That was a very fun rom com book. The voice actors were amazing and I especially loved mason. Wish the romance seemed a little stronger but other then that it was a very fun read and it had me laughing out loud a few times.

You know I love some fake dating, so I was all in on reading this one.
I really enjoyed this one, the writing is good and the story has fresh ideas.
I do wish there had been a few more chapters at the end, but that might just be me.
Much love to NetGalley & Hachette Audio for my ARC.

I almost didn't read this once I found out it was another hockey romance, but I am.glad I didn't let the oversaturation sway me. I really enjoyed following this pair and this story. I was rooting for them the whole time.. I often get frustrated with romance characters when it feela.like the author is forcing conflict that is so cliché, and I did not feel that way this time! Solid romance novel with middle aged characters! Another nice change.

First thank you to Kelley Armstrong, Netgalley and to Hachette Audio for providing me with an ALC.

This Rom-com of an audiobook was such a fun listen. What starts as our FMC Gemma needing to write a book about about Mr. Wrong when no one likes the nice guys anymore. Taking inspiration from her first crush Mason who is now a professional hockey player. Hopes that no one will figure out that her MMC is based off Mason are dashed in true rom-com fashion. With character growth from both parties through the novel this had growth and was quite heartwarming with many laughs.

I loved the dual narrators and how it helped me remember which character we were on while listening on my drive. This was a great quick listen

This had a good set up, and also I appreciated the two main characters who were well drawn and developed. The romance itself was not as strong for me

On the day her debut romance novel is published, Gemma Stanton doesn't expect to see her high school crush, Mason Moretti. Nobody is supposed to know that he was the inspiration for her novel's "hothole" highlander hero, but it seems that the similarities are too obvious not to notice. When their first encounter in twenty years goes viral, pro hockey player Mason proposes that they fake date to help promote her book. Gemma agrees and as the two date, their old feelings bubble to the surface.

This was a fun book! I am really enjoying Kelley Armstrong's romance novels. They are entertaining stories with fun dialogue. Although this book had some fun and flirty parts, it was balanced with some more serious topics. What really captured my attention in this book was how real Gemma and Mason felt. They felt real in the sense that they were flawed and had very human feelings about things that they have experienced. Mason had surprisingly complicated feelings about his family, career, and recent events in his life. Being with Gemma helped him see that his feelings were valid even if he felt bad for having them.

The "it's always been you" and second chance romance tropes are two of my favorite tropes, and this one had all of the elements that I love about the tropes. We got to see them reminiscing about their relationship when they were younger and those parts were really sweet. The two secretly crushed on each other in those early years and needed to grow up to be able to see that they were meant for one another.

Writting Mr. Wrong was my first book by this author and it was quite a fun read. A hockey player and a writer, nothing gets better than that! A second chance romance where one was wronged and now tries to make amends is a recipe for an enjoyable read. If you enjoy a great romance book with good banter pick this up. Did I mention there is fake dating! Yes second chance romance and fake dating in the same book what fun. I did rate this overall a 3.5-3.75 because of the pacing at times it was a little slow and I did I just wanted a little more for the ending but overall a good read.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the advance listeners copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Feeling so lucky to have got both a physical copy of this cute little book from Hachette UK and the audiobook via NetGalley, best of both worlds! Shoutout to the narrators who absolutely slayed their performances. I found myself itching to hit play every time I had a spare moment.

Now, Mason and Gemma. Their dynamic? Slay. Fake dating, unanswered questions, undeniable tension, totally my vibe. And the best part? Gemma made Mason work for it. No instant forgiveness here, he had to earn her trust back, and she wasn’t letting him off easy. We love a woman with standards.

That said… Mason, babe. What was with the constant full name dropping? I get it you’re famous but PLEASE and the oblivious behavior? Like, handing out self-improvement gift cards to someone you barely know? Wild choice. Cringe.

BUT, credit where it's due, he got it together (eventually). And by the end, I was fully rooting for them. Gemma definitely whipped him into shape, and honestly, he needed it.

This one was such a cute, feel-good romance, perfect if you’re in a slump and need something light, fun, and totally bingeable. Big thanks to Hachette UK for the physical copy, and to NetGalley for the audiobook hookup!

