This was a cute read.

It highlighted a lot of predicaments pro-athletes have. The traumas of coming out of a mentally and emotionally abusive relationship was also really highlighted.

I loved that they were actually working through issues they had or stuff that bothered them instead of it being pushed under the rug.

Overall an enjoyable read full of cute moments. Their grannies added an extra layer of sweetness to this book.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me an advance listener’s copy of this book. I will read more by this author in the future.

Debut author Gemma Stanton knows romance readers love a bad boy—and she has the perfect prototype for her novel: Mason Moretti. High school hockey god-turned-pro player, Mason was Gemma's first crush, but she couldn't forget the sting of his very public rejection. So, she casts him as a hot-headed Highlander in her spicy new historical romance. She never expected readers would find out on live TV when a morning show host invites Mason for a surprise on-air reunion. As an aging hockey player with a rep for being ruthless on the ice—and roguish off of it—Mason has an image problem. So, when his meet-cute with Gemma goes viral, Mason proposes they build on the momentum with a few fake dates to boost her book sales...and his sagging profile. But when the fictional flirting gets a little too real, Mason realizes Gemma actually makes him want to become a better man—someone worthy of her trust and her love. Will Gemma give him a second chance? Mason knows it's a long shot, but taking shots is sorta his thing, and besides, who loves a redemption arc more than a romance author?

Thoughts
This was a cute and easy listen (since I actually listened to it instead of site read). Second chance (ish), they act like enemies but really both pined over each other for years to lovers. Nothing two deep, both have some issues to sort out but it was still lighthearted and a little funny at times.

I've been a fan of the author for a number of years and will happily read anything she writes because I know it's always going to be well written. Because of this I jumped at the chance to listen to this one because I love the genre and I do love a good audiobook when driving.

This featured two new to me narrators and I think they both did really great jobs with the material. It was an easy listen overall and pulled me into the story. It was good fun and a good listen. A nice 4-star read that those who love fake dating and second chance romance would enjoy.

Received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first adult novel by Kelley Armstrong and I enjoyed it. Writing Mr. Wrong follows Gemma, a debut author who hates her first book. The book she tried to publish had a sweet MMC, but no one was interested, so she decides to write a book with an alpha-hole MMC instead since that is “in”. And maybe she did use a certain hockey player from her past for some of the I inspiration for the character, but just because the cover looks a lot like him doesn’t mean it is him. Mason, the hockey player, has his own issues going on, so when Gemma and he have a surprise reunion which goes viral, they decide to make the best of the situation and fake date. And if this gives Mason the opportunity to show Gemma he still likes her (he has since kindergarten), then even better.

If you do not like problematic heroes, this book is not for you. Mason is messy, accidentally controlling, emotionally stunted, and an alpha-hole sometimes. However, that is the point of his arc, realizing he has some tendencies that are not good and that he doesn’t always think through his action’s impact on other people. I loved both Gemma and Mason and their messiness and how they grew throughout the novel. The narrators did a great job of bringing their characters to life and I ended up finishing up the audiobook in one day.

Gemma is an aspiring writer who just released her first book. The MMC of her book is inspired by her high school ex, Mason Moretti. When she is launching her book at a TV show, she is surprised to see that Mason is also there. She thought that no one would notice that the book was secretly about Mason but now everyone knows.

Mason Moretti is a famous hockey player and is now facing some controversy after an incident during a hockey match. To resolve this issue and for everyone to see Mason in a different light, his manager comes up with a fake dating scheme between him and Gemma. Mason has always liked Gemma but in high school he made some mistakes and he is not sure Gemma can ever forgive him.

Mason does everything to get in contact with Gemma and to get her to agree with his fake dating scheme but Gemma is reluctant. Eventually she agrees to one celebratory dinner for her book together. But one celebratory dinner quickly turns into more outings together and eventually even a trip together. This trip is so Gemma can finish her book and Mason can learn how not to be an asshole. Will this time together turn out to be a good idea?

