Pub date: April 25, 2025

Second chance romance between a struggling writer and her famous baseball pitcher (ex)husband. The banter was funny in parts and it was a cutesy sweet story. I particularly enjoyed the dad. The MC drove me a bit bonkers, and the sister was a bit random - lots of mystery for a non-reveal. Overall, this story was fine, dragged a bit but worth a read if you’re looking for a light, clean, rom that still touches on some heavy topics (infertility, loss of a child, loss of a parent).

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

1.5 ⭐

I decided to DNF it, unfortunately, and here's why.

If I could sum up why I tend to avoid modern romances with one book, I would choose this one because I see no point in the story. The first chapter was humorous, and I was pretty stoked to see where the plot would go, but by chapter three, I was confused. Why put the nephew's point of view in? I don't recall seeing him on the front cover OR in the blurb. Why does he get airtime? I wouldn't have minded it so much if I was expecting to see him or even like his character, but I didn't. He was like all the other characters: flat and dull. And Gracie's sister? Uh-huh. Don't get me started on her.

And Gracie and Noah, the two main characters? Why did they divorce in the first place if they still had feelings for each other? I don't know about you, but jumping to divorce if you couldn't agree on something instead of talking it out like adults isn't exactly the definition of being mature. Maybe they shouldn't have even gotten married in the first place. It would've saved everyone a lot of trouble.

The plot seemed predictable and basic. I understood the accident part that caused all of this, but I don't understand Gracie. I don't need to waste my time finishing the book to know what is going to happen. Most books are predictable, especially romance novels, but I'd like a good Christian book that wasn't a) predictable, b) cheesy, and c) boring. If you have any Christian novels I should check out that aren't any of the above, I'd be grateful for the recommendations.

I'm sad that I didn't like this book enough to finish it because I didn't even get to see the faith elements come into play. Granted, not all books are tolerable enough to finish, but I feel like a quitter if I don't at least try. But I couldn't push myself to even do that.

Ugh, I hate giving negative reviews, especially when the author did their best to write a good story! So I will leave you with some positives. The book cover is super cute and fun. It was one of the reasons why I wanted to read this book. The premise of this book had potential. I got a good chuckle or two out of the dialogue. And...that's it?

Hopefully, you'll get a kick out of it better than I did.

I received an arc from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and statements are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Tyndale House publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gracie hasn't written a best seller since she divorced her childhood sweetheart Noah. Her deadline is approaching and she's found herself with a serious injury and no one to look after her. Enter Noah, who's been missing his wife and wishes they never broke up, to come and look after her. Not that she wants a bar of it. Gracie can't get over Noah choosing his baseball career over their marriage.

I'm going to start with the PROS. I was attracted to the front cover and witty title. I was drawn in from the get go and thought the banter between characters was a strong start and I liked the baseball star x Author setting of the book.

You may like this if you enjoy sports romance, second chance romance, miscommunication trope and Christian romance.

CONS
There is a second unexpected subplot featuring Gracie's nephew which if anything serves as a distraction from the main storyline. I really wish these chapters were in fact flash backs from Noah's and Gracie's past because we could then spend the time getting to know the characters and connecting with them. Matt was great but he should just have his own book.
This book touches on infertility and I don't think a sensitive exploration of this was done justice. That's my personal opinion. I think if we were given the chance to see more of the break downs in the relationship, we would potentially root harder for Noah and Gracie to get back together but the details of this were left ambiguous for the first 2/3 of the book.
Lastly, the dialogue in this book read like YA, and not that of a 42 and 40 year old ex-couple.

I appreciate the ARC but this was ultimately not my cup of tea.

Wow. I LOVED this book. 4.5⭐️/5

It is funny like really funny. The first third of the book I laughed out loud every chapter. It also has a beautiful second chance love story.

I love how real this book felt and read. Gracie and Noah are both in their forties and struggling with where they fit in the world. We follow their story as Gracie is trying to redeem herself as an author with a “rom com” that she is writing. She had an accident that bruised her ribs and fractured her pelvis that left her needing help with her recovery.

Noah her ex-husband is the one who shows up to help. So she is stuck in the house writing with him hovering wanting to help and also wanting more from her. Noah is a Major League Baseball pitcher who got cut for the season. There is tension, hurt, and hope they have to work through in order to figure out themselves and each other.

The story also follows Matt, Gracie’s nephew and his long time friendship with his best friend Rachel. She recently moved back and Matt realizes that he still has feelings for her. Together they also navigate their past and work towards figuring out their futures.

There is humor, miscommunication, second chances, hurt, forgiveness, faith, courage, and love in this story.

