I almost don't have a rating for this book, I feel so conflicted about it. I loved it, but also felt so conflicted about it. Incredibly mixed feelings in regards to the execution of certain elements, yet I still felt incredibly attached to the inner lives of the two main characters. Ironically, parts of the story felt like a rough draft, as not all of the plot or character elements felt fully finished and fleshed out. Despite my overall enjoyment of this book, I still have so many caveats to my liking it. But in a way, I guess that adds to the charm of the novel. I didn't realize I'd already read another book by these two authors (a YA contemporary). For their first adult contemporary romance novel, I felt like they did a good job, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for more of their books.

Four years ago, Katrina and Nathan had a falling out and no one knows why. They haven't spoken since until their publisher asks for a new book from them. After all they have one final book due on contract. Nathan's recent solo novel is not selling as much as he wants to. Katrina is now retired and engaged to their former agent just finds out about their financial problem. Writing a potential best seller will be beneficial to both but are they ready to face each other again and put aside what happened in the past?

The story is written in Katrina's and Nathan's perspectives. I liked Katrina more than Nathan but I didn't really connect to either character. I also didn't feel the chemistry. We get flashbacks from four years ago when they're writing their previous book. I normally enjoy reading books with dual timeline but it didn't work for me in this one. It was confusing since the events from the past are quite similar to the present time.

I was actually 50% in when I thought of dnf-ing it. I ended up skimming through the last 30% and I rarely skim read. I think what happened in the past (the reason they parted ways) was pretty obvious right from the start but I still wanted to know how it happened. I was underwhelmed when it was revealed.

I didn't know that this book is written by two different authors until I reached the last page. I was captivated by the cover that I didn't check who the author/s is/are. The writing was great but I wasn't a fan of it. I didn't hate this book but I was disappointed. There were still things that I enjoyed like the writing process of Katrina and Nathan, their bookstore trips, and their friend Harriet.

I've seen a lot of readers who love it but sadly it was not for me.

This was a fun read! This was a great variation on enemies to lovers. It was great to see how Katrina and Nathan's relationship devolved in hostile indifference and then evolved into something new and better.

The Roughest Draft is interesting romance journey of two writers, Nathan and Katrina, who fell out of partnership just when their best-selling book fly off the shelves but when they are forced to write one last book of the contrast, they find their way back to each other and love. The story is about a writing journey, accepting feelings, finding a way towards happiness without fearing the uncertainty, anxiety and fear of success, friendship, and love.

I have mixed feelings for this book. I was really excited for this as I saw glowing reviews and forced proximity arc. With this arc, I was expecting a bit of drama, banter, and fun but this turned out different from what I expected.

Plot is interesting. I liked the concept and idea of the book. Once best friends and exceptional writing duo fell apart as their feelings for each other changed while writing their best-selling book. They couldn’t stand each other after finishing the book, didn’t even attend events or book signing together. In fact, Katrina takes retirement from writing and gets engaged with their previous agent, (now only her agent) Chris, while Nathan writes his solo book but it doesn’t get as much popularity as their co-authored book and the publisher don’t want another of his solo book. As Nathan and Katrina didn’t finish their contract of one more book, publisher suggest they work together. With no other option, both are forced to write one more book in Florida house where they written their best selling book.

What made me stick to the book is Writing. It is most amazing, beautiful, the kind you find in literary fiction that makes you get lost in words. The narration is first person, alternative POV of Nathan and Katrina. Most of the book is written in present but there is intermittent past chapters telling what happened four years ago when they were writing their best selling book and what made them fall apart along with how their feelings developed during the time.

All this writing process took place under one roof of Florida house where they have lots of history, with forced proximity, hot weather, and now characters’ frosty feelings for each added it’s own effect to the plot making it interesting.

Another best part is the characters’ writing journey. I enjoyed reading how they met, how their partnership started, their style of work, what exactly is like to work as co-author, pros and cons of writing in partnership, how they made it work. I liked the way author compared writing journey in partnership to marriage and characters very much behaved that way. They brought out best in each other, fought and bickered like couple over use of word, format or where they want to lead their characters and book, what part they don’t disagree and how they resolved the matter.

