Another stellar book from author Kelley Armstrong! The new standalone book is about author Daphne and her pseudonym, Zane Remington. Chris is hired to play the male 'author' on a book tour after meeting Daphne, they eventually get together. In addition to awesome HEA story, Armstrong addresses the issue of feminism and women in the publishing world - subtly - and powerfully. Many of her stories are based in Canada and the long-distance romance between Yukon and Vancover was an interesting part of the story, with cards and text communcation in the book. Kudos to Kelley Armstrong!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong in exchange for an honest review. I was totally surprised when I saw that Kelley Armstrong had written a rom-com and even though this isn't my genre, I loved it. I think there is something really special about Armstrong, no matter what she writes, what genre she tries, it comes out amazing. I really think it is her writing style and how she develops the storyline and characters. Whether it's a mountain woman writer in the Yukon or an accountant in Vancouver, I feel like I know these people. Thank you for all your amazing writing Kelley Armstrong and please don't stop!

Loved this book! A main character who tackles misogyny and lack of diversity in publishing! Well written and great banter

I really enjoyed this rom-com – a new genre for this established author. I am not sure if I think this story is a romance set in the world of book publishing, or a story about the publishing industry wherein the main characters fall in love.

It has all the elements of a romance novel. The cute title and cover art, the meet-cute, the will they or won’t they, the romance leading up to the big misunderstanding, and the grand gesture. The MCs are strong, funny, and sweet - and obviously perfect for each other. There is no real conflict with the MCs , and so the eleventh-hour miscommunication is a bit forced, but still executed well.

As good as the love story is, I found equal enjoyment in the characters’ adventures of publishing and promoting the book. It is a fun meta experience to be reading about the fictional publication and promotional tour, and recognizing it surely predicts the author’s upcoming experiences of publication, signings and appearances for this novel [due out on June 25th]. While providing insider thoughts about the process, it also touches on the hopes and dreams of writers and their love for their readers, as well as the power of influencers, cancel culture and sexism in the industry.

This is a really good summer read, and I thank Kelley Armstrong, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to Forever and Grand Central Publishing for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

If you know me, you know I love a rustic setting for books. Between the punny title and the cover, I was so in for this book. I had a great time reading it. I love books that throw two characters together and the story requires them to trust each other implicity off the bat. I loved the first half of this book so much, mostly because I loved being in the Yukon. I have an obsession with the Pacific Northwest including Alaska, the Yukon, Vancouver, that whole area.

As a reader and writer, I also love books that explore the publishing industry. As a reviewer, I can’t imagine how hard it is for authors right now to be so available to their readership and have to be ready for criticism at every moment. I’m also very aware that romance, as a genre dominated by women, is often overlooked by critics and the industry. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it made me think.

Synopsis:

“Daphne McFadden already knows that as a female author, the cards are stacked against her. Now she knows just how much. Because her sudden whim to pose as an “outdoorsy hunk of masculinity” male author for her new book just resulted in the unthinkable: a bidding war, a huge book deal, and the kind of fame every author dreams of. Now she’s in big trouble. Because she needs to convince the world that Zane Remington actually exists . . . but how?

By hiring an actor, of course.

Only Chris Stanton is not an actor—not officially. He’s used to balancing the books, not pretending he wrote one. Still, he’s mostly certain he can pose as some overly macho bro-author. But when the media descend on Daphne’s gorgeous remote home in the Yukon, it’s not enough for Chris to just be the face of Zane Remington—he’ll have to become him. All while hilariously balancing the terrifying dangers of the wilderness, a massive femme fandom, and a serious crush on Daphne. But as the hype circus gets more out of control, it’s just a matter of time before someone discovers their little write lie . .” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Premise & Tropes—This wasn’t a fake dating but it was a spin on fake dating that felt fresh and relevant.

The Setting—Obsessed. Incredible. I didn’t want to leave and I was so sad when the characters went on tour!

Commentary on Publishing—This isn’t as intense as Yellowface as R.F. Kuang, but I do think it’s still very important. Is a book taken more seriously if there is a man’s name on the cover? It’s been done so many times throughout history and it seems we still aren’t learning.

What Didn’t Work:

Second Half Pacing—Things slowed down for me a bit!

Second Half Setting—I felt like we lost the connection to where we were in the physical sense.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

Contenting Warnings:

death of a parent

I loved this romcom and was absolutely surprised to find out this was the author’s first foray into the genre. Being a book lover who is endlessly curious about the publishing industry I bought into the tension of knowing whether or not Daphne would be exposed as the author. I also loved the romance piece of this book and found myself swooning over Chris way more than the ever-confident Zane.

My one issue was that the pacing seemed a little off to me. I felt like the build up to the book tour was just a hair too long, for ultimately very little relevance to the overall plot.

