I love "a romance author finds romance" trope.....this one also included a Viscount and old home in England that was falling to disrepair. Oozing with charm and aided by the main characters vibrant quirky personality and strong voice, this book will make you smile. It's a winner!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #VictoryEditing for the ARC.

The Meet-Cute Manuscript by Kimberly Duffy is a delightful low-spice, grumpy/sunshine romance that follows Georgina Justice, a successful American romance novelist reeling from a public breakup. To reignite her belief in love and overcome writer's block, she retreats to the English countryside, where she meets Graham Michael Phips-Harington, Viscount Rosebury—a brooding engineer dedicated to preserving his crumbling Georgian manor. Their contrasting personalities set the stage for a heartwarming and humorous tale.​

One of the novel's standout features is the inclusion of excerpts from Georgina's own manuscript, offering readers a meta-narrative that adds depth and a unique perspective to the story. These snippets provide a delightful glimpse into her creative process and mirror her personal journey, enhancing the overall reading experience.​

However, Graham's relationship with his sister, Eleanor, felt somewhat underdeveloped. His emotionally distant demeanor and reluctance to engage with her personal growth were occasionally frustrating. A more nuanced portrayal of their sibling bond would have added depth to his character and enriched the narrative.​

Overall, The Meet-Cute Manuscript is a charming read that will appeal to fans of romantic comedies and stories about writers.

This is the first book in the Love on the Page series. It is written by Kim Duffy, who has written historical books under the name Kimberly Duffy. I believe this is her first romcom. It is a kisses only contemporary romcom with some historical elements.

Oddly enough, this is the 3rd book that I have read in the last couple months with a similar premise of the female main character visiting a place with historic connections and elements to the plot.

I thought Ms. Duffy did a nice job of incorporating the present and the past. I liked the storyline. I liked the characters. I loved the humor. I laughed out loud several times. Overall this was a very enjoyable book to read.

There was one issue that I have to mention. The story is told in first person point of view from the main female character's perspective AND third person from the main male character's perspective. This was a bit frustrating. I do not understand why the author wrote the story this way. I don't have a problem reading a book in first or third person POV, but the back and forth took me out of the feel of some of the chapters. It just felt sort of gimmicky to me. I hope that in future books in this series, the author will pick either one or the other perspective and just write that way for the whole book, because I am really looking forward to reading more books by this author, particularly in this series. I am deducting half a star for that one issue rounding up to 5.

I did receive an advanced digital copy of this book from the author via Netgalley. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Cute, nice palette cleanser but personally I struggled to connect with the characters-This definitely was a 'book I read' instead of immersed myself in.

The story was fun and lighthearted and I had a good time reading it.
This was a wonderfully written romantic comedy.
I absolutely loved these characters and really enjoyed getting to know them.
A sweet, funny and heartwarming read!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book early! I think it's so cute and I love the chemistry between the two of them!! No notes, I think you knocked it out of the park!

Meet-Cute Manuscript is so much fun, I wish I could unread this and experience a first reading again. I giggled on a regular basis.

Georgina is a very famous Regency romance author with a deadline, a wedding dress, a cheating fiancé, and public humiliation. She no longer believes in love. Hopefully spending two months on an English estate will provide her with the inspiration she needs to write a beautiful romance.

Graham is a charming, disheveled grouch. As Viscount Rosebury, he is weighed down by centuries of family expectations thrust upon him too soon. He has no idea his teenaged sister has rented a room in their home to a stranger.

As familiar as this premise sounds, the book is filled with clever and entertaining plot details. Georgina is vibrant inside and out and delighted by every part of the estate. I particularly like how she is confident in spite of her past difficulties, and she continues to learn and grow and become stronger without being emotionally distraught all the time. He is restrained and simply worn out, but he’s intrigued by the mysterious woman living in his house in spite of her being loud, obnoxious, and nosy. Together, with some help from Graham’s scheming sister, they find the love story between them.

This is a delightful two-for-one romance—the modern-day romance between Georgina and Graham, as well as the Regency romance she is writing, bad drafts included.

