This was a solid summer read! I absolutely loved how the main characters worked through writing their next novel while unpacking what happened to tear them apart during their first! While written by two authors, the voice and pacing felt similar across perspectives and the overall book flowed well.

I would recommend this book to lovers of Josie Silver and Jenn McKinlay! You’ll be in for a treat!

This book was both romantic and devastating. I enjoyed being able to switch between POVs, especially having two authors giving the characters such distinct voices.

So, a couple who co-writes together writes a book about a co-writing team that may or may not have been in love?

Sign. Me. Up.

I adored this novel, and it is a perfect way to spend a hot, summer day -- reading about this adorable romance that revolves around the writing process.

This one will be unfairly compared to Emily Henry’s “Beach Read”, and while there are obvious parallels, “The Roughest Draft” deserves to stand on its own. The writing metaphors are a little heavy handed and the obstacles in the third act are thin, but overall, I think the Wibbroka’s transition from YA to contemporary fiction is a great success.

THIS. BOOK.

I want to tell everyone I know how much I loved this book. It was an excellent slow burn, and I fell in love with the characters and their chemistry instantly. It's like all of Emily Henry's books had a perfect, wonderful baby.

The story was slow to start and I probably would have DNF'd it hadn't been for all the glowing reviews. My biggest thing was trying to understand why two grown, professional adults, were acting like children to each other because we weren't given their conflict until so far in.

Slow burn that was a little too slow. Couldn't stand Kat's fiance and I wasn't sure how she ended up with him because he was such an asshole. I prefer more upbeat romances than the super moody ones, so this just wasn't as good for me.

This book was okay nothing really overly excited me and the connection between Kat And Nathan was just meh. It had some swoony parts for sure but overall just no one I loved

I read this on my honeymoon and I think reading this book with little to no interruptions really helped me enjoy this book. The characters could be a little pretentious but you couldn’t help but root for them in the end.

3.5/4 stars. people we meet on vacation meets beach read meets book lovers but slightly more on the nose and full of way, way, way more metaphors and similes. but in the end, the ode to falling in love sold me.

HOWEVER. at its core, this book is about two very privileged people being in denial for 300-something pages for genuinely no good reason and at times i found myself rolling my eyes because the characters’ conflict felt forced and just… not important. it was hard to connect with them and it did take me out of the story quite a few times which is why this isn’t a 5 star read.

Oh, how my heart loved this! The Roughest Draft is easily going to be one of my favorite reads of 2022, I am calling in. The set up and premise of this book was interesting but I was a little worried about how well it would go on paper. Well, the authors pulled it off without a hitch and I was immediately obsessed with this story. I loved the parallels between past and present, as well as the story within a story that plays out. The chemistry is fantastic, and the characters felt real. All of the talk about the craft of drafting, and life of a writer was relatable and I felt at times as if the authors had plucked these things right out of my own brain. There is angst and tension galore, and you can bet it all pays off. Highly highly recommend!

This book pleasantly surprised me. I went a bit excited but weary because I love Emily and Austin's previous work but I was unsure of how they would do with an adult romance. That worry was definitely unnecessary, they captured angst so perfectly and built the history of the couple so well and the forced proximity trope was the icing on top of the cake. My favorite parts would have to be the romantic tension between the characters as they worked through their rough history, I loved how well they knew each other despite years of being apart. The only downside of this book was when the romantic interests got together, it seems as though the characters lost a bit of their spark and it became a bit cliche.

I started this book back in January and wandered off from it so I’m just finished it now. I liked it in the beginning but as the book went on, I really found that Katrina and Nathan have no chemistry. The emotional cheating was a lot in this story and it didn’t add much for me because I never really felt their connection.

Thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy.

A slow burn romance, that at times feels too slow. This book while well written felt like it dragged on, but I am also not a fan of slow burn so someone else might love it. A fine book but nothing spectacular.

I loved this one! It felt like reading Beach Read for the first time. I loved the characters, their tension and chemistry, and all the forced proximity! I can't wait to read whatever comes next from this duo.

