While I enjoyed the premise of this story and some of the characters, I felt that there was a certain depth lacking in a lot of the interactions and the plot overall. I felt like the most significant moments were cut short, the growth of the characters restricted at the last second. It was overall an enjoyable, fun read, but probably not one I'd pick up again.

This romance is such a delight! I have a soft spot for novels about writers, but this one really stands out as special. I love the premise of the story - that a Regency romance novelist gets to live out a Regency-style romance in the present day - and Kim Duffy executes it masterfully. I enjoyed Frankie and Graham both as individuals and as a couple, and I loved the role Graham's sister Eleanor played in their budding romance. The setting was also fascinating, and I enjoyed the freshness of Duffy's writing voice, which is distinctive and different from a lot of other writers in the best possible way. This is one of the best romances I've read in 2025, and I hope Kim Duffy will write another contemporary book!

Historical romance author Georgina Justine escapes her reality by moving into a dilapidated castle in England. There, she becomes Frankie again, the daughter of Reneck, whose impoverished family still lives in a godforsaken backwater.

Graham is a superb English gentleman, and his little sister Eleanor is the perfect matchmaker for this unlikely couple.

I'm not a fan of historical romances, but I really liked the passages written by Georgina, which really bring out her state of mind.

I loved the story of Graham's family; it's very romantic.

Georgina's ex is truly detestable! We love to hate him :) Even though she expresses it at one point, we still wonder how she could have stayed in a relationship with him for so long, let alone gone so far as to buy a wedding dress.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kim Duffy for providing an eARC in exchange for a honest review.

This was such a sweet book! The main characters were so cute together and I loved how much they cared about each other. I would highly recommend this book!

The Meet-Cute Manuscript is the kind of story that winks at the reader while embracing every romance trope - and I was absolutely here for it.

The book follows Frankie, a romance author escaping to England after a very public breakup, where she hopes to write her next novel in peace. What she doesn’t expect is a real-life meet-cute with a certain grumpy, brooding Brit. Told in dual POV, we get to see both sides of the slow-burn unfold, which adds a depth to their dynamic.

There are some delightful layers here: snippets of Frankie’s own manuscript are sprinkled throughout, adding a clever “story within a story” feel. The setting is modern day but filled with charming nods to Regency-era fiction, making it perfect for fans of historical romance.

One standout is Eleanor, the sister character, who adds warmth, humor, and a bit of matchmaking chaos. She’s the kind of secondary character who steals every scene she’s in and makes you hope for a spin-off book.

Another thing that really worked for me was how self-aware the book is - it plays with common tropes and pokes fun at itself in a way that feels fresh and playful. If you've ever watched Bridgerton and thought, "I wish I could recommend this to my mom," this is your answer. It's low spice but still swoony and satisfying.

The only thing that knocked it down a star for me was the repetition in Frankie’s backstory. At times, it felt like we were reminded of the same emotional beats a few too many times. But once I moved past that, it was a lovely and cozy read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

thank you, netgalley, for letting me read this. I really liked it. Frankie, aka Georgina, was a cute character to get to know, and Graham was very interesting to know when we got to see him open up. I liked this cutesy grumpyxsunshine romance. It was nice to see that Frankie wasn't happy go lucky all the time, we got to see her ups and downs, and she helped Graham come out of his own world while she was also coming into her own and accepting being just Frankie instead of both Frankie and Georgina.

This is the first book I have read by Kim Duffy. She really brings her characters to life.

Frankie is a historical romance author who was just cheated on by her fiance. She is not really feeling the romance so her friend/manager books a stay for her at a old manor house in England. There, Frankie meets an actual viscount who is hot and grumpy.

I loved the back and forth between Frankie and Graham. Graham came off a little dense but still very sweet and tender.

I know this is the first in the series and I am looking forward to the next book.

