this was such a fun cozy romance! the dual narration really brought the story to the next level and had me entirely immersed. I found the female protagonist so relatable as a thirty something woman who has felt trapped in a relationship that I had to become a version of myself I didn't recognize

Oh, Gemma, I loved you.You socked it hard to your ex Mason so well.

This was kind of a second chance / hero redemption romance, and boy, did he need work. And to give Mason credit, he worked really hard to become someone deserving of his lady love. the dialogue was real, pacing and writing done well.

I liked the narrators as well.


#WritingMrWrong #NetGalley

Wow... a contemporary romcom with actual adult main characters, self reflection, honest communication, character growth and a smattering of 🌶?! Say no more!

I really enjoyed the book and the narration was top tier. The voice actors did a fantastic job immersing me in the story.

Thank you to Net Galley and Hachette Audio for an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars!

The duet narration in this audiobook was easily the highlight for me—I enjoyed it so so much!! The story leans more lighthearted, with mature conversations that soothed my already anxiety-laden heart (especially after reading the blurb, lol).

Writing Mr. Wrong is a second chance romance, and Gemma and Mason’s journey to their HEA was incredibly satisfying. Both characters go through meaningful growth after major life events, and what truly stood out was the refreshing communication. Conflicts weren’t dragged out, and the way they handled things felt honest and simple in the best way—it made the entire reading experience smoother and more enjoyable. (I sat at the edge of my seat many times throughout this book only to let out a big sigh of relief when they handled things like adults, which, they are lol)

The only downside was the ending feeling a bit rushed. The resolution wrapped up quickly compared to the weight of the main conflict, but it’s a minor gripe in an otherwise heartfelt story.

TL;DR: Writing Mr. Wrong is a soft, feel-good romcom about two people in their 30s growing, healing, and falling in love again—with healthy communication that feels almost too good to be true (but very much welcome!). Highly recommend the audiobook for the flawless narration.

Thank you to NetGalley & Hachette Audio for the ALC!

What a great book! Yes, it was a romance with the HEA guarantee, but it was so much more. The compelling love story, plot twists and surprises were all there, but the main focus was on the development of the two main characters. Mason and Gemma knew each other as children and teens and now, in their late 30s, they connect again. The focus of the book is on how their characters developed over time as their lives intertwined at different points. Kelley Armstrong was honest in showing two characters who were both good people and flawed at the same time. The ending has a twist that is not what you would typically see in a romance book. Yes, an HEA, but, like the characters themselves, it is real. I highly recommend this book.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. It didn't draw me in and I found the characters acting childish. I did like the narrators though. I finished it and unfortunately quickly forgot about it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! It was my first time listening to a third person POV, which wasn’t my favourite but once I got used to it I didn’t mind it.

Writing Mr. Wrong - By Kelley Armstrong
5/5 Stars Overall
Narrators - perfect for this book
Spice - not too hot but definitely causes a blush

Kelley Armstrong can write anything. I have read her paranormal series (The Otherworld and Cainesville) and her Rockton Thriller series amongst others. She is not a writer than can pigeon holed.

This is a true Rom-Com. Older main characters that own their past mistakes and want to make their current lives better.

An awkward reunion between a debut author and her former crush turned hockey god, causes a stir in the public eye. Finding this a mutually beneficial outcome, the two create a fake date scenario that leaves them wondering what really happened in the past and if old wounds can heal.

100% Recommend. Thank you #netgalley and #hachetteaudio for this ALC.

#hefellfirst #secondchanceromance #romanticcomedy #romance #womensfiction #Bookstagram #bookthreads #WritingMrWrong

this book was so much fun. very funny and a great debut into romance by kelley. i wanted to keep listening. i wasn’t super into their relationship dynamic, not sure what it was. but something about it i wasn’t 100% into it. other than that, i did love Jemma.

Thanks to @HachetteAudio and NetGalley for the advance listener copy!

This was such a fun and heartfelt listen! The narrators were fantastic, duet narration is always a win for me, and it really brought Mason and Gemma’s story to life. The pacing of the story was spot-on, keeping me fully engaged from start to finish.

I especially appreciated how Writing Mr. Wrong avoided one of my least favorite tropes, the miscommunication trope! While Mason and Gemma had their misunderstandings in the past, as adults they were refreshingly honest and emotionally mature. Mason’s self-awareness and his willingness to grow before seeking a second chance made him a genuinely likable character. Gemma’s reluctance felt real, and I loved watching her take the risk to trust again.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and Kelley Armstrong did a great job setting up a believable and entertaining scenario that deepened their emotional connection. Mason’s determination to make Gemma feel secure was one of the highlights of the book.

Overall, this was a charming second-chance romance with a strong emotional core, excellent narration, and characters you root for. A great listen!

