A review by booksmartkate
The Write Place by Allie Samberts

5.0

After a long week of teaching high school English, Mackenzie encounters a handsome stranger at the bar. They instantly connect, but she declines to go out with him since he is only in town for a few weeks. The next day, she learns that Daniel Evans, a bestselling author whose works have significantly impacted her life, will shadow her for six weeks in preparation for his next novel. Oh, and he is the guy she kissed at the bar last night. Over the next few weeks, the magnetic pull between the two becomes undeniable and undeniably complicated.

This book is just so charming. You can tell how much Samberts cares about these characters. So much of this love story plays out in the classroom as they begin to share pieces of themselves, and the students are more than just background, making you feel how good of a teacher Mac is and what an influence she has on her students' lives. Daniel could easily have been the stereotypical wealthy best-selling author, but he is written with such care and shaped with fears and insecurities that make him vulnerable despite his literary fame. Even during the inevitable third-act conflict, you cannot help but root for these two, the school, the students, and the found families that surround them. If you love a sweet, steamy, slow-burn romance that is also an homage to teaching, books, and writing, this is a great one.