Writing Mr. Wrong was a quick and enjoyable read. If you are looking for a light, fun book with good chemistry this is the book for you. Also, both narrators were outstanding! They were so engaging and fun to listen to!

The story focuses on Mason, a professional hockey player, and Gemma, a romance author releasing her first book. They have a rocky past stemming from an incident that occurred in high school. When they cross paths again on a morning television program, old feelings (and frustrations) come rushing back. It’s about figuring out whether the past is really behind them, or if there’s still something worth fighting for. I did feel that the characters dwelled too much on that past incident, but overall I enjoyed the book.

Enemies(ish) to lovers plus fake dating plus hockey? Yes please! If you love the chaotic thrill of fake dating mixed with the slow burn of enemies-to-lovers, this book delivers in all the best ways. The main characters are forced into a pretend relationship that neither of them really wants—but the tension, banter, and undeniable chemistry quickly blur the lines between fake and real. Their sharp-tongued bickering turns into reluctant trust, then something far more tender. With witty dialogue, swoony moments, and just the right amount of angst, this is a romance that keeps you rooting for love to win. A must-read for fans of sharp-edged flirtation and emotional payoff.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the advanced audiobook.

3.5 stars

When Gemma Stanton's first published romance novel gets published she doesn't expect anyone to see that she's based her asshole love interest on her own high school crush: Mason Moretti, who happens to be a star hockey player for the Vancouver Growlers. But when she goes on a local TV show to publicize her book she's ambushed with a reunion with Mason. When their meet-cute goes viral both realize that some fake dating could solve both of their problems (getting the word out on her debut novel and helping his image problem as an aging hockey enforcer). Their forced proximity to one another makes it clear that they wouldn't have ever worked when they were teenagers, but maybe things could be different now?

I always enjoy a casted audiobook and this one didn't disappoint on that front. Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins did a great job of getting across Mason's charismatic yet insecure personality and Gemma's hopefulness covered with cynicism. The book started kind of slow for me and I wasn't sure that I would care about either character but a few chapters in the story picks up, when Mason barges back into Gemma's life, convinced that this time he can get a do-over on a relationship. Gemma, as a main character, was fine, but Armstrong's book really sparkles every time Mason is on the page. This is a good choice for those who like a fake dating, forced proximity, enemies to lovers romcom.

Writing Mr. Wrong is out June 24, 2025

I recieved this one as an ARC audiobook. I do love a good duet narration and the narrators were well chosen. I loved the growth of the mmc, and loved how the fmc found herself again after her divorce.

There was a lot of good laughs to be had in this book. It wasn't my favorite hockey romance, it was a bit slow to start and I personally couldn't really get into it until about 20%, but it was overall a cute and easy listen.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

Forever Publishing has been *spoiling* me lately! thank you for the gifted copy! 



this first book first grabbed my attention when i was told it was about a romance author who writes her high school crush into her romance novel… and now has to fake date him for publicity… because writing a high school crush into a romance novel is 100% something that i would do. 



this was also my first hockey romance book!! im not a big sports romance girl but i actually really enjoyed this as it didnt feel like it was *too* hockey centered. it wasn’t super smut heavy while still having tons of tension and plenty of double entendres and a really solid romance. also of note!! this is a second chance romance! i typically dont like second chance romances (edit: i freaking hate second chance romances) but this WAS NOT BAD! it helped that the characters didnt have what i would consider to be a ‘dooming’ history that i as the reader cant really move past, and felt that the prior history between the characters actually helped make their relationship all the more meaningful. 


and the grandmas! i loved the little bits with the grandmothers present and found that i was smiling and giggling the hardest at some of their comments!!

**Thank you Forever publishing, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the free book and audiobook**

I finished this audiobook in less than 24 hours. This is my first book by Kelley Armstong book and it was cute. Mason and Gemma knew each other since kindergarten, lost touch, and found each other again later in life. Overall, I enjoyed the dynamic between Mason and Gemma. The character details brought to Gemma and Mason were also unexpectedly emotional at times and made them more relatable. This is definitely a sloooooooow burn but it was good. I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed but that would be my only major non-spoiler critique.

For the audiobook: I loved this duet style audiobook. I really enjoyed Sean Patrick Hopkins and Patricia Santomasso had a very good performance. I loved her portrayal of different side characters. I would recommend the audiobook too.