American Georgina (Frankie) Justice is a writer facing a very public breakup with New York’s most attractive trust-fund darling. Mortified that he can attribute the breakup to her when he is caught cheating on her. Unable to write her latest romance novel, her agent sends her to England to rediscover her inner romantic.
The last thing Georgina expects to find is Graham Michael Phips-Harington, Viscount Rosebury—a brooding, emotionally repressed engineer who spends all his time building trebuchets and trying to preserve his crumbling Georgian manor. While they initially clash as Graham is determined to keep his life private and simple, they begin to enjoy each other's company. Yet, his family’s curse only promises heartache to those that find love.
I love when I find a new author, and this was such a delightful storyline. The telling of Graham’s family ancestors and their love stories was well interspersed into the budding romance between Graham and Frankie. Their enjoyment of each other’s company is so obvious, and the happiness when they are together was contagious. I so loved Eleanor, Graham’s younger sister, who is so wise, clever, and sweet and also young. I found her story very touching. A great read!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story about Frankie and Graham is wonderful. I love how they discovered and accepted their love and changed who they thought they had to be, to who they actually were. Eleanor was probably my favourite character! She was young, but so smart beyond her years. This was a great story of two very different people coming together and finding and accepting love.

Overall it was a really cute story, which I enjoyed. All of the characters were quirky and it came together well.
However, it was a very slow read for me and took a lot of time to get into. The chapters were long, and it switched back from each character in each chapter that was sometimes hard to follow.

This book was the first story I’ve read by this author.
What a fun story, set in a delightful setting.
I loved all the “Regency/Austen” theme stuff and the sweet romance! It was also fun to read about the many clothing choices Frankie(Georgina) made for some of the craziest adventures.
It was fun picturing the mansion and all the buildings and grounds where this took place. Oh, to live in a place like that!
Kim Duffy is a new author to me, and I enjoyed getting to know her writing style. In her book, the characters are sassy and full of life—some are even swoon-worthy—characters you will come to love and enjoy. Her book is full of fun dialogue that will make you chuckle and keep you reading!
I highly recommend you pick this book up for a fun, delightful book that’s easy to read.
The publisher gave me this book, but this did not influence my review in any way; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love "a romance author finds romance" trope.....this one also included a Viscount and old home in England that was falling to disrepair. Oozing with charm and aided by the main characters vibrant quirky personality and strong voice, this book will make you smile. It's a winner!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #VictoryEditing for the ARC.

The Meet-Cute Manuscript by Kimberly Duffy is a delightful low-spice, grumpy/sunshine romance that follows Georgina Justice, a successful American romance novelist reeling from a public breakup. To reignite her belief in love and overcome writer's block, she retreats to the English countryside, where she meets Graham Michael Phips-Harington, Viscount Rosebury—a brooding engineer dedicated to preserving his crumbling Georgian manor. Their contrasting personalities set the stage for a heartwarming and humorous tale.​

One of the novel's standout features is the inclusion of excerpts from Georgina's own manuscript, offering readers a meta-narrative that adds depth and a unique perspective to the story. These snippets provide a delightful glimpse into her creative process and mirror her personal journey, enhancing the overall reading experience.​

However, Graham's relationship with his sister, Eleanor, felt somewhat underdeveloped. His emotionally distant demeanor and reluctance to engage with her personal growth were occasionally frustrating. A more nuanced portrayal of their sibling bond would have added depth to his character and enriched the narrative.​

Overall, The Meet-Cute Manuscript is a charming read that will appeal to fans of romantic comedies and stories about writers.

This is the first book in the Love on the Page series. It is written by Kim Duffy, who has written historical books under the name Kimberly Duffy. I believe this is her first romcom. It is a kisses only contemporary romcom with some historical elements.

Oddly enough, this is the 3rd book that I have read in the last couple months with a similar premise of the female main character visiting a place with historic connections and elements to the plot.

