As a book person and editor, I adored this. Such a fun dynamic between the two and hilarious with the “fighting in the writing”

Second chance romances are just icky to me. I did enjoy the literary star aspects, though I feel like I've seen/read a bunch of books like this recently.

I unfortunately did not connect with this story so after about 25% i decided to put it down. There was a slight disconnect between the writing, the characters and the plot and for that it just did not work for me.

I really loved the concept of this book. Writing partners is such a great way to do the friends to enemies to lovers trope and having the underlying tension of both their past intimacies and anger was a great idea. Bumps along the way in the story but otherwise solid.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'm not typically a romance reader but I was intrigued with this. The premise had a lot of potential but I feel like it wasn't executed as well as it could have been. On the one hand the tension and romance between the two main characters are so real and well written but it seems to be the only thing this book had going for it. On the other hand the pacing was all over the place and there was a lot of info dumping that wasn't necessary. I'm also not a fan of the cheating or miscommunication tropes, so pair that with disjointed pacing and slow dragging chapters and well this leaves a lot to be desired.

This was a fun story with a unique premise. Katrina and Nathan's story was so much fun to read. I was hooked from the start. I will definitely be reading more from Emily and Austin.

Archived prior to being able to read the book. Lost interest in trying to pick it up. I was originally interested but as it sat in my library, I did not feel the summary grabbed my attention anymore.

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley, Austin Siegemund-Broka is a perfect fit for readers who adore lighthearted, romantic stories about creative souls, writing, and second chances, and will delight in the witty banter and sizzling tension between two former collaborators forced to rekindle their partnership in a sun-kissed Florida setting.

3.5 stars rounded up for rating. The cover is amazing! The story has a fun premise and time arc. However it was a bit slow for me and I didn't really connect with the characters at all.

I love a good book about books! I was excited for this romance to be about two authors, and I also love a good second chance romance! Loved the tension and angst. I think this one would be such a good movie!

I honestly wouldn't consider this a romance. It has emotional cheating which is an ick for me and these two main characters have NO chemistry. Like at all???

This entire book read like fan fiction and took way too long for me to finish.

It's a hard pass for me.

One of Emily and Austin’s best. I loved their new venture into romance novels - this book is so real and raw and beautiful.

I struggled bit in the beginning - this is the type of romance book that relies on stunning dialogue and rich characterization. It starts heavy - with discord and hurt feelings and not a lot of typical playful banter and upbeat pacing.

It makes the story original and special BUT definitely a different take for this genre.

Nathan and Katrina felt so real to me - I absolutely loved their story.

A must read romance of 2022!

The cover is what grabbed my attention and the title, i thought this was going to be such a fun read. but i struggled with just the first half.

Love this vacation romance - the perfect beach read! Katrina and Nathan are cowriting partners who had a falling out. Now they need to put their feelings aside and complete the final book in their contract.

This read a little like Beach Read to me, which I loved, so I'm here for it. More angsty, that's for sure, but I really enjoyed it.

This is an intriguing book. The character dynamic is decently fun. I just think that it wasn't for me? I was looking for more of the parts especially in the middle but it didn't gave me that.

This second-chance romance is not one I’d recommend. From the slime ball agent to the main characters who are emotionally-repressed and downright antagonistic and sometimes cruel to each other, there’s no time that I was rooting for them to reconnect. I don’t know anything about the authors, but couldn’t help feeling this was life imitating art…or vice versa…and that this is just a pretentious retelling of their own story.

This was just the book that i needed right now. Great chemistry between the characters, with lots of intensity and unspoken angst. I loved the author sub-plot and the drive to communicate through their work.

Thanks Berkley, for the gifted advanced copy!

Thank you, Berkley Publishing, for the gifted copy of the Roughest Draft {partner}

Genre: Romance
Trope: Second Chance
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 1.25.2022
Star Rating: ☆

“...sometimes relationships don't die. They just don't grow. Kept from sunlight, from nourishment, they never flourish.”

While I think that the Roughest Draft started off strong and I was fell right into place with the story and the characters, it quickly dropped off for me. I couldn't get past the cheating element or Katrina's fiance being so cavalier about their relationship. It added such an upsetting element to the story that I ultimately decided to DNF as I couldn't find anything else to enjoy with the story.

As always, this is just one opinion and I know several people who loved this book, but it just wasn't for me! I recommend picking it up and giving it a try for yourself. I did try it out on audiobook and I enjoyed the narration so if that's for you, go for it!

3 stars

I liked this one but wanted more backstory on the characters. The writing was elevated but the plot was very cerebral (in the characters heads) but I didn’t feel I understood the characters pasts or motivations well enough which left me feeling disconnected from the characters and bored by the plot. I did really enjoy the writing and premise but just wanted more from the delivery.