✧.* Romance Writer x Hockey Player
✧.* Second Chance Romance
✧.* She writes a romance based off of him.
✧.* One-sided Dislike to Lovers.
✧.* Past History

So I think it's about time to be quite official: I'm a sucker for second chance romance.

When the Forever Pub new releases list came for July, I requested a copy of Writing Mr. Wrong on a whim and decided to follow through with requesting an ALC as well for a tad read. And what a great whim it was!

Writing Mr. Wrong Is about a debut author who writes a romance novel with a man who hates everyone except for his woman, whom he initially treats poorly until forced proximity helps him see otherwise. He's the typical alphahole that readers are currently enamored with har har. Well, it just so happens that our debut author maybe based her alphahole MMC on a certain hockey player guy who perhaps did her wrong in high school. To make matters worse, the mean girl in high school is now a local talk show host who invited our author to come to onto her show and speak about her book and also surprise surprise: she invited said now-NHL hockey player and pointed out the resemblance between the two men.

Harboring an unrequited love for our author. the hockey player listens to the book only to realize that the character that is based upon him is a complete a$$ and so he reaches out to the author to confirm this and also ask for a$$hole reform lessons, but ofc it becomes more than that.

Part comedy of errors, part angsty romance between friends who aren't as platonic as they say they are, Writing Mr. Wrong rides the edge of a miscommunication trope the entire time and I was on edge, being prepared to be disappointed by that, but alas, I was hooked! if I hadn't started this book so late in the day, it would've been a single-session binge read for me. There was eventually healthy communication and a satisfying ending. Mason, for all his faults is actually a fantastic cinnamon roll 🫠🫠🫠

For the audio: I was surprised that this was a duet narration and I really enjoyed both narrators Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins who kept me engaged with their great cadence, timbre, and pacing.

Thank you to Forever Pub for the gifted copy and to Hachette Audio for approving my ALC request.

4.25 ⭐
2 🌶️

Gemma Stanton has just published her first novel, in which the main male character was inspired by her first love, Mason, who is now a pro hockey player. When that comes out on a morning show, hosted by a "bad girl" from her high school, Gemma is thrown into the world of social media promotion faster than she likes. When she comes face to face with Mason, they both realize there's still a spark there, but she is hesitant to pursue any more contact with him because she's still hurting from that high school crush.

This book has great characters who are complicated and enjoyable. You feel like you want to get to know them better, even after the book is over (a sequel, perhaps?) In particular, as a lifelong hockey fan, I was impressed with how the author portrayed the defenseman/"enforcer" role of Mason, as well as how Gemma analyzes it in the long run. I loved listening to this audiobook, and was sad when it was finished (not a spoiler, just wanted more!) The author definitely scores a hat trick with this book! I'd love to read more romcoms from her!

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a cute hockey second chance rom com. Gemma is an author and wrote a romance featuring a jerk based on her first crush. He just happens to be bad boy NHL player Mason. They knew each other growing up and after he allowed his friends to embarrass her, he was dead to her. Gemma and Mason are both going through their own crisis with their future, and are struggling with how to get through it. When Gemma appears on a tv talk show with a former classmate and she ambushes her with Mason, pointing out that he must be her inspiration for her new book, their publicists jump on the chance to help further their careers. They end up fake dating, and we all know what happens next.

I listened to the audio and the narrators did a great job. I liked how the characters talked things out every time they hit a snag and Gemma called Mason on his BS. Mason was basically a clueless dude that acted carelessly when it came to his interactions with other people, especially women. His actions weren't purposely awful, he's just truly has no idea he's being callous. Gemma lost her confidence during her marriage and now that's she's divorced, is still struggling. Mason gives her the support and understanding she needs to stand tall.

Even though this was a cute book, it moved a bit too slowly for me and there just seemed to be something missing. Not sure what it is, but the story seemed to be lacking. The book is a quick and easy read, but it's not one that stood out for me.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I received the audiobook for this novel. While I enjoyed the story overall, I found the narration not as engaging as other audiobooks. Perhaps the dual narration was harder to follow.
The plot was fun, and the characters were well developed. I was waiting for something to happen, which came quite late, and I’m unsure if it’s because of the audio, or the plot itself. I will read the book, though. I’d recommend this book to others.

