I really wanted to love this one, but it somehow just felt incomplete. The main characters were both likable and developed characters. The settings at both Daphne's home and on the book tour were entertaining, and easily visualized. I just lacked a connection, as I felt like the opening decision by Daphne was just so obviously going to be a problem from the outset.

Kelley Armstrong has written books in a variety of genres, but Finding Mr. Write is her first foray into romantic comedy. If you're familiar with her other books, I don't think you'll be at all surprised that this is just as wonderful as her others.

Daphne lives in the Yukon, and has been shopping around her first novel - a post-apocalyptic, zombie YA. In frustration at the rejections, she uses a male pen name and suddenly there's a bidding war for her book. Great! Except now everyone wants to interview new bestseller Zane Remington. Obviously the solution is to hire an actor to play the part for her, right? Chris is a city dwelling accountant, NOT an outdoorsy Yukon survivalist, but he's willing to play the part. But keeping up the act in front of a media circus, while balancing it with a growing attraction to Daphne, is harder than he expected. And eventually the truth is going to have to come out.

The first chapter or so felt a bit rough and boiler-plate contemporary romance. It was a slow start, but very quickly fell right into the style Armstrong is known for. It didn't depend on the annoying miscommunication tropes that romances often do. There's a bit of a deception at the beginning between the two characters, but it's VERY quickly dealt with and moved past, which is refreshing. The misunderstandings all feel realistic and handled in a mature, adult manner.

One of the most important things for me in a contemporary romance is the dialog and banter. Great plot but no witty banter? Eh, mid. Finding Mr. Write absolutely delivers though, and the MCs have a great chemistry and great back-and-forth.

I loved the setting, the meet-cute, the chemistry, the characters. Even the side characters were great. I don't know if Armstrong will write more romance or if this was a one-off experiment, but if she does I'll be picking them up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

A female writer who wrote a darn good book, but can't sell it until she pretends she's a man and the man she hires to play her newly created male persona to the masses. Fortunately for Daphne, Chris is nothing like the swaggering writer he needs to pretend to be. In fact, Chris is pretty awesome.

Sure, Daphne has to talk herself into getting into any sort of relationship with him, but that's more because she's concerned about the whole employer/employee thing. And Chris has to talk himself into the same, but that's more because he's really playing an accountant playing an actor playing the guy he thinks Zane Remington should be. Which sounds confusing, but really it's just that Chris has to play the part of a macho guy who isn't afraid of anything when he's really a sweet, math nerd with a great chest and arms. WWZRD, amirite?

Anywho. Daphne and Chris hit it off after their first somewhat disastrous meeting (which was very Zane Remington and very NOT Chris Stanton) and soon they're giving interviews (well, Chris as Zane is giving interviews) and are on a book tour trying to figure out how much is too much when it comes to keeping Zane's persona going. In other words, Daphne is bit by the guilt bug over deceiving her readers and Chris wants to support her in any way she needs him to. Which actually turns into a whole THING, but it's cool. It's all cool.

A little deception that keeps growing, an encounter with a bear, a rescue from a lake, a book tour, steamy kisses, long looks, a man who shows his love with baking, and a woman who likes the real Chris Stanton far more than Chris as Zane. GOOD TIMES all around!

FINISHED! Finished in ONE DAY! I love me some Kelley Armstrong, this is definitely outside of her normal writing but she’s always been good at unraveling romance in interesting ways so this more typical way was also good too! I cannot wait to read more!!

This was incredibly fun! Very unlike her other books but still very good. I flew through it. Highly suggest.

Idk what bookmatching wizardry goes on at @readforeverpub , but they may know me better than I know myself! 🥰❤️

Case in point: Finding Mr. Write by: @kelleyarmstrongauthor I was laughing and swooning and laughing some more about every 8 seconds!

Like who could be mad at a book that centers around 1.) a hot actor that needs a job that meets 2.) A female author who sold a book to a publisher under a male pen name that needs a man to portray said pen named person on/in all public facing materials and situations and 3.) of course CHAOS ENSUES 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾😂

⭐️FINDING MR. WRITE out JUN 25th⭐️

Thank you to @readforeverpub for the physical ARC review copy💕

Fed up with the lack of interest in her post-apocalyptic YA novel, Daphne changes the summary and submits it under a male pen name. It sells! For a high bid and interest and all of her dreams seem achievable. The only problem? The publisher needs a face to go with the author's name. It starts off as a simple plan: Daphne hires an actor to "be" Zane, her author persona. In her first meeting, she and Chris, the actor of choice, clash horribly, because Chris is pretending to be who he thinks Daphne needs "Zane" to be. What should have been a once-and-done keeps going though, as the publisher wants more pictures, interviews...a book tour, and then it all spins out of control.