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
I was really excited for this book because of the premise and the fact that the main characters are a bit “older” and in their mid-thirties. Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes. My main issue with this book was that even though the characters are 36, they still came across as young and, at times, immature. I think if the same story had been written with younger characters, it might have worked better for me. That said, I really enjoyed the dual narration on audio and found myself laughing out loud more than once. It’s a fun and flirty read with a good amount of spice. I loved the character growth and would definitely still recommend it as a light and fun summer romance.

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💕Second Chance romance
❎Fake dating
🥰Redemption arc
🏒Hockey MMC
✍️Writer FMC
📖Dyslexia rep
🗣️Dual POV
🎧Dual Narration

🏒𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾🏒
⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕Q U O T E: "𝒯𝑜 𝓂𝑒, 𝑒𝓃𝓋𝓎 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓈, 𝒥𝑒𝒶𝓁𝑜𝓊𝓈𝓎 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑜𝓃'𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓉."

🙏 Thank you readforeverpub for this free book, and NetGalley, and Hachette audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.💕

I've been reading this author's books since high school, and she never disappoints. Her stories are always engaging, and this one was no exception. The plot follows an author and her former high school crush, now a professional hockey player, as they pretend to date for publicity. It’s a charming, feel good story that put a smile on my face. Light, fun, and easy to read. I’d definitely recommend it!

I really liked the concept of this book, and I especially appreciated the idea of having the story told from two different perspectives – his and hers – with separate chapters for each character. That kind of structure usually draws me in and makes the experience more dynamic and emotionally rich.

However, I only made it to chapter 4 before I had to stop. What really put me off was the choice to narrate every chapter in the third person. Even though the chapters alternate between the male and female point of view, the narration stays detached, more like "the girl he wanted to be with" instead of "the girl I wanted to be with."

In an audiobook, this distance is even more noticeable and, honestly, quite frustrating. You're listening to what should feel like an intimate, emotional journey between two people, but instead, everything is filtered through a third-person lens. It breaks the connection and makes it harder to care about the characters or get immersed in their feelings.

Maybe the eBook version would be easier to get through, since you can mentally shift into the characters’ perspectives a bit more on your own. But for an audiobook, where voice and tone matter so much, keeping it all in third person doesn’t work – at least not for me.

Great premise, good structure, but the narrative choice made it hard to finish.

I really enjoyed Gemma and Mason. They had witty banter and you could tell they really cared about each other. I DO wish there had been more scenes with the grandmas though... I loved them and they were funny. I liked that our MCs reconnected from high school but had some issues with each other and their own issues to deal with. The narration was so great! This is my second book from Kelley Armstrong and it will not be my last.

This was a very cute story by Kelley Armstrong that introduces us to debut author Gemma Stanton. Gemma is an English professor who had tried writing a previous book, but her MMC was deemed "too nice" and she couldn't get it published. The feedback was for her to go with the current tropes and make the next MMC an alpha bad boy. To do this, she dives into her memory and uses a boy that she had known since grade school. A boy who just happened to embarrass her after a swoon worthy kiss in high school, and whom she had decided is a narcissistic jerk.

Unfortunately, this guy - MMC Mason Moretti - has since gone on to become a very famous professional hockey player. In a crazy path of fate, another mean girl from high school happens to be the anchor on the successful morning show in town and she puts the two and two together. She takes a guess that Gemma has based her male character on Mason and invites Gemma to her show to promote the book. What she doesn't tell Gemma is that she has also invited Mason (who does NOT have any clue regarding the plan) in order to ambush her live and announce to everyone that Gemma must OBVIOUSLY still have a crush on her high school friend. Thankfully, Mason sees what is going on and does his best to turn things around. And the book starts from there.

This is really a cute quick and easy read/listen that focuses on these two characters who have known each other since childhood but who have not seen each other in many years. Mason is also going through a scandal in his hockey career, so the two decide to "fake date" to try to get some positive chatter to hopefully help them both out. Her with book sales and him to let his fans see a different side of him.

Even though this is one of my least favorite tropes, in this book it is done very nicely, and I enjoyed watching their romance develop.

The narration was done by Patricia Santomasso; and Sean Patrick Hopkins and they did a great job.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Forever for the opportunity to read and/or listen to and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on June 24, 2025.

So this was the ultimate immersion read. I was fortunate to get the physical ARC, eARC and the audio ALC and it provided a unique experience as I went back and forth between the physical and ebook whilst listening.