Curiosity also got better of me. I wanted to know what exactly happened between them. We get a glimpse in initial chapters that Nathan was married, their feelings changed while writing their book, there are rumors they had affair which lead to end of their partnership and Nathan’s marriage. We also see what hurt them most, Katrina burning pages and Nathan’s cutting remark in interview BUT even with all these things there still wasn’t a clear picture what exactly happened. I was curious to know if those rumors are true, if they really had affair, did Nathan cheat, what pages Katrina burnt that hurt Nathan and why.

I found Nathan sensible, developed, and smart but that too I discovered a little late. For first half of the book I didn’t exactly had any opinion about him but second half made me like him more and more and I found myself agreeing with what he said. What he did after their fallout made sense. I loved him for staying true to himself and with others about his feelings. He has been honest from the beginning. His guilt for his wife (now ex), his feelings on how divorce affected him, and what it was like to write without his writing partner is realistic and well written. I liked he poured his feelings into his writing and his characters. The way he made Katrina realize fiction isn’t entirely fiction as it also comes from reality.

I loved Harriet who was most reasonable and honest person in story after Nathan. She brought breath of fresh air and I liked her for showing both Nahan and Katrina what a dick they have been to each other and that too for a silly reason.

Why 3.5 stars

What frustrated me most is I got the answers of questions I had almost after 60% of the book. I also didn’t really like Katrina. I didn’t care about the romance that came at 70% of the book. Both plot and romance is too slow for my taste.

Katrina is hard to get and understand. I’m sorry to say but I didn’t feel for her. I get she kind of going through depression and anxiety but it wasn’t apparent. I could see that in her reluctance to publicity, refusing to attend events, hiding from rumors, not going for book signing, not confronting situations or negative feelings but I couldn’t see why or what triggered it. I thought it was all because of what happened with Nathan but that wasn’t the case either and when I finally read why she burnt the page, it blew my mind like it did Nathan’s. Some explanations is given for her fears like she was middle child and all but I didn’t find it enough. I don’t get why one would run away from happiness and why nobody tell her nothing is everlasting.

Another reason I didn’t like is, she went after Christ just as soon as her partnership with Nathan ended. She let Chris manipulate her to write another book with Nathan. Moreover, readers and even she could see Chris is with her only because she was best selling author and he even gave permission to fuck Nathan if that means she writes another best selling book with him. So, for most of the book my impression for her was, either she is weak or stupid. She blamed Nathan for her shattered dream when he wasn’t exactly at fault here. I also disagree on what she said about Nathan not voicing his feelings and turning it into fiction. I don’t see anything wrong with it as everyone has a different way of communicating, not everyone is comfortable with everything like she is not comfortable with idea of happiness and dream coming true.

Overall, The Roughest Draft is an interesting story of writing duo and their journey with beautiful writing and forced proximity arc.

I recommend this if you like,
character-driven story
book about writing journey
book about co-author and how they work together
slow-burning romance
slow pace
Layer of anxiety

4.5 🌟 If Beach Read and People We Meet On Vacation had a baby, it would be this book.

I loved the idea of two estranged writers writing a book together. The tension, the setting, and a mix of enemies to lovers/friends to lovers/second chance romance was the perfect combination for me!

Miscommunication was a huge trope used, which usually is a huge no for me but didn’t take away too much from the story for me.

Overall, loved this one and read it in two sittings!

Loved this book and read half in one sitting. I wanted to know what happened between Katrina and Nathan. Loved the writing style and that it wasn’t treated as a romantic comedy. I can see how easily it could have been and probably would have been successful, but it was a more serious book. The subject matter and the plot worked better this way. I will absolutely keep an eye out for more adult books from this writing team.

A book for romance lovers and book lovers alike!

I love when books deal with books - it makes my bookworm heart extra happy! Add in a romance book about authors writing a romance book who are also secretly (or maybe not so secretly) in love with each other and it’s a surefire recipe for success in me eyes.

I listened to this one on audio, which was dually narrated, and very well done. Collaborating authors is a process that intrigues me. How do you find a way to successfully write with someone else? In this instance how do a man and a woman, Nathan and Katrina, navigate the blurred lines of writing romance while not crossing the line between steamy fiction and reality?

