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.

This book had a clever plot with interesting characters. I liked the scavenger hunt vibe, but it was a slow-burn read for me. It also had a bit more swearing than I would have liked in a YA/Teen book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Love on Paper by Danielle Parker is a cute, witty YA romance. I absolutely adored Fern, Macy's quirky and hilarious roommate.

The story follows Macy Descanso, a budding writer from a renowned literary family, who is reluctantly sent to a prestigious writing retreat by her overbearing mother. Initially resistant, Macy finds herself unexpectedly drawn into the world of romance writing, a genre she initially disdains. To add to the challenge, she's paired with Caleb Bernard, a fellow writer from a rival literary family. Despite their families' long-standing feud, they reluctantly agree to collaborate. As they navigate the retreat, they uncover hidden clues left by a legendary romance author, all while navigating their own growing attraction.

The author did a great job blending the anxieties and joys of young writers finding their voices with some mystery and humor. The characters are relatable and well-developed, and their journey of self-discovery is heartwarming. I enjoyed that the writing was snappy and witty. The ending was realistic, and I loved how the epilogue wrapped things up nicely and gave us our HEA.

If you're looking for a sweet and charming YA romance with a touch of mystery, definitely pick this up.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Joy Revolution for this eARC.

This light, cute coming of age story was fun to read!  Enemies to lovers, forced proximity,  and a mystery to unfold! Throw in a writers summer retreat as the setting and a deceased authors missing book to find as the mystery and I was sold.

The tension filled forced partnership had the enemies-to-lovers turning quickly from emenies to lovers. I liked that the story was all about romance stories and authors, but it didn’t necessarily center around the main characters’ romance. They were both on a journey of self-discovery, and it was nice to have someone you liked to share it with.

I really liked Fern and would have loved to hear more from or about them! I appreciated her ability to speak her mind. Sometimes, that’s hard to do with new friends.

I absolutely loved the summer writing retreat setting, It really brought me back 😅 I took a summer writing class when I was in middle school, and I made memories I will cherish forever. There’s just something about being surrounded by others who love telling stories as much as you do!

Thanks so much to Penguin Teen Canada and Netgalley for the arc! 😘

I read this book a while back and wanted to think about exactly why I wasn’t in love with it. The MC is a character that sometimes I liked but other times was frustrating. I liked Caleb but didn’t really feel like they had much chemistry. It also didn’t feel like the side characters were well fleshed out. There were times when I would wait for the MC to tell us how she was feeling and she would just shut down. This made it difficult to connect with her. I was also hoping for more intrigue from the mystery they were trying to uncover. Overall, I think the story felt like it leaned a bit too much into middle grade. The characters didn’t feel like they would be in high school. Also, for them to be a bunch of writers it felt like they talked about it but didn’t really give the vibes of loving it. So, I liked the idea of the story but didn’t feel like the story came to life. 2.5 rounded up to 3

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / 5

Okay, I really enjoyed Love On Paper by Danielle Parker! You could definitely tell it was intended for younger readers, and it reminded me of a Kasie West book. There were a lot of cheesy moments and some very cringy moments. I feel like the main character, Macy, was a hit or miss character. She had her moments where I was like, “Okay, I like you,” and other times I had the opposite reaction. I also didn’t really enjoy some of the dialogue and pop culture references. I really enjoyed the romance and plot, and I liked Caleb. This book was definitely a good length, not too long, not too short. I would still recommend to others, but just younger readers.

I always love books about characters that either are writers or just really love books, and this book checked both of those boxes. It wasn’t perfect—I definitely was mad at how a few parts played out, but the ending really made up for all of that, and I ended up really liking it overall, especially the element of mystery that was in there, which brought the two main characters together.

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

I found myself intrigued by Love on Paper, but it ultimately fell a bit flat for me. There were so many promising elements, yet I wasn’t really bought in by it. I really enjoy YA but this one definitely made me feel too old to be reading it. If I was in my early teens this book would have been a winner for me! While Love on Paper does feature some romantic aspects, but not enough to be categorize as a romance. It’s definitely more of a coming-of-age tale. The rivalry that was hinted at in the blurb wasn’t much of a role. Which I was surprised by but to my surprise it was resolved really early on.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the opportunity to read this story.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's | Joy Revolution and TBRAndBeyond Tours for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review*

Love on Paper was an outstanding coming of age story about two young adults, who go on a writing retreat. Macy was an interesting character and even though at some moments she didn't feel relatable, I still enjoyed reading her story. Sometimes she was acting more juvenile than I wanted, but overall it was a cute read. With amazing writing prose, you won't want to put down this book.

What's better than two nepo babies locked in competition? I adored this love story from Danielle Parker. Macy and Caleb were adorable together and I couldn't help but root for them the entire way. The setting was realistic and perfect writing retreat vibes. The mystery plotline kept things interesting and the author delivered on the rival family trope. An excellent read and perfect for teen readers.

great book and I loved the action and the romance . I loved seeing the friends and family. I loved that they were able to figure things out. Overall a great book .

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
🖋️ ya romance
🖋️ rival families
🖋️ ‘follow the clues’
🖋️ family drama

Length: 320p
Source: ARC - TBR & Beyond, NetGalley
Release Date: January 21, 2025

•••••••
This was a cute little ya romance about a girl just trying to prove her worth to her parents and herself while at a prestigious writer’s retreat. Toss in a little “follow the clues,” a little bit of first love, and a little bit of awesome friends—and you have a recipe for a fun, but predictable ya story.

While this story did have all the makings of a ya romance, I felt like it wasn’t fully flushed out. Everything was surface level, even the characters felt a bit flat.

And the romance? It was actually pretty good up until the end of the retreat. And then it’s 2 years later, they see each other, and everything falls into place? I wasn’t a big fan of that at all.

The cover is cute, I love the biopic representation, and the story was lighthearted, I just felt like it could’ve been MORE.

{I received a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}

I really wanted to like this one but its literally a tale of nepotism babies in a writing retreat and I read half of it and have no desire to finish the rest, so its why I can't give it a better rating even though it had potential

This is a very lighthearted story of a boy - girl romance and a mystery. Although there are parts where the author could have dug a little deeper, the story moved along with new locations, new people, and some funny dialogue.
It was interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes at writing retreats. The writers block, struggles with ideas, and low self esteem with your own writing was unique. And the mystery of authors and their personal backgrounds was intriguing.
The plot was a little to simplified and expected - but for some readers, this will be a good thing.
Enjoy!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for my honest review

This was an ok story in my opinion. I had high hopes for this one so it was honestly a bit of a letdown. Perhaps if I was actually a teenager and not 26 like I am, I would've enjoyed this story better. Oh well.

A cute YA book that I’m sure many will enjoy.
For me it felt like there was too much going on and the story needed to be drawn out better.
All in all a decent story and just as a YA book should be plus it was a quick read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.