Gemma may or may not have based the hero of her debut romance novel on her childhood friend/crush turned hockey star, Mason Moretti. In an ambush by the high school mean girl turned talk show host, Gemma reunites with Mason on live TV. After their reunion goes viral, the two decide to fake date to help Gemma's book sales and boost Mason's reputation. Eventually, Gemma and Mason decide to go on a getaway where she can work on her book and he can learn how not to be an asshole to women, and they discover more than they originally intended.

💜 Second chance romance
🩷 Hockey star
💚 Fake dating

This was honestly such a funny read! I loved Gemma and found her super relatable, but was so annoyed with Mason at first! It was actually really refreshing to see a more imperfect guy in a romance novel, and I loved his self-awareness and willingness to change. I loved how he and Gemma were able to overcome their past and present differences and really help each other grow. This book was hilarious at times. I actually laughed out loud when Gemma's ex calls her to tell her he received a cease and desist from Mason, telling him he wasn't allowed to be a fan anymore. I really enjoyed the audiobook and loved the narration style. Both narrators did such an amazing job conveying the emotions of each part of the book. If you're looking for a fun, lighthearted read, this is perfect!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio/Forever for the audiobook advanced reader copy!

I'm giving this 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. I was lucky enough to receive a physical ARC, an eARC, and an ALC. I was able to go back and forth between the three and felt very immersed in the story.

This one ticked a lot of boxes for me. First of all I adore Kelley Armstrong's writing style and this one had her signature humor and wit. I loved that this was a more mature couple both in their late thirties. I don't mind reading about younger couples in historical romance but in contemporary I enjoy them being older, especially in a second chance romance. I think I'm in the minority but I love this trope when done right and this is the way to do it! There was just enough of a backstory but not a full-on relationship and they were young enough the first time around that it felt okay to forgive the indiscretions of youth. I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the hockey player aspect it's not something I've enjoyed in other books I've tried. I'm not sure if it's because this seemed almost like Kelley Armstrong was spoofing the idea or if it's because I was picturing my all-time baseball crush Joey Votto as the MMC. It was certainly one of those two things.

The book is in dual POV and the audiobook is narrated by Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins. They both did a fantastic job bringing the story and characters to life. This was done in a duet format and I enjoyed it immensely. As always I listened to this audiobook at 2x speed. That is the speed that feels conversational to me and anything slower is like slow motion to my ears.

You can't go wrong with whichever version of this book you choose. Just pick it up because it's a super fun book!

Many thanks to Forever and Hachette Audio for these complimentary copies

-- 2.25 ★

This book was fun to listen to while keeping busy, but I found it a bit unpleasant. It was absolutely not for me though I can see how other people would like it. I thought it was distasteful for people who are in their late 30's act like teenagers (e.g. the way it was revealed he was on the cover was so childish and unrealistic - obviously it's fiction and I know this, maybe I'm being harsh). I wish there was more backlash and discourse when he found out he was the inspiration for Gemma's story I wanted angst that didn't fill just a couple chapters!! The rest of the other female characters were absolutely insufferable besides Daphne who rarely gets a feature. And the way Mason described women was so superficial and annoying - he would group women into just one category it's just completely irrational. I wanted him to have more essence but that could just be his personality. Besides all of that, it was fun and this being my first audiobook was an experience. I truly appreciate the ARC!

The heart wants what the heart wants, even if the brain does not know it. Nice spin on the lost crush troup:)

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read!! Kelley never fails to write addictive reads and I cannot wait to see what she releases next. If you want:
- second chance romance
- Canadian hockey player & author
- he's the inspiration for her romance novel
- awkward first date

This is a must read - the audio is fantastic with a male/female cast. Highly recommended!

Listening to WRITING MR WRONG was the first time actually enjoying a dual POV narration in which the narrators show up in each other’s chapters, voicing the respective love interested dialogue in conversations. It’s really well done. Kudos to the audiobook production team for pulling this off so well!

Unfortunately, that’s where my enjoyment of the story ends. I’d been looking forward to this book for ages, but DNF’d at 40%. It’s got such a great premise, and the pacing is good, but the execution, both on a line and plot level, was bad. I wouldn’t have stuck with it so lang had it not been for the narrators.