I've read this author when she's written historical. I think she did great with her venture into romcom. If she wrote more I'd read that too. I loved the begining and hook. I thought the chapter headings of the book the character is in the midst of writing was a nice touch. I got into the story really well. I loved the Hero's obliviousness.I enjoyed the bits of humor and the heroine's best friend. I thought the writng was thoughtful on what it means to love and to take the risk.
Favorite scene: Nightime ballroom dance
Content info: descriptive kisses, brief mentions of teen pregnancy, dysfunctional family history, taking a smoke. No language, or innuendo, closed door.

Throughout this book I thought I would give it a three star review. It was ok, but not special. It was obvious that the author is far more comfortable with historical romance. The excerpts of the regency prose her main character writes draws you in far more than the active plot does. I found myself far more interested in the background characters. Eleanor’s story is much more intriguing and she’s a more rounded character. I felt very little emotional connection to Graham and Frankie/Georgina. Though this story is only 200 plus pages, it feels much longer. The main conflict had a a lackluster reveal. There are also elements that are confusing to the reader. The male main character is said to be so naive to the protagonist’s attraction, but the author writes about how he can read her every thought on her face. At one point he thinks about how she looks like she wants to kiss him, but she thinks he’s completely oblivious. It makes no sense.

This book is also, in name only, dual point of view. We get very little from Graham’s point of view and when we do, it’s in a different tense. It makes reading his point of view feel disjointed. Honestly, it wasn’t necessary to include his point of view at all with how little it was included.

I’m not typically a harsh reviewer, however this book did not do it for me. Ultimately I would give this book a two star review. I apologize, but it did not resonate with me at all.

This was a cute contemporary rom-com, starring a historical romance writer. I absolutely love when authors make their main characters authors, and this one was all kinds of quirky. Frankie Brown, pen name Georgina Justice, finds herself needing to lay low after some particularly public humiliation, and make some headway on her latest book. What better place than an English countryside manor house with a grumpy modern-day viscount to write her latest regency romance?

This author is well known for her heavier historicals, so I was thrilled to see how she would handle a lighter contemporary. And though this was lighter than her historical fiction, it did have a heavier feel than I'm used to for rom-coms in general. There were still plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and fun twists, notwithstanding and is one I can easily recommend. All in all, I would classify this as a clean, fun rom-com and a quick enjoyable read. Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

Adorable, romantic, memorable story that deserves to be read and savored! Loved this romance/rom com/ historical mash up! This book was provided by the Author, Kimberly Duffy, the publisher and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Sometimes a book and a reader just don’t vibe, and that was the case here for me. I went in expecting a fun, modern romcom, but what I got felt more like a literary throwback dressed in romance packaging. The writing style leaned heavily into a more classic, almost old-fashioned narrative voice, which kept me at arm’s length rather than pulling me in.

The storytelling choices also made it hard to stay grounded. Switching between first and third person isn't an issue on its own, but the way tense was handled—particularly the third person being in present tense—felt disorienting and unnatural. It made the transitions jarring, and I never fully adjusted.

On top of that, the story itself didn’t win me over. I couldn’t connect with the lead character, and unfortunately, that disconnect lingered throughout the book. Oddly enough, I found myself more intrigued by the fictional book within the book than the actual narrative I was supposed to be following. A couple of background characters had their moments, but not enough to turn things around.

That said, not every story is for every reader. If the premise sparks your interest, it could very well strike a chord with you even if it missed the mark for me

What a cute story! This rom-com has so much in it. Regency references, grumpy & sunshine main characters, an English manor, ghost stories. What’s now to love?!


Author Georgina Justice is done with love. It just doesn’t exist. Viscount Rosebury wants nothing to do with…anyone. Just let him engineer things. She’s sunny. He’s grumpy. And the sparks fly.


If you enjoy a good rom-com with clean romance, lots of twists and turns, and great secondary characters, then I highly recommend The Meet-Cute Manuscript. It will put a smile on your face.


I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

When you are a writer and you are stuck in a rut, why not take a trip, submerge yourself in a new culture and see how the writing flows from there. Our lead character goes to England to get inspired, and while staying at an old rundown castle, she ends up meeting and befriending a "royal" family with lots of heart and lots of quirks. Will our author find inspiration? Or will you find something even more? A nice light rom com.

