Mr. Write

by Alana Gray

A good girl striving for the top, a bad boy about to hit rock bottom and a sexy deal that might just save them both. Claire

I’m a bestselling author—for now. The pressure’s on to deliver another swoon-worthy romance, and I’ve got the perfect idea. All I need now is a dreamy cover model to bring it to life. Then I meet Will Manning at a fan tall, gorgeous, and exactly the look I’m going for. There’s just one hitch—he won’t do it for cash alone. Apparently, abs like his come with conditions.

Will

People think modeling is all glam and big paychecks.

Cute.

The reality? I’m living on instant noodles and anxiety. I want out, and college is the ticket—but that admission essay? Yeah, it’s winning. So when Claire - sexy, sharp, and way too buttoned-up for her own good - asks me to model for her book, I say yes… on one she helps me with my essay.

The deal? Strictly business. Until brainstorming sessions turn into flirty debates, writing tips turn into lingering glances, and suddenly we’re both off-script. Claire might just be more than a muse. And if we’re not careful, this fake love story could write itself into something real.

Maybe what we’re writing is more than fiction. What if our story isn’t meant to end in a happily ever after?

Find out in this short, spicy, stand-alone novella with a down-on-his-luck, bad boy and a the good girl, who needs to have a little fun. Both characters are over thirty. No cheating. No cliffhangers. Happily ever after guaranteed. Dual point of view, first person.

Genres: Romance

122 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 5, 2024

Reviews

[Curvy Girl Book Nerd (Jen S) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Write is a short and steamy, instalust, OTT, opposites-attract, mid-life, curvy girl gets her hunk romance. Claire is a historical romance author in her 30s. Will, also in his 30s, is a hunky male model and part-time stripper who wants to get a degree in social work. Claire needs her next book to be a hit and is basing her female lead on herself to make it more personal. She sees Will at a convention and knows that he is her inspiration for her prince charming. He hates having to use his body to make ends meet and feels like no one thinks he has a brain. When Claire sees him looking trapped, she goes up to him and rescues him. They talk, and she asks him to be her cover model, and he agrees, if she will help him with his essay for his college admission. She agrees. These two had such a cute relationship. Will is kind of a broody bad boy who wants to be taken more seriously and Claire the shy introvert who wants to be a little wilder. They end up getting into a physical relationship and unexpectedly fall for each other. But neither thinks they are good enough or what the other wants. They push each other away only to be miserable. I wanted to slap these two so many times and just yell at them to communicate with each other. They had hot chemistry, and we got a happy ending, but it was a bumpy ride. This was my first book by this author but not the last. I loved it!!!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sarandah chrysalis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, sweet, quick read

[Char ღ Denae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovable characters are what make this spicy, opposites attract novella such a great story. You can’t help falling in love with Claire and Will. They both need something special in their lives but it takes one hitting rock bottom and the other hitting the top, to realize they can have it all, together. Lots of feels, a very satisfying happily ever after, and a new author added to my to-be-read list.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Liz M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really a lot of fun!
Claire is a romance novelist. Her last several books haven't been up to par, though, and she really needs the next one to do well. She needs to find the perfect cover model, because we all know the cover is the first thing we notice, right?
She's just finished up an event at a fan expo when she sees a bunch of hot guys getting pawed at by a crowd of eager women, and there he is - her perfect man. And not just for her cover, but he's the same guy she saw in an ad months ago and tore the picture out to put on her wall. He was literally her muse, standing here in the flesh.
Will is standing there feeling like a piece of meat that all these women want a taste of, when someone looking like a hot librarian comes up and pulls him away. He doesn't know her, but he'd follow her anywhere. Claire wants him to be the cover model for her next book, but he decides he wants something in return.
Modeling doesn't exactly pay the bills, and his part-time night gig leaves him feeling empty. Will wants to enroll in college, get a degree that will let him help kids who grew up like he did - without a lot of opportunities.
The only thing holding him back is his application essay. He's stuck. Has no idea where to even start. He figures maybe Claire can help with that.
And help she does. She shows him little writing tricks that let him get his thoughts on paper. In turn, he does her book cover, but also ends up giving her some ideas for her own writing. (You'll love Chapter 5!!)
But life has a way of throwing a wrench in the works, and the timing is never good. Just when he thinks he's going in the right direction, everything comes crashing down, and he doesn't think he can pick up the pieces.
Will Claire be able to help him see the possibilities in front of him? Or will he be resigned to flashing the flesh for the foreseeable future?
OMG - the chemistry between these two is so hot! And a relationship between a writer and her muse is just yummy. They push each other to be better, and support each other through it all.
It's a light, fun read, but with a good mix of some heavier notes. This was very entertaining, and I'm looking forward to more from this author!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of a best-selling author, Claire Harvey, who is struggling to get back onto form. She writes steamy romances of a historical nature and is currently starting on her latest book, with a certain cover in mind, giving her inspiration. She is at a fan expo when she spots a certain model, who she may not know the name of, but has been her muse for her latest book and who she has imagined on her front cover. He has been struggling to make ends meet, with inconsistent work and low pay, with his dreams of going to college to become a counsellor for kids like him, raised by a single mum and the struggles they went through. He has another part time job at night but hasn’t told his mother the truth of what it is, knowing she won’t like it. He is struggling to get through all the admissions paperwork required, especially an essay showing why he wants to do the course.

