I thought this would have been a good YA read base off the description but I just couldn’t get into it. The writing style (some of the language) made it annoying to read. I didn’t feel like the characters were that great and their backgrounds needed to be explained better. I started skimming the story around 40% mark because I wanted to see how it went but just couldn’t get into it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for providing me with an advanced readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

The cover of Love on Paper caught my attention. It was one of the reasons I wanted to read this book. Macy's parents are well-known authors, and with aspirations to also be an author, she is sent to a prestigious writing camp. On her first day she is forced to pair up with Caleb, the son of her parent's rivals. Mary and Caleb quickly find themselves writing a romantic book together, and sparks start to fly. Will Mary and Caleb end up together? Will their parents approve of this relationship? Will they excel at the writing camp? I also enjoyed the storyline with her mother.
This was a fun read, and I really enjoyed the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Joy Revolution for providing me with an early ARC for my review.

Mina Descanso pulled some strings so that her seventeen year-old daughter Macy could attend Penovation, a prestigious writing retreat. Now it's time for Macy to find her own voices through the written word. The challenge: to write a love story in four weeks. Macy's assigned critique partner is Caleb who also has writer parents, though they vow not to talk about their families as there's an unspoken tension between their two families. As the weeks unfold, Macy and Caleb challenge one another to face their fears and to craft their own writing path from the legacy their parents started.

Love on Paper is a lighthearted YA romance that also touches on grief, coming of age, and family expectations. There are several storylines, but none of them fully filled out for me. I was left wanting more character development for Macy and Caleb, as well as a reason to root for their relationship. I also wished for more plot structure surrounding the mysterious manuscript clues. The book utilizes several non-traditional ways to tell the story (voice memos, emails, texts, writing excerpts) and these different mediums did not integrate well with the rest of the book for me. I did like Fern and their experience-it-all attitude for the retreat, and I appreciated the scene of them challenging Macy to take the writing retreat seriously.

Overall, a meh book for me without anything that's making it stand out afterwards.

Thanks to NetGalley and Joy Revolution for providing me with an early ARC for my review.

3.25/5 stars

I love a good old fashioned families feuding love story! This was a cute YA story of two aspiring authors/nepo babies (lol) who meet at a prestigious writing camp and are forced to partner together but of course their parent’s feud is at the front of every issue they have. This was a cute YA romance and I really enjoyed the camp element!

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.