This was a delightful surprise! The fake dating trope is one of my favorites, and Armstrong executed it brilliantly. Gemma and Mason's chemistry was palpable, and their banter kept me entertained throughout. The story had the right balance of humor, romance, and emotional depth.

Highly recommend for fans of contemporary romance with strong character dynamics.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Not my fav by Canadian author Kelley Armstrong but it was still a fun second chance sports romance between a pro hockey player and a romance author who uses her former high school crush as the inspiration for the male lead in her newest book. Good on audio and recommended for fans of books like Celebrity crush by Christy Swift. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Oh my goodness! Every single one of Kelley Armstrongs books I read, I read in one sitting.
I couldn’t put this book down. Super cute and a quick, cozy, feel good read.

So we start with Gemma who’s an author with her debut book coming out. The problem is she’s based her alpha-hole MMC off of her high school crush…and he knows. Now he’s determined to win her back. The problem is he broke her heart and walked away. Now does he have what it takes to win her back? Oh and did I mention he’s an enforcer on a hockey team?

4/5 stars! I absolutely would recommend this book!!

5/5 stars: Armstrong's a favorite author and delivers with this fun Romance stand-alone that takes place in Vancouver, Canada and follows a romance writer who agrees to a fake dating scheme with her high school crush, now a star hockey player and the man she used as the basis for her book's hero, after their “reunion-cute” goes viral. The two may not have seen each other since HS but they'll take advantage of this media-worthy opportunity, for her – publicity for her debut novel and for him – rehabilitation for his public image. When he convinces her to go away with him so she can finish her overdue second book while giving him anti-asshole lessons, the two reconnect and realize the feelings they had for each other in high school never really went away and have grown into love. Heartfelt, witty and smart and written in dual POV, Armstrong's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain incredibly likable. Gemma and Mason are great and I love seeing the two of them deal with their personal issues and get to a place where they get their much deserved HEA. There's a great cast of characters... I especially loved Mason's Nonna Jean and Gemma's Grandma Dot. Oh and I really enjoy how Armstrong talks about the life of an author, the good and the bad. This romance is top notch; the banter is on high and will have you swooning and while there are no OPS scenes the lead up and descriptions are incredibly steamy. With tact and sensitivity, Armstrong takes on some tough topics; so take care and check the CWs. This is a can't miss read, highly recommend!

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

3.2 Stars
One Liner: Good bare bones

Gemma hasn’t written in many ways, but the post-divorce phase is the best time to get started. However, her idea for a romance novel with a nice guy doesn’t work. So, she channels her high school first crush, Mason Moretti, to write a historical steamy novel. And of course, it is an instant hit, even though someone put two and two together about her secret.
Mason knew his limitations and strengths. But as an aging hockey player who got stuck in a controversy he didn’t create, a second chance with Gemma is like a ray of hope. The public seems to like them together, and making fake dating is exactly what would help them both.
The story comes in Gemma and Mason’s third-person POVs.

My Thoughts:
After not having much luck with the author’s mysteries, I decided to try a romance. As you can see the results are a bit similar but for different reasons!
Surprisingly, this one has a pretty good pace! The dual POV works well to give us insights about both characters. The shifts happen even within the same chapter but are clearly marked with a scene break and the character name as a heading.
The bare bones are solid. No denying that. It blends sports romance with writer romance and throws in some good discussion points about both. Though they are not fully explored, I liked these best.
For example, we see the role of media pressure and ageism in sports where a person above 35 is expected to retire (it’s the same in cricket) and their every action is put under a microscope. In the writing/ publishing industry, we see the demand for trope-y books where authors are expected to write what the readers ‘seem’ to want. It’s good to see books talk about these issues even if it is not in detail.
However, the plot that holds everything together falls short often.
Both MCs are 36. This should be good but it seems they have clung to their high school personalities for too long.
Though I empathized with the MMC's inability to read cues or his inevitable mess-ups, he was a bit too clueless and careless (using this word multiple times in the book didn’t help either). He needed help to process things (and was actively avoiding it when he had access).
The FMC’s backstory was sad and realistic enough, though I don’t see why she still gives her ex such importance despite acknowledging the issues. Also, that guy’s entire personality was limited to a single trait. It was the same with the mean girl from high school. Her character doesn’t even appear again after she plays her part.
There are quite a few traumatic themes here but none of them get the attention they deserve. I understand this is a romcom, but it could have been better.
At least, we have a good epilogue, so that’s something I enjoyed. I like that there were no miraculous developments in one aspect.

