Cute book with a typical happy ending. It was an easy read, a beach read. Based on the description from Netgalley, it was exactly what was promised.

Heartfelt, hilarious, and flawlessly narrated

Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong is a charming, emotionally satisfying second-chance romance set in Canada—and it hits all the right notes. I listened to the audiobook version courtesy of NetGalley, and honestly? It was an absolute delight.

This dual-POV story brings together NHL enforcer Mason Moretti (no, I don’t really know what an enforcer does either, but apparently he protects the other players and occasionally scores goals) and Gemma Stanton, a divorced romance author and college teacher. They knew each other in high school—she was the brilliant valedictorian, he was the popular hockey jock. They once shared a kiss, and then he blew it. Years later, her new romance novel just so happens to feature a fictional hero who sounds suspiciously like Mason. 👀

Enter: a delicious fake-dating arrangement to promote Gemma’s book and give Mason the PR rehab he desperately needs. Cue the slow-burn rekindling of feelings, personal growth arcs, and all the swoony, cinnamon-roll vibes from Mason you could ask for. He’s sweet, loyal, a little bit broken, and just trying to be a better man. Gemma is clever, grounded, and genuinely lovely—a heroine you actually want to root for.

🎧 The narration? Chef’s kiss. Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Thomas absolutely nail it. It’s a performance-style audiobook—each narrator sticks to their character’s chapters without trying to mimic the opposite voice, which I loved. It felt polished, immersive, and natural. Add in clean production and subtle sound effects, and you’ve got a listening experience that flows effortlessly. Well done Hachette Audio.

Gemma’s family is another highlight: supportive, warm, and full of personality. Her grandmother is an absolute treat. It’s refreshing to read a romance where the heroine isn’t constantly at odds with her family. On the flip side, Mason’s relationship with his parents adds just enough emotional weight to balance the humour and romance. And his relationship with Mason shows where he gets his kindness and protective nature from.

There are funny, romantic, and emotionally rich moments in equal measure. And the ending? So satisfying. I already bought Finding Mr. Right—which looks like it follows Gemma’s brother—and I’m thrilled it features the same voice actors.

A completely delightful listen. Five stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!

Thank you to Kelley Armstrong, Hatchette Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was so cute! I loved the main characters and how well they flowed together. The story was paced wonderfully and really helped capture each characters “redemption” arc individually while building up their rekindled friendship/relationship. I do wish there had been more about Mason actually seeking help through a therapist or psychiatrist but the self-introspection was great. I LOVE GRANDMA DOT, I want to be her when I grow up.

Writing Mr. Wrong is a charming and heartfelt rom-com with great chemistry and just the right dose of humor. The narrators did a fantastic job capturing the characters’ personalities and emotions, making the story feel lively and authentic. While some plot points were predictable, the strong writing and engaging narration made this an enjoyable listen from start to finish.

It's been a minute since I last finished a book in under 24 hours but this audiobook was GOLD. I mean how you not fall in love with an MMC who looks tough but is sweet and caring as well. Add in a tough female lead and I'm hooked. Love when both the MMC and the FMC are willing to fight for the other. I 100% recommend.

Kelley Armstrong delivers a charming, smartly layered romance in Writing Mr. Wrong, blending heartfelt second chances with witty banter and a twist of mystery. The story follows aspiring screenwriter Daphne McFadden, who’s roped into helping with the memoir of reclusive thriller author Chris Stanton—a man infamous for killing off his fictional female leads and ghosting his past collaborators.

What begins as a professional project quickly turns personal as Daphne peels back Chris’s prickly layers and uncovers a man with regrets, a sharp sense of humor, and a soft spot he’s long tried to hide. Their dynamic is electric—equal parts snark and vulnerability—and Armstrong paces their growing connection beautifully, allowing emotional intimacy to build alongside the professional tension.

But this isn’t just a romance—it’s a quiet exploration of grief, reputation, and how the stories we tell (and avoid telling) shape who we become. Daphne’s resilience and Chris’s guarded charm make for a slow-burn with substance, and the behind-the-scenes glimpses into writing and publishing give it a unique meta twist.

Warm, funny, and unexpectedly poignant, Writing Mr. Wrong hits all the right notes for readers who like their love stories with depth, dry humor, and a dash of bookish angst.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Writing Mr. Wrong follows Gemma and Mason as they meet again after knowing each other from kindergarten through high school. They had crushes on each other and shared one kiss during high school. However, things ended poorly and they went their separate ways.

Gemma wrote a book with a main character inspired by Mason because he needed to be a jerk to get people interested. This is outed and they are thrown together to make things better for each other in a PR way because he’s a famous hockey player with a recent scandal and she needs to promote her book.

While I do think they had a good connection, I really think that Gemma was a lot more upset about what happened in high school than she should’ve been at her big age of 36. That was almost two decades ago. I think Armstrong could’ve found something else or just had her uninterested in a reunion rather than her hating him.