This is a funny and sweet second chance romance. I liked the writing style a lot and I read through the book really fast. I couldn’t put it down. It’s the perfect second chance romance.
I really liked the characters and their stories. I also liked that they knew each other from high school and were now reconnecting again. The character development was great and I liked how they resolved their issues.
I listened to this book as an audiobook and the production was great. It was narrated in dual pov by two authors and they were both great.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️: 4,4
🌶: 2,6

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC 💕

I enjoyed this book but it wasn’t anything that blew me away. It follows Gemma, a debut author who based a character in her book off of her crush from high school. After a humiliating morning show interview which set her up and exposed her inspiration for the character in front of her aforementioned high school crush, the two of them decide to fake date for a publicity stunt to promote the book.

Mason is a hockey player going through some drama and he wants to improve his demeanour as he realises he comes off as an asshole and doesn’t think before he throws money at situations to try and diffuse them.

I enjoyed the flashback type moments of Gemma and Mason in high school and the trip they took together but ultimately I thought Mason was quite annoying in his lack of thought and even after he changed I don’t feel like there was enough of a change to make me like him.

Gemma was great though!

Gemma and Mason have known each other since Kindergarten but drifted apart as teens. The book begins as the two reconnect in their 30’s with Mason being a professional hockey player and Gemma publishing her first novel that just so happens to have an MMC inspired by Mason. I absolutely adored this story and the duel narration between Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins really brought these characters to life!

This would be a wonderful story for you if you’re in the mood for a lighthearted romcom with some of the very best tropes, including fake dating and second chance romance!

This is a book that is going to get ripped by some.
Classic Hallmark movie in the making here.
I am going with 5 out of ten….plus 1 for having a hockey star as one of the main characters.

Reality is:
Cheesy, yup
Silly, yup
Obvious plot, yup
Happy ending, yup
Writing, mediocre, yup
Romance with sex scene, yup

Was it good? I wouldn’t say so. But I didn’t hate it.
But when it is said that Kelley Armstrong is a book factory, that is clearly true. Already five books published in 2025. Having said that, she could take more time with this one and it wouldn’t get more stars.
It is what it is.

I'll be honest, I struggled with this book. The narration was great, no issues with that. I'm always a fan of dual narration and POVs.

The pacing seemed really slow in this book and I was never in a rush to get back to listening. The romance also seemed lackluster and was honestly missing. By the end, I still wasn't really feeling a strong connection between Mason and Gemma. I think if so much of the book wasn't focused on what happened in high school and their personal hangups, perhaps their romance would have felt more authentic. Instead of focusing on the now, it was all about the 'then' and that was just annoying to me as a reader. I appreciate that our past can shape who we are and we have to work through our past issues to make a future for ourselves. But when 80% of the book is about how someone hurt us in the past (15+ years ago at that) and therefore we're hesitant to move on, it makes the characters seem immature and a bit shallow since they're making it all about themselves and what happened when they were literal teenagers. Gemma was especially annoying when it came to this and she had that hangup right until the end.

Once Gemma gets over herself, things move quickly with them. But again, that's at the end of the book and there's been pretty much zero actual romance to that point. Drama with a side of chemistry, yes. But no romance. While I celebrated how things ended for them and the epilogue, it was hard for me to overlook the 'woe is me' attitude the rest of the book had.

I'll admit that Mason annoyed me for the first half of the book. I don't think I've ever seen a more clueless hero in a romance. I just wanted to smack some sense into him lol. He was totally oblivious to what women want or how to treat them properly. Now, he didn't do it with bad intentions. He really was a sweetheart when you looked beneath the foolishness. So I give him credit for at least having a good heart. He also needs to get on some anxiety medication and start taking his mental health seriously. He was high strung beneath all those fake smiles.

This was labeled as a hockey romance, but sadly, hockey was just an added keyword. There wasn't really anything hockey related in this book.