To summarize, Writing Mr. Wrong is a fast-paced romance with a good premise but doesn’t fully explore the dynamics or themes. That said, it should work as a beach/ travel read.
Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. I really enjoyed this book. I liked this more than the first one. Gemma was great, and I like Mace. The book is well written and the characters have a good story and develop together. This was a nice quick and fun read. Bravo to the author, killing it again.

I really enjoyed this book! Which I never thought I'd say about a story about an athlete (MMC). I've tried a couple before and been disappointed, even when the sport is tangential to the story, I'm get easily put off. Armstrong actually made it seem like fun to be in the stands watching someone you love do something they love, and I appreciate the new (to me) perspective. As usual, Armstrong writes flawed characters that draw you in and make you want to see them get their HEA.

Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong is a light, fun, second-chance romance that grabs you from the very beginning and doesn't let go.
Armstrong's second foray into the romantic comedy genre is solid, with relatable characters, plenty of misunderstandings that create tension, and the requisite happy ending (in more ways than one). It's the perfect beach read for the upcoming season, or a fun romp to curl up with on rainy days spent inside.
I particularly loved the many nods to Canada, from one of Canada's most well-known authors.
I received an ARC of #WritingMrWrong from #NetGalley.

Writing Mr. Wrong starts with us meeting Gemma, a struggling romance novelist. She’s written a beloved series and is struggling with what to do next. This is also amidst her getting a divorce and, of course, getting ambushed by a local talk show host. The good news is that it brings Mason back into her life.

Very quickly, we find out the backstory of what happened between Gemma and Mason in high school. I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say that Mason ended up not looking great. It’s part of the reason why Gemma writes such an alphahole hero who ends up being a favorite of many of her readers.

While Mason is flattered at first, he quickly realizes that his characterization isn’t exactly the most flattering. Due to that, the two agree to fake date to help his reputation and to help her with her book. Sounds like a win-win situation, right? As with most romances, their original plan immediately goes out the window, and the two end up falling for each other.

As fun as this romance was, the characters are what stood out to me. While an NHL love interest might not be relatable, it was incredible to see the growth Mason went through. He had so much riding on his shoulders, and I adored seeing how he learned from Gemma while also growing as a person. In addition, Gemma did some much-needed maturing, especially when it came to Mason.

To put it simply, Writing Mr. Wrong feels like the perfect beach read. It’s fun, fast-paced, and just steamy enough to ensure a light sunburn. If you haven’t read a book by Kelley Armstrong or want to revisit her, this one would be a great place to start.

4/5 Stars! Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this eARC of Writing Mr.Wrong by Kelley Armstrong.

This is my first book by this author and boy, she did not disappoint! This sorta made me relive my highschool days where lots of miscommunications would happen and you were too terrified to really speak the truth of your feelings haha. Fast forward to getting hit by life and going through some experience, the relationship of Gemma and Mason have crossed paths again and has the opportunity to be honest with each other. I have to admit that there were lots of layers in this romance but worth it!

Well written and very enjoyable. Overall, this was a cute and fun read and just leaves you in a good feeling mood.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. Gemma and Mason were friends in High School. He was the athlete and she was editor of the school newspaper.They kissed one day, but his friends told everyone he did it on a dare. He told her that wasn't the case, but her feelings were hurt and she shrugged it off. Fifteen years later, Gemma is divorced and has just published her first romance novel. Mason is a pro Hockey player. And the main male character of her novel bears more than a glancing resemblance to Mason. Mason is at first pleased then he reads the book and realizes that the character is not very nice. And he also realizes that he really wants to get to know Gemma again.This is a fairly complex book for a romance. Both main characters have a lot of layers to them. There is also a thoughtful discussion of pro athletes, and what happens when they age, as well as some mild skewering of some romance book tropes. Gemma also has some baggage to unpack, from her failed marriage. There is a lot to read here, and it is all well written.