This was a fabulous debut ROM-COM from this author! It is actually my first of any of her books! I want to dive into her Regency genre books! I really enjoyed the ups and downs of this story! I got a little distracted from the story in the middle - but was absolutely grateful for the way it resolved! I loved the personalities of all the characters! Grateful for the clean and solid dialogue! Great story!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this book! All opinions are my own!

Everything about this book was super cute. There were a couple of times I wanted to encourage Frankie to move it along a bit faster as the pace lagged a smidge, but overall I enjoyed the journey she was taking us on. I was just impatient to get there. HA!

I think this line from the book sums it up perfectly:
"There are more feelings than ways to describe them."
Kimberly Duffy is one of my favorite authors and she is so good at taking me through a range of emotions (she's one of the few that can make me cry, and I DID tear up with this one!)

Let's start with the things I adored:
1. The heroine is an author (I don't know why, but I always love this!)
2. It's set in a manor house in England (I'm ready to head to the English countryside myself)
3. The humor - It's so much fun when a book makes me laugh out loud (this one did multiple times)
4. The meddling "little" sister
5. The oblivious hero

Everything about this book was super cute. There were a couple of times I wanted to encourage Frankie to move it along a bit faster as the pace lagged a smidge, but overall I enjoyed the journey she was taking us on. I was just impatient to get there. HA!

I think we absolutely need a second book for Ashley and Garret so I'll likely be begging mercilessly for that. That's right... while I absolutely want more historical books from Kimberly, I also now want a second contemporary.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
The Meet Cute Manuscript by Kimberly Duffy is a heartwarming and charming read with well-developed character interactions that really brought the story to life. I especially loved the layers of family history woven into the plot and the fact that the main character is a writer—it added an extra touch of relatability and depth.

The title instantly drew me in, and the story delivered with a sweet blend of romance and personal growth.

I received a complimentary ARC from Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op. All opinions listed are purely my own.

A lovely pick for readers who enjoy character-driven romances with a meaningful backstory and a literary twist.

4.5* Rounding up.

This was a cute and delightful rom-com. Georgina Justice, aka Frankie, is a best-selling author and finds herself dealing with a pretty public breakup from her fiance. That definitely doesn't help her heart for writing her soon to be due manuscript for another Regency Romance. What does one do when they can't find their inspiration? Why disappear to England of course and stay in a castle! Works every time! *winks*

I giggled at her first human encounter at the castle. With Eleanor. She's an adorable older teenager/almost twenty year old, who is trying to navigate life and help her brother, the Viscount Rosebury, aka Graham Michael Phips-Harington. Whew! That's a mouthful of a name. He's a bit of a grump and a recluse. He's happy to throw himself into his projects and hobbies and keep the public far away from his quite life. Little does he know that this American named Frankie is going to make his life a whole lot more interesting. She just wants peace and quiet as well but somehow with her around, he's not going to find any internal rest when his heart is all a whirl!

The dynamics between these characters were fun. There are some plot twists as they navigate life, especially as Graham realizes that his sister Eleanor is turning into a woman and is not the young girl he keeps imagining her to be. Thankfully Frankie is there to help him navigate it all.

I loved the fun snippets of Frankie, aka Georgina's, novel that she is writing. I loved how she drew inspiration from the world around her and the parallels of Frankie's life with the novel.

Cute. Humorous. Thoughtful. And full of chemistry and sweet romance.

Content: Clean. Some kisses and nothing further.

I received a copy from the publisher, Victory Editing Co-op, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

Georgina Justice (aka Frankie Brown) is a bestselling romance author—until a public breakup makes her question everything she’s ever written about love. Her agent sends her to the English countryside to get back in touch with the Regency world she writes about, hoping it’ll help her find her voice again.

This one was such a fun mix of contemporary romance with a touch of Regency flair. The side characters were all so lovable, and their interactions made the story even more heartwarming.

There’s just the right amount of swoon, too—enough to make you smile without overpowering the story.

One quote that stuck with me:
“You should know more than anyone you can’t prevent hard things from happening just by making choices society thinks are the right ones.”
Such a good reminder.