This was such a fun, feel-good read! I loved the second chance romance between Gemma and Mason—especially the fake dating twist that turned into something real. Mason’s growth was super satisfying to watch; he owns up to his past and actually learns from it. And Gemma? Total queen for staying true to herself. The chemistry was great, the banter was sharp, and I binged it in a single day. Perfect for a beach day or cozy weekend. If you love redemption arcs and a bit of spice with your swoon, this one’s for you. Solid 4.5 stars!

While the cover of this book looks like it is going to be a hockey romance (and there are some hockey elements) I would call this more of a fake dating/second chance romance. It's a cute story that focuses on the impact that misunderstandings can have on relationships. And as a Canadian it was nice to have a book set in Canada.

I listened to this as an audio book which is performed by a male/female duo which is appropriate as there are chapters from both the male and the female leads' perspectives.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and Hachette Audio for review.

This was really cute. I usually dislike second chance romance, but this one worked for me. I loved that our MMC was far from perfect and was actively asking for help with his flaws but not in a way where we saw him be immediately fixed. I went for it because i'm a fan of books about authors and this did end up being more of a sports romance with that taking the spotlight more, but I was also fine with that.

This book was so cute and fun! This author delivered. I devoured this audiobook in one day. I was finding laundry to wash and fold just so that I could continue listening. LOL
Our FMC, Gemma, has written a book based on her first crush, Mason. He's a famous hockey player. An old friend from high school has a talk show and figures out she wrote about Mason. The secret gets out and things spiral from there. A fake dating situation happens to help both of their careers. But their hearts are also thrown into the mix.

Kelley Armstrong did a great job with a well written book with lots of great conflict. The characters had fantastic growth. I enjoyed listening to this book from start to finish. I thought the narrators did a very good job of bringing the characters to life. I enjoyed listening to both of their voices. I thought they represented the characters very well. I received this book from Hachette Audio and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

An adorable well narrated sort of second chance romance. Most of us are thrilled to be out of high school. For some, it’s the highlight of their lives. For others, they are happy to see it in the rear view mirror. Gemma was one of those happy to be far away from that time and the mean girl who made her life awful. So when her first book is published and she is on the local news to talk about it, who is the interviewer? Her high school bully, but now with a platform, a mic and a camera. Fun times. When she brings out the boy, now a man who was her high school crush and a seriously famous hockey player, things go from bad to worse. Mason is as egomaniacal, immature and thoughtless as ever. His issue is that he has a public image problem and needs Gemmas to help him restore public perception. He starts off doing it all wrong. And so we go along the journey with them as they make peace and find their way to their own happily ever after. A truly sweet journey.

I was given an advance listening copy of Writing Mr. Wrong from NetGalley and this one was such a good time!

I’ll never be tired of a fake dating trope, and this one hits all the right beats. A grumpy, aging hockey player trying to rehab his image. A newly divorced debut novelist who based her spicy MMC on her lifelong crush… who just so happens to be said hockey player. Chaos, chemistry, and career-saving plans ensue.

I really liked that both Gemma and Mason felt like real adults. They’ve been through things, they’re figuring themselves out, and they have actual jobs and personal stakes that made the story feel grounded. The hockey storyline and the publishing world drama were both super fun additions, and the dual POV made the slow burn feel really satisfying.

The audiobook was great, too. Easy to listen to with strong narration that kept the energy up.

This was cute, funny, and surprisingly thoughtful. A solid 4-star read I’d recommend to anyone who loves fake dating and second chance romance.

