Title: Writing Mr. Wrong
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Published: June 24, 2025
Format: e-ARC
My Rating: 3 stars/5
Synopsis: Gemma hasn’t written in years, but post-divorce, she dove back into writing romance. When her proposal didn’t sell, she became convinced it was because no one wanted her nice-guy heroes and decided to write and absolute Mr. Wrong…based on her first crush, Mason Moretti, now a star hockey player. She’s sure no one will make the connection between her highland laird and an NHL enforcer. Of course, someone does, and her secret is out.
Mason is going through some drama of his own as an aging hockey player, and when his “reunion-cute” with Gemma goes viral, he proposes some media-worthy fake dating to help her book. Which is so sweet and not at all to help solve his own image problem. Gemma reluctantly agrees. Mason convinces Gemma to go away with him so she can finish her overdue second book while giving him anti-asshole lessons. And if he really just wants to get time away with her, that’s not an bad move, right? Or is it?
My thoughts from the Vault
Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book. I chose to review it and this in no way impacts my opinion of it.
When Gemma’s book sells, she ends up on a morning talk show to promote her debut novel. What she doesn’t expect is the talk show host (an old school bully) to bring the inspiration for her a-hole main male character onto the show with her. When the host tried to embarrass Gemma for using her high school crush as her inspiration, Mason derails her and flips the interview back to the newly released book.
I really wanted to love this one like I love the rest of Armstrong’s work, but sadly it just didn’t tickle my brain in the right ways. I did find this novel to be a quick read however I didn’t find anything to particularly love about it. The characters were okay, but I didn’t love them. I loved the concept behind the story but while it is marketed as an enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, I didn’t really believe that either of them hated the other or that they were enemies. Hurt, yes. But hate? No.
I can’t really put a finger on why this one missed the mark for me besides the fact that it just didn’t evoke any feelings in me like Armstrong’s books normally do.
If you enjoy the fake dating trope with a dash of forced proximity, you may love this novel. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
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