Full disclosure I wasn’t to sure about the book in the first 40%. It was fast paced and I kept reading but it wasn’t anything special. But then it started to pick up as the relationship between the MC’s started to change. The banter picked up and things became a little more complex which made it much more engaging.

The duel POV book was narrated by Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins. They both did a great job in this duet narration where each of them maintained their main characters and conversed with each other which brings a higher level of narration. They did speak on the slow side of normal but I listened at 2.5x speed to be able to be closer to my reading speed. It was still very understandable at that speed. Mr Hopkins voice when sped up just a touch and beyond reminded me of Teddy Hamilton in its quality and intonation. Ms Santomasso brought just enough snark to embody the character without going overboard.

Overall this was a fun romance that had a bit of depth to it and I recommend it without reservations. It comes out June 24th 2025 and is available for preorder.

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC, eARC and physical copy from Forever Publishing through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

This book has left me truly conflicted on how to rate it.

The first half of this book is pretty good. We got to the surprise reunion of the leads quickly instead of dragging it out. We avoided frontloading all their history. They clearly have chemistry. All the internal conflicts were introduced well. I enjoyed the push and pull of Mason making mistakes because he tends to treat all the women he hooks up with the same and that standard doesn't work on Gemmal.

Then halfway through, things kinda fell off a cliff. First, I don't like the "Fix me?" plotline concept at all. I thought from the first half of the book that Mason was going to fix himself and not put that onus on Gemma. Then after making such a deal about this trip and Gemma telling Mason how to be a better man, she barely gives him any feedback. So there's a setup without follow-through which just makes the situation more annoying. The MCs getting stranded was an interesting (i.e. frightening) plot that ended frustratingly. Would you risk your life over the possibility of some bad publicity? Because these characters did! My husband overheard the book during that part and was rather confused why their lives were worth less than the appearance of snubbing the rookie player. And the epilogue...the goal of foster care is reunification first. It should not be portrayed as an alternative or approach to adoption.

That said, I still enjoyed this book. If you're a fan of both In a Jam by Kate Canterbary and The Wall of Winnipeg & Me by Mariana Zapata, you'll probably enjoy this too.



Because I read this on audio, I need to say that the audiobook quality is truly great. It's a duet style (seriously, put that on the audiobook cover!) and the VAs do wonderfully at giving distinct voices to characters while maintaining a smooth cadence. I noticed no extraneous breath sounds or awkward clipping of sentences.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5/5 star rating!

She was his high school crush. He was her high school regret.

💖 Tropes & Themes:
• Second chance romance
• Fake dating
• Slow burn
• Childhood crush
• Learning to trust
• Forgiveness and redemption
• Supportive partner who helps you shine


🎧 Audiobook Performance:

This was my first experience with a dual-narrated audiobook, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it. But I quickly fell in love with the alternating perspectives. Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins brought so much depth and emotion to the characters, making their chemistry come alive—especially during those slow-burn moments. Their voices paired perfectly to capture both heartache and healing.

Would also like to add that from my instagram post, Mrs. Patricia Santomasso, made a comment informing me that Sean Patrick Hopkins is also her husband!! Now that I know this, it made me fall in love with the book even more! Their chemistry could definitely be heard!

📖 Story Review:

Writing Mr. Wrong was my first dive into the hockey romance genre—and as someone from Tennessee, where hockey isn’t exactly huge, I wasn’t sure I’d connect with a pro athlete love interest. But this book surprised me in the best way! Mason’s time on and off the ice is sprinkled throughout the story, but it never overwhelms the romance.

This slow-burn second chance story really leaned into the emotional history between Mason and Gemma. Could they have made it work years ago? Probably. But the time apart made their reconnection all the more meaningful. I appreciated how the story let both characters grow before circling back to one another.

At first, I was ready to dislike Mason—based on Gemma’s memories, what transpired on their fake date, and how others portrayed him. But once we got his side of the story, everything shifted. It was a classic case of mutual misunderstanding that left me rooting for them both.

Also—let’s talk about the spice. Just the right amount to enhance the story without taking it over. And yes, the ocean scene? Chef’s kiss. Sometimes a little too much to drink leads to exactly the clarity you need!♥️


✔️ Would I Recommend It?

Absolutely. If you’re into mild-spice, second chance romance with a swoony pro athlete and real emotional payoff, this one’s for you. Writing Mr. Wrong has officially opened the door for me to explore more of the romance genre that everyone keeps raving about.

