The perfect lighthearted escape! A quick and fun bingeable romance with grumpy-sunshine vibes.

The grumpy MMC? He's a charming and cocky hockey player who’s secretly been in love with the FMC since kindergarten! (Cue the swooning.) Watching him fumble through a second chance at love was equal parts hilarious and heart-melting.

I also adored that this book is a standalone but still gives little cameos from the couple in the author’s previous book. I love when authors build a shared universe like that—it makes everything feel extra cozy and connected without needing to commit to a series.

Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong

Release Date: June 24, 2025
Format: Audiobook

What I loved:
🩷 It’s meta - I love books about writers. I think because they write the experience so authentically!
🩷 Set in Canada - not groundbreaking but a lot of hockey romances are set in the U.S. and I liked the change of scene!
🩷 So many tropes: hockey, fake dating, second chance, friends to haters to lovers? (The last one is new!)
🩷 The characters are so flawed, in a great way.
🩷 The grandmas

What’s the story?
Gemma Stanton, a romance novelist reeling from a painful divorce, writes an alphahole Romance lead inspired by her high school crush. Only now…he’s an NHL star. He ends up back in her life after a fellow student orchestrates a TV reunion, and they decide to fake date to help Gemma’s book sales and his image rehabilitation.

Characters & Chemistry
Men in romances are often a bit one-dimensional - no depth, no flaws. Not in this book. Mason’s redemption arc is really good - from the moment he realises the character is him to slowly realising when he is getting stuff wrong and choosing to be better. The character development and emotional intelligence is great. Some reviewers have said the pair are in “hurt” more than “hate” so you don’t get enemies to lovers, but honestly I don’t want every book to be the same and think there is a lot of cool unique stuff here (like the redemption arc, which is done really well).

Tone & Writing Style
Light, engaging banter and crisp pacing. It’s a breezy, fun and uplifting read with a lot of heart.

Minor Quibbles
⭕️ The relationship in the mid to end section moves really fast. I’m not convinced there was enough for Gemma to get over her doubts, and Mason suddenly decides to start talking about issues he never would have before. It felt a bit fast in that section.
⭕️ I would’ve loved a bit more development of the side characters, and thought Gemma was missing a sidekick. It bounces around a bit from her mum to her grandma.

⸻

Final Verdict

Writing Mr. Wrong is a charming, feel-good romance, great for summer. I was v excited to listen to the next bit, and am feeling a bit bereft now that I’ve finished it!

Rating: 4 ★ / 5

Always a fan of books about books, Writing Mr. Wrong did not disappoint!

Gemma is divorced fiction writer and she just happens to use her childhood crush as the inspiration for her recent MMC. Gemma thinks there is NO WAY anyone will make the connection. But, in perfect meet cute fashion, she is thrown into a "on air" confrontation with none other than that childhood crush. He happens to be all grown up, and one HOT hockey player.

This book is swoony and full of fun banter and is a really easy read. Light and dare I say fluffly... it's a perfect book to read by the pool.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an ALC of this, the duo narrating knocked it out of the park.

This was an ALC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

I was pleasantly surprised by this fade to black/closed door romance. I loved how the story unfolds between two old friends, Gemma and Mason, who reconnect after almost two decades apart. Gemma is an author who uses Mason’s likeness to inspire the hero of her debut novel. Mason is a well known hockey star who needs to work on his image. They bump into each other on the local morning show, which ends up being a hit. Their story continues as they navigate old baggage and new issues as they both try to boost their public images with a fake relationship.

Both characters were relatable and easy to cheer on. The narrators did a great job portraying both emotion and passion through their performances. This pulled me into their struggles and lives. It was a great audiobook that I would recommend to friends.

Thank you Hachette Audio and NetGalley for this advanced listening copy!!

3.5⭐️ I’ve never read a book from this author. I was intrigued by the cover and the title. Gemma is an author and teacher, who bases a character in her novel on her high school crush, Mason, who is now a professional hockey player. They had a twisted past, and Gemma hated him now so she wrote a douchey character based on him.

⚠️⚠️⚠️SPOILERS⚠️⚠️⚠️

The book was fine. The writing was good. I just didn’t feel a connection. Which was odd because I felt like it could have been good, with the flashbacks from the past. I just felt like the MMC was still an asshole. He had some redeeming qualities, but he cared for Gemma so much, yet he kept doing things that didn’t make it seem that way. And then we would get his narration and he would explain himself, but I’m like why didn’t you think before these actions. I just didn’t like him as a character, which I guess is supposed to be the point in the beginning, but there was never a point where my feelings started to change. I still didn’t really like him in the end. I felt like the retreat was a different story. I was honestly confused on why they were even going on the retreat. I hate that their relationship was not the focus at the end. It felt like boom they’re together, now we’re gonna have the last hour be about Mason making it home to his hockey game on time. I wish more time was spent on their relationship.

I also wish there had been more to their fake dating. Like a moment where they had to admit that nothing was fake. But that didn’t happen. It was still a decent read, I don’t see myself reading it again, or really thinking much about it again.