When Claire approaches him and saves him from yet another overly grabby fan, he is glad of her intersession, but also curious if she has similar intent. When she mentions what she wants from him, to model for her cover, he doesn’t want money, instead he asks her for her help with his admissions essay! Only problem is that being in such close proximity for Claire, makes her fantasies about him come to life even more. He in return, finds her librarian look ultra sexy and the sparks begin to fly between them as they spend so much time together. The innocence of her own romantic life is in complete contrast to the books she writes, and she will soon find Will can educate her on a lot more ways to spice up her writing. The usual road bump will come for their relationship, but there is a HEA ending for the pair, as romance wins out in the end, despite all of their differences!

I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout, and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's alive! The man she dreamed up is real!

Claire is a best-selling romance author who's having trouble writing Chapter Five, the chapter where the first hot romantic scene takes place. She's not that experienced, so it's difficult to write about something she hasn't experienced herself without it being dull. 

In the book she's currently writing, she's fashioned the hero in her mind as what she'd like in a man, including his looks. Since he's a figment of her imagination, she never expects to meet him until she spots him at a photo shoot. 

Will lives pay check to pay check despite trying working as hard as he can. Modeling pays well, but work is sporadic. He feels responsible to help his mother and tries to help her with things when he can get her to accept help. She sacrificed so much to raise him as a single mother. He wants to earn a degree and work as a social worker to help kids who are in situations like he had been. A good social worker wasn't always easy to find when he was a child, and a good one was a godsend. To be accepted, he's going to need help writing his admissions essay. 

When they meet at the photo shoot, he agrees to be her model if she'll help him polish his essay. Against the odds, they begin to form a relationship. But when she discovers what else he does to earn money, he's afraid it's the last nail in the coffin...

I received an ARC of this book from the author via Booksprout. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t start it if you do not have the time to finish it so get comfortable because you will find yourself reading until the last page has been turned. Claire is sweet with a touch of spice when needed a best-selling romance author with little experience having a little trouble writing certain scenes in her romance novel due to lack of experience and the star of her story is a man fashioned right out of her imagination surly a man can’t exist like him until she sees him in a photo shoot, he is actually real! Will sexy as all get out model living pay check to pay check everyone thinks models make a lot of money that may be true if the work is steady or when he isn’t taking care of his mother he feels responsible for her considering she gave up so much for him being a single mom he is working to earn his degree as a social worker and he knows from experience a good social worker is hard to come by making a difference is his goal but writing his admissions essay is going to be a challenge. The two meet him agreeing to model for her in return she helps him with his admissions essay a win for them both but what neither of them counted on was the magnetic pull between them until she finds out he is an occasional stripper to make ends meet but will she want nothing to with him or will she understand his reasoning, will their arrangement work out for them, will he become the social worker, will he make his mother proud, and where are the two of them headed happiness?

[Lorna H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Write by Alana Gray starts off with a bang (not that kind, fresh!!) - Claire leaves her keynote speaker session and wanders into the main conference room of a romance book conference, only to be thunderstruck at the sight of her book-dream man - a book model who is the ideal picture of the man in her next romance. She can tell that he's uncomfortable with all the unwanted attention he's getting from the women, and rescues him... so that she can proposition him....

...To be her model. They strike a bargain - she'll help him with an application, he'll do the pictures - and we're off to the races!

By that I mean, they begin to spend quite a bit of time together and find that they have a lot in common - more, they just enjoy being with each other. And, of course, there's a generous amount of ST (sexual tension) thrown into that enjoyment (but they don't indulge until the latter half of the book).