I LOVED the ending. I love how both Gracie and Noah needed to let go of something to make their relationship work. Such a beautiful example of a real life relationship.

My only note was on the faith aspect. I wish Becca would have committed to it or left it out. It was kind of there and kind of wasn’t. I think it would have added more to the story if she would have committed to Gracie’s faith journey more, and not have it been so wishy washy.

Thank you NetGalley and Tyndall House Publishers for this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

•𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•

{𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒇𝒕}

⚾️ Release Date: April 15, 2025 ⚾️
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The toxicity in this book was astounding to say the least. Good lands! I’m not sure who we were supposed to be rooting for, but I certainly hope it wasn’t supposed to be the giant red flag whose name is Gracie 🤦🏻‍♀️ There were so many problems with this story, not the least of which was everything that had to do with Gracie and Noah’s relationship. Number one: they should not have gotten a divorce in the first place; that created this whole problem to begin with! What ever happened to not giving up on your marriage and extending grace to your partner? The same grace that you would like to be shown as well, mind you. The absence of God was blatantly evident, though in the end they did circle back to Him.

I was not aware that this book would also be focused on Gracie’s nephew, Matt, and his love life. Was I a fan of this plot line? Ummm…that would be a hard no. I could not have cared less about his character, why is sad considering he was supposed to be one of the main characters in this story.

So all that being said, I really struggled to connect with any of the characters. I read the entire book in hopes that it would improve, but alas, it did not. There were some things with the writing style that I didn’t love but I could have easily overlooked had I enjoyed the story. But since I didn’t love the story, the writing style really started to get on my nerves as well. Would I recommend this book to others? Honestly, I’m not sure, but probably not.
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I received a complimentary arc from NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers. All opinions are purely my own.

I did not care for this book at all. It was so long and dragged. Noah was very selfish and ultimately no matter what will choose baseball.

why did the nephew have his own POV? Not really adding anything extra to the book. Not for me. Did not enjoy. Sorry.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR THE ARC!

✨Arc Review✨

“𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐚. 𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲, 𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐱-𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦, 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥?”

😆👏🏼

I loved this read! It was refreshing to have an older FMC. I’m laughing recalling all the humor that is generously sprinkled throughout this story—Oh! And the banter between ALL the characters was chef’s kiss 😚🤌🏼

Rita Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you for this arc opportunity 🫶🏼

This was so sweet. I was skeptical of how i felt about the ex husband at first but he really won me over. A second chance romance will always get me.

3.25/5

I enjoyed reading this book, though mainly for the subplot as the main plot seemed fairly trivial to me. This was probably my second Sports Romance read. This aspect of the book was acceptable, and it didn’t alienate readers (such as myself) who aren’t particularly familiar with American competitive sports.

My main takeaway was that the main protagonists lacked the maturity of their respective ages. Their behaviour was fairly similar to that of Rachel and Matt. The fact that Noah and Gracie solved all of their problems by simply having an honest conversation made their divorce seem really silly. I recognise that this sort of “easy fix” to the relationship could be a common event among books of the same Second Chance Romance genre. I found Gracie somewhat unlikable as these events and her behaviour made her seem immature. I preferred Noah, as despite his mistakes he still came across as level-headed. That being said, I quite enjoyed and related to the Matt-and-Rachel subplot.

I’d recommend this book to fans of clean adult contemporary books containing subtle elements of Christian faith.

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for providing this advanced copy for review via NetGalley!

total süß, schön geschrieben. toll zum wegschmökern. auf jeden fall ein cozy read für alle romance fans

3.5 stars, rounded up!

I am a sucker for second-chance romance. This one checked a lot of boxes for the romance genre: forced-proximity, love/hate relationship, and whispered sweet nothings. The author nailed the banter. I was laughing so hard at the jowl-kissing scene. I loved how both Gracie and Rachel were likeable characters. Not too over-the-top cutesy/quirking. Gracie having a special writing desk that moved around the house was top-tier for me.

This story follows Seatle Mariners baseball pitcher, Noah Parker and his ex-wife, romance writer, Gracie. Gracie gets injured and needs help fulfilling activities of daily living. In swoops in the estranged ex-husband and our story kicks off. In the middle, the pacing seemed off and slowed considerably. However, I enjoyed the parallel love story of Matt, Gracie's nephew, and Rachel. It added another layer of depth to the family dynamics.

Thank you Netgalley and Tyndale House publisher for this eARC!

This is a schmaltzy sweet rom com about a writer and a baseball player, the story is lighthearted and would make a good holiday read.

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The First Love, Second Draft is a heartwarming and funny standalone sports romance that gave me slight Emily Henry vibes. From the start, I was hooked on Gracie and Noah’s story—full of witty banter, sweet moments, and second-chance tension.

