This book was soooo fun! I loved it! I got introduced to Gemma in Finding Mr. Write and was happy to get better acquainted. The story between her & Mason was messy & complicated but also very fun. This book was a bit beyond my spice level but there wasn’t anything too over the top. The settings were fun & I loved how Mason worked hard to make Gemma happy. Then Gemma reciprocated & it was lovely.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kelley Armstrong & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for a copy of this book in exchange for my review. Amazing!

I almost didn’t read this book. I saw hockey player MMC and thought—nah, not for me—but then Forever offered me a finished copy, and I remembered I liked this author’s other contemporary romance, so I gave it a try.

Thank goodness I did because this book was SO freaking cute.

First, you should know that despite it not being listed anywhere as Duet audio is absolutely is DUET and the narration is PERFECT! A little slow, so expect to need to bump the speed but the overall performance was A+++

What’s to love…
- Bookish Book (romance author FMC + an audiobook & romance lover MMC)
- post-divorce FMC, who is confident and strong!
- second chance romance (high school crush/missed connection)
- single timeline with 1-2 short flashbacks
- Nona and Grandma are hilarious! I LOVE them
- the MMC’s character growth is TOP TIER, I was bawling my eyes out!
- This one flips a common trope in romance and it is the cutest thing ever, I won’t say which but trust me it’s swoony.

What’s not to love…
- the side characters are really only here to talk about the relationship between the two MCs. The focus in this book is the romance and relationship between the MCs and that isn’t really a bad thing - but this book wouldn’t pass the Bechdel test. That said, while this isn’t ideal (I like a little more depth to my characters usually—including relationships outside the romance) this is pretty much the only thing I didn’t love about this book.

🌶️: Ch 30 - Very mildly explicit, probably leaning a little more towards ambiguous than explicit, also short. Ch 33 - Fade to black. Plenty of tension and steam though!

**Thank you Forever publishing, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the free book and audiobook**

I finished this audiobook in less than 24 hours. This is my first book by Kelley Armstong book and it was cute. Mason and Gemma knew each other since kindergarten, lost touch, and found each other again later in life. Overall, I enjoyed the dynamic between Mason and Gemma. The character details brought to Gemma and Mason were also unexpectedly emotional at times and made them more relatable. This is definitely a sloooooooow burn but it was good. I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed but that would be my only major non-spoiler critique.

For the audiobook: I loved this duet style audiobook. I really enjoyed Sean Patrick Hopkins and Patricia Santomasso had a very good performance. I loved her portrayal of different side characters. I would recommend the audiobook too.

This was a very cute story by Kelley Armstrong that introduces us to debut author Gemma Stanton. Gemma is an English professor who had tried writing a previous book, but her MMC was deemed "too nice" and she couldn't get it published. The feedback was for her to go with the current tropes and make the next MMC an alpha bad boy. To do this, she dives into her memory and uses a boy that she had known since grade school. A boy who just happened to embarrass her after a swoon worthy kiss in high school, and whom she had decided is a narcissistic jerk.

Unfortunately, this guy - MMC Mason Moretti - has since gone on to become a very famous professional hockey player. In a crazy path of fate, another mean girl from high school happens to be the anchor on the successful morning show in town and she puts the two and two together. She takes a guess that Gemma has based her male character on Mason and invites Gemma to her show to promote the book. What she doesn't tell Gemma is that she has also invited Mason (who does NOT have any clue regarding the plan) in order to ambush her live and announce to everyone that Gemma must OBVIOUSLY still have a crush on her high school friend. Thankfully, Mason sees what is going on and does his best to turn things around. And the book starts from there.

This is really a cute quick and easy read/listen that focuses on these two characters who have known each other since childhood but who have not seen each other in many years. Mason is also going through a scandal in his hockey career, so the two decide to "fake date" to try to get some positive chatter to hopefully help them both out. Her with book sales and him to let his fans see a different side of him.

Even though this is one of my least favorite tropes, in this book it is done very nicely, and I enjoyed watching their romance develop.

The narration was done by Patricia Santomasso; and Sean Patrick Hopkins and they did a great job.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read and/or listen to and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on June 24, 2025.

So this was the ultimate immersion read. I was fortunate to get the physical ARC, eARC and the audio ALC and it provided a unique experience as I went back and forth between the physical and ebook whilst listening.