Second chances are sometimes worth exploring. Many times we get in our own way but with second chances needs to have significant changes prior to exploring. Gemma has finally published her first romance novel. She is invited by the host of a show she used to go to high school to and - is ambushed by the mean former cheerleader. Bringing up an old high school crush Mason enters as a prohockey player who dates once and moves on. The underlying issue is they both like each other always have but don't know how to talk about it to the other. The story is fun, deals wtih many issues but still leaves it light and great for a beach read or hot bubble bath. It feels natural. It feels authentic, flows well and who wouldn t want a Mason.... Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the oppotunity.

Kelley, Kelley, Kelley.

Reading your books as a teenager felt like discovering a secret portal to stories that got me. Now, as a thirty-something with a skincare routine and an irrational fear of group texts, I’m thrilled your characters have grown up too. THANK YOU for writing a romance with main characters in their mid-thirties. Why is that still so rare? Why do heroines vanish into the fog after 29 like cursed fairy tale villagers? And why are so many male leads just Leonardo DiCaprio in a flannel, dodging commitment and women born before Instagram? (End rant. But also? Start revolution.)

Let’s talk Gemma. Sharp-tongued, soft-hearted, clipped-winged Gemma. And Mason—grumpy, golden-hearted, occasionally and unfortunately oblivious Mason—the hockey phenom. A burnt cinnamon roll of a man. I love a second-chance romance because it honors what’s human: the screw-ups, the growth, the grace. Mason messes up. Mason grows (with a significant amount of help, but still—growth). Gemma, to her credit, makes him earn it. Their chemistry? Electric. Their arc? Earned. The payoff? So good.

Tropes? Oh, this book is a buffet. We’ve got forced proximity. We’ve got fake dating. We’ve got childhood friends-to-enemies-to-lovers. Mason has been down bad for Gemma since they were literal toddlers. (Is a kindergartener a toddler? I don’t have children, so asking for real.) The man is hopeless. It’s excellent.

Also: hockey. A lot of hockey. I’m no puck bunny, but I was here for it all.

And the grandmothers? Absolute scene-stealers. Mason’s nona and Gemma’s grams radiate warmth and wisdom in equal measure. I demand a podcast.

Also, Mason being dyslexic and an audiobook devotee? And the way he champions Gemma’s book? My heart. He defends it. He promotes it. He discusses it like a man who read the endnotes and wrote a dissertation. I tried not to love him. I failed.

AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS MAN SCAVENGING THROUGH HIS GRANDMOTHER’S RESTAURANT ORDERS TO FIGURE OUT GEMMA’S FAVORITE FOODS SO HE COULD COOK THEM FOR HER?

As for the audiobook: exquisite. I’m famously picky when it comes to narration (bad line delivery is my Roman Empire), but this duet was flawless. The narrators voiced their own characters throughout—thank you. Why isn’t this standard? And those little text chimes and sound effects? Completely charming. I expect nothing less from future audiobooks now. The bar? Raised.

And yes—I’ll absolutely be reading Chris and Daphne’s story next. You don’t have to read Finding Mr. Write before Writing Mr. Wrong, but after that tiny teaser? I need their story like Gemma needs coffee and emotional boundaries.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Forever Publishing, Hachette Audio, and Kelley Armstrong for the ALC and the chance to fall a little bit in love with these characters (and their grandmothers). Again. And again.

TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Brief discussion about miscarriages.

A sports-based romance isn't my usual read, but when I saw it was by Kelley Armstong, I went into say no more mode and crossing my fingers in hopes of receiving an ALC. Armstong is one of those authors that writes in multiple genres and her work never feeling boxed in. <i>Writing Mr. Wrong</i> has a second chance opposites attract vibe, and it's fun. However, it goes beyond the fluff and has things to say. Which has me like 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻!

Gemma is an up-and-coming author finally following her dreams after a divorce from a selfish loser. When no interest was shown in her novel, she turned to her writing group who suggested her write an alpha hero with asshole tendencies. She pulled from painful high school memories of Mason a star hockey player who went on to become an even bigger star on the NHL's ice. It works. Her new book is set to be published only an advanced reader who was also the resident mean girl in high school gets an early copy and sees the inspiration is Mason. The gig is up.

