This was such a sweet clean romance! She was losing herself along the way and stopped believing in herself until her muse showed up. Everyone started to notice a change in her and it was all because of him. Now this was a little weird if you really stop and think about it but this is a book you just need to go with the vibe.
I also loved the cultural tie ins!

Writing Mr. Right is a gentle, magical story about self-love, healing, and finding confidence—through writing, and a little bit of wishful thinking. Ziya, an aspiring author, creates a fictional man who helps her reconnect with her creativity, her joy, and ultimately, herself. It's cozy, uplifting, and full of heart.

The premise is whimsical, and the execution leans more introspective than romantic. There's no spice, but the emotional growth shines. I especially loved the narration by Mayuri Bhandari—it added so much warmth to the audiobook.

That said, I found Ziya’s transformation a bit too perfect at times, and I wished we saw more of her “before” to really feel the impact of her journey. There’s also a subtle message that staying in and being introverted isn’t “living,” which didn’t totally sit right with me.

Still, it’s a sweet, feel-good read that many will find inspiring—especially creatives who’ve ever felt stuck or unsure.

I read the book and was hoping that the audio book would help me get into it more and enjoy it if I had another voice in my head because I loved the concept and really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, even with the audio it still wasn't my cup of tea.

The premise is cute but unfortunately it tends to fall into the “born sexy yesterday” trope with Aashiq. It can be kind of fun to see him experience the world for the first time and slowly learn how to be more human, but he also comes across as childish—not quirky—which isn’t a great quality in a love interest. On the other hand, when it comes to writing and creativity he acts more like Ziya’s life coach and personal assistant than her boyfriend.

I enjoyed it much more as a story about a burnt out, discouraged artist rediscovering her passion and love of the craft. Ziya is a great lead and her journey back to writing was an enjoyable story. I really felt for her, especially in the beginning. The romance, though, fell short for me.

Writing Mr. Right was honestly such a cute story.

I truly loved Ziya. She was extremely passionate about her work, but like anyone who faces rejection after rejection attempting to make their dreams come true, she fell down on her luck.
While I know many authors go through doubts about their writing, wondering if they are any good or if what they are doing is worth it, this felt like a lived experience vs a forced one—if that makes any sense...

The aspect of Aashiq being a manifestation of Ziya come to life, was honestly adorable. I loved that despite him being her internal muse, he wasn't all knowing about Ziya nor her thoughts. It give the book a little bit more magic.

Her falling in love with someone that she created in her head wasn't at all weird to me. It was more of a double meaning. Ziya not only fell in love with Aashiq, but she fell in love with herself. Learning to slow down, smell the roses, and do things that were good FOR her, not because she HAD to do these things.

I think that author Alina Khawaja, not only wrote a book spotlighting and further expanding on the importance of representation, she also made me think. Think about what I am doing in my own personal life, and how I can manifest personal changes that are better for me.

For the audio portion:
The audio production was wonderfully done. I love the voice actor and the way that they brought Ziya's emotions to life. Heck even though it wasn't dual/duet narration, I truly enjoyed every aspect of the audio.
Everything was clear and paced in a way that was super easy to follow.

I was originally provided the ARC from Netgalley courtesy of HTP Hive/HTP Hive

I liked it! I liked our FMC and how she had goals but was frustrated with time and circumstances. And what a unique way to get her “out of her head” so to speak while also adding some life and romance to her life. I laughed at our MMC so much between his antics and frank views on the world around him. It was a joy to read and I feel like if your an Abby Jimenez or Ashley Poston fan you’ll enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this copy of Writing Mr. Right in exchange for a honest review!

Overall: 3.75 out of 5 Stars

This is a super cute story for people who love books like Ashley Poston. It’s a no spice novel, but very sweet. It tells the story of a Pakistani woman who is struggling to find her break in writing while working as an office secretary. When she finally gets a huge rejection on her birthday, she decides to quit writing entirely. This turns into her muse, the physical embodiment of her creative spirit turning real to try and convince her to come back!

What follows is a bunch of silly moments, with a lot of heart. Would recommend for anyone looking for a different kind of romance!

3.5⭐ rounded up
Ziya is a legal assistant and aspiring writer, but she can't catch a break. The day before her 30th birthday, she asks her boss about work helping fund her J.D., but gets brushed off. She also receives two rejections from literary agents, one of which is her dream pick. After swearing off writing, she wakes up the following morning to Aashiq, her muse that she's wished into existence, in her apartment.

This is a cute and quieter romance about an aspiring author trying to reconnect with her love of writing. Much of the conflict is internal as Ziya grapples with rejection and not giving up on her dreams. The narrator does a good job on the voices, though I was a little surprised how young Aashiq's voice sounds throughout.

