initially cynical about the retreat’s romance theme, things take a turn when she’s paired with Caleb, the son of her parents’ rivals. The chemistry between Macy and Caleb builds slowly, with their tension-filled partnership evolving into a sweet romance. Macy’s journey of self-discovery, aided by her friends and a mysterious author’s legacy, adds depth to the story.

While the romance and character development are heartwarming, some readers felt that the pacing was uneven, and the mystery element could have been more fleshed out. Macy’s ambition is admirable, but her character may not resonate with all readers. However, Caleb’s charm makes him a standout, and the book’s quick pace and lighthearted tone make it an enjoyable read for fans of YA romance and coming-of-age stories. The book’s mix of romance, mystery, and personal growth makes it a fun choice for fans of rivalries turned into something more.

I really wanted to like Love on Paper, but it just didn’t click for me. The story felt kind of boring, and it was hard to stay interested. One big problem was the characters—they didn’t feel real or relatable, so I never got invested in what happened to them.

The rivalry that was supposed to drive the plot? Yeah, it just didn’t feel believable. It was like the book kept telling me it was a big deal, but I never actually felt the tension or stakes.

The one thing that stood out, though, was the summer writing camp setting. That idea had so much potential! I kept wishing the book would focus more on that because it could’ve been really cool.

In the end, it had a decent concept but didn’t do much with it. If the camp idea had been fleshed out more or the characters had been stronger, it could’ve been a lot better.

Thank you so much Netgalley for providing me with this copy.

this was so cute and easy to read!! i feel like it definitely gives cozy romance vibes, i loved the main character and i found her to relatable and witty.

Both of Macy's parents are well known authors and with aspirations to also be an author she is sent to a prestigious writing camp. On the first day she is forced to pair up with Caleb- the son of her parent's rivals. When their tension turns romantic can they have a relationship or will their parents issues get in the way. such a cute YA romance i enjoyed this one!

DNF. This has a cute premise, but it missed the mark for me. The romance was dull, and the generational rivalry lacked major tension. It also felt like it was trying to do too much while also not doing enough, throwing in a tepid mystery plot on top of everything else.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Things that I liked -- own voice's, writer life, teen writing camp setting, mother-daughter relationship challenges/resolution, Fern.
Things I didn't like -- the FMC and MMC, the writing style was kind of all over the place, the pacing seemed super fast then kind of dragged then resolution came fast, the insta-love/just lots of kissing.

I wanted to enjoy the mystery of this more, but I'm not sure if it needs a bit more of an editing eye or something else, but this just felt a bit rushed. Not my favorite, but not the worst book I've ever read either.

This really had so much potential but fell flat for me as a young adult romance.

What to expect:
- BIPOC representation
- Grief/trauma
- Difficult relationships with parents
- A family feud and a little mystery
- Opposites attract forced proximity

I hoped we'd see Macy's real-life forced proximity relationship (even if it remain platonic) to give her the inspiration she needed to recognize her own abilities as a writer, outside of the generational representation she carries from her parents. Unfortunately, there were too many broken segments that didn't mesh into a cohesive story. Macy and Caleb's chemistry is lacking, leaving readers without that "kick your feet, heart-eyed" feeling we usually get from a sweet YA romance. I love seeing Joy Revolution promote new, BIPOC authors, but this read like the first draft of a debut.

This book had a lot of potential but I just could not seem to connect with Macy tbh. Caleb on the other hand had my heart. This book is not just romance but also deals with the lore of writing retreats and how there is so much pressure when you have parents who are idolised in a way. This book has a lot of potential but it felt rushed and under developed at places.

This was a good YA romcom featuring two bipoc aspiring author teens from rival literary families who find themselves paired up to write a romance short story at a summer writing camp. Full of opposites attract, forced proximity goodness with a bookish mystery thrown in to boot. I enjoyed this a lot on audio and would recommend for fans of authors like Elise Bryant (who gets a nod in the book). Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a copy of a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I was first drawn to this book because of the adorable cover! I loved the pink! This had all the makings of a cute YA. I enjoyed the premise and had high hopes for the story. Sadly, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The book had a lot going on and the pacing felt off. It also read a bit immature for YA.

