And then she forgot shock and panic and pretty much everything else in existence because Chris was kissing her… Oh, wow.
Finding Mr. Write is a fun and fabulous rom-com and really proves that Kelley Armstrong can write anything.
A fun romantic comedy about a woman writing under a male pseudonym and the man she hires to play the role in public.
Daphne McFadden is tired of rejection. After submitting her manuscript to dozens of agents, she’s gotten rejection after rejection, and now it’s time for something drastic. And so, Daphne submits her manuscript again… under a man’s name.
Imagine her surprise when it sells for big money at an auction and soon becomes a publicity darling. Only she needs a man to play her super macho alter ego Zane Remington. Enter Chris Stanton, who absolutely looks the part of a survivalist and has a talent for pressing her piss‑me‑off‑I‑dare‑you buttons while somehow being endearing at the same time. But Chris has a few secrets of his own, including the fact that he’s really an accountant who has no idea how to chop wood or paddle a canoe. When Daphne’s book becomes a bestselling sensation and they’re forced to go on tour together, Daphne finds herself wondering if this city‑boy geek is exactly what she needs to push her to claim her dreams.
I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong’s writing. She is so, so talented, and it amazes me how she can create and successfully write stories in any genre and for any age. Kelley has written paranormal/fantasy, mystery, and thrillers, and sometimes creates a story that is an amazing combination of supernatural and mystery. She has written books for tweens, teens, and adults. So when I saw that she had a new rom-com coming out, I knew I needed to get my hands on it. And I am not the least bit surprised that she knocked this book out of the park. She understands what makes a good rom-com and what romance readers want in their romances. Compared to Kelley’s other books, this one is light, fluffy (at times), funny, and filled with delicious spicy tension.
I adored this book. It’s one of those rom-coms you can just sink into and let the world around you disappear. Kelley did a great job at using different tropes and weaving them together to create a really entertaining story. The pacing is perfect, and I devoured those, shall I say, dramatic twists in the plot that would only exist in romanceland. Those who are familiar with Kelley’s writing know that she has written a few books set in Northern Canada. I loved getting to explore the Yukon with Daphne and Chris. It was nice to spend time in this gorgeous setting, and I loved how she used it to help build that romantic tension between the two MCs. It was also nice to spend time in the Yukon without worrying about murderers and danger lurking around every corner (like you do in her Rockton series).
The main story focuses on Daphne and Chris, who work together to help promote Daphne’s debut novel. Chris has been hired to pretend to be the author of Daphne’s novel. Of course, any romance bookworm knows that any carefully laid out plan will go out the door, and chaos and drama will happen left, right, and center. I really enjoyed the whole publishing/author aspect of this book. It’s always interesting (and sometimes depressing) to get to see what happens behind the scenes in the book industry. Kelley shines a light on how it’s harder for women to get their work published and shows the inequalities within the publishing world.
I really liked the characters in this book. Daphne was a fantastic heroine, and I loved that she was the one outdoorsy and knew how to survive in the wilderness. She is smart, strong, and capable of caring for herself. But there is also this side to Daphne, who is unsure and scared. She is afraid of letting her readers down if they find out that she was the one who wrote it, she’s worried that no one will like her books, and she is also scared of letting things with Chris get too serious. I loved how Kelley didn’t portray Daphne’s fear as a weakness. Her fears were acknowledged and embraced, and Daphne found a way to overcome them. It may not have always been smooth sailing, but deep down, Daphne knew she was strong enough to do anything she put her mind to.
Chris is a book-boyfriend’s dream. He is a big old cinnamon roll and knows how to get bookworms’ hearts pitter-pattering faster. Don’t be fooled by the cinnamon roll personality; Chris’s character has plenty of depth. He will even admit that he is a bit of a paradox. On the one hand, he is incredibly good-looking and knows how to turn on that smoulder that has women swooning. But he is also incredibly insecure and uncertain about how to act when attracted to someone romantically.
The romance is perfect. If you love romances that have fake dating, cinnamon roll heroes, fish out of water, one bed, road trip, and forced proximity, then you are going to devour the love story between Daphne and Chris. These two were just great together. I loved how their relationship progressed. There were plenty of will they won’t they moments, and I loved the fun, flirty banter between them. Chris is a bit of a dummy near the end of the book, which results in that dreaded third-act breakup that some bookworms hate. But I loved it, mainly because he has to suffer a bit to redeem himself, and I love it when the hero has to suffer. I might be a bit of a sadist, LOL. Overall, I really like these two together. They just clicked as a couple, and they didn’t go into a relationship thinking everything would go smoothly. They knew things had to be worked out, and they both were willing to put that effort into making their relationship work.
Finding Mr. Write is a wonderfully fun rom-com, and I really hope Kelley Armstrong decides to write more romances in the future.
Thank you, Forever, for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