Obviously, lines are crossed and I was there for it all! Loved how the story unfolded via a then and now aspect while also focusing on the present book’s storyline. Does fiction imitate life? For these two, you betcha it does and it leads to lots of emotion and some angsty moments!!!

I thought this was a clever premise and I personally enjoyed how it was exectuted. Plus, it’s a book about a writing duo, written by a writing duo. I mean c’mon - how cute are they?!

I absolutely enjoyed this read! It pulled all my heart strings and the angst oh the angst *chefs kiss!! The plot and the pace in this was very steady but I absolutely love the chemistry between the two main characters.

The flow of the book was pretty slow in the beginning, but halfway through the book, it picked up and so much things were happening at one given time. Over all, if you are looking for something full of tension and chemistry, this is definitely it.

If you are looking for something with Beach Read vibes then this is for you! I tore through it in a couple days so the authors did a good job of hooking the reader. However, I was more drawn to finding out what would happen then I was to connecting to the characters. A fast, fun read.

This is a friends-to-lovers story about two co-writers that have a 'falling out' after their book becomes a big success. Why they actually stopped writing together and why they are no longer even friends is treated as a bit of a mystery throughout the book.

I enjoyed this book, but I do feel like there could have been more chemistry between the two main characters. They knew each other intimately, from being friends and colleagues for so long, and while there was plenty to hint at them having chemistry, I just didn't FEEL it.

Anyway, the story is that they're forced back into co-writing another book together, although neither is happy about it. They go on a writing retreat in Florida and the forced proximity makes them tackle some of their demons from the past and consider what they really want for the future.

They communicate a lot through the book they are writing together, and it is meant to be full of subtext that only the other could possibly decipher...but it actually seems pretty obvious.

There is an ongoing theme of bad timing—for most of the book (which moves between past and present) one or both of them is in a relationship with someone else. While they try to keep their hands to themselves, there is a lot of emotional cheating in the book.

Thanks so much to Berkley for this gifted copy of The Roughest Draft. A husband and wife duo writing a second chance romance about two writers who fall in love while writing romance together? Sign. Me. Up. I saw some early reviews of this one comparing it to Emily Henry’s work so I knew I had to pick it up. That in my opinion is the highest of praise so I was nervous but I have to say that the comparison was an accurate one. If you enjoy the angst and tension of a good second chance romance with dueling timelines that slowly reveal how the character’s initial relationship unraveled, this one is for you. This one reminded me of People We Meet on Vacation, Seven Days in June, and You Deserve Each Other (three of my all time favorites).

Katrina and Nathan meet at a writer’s workshop in New York and immediately hit it off. They agree to co write a book together that is very well received, so they do it again and the success of the next book is unlike anything either of them have ever known. At the start of this book, it’s four years after the release of that second book and they are no longer speaking to each other. Katrina has retired from writing and is engaged to her publicist, Nathan is divorced and trying out a solo career, and both seem to loathe the other for reasons unknown. When Nathan’s newest pitch is declined by his publishing house he discovers it’s because they are trying to force him to finish out his previous contract with Katrina. Despite being vehemently opposed to working together again, the two reluctantly agree for different reasons to fulfill the contract and meet up at their old writing retreat house to try and churn out one more book in two months.

These two have so much to unpack and work through and I loved reading them do that while being in the dark about what happened in their pasts. I absolutely loved the writing in this book and the way everything unraveled to be put back together again in a new way. If you love books about books and the writing and publishing process you will adore this one. I could not get enough and while this is the first book I’ve read by Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka, it definitely will not be the last.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

I can't say enough good things about "The Roughest Draft." I was drawn in instantly and couldn't put it down. I needed to know what was going to happen to Katrina and Nathan and cared deeply about the path of their story. I really enjoyed the timeline jumps so we were finding out what went wrong initially as their reunion was playing out. It was the first romance I've read that was written by a couple and I will definitely seek out books like this in the future. This book is a great choice for fans of enemies to lovers, friends to lovers (and friends to enemies to lovers--an important subcategory), and lovers of books. I loved the way this book talked about and engaged with the act of writing and story crafting and how the characters expressed themselves through their writing. I will definitely be recommending this to all romance fans (and to quite a few romance-skeptics). A must read for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon, Emily Henry, Sally Thorne, Christina Lauren, Sarah Hogle, and Ali Hazelwood.