Full disclosure I wasn’t to sure about the book in the first 40%. It was fast paced and I kept reading but it wasn’t anything special. But then it started to pick up as the relationship between the MC’s started to change. The banter picked up and things became a little more complex which made it much more engaging.

The duel POV book was narrated by Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins. They both did a great job in this duet narration where each of them maintained their main characters and conversed with each other which brings a higher level of narration. They did speak on the slow side of normal but I listened at 2.5x speed to be able to be closer to my reading speed. It was still very understandable at that speed. Mr Hopkins voice when sped up just a touch and beyond reminded me of Teddy Hamilton in its quality and intonation. Ms Santomasso brought just enough snark to embody the character without going overboard.

Overall this was a fun romance that had a bit of depth to it and I recommend it without reservations. It comes out June 24th 2025 and is available for preorder.

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC, eARC and physical copy from Forever Publishing through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Writing Mr. Wrong is another fantastic read by Kelley Armstrong. I was hooked from the very first page. This second-chance rom-com about two old high school acquaintances was such a fun read. I couldn’t put this book down. 5 stars! Must read.

This is the second novel I’ve read by Kelley and honor of being an ARC reader for her via

I love that this book literally made me laugh out loud at parts, clutch my chest at aww moments, and make me remember why I’m a hockey girl (even if I’ve been bad at watching and keeping up).

It was also amazing to see snippets of Daphne and Chris from “Finding Mr. Write”. I loved the interconnectedness that didn’t overshadow but gave us just enough!

Anyways…

Enter Gemma, divorcee, college English professor, and newly published first time author.

Her book: a romance about an asshole who gets the timid girl. It’s all the rage.

When a blast from the past wants to “Regina George” Gemma on national tv with her HS crush and eludes the main character is based off of him, Gemma starts to go into her tortoise shell.

Enter “The Mace”, Hockey Star of “The Growlers” in Vancouver, sexy 6 foot tall man 🍬, with a pent chance for flavors of the week and the reputation of, you guessed it, being an asshole!

He sees what is happening to Gemma being set up by a malicious old classmate and swoops in like a white knight.

Little do they both know what will come of it.

Through banter, talking through emotions, an unexpected getaway, a hockey career and a writers schedule something starts to grow.

Releases 6/24/25!

The fact that this was the first book I dove into once Netgalley fixed the Kobo issue is saying something! I was not disappointed!

I am a big fan of Kelley Armstrong, and I am loving that she has started doing rom coms 😀

As always, the characters are well fleshed out, and intriguing despite their flaws. The plot moves at a good pace, and kept me interested and entertained. The spicy scenes were *chefs kiss*.

Overall, this book was enjoyable from start to finish.

After reading this book, I think it could easily be transitioned to a Hallmark movie. In fact, in my mind, I have half the cast already selected I've been watching Private Eyes, also with a former hockey star so seeing this as a Hallmark movie makes sense. It has all the elements needed for both a good cozy and a cute movie. We have an unrequited crush from both Gemma and Mason as they embark on their "fake relationship." We also have plenty of giggle moments which keeps this story firmly in the cozy space. Most importantly, we have subterfuge and sneakiness which you just know would be the high point of the movie when it all comes together leading to the big grand romantic conclusion.
This book is a bit outside my wheelhouse as I prefer added mystery and in this case the mystery is more subtle. You absolutely know the couple will be exposed but the question is how and who will be hurt. Another thing I found fun was imagining myself in Gemma's shoes when the one who never had the chance to get away suddenly reappeared in you life and you had to play let's pretend. The story is cute and while the plot is not likely to happen to your average girl on the street, it does make you wonder and feel as Gemma feels about a chance to be with the one,even if you are only faking it.
My first chance to read a Kelly Armstrong book happened years ago when I read about the Otherworld and this book is a huge departure from that and from the lesser known but gritty Cainsville. The author does a nice job of stepping out of her lane and giving us a new type of book to enjoy. Our FMC is an author, something I'm sure our author found easy to write about because you write what you know. With that said, I do wonder what series inspired the series our author inside the story was writing about. Kelly has a few series that are new to me so perhaps one of them. Regardless, I found this book to be a fun summer read that would pair well with an afternoon lounging on vacation.
Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for the opportunity to read this ARC.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing Mr. Wrong
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Thank you so much Netgalley, and Forever Grand Central Publishing, and Hachette Audio for my copy of this read! I am on a Kelley binge thanks to my friend Leanne and I was so honored to be sent this arc! I absolutely loved her first rom com, Finding Mr. Write, and this one was just as much of a delight. This is a second chance romance, about an author who bases the main male character on her high school crush that scorned her. Also, he’s now a professional hockey player! They reunite on live tv and end up beginning a fake dating scheme to boost the book's publicity, and his image in the hockey world. The narration was superb, I loved every second of it and was legit laughing out loud the whole time. Also, I know I’m not the only one who wants a real copy of that Highland romance our FMC “publishes” in the book? It was giving me flashbacks to Kelley’s other new release, “Death at a Highland Wedding”. Highly recommend picking this one up! Also yes I’m already reading my other Kelley arc as we speak. 💕

