Finding Mr. Write

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite authors. She writes in a number of genres and many of them contain romantic threads. But a full on rom-com? Finding Mr. Write is the only one! And it is a fantastic read!

Armstrong draws on her own experiences, as well as those of her author friends in Finding Mr. Write.

"How much easier would those early days have if we could have hired an actor? Found someone smooth and glib and witty, who would be a much better spokesperson for our books. And I thought, That's a rom-com!

I was hooked right from the first pages. Daphne is our lead character. She's smart, strong, talented and but sometimes she forgets that. She's so easy to like. Her inner dialogue feels real and clever. And how about Chris Stanton? show more He's an accountant, but thinks he can bring "Zane Remington" to life. (The name is perfect!) We readers are privy to his inner thoughts and dialogue as well. And yes, there are a lot of funny bits. I found myself laughing out loud. And in any rom-com tale, there's a lot of yes, no, maybe so, on the path to the final chapters.

I loved the characters, the premise, the truths, the writing and just all of it! show less

Kelley Armstrong has written books in a variety of genres, but Finding Mr. Write is her first foray into romantic comedy. If you're familiar with her other books, I don't think you'll be at all surprised that this is just as wonderful as her others.

Daphne lives in the Yukon, and has been shopping around her first novel - a post-apocalyptic, zombie YA. In frustration at the rejections, she uses a male pen name and suddenly there's a bidding war for her book. Great! Except now everyone wants to interview new bestseller Zane Remington. Obviously the solution is to hire an actor to play the part for her, right? Chris is a city dwelling accountant, NOT an outdoorsy Yukon survivalist, but he's willing to play the part. But keeping up the act show more in front of a media circus, while balancing it with a growing attraction to Daphne, is harder than he expected. And eventually the truth is going to have to come out.

The first chapter or so felt a bit rough and boiler-plate contemporary romance. It was a slow start, but very quickly fell right into the style Armstrong is known for. It didn't depend on the annoying miscommunication tropes that romances often do. There's a bit of a deception at the beginning between the two characters, but it's VERY quickly dealt with and moved past, which is refreshing. The misunderstandings all feel realistic and handled in a mature, adult manner.

One of the most important things for me in a contemporary romance is the dialog and banter. Great plot but no witty banter? Eh, mid. Finding Mr. Write absolutely delivers though, and the MCs have a great chemistry and great back-and-forth.

I loved the setting, the meet-cute, the chemistry, the characters. Even the side characters were great. I don't know if Armstrong will write more romance or if this was a one-off experiment, but if she does I'll be picking them up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! show less

Finding Mr Write by Kelley Armstrong
Romance, romantic comedy.
Daphne McFadden is tired of rejections for her YA zombie survivalist novel. Changing the cover sheet slightly, she resubmits it using a man’s name. Big money comes calling and her book is being published. Slight problem, she needs a super macho man to use as the face on the back cover. The book surpasses expectations and her little “no public tour” clause now needs a live actor to pose as author. Chris Stanton agrees to play the part of Zane Remington, Yukon, off-the-grid macho man. It’s an acting job. A persona he can fake part time. Being around Daphne full time, has him falling head over heels for her. He needs to slow his hopes and dreams down and figure out how show more to impress the woman for real. How hard could it be?

A fun romantic comedy about a woman, writing under a male pseudonym and the man she hires to play the role in public.
Exhilarating, joyful, and absolutely dreamy.

😭 I was a sobbing mess through the last 15% of the book. Not sad. Emotional in a heartbreaking and wonderful repairing way. In a “found the love of your life” kind of way and now have to figure out how to make it right. Chris screws up. Not intentionally. His trying to manage and fix everything is delicate and delicious. He wants to make sure to support her. To do what she wants and what is best for her. He’s such a geek. An accounting geek that I loved so much. A PowerPoint!
The walking around naked part didn’t hurt either. 😊

Please, please, author. I know this was your first official “rom com” but I will pay good money to read more. Betting I’m not alone on the score.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I have bought all formats of this book to keep and revisit and will buy many copies to share with my various book club friends.
A chartered accountant (aka CPA), math geek hero! show less

“Finding Mr. Write” by Kelley Armstrong blends lighthearted romance with significant themes, addressing them thoughtfully. Armstrong’s prowess in weaving romance into various genres, from paranormal to mystery, in addition to being a fantastic storyteller, means that it is no surprise that she can successfully write a contemporary romance.
While this genre may not typically appeal to me, this book captivated my interest with its exploration of gender dynamics, racial issues, and insights into the publishing world. It tackles pertinent subjects with dignity yet maintains a sense of humor and engaging characters. It is still
It was also really interesting to see the setting in the Yukon, and living a bit off the grid, in a more show more light-hearted way than the Rockton series.
This is not my favorite of Armstrong’s titles, but it is still a fun book and, I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the e-ARC. show less

When Daphne McFadden wrote her debut novel, she was utterly frustrated by the lack of attention she got from agents and publishers. On a whim, she creates a male pseudonym to see if the reaction will be any different and lands both an agent and a lucrative publishing deal. Now she just has to find a man to pretend to be her male alter ego for the promotion of the book. Enter Chris Stanton who is normally an accountant but could use the funds Daphne is offering to be her imaginary male author. What neither of them expect is to fall hard for each other. But when Daphne's book explodes in popularity, the increased attention is a threat to the author persona they've created for Chris and their nascent relationship.

Kelley Armstrong's strong show more writing skills are in abundant evidence for her debut rom com (Armstrong normally writes mystery and fantasy), as she crafts a cute and funny romance. Both Daphne and Chris are well-rounded characters and Armstrong does a great job of describing the Yukon landscapes for the early part of the novel. I really loved the growth both characters go through and the fact that they're very good about talking to each other - no drawn out conflicts due to misunderstandings here (yay!). Recommended for fans of the genre. show less

Armstrong is a practiced writer in fantasy genres, which means her prose is solid and refreshing and her characterization strong. While this is yet another romcom where everyone just happens to be inexplicably hot (honestly, I long for an ordinary protagonist these days) and clichés are clichés (that's the genre), it does also have plenty of genuine humor and heart. I enjoyed this one!

Billed as a “fun romantic comedy,” I found this book less than entertaining: too predictable, with sex scenes that had me rolling my eyes rather than feeling the passion.

The story has two narrators. One is Daphne McFadden, an author who finally finds a publisher for her book by submitting it under a man’s name. The second is Chris Stanton, an accountant (but hot!) who agrees to pose as the book’s alleged author, Zane Remington. Naturally they fall in love, and naturally the exposure of the true authorship of the book is always a threat looming in the background.

While the story addresses some real problems in the publishing industry, such as the preference for publishing work by men rather than women (not to mention whites rather show more than authors of color), Armstrong treats this issue as just an unusual backdrop for her romance. (In this it differs only slightly from a Hallmark rom-com, since Daphne has not hired her old high school sweetheart with whom “sparks fly.” It also differs by having explicit sex and no Christmas scenes. And no commercials. Otherwise…)

Only occasionally, such as with the Daphne’s publicist Sakura, did Armstrong’s talent for nuanced characterization come into play. Historically, I have loved Armstrong’s books, and in this one I appreciated the insights into some of the concerns (and terrors!) experienced by writers. But I wouldn’t follow her work so religiously (or at all, to be honest) if this had been my only exposure to her. show less