📝𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁
Past: Colleagues Katrina and Nathan collaborated on a best-selling novel, but their relationship ended on a sour note.
Present: Katrina and Nathan have not spoken to each other in four years, but they reluctantly agree to work together on a second book for financial (her) and career (his) reasons.
Future: They get off to a rocky start two putting book two into jeopardy unless they can openly and honestly confront each other

📝𝗜 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁
This forced proximity, second chance romance was written by a married author writing duo about two authors who achieved their greatest literary success by writing together. The book they have created is not a typical lighthearted romance but a view into a couple’s emotional, complicated relationship. This story is tension-filled as they struggle with their feelings for each other and move beyond their past mistakes.

The story unfolds with raw emotion from Katrina and Nathan’s points of view and alternates between the past and present. I liked getting glimpses of why their relationship broke up through the shifting timelines but felt that the “past” chapters eventually became repetitive. The chemistry and longing between Nathan and Katrina felt authentic, but some readers may be disturbed by the emotional cheating.

This book tells the story of what happens when two best friends turned enemies reunite. Following their best-selling book, Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen went their separate ways, and not of good terms. After having their greatest success, the dissolution was a mystery to the literary world and their fans. Without having much success on their own, and in order to honor the remaining book on their deal., Katrina and Nathan are forced to reunite. Both characters are under personal and professional pressures, and coupled with the assignment of writing their next great book holed up in a house together, the pressure cooker eventually explodes, revealing what led to their falling out four years earlier. In the aftermath, Katrina and Nathan find clarity in their careers and in their relationship. In addition to complex characters and an intriguing storyline, the authors provide an interesting glimpse inside the writing process, and the real-life pressures that face authors as they strive to create a successful book.

“Because I’ve realized a life lived with you is the best story I could ever tell.”

Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen are two co-authors that wrote a bestselling novel. Unfortunately, they had a bad falling out that caused them to end their partnership and go their separate ways. Katrina stopped writing, and Nathan wrote his own novels but it isn’t doing well. When their contract says they have one more book to write, they’re forced to spend 2 months in a house in Florida to write their last book after 4 years of no contact.

Wow, this book was A LOT. The flashbacks, the tension, the anger, the awkwardness of having to reunite after years of not talking to each other. I’m going to be honest, I was struggling with this one; it took awhile to understand why their partnership ended and even then I’m still confused on why it ended in the first place. But other than that, I enjoyed the process of two writers go from hatred to realizing that they love each other.

✍🏻READ IF YOU LIKE✍🏻:
- dual POV
- friends to enemies to friends to lovers
- co-writers
- second chance at love
- slow burn
- flashbacks (past & present timelines)
- forced proximity
- Beach Read and PWMOV vibes

cw: divorce, depression, anxiety, emotional cheating, death of loved one, gaslighting, manipulation, lack of communication

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleyromance for the advanced copy! The Roughest Draft is now available!

I loved this book so much. The writing was absolutely beautiful. The amount of things I highlighted was absurd. I was very pleasantly surprised by the twists. I really pictured the book going one way and I was very happy when it didn't. I have never had any desire to write a book but this really made me want to consider only because of how it was described by Katrina and Nathan. I will highly recommend this book to everyone!

Love stories about writers, is that a trope? Because I am very into it!

Quick synopsis: Bestselling cowriting duo Katrina and Nathan end their partnership at the height of their success, leaving the public to wonder and speculate what happened between them. After not speaking for years, they have to get together to write the final book due on their contract.

This book is told from both Katrina and Nathan's perspective, I usually don't love books that jump perspectives but I think this was done flawlessly and each perspective was very distinctive and not confusing at all. I love how they used the process of writing a book to help the plot move along. It had just the perfect amount of angst. The romance was heartfelt and emotional and I enjoyed every step of Katrina and Nathan's journey.

Thank you, @netgalley and @berkleyromance for my copy in exchange for an honest review! Love stories about writers, is that a trope? Because I am very into it!

Quick synopsis: Bestselling cowriting duo Katrina and Nathan end their partnership at the height of their success, leaving the public to wonder and speculate what happened between them. After not speaking for years, they have to get together to write the final book due on their contract.

This book is told from both Katrina and Nathan's perspective, I usually don't love books that jump perspectives but I think this was done flawlessly and each perspective was very distinctive and not confusing at all. I love how they used the process of writing a book to help the plot move along. It had just the perfect amount of angst. The romance was heartfelt and emotional and I enjoyed every step of Katrina and Nathan's journey.

Thank you, @netgalley and @berkleyromance for my copy in exchange for an honest review!