Warning: this book may be hazardous to your health. It had me laughing so hard, I had a coughing fit…twice… in the first 15 pages! Hilarious banter by Gracie and everyone else. She is a pip!
Gracie is forced to accept help from her ex-husband Noah, when she injures herself. She no longer trusts him but he is persistent in wanting to take care of her. “So long as Noah remained in her life, there was no such thing as breathing easy.” But all is not laughs, this book deals with serious issues such as divorce and reconciliation and trusting God.
I really enjoyed this second chance times two story. Not only do Gracie and Noah creep towards a renewed romance, her nephew Matt pursues his best friend Rachel in hopes of moving out of the just friends spot. Both couples were such fun to watch.
I liked the references to old songs and bookish, authorly ones too since Gracie is an author. The peek into the baseball community was informative. I could not help but remember when I lived in St. Louis and experienced baseball fever during the run at the World Series by the Cardinals.
Now to go back and read the debut by Ms Kinzer. I expect I am in for more laughs.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Tyndale via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*

I had to restart multiple times because the formatting is so bad to kindle. But overall it was an alright story. I definitely think that it starts off a little slow.

My Quick Takes:
-5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Language 🤐 none
- Spice ❤️‍🔥 none/kisses only
- Content 🤔 divorce, parental death, traumatic childhood, miscarriage

Another 5 star read from Becca Kinzer, who has become an auto buy author for me. Her lighthearted, charming characters always make me laugh out loud throughout the plot, and tear up when the heavier topics hit.

While First Love, Second Draft is a baseball romcom, it’s light on the baseball. The male main character is a retired pitcher and the plot centers around his pursuit of and forced proximity to his ex wife as he tries to win her back.

New with this book, Kinzer added a 3rd point of view that lends itself to a second romance subplot. I really enjoyed getting to know another character in the story from their POV that wasn’t the make or female main character. It was a successful change from the single and dual pov seen in romance novels.

If you want a lighthearted read that’s sure to make you laugh, look no further than Becca Kinzer’s romcom novels!

I enjoyed reading First Love, Second Draft, a delightful sports romantic comedy set in small town Illinois. Gracie is a romance author who split up with her professional baseball player ex-husband, Noah, five years ago. She’s living on five acres in the house where she has happy memories of her marriage.

Gracie is on a tight deadline to finish her contracted romance novel. The story isn’t progressing well and Gracie’s literary agent is concerned the editor will reject it. Gracie fractured her pelvis in an unusual riding accident and requires help to rehabilitate at home and finish her hot mess of a novel. Gracie is shocked when she discovers her nephew has arranged for Noah to rent the cottage on her property and assist her in recovering from her injuries.

Noah is forty years old and his baseball career with the Seattle Mariners is over. They dropped him from the team’s postseason lineup and Noah jumps at the opportunity to return to Illinois and win Gracie back.

Gracie is independent and struggles with impaired mobility from her injuries. She dislikes needing Noah’s help, which creates many LOL hilarious situations. The forced proximity means Gracie and Noah can’t avoid facing the issues that led to their marriage breaking down, including infertility issues.

I loved the charming romantic subplot and quirky cast of characters. I cheered for Noah and Gracie to remember why they loved each other and to put in the work to rebuild their broken relationship. The story includes grief, loss and forgiveness themes. I recommend First Love, Second Draft to contemporary romance readers who like second chances sports romcoms with depth that include a romantic subplot and relevant faith elements in the story.

