⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I. Loved. It. the character dynamic between Gracie and Noah were great. You could tell they had history from the start; from their witty bantering towards one another to their heartthrob conversations, it was such a beautiful story about redemption, grace and 2nd chances, At first, I didn’t like Matt’s Pov I thought it was irrelevant to the story but then I realized, it had a connection with Gracie and Noah’s relationship, and I thought that was so cool how Becca Kinzer connected the two totally different relationships, but both having the same theme. And Matt's relationship story was cute I was getting invested with it too, because I mean who doesn’t love a good best friend to lover's trope? And can we talk about the overall message of the book it was just beautiful! No matter how difficult and challenging life is. Always keep your focus on Christ and He will make your way and give you peace amongst the storms. It truly was a blessing to read this novel. As always thank you so much to Netgalley and Becca Kinzer for an ARC of this book. Stay blessed everyone 😊🙏

My favorite part of this book was the humor in it! I normally like books that have multiple story lines in them but in this book in particular I didn't feel that the multiple storylines worked well together. I don't think that the storyline of the secondary characters added anything to the storyline of the main characters.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A fun second chance romance from Becca Kinzer! I was really looking forward to this book and excited for the ARC! As always it contained her unique voice and quirky sense of humor that is all her own. I loved reading about exes Becca and Noah coming together to figure out what went wrong in their marriage, and how to rebuild trust and a new way forward. The side plot about her nephew’s romance was also very sweet. It was a little hard to follow at times because of how often the multiple POVs switched, but overall it was still an enjoyable read. Can’t wait to see what she writes next!


Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this novel. I was not required to give a review and all opinions expressed above are my own.

I was attracted to the cover of this book. The story was entertaining, but not the best ever. I enjoyed the characters, but it felt rushed at some points and then slow at others for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

First Love, Second Draft is the third book by Becca Kinzer that I have read. It holds to the other books with humor with a deeper story interwoven.
Gracie Parker is a rom-com author with a threat of missing a deadline due to writer's block and having fallen off a horse-a plastic one! Her nephew asks her ex-husband to come and take care of her while she mends. Her ex, Noah, is a professional baseball player who in the past put his games before her needs. Noah sees this as a chance to win Gracie back, but it may take more than he can give.
I enjoyed Gracie and Noah's story but enjoyed her nephew's side story of his own first love even more! The story shows strength of a family as Gracie's father is dying and Noah is there to try and patch them all up. Rom-com lovers will like the humor, and everyone will love the reconciling story that includes forgiveness.
I received a complimentary copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and Tyndale Publishing, but all opinions are my own.

This was a fun, cozy read! I enjoyed how the story focused on two couples with three alternating narrators (although I would have loved to heard more from Rachel). This book was also very funny and I found myself laughing often. It was very sweet with a great, exciting ending and is perfect for romance readers who prefer closed door.

3

I've been debating on what to rate this book for days because 3 stars feels like too much and 2 stars is for books that I just can't stand and that wasn't the case here. I wish I had enjoyed this more but I had a few major issues. I wasn't a fan of the writing style, it felt a little cringy and too much older millennial humor. I don't understand why Matt had has own POV at all, like two second chance romance stories at the same time is just too much and Matt is not an important part of Gracie and Noah's relationship. It just threw me off and bugged me, I checked on the book summary and there's no mention of a second main couple at all. Also I feel like Gracie's injuries were either not described correctly or ridiculously exaggerated because like how it nothing broken but she can't move at all and needs help for everything.

I was interested in the romance between Gracie and Noah and how they fell apart but other than that and the duty I felt to finish this arc and provide my thoughts, there wasn't much that I loved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for this gifted arc!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale House for the advanced reader copy.

The premise for this rom-com--a floundering romance novelist is laid up when she has an accident that breaks her pelvis and must rely on her ex-husband, who wants to get back together, to help her while she heals. And she needs to turn in a new romance novel when the only things she's been able to write since getting divorced are sad and depressing--sounded fun and Gracie is a lovably curmudgeon of a main character. She's got the rough exterior of the "kids get off my lawn" persona with some softness underneath, though not enough to make clear why Noah, who comes across as fun and likable and hot, is so intent on getting back together. These issues are small in comparison to the one big structural issue that kept me from being able to get into this story. Each scene/chapter starts in the middle of the action in a way that makes it unclear where the characters are and how much time has passed since the last scene/chapter. It was so disorienting that I had to stop reading at a certain point. This one wasn't for me.

It was okay I got I laughed alot but I just didn't enjoy this format of Noah being this flirty this early also they acted like children not gonna lie and didn't really feel like real people I liked the writing it was easy to read I also don't understand why we got chapters about Matt and Rachel they were cute but it felt like a drag like what was the point of this .

Gracie is a romance writer who has been in a writers block since her divorce from major league pitcher, Noah. But when Noah’s career takes a pause the same week that Gracie has an embarrassing accident, he comes home to help her recover, despite her protests. Her nephew, a hopeless romantic in love with his best friend, called Noah in hopes that during her recovery the two would remember how good they were together.

Thoughts
This one missed the mark for me. While the main story was a good plot idea and it was a fast and easy read, there were few things that dragged it down a couple stars. There was a second story line (and 3rd POV) that I think pulled away from the main story of Gracie and Noah, not allowing the time to build those characters until later in the book. I also didn’t find either of the two main characters to be very likable which made it harder to root for them.

Okay, this was such a fun, Hallmark-y read! I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between Gracie and her ex-husband Noah. Were some parts so cliche? Sure. But was it delicious all the same? Yes! The baseball/writer aspect of this couple was unique and expertly executed by Kinzer.

Even though Gracie's adult nephew Matt sometimes acted like a twelve year old boy, I didn't mind since it was just a book. Come to think of it, everyone in the book acted like kids with their immaturity in dealing with trauma, emotions, and just having a serious conversation. 🤷🏽‍♀️ They do resolve their problems and learn their lessons by the end though...

The Christianity aspect of this novel comes in the last 20%-25% of the book, somewhat too late in my opinion but it didn't ruin anything for me. (view spoiler)

If you like clean chick lit, second chance romance, sportsy guy <3 romance writer, cliche and funny Hallmark-y stories with Christian themes sprinkled in, then you'll probably enjoy First Love, Second Chance!

Possible content concerns: mention of a woman's curves, dying/death of parents, mention of a woman "roughed up" by a man, mention of "marriage bed," sexual tension, infertility/mention of losing an unborn child

Positive note: no curse words, no descriptive kisses, no sex scenes or even closed door

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for the First Love, Second Draft e-ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts.

ARC / Releases in APRIL 2025

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers, who have provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

———— All thoughts are my own.

3.5 ⭐️
It’s laugh out funny.

The bones of this story are there and it’s fun and fast paced. In my opinion, It just needs to be edited some more. I love the idea of ex’s coming back to one another because they know deep down they are each others one true love and that’s the story we have here. I wish we saw more moments between Gracie and Noah, and not so much of Rachel and Matt. The moments shared with us were so fun, and I just wanted more of them.

There may be a little too much going on in this story. Most likely to show the parallels of each couple. And that would be great, but might need some work.

Wow, those last few chapters. Grab your tissues! I was a sobbing mess.

There are some trigger warnings that I feel should be noted prior to reading and hoping the author will have those mentioned for those who might be sensitive to the topics mentioned in this book.

I might re-read it when it’s released to give a better review

This book was a good story and I enjoyed the plot, but at the same time it was so frustrating to read at times


Mona continually annoyed me, Gracie alternately annoyed me and endeared me, Noah should've been more annoying, Matt and Buck felt too meddling to be as liked as they were


Gracie and Noah ended their marriage 5 years prior,
shouldn't they have been a bit less friendly from the start? Even if there has been time for tensions to cool? Shouldn't Gracie have been more mad when Matt intentionally brought her ex-husband to live right next to her? SHOULDN'T MONA HAVE BEEN A BETTER SISTER?? They were able to talk about their issues so easy (comparatively) later on, wouldn't you think ending a marriage over what had happened without fully communicating was a bit rash?


But enough of the bad sides, this book did have a pretty
good plot of a burnt out writer forced to write the memoir of the man she still loves but got divorced from 5 years ago. A pretty cute plot and a good 2nd chance romance! I also enjoyed the romance between Rachel and Matt but I wish it didn't have to come at the cost of him dragging Amiee along for 5 years with no consequences. (But that's just me disliking the trope of dating someone else while being in love with your best friend) The ending truly touched me and it felt like a satisfying end to all of the stories (besides Gus
and Mona's because?!?!?) But the ending was bittersweet
and I loved how it connected back to their faith at the end!

Thank you NetGalley and Tyndale Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review, all thoughts are my own.

**Heartfelt, Hilarious, and Full of Heart—*First Love, Second Draft* by Becca Kinzer is a Rom-Com Delight!**

*First Love, Second Draft* by Becca Kinzer is an absolute gem of a second-chance romance! From the very first page, I was hooked by Gracie and Noah's story. Gracie, a romance writer dealing with a creative burnout and a looming deadline, is relatable in all the best ways. I could really feel her frustration and exhaustion, both with her career and her past—particularly with her ex-husband, Noah. I loved how Kinzer perfectly captured her struggle to get back on track, even if that meant reluctantly accepting help from the last person she ever expected: the man who broke her heart.

Noah, the famous baseball star who gave up everything for a career that ultimately let him down, is the perfect swoon-worthy hero. He’s charming, kind, and undeniably relatable in his search for redemption—not just in his career, but with Gracie as well. The dynamic between these two is electric. There's so much unresolved tension between them, but it's clear there's still love beneath the pain. Watching Noah try to win Gracie back is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and I couldn’t help but root for them to find their way back to each other.

What really made *First Love, Second Draft* shine for me was how Kinzer weaved humor into the emotional depth of the story. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, especially with Gracie’s bookish nature and Noah’s sweet, earnest attempts to prove he’s changed. The slow burn of their romance is beautifully done, and the mix of humor, heart, and real-life struggles made it a story I couldn’t put down.

I also loved the fresh take on the “second chance” trope—Gracie and Noah’s story isn’t just about rekindling romance, but also about personal growth, forgiveness, and redemption. Their journey felt so real and relatable, and I found myself cheering for them every step of the way.

If you’re a fan of sweet, heartfelt rom-coms with plenty of humor, redemption, and a second chance at love, *First Love, Second Draft* is an absolute must-read. Becca Kinzer has crafted a charming, emotional, and utterly delightful story that will leave you swooning and smiling long after you turn the last page.

While I liked the overall concept, I had a really hard time with this one being in 3rd person POV. It just made all the characters feel really distant and I couldn’t get into it. I did not finish this at around 20%.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC!

I like a good second chance romance but not so much when they have been married. This is still fun and would have an attentive audience, just not for me

In First Love, Second Draft, exes Gracie and Noah are once again living in proximity to each other. Gracie needs help after an injury, but Noah is the last person she wants that help from. He wasn't there for her when she needed him most during their marriage, but Noah is determined to do better this time. Can they work out their differences as Gracie heals? Read it to find out the outcome. Recommended.

First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer offers a sweet and often charming romance, but it doesn’t quite live up to its full potential. The chemistry between Gracie and Noah is undeniable, and their second-chance romance is built on a solid foundation of (a LOT OF) banter and emotional history. Gracie, with her dry humor and fierce independence, is an engaging lead, and Noah's vulnerability and willingness to try again are endearing. However, while their moments of connection are touching, the emotional depth feels under-explored. Gracie’s stubbornness and Noah’s unaddressed past—especially his lack of a proper apology for their divorce—left some unresolved tension that would have made their reconciliation feel more earned.

While the book has its highs, particularly when it touches on themes of grief, loss, and redemption, the execution can feel uneven. The pacing drags in spots. At times, the humor feels a bit forced, and the overall lack of deeper conversations means the emotional moments don’t hit as hard as they could have. Still, if you're looking for a light, fun read with plenty of wit and heart, this might be just what you need. But if you’re after a more profound exploration of its themes, the book might leave you wanting more.

Publication date: April 15th,2025

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This is clean romance and very sweet story

I very drawn to the cover and I been watching baseball my whole life, who doesn’t love a good sports romance

While the main story line about Gracie and Noah a second chance romance, the secondary story line between Matt and Rachel going from friends to lovers love both stories and how was interwoven together.

Gracie and Noah have been divorced for 5 years throughout the book they rekindle there marriage they once had. Gracie is a writer and trying to work on her latest romance but is in a rut and trying to nurse an injury and can’t do anything but rest.

Noah is baseball player but took a break for a few years now he’s back in town living next to his ex-wife.

There were a lot tough topics but I think the author did a good job bring each one up throughout the story.

If felt like a tv-show and all the characters felt like real people and I enjoyed the side characters

Thank You NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Net Galley and Tyndale House Publishers for this digital ARC

I really wanted to love this story. Second chance romance? Close proximity? I was rooting for Gracie and Noah!

It was a good read. It just wasn’t as amazing as I was hoping.