Give this a read if you enjoy:
- Hallmark movies (but set in NYC)
- books about aspiring authors) the writing process
- a dose of fantasy
- characters who act like they blinked into existence yesterday
Thank you to Harlequin Audio for an ALC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book was published on 6/10/25.

My first impression was that the writing style was really enjoyable. I loved the nerdy texting banter with the FMC, Ziya, and her roommate, and the honest and supportive friendship they have.

At first, I was a little uncomfortable with the muse concept, because I felt like Ziya kept saying he was a part of her and it felt a bit odd from that perspective. But I kept reminding myself that he was her <b>muse</b> (source of inspiration), and not actually "her". It was a new and interesting take on magical realism.

The narrator, Mayuri Bhandari did a great job with the story. I prefer listening to books by/about POC because I feel like it gives me a better appreciation of the story to hear it.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for an e-audio arc of this book!

Thank you so much to Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to listen to Writing Mr. Right by Alina Khawaja before its release!

The narrator perfectly embodied the main character, making this heartfelt story truly come alive. While the romance is sweet and satisfying, what stuck with me most were the life lessons woven throughout. As a mental health professional, I found this book unexpectedly healing—it reminded me of the importance of simple daily rituals: cooking breakfast, moving your body, stepping away from work, and reconnecting with what brings you joy.

The story follows a woman rediscovering her voice as a writer after creative setbacks, and with the help of a loyal (and slightly magical) friend, she finds her way back to herself. The author beautifully interlaced Pakistani culture and traditions throughout the story, which not only piqued my interest in learning more, but also gave powerful visibility to Pakistani authors—encouraging them to write boldly, represent their stories, and see themselves in fiction. It gave me the same nostalgic comfort as Drop Dead Fred—that longing for a friend who knows you to your core. This book felt like a warm hug, and I only wish I could experience it again for the first time.

*This review also shared to Goodreads.

Thank you Harlequin and NetGalley for the audio ARC! I love romances and romcoms and romantasies of all kinds, and I really tend to be a reviewer that lives by vibes. For me, this one was a really interesting concept and the narration was quite well done most of the time (though there were some instances that made me pause and wonder what was going on like when the line "people-watching" was narrated as though people were watching, not the activity of people-watching. Ultimately, no narration will be perfect, but this stuck with me. As for the story itself, I thought it was a fun concept, but it was a little too sleepy for me to really get into. It was a fun listen, but wasn't something I'd re-read or re-listen to.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
No Spice

❤️Light Romance, Wholesome, Falling for Fictional Men, Career Growth, Self-Love

Ziya is a legal secretary and an aspiring writer. She creates a fictional man, Aashiq, who helps her with her writing, helps her become more confident, and inspires her to not only live, but see the beauty in life again. It is such a great lesson for all of us to not just focus solely on work, but to make sure we have fun in life. This is such a sweet read. I love the friends Ziya has. I didn't expect to love this! It's adorable, creative, uplifting and inspirational.

Mayuri Bhandari is the narrator. She did a beautiful job. I enjoyed listening to this.

Thanks to Netgalley, Alina Khawaja, and Harlequin for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Ziya is an aspiring author whose goal is to create diverse characters and interesting stories that represent her own identities, including being the child of immigrants and Muslim, that aren’t just about trauma or living in the margins. She gets rejection after rejection on the novel she sends out to agents, but makes a birthday wish that results in her muse, Aashiq, taking a real form. Aashiq represents the parts of Ziya she wishes she could improve, including serving as an inspiration to continue her dreams of being a novelist. Aashiq works his magic as her muse and as Ziya progresses in her novel, Aashiq starts to fade away. Will Ziya have to choose writing, or to be with Aashiq?

I’m a big fan of romance books that feature diverse characters, and this one certainly didn’t fail to deliver! I was struck by one of the lines that Ziya states, about how she wants to write beyond the trauma and stereotypes of the Muslim American experience, which resounded so well with books from the queer experience. There were observations that felt true to Ziya’s experience that the author rightfully didn’t provide an explanatory comma for reads (e.g. Ziya thinks Aashiq is a jin), and it made this magical realism book a bit more real. I loved the chemistry between the main characters, though I will say it was a bit quirky to emphasize that Aashiq is a human form of Ziya’s mind, and then have them fall in love with each other. Regardless, Mayuri Bhandari's narration brought the characters to life for me, and in conjunction with the storyline really felt like I was watching a Disney movie in my ears. I’d recommend this for any fans of magical realism and diverse romance novels!

Reviewed as part of #ARC from #NetGalley. Many thanks to Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to read and review.