I had been really looking forward to The Roughest Draft, but found myself disappointed in it. Emily Henry's "Beach Read" is one of my favorites and I thought this would be a worthy successor to it. Instead, I found it flat.

I think YA readers will find a lot to enjoy about The Roughest Draft, but adult romance readers might find themselves wanting more.

Told through alternating points of view between Kat and Nathan as well as in present and past, The Roughest Draft takes readers through the emotional turmoil and revelations that created a best seller book as well as 4 years of heartache for the leading anti-couple.

This is the perfect read for anyone who likes Contemporary Romances with angst found in the books by Christina Lauren, or the rehashing/changing timelines of a broken relationship of The Road Trip by Beth O'Leerly and People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. There is very little action or plot going on in the story, it is basically 100% character driven, so if you like to sink into your characters and get the chance to completely know them as people, this is the book for you.

The Roughest Draft started with all the negative feels like hurt and loss that comes from the end off a relationship with none of the answers as to the why, you read the book to piece together how the two main characters got here and along the way you root for there to be so much more (and for a certain douchy fiance to be dropped on his head, that tool). If you like (friends to) enemies to lovers this is the romance for you. This very book is the definition of slow burn, a very deliberate unveiling to showcase the emotional rollercoaster that was this relationship and the expected yet still very emotionally trying outcome.

Reads like a love letter to writing and the power of words with a wonderfully angsty slow-burn romance.

A fun addition to the romance about writers subgenre! When two former friends and co-writers are forced to reunite and fulfill their final book contract, the emotions that lead to their estrangement in the first place. With a memorable beach setting and a great slow-burn romance, this is a perfect pick for readers looking for more like Emily Henry's Beach Read.

Rating: 3.5/5

After meeting at the New York Resident Writers’ Program and co-authoring two books, Katharine Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen are the darlings of the literary world. But on the heels of their greatest success, they split up for reason’s only known to themselves, leaving their readers, friends, and even agents with more questions than answers. Four years later, with one more book due on contract, they’re forced to reunite in the tiny Florida town where they wrote the novel that split them up. As they become completely absorbed in the rough draft of their new book, they learn that relationships, like writing, have magic in revisions.

I really did love so many aspects of this book, especially the concept of the plot. It was ingenious the way that Emily and Austin weaved the flashbacks (four years ago when Kat and Nate are writing their second novel and falling in love) with present day and the novels that they write that mirror their relationship in so many ways. Truly such a unique story of how fiction comes from the truth (or how fiction and reality live within each other). The prose was also beautiful, Emily and Austin (as well as Kat and Nathan) are clearly skilled in their craft.

However, a couple of things irked me a little: the “event” that caused their split was underwhelming, the amount of emotional cheating made me a bit uncomfortable, the lack of character background outside of their relationship hurt the character development, and I found the amount of flashbacks that built their friendship/relationship to be lacking. I wanted to love it more, but these points just made it hard to fall for it completely.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Roughest Draft was one of my highly anticipated releases of the year. I've read two of the authors' books in the past and loved them, and when I got major Emily Henry vibes from the cover and synopsis, I knew I needed to get my hands on it.

I loved the Florida setting. It captured the atmosphere I love so much, seeing as Florida will always be home to me. I also enjoyed the plot, and the writing.

My biggest problem is that I didn't love the characters. I wish they were a little more realistic and had more adult conversations. I also would've loved a little more steam!

Overall, if this is on your tbr, I recommend picking it up! I liked it, I just didn't love it as much as I thought I would.

I love reading books with unique plotlines and The Roughest Draft was definitely unique! 💕 I loved seeing the process of two authors collaborating together once again after a past falling out. There was a lot of drama and longing - the book follows a slow-burn trope after all, and the execution of the theme was so perfectly done. Would definitely recommend it to my friends-enemies-lovers romance fans! 💜💫