I would like to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.I really liked this book. It was a bit clunky in the last third, but it was good. Daphne McFadden is an architect living in the Yukon. She is also a writer who has just finished a YA type of Zombie apocalypse novel with a teenage girl protagonist. And she can't get it published. Frustrated, she rewrites the cover letter to change the synopsis( more zombie less romance) and makes one other change- the writer is now named Zane Remington. The book gets picked up by a publisher and is set to be printed. Only one problem, they need a face to go with the name. She calls her lawyer friend Nia for advice.
Chris Stanton is an accountant. He went into business with a friend , only to find out the friend has a drug problem. He now has no money, and no business. He calls his lawyer Nia for help.
It is a fairly convoluted story, with lots of twists and turns along the way. Make no mistake, it is a rom com, with a meet cute, a will they or won't they, passionate interludes, a late in the game "misunderstanding , its all there. What else is there a real story about feminism and racism in publishing. A story about cancel culture, and influencers , and unscrupulous people. It is true and fun and though provoking. It is a good read!

I absolutely loved loved loved the storyline and plot in this book. The way the characters come together and the humor in the story was great. The idea of the plot was so unique and original I’ve never seen another book like it and I think it was perfect for a romance book. It felt like I was watching a movie and not so much reading a book because it brought the characters to life. I love how easy it all flowed together and I’m a sucker for romantic comedy. Way to go! Loved it!

Finding Mr. Write was so much fun! I loved the premise - in a fit of desperation, an aspiring author sends out her manuscript with a male name attached. Once the book gets picked up, she has to find a man to sit for author photos and appear for interviews. This arrangement quickly gets complicated - and pretty sexy!

I loved how this book subverted a lot of my expectations for conflict and how characters would handle difficult situations. Plus I was absolutely on board for the romance from the beginning! Kelley Armstrong claims she doesn’t write romances, but she definitely does now! I’d be excited to read any that she puts out in the future.

I made it to the 50% mark but I realized every ~5%, I was checking to see the percent completed. White flag of surrender. I found it well written but very slow pacing-wise, and I didn’t feel the chemistry (though I realize Chris is extremely attractive). I appreciated the many aspects of the book and the things it was trying to show, but it kept showing the same things over and over while keeping minimal tension and resolving conflict immediately. I wish it had focused on doing one thing really well and been more selective in scenes with the plot, rather than an entire journey detailing every step of “what happens when an author publishes a bestseller” with two MCs who don’t have any real conflict. I was here for the romance, and instead it felt like the author was living out her pipe dream. I don’t know how else to explain it.

This feels like a solid 3 to 4 stars for the target audience. I think it will go over better with the crowd who prefers general fiction with a little romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

Long time Kelley Armstrong reader here! I have to say when I heard she was writing a rom-com, I needed to read it. Daphnie is definitely not a Mary Sue. She’s a well thought out character. I love how strong she can be and how broken she is in other ways. I love the way the relationship with Chris forms. He is truly a good actor. He pretends to be a mountain man, but finds himself making mistake after mistake. They work really well together once they get on the same page. It took me a little bit to get into the book at first, but once I was invested. I needed to know if there would be a HEA. This book gave me laughs, a few tears and a little twist in my tummy. Definitely had me in my feels.

I received this as an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

This was my first book by this Author and I had no idea this wasn’t her normal genre. For it not being the normal thing for her to right it was absolutely fantastic! It made me giggle multiple times. I loved the characters, they were very likable. The whole story flowed so well from start to finish. I loved the addition of them talking in their heads written out in the story. I was rooting for Daphne and Chris from the very beginning so that ending was perfect! Now I need another book of them or a short story.

Great quick beach read! Being a woman, I can relate to the struggles of the FMC. Having to publish her work under a males name, Daphne hires a stand in to back up her pen name and eventually falls in love. This is a dual POV romcom that is cute and heartfelt. Spice level is “closed door” which I wasn’t expecting because there was a ton of graphic flirting and I was expecting “open door”. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to other readers who enjoy closed door romance books.

I'm a little biased because Kelley Armstrong is quite possibly my favourite Canadian author, but man she killed it once again. This is the perfect sweet romcom that leaves you with butterflies and keeps you reading long past bedtime. It's rare to find a book where you love all of the characters, but I did in this one - except Robbie, he is literally the worst. And the chemistry between the two MCs? Woo!

Honestly, this one was a little hard for me to keep track of. There aren't a ton of characters, but the name changes occurring right at the beginning of the book (granted, they are part of the ruse and the plot depends on it loosely) made it challenging to follow. Once they adopted their real names, though, I was in! Super cheesy and cute, this had all the makings of a lightly steamy vacation read that I'll keep going back to.

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC!*

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Finding Mr. Write releases June 25, 2024

Daphne is a female author residing in the Yukon, and has decided to publish her book under a male pseudonym; though none of her publishing team is aware of the fact that she’s a woman because she has hired a man named Chris to be the public face of her pen name.

The whole narrative was basically taking steps to devalue her as a woman in a professional space, which I found hard to be excited for (ex. pretending to be the maid at her own home when there were in-person interviews).

Chris ended up being much more than just the face behind the name, and seemed to be making executive decisions relating to interviews and book signing tours. The level of involvement started to annoy me early on and I don’t know why Daphne had to make so much more trouble for herself when it’s not unheard of for some authors to keep a low profile. I’m sure she could have worked out a deal that didn’t amount to such a headache while still keeping a pseudonym.