Overall I enjoyed the premise of this story. Gemma has just released her debut romance novel where the cover depicts a man with striking similarities of a famous hockey player she grew up with, somewhat unintentionally, but maybe not fully unintentionally. They reconnect over a TV interview where an old classmate tries to embarrass Gemma. Mason steps in as the hero, and the storyline of Mason the hero saving Gemma is so good that their PR teams agree that being seen together is mutually beneficial. Mason had recent bad PR, and Gemma being a debut novelist could use all of the good press she could get. Both Mason and Gemma have long-standing unresolved feelings for each other, so naturally, proximity does it's work.

In the beginning, we learn that Gemma is divorced and out of a really horrific marriage situation. Some really intense themes are brought up - mainly fertility and several miscarriages. I felt like in the beginning this was a big part of the storyline and didn't really get the time on page to do justice to the situations.

Second chance romance is my absolute favorite kind of romance to read. Unfortunately here I’m missing a lot of the angst I usually like. There was a lot of lightness added where there could have been more depth. Opportunity for deeper connections to be made between Mason and Gemma.
Alan - Gemma's ex was set up to be much more of an issue in the story and wasn’t - I think I would rather have read a lot less about him or had him more involved and watched Gemma grow on throughout the story.

I did like Mason's storyline of being the star player aging out of his sport, but still feeling mostly at the top of his game. We get a lot of stories about the young hot-shot, so seeing this storyline written was interesting.

This was a fun read and I enjoyed it overall, even with the things noted!

Thank you so much to Forever for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed this second romance novel by Kelley Armstrong -- the characters are all vivid and real and, with the exception of a couple of bit players, were all likeable. Very pleased that there was no familiar trope of the triangle but an honest exploration of looking inward and developing trust in another individual, leading, of course, to a long term relationship. I read the author's work for the pleasure I receive in her ideas, sentence construction and word usage, and the delight I get from meeting her characters. Highly recommended by this reader who normally does not read romance novels -- I read this one precisely because of the author.

Book Review
Writing Mr Wrong by Kelley Armstrong

What its Got
✅ Bad boy
✅ Hockey
✅ Redemption arc
✅ Emotional abuse and divorce
✅ witty banter
✅ Second chance romance
✅ takes place in Vancouver
✅ Dyslexia, and mental health rep

Main Characters
Mason- aging enforcer hockey player, sure of himself, arrogant jerk, think puppy (excited, eager to please)
Gemma- debut author, recently divorced, shy, introvert

Advice from Grandma
"Scale him like a sycamore? Mount him like a maple? Ascend him like an aspen?"

Quotes
“The book had sex scenes? It sure did. If she risked being labeled a lonely middle-aged divorcée who poured her most torrid fantasies into a book, she didn't give a damn. Anyone who'd spent a decade married to a two-minute champ was entitled to a stockpile of unfulfilled erotic fantasies.”

Thoughts
📕 I love how Armstrong played with stereotypes and flipped the script into something more meaningful and less cliche
📕 I loved Mason’s arrogance and confidence, eventually he grew into being more vulnerable and open with his feelings while still maintaining his cocksure attitude (no easy feat!)
📕 Gemma- some readers might be frustrated by her insecurity and indecision but factor in she was in a emotionally abusive relationship and it takes time to build yourself back up - people change and grow, and change can be a good thing
📕 I hope Jesse gets his own story (hint hint nudge nudge)
📕 the holiday retreat and mishaps at the end seemed a bit far fetched but what do I know- I’ve never been a famous hockey player who makes bank

Overall
Armstrong shoots her shot and scores with this hockey romance

Thanks to the author, netgalley and ReadForever my digital ARC in return for an honest revoew. Opinions expressed are my own.

I am not quite sure which book by Kelley Armstrong was my first, I just know whichever one it was hooked me to her writing.

Writing Mr. Wrong is a lighthearted and sweet read with a little bit of heat and spice. The heroine, Gemma is a university English teacher on sabbatical after writing and selling her first romance novel. Newly divorced from a man who tried to mold her into the perfect corporate wife and then cheated on her, Gemma has a few bruises that need to heal. An ancient, but never healed bruise is the cut her high school crush gave her when he kissed her passionately when they were seniors and then let his friends spread the rumor that he did it on a dare. When Gemma is booked on the local Vancouver morning show by high school mean girl, Gemma is wary but not prepared to see Mason Moretti in all his professional hockey glory on the same set. You see Gemma kind of, sort of, based the hero of her novel on her high school crush and the mean girl picked up on that. Smelling blood, she tries to go for the jugular. Mason saves her during the interview by blocking any cutting questions from the show's host and the ratings of the show helps both her book and his image problem. They agree to fake date to ride the positive publicity out.