I found it irritating that on one hand, Gemma is so hung up on her negative high school experience with Mason, but on the other hand, she constantly makes excuses for him because he’s always been a decent guy. Which is it? Overall, the characters’ reasoning doesn’t feel logical, but rather in service of the plot, particularly when we’re in Gemma’s POV. The whole thing about the high school thing is absurd: He told his friends he hadn’t kissed her on a dare, but she’s upset he never “publicly stated” that. What was he supposed to do, exactly? Crash morning announcements to set the record straight over the school’s PA system?
Mason acts like an asshole to women, knows he does, and feels bad about it—but the latter doesn’t make him a good guy. He hasn’t changed his behavior, after all. I don’t find his guilt endearing. In her head, Gemma makes apologies for him all the time, and it’s undeserved. She’s stuck in that repetitive loop, and then we get a full flashback, as if we haven’t heard this story twenty times already through narration.
Allegedly, she’s busy with her next deadline but it completely flies out the window and she doesn’t think about it once after they meet up.
Don’t get me started on “other women are horrified by carbs”, “evil high school bully”, and other boring clichés in this book…
Can you tell I’m sliiightly disappointed? 🥹

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

Writing Mr. Wrong is the sort of romance novel that honestly feels like coming home.

I found Kelley Armstrong on NetGalley some time ago, falling head over heels in love with Finding Mr. Write. This novel, without question, was one of the best romances I’d read in a while. So it really can’t be surprising in the least that the second I saw she had another romance with the “Write” theme involved, I jumped at the chance to read it. And while I can certainly say I’d pick up Finding Mr. Write again before I’d reread this one, I had such a fun and warming time revisiting this author’s writing.

The thing is, I think Armstrong does a phenomenal job of writing flawed characters. Her ability to bring their imperfections to light and show how they can evolve and grow from those pieces of their adversity is truly amazing. It truly makes for some of the most engaging reading opportunities. Writing Mr. Wrong follows debut author, Gemma, whose first book only gained traction on account of her modeling the lead of the romance after the boy who broke her heart in high school, a choice she made only because her fellow reader and writer friends suggested that asshole romantic leads were what’s “in.”

But that’s the thing about modeling characters after a single experience; though shared and very valid, that single experience does not account for the whole of a person. And so, as the sudden success of her novel brings her back in contact with Mason—speak of the devil!—and he eagerly plucks up the novel written by the girl he’s still holding a candle for (since high school, mind!), not only does he realize what his behavior in their history has done to Gemma, but it opens his world to learning how to become a better and more considerate person.

At its core, I think Writing Mr. Wrong is a story about intentional growth, both for our romantic lead, Mace, but also for Gemma. In meeting again, this boy from her past who had once wronged her so thoroughly turned man who is eager to be better, she is also able to recognize the ways in which she has been misguided in holding onto her hatred for that single moment in high school. She learns how one experience does not make the whole of a person, but the whole of a person can be illustrated in the repeated acts they hold onto. And it is about intentional growth in that these are people who genuinely care about change, about learning and proving through that learning that they are not only willing to but are actively going to put in the work to become better.

And it’s really refreshing to have a story like that, to have characters who are flawed and learn that they are flawed and fight to actively recognize it every single day and make the changes that are needed to be better. We need more of these stories, I think. I’ll be glad to pick up the next Kelley Armstrong book that comes across my feed.

Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins are fantastic voices to bring these two characters to life. I had so much fun listening to the both of them as they navigated each section of the story. It truly felt like I was listening to narration from the actual characters, which is honestly all I can ask for with audiobooks like this.

A Hockey player and romance writer , who has a past . what could go wrong ? .. loved this soft romance , second chance , characters were fun and entertaining ., The narraoters were great

Writing Mr. Wrong 🏒📝📚💭
2⭐️
3🌶️

Thank you to Forever for the chance to listen to and read this gifted advanced copy!

Oh man, I really didn’t enjoy this one. I was excited about it going in, but I was really let down. I always root for books that have older MCs, and I love a good second chance trope.

Let me start with saying- the hockey trope is a dead horse that we NEED to stop beating. Honestly, I’ve never read a hockey MMC that I liked, and this book continued that pattern for me.

The FMC in this book was OK, but she was terribly immature for someone in their late 30s and I felt like there was zero commitment to any character development. I did like some of the lines about past trauma with a partner from the FMC’s mom, but that was about it.

This book just really felt like it didn’t have much of a plot and definitely didn’t have much substance. I didn’t have a connection to either of the main characters.

I partially listened to this book on audio and I partially read my physical copy. I did not enjoy the narration of this book. It was a duet, and the chapters were a mix of each narrator. The dialogue in this book was performed by both narrators regardless of the chapter, which I thought was an interesting choice, but I did not enjoy it.

The story was cute - Gemma, an author, draws inspiration from her first crush, Mason - who happens to be a famous pro hockey player now. When an old classmate surprises Gemma and reunites her and Mason on live TV, she gets embarrassed. Mason defends her and suggests a fake date to get her book more sales. I loved Gemma’s character - she did not let Mason get away with his behavior so easily. Mason was written well too - he knows he messed up all those years ago, and he wants to make up for it. I got this ARC as an audiobook, and I think the audiobook narrators did a great job in keeping me entertained throughout the book.