Read this book if you like:
🪄magical realism in romance form
✍️ semi-autobiographical fiction books
🧝 Buddy the Elf’s zeal for life


===
This review will be posted to Instagram @AutobiographiCole on or around the release date!

Writing Mr. Right was a sweet, imaginative romantic comedy that follows Ziya, a legal secretary by day and a struggling author at night. After a devastating publisher rejection on her birthday, she hastily deletes all of her works and vows to stop writing. She makes a birthday wish to be happy and then ends her night. The next morning, she wakes up to find a compkete stranger in her home. Aashiq claims to be her muse and is here to inspire her to write again. Ziya starts by thinking he is crazy but soon realizes that he really is who he says. Aashiq begins to slowly inspire Ziya to not only improve her writing but to embrace life, make friends, and even fall in love.

The concept of this book was what really hooked me. The thought of a muse come to life sounded like a fun concept. Ziya's character starts off feeling very lost. She has been juggling a full time job as well as being a writer. She has clear motivations and desires to enhance the literary world by creating Pakistani characters that people could relate to. Ziya is an imperfect character and is very closed off. She focuses so much of her time and energy on her careers that she doesn't take time to make friends or truly live her life. Aashiq opens her eyes to the simple joys and connections that you can make by taking time to be in the moment. His golden retriever energy and enthusiasm for life slowly make her appreciate taking time to live her life and go after what she wants.

The narrator had a very smooth, lilting voice. The story featured a single narrator who did a great job at differentiating the voices without making them sound unrealostic or over the top. It made for an enjoyable listening experience.

The story is sweet with magic, tension, angst, and romantic moments. The story is quick and the writing is very easy to read. The author reflects a lot of Ziya's own character and growth into her writing. I enjoyed the mirror of Ziya's story with the story unfolding. Also, Ziya's growth throughout was very endearing. She used to be someone closed off except for to those really close to her and she grows into someone who is truly present in her life. The only thing I didn't really like about the book are the moments with the candles and the wish were a little silly and felt a little out of place. Overall, the story was cute and a sweet romantic comedy.

Imagine if a self-help book got turned into a rom com. You’d get this novel.

It’s cute, though it didn’t wow me.

The romance of the book felt unnecessary and kind of boring. Far more interesting was the real idea at the heart of the plot: What if your most optimistic, most curious, most undaunted self came to life and became both a cheerleader and a catalyst to explore outside your comfort zone? Wonderful, magical things can happen!

I liked the main character making positive changes in her life that had nothing to do with whether she kept writing or whether she ever found an agent or publisher.

As an audiobook, the narrator’s voice was pleasant, but she seemed less polished than most other audiobook narrators. Not deepening her voice even a little for male characters now sounds weird to me after so many audiobooks where narrators affect the opposite gender’s voice. One highlight of her narration, however, was her Pakistani accent for the family.

An adorable story with charming characters! A struggling author trying to find her muse to write a story and the journey she takes to get there! The narrator did a fantastic job!

I received an audio ARC through Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

Writing Mr. Right by Alina Khawaja is a cute story of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and growth. It is a great book for authors, published and not, as noted in her author's note. I listened to the audiobook which was narrated very well by Mayuri Bhandari.
This is the story of aspiring author and legal secretary, Ziya. She is the daughter of immigrant parents and feels the pressures that come along with that, as well as being a woman of color in NYC, and a woman in the US. She thinks that she is doing a great job, but another rejection of her book the evening before her birthday has her spiraling. She deletes her novels, vows not to write again, and wishes she could be happy.
Enter Aashiq, her muse come to life from her head. At first, she worries that she has gone crazy, but eventually their dynamic helps her in so many ways.
I really enjoyed how the author made light of some of the things that bothered me with the plot. Her acknowledgement of them helped me to accept them. It is a cute read.

Thank you harlequin and NetGalley for the audio ARC!

3 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

🎧 AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧

I enjoyed the audio. The narrator was good the book flowed nicely.

The story tho was ok. It’s defiantly not one I would normally read. But I did enjoy it. No spice romance.

If you're picking this one up expecting spice or laugh-out-loud rom-com vibes, you might want to adjust your expectations. Writing Mr. Right is neither steamy nor particularly funny—but it is a sweet, heartfelt story. The characters are likable, and the plot is wholesome, but it leans more toward a cozy, feel-good read than anything else. It’s cute and charming in its own quiet way, just not what I was expecting.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish this book. While it’s well-written and the narration is clear and engaging, the story moves a bit too slowly for my taste. As an attorney, I found the initial amount of legal detail to be more of a deterrent than a hook, which made it difficult for me to stay engaged. That said, I do recognize that this won’t be the case for everyone. For those who enjoy a slower build, this story may be more appealing. It just wasn’t the right fit for me.