Before FINDING MR. WRITE, I only knew Kelley Armstrong from her paranormal romances and her paranormal YA books. I've been reading her books for years so I was pleasantly thrilled to see she was writing a contemporary romance. And it's a home run! Both Daphne and Chris leap off the page, fully realized, characters you can root for and understand and who you want to see succeed in their own ways. You want Chris to let down his guard and show Daphne who he really is and you want Daphne to see beyond the smoke screen Chris has put up.

Oh, this book was fun! As much as I swooned, I cheered and frowned, going through emotions after emotions. I was frustrated with Daphne at times, watching her take a back seat in her own author journey as Chris reluctantly took the spotlight. And that frustration increased as she and Chris began to explore their chemistry, both holding back for their own reasons. But Daphne and Chris were both very likable and that frustration was tempered with a sense of how RIGHT they were for each other and how much I wanted to see them make it despite their needs and wants clashing.

At first, I was concerned the pacing might be too slow but me, but as events unfolded, I realized I'd been wrong to worry. Kelley kept me turning the pages as I had to know what twist and turn the book took next--especially when Daphne and Chris decided to give being a couple a try. Chris was seriously the SWEETEST guy! He was patient with Daphne and when he messed up, he (eventually) realized it.

All in all a really enjoyable read, I'm so glad I took a chance on Kelley Armstrong's contemporary romance. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a romance with a lot of heart.

If you're on the hunt for the perfect romance book, then look no farther. You have found it. Finding Mr. Write is one of the cutest, funniest and most charming romances I have read in a while.
I fell in love with everything about this book. The chemistry between the main characters, Chris and Daphne, was perfection. The balance between irritation and attraction, chivalry and stupidity, romantic and realistic was spot on. I never wanted to put it down.
The setting was fabulous. As someone who has been to the Yukon myself, I appreciate the incredibly beautiful scene that was laid out before me. It's such raw and wild beauty and it was described in a very honest and realistic way.
I also loved the book publishing background aspect. As a reader, it's not something I am privy to, but it's neat to see the flip side. The pressures and anxieties and the heartbreak that the publishing world can create.
I will definitely be recommending this book to all of my romance reading friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the opportunity to read this fantastic book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I just couldn’t get through this book. It felt a tad too juvenile to me. I did love the concept and I really truly wanted to love it, but I ended up DNF’ing almost halfway through. I know this book is for someone out there, but I don’t think I’m the audience for it

Kelly Armstrong writing Romance. Sign me in!

I’ve read a lot of this author’s work, some I enjoyed more than others, but they are always great stories. In this opportunity, we have a good story with important society issues, however, it’s hard for me to say it’s a romance book, when the romance doesn’t seem to be the main plot, actually, a lot is going on in the story, and the main characters felt flat, no much of development and I couldn’t connect with them.

Now, Despite, all the things that didn’t work for me, I’m glad I read this book, one more time Armstrong showed her incredible writing skills.

I received an ARC through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. And I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In reading the author's note at the end of this book, I discovered that the author has written several books, but never a rom-com! I would not have guessed. She did an excellent job. I thought the characters were endearing and I cared about what happened to them. I liked the premise that Daphne had written a dystopian, zombie novel that she could not get anyone to look at and publish until she tweaked the message (not the actual text) and slapped on a male author name. Suddenly, she had a deal to be published! As a gen x woman this was not hard to believe at all. It is a frustrating fact that a phone call made by a man could get results after 5 made by me for the same purpose. I loved her for getting her story our there and thought it was interesting to realize that many authors are uncomfortable in the limelight and might actually like to hire an actor to do the public appearances.
I hope this book finds its audience and Armstrong dabbles some more in rom-coms!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #GrandCentralPublishing for my ARC

I was sadly disappointed in this one. I have been a fan of Kelley Armstrong for years. In fact she has written some of my all time favourite books but this one felt off. The main characters weren’t that likeable and the romance just wasn’t that interesting. I liked the idea of this book but it wasn’t my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Finding Mr. White by Kelley Armstrong makes one thing perfectly clear; this author is able to write superbly in any genre.
This new rom-com by Armstrong is in turns funny, informative, sweet, frustrating - in fact, it hits on every emotion readers have come to expect from the genre. Add to that relatable main characters, who are Canadian to boot, and an in depth look at the publishing industry in general and the challenges women writers encounter in particular, and this book is hard to put down.
I enjoyed every minute of this book and highly recommend it to readers of all genres. You won't be disappointed.
Thank you for the ARC of #FindingMrWrite to #NetGalley.