Mason really wanted to grow and be better, I just wish we saw more of that. He also seemed to have some mental health stuff that I wanted explored a bit more. I think he was on the right track, but the book ended pretty abruptly and we didn’t have a chance to see that or other things wrap up.

I think there was so much potential here, and while it was definitely a fun read, I wanted more.

In regards to the narration, Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins did such a wonderful job! They made it all the more enjoyable.

3.25 rounded down

This one was ok for me.. to be honest it didn't overly draw me in - now I've finished it I could barely tell you what happened. The audiobook kind of became background noise for me rather than my focus and keeping me hooked on the story. The narrators were good.

This book was so much fun! I loved listening to it. The dual narration was fantastic. I loved the second chance trope in this one, the chemistry between the two was evident. I enjoyed the hockey/writer storylines without either of them being overdone, it felt very natural, each of them having their job/life/hurts/etc. but the storyline never focused on any one part too much. This is my first book by Kelley Armstrong, and I will look for more from her.

This was my first hockey romance, and I gotta say—I liked! The narrators were great, and while this is mostly a fun, smutty romance (no complaints here), there were some thoughtful touches too.

Kelley Armstrong weaves in mental health themes and gives the characters some growth, which I always appreciate. Steamy and entertaining.

5 stars

I don't know if I can even explain why I liked this book so much, I just really loved it! But let me try...I laughed a kicked me feet a lot, I loved how joyful Mason's confidence felt so it never came off as douchey, I found Gemma to be completely relatable, she was kind without being a doormat. Somehow despite his complete obliviousness, I really loved Mason. It's like his oblivious nature came from trying too hard and it was cute while also being a tad frustrating. When they both acted like children in a tough moment, I am so glad they realized it in the moment and changed their behavior before it went too far. And my god the second chance of it all HIT for me. Mason being a complete dummy in many ways yet never doubting he has been in love with the same girl since kindergarten, yessssss. Never afraid of a double (or septuple) text either which I GREATLY appreciate. And why did the epilogue conversation make me cry? I was just so happy for their future! All that to say, I truly loved it. I remember enjoying the first book but this one was on another level imo.

The narrators were also so good that I didn't even realize it was in duet (I actually have come to dislike duet because the quick changes between narrators always feels abrupt and like they are not in the same room but this one felt more natural that I actually didn't even notice it). That's a huge shoutout to both the talent and the production/editing. Fantastic job!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC!

I LOVED this book. Like, squealing, kicking my legs, constantly covering up my wide smiles—loved it.

Expect 👉🏼 Hockey Player/Romance Author, Secondish Chance, Fake Dating, Forced Proximity, Slow Burn, Spicy Ocean Time

When Gemma reluctantly agrees to go on a talk show to talk about her new romance novel, she has no idea she is about to be ambushed by her high school crush. Who she may or may not have based the main character of her book on 👀. He’s currently got a bad rap and she could use some more attention on her new book. So when the talk show has them trending… maybe hanging out together for the cameras could help them both out. Even if that proximity immediately stirs up old feelings.

Giddy. I’m giddy. This book was so good. I started it this afternoon and finishing it this afternoon. Yep. You read that right. LOVED IT. It’s such a feel-good book. I was smiling so hard I’m sure people thought there was something wrong with me and I don’t even care. I’m still smiling.

🎧The audio was beautifully narrated in DUET by Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins.

Thank you Hachette audio for the gifted alc!

this was a cute and enjoyable read. I listened to the audiobook (it's a duet narration!) in two sittings and even tho the story is entertaining and very fast paced it left me wanting a bit more. the romance part of the story felt a bit rushed while the personal growth of the two main characters (especially the FMC) was very well executed and left me satisfied. overall a good book perfect for a quick summery read.

thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook.

Genuinely this book blew me away! This was my first book by Kelley Armstrong and I didn't have any expectations. The romance was sweet, and while pretty low stakes delivered in all the right places. I love a mutual healing story arc in a second chance romance and this book does it well.

I really enjoyed Gemma as a character, she felt very real and I appreciated her emotional intelligence. Mason was sweet and while there were many points in this book where he made uniformed choices he was self aware which made me extremely likable. While he is a hockey player, that is not the center of this story, however I did appreciate the scenes when Gemma and her grandma attended his games or when it came up in the context of his behavior.

The audiobook production on this one was out of this world! I listened to this in one sitting. The duet narration and overall production with sound effects made this one of the most engaging and exciting audiobooks I've had the chance to listen to!

Honestly, this was...ok? I am very much captivated by the premise of the book. Due to some snoopy ghosts of the high school's past, the world knew that writer Gemma's high school crush-turned-the-one-that-got-away, Mason, was the inspiration for the hero of her latest romance novel. To boost their images, Gemma and Mason agreed to have public appearances that led to something deeper. The plot was simple with so much potential! And yet most of it was left untapped...