The storyline flips from their days in high school to the present. Mason and Gemma both carry some scars that aren't glossed over. Just because someone cares for you doesn't magically make your flaws or your trauma dissipate. This story takes a look at toxic romance heroes through the eyes of a man who exhibits similar behaviors. He saw himself and saw a problem. He asked Gemma to help him become less of an ass which might sound tropey like "teach me", but it seemed humbling and opened up important dialogue. There were romantic fantasy elements like getaways, but the characters felt grounded. I appreciated the importance placed on the value of how people are treated. There is well-written steam. 🔥🔥 Take that under consideration according to your personal preferences. The way consent is presented was respectful with an emphasis on communication. 👏🏻 The dyslexia representation was fantastic also.

The narrators voiced their characters throughout and I'm hoping we continue to see this in more audiobooks because it makes the experience much more immersive. Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins were wonderful narrators! The humor and emotion crackled to life.

I finished this in less than a day. I was hooked. Characters with big dreams where one isn't forced to fade for the other. Yes!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A big thank you to Hachette Audio for providing an Advance Listening Copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

This was a nice cosy enjoyable easy listen. A typical romance novel although I’ve not read many sports romance books only a few in this genre so far they have all been good.

The characters were likeable there was just enough of everything in this one it was well written, first I’ve read from this author. The narration was also good it actually felt like this was an actual couple that I was listening to in the audiobook!

When Gemma writes her novel based alot around her first real crush from high school she never expected he would read it and definitely not that she would then have to see or speak to him about it after all he is now a famous hockey player living away far off from where she is so why would they ever cross paths again..?! Oh but they do and she soon discovers Mason has always had feelings for Gemma but will she reciprocate and follow through with the possibility of a romance all these years later?

With thanks to NetGalley & Hachette Audio for this ELC in return for an open honest review 🙏🏽📚🎧❤️

Thank you NetGalley for an ALC of Writing Mr. Wrong in exchange of my honest opinion.

I will start by saying that the biggest question for this book is how Kelly Armstrong writes so fast? Which is very different than Gemma, our FMC, who wants to write a story that resonates with her, but due to the market pressures, she needs to write a "alpha main lead". It's not the type of hero she wants to write, but since she has to do it, just one person comes to mind. Not her ex-husband, who was a POS, but the boy who wronged her in high school. Talk about grudges.
Because of a talk show gone awry, she reunited with said boy, who today is a professional hockey player in deep waters with his reputation. To mutually help their careers, they decided to go out again, and then sparks flew.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I think Armstrong writes really sweet characters. I loved Mason and how he recognizes his mishaps and tries to do better, but I also enjoyed that Gemma is not above reproach. The story flies by, and I finished this book in one sitting.
The only thing it's not a 5 star for me is that I felt the end was super rushed and I wanted a more satisfying conclusion for some of their respective past traumas than what was done in the book. Other than that is a great story and I can't wait to have the physical copy on my hands.

I think I’ve loved Kelly Armstrong’s writing for at least half my life, from the days of Bitten to Cainsville and Rockton and beyond. There aren’t many authors who can write so delightfully in so many genres, but Armstrong is definitely one of them.

Gemma is a mid-30’s divorcee launching her first romance novel. Because she knows readers like an alpha-hole, she’s based the male lead on the jerk who rejected her in high school. The rejection still stings so she’s caught off guard when the high school mean girl turned local media personality surprises her by inviting Mason Moretti to also appear on a local television interview and blindsides both of them by calling out the similarities.

But Mason is less an alpha-hole and more a clueless man, so when he stands up for Gemma and the media responds positively, they enter a fake-dating arc to boost her sales and improve his bad-boy enforcer hockey image.


I read this via audio so I’ll review the writing and the narration separately.

Writing - Armstrong’s perfectly nails Gemma and Mason’s distinct voices. I loved that Gemma isn’t a typical romcom FMC. A bit more jaded and acerbic, this is a woman who knows what she doesn’t want and effectively lets others know as well. She’s capable of correcting without shame and speaks up for herself. Mason is supposed to be an alphahole, but he seems more of a clueless golden retriever to me. Not a bad guy, just a selfish puppy who tries to be his best in all the wrong ways by never empathizing with the women he’s dated. Their chemistry sizzles and he’s so very generous in the bedroom. I love when she realizes she can trust him to take care of her needs.

Audio/narration - Patricia Santomasso voices Gemma and Sean Patrick Hopkins voices Mason. Honestly, these voice actors were born to play these roles. This is the kind of narration that will forever have me associating their voices with these characters. Both of their personalities are so well conveyed.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kelley Armstrong and Forever Publishing for the ALC! All opinions are my own.