Finding Mr. Write is a a cute, and quick contemporary romance read. It is something a little different from Kelley Armstrong, who normally does mysteries, horror and paranormal stories with romantic elements built in. It also gives a little of a behind the scenes look at the publishing industry, and for readers that was a nice peek behind the curtain. This book would be perfect for someone looking for a light, and funny romance story. It could easily be marketed as a beach read type of book.

3.5 rounded up to 4

This was fine, but unfortunately just read a bit cheesy and silly to me. It was all very Hallmark but not in a fun way.

This was a cute and funny book. the characters were kept to a minimum and I liked that. The love story was cute, especially since they hated each other at first. At times I felt a lot was going on, but I thought the book overall was good.

I'm a pretty big fan of this author and have read most (if not all) of her backlist. I'm glad she branched out into the romcom genre, as I really liked this novel. I read it in one sitting, easily engaged with the story. and enjoyed seeing the trials and tribulations of Chris and Daphne's relationship.

I think this is. a perfect beach read novel and hope other readers enjoy it as much as I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

I was not expecting a romcom from Kelley Armstrong. Her Rockton/Haven’s Rock is one of my favorite series of all time. I adored this book. I laughed out loud multiple times. Chris is absolutely the best. Daphne is awesome. Read and enjoy.

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite authors, and was really my introduction to the romance genre beginning with her Otherworld series, so when I saw the chance to get an ARC of her first foray into the rom-com genre I jumped onboard so quickly. This was like the rom-com of all rom-coms for me - I was just smiling from start to finish!

This book hooked me with a banger of a first line - "'I need a penis,' Daphne said." See, Daphne's got a bit of a conundrum - her YA dystopian romance book isn't selling. Well, it wasn't, until she had a wine-related epiphany and decided to tweak her cover letter to focus more on the survivalism aspect and less on the romance. Oh yeah, and submit it under a male pseudonym. Lo and behold, she receives a $500k offer on the book and now the publishers want her to do some press. But how will Daphne, aka Zane Remington, do that? In steps hired 'actor' Chris. After a rather delightful meet-cute misunderstanding, Daphne & Chris team up to tackle this grande facade.

I loved both MCs. Daphne is competent, savvy, and a badass living off-grid in the Yukon. Chris is...not that. He's totally out of his depth with this assignment which makes for some hilarious interactions during the beginning of their relationship. He's basically the dude playin' the dude, disguised as another dude! While he may not be the outdoorsy Zane Remington, he is the perfect book boyfriend - he's thoughtful, funny, glowed up from geek to chic during college but still identifies as the geek, and he bakes.

While Chris bumped up his resume to accept the position as Zane Remington, I was happy that didn't keep this from Daphne for too long, as it helped solidify their relationship, allowing them to become quick friends, and soon to be lovers. They have excellent chemistry, and while I was slightly miffed about the choice to fade to black, it didn't make me like it any less because them just being together and interacting was enough for me. I mean:

"He took her hands in his. "I'm not asking you to commit to anything. I Just need you to be open to the idea that this is more than a fling...nothing can be certain. That'd be like writing a book and deciding it's going to be an instant bestseller. But you wrote it in hopes it would be the start of something real. A possible new direction for your life...that's all this is, our first chapter. Pen to paper with the hope of finishing the story." He met her gaze. "Do you want to start a story with me, Daphne?""

It was also fun to see the reverse side of the writing/publishing world, especially knowing that Kelley has gone through this herself. She manages to still touch on some hard truths surrounding sexism, racism, and internalized misogyny while keeping the balance of of a good-natured rom-com.

While there is a sort-of 3rd act breakup stemming from some miscommunication (my least favourite trope), it's actually handled like the adults they are (!) which I appreciated.

All in all, this was a quick, easy read with dynamic characters, witty banter, and a fabulous Yukon backdrop. Kudos, Kelley - keep the rom-coms coming!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story! the character development is a roller coaster in this story in the best possible way! Chris and Daphne are not who they may appear to be in the first couple chapters— they have many layers that are slowly peeled back through the whole story. Chris is a deeply sweet, kind, and silly hero who is the perfect pairing to Daphne’s strong and shy lifestyle. I loved the original plot and subplots happening here, as Chris is hired to play the writer that Daphne has penned in her writing career. I could see the intentional and nuanced way this whole arrangement was handled from both characters perspective which contributed deeply to the layered aspects of the characters.

I really loved both Chris and Daphne: their developing connection, their individual character arcs and emotions, and their overall goodness made their story so consuming and lovely to read. seeing their relationship bloom was so special to read, and their happily ever after was so special.

I flew through this book and can’t wait to buy when it comes out! thank you for the arc :)