Many thanks to Tyndale and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

3.5 stars
There are parts of this book I absolutely love and parts that didn’t work for me. Overall, I enjoyed the romance between Noah and Gracie and what it took to get them to their HEA. These two have banter right from the start and chemistry. I rooted for them to find their way back to each other. I wish the ending had been slightly different and that we had gotten to see the root of the problem earlier and the characters dealing with that more on page. The story is easy to read and get into. The secondary characters added something to story and my enjoyment.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

First Love, Second Draft is a fast funny second chance romance with wonderful small town quirkiness. Gracie and Noah are ex spouses that still care for each other. She has an accident and needs assistance, so he swooped in to help her and to win her back. At the same time her nephew Matt was trying to win over his best friend Rachel. It is all cute, though the subplot with her sister remains confusing. There were moments of humor and lightness balanced with serious topics of a dying dad and the loss of a pregnancy. Overall, it was a good, clean, and at times a sweet romance. Thank to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

The romance is cheeky and special. The spicy is not there, but the love is realistic. I enjoyed reading this book. It felt like a hallmark romance movie, but not as cheesy. I would recommend this book. The pacing and characters were realistic. The biggest lesson from this book would be to not choose the farmer and that leaning others is always a good thing even if you hate asking for a shoulder to lean on.

Kinzer's spot on humor is something she's quickly becoming known for and First Love, Second Draft follows in that path. There are definitely some laugh out loud and giggle-snort moments that keep this book moving along its pace. The secondary love story of Matt and Rachel does sometimes steal the spotlight from the main one with Noah and Gracie, but this reader didn't mind because it was entertaining along with being sweet and funny. There are some moments of un-clarity (with her injury) and disbelief of certain known/unknown past events but overall I read a story to be entertained and am happy to take some leaps of faith for a good story. Even though most people disliked Mona and found her insufferable and unrealistic, I actually liked her character because she was different and exasperating and the worst thing is not to feel anything for a secondary character. I wll definitely continue reading Kinzer's stories.

While the book had no huge faults, I just couldn’t really find myself completely engaged with it. Matt’s POV was fun, but his storyline with Rachel didn’t feel developed enough and felt like it was impeding Gracie and Noah’s. Even though I like the parallels between both couples, I feel they should’ve been separate books so that both stories can feel more developed. Rachel’s POV could then also be included if the books were separate, which would be nice to see.

Gracie is a romance writer suffering from writer’s block since her divorce. Her ex-husband, Noah, is a baseball player coming off a disastrous season. Neither has moved on. When Gracie gets injured, Noah is recruited as her caregiver. This book has all the elements to make it a winner. Unfortunately, the execution did not work for me.

There is simply too much other stuff - a secondary romance, confusing side plots that don’t contribute to the story, and characters who seem to be nothing more than filler - that that distracts from the major plot line. There is potential here; it needs tighter editing.

On a positive note, much of the banter is cute and the author gives the MCs a chance to work through their relationship issues. Though this may not have been the right book for me, I would encourage to give it a shot and judge for themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndall House Oublishers for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

3 1/2!

This book is a sweet, heartwarming second-chance romance that blends humor, heartache, and healing in just the right doses🫶🫶Gracie and Noah’s journey is both emotional and entertaining! Loveee lovee the witty banters<33 Its a book about unresolved tension, and the slow rekindling of a once-lost love, which I don’t really do second chances but this does it! The writing is clean and engaging, it's definitely a page turner!

A heartfelt second chance Christian romance between a struggling romance writer and her pro baseball player ex husband who is sidelined by an injury and wants to win his former wife back. This was an emotional, forced proximity, dual POV, dual love story that has two couples learning to take a chance on love again. I really enjoyed it, especially when the exes work together to write his memoir and delve into what went wrong in their relationship. It was good on audio and would perfect for fans of The Bromance book club by Lyssa Kay Adams. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Steam level: kissing only

TW: parent with chronic illness, infertility

I loved the synopsis of the book! She's a writer, he's a baseball player, and second chance romance. However, I did not enjoy the execution. Right away, I was thrown off by multiple references to an injury that is never well explained. I found myself not invested in the characters and really a bit annoyed at most of them. Also, there is a huge side story involving a nephew that just didn't fit for me. Overall, the whole things was a miss.

The cover and blurb for this second chance romance drew me in instantly. Unfortunately that’s where it all ended.
This book seemed incredibly scrambled with strange plot lines, disorganized writing, and unlikeable characters. I kept trudging through in hopes it would pick up as I was very much looking forward to this one, but no such luck.