And yet, I felt like the execution lacked spark and luster. I found the writing style to be a bit...infodump-y at times, especially at parts where I would like to <i>see</i> relevant developments and backstories unfold instead of just being fed awkwardly. I had a hard time getting into the characters' voices because most of the things they did or the feelings they felt were just thrown out there with little depth. I also wasn't sure what to feel about that ending.

Overall, a fun book to kill some time with, but I was left wondering, feeling like there was so much more it could have offered with a little editing.

As for the audiobook: The narration and production were excellently done, but I'm not sure those voices were the best fit for the characters! The female voice was very raspy at times, and I expected someone with a livelier voice for Gemma. Honestly, there were parts where I felt sleepy listening to Gemma's parts! I also didn't feel any chemistry between the female and male voices, which I think is a crucial part, especially with dual narration.

3 stars!

Read: June 14th - June 18th
Format: Audiobook
Rating: 4 star

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

My only experience with Kelley Armstrong is the Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising series (think I got those names right, but the YA Paranormal/Fantasy ones), so I was curious to go into an adult romance that's from her over a decade later.

And this hit so many places for me 👌🏼 I loved Gemma and the way she refused to take crap, and the way she called out some of the, uh, problematic aspects of romance books. But even being all tough and stuff, she was still vulnerable and kind.

I also really liked Mason and how he managed to be a jerk without being heartless. The whole approach of him more being careless really hit for me, probably because I have a sibling who is similar, so it's nice just seeing acknowledgement that people can still be jerks while still having a good heart. Just, ya know... A lack of awareness 🤣 It was also nice seeing him come to terms and growing.

There was just so much nice character stuff in this book, from how people broke away pieces from each of them, and how the relationship in the end wasn't a pretty pink bow on top with Gemma still having realistic fears (excluding epilogue here).

I just felt, although the Mason growing plotline was great, it fell a bit short. Learning to love him as him and not just pieces of him was great and a good message, but he didn't have to outright change to simply become more aware, and that needed a bit more added to it, I think, hence 4 stars instead of 5.

Really loved this, though, and honestly, I'd love getting another book with a Jesse focus 🤭

This story is told in dual POV and both narrators did an excellent job telling the story. I enjoyed each narrator voicing their character when it wasn't their POV and the dings to let you know when text messages were coming in.

The characters and storyline had more depth and heart than I was expecting, but I enjoyed every bit of it. The author did a wonderful job creating her characters and I could feel the chemistry between the two.

The story is low spice, which is what I prefer. Not quite closed door.

This story does have mentions of infertility and verbal abuse.

Thank you Hacehette Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC.

Gemma’s first book just came out and it turns out she may have based the not so nice lead male character of her childhood crush who ended up really hurting her. Said crush happens to be a Mason, who is a famous hockey player now and he finds out about the book (during a talk show appearance with Gemma) and assumes that means she’s forgiven him for what he did in high school. Their talk show conversation goes viral and everyone wants them to date. Mason has an image problem and fake dating would be a great promotion for Gemma’s new book so the two decide to try it. Mason realizes how he’s messed up in the past and wants to be a better man, can he be the kind of guy Gemma wants to write about in her next romance (and maybe the guy she wants to start in her real life too)?

I really liked the author’s other novel which I read last year, Finding Mr. Write and this gave me the same kind of feels. It’s funny how some books just work for your tastes and what you are looking for at that moment and this one did - it was fun and cute and I couldn’t put it down. I listened to it on the subway going to a literary luncheon yesterday (narrators were great) and then really enjoyed reading it on the train out of the city. It’s funny how sometimes silliness in books bothers me and sometimes if I’m invested enough, I am just along for the ride. This one had me invested and even though there were not many ancillary characters (although Gemma’s grandmother was a trip), I liked the two main characters so that they were enough for me. What a fun beach read (probably more fun on a beach than on the NYC subway).

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ARC to review

I really loved this especially the last 10% were so good. The storyline progressed to naturally and at a perfect speed which made it so believable. I loved their dynamic, they were just perfect for each other.
I know that it was kind of the point but his obnoxiousness bothered me a lot at times. Hockey players and writers are some of my favorite characters in books and I loved that they were put together in here🫶.
I also really loved the Narrators, their voices represented the Characters so good.

I was absolutely blown away by this second chance hockey romance. Mason and Jemma are total opposites, but are still able to understand one another in such a beautiful way. The audio book had duet style narration which really added to the flow of the story. The two narrators emotions match and paired well in all the scenes they were together. There was also an added ding for whenever the characters were sending or receiving multiple text messages at a time and it added an authentic quality to the story. I absolutely loved this book and plan to read more from the author!