Mason never got over Gemma, the one person who saw him for who he was, not for what he could do. A less than stellar childhood left him without the skills to navigate his emotional triggers and he sees their meeting again after twenty years as a chance to redeem himself. Emma is busy protecting her scarred heart.

This second chance romance works despite the lack of true obstacles in the way. Both characters are believable and likeable despite their flaws. This is a very character based story with only tangential secondary characters that play little role in the plot. It is all about them and that is more than enough.
**Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever to the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong
🎧🖋️ Romance Author x Hockey Player | Fake Dating | Second Chance Romance | 36+ MCs

“Sometimes the wrong guy… ends up being the perfect plot twist.”

If you love books with heart, humor, and just the right amount of heat, Writing Mr. Wrong deserves a front-row spot on your TBR! 💘

Gemma is a debut romance author who accidentally goes viral when readers discover that the brooding Highlander in her new book is based on her real-life high school crush—NHL enforcer Mason Moretti. 🏒 Cue the awkward reunion... on live TV.

But when Mason’s reputation needs a little polishing and Gemma’s sales start skyrocketing, a little fake dating seems like the perfect marketing strategy. The problem? Their chemistry is way too real. 🔥

💬 Told in dual POV, this second-chance, slow-burn romcom gives us:
💘 Childhood friends to lovers
💘 A swoony redemption arc
💘 Motorcycle rides & late-night audiobooks
💘 Jewish-Italian food that made me want to eat the pages
💘 Mental health rep that feels authentic and important

✨ Mason totally grew on me. He’s a rough-around-the-edges hockey player with a soft heart, a passion for cooking, and a surprising love of romance audiobooks. And Gemma? A relatable, determined, sharp-witted heroine who I adored from page one.

The final third of the book? Chef’s kiss. The setting shift, the emotional payoffs, the found family vibes... absolute perfection. 🥹

This one is for the readers who love fake dating tropes with depth, second chances that feel earned, and characters who know life isn’t perfect—but love can still be.

—

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Follow up to the first in this series, but truly a standalone if you haven't read the first. Main characters have known each other since kindergarten shared a kiss at the end of high school and go their separate ways. Now 36, Gemma has written a historical romance using the description of the long ago crush and a little of the hurt she felt. Mason has never really gotten over his crush of her, but never imagined they'd see each other again and when the opportunity comes he jumps at the chance. What I liked with this was we don't have to have a big misunderstanding that nobody talks about, they actually talk like adults to each other. It does take a few adult discussions with themselves to really get the problems worked out. Enjoyed the story very much, and Ms Armstrong's writing is always great. I received an E-ARC of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS STORY! When author Gemma Stanton is told that alphaholes are what is selling she needs to change her hero type she uses inspiration from the biggest alphahole she’s ever dealt with - Mason (The Mace) Moretti high school hockey god-turned-pro player.
When the high school mean girl sets Gemma up on TV (spoiler she’s still a mean girl) and Mason bails her out life gets interesting.
This second chance rom-com had me rolling on the floor. I don’t know how I ended up feeling sorry for Mason but miracles do happen. I heartily recommend.

“Writing Mr. Wrong” by Kelley Armstrong was a delight to read. I flew through the book. It was a cute story and I love that genre. I haven’t read Armstrong’s other books but I did really enjoy this book!

Kelley Armstrong is a master at her craft, in any genre she chooses to write. Her rom-coms have not failed to make me smile throughout. Gemma and Mason had the perfect amount of chemistry and I really liked the spice level of this one. Lots of fun flirting and most of the romance happens later in the book. Character development was spot and the growth of Mason was a great thing to watch. Stronger issues are discussed but in a way that never weighs down the story. I really enjoyed Writing Mr. Wrong. Thank you @readforeverpub for my gifted e-book!