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishing and Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

This is a sweet second chance romance with lots of tropes and two interwoven love stories! I enjoyed the banter and interactions between the main characters and the way circumstances forced them to reconnect.

Five years divorced and on deadline, romance author Gracie gets injured and needs constant help and care. Her nephew Matt decides to take this opportunity to meddle in her love life and invite her ex husband, Noah, back to town to help take care of her. Noah has never stopped loving Gracie and jumps at the chance to win her back.

Meanwhile, Matt’s best friend Rachel moves back to town and he has to confront the reality that he’s been in love with her since high school. Convincing Rachel to be more than friends will be a huge challenge, especially since she’s terrified of messing up their friendship.

Tropes include:
- second chance
- sports romance
- he takes care of her when she’s injured
- “my wife”

This book does touch on some emotional and potentially tough topics. It’s a good idea to look up content warnings and read with care!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you for the chance to read this book.

It ended up not being the book for me.

I did still share a release day post on my bookstagram page.

i absolutely loved the theme of this book! baseball player and an author hehehehehehe. ALSO SECOND CHANCE LOVE AHHHH

Can Noah convince Gracie to give him a second chance?

Writer Gracie Parker is having some issues, she is recuperating from her horse riding accident and trying to finishing her next manuscript so she could turn it in on time to her publisher. Only problem is that she needs help with stuff until she feels better and the only person that has the time is her ex-husband Noah Parker who is renting her cabin next door.

Noah Parker had given up a lot for his baseball career but he still had regrets about his divorce so he thought it might be a sign when Gracie’s nephew told him that the cabin next door was for rent. Now he had to convince Gracie that they could have a future together!

You will like First Love, Second Draft if you like second chance romances with a sport twist where they figure where things went wrong the first time.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ARC Review: First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer.
Review it on Instagram and posted on April 14, 2025.
Feedback:
Becca Kinzer hits a heartfelt home run with First Love, Second Draft, a delightful second chance romance that blends humor, heartbreak, and hope into a story that’s hard to put down. At its heart, this is a tale about love lost and the messy, beautiful work of rewriting the story; both literally and figuratively.
Gracie Parker is the rom-com author who’s lost her spark, and Kinzer captures her creative burnout with raw honesty and relatable frustration. Add to that a physical injury that leaves her bedridden and a looming book deadline, and you’ve got a heroine at her absolute lowest. Enter Noah Parker, Gracie’s ex-husband and former baseball star, who suddenly reappears in her life at the most inconvenient time. Or maybe… the perfect one.
The chemistry between Gracie and Noah is magnetic from the start, laced with sharp banter, old wounds, and undeniable affection. Kinzer masterfully explores the complexities of their shared history without falling into cliché. Instead, she builds a story rich in emotional tension, vulnerability, and growth. Noah’s arc, in particular, is compelling. His fall from grace in baseball is mirrored by his quiet determination to make amends and become a better man.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths lies in its balance. The witty, rom-com energy we expect from Gracie’s world is perfectly offset by tender moments of introspection and healing. As a special mention, we have Gracie’s nephew who adds warmth and depth without distracting from the central story. Let’s not forget the “curveball” that forces Gracie and Noah to work together. Classic rom-com gold.
First Love, Second Draft is more than just a sweet love story. It’s about second chances, the courage to face the past, and the power of rewriting your own narrative, even when it’s painful.
Rating: 4.5/5
A perfect pick for readers who love slow-burn reconnections, witty banter, and happy endings that feel earned.

I absolutely, positively LOVED this LAUGH OUT LOUD, SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE. I hope no real horses were harmed during the writing of this story. Kidding. The fictional horse didn’t have a leg to stand on. I sooo wanted Noah and Gracie to reconcile, but I enjoyed their arguments. First Love, Second Draft gets brownie points with it’s secondary love story where Noah and Gracie champion her nephew’s relationship. A funny and heartwarming read.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. All words are my own.