Thank you to the publisher and author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

When it comes to sports romances, I'm a sucker for hockey romances. I feel like I've read all of the sports romances but there's something about hockey romances that always hits the spot for me. Weird, I know. I'm not a sports person. I enjoyed this one. Gemma was a great FMC, getting to see her growth in this story was really satisfying. I'm a huge fan in the FMC's advocating for themselves and what they want. Setting boundaries but also knowing when to compromise. Mason, I feel like he was a real work in progress type of MMC. I have to admit that I was really worried that he wasn't going to live up to his arc redemption. He made it there but it just fell a bit short for me.

I enjoyed this book, I think it'd be a fun read for those who enjoy fake dating, sports romances, second chance romances.

Rating: 3/5 stars
Narrating: 5/5
Steam rating: 3/5 🔥
Triggers: Miscarriage, Divorce, emotional abuse

In "Writing Mr. Wrong", we follow an up-and-coming author named Gemma who is also an English professor, recently hurt from a bad divorce. When she's forced to change the character in her book, she draws inspiration from a high school crush and friend who has become a famous hockey player. As their paths cross and their publicists suggest fake dating to boost her book publicity and help his image.

In a reluctant decision to go on vacation, our main male character (Mason), Gemma gets to know him better, falling in love.

This audiobook fell slightly short for me. I would like to call this maybe enemies-to-lovers, except they weren't enemies. Maybe grumpy and sunshine, but Gemma wasn't grumpy, just hurt. I feel like there was some character development; however, constantly bringing up a hurt from high school over 18 years ago kind of gets old, and you want them to just move on. I was also not a fan of the ex-husband constantly coming into the picture for seemingly no reason, telling Gemma that he was worried for her well-being when he hurt her and emotionally abused her.

Things I did enjoy were the Hockey romance. I love a good sports romance. I enjoyed the narration and how the dual narrators intertwined in the story, not just in their own chapters. I enjoyed the dings and other noises in the story to help bring the story alive.


Read this if you are in the mood for:
second chance romance
hockey romance
slow burn
fake dating

Book Stats:
▪ Genre/Category: sports romance
▪ Steam Caliber: steamy spice
▪ Romance: fake dating, slow burn, sports (hockey)
▪ Characters: complex, some personal growth, yet falls flat
▪ Plot: An up-and-coming author writes about her high school crush, only to be asked to fake date him for her book promotions.
▪ Writing: easy to read, fast paced, unsatisfying ending
▪ POV: 3rd person, dual
▪ Cliffhanger: no
▪ Happily Ever-After: Yes

Note: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley for the Opportunity to listen to this audiobook!!

Solid book! I love the duet narration! It was a great element to the book. The story line was good too! I genuinely liked both of the MC.

Mason Moretto and Gemma Stanton shared one brilliant kiss before high school graduation before their budding romance fell apart. Now it's 20 years later - Mason is a high-profile NHL enforcer and Gemma is a budding romance novelist who may have based her jerk of a hero on Mason. When they're thrown together in a PR stunt to promote her book and his image, it could be their chance to write over that painful history.

Mason and Gemma were a really refreshing couple. The way they both dealt with individual hurts and insecurities felt very raw and made their relationship extra satisfying. Mason is not a perfect romance hero, but his self-reflection and recognition of his screw ups were genuinely endearing and I was always rooting for him. The pacing of the romance didn't feel formulaic and the conflict never felt contrived. I will definitely continue to follow this author's future releases!

I loved the dual narration for the audiobook - both narrators did such a great job and really brought Mason and Gemma to life.

5 stars!!!! Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for allowing me to listen and review this book! I am usually not a big sports romance lover but if I do have to pick a sport for the romance novels, it’s always gotta be Hockey and this book did not disappoint. The story was fantastically written and really kept me entertained!! The narrating in itself was AMAZING!! I love duel narrating but they really picked the perfect narrators for these characters and it truly added to the story line!! As a whole I truly enjoyed and loved this book and would recommend it to anyone!! 5/5 stars!!

Gemma and Mason have known each other since childhood, but their reunion in their 30s brings up some old memories of a kiss and a rumor that soured their friendship during their senior year of high school. Now a writing professor and author, Gemma, used Mason as the mold for her not-so-nice MMC. Mason Moretti is an NHL star who always had a thing for Gemma but failed to follow his heart and communicate it when it counted.

They fall into a fake dating situationship and one thing leads to another. This book has a lot jammed into it and while I enjoyed it for what it was, it was definitely a wild ride with some pretty far-fetched plot points. Very 90s rom-com at times with everything that could go wrong of course, going wrong in a semi-comedic way.

Here are some highlights:
💞 second chance
❤️‍🩹 repair and healing work for both MCs
👩🏻‍💻 writerly FMC
🏒 hockey playing MMC/sports romance
📸 fake dating for mutual benefit
👩‍❤️‍👨 mid 30s MCs

Content warnings (all well-done)
- divorce
- emotionally abusive/controlling/cheating ex
- infertility
- critical parental figure

"Writing Mr. Wrong" by Kelley Armstrong is out June 24th! The audio narration was great - I especially enjoyed the duet performance and liked both narrators voices. Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing for the #netgalley ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed listening to this romance! Thought Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins did a wonderful job bringing these characters to life. Sean Patrick Hopkins I especially loved as hockey player Mason. Patricia’s voice wasn’t immediately what I pictured the voice of Gemma to sound like. Maybe a bit more pristine sounding and less breathy or rough? But Patricia did a great job. This was a fun and entertaining listen!