I have to say that sports romance is not my favorite genre and second chance isn’t my favorite trope. So this should say something about Kelley Armstrong that this was a 4.5 star read for me rounded up because it was written very well. I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrators. Gemma is a new debut author who successfully wrote a romance novel with a male love interest based on the hockey star almost was relationship she had in high school Mason. They reconnect because of this and some fake dating leads to some wonderful things. The characters were good, while they weren’t perfect they were likable and worked well together. This book was the warm hug of a read I really needed. This author has a special skill to write across so many genres. This shows why she’s one of my favorite writers.

Writing Mr. Wrong was the perfect romance. It had all the feels. I giggled. I laughed out loud. I swooned. I fumed. It was a second chance romance that I never thought would work. But then it did.

Mason has had a thing for Gemma for years. There one kiss did not end well because he didn't have the guts or too self-centered to right a wrong. Now he is a professional hockey player using it to his won benefit. He became the one-and-done guy with a stick. No matter what he did, he could not forget Gemma.

Gemma could't forget him either. She is a first time romance novelist. Mason was her muse. She didn't paint a pretty picture. Upon reading the book he reaized he needed help to not be a jerk. Who better to help than the woman without rose colored glasses.

They clash like oil and vinegar. But love cannot be denied. Of course they have to listen to their hearts. Travel along as they slowly find love. It won't be easy. It definitely will not be smooth. It will definitely be an adventure.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong in exchange for an honest review. #WritingMrWrong #NetGalley. I love that I just read a historical fiction by Armstrong, then this rom-com, and next is a thriller. All by Kelley Armstrong. All fantastic. How does Armstrong cross genres so easily and so well. Every book by her is fantastic. This one was about a hockey star and a writer who meet up again after twenty years and a lot of experience. They both have misconceptions and emotional scars from life, but start to rediscover how much they get along. I loved this book. It was funny, emotional and gave me hope about people. I always have at least one Kelley Armstrong book going, and it's no wonder, she's amazing and my favorite author.

While promoting her romance, Gemma unexpectedly runs into NHL hockey enforcer star Mason Moretti. Some believe that the hero on her cover resembles him. Gemma did loosely base the bad boy hero on the worst in Mason. Gemma crushed on him in high school, but he ended up unintentionally humiliating her then. Mason has an image problem from not doing what was expected in a previous game. His agent suggests that Mason fake-date Gemma, which would give positive PR to both of them. He finds that his usual methods don't get the same result with Gemma. The first date is definitely not what either one expects. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I really like that we were able to see both sides of Mason - the star and the vulnerable man. It was also great that he listened to her book as soon as he received the audiobook and wants to be a better man. I also like that Gemma realizes that you have to like and accept all of someone - not just the stuff you like. This is a good amusing rom-com.

“Writing Mr. Wrong” by Kelley Armstrong

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I love Kelley Armstrong romcoms!!! the first I read of hers, Finding Mr. Write, was such a favorite I was ecstatic to get an ARC and finished copy from @readforeverpub !

this was such a fun story! I loved Gemma and her pov throughout the entire book. she’s authentic and kind, always trying her best to be there for others while also standing up for herself. I loved the way she explained things to Mason, and others, about how they’ve not always been kind, and still finds the patience and grace to help them fix their actions.