I thought Ms. Duffy did a nice job of incorporating the present and the past. I liked the storyline. I liked the characters. I loved the humor. I laughed out loud several times. Overall this was a very enjoyable book to read.

There was one issue that I have to mention. The story is told in first person point of view from the main female character's perspective AND third person from the main male character's perspective. This was a bit frustrating. I do not understand why the author wrote the story this way. I don't have a problem reading a book in first or third person POV, but the back and forth took me out of the feel of some of the chapters. It just felt sort of gimmicky to me. I hope that in future books in this series, the author will pick either one or the other perspective and just write that way for the whole book, because I am really looking forward to reading more books by this author, particularly in this series. I am deducting half a star for that one issue rounding up to 5.

I did receive an advanced digital copy of this book from the author via Netgalley. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Cute, nice palette cleanser but personally I struggled to connect with the characters-This definitely was a 'book I read' instead of immersed myself in.

The story was fun and lighthearted and I had a good time reading it.
This was a wonderfully written romantic comedy.
I absolutely loved these characters and really enjoyed getting to know them.
A sweet, funny and heartwarming read!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book early! I think it's so cute and I love the chemistry between the two of them!! No notes, I think you knocked it out of the park!

Meet-Cute Manuscript is so much fun, I wish I could unread this and experience a first reading again. I giggled on a regular basis.

Georgina is a very famous Regency romance author with a deadline, a wedding dress, a cheating fiancé, and public humiliation. She no longer believes in love. Hopefully spending two months on an English estate will provide her with the inspiration she needs to write a beautiful romance.

Graham is a charming, disheveled grouch. As Viscount Rosebury, he is weighed down by centuries of family expectations thrust upon him too soon. He has no idea his teenaged sister has rented a room in their home to a stranger.

As familiar as this premise sounds, the book is filled with clever and entertaining plot details. Georgina is vibrant inside and out and delighted by every part of the estate. I particularly like how she is confident in spite of her past difficulties, and she continues to learn and grow and become stronger without being emotionally distraught all the time. He is restrained and simply worn out, but he’s intrigued by the mysterious woman living in his house in spite of her being loud, obnoxious, and nosy. Together, with some help from Graham’s scheming sister, they find the love story between them.

This is a delightful two-for-one romance—the modern-day romance between Georgina and Graham, as well as the Regency romance she is writing, bad drafts included.

I've read this author when she's written historical. I think she did great with her venture into romcom. If she wrote more I'd read that too. I loved the begining and hook. I thought the chapter headings of the book the character is in the midst of writing was a nice touch. I got into the story really well. I loved the Hero's obliviousness.I enjoyed the bits of humor and the heroine's best friend. I thought the writng was thoughtful on what it means to love and to take the risk.
Favorite scene: Nightime ballroom dance
Content info: descriptive kisses, brief mentions of teen pregnancy, dysfunctional family history, taking a smoke. No language, or innuendo, closed door.

Throughout this book I thought I would give it a three star review. It was ok, but not special. It was obvious that the author is far more comfortable with historical romance. The excerpts of the regency prose her main character writes draws you in far more than the active plot does. I found myself far more interested in the background characters. Eleanor’s story is much more intriguing and she’s a more rounded character. I felt very little emotional connection to Graham and Frankie/Georgina. Though this story is only 200 plus pages, it feels much longer. The main conflict had a a lackluster reveal. There are also elements that are confusing to the reader. The male main character is said to be so naive to the protagonist’s attraction, but the author writes about how he can read her every thought on her face. At one point he thinks about how she looks like she wants to kiss him, but she thinks he’s completely oblivious. It makes no sense.

This book is also, in name only, dual point of view. We get very little from Graham’s point of view and when we do, it’s in a different tense. It makes reading his point of view feel disjointed. Honestly, it wasn’t necessary to include his point of view at all with how little it was included.

I’m not typically a harsh reviewer, however this book did not do it for me. Ultimately I would give this book a two star review. I apologize, but it did not resonate with me at all.