There's little conflict (a bit of the usual "insecure FC can't believe the gorgeous MC would want her"); mostly, it's just a pleasurable read from start to finish. Well-written and well thought out, Mr. Write makes me eager to see what Alana Gray has in store for us!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was Will and Claire’s story. Claire Harvey is a bestselling author. Or she was, and she has a plan to get back on top. A plan that includes a heartfelt new romance novel. All it needs is the perfect cover. When she meets model Will Manning at a fan expo, she knows he's the only man for the job. The problem? He wants more than a paycheck to do it. Will Manning is tired of scraping by. He's tired of squeezing every dime. People think models are rich. Ha! The work is inconsistent, but the bills sure aren't. He dreams of going back to college to get a better job but can't seem to get past the admissions essay. When librarian look-alike Claire approaches him at a fan expo to model for her book cover, of course, the answer is yes, but why not ask for something extra? He'll do the cover if she helps him with his essay. Sparks fly as the two spend hours writing together. Will Claire's best romance story be her own? It was a fun read. And am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Lexxie Couper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed Alana Gray's Mr Write. With a strong romance-author heroine and a hero to drool over, I loved the way Gray created a believable romance between the two. Their chemistry was wonderful and I particularly appreciated the care Gray gave to creating characters who were likeable without being unrealistic (I really enjoyed Will's "bad boy who's not really a bad boy"). And I loved that both Will and Claire were over 30, allowing me to relate to them even more (especially Claire's romance author heroine).

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book, the writing a d especially the characters. Will might need Claire's help and writing expertise but she needs his inspiration. Will is a really good character. He feels all the things deeply and he wants so much to help. He wants to help himself to a better job, a better life. He helps his mom. He want to help others who are stuck like him. I like their flow. I like them individually and I love them together. I like his mom and her agent/friend Ana. I hope Ana gets hit with a big love out of the blue.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[LA FITCH · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good different take on a love story. Claire is a successful writer who needs to up her game on the sex scenes. Will is a model and occasional stripper to make ends meet. Claire meets Will at a book expo as he is the image of her next hero in the book and uses him on the cover. She helps him write an application essay to be a social worker and he helps with the sex scenes. A highly entertaining page-turner.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nancy Koske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire is the keynote at an authors' fan event and she knows that next book to be published need more realism in the final chapter. How to get it? Her 'dream' guy for the cover? She sees another area with male models showing their possibilities, but one make her catch her breathe. He is 'her dream' guy. His name is Will and he is older than the other models. She asks him if he would a contract. Will he agree to her terms? Does he want something in returns, what is it?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Madelynne Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire is about to publish a heartfelt romance novel that will put her on the top of the charts once again. All she needs is the perfect male model. Will needs expert help writing his essay to get into college and be able to one day earn a better living. Sounds like a match made in Heaven, but will it be? Read the book to find out. You'll be glad you did.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creative storyline as this seems to put the author in the story. Loved the characters, great depth into life and some of the hardships people have to work through to overcome and succeed in life. Loved the support along with the tough decisions that sometimes have to be made, but also on the learning process of reaching out for help, not trying to do everything on your own.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Vanessa Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story from beginning to end. I liked that the author gave us a story about an author and her cover model. The characters took on a life of their own and I was smiling by the end of the book. Claire writes romance novels. She is at a convention and sees Will. He is a cover model, and she knows she needs him for her next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Book Sprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire is a successful author who has hit a block in her writing. So, she decides to start looking for the perfect cover model. At a book signing, she meets Will. Will is trying to get into college. Claire works out a deal to help him with the entrance essay if he will help her find inspiration for her new book. Well, he most definitely does that! This is an excellent book with a great plot.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[JM G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. Once I started reading Mr. Write, I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to keep reading so I could see what was going to happen next. The characters are great and the storyline hooked me from the start. I don't want to spoil this book for anyone, so I won't go into details. Please read the book blurb for some information about the book. I recommend reading this book.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Trina Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quick read on my lunch break, it made the time pass quickly. The characters had all the feels and the setting was perfect. recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how Claire and Will overcame their individual insecurities but the best bits for me involved Claire's scene- stealing cat, Harper!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Theresa Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It was a fun and entertaining read with lots of chemistry. As an author myself, I could definitely relate.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Engrid Eaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful story of two people lifted up by love

I highly recommend this story. Loved the bad boy / good girl dynamic. Such a sexy trope. But I love how the story shows them lifting each other up and the transformative power of love. Read this story for a quick, sexy pick-me-up!

[Tracy H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Write
by
Alana Gray

The story and characters were well written and developed. I enjoyed the chemistry and journey. Great read.