Five years after their divorce, Gracie, a struggling writer, finds herself on thin ice with her publisher. An injury leaves her in need of help—just not from her ex-husband, Noah, a famous baseball player who unexpectedly ends up renting her cottage (thanks to her well-meaning but meddling nephew). Determined to win her back, Noah convinces Gracie to write his memoir, giving them plenty of time together. As they navigate old wounds and undeniable chemistry, Noah makes it clear that for him, it’s only ever been Gracie.

This book had me laughing out loud and swooning in equal measure. Noah’s unwavering love for Gracie was endearing, though I did find myself questioning why he wasn’t willing to fight for her five years ago. Still, their journey back to each other was heartfelt, and the ending left me grinning. A charming and delightful read!

The premise of this book was really cute. And I like the idea of a baseball player and romance writer together. Unfortunately I felt like some of the references were a little dated, and the characters weren’t super believable. Grace’s injury seemed unlikely, and Mona was such a selfish sister. I did enjoy Noah’s character and his swagger.

Overall a good read! Here we have a book with a second chance romance between Gracie, a writer, and Noah, her famous babseball athlete ex-husband. Matt and Rachel subplot was great too. I was curious after reading the synopsis and the cover art drew me in. There are TWs though.

Thank you Netgalley and Tyndale House Publishing for the opportunity to read this book!

Who doesn't love a good second chance romance that includes sports and a writer. Kinzer's book was a fun read that was serious and light-hearted at times. While the story did drag in some spots the main character's dynamic and relationship made the slower moments worth it. I think that the story encompasses some of what all romance readers hope for- a second chance at first love.

I'm not sure what happened with this one. From the first page, I loved it, I was constantly laughing, smiling and crying and I thought for sure this would be a 5⭐️ read. I was somewhat caught off guard by the view into Matt and Rachel's story, I think I would've preferred to have seen that through Gracie and Noah's eyes and not show us them separately. Somewhere after the halfway point, I got a little frustrated by how Noah and Gracie didn't seem to be making any headway and I thought they both were getting pretty childish, Noah by not talking to Gracie about the memoir and Gracie by not talking to Noah about their relationship. They did get there in the end but I was feeling somewhat confused about the feelings there too. The thing that really did it for me though, was the very sudden appearance of religion and them saying to "remember to hold on to God" and I just couldn't agree with that and it really threw me off the book. I didn't feel at all comfortable reading those thoughts. I'm actually very sad because I was SO into this book in the beginning, I thought it was actually very funny, I was so in love with Noah and I wished everyone well but something happened towards the end 😕 Also, I have to say, I absolutely hated Mona.

First Love, Second Draft is a story about a second chance at love for Gracie and Noah. I really loved the dynamic between the two characters and how their banter towards each other were. At first, I was confused about the plot, but as you progress through the book it'll all come together. I also loved the story line between Matt and Rachel.

I would say that it was bit of a slow burn and some parts of the book I was thinking to myself, can we just get to the point? Gracie is put on a task to finish writing her book since she hasn't been able to put out a best seller since her divorce from Noah; however, due to an injury she ends up having to deal with Noah while she recovers. During this time readers will see the cute dynamic between the two, how it makes you wonder why they got divorced and what caused it. I really loved the character Noah and you see how much love he has for Gracie and what he would do to rekindle that love they had.

I do like the twist that was put in the book and how with that plot twist, you'll see how Gracie and Noah really come together as one. Overall, it's a cute second chance romance book that readers will love.

I’m a sucker for a second chance romance and bonus when sports are involved.
The story was entertaining overall, but not .my favourite and definitely nothing that will be super memorable. I enjoyed the characters but the story felt rushed at some points and then slow at others for me

First Love, Second Draft is a sweet, heartfelt, second-chance sports romance novel. It follows a struggling romance writer named Gracie, who needs a bit of help after an injury. When her ex-husband Noah shows up with his baseball career in tatters, he's steps in to help (and hopes to give it another go with Gracie).

The real strength of this book is the Kinzer's ability to combine laugh-out-loud humour with tender, emotional moments. I found myself laughing at Kinzer's comedic timing, while empathizing for Gracie's (relatable) pain. Rooting for Noah and Gracie was easy with their chemistry leaping off the page.

Gracie is independent with a great sense of humor and she's scared of being hurt again. Noah is likeable, earnest, and vulnerable. And the supporting cast only added to the story and community. I loved Matt, Rachel, and Gracie's dad; they're not perfect, but likeable.

This is a sweet, uplifting story with humour and heart. While it's not perfect, it's a great read I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Tyndale for sharing a digital review copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.