Cute little romance. I didn’t think I would like this going in because it’s not my typical genre but I absolutely adored this book

Writing Mr. Wrong is a fun, light read with Kelley Armstrong’s signature storytelling charm. I enjoyed the setup, the quirky characters, and the premise it had a lot of potential. However, the romance element didn’t fully land for me until about the 65–70% mark. Up until then, I felt more friendship and banter than chemistry or emotional connection. Once it did kick in, it was sweet and satisfying, but I would’ve loved to feel more of that tension and build up earlier on. Still, a solid read with a unique twist that fans of slow burn stories will likely enjoy!

This story was so cute! The first interaction had me rooting for the FMC and MMC to make it work as a couple. The FMC is a thirty something year-old divorcee writer that realized she gave up too much of her self in past relationship. The MMC had been crushing on the FMC since they were younger and was afraid to admit the truth. The flashback stories of them really added to the book and helped tell the story in the perfect time. The book is in third person POV, which isn't my preference but I think there was still enough of the characters thoughts included. Definitely a funny romcom that's an easy read!

The narrators did a great job portraying each of the characters in the book. I love a dual narrator POV.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

I love Kelley Armstrong, especially her Rockton series. Sweet romcom when debut author Gemma Stanton is surprised on her publicity tour with her high school friend/crush famous hockey player Mason Moretti. She based her character on him. Mason is looking to rehab his bad boy image and so a deal is struck to fake date. He never forgot Gemma.

Fun book and worth read. Realized at the end that two of the minor characters were actually from a prior book.

I listened to the audiobook, it was duet style narration and a wonderful performance. this was a unique romcom that had me laughing out loud quite a few times and had me tearing up on occasion.

This 2nd chance romance follows Gemma, a 36 year old writer who wrote a romance novel with the MMCs inspiration was an old flame, Mason, that did her dirty in high school. He is now a hockey star who is immediately identified as the inspiration, and that's where the fake dating trope starts to form.

As a 33 year old woman I appreciated the journey of a divorcee that lost herself in the marriage, and is trying to find her spicy, confident self again. Mason also goes through a lot of character growth, trying to learn how to treat a woman the way she should be treated.

The humor in this book was top tier. The romance trope jokes, situational comedy, and her kick you in the ass grandmother that had my absolutely die laughing.

This book is told in 3rd person, which I am not a fan of. If you like a romcom told in 3rd person, you will LOVE this book. I almost stopped listening because of that, but am glad I didn't. The storyline and humor made of for it in my book and it came out a strong ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me, I have never rated a 3rd person POV book that high.

This book was very different from anything else I read and and it was a refreshing and fun journey. I highly recommend this book! I receive an ALC of this book, thank you for the opportunity!

This audiobook was absolutely captivating from start to finish! The narrators were spot-on—bringing Gemma and Mason to life in a way that felt incredibly authentic and emotionally charged. Their chemistry as an unexpected duo was both heartwarming and electric. They complemented and accepted each other fully, making their journey all the more satisfying.

If you're a fan of second-chance romances, this one delivers in every way. A sexy hockey player and an aspiring romance author, each working through personal trauma, made for a deeply emotional yet uplifting story. It’s fast-paced, engaging, and surprisingly relatable. The characters felt real, the dialogue was sharp, and the emotional beats hit hard.

This is a must-read (or must-listen!)

It was cute but i didnt find that the characters were relatable. I didnt find that the character had very much chemistry. Took me a little while to get into it. The little ding's when they got messages were really triggering. I was focusing on the book and doing something and then DING!!!!!!.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

In Writing Mr. Wrong, a woman wrote a hit romcom and based the love interest on a boy from high school. A boy who became an NHL star. And it all comes out, reuniting them and forcing them into a press tour. These summer romcoms are hitting it on all cylinders for me right now and this book was no exception. Witty banter, sweet romantic gestures, two people moving forward and putting the past behind them - all without any miscommunication and with two characters who just made sense together. It was like a hockey romance adjacent. More for a book lover in the know for all things romcom than a regular hockey romance. I did the audio and it was dual narration and well done.