#WritingMrWrong #KelleyArmstrong #Bookstagram #RomComReads #FakeDatingTrope #HockeyRomance #NetGalleyListener #AdvanceListeningCopy #RomanceAudiobook #TurningPagesWithKate

ALC (ARC) 🎧 Review - Thank you NetGalley/Kelley Armstrong

4 ⭐

Tropes etc:
🏒 hockey player x romance author 📖
🖤 soft enemies to lovers
💋 reformed playboy
🫶 second chance
💞 fake dating
🩵 he falls first

Basics of the plot: Mace is a professional hockey player (enforced) with a bad reputation (playboy and current accuses that he intentionally let a teammate get hurt). Gemma is a debut romance author, recently published a romance book. The two are on the same talk show (with mean girl they went to high school with), when she asserts that the MMC in Gemma’s book is based on Mace. During this interview Mace comes to her rescue, a moment which goes viral. Both their teams want them to push the narrative of a romance between them for the publicity.
I enjoyed this book, I do love a second chance romance – and enjoyed that this one wasn’t simply based on a misunderstanding as is often the case. Gemma as a character was great, she always called Mason on his sh*t, which helped him grow. Mason was also wonderful and showed true growth. I really liked that they (eventually) tackled what caused them to be enemies head on.
The romance between these two felt very genuine and they were relatable (including their individual problems) and it grew with great communication.
It was a cute, quick read with an honest and realistic love story, despite being fake dating.
The dual POV narration was great 😊

I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. The narration was really good. Hockey wasn’t the main focus and it truly focused on a second chance romance. The miscommunication trope was done well. I really felt like the characters were really well developed and didn’t leave much unsaid/unanswered when the epilogue finished. Truly a well thought out and executed book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Forever for this ALC.

Sean Patrick Hopkins and Patricia Santomasso did a great job with this duet narration and kept me interested the whole story.

This follow Gemma and Mason- childhood friends to nothing to lovers. Mason has always had a thing for Gemma but fumbled the ball when he had his chance with her in high school. Now, Gemma may or may not have based her MC of her romance novel on Mason, a now famous hockey player, and they get a chance to rekindle their once buried past.

I enjoyed the growth displayed by both Mason and Gemma and the honest communication they displayed with each other. This was a well done audiobook production and I really enjoyed the story with it!

`✦ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹ 3 stars 🌟

audiobook arc review 📖

narrators: Sean Patrick Hopkins and Patricia Santomasso 🎧

જ⁀➴ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬

🩷 author fmc
💕 hockey player mmc
🩷 awkward reunion
💕 second chance
🩷 forced proximity
💕 fake dating

۶ৎ Firstly, I absolutely loved the narrators! Great choice and duet style is one of my favourites.

۶ৎ This was such a fun book. The fmc is an author who bases her male lead after her high school crush... only for the fact to go shamefully public. Whenever you think things are going to settle, up comes another surprise.

۶ৎ It did feel slight Netflix-worthy in a good romcom binge kind of way. Some parts were a bit cliche, or annoying. But otherwise enjoyable.

𖹭 I would definitely recommend reading this book in audiobook format.

────୨ৎ────

⋆˙⟡ 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑜 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑜 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘.

Last year, I read Finding Mr. Write and was excited to find out that Kelley Armstrong would be doing a sequel. I enjoyed that these two can be read independently of one another!

Writing Mr. Wrong follows Gemma and Mason as they reconnect after 20 years apart! This second-chance romance features references to how the two grew up together and then grew apart. Gemma is a debut author, which is so fun to read! Mason is a hockey player (so, if you’re looking out for some of those beloved hockey romance staples, you’re in luck!). Throughout this audiobook, I really appreciated getting to learn about their past together. However, I still have a hard time understanding some of Mason’s motivations and reasons for being the way that he is. Respectfully, some serious therapy is in his future. He’s a great hero, but I do worry about him being okay because he stuffs so many emotions down.

This audiobook features an incredibly well done duet narration! I loved being able to spend time in characters heads while getting both of their voices. This really helped the audiobook to flow and I never felt jarred by hearing one voice or the other because they connected so seamlessly. Plus, both of the narrators’ voices fit perfectly with their characters! That was great!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would totally recommend it to anyone wanting to dabble in a sports romance without it being a SPORTS romance. The audiobook was excellently produced and works really well.