The relationship to me felt forced, and the interview that took place at Daphne’s home was so drawn out, which didn’t leave much room to unpack the final resolution of revealing her true authorship and all of the depth and nuances that surround that conversation. A lot of the scenarios came across as ridiculous or exaggerated, which made it harder for me to form any sort of attachment.

Kelley Armstrong takes a break from her amazing supernatural novels to write a rom-com that has some awesome twists and turns. Being one of my favorite authors, I wasn't sure what to expect from this departure from the normal. Her normal fast-paced plot and great characterization are present in this new rom-com novel.

Daphne lives off the grid in a remote region of Canada for a reason. She doesn't like attention. After her mother's long battle with cancer, Daphne fulfilled many of her bucket list items including writing a novel. Reeling from the constant rejections from publishers, Daphne submits her novel under a man's pen name. Right away the novel is picked up and pushed through to top out on the best sellers list. In trouble, Daphne seeks help from a friend who recommends an accountant (who is in trouble and also a former actor) to play the role of the male author.

With Chris by her side, Daphne wades through the patriarchal landscape of publishing and frantically tries to keep everything together.

I adore both Daphne and Chris as characters. The situations they find themselves in are hilarious. The landscape is beautiful in the remote woods of Canada. Definitely planning a trip up to a remote area of Canada with my bear pepper spray in hand. I love the non-traditional responses from both protagonists that differ greatly from typical situations characters find themselves in within rom-coms.

I’m so conflicted about my feelings for this book. I was so excited to see that the FMC lives in the Yukon. I’ve been to Whitehorse a couple times and love it, and loved that aspect of this book. Unfortunately it’s really not a big part of the book, which isn’t a fault of the book, just a bit of a personal disappointment.

Where this book lost me a lot was that it was very, very shallow. Daphne and Chris get along great, and really like each other for who they are (when he actually lets her get to know him) yet even with that, his appearance was constantly talked about, all the way to the very end of the book. Sure, he’s sweet, but keep in mind that he’s super hot. So smart, but also totally hot. Supportive of her career? Absolutely. And hot. It got exhausting. Especially because he was just as aware of it and shallow about it.

I expect basically all romance novels to have a typical ‘third act conflict’ in them, but unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. I thought that the characters were very hot and cold on if they had good communication (which was refreshing!) but at times it was like they had no idea how to talk to each other. It didn’t make sense for the characters, for me.

I do think a lot of this could come down to the author just not being for me, and I think I’m settling my rating of this book at 2.5/5 and while I personally don’t plan to reread it, I would recommend other readers at least try the sample because I do think it will be a good fit for many others.

Bit of a personal gripe, but I think that while the cover is gorgeous, it doesn’t represent Daphne well. She’s described as curvy, with wide hips, can barely wear a button up because the buttons pull at the chest, and almost 6 feet tall. I just had a different vision of her in my head, I guess. But I do think the background of the cover is very striking.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had originally found the first two chapters a bit clunky in the writing style and DNF’ed this ARC early on, but I had no issues with it this time around, so I think that was more on me than the book. I am so glad I came back to this story!

What happens when Daphne McFadden, fed up with the publishing world and the patriarchy, drunkenly submits her novel’s manuscript to a publisher under a masculine penname? She gets a six figure book deal, realizes she’s in over her head, and then hires a hot man to play the author, of course!

Chris, said hot man, is actually an accountant whose ex-business partner put him in a bit of a financial lurch, and agrees to play Zane Remington (the name!!!) because how hard could it be? He takes a few photos and does some phone-interviews and makes some easy cash. He’ll never have to leave Vancouver. There shouldn’t be a tour or any in-person interviews unless the book does super well - well beyond expectations for a debut.

So when the book lands on top of the New York Times bestseller list, Chris and Daphne are thrown together in person, building off the chemistry and friendship building cross country, and into an in-person interview at Daphne’s Yukon residence.(Because a man like Zane Remington would have also lived off the grid - why would Daphne have changed that detail?!) From there, it’s a whirlwind book tour filled with building romantic feelings, professional realizations, internet nonsense, and more dashes of the publishing industry.

I loved this book. It was fun, cozy, silly at times, and heartfelt. Chris and Daphne worked so well together as the team behind Zane Remington as a team in life. Open and honest communication - we love to see it! I especially loved that the third-act conflict wasn’t only romance-based; in fact it was focused on Daphne coming out as the actual Zane Remington and those repercussions!
I really can’t wait for this book to come out and for others to fall in love with it like I did!

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

This book was such a fun concept, plus it’s written by Kelley Armstrong who usually writes paranormal/fantasy. It was cool to see her write something different.

I felt the length and pacing of the book worked well but some of the plot points felt forced. Like the miscommunication towards the end. I also felt the romance was missing something special. I think I needed more little moments between the MCs to really feel the connection.

This is a quick romcom that will be perfect for summer! Definitely a beach read!