I was impressed with Macy’s ambition, but she wasn’t a character I wanted to root. I also didn’t see her being a character young readers would be able to relate to. I did find Caleb on the other hand, to be a very likable character. I’m also not sure about the romance between Caleb and Macy. They didn’t seem like the right match to me.

There were aspects of the story that felt undeveloped and rushed. I wish the mystery had been a little better flushed out. I felt like we were left with some unanswered questions.

Overall, a YA with a lot of promise. I think it just needed some more flushing out and maybe a little less going on. I do think a lot of people will enjoy this one, it just wasn’t my favorite.

A big thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc. I totally loved the book and the characters so much!! Didn't really see that ending coming...

I'll post full reviews all over my social media platforms by the end of November.

Wowzaa!! An electrifying and poetic read for romcom lovers! Danielle Parker has spun a golden tale of broken kinship, loss, first loves and bonds in a fittingly bookish setting.
Macy and Caleb are overshadowed by their respective parents literary accolades, find themselves in a romantic book writing retreat. Their inner conflicts, meshed within a search for a lost manuscript, makes this a multi hued read, catering to a variety of genres.

I was able to complete the book in a day. Thank you Danielle for the beautiful tale and special thankyous to Netgalley and Joy Revolution for the ArC!!

If you like your YA with romance, family feuds, a writing retreat, and some good mystery, Love on Paper might be a great fit for you!

I enjoyed the main characters of Macy and Caleb a lot. They are both children of famous writers, and they know there's some bad blood between their families - but they don't know what exactly. So they can't deny their chemistry when they are at the same 4-week writing summer camp in California.

They find out the theme of the camp is romance writing, and their focus go to recently deceased writer Betty Quinn, a prolific author who seems to have left a trail of clues for the young writers.

Pros:
- Always, always glad to have YA with people of color, and lots of diversity
- Sweet romance between the two characters and no huge miscommunication
- Caleb has some grief and trauma from losing his mom; Macy has a hard relationship with her mom and her parents have been married and divorced twice. They help each other deal with these things in a healthy way.

Not my favorite:
- As an adult reader, I just wasn't sure this was tied together super well. I didn't quite get where we ended up with the mystery OR the family issues.
- I wanted to feel more of the chemistry between Macy and Caleb.
- I felt like the modern day teen talk might be outdated in a few years.

For me as an adult, this was a fine and readable YA romance. I'm glad that Joy Revolution is giving voice to new authors, and I look forward to seeing what comes next from this publisher and author.

This was a fun book with heart and wit. A YA-romance, the book would be great for middle through college students, and I enjoyed it as well. The main characters, Macy and Caleb, are a cute couple of literary nepo-babies who want to make their own mark in the publishing world. There is a bit of a Romeo and Juliet issue, with their families apparently hating each other, but in the liminal space of a prestigious writing camp, they are able to explore their feelings while trying to solve a mystery about the world's biggest romance writer, one that involves the early days of their parents' literary careers as well.

I liked that the book covered the privilege both kids have from growing up in the literary and publishing industries, but it also showed how each was creating their own work, looking for their own voice, and attempting to move out from their parents' limelight rather than riding coat-tails to publishing success. Parker showed Macy and Caleb's growth as writers, taking them from writer's block through strong short stories even as she pulls us and her characters through the mystery of the romance writer and her legacy.

The book heavily delves into themes of what legacy means and how to create a legacy, as well as the struggles teens go through trying to both emulate and break away from their parents. As a high school teacher, I found the characters real and relatable, even if the book ends of a slightly-too-good-to-be-true ending. Although, don't we read rom-com novels for the happy ending?

Overall, a fun read, great for HS, clean and cute romance.

Love on Paper is a cute YA book about a young author who comes from a family of successful writers meeting another young author at a youth writing retreat who comes from a family of successful authors. How their own passion for writing can stand up to family legacy while getting along with their peers and maybe falling in love. It is a nice story and I individually liked the characters. They are super young dealing with some heavy topics (the book is not heavy). The book jumps around a lot and the pacing is a bit off. For someone who really dislikes her mother and wants nothing to do with her, Macy sure does obsess over her. Overall this is a good story that falls short. On a plus side, Caleb is a super cute MMC and really makes the book better. For a YA book it does contain enough to keep younger readers interested.

Thank you NetGalley, Danielle Parker, and Joy Revolution for an advanced digital copy of this book.