When Gemma uses her high school crush to model the hero of her romance book after, she's convinced no one will recognize him. Unfortunately for her, she's wrong and it leads to a comedy of errors right out of the gate. Of course, it also reunites her with her old crush, Mason Moretti who is a successful NHL hockey player. And not just a hockey player - - but an enforcer - - a player people sometimes love to hate - which is a role he's always embraced. However, with Gemma, Mason doesn't want to be the "jerk" anymore. He wants to be a better person and wants her to help him learn how to do it. The problem is, she's afraid of being around him too much and falling back into his thrall.

This book really was a fun read. These two characters were enjoyable and I liked their chemistry and the way Mason really cared for Gemma even though she didn't realize it. It was just an all around enjoyable book.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration for this really was absolutely wonderful. The narrators captured these characters perfectly and really helped me to stay absorbed in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy of this audiobook.

I enjoyed this Kelley Armstrong romance. The narrator did a wonderful job. I liked the book so much that I purchased the first book in this series to read. I particularly enjoyed the dialog.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advance copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Romantic comedy gold with the perfect audio duo

As a die-hard rom-com reader, Writing Mr. Wrong checked every box and then some. Kelley Armstrong has long been one of my favorite authors (and the fact that she’s Canadian just makes it even better!), and this book is a standout addition to her lineup. It’s light, laugh-out-loud funny, and unexpectedly heartwarming in all the best ways.

The dynamic between Gemma and Mason is pure gold. You get to watch two people with some serious history navigate a very public (and hilariously awkward) reunion, only to find themselves caught in a perfectly chaotic fake-dating spiral. Their banter is witty, their chemistry is undeniable, and the personal growth they both go through makes the story hit deeper than you’d expect from a lighthearted premise.

And I have to shout out the audiobook—Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins absolutely nail the dual POV narration. Sean brings Mason’s goofy charm to life with just the right amount of emotional depth, and together they make the story pop. This duo is unmatched. If you’re an audiobook fan, don’t skip this version.

Whether you’re in it for the laughs, the fake dating, the second chance romance, or just a solid feel-good story, Writing Mr. Wrong will deliver. A total win for rom-com lovers—this one’s going on my re-read list.

The duet narration on this audiobook was absolute perfection! The narrators perfectly nailed the characters, the transitions were seamless, and it was a joy to listen to. The writing, however, left a bit more to be desired. Gemma is a debut author who goes viral when it is discovered that her fictional hero is based on her high school crush and current hockey player, affable but clueless love interest, Mason. This book seriously lacked character growth and development. Both main characters had some minor progress by the end, but it was very much too little, too late, and it left me deeply dissatisfied with the whole story. For me it was 5 stars for the audiobook performance, 2 stars for the book itself.

Thank you to Hachette Audio for gifting me with an ALC to review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks for the ARC! (4.5 ⭐️) I adored this story! Cute second chance romance where art imitates real life! Hockey player and a budding author—what’s not to love? The story flowed well. The narrators were spot on and perfect for the story. Voices were clear and concise. I did not find any flaws in the narrators or narration style. The characters were lovable. I did get annoyed at the MFC at times, but I also understood her struggles. All in all, this was a cute and adorable romcom that gave me all the feels

Many thanks to Hachette Audio!, Author Kelley Armstrong, Narrated by Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins and NetGalley for the ARC of Writing Mr. Wrong in exchange for an honest review.

Writing Mr. Wrong has an amazing story line that is brought to life by the narration team. Gemma and Mason’s love story started back in Kindergarten with the “he fell first” trope. With a misunderstanding in high school, their life paths lead them away from each other to reach their self-established goals. With Gemma being an up and coming author, she write a romance novel in which the MMC has a striking resemblance to the famous hockey player, Mason. With media (and a jealous mean girl from high school) they are reunited and the sparks fly.

With all characters being vocalized by a narrator of their gender, it keeps the listener engaged and wanting more. If I am being honest, when I got to the last hour of the audiobook I did set up my kids with activities because I just could not hit the pause button.

This book is a must read storyline, either in print or audio, but I do highly recommend the audio version of this writing.

4.5 ⭐️

Absolutely adored this hockey romance. Could not get enough of the characters. A tad cheesy at times, but if I’m being honest, I love that in a rom-com. Very much a second chance love/enemies to lovers trope vibe. Small amount of spice, just one, maybe two short scenes. This was a quick read, great for a palate cleanser or to get you out of a reading slump.

The plot? Loved it. 30 something main characters are where it’s at for me! The MCs have known one another since kindergarten but I had a bit of trouble feeling that. I loved the premise of it but it felt like there was some connection missing
The narrators? Spot on. Perfect for the roles.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC.