First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer is a sweet and swoony second-chance romance. The characters are flawed, realistic with relatable struggles and great chemistry (if you like your banter plenty, you will like this book!), making their reconnection fun and a roller coaster! :)
While the plot is somewhat predictable, somewhere a bit slow, the cozy small-town setting and feel-good writing make it an enjoyable read. A solid 4 stars/5 book for fans of romance with heart and humor.

I had a difficult time deciding how to rate this book. I loved the premise, and the first few pages drew me in, but as I kept reading I felt as if it was just endless banter. Now, I love banter as much as the next person, but without any substance to balance it, it became trite. Many times I almost gave up. Finally, 2/3 of the way in, the story started to get good, and the last 1/3 was wonderful, I loved it so much. So I'm glad I kept reading, but wish I hadn't had to slog through all that pointless banter to get to that. If the whole book had matched the last third, it would have been one of my favourite books of 2024.

This was a pretty good book. I liked the cover and it made me want to read the book. But the story just felt a little bland and it felt like it was already written in a lot of different books.

If I had no service, no books, and absolutely nothing else to do, I might read this again.

Let’s start with the positives: I enjoyed the baseball backdrop and the inclusion of writing as a theme. Those elements showed promise and kept me engaged at moments.

But the rest? Not so much. The horse subplot was insufferable—I truly could not care less about it. The female main character was frustratingly stubborn, and not in a relatable or endearing way. Her self-proclaimed “ice queen” persona felt overdone and hard to root for. I just couldn’t connect with her, and her demeanor made the story harder to enjoy.

The central premise—her writing a terrible book as part of the plot—felt pretty uninspired. Pair that with another classic case of a man who can’t communicate, and I was left rolling my eyes more than once.

Then there’s the sister: completely unrelatable and difficult to understand. And don’t even get me started on the injury subplot—it just vanished into thin air. No resolution, no explanation.

In the end, while the concept had potential, the execution left a lot to be desired. This is one I won’t be revisiting unless I’m truly out of options.

Interesting premise. Like the cover. But the book failed to capture my attention. The characters are messy and some are not overly developed. Lots of potential but need more from the characters and story

First Love, Second Draft was a very sweet and uplifting story. Watching Grace and Noah both go through their struggles. I loved how everything came together and how Noah refused to give up. His shot opened up and he took it whole heartedly. Knowing she was the one for him despite their past. I do recommend it if you want a cozy read. Only critique I had was that I just felt like I’ve read it before. Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity!

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

The premise of this book sounded like something I would enjoy. Second chance romance, a bookish heroine, romantic comedy. However, in execution, something was lacking for me.

I'm not usually a fan of second-chance romances, but this was a sweet take! Both Gracie and Noah tentatively approaching fixing their marriage, and Matt and Rachel finally addressing their missed chances, were filled with good banter and realistically-ridiculous hijinks.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Overall, I enjoyed the read. It's a cute 2nd chance romance story, and we also have a friends to lovers mini romance in between.
So 1st the friends to lovers romance. At first, I couldn't understand why we were having the nephews' pov. This became clear upon a typical friends to lovers situation. I was finding this romance quite sweet and enjoying it, until it went from nothing to 1000% in a chapter 🤣, and by that, I mean nothing and then married loool
So, for the main romance, it's a 2nd chance romance. They've been divorced for 5 years. 1st, I thought it was because of his career, but the issue seemed more because she couldn't get pregnant and wasn't finding him supportive enough with his career keeping him away for long periods of time. That's all fair enough.
1st issue I had, since coming back to her life, he divided a plan (after getting nowhere for weeks) to get her to write his memoir, but he discloses some stuff about his childhood (which he never did when they were dating/married) and tell her that's not to include in the memoir. She does like immediately, and he's just like it's fine, I actually liked it. WTF!!
He keeps saying he's done with baseball, but that seemed it was when baseball was done with him; I get why he went back, though, as she kept pushing him away. But only took her dying dad saying stop being a moron and go after him and bam done.
All these are not massive issues, and I did enjoy the book. Hence, the 4 starts 😉

✨ARC✨ review for First Love, Second Draft

First off, thank you to Tyndale House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start off by saying that I feel a bit bamboozled by the blurb, mostly because that writing was clearer and made more sense in the synopsis than the actual story.

Gracie and Noah got divorced five years ago, over nothing dramatic, and they’re still hung up over each other. ✨Beyond✨ hung up. I can’t believe either of them decided to actually sign the divorce papers.

In a “tragic” accident Gracie Parker gets injured. Apparently horrifically, but I’m still confused and it’s all very dramatic.

Gracie’s family sucks. Her sister uses the fire department as her personal call service—do not let her lead by example—and leaves the first chance she gets. Her selfish nephew, Luke, who, for some reason, gets his own POV in this novel, calls her ex-husband to help instead. His motives? Laziness, probably. That, or he’s too engrossed—leaves the house without pants (har, har) engrossed—in his own love life to care about anyone else? Maybe that too.

The ex-husband, Noah Parker, a Major League Baseball star, has been forced to retire due to a shoulder injury. Newly jobless and probably just feeling sorry for himself, Noah comes rushing, unwelcome, to Gracie’s rescue determined to get back the relationship he lost.

No selfless acts here, folks.

Let me again mention that the man, after being divorced for ✨five years✨ has, probably for the first time, mentioned “saving his marriage” to his manager after a shoulder injury got him fired.

So… what did I like?

Not much. The story can be funny and even a little cute—until the jokes are stretched so thin you’re desperate to move on. It’s one of those rom-coms that relies on absurd situations for laughs, but the ridiculousness often had me rolling my eyes more than chuckling. The characters are very flat and don’t do much to help you care for them.

Overall this wasn’t for me.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This story touches on sensitive themes like loss, grief, reconciliation, and redemption.

What to Expect:
💙 Hunky Baseball Star
🤍 Sassy Writer
💙 Second Chance Rom-Com
🤍 Clean Sports Romance

This book was a solid read with a lot of potential to be truly great, but it didn’t quite dive deep enough into the emotional terrain it teased. Gracie and Noah’s second-chance romance had its moments, with good banter. The story had a lovely way of balancing humor with genuinely touching scenes, which made it a delight at times.

Gracie completely hooked me. She’s got this dry humor and fierce independence that I adored, even when I wanted to shake some sense into her! And Noah? We have a guy who’s vulnerable and willing to try again; he made strides to mend their relationship. That said, his redemption arc fell a bit short; while his growth was implied, we never truly saw it unfold, which was a missed opportunity. And his lack of a proper apology for the events leading to their divorce left a noticeable gap in their reconciliation.

The chemistry between Gracie and Noah felt authentic, and the history they shared added emotional weight to their interactions. When they finally confronted their past, it was moving, but the journey there felt uneven. The pacing dragged in some places, and the absence of deeper conversations made their resolution feel less impactful than it could have been.

Now, about that secondary storyline with Matt and Rachel: it was sweet, charming, and completely unnecessary. Don’t get me wrong, they’re adorable, but their story felt like it belonged in its own book. Here, it just stole the spotlight from Gracie and Noah a bit too often.

This story touches on sensitive themes like loss, grief, reconciliation, and redemption, and while it had moments of emotional resonance, it didn’t delve as deeply into these areas as I’d hoped. Still, it’s a sweet, clean romance with plenty of wit and heartfelt moments. If you’re looking for something light yet tender, this book might be just the thing. However, readers seeking a more profound exploration of its heavier themes may find it falls a bit short.

A big thank you to Tyndale House Publishers, Becca Kinzer, and NetGalley for granting my wish to read this book and providing the ARC. It’s always a treat to dive into a new story!

Gracie is currently at rock bottom. Divorced, struggling to pay her and her Dads medical bills, behind on her next novel, and now injured? Things couldn't get worse. That is, until her meddling nephew calls in her ex-husband to come take care of her, and he jumps at the chance to rekindle what they once had. Gracie is left to wonder how long he'll stick around this time and how soon baseball will interfere again.

*****
This was one of the strangest second-chance romances I've ever read. The characters were fine but not lovable. Her sister Mona is a terrible sister, and I'm still baffled as to why her nephew gets his own POV and chapters worked into her story. It doesn't add anything to the novel and just continues to have it drag on to be much too long.

Also, I don't know how two people could divorce in their mid to late 30's and then not be with other people? In 5 years? Still calling each other husband and wife and babe. Especially after he left her devastated after a massive personal loss to focus on his job and never chose to explain it. It was just awkward and dragged out, and we don't get the reasons behind things until too late in the novel to even have investment into the characters.

Then there's the epilogue that really didn't need to be included. If anything, it brought the book down further due to how awkward and clunky it was, and how it reinforces that despite remarriage, he's still going to continue to find ways to choose baseball.

Overall, I found this a slow and frustrating book, and I wouldn't recommend it.

*****

Thank you, NetGalley, and Tyndale House for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While First Love, Second Draft has an intriguing premise—a burnt-out romance writer and her ex-husband thrown back together—it ultimately misses the mark for me. Gracie and Noah’s second-chance romance should have been heartwarming, but their backstory felt underdeveloped, leaving little emotional payoff when they reunite.

Noah’s unwavering devotion to baseball, even in Gracie’s most vulnerable moments, is framed as noble, but it read as selfish to me. The justification for his choices, especially surrounding a deeply personal tragedy, felt tone-deaf. Instead of showcasing genuine growth, the story glosses over what led to their divorce in the first place, making their reconnection feel rushed and unearned.

Gracie, meanwhile, had her moments of charm, but her emotional journey was bogged down by too many side plots. Matt’s storyline, while interesting, distracted from the main narrative, and Mona’s character added unnecessary negativity without resolution.

Overall, the book struggled to balance romance, personal healing, and its commentary on sacrifice. If you’re looking for a satisfying second-chance romance with emotional depth, this one might leave you frustrated instead of swooning.

Gracie Parker, a romance writer, must complete and submit her manuscript to her publisher, who is not happy with her at the moment. With the deadline quickly approaching, Gracie is sidelined by injuries sustained when she fell off a mechanical horse that was in the back of a truck. She can barely sit up, much less walk or even think about finishing her book. The last person she wants to see or help her is Noah, her ex-husband. After a phone call to Noah from Gracie’s nephew, Matt, who advises that she is looking for a tenant for the cottage next door, Noah shows up at her door announcing that he’s her new tenant and he’s come to help her.
Noah is a major league baseball star; however, the ending of the current season is a big letdown, and he believes his successful baseball career is over. He regrets that he traded his marriage for the years of success he had as a pitcher in the major leagues. Gracie simply got tired of him always being gone.
As Noah makes every effort to help Gracie, she continually refuses his help, questioning if people can really change. Her manuscript is not getting done, and she feels her successful writing career is probably over as well.
An opportunity to salvage her career is presented to her; however, it would be necessary to partner with Noah to successfully complete the suggested project.
Amongst the story of Gracie and Noah, Matt, Gracie’s nephew, is also dealing with his high school crush who is back in town. This adds a new twist to the story and another set of misunderstandings on both sides.
I enjoyed this delightful and sometimes humorous story of everyday people and the complexity of issues they face. The characters are relatable, and I found the story engaging and heartwarming.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

TW: miscarriage and death

Thank you to Netgalley and Tyndale House Publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a cute but a little heavy read. The FMC, Gracie, is in a rut with writer's block, an injury, and pushing down her trauma. To top it off, her ex-husband, Noah, shows up. Some pretty intense topics came up during the book but were handled delicately. I like Gracie as a character with her wittiness and independence, but Noah is what really stole the show for me. He was vulnerable and ready to take accountability to win Gracie back (something men don't often do). Their chemistry felt genuine and authentic, and nothing felt unrealistic and just "easy." It showed that the two needed to work in tandem to glue everything back together.

However, I did feel that this book was longer than needed, and the epilogue didn't do much for me.

Read if you like:
Second chance romance
Athlete romance
Closed door romance

This was my first romance novel in quite a while and it didn’t disappoint! I really enjoyed the character development and the depth the author went into Gracie and Noah’s lives and love. It had just the right amount of detailed story telling, suspense and hearty scenes throughout to keep you hooked.

The only thing I would have REALLY liked to be different in the book was the grocery scene with Matt and Rachel - it started out really cute and exciting and very very quickly turned on it’s head to be unimaginably cringey. I feel like it would have been better and made more sense for the way the story of Matt and Rachel was going if Matt had made the ultimate move he had literally spent the entire time talking about instead of Rachel.

Also, having more time spent on looking back at the reasons behind Mona and Gracie’s relationship dynamic would have made more sense too. And of course, it’s a romance novel. I get that Gracie had a fractured pelvis but surely add in some sexy scenes (especially if Noah really is as hot as she says he is… plus it was only a hairline fracture)! Final note, Luke honestly could have been excluded from the book entirely considering how little he played into the entire storytelling of Noah and Gracie.

#NetGalley #FirstLoveSecondDraft

I don’t normally love the idea of exes getting back together but I am a sucker for a good second chance romance! This was cute.

Gracie Parker is a romance writer stuck in a rut, and Noah, her famous baseball star ex-husband, is exactly the last person she wants to be around. Yet, as they’re forced to work together, the chemistry and unresolved emotions between them are impossible to ignore. What really stood out for me was how their journey wasn’t just about rekindling a romance, but about personal growth and learning to trust each other again. Gracie’s witty, bookish personality made her easy to root for, and Noah’s quiet determination to win her back was both charming and heartwarming. If you enjoy second-chance romances that are both sweet and full of heart, this one’s for you.

⚾️📝First Love, Second Draft by @beccaannkinzer📝⚾️
Huge thank you to @netgalley and @tyndalehouse for granting my NetGalley wish with this amazing ARC!
💜⚾️📝

When I saw the cover of the book and then read the synopsis, I knew I needed to read it. As a baseball loving writer, it sounded right up my a. Alley…. (iykyk)

While the main story line about Gracie and Naoh was a second chance romance, the secondary story line between Matt and Rachel going from friends to lovers filled my heart with such joy!!

I loved watching Gracie and Noah reconcile their marriage so much. Between the playful banter to the honest and raw heart to hearts, I fell in love with their love. So much to the point the ending brought me to tears! It was beautiful.

My heart is so very full after this one! 💜

This should be called First Love, First Draft. This book made absolutely no sense from the character details to the way the story is told. I honestly feel apathetic towards the characters, like I don’t love or hate them - I just don’t care for them. Except maybe for Gracie’s dad, Buck. First off, why do we have a POV and chapters dedicated to her nephew? He’s not a main character, he’s not her love interest. This is a story about family, but his aunt getting back with her ex-husband. This just makes the story confusing, because him being in love with a girl from high school doesn’t add to the story. Second, you mean to tell me it’s been 5 years since Gracie and Noah divorced and they’re still so hung on each that they call each other husband/wife without the ex in front? At that point, they should just be separated. Noah never actually apologizes for not being their for Gracie during the catalyst of their divorce. He only justifies his stupid decision by blaming childhood trauma he NEVER told her about and that baseball is his job. We don’t actually see Noah’s growth or how their divorce affected him besides “I’m so loney”. This novel could’ve been very well written with a dying parent and traumatizing divorce but it lacked the depth needed for these topics.

Thank you Tyndale House publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.