Mason intentionally (imo) took a bit to warm up to. he comes across very charming and “aw shucks, nice guy” but his indifference, ignorance, and/or lack of accountability over the years has manifested into not always being the kindest (even if unintentionally), and he finds this so devastating he truly want to make it better, to fix his lack of awareness. to finally get his chance with Gemma. he knows she can’t be charmed out of the past hurt caused so he try’s to make it better now. truly the best way to handle past actions is honestly trying to learn and do better in the future, and that’s exactly what Mason does. in doing so Mason and Gemma ignite their spark into such a beautiful, tender romance.

I love how both Mason and Gemma so clearly better the other: Mason helps Gemma overcome some personal and professional roadblocks, and Gemma helps Mason be a more intentional person. and the whole premise of her using him as inspiration for her book was unique and so fun to read!

as always, I love the writing and pacing of Armstrong’s books, I love the depth and imperfections of the characters as it makes them so authentic, and I love the true kindness and love that is at the core of this story. 🥹🩷

thank you so much for the ARC and finished copy @readforeverpub!

Thank you NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and Kelley Armstrong for this delightful book. I really enjoyed it.

I will admit, I don’t read a lot of hockey romances, but it’s a genre I can get behind! I adored this love story. While this is a fake dating story, the second chance romance is really where the heart of this book is. I loved that Gemma and Mason had so much history (I mean who doesn’t love a love story that can go all the way back to kindergarten!) Through out the book you see how truly earnest Mason really is, and while he can be a bit of a jerk, his feelings for Gemma were always there, and always real.

This wasn’t only a second chance romance for Gemma & Mason, but one for Gemma and herself. She’s coming out of a messy divorce with a controlling ex husband, and she’s learning to love herself again. Gemma’s rediscovery of herself was so moving. I really loved it.

This book is well paced and funny, but filled with so much heart. I loved the dyslexia representation as well. As a teacher and parent of a child with dyslexia, I’ve seen first hand how hard kids struggle to overcome it, and how it can go over looked as well. Thank you Kelley for bringing awareness to that learning disability. And thank you again to NetGalley and Forever for this book.

I enjoyed this book, but I did feel like it was disjointed a bit. It started out as fake dating for Gemma and Mason as a PR stunt and then it took a sharp turn into her giving him lessons on how not to be an asshole. I understood that he was used to getting what she wants and she just got out of a controlling marriage, but it just seemed to dwell on that too much. I would have liked to explore the fake daring trope.....a couple.of disaster dates while falling for each other.

(I received a complimentary ecopy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.Thank you Netgalley, Grand Central Publishing and Kelley Armstrong)

Gemma may have sort of based the MMC of her debut novel on Mason Moretti, the hockey star she went to high school with who kissed her and then didn't quash the rumors that he'd done it on a dare. But when she agreed to do a tv segment to promote her book, she didn't expect the host to invite Mason as well and tell him—and the world—that her character was based on him. And she definitely didn't expect Mason to suggest that the two of them fake a relationship for the good publicity they both need. But as they start spending more time together, old feelings become harder to ignore.
I. Ate. This. Book. UP. Absolutely LOVED it. Mason trying to be less of an asshole, Gemma trying to figure out what she wants and how to get it while protecting her heart, it was all so good.

TW for a former controlling relationship and past miscarriages

After enjoying Kelley's first romance, Finding Mr. Write, I was super excited for Writing Mr. Wrong and it definitely held up to my expectations! Mason and Gemma had very intense on page chemistry and both of their character arcs were great. I felt like the main message was that even after losing yourself to sadness or a broken heart, love is still worth finding and overcoming your struggles for. My only complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed, but the epilogue was ADORABLE and exactly what I wanted to come from this story. Mason grew on me very quickly and the premise was hilarious. Definitely pick this one up when it's available on June 24th!

Thank you to Forever Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

That book was fan-freaking-tastic. I didn't want it to end! I have been a fan of Kelley Armstrong's writing since I was about 20 years old. I love that she's doing some contemporary romance (that's my favorite). I loved watching Gemma and Mason reconnect after years of not seeing each other! So much fun. Second chance romance is another of my favorite things. I really took my time on this book, and I want to read it again! Thank you for letting me read this book i can't wait for more!