Grace is facing a second chance at love….. or is she.
She doesn’t know what to think when her ex shows up and they are forced to be in the same vicinity.
It’s taken her 5 years to get over him. Or so she thinks.
In this story of life and all its uncertainties, there is hope and forgiveness mixed in. As well as lots of uncertainties. And other hard things
A humorous hope filled read.

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Rom-com author Gracie Parker hasn’t written a hit since her divorce from baseball star Noah Parker five years ago. With a deadline looming and an injury keeping her stuck in bed, the last person she wants help from is Noah but fate has other plans. After a rough season, Noah moves into the rental next door, hoping to win her back. When a surprise opportunity forces them to work together, Gracie must decide if their love story deserves a second draft.

I enjoyed this book. I've never read anything by this author, but it was an easy read. It might not be for everyone, so check the synopsis before going in blind. This book is fun and heartfelt. I would recommend giving it a shot.

Dnf
I couldn’t keep up at all with the story. I mightgive it another go another time but for now i didn't like it

I'm proud of myself for trying a new-to-me author since it's so easy for me to stick with what I know. I found in this book so many of the things I enjoy in reading romance. Humor is one of the strongest features- and a variety of humors at that. Quirky, slapstick, sarcastic, subtle... it's all there and balanced well. Chemistry abounds with not just our main characters Gracie and Noah, but also Gracie's nephew Matt with his high school bestie Rachel who set him up with someone else then left town for five years. Even Gracie's abrasive sister Mona has a secret relationship that's softening her edges. Yearning is felt by Noah and Matt as they pine for their lost loves, and struggle to know how to move forward with their relationships. Gracie's injury and writing deadline have her sequestered to her house, which helps Noah's cause as he moves in next door to always be on hand to assist her, even when she claims she doesn't need it. The messy hard parts of their marriage come to the surface layer by layer, and we come to understand why Gracie and Noah came to an end. They have both been grieving in their own way, and their fighting masks how much they really care about each other. Mostly Gracie fighting against her reemerging feelings and attraction, and Noah teasing his way back into her good graces. Overall, it's a rich story exploring life, love, death, regrets, hope, and forgiveness.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

A witty, and surprisingly heartfelt novel of second chances and faith in the face of unknowns.

Recovering from an unfortunate horse accident Gracie Parker is under pressure to write another hit, but she hasn't had once since her divorce. Her well meaning nephew Matt, asks Gracie's ex, Noah, to help her out during her recovery, and with no other options she has no choice but to accept.

Noah has been looking for a way to prove that he can be the man that Gracie needs and helping out during her recovery is just the break he needs while his baseball career is winding to a close.

A second chance, close proximity rom-co, that doesn't shy away from faith. There is a full cast of characters, with a side story with Matt and Rachel that is super cute. There is a lot of snappy dialogue, and situational comedy, but also showing the reality that relationships are hard.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the first of Becca's books I've read. I absolutely enjoyed it. Adorable and clean romance with a faith story line with great banter, what's not to love? I was not expecting the infertility storyline, but it was done very well.

many thanks to netgalley and Tyndale House publishing for the ARC opportunity.

Baseball boy and bookish girl? An absolutely winning combo in my book. I loved this romantic story by Becca Kinzer.

First Love, Second Draft was full of the humor that we know & love from Becca Kinzer. There were several moments I truly laughed out loud. I loved Matt & Rachel's side arc but it probably would have been better as a little novella and not in the main book.
Grace & Nicks story was good but needed more depth. It was good but just slightly missed the mark for me on being great.

funny and sweet, with a beautiful redemption arc. this closed door romance was a cozy read, and the redemption between Gracie and Noah was heartwarming


many thanks to netgalley and Tyndale House publishing for the ARC opportunity.

Thank you @NetGalley and @Tyndale House Publishers for the ARC. I absolutely loved this book, I could not put it down. It is a second chance romance full of regret, love and forgiveness. Gracie a rom-com writer was married to Noah a Baseball Pitcher. They have been divorced for five years but have not moved on. When Gracie gets hurt and needs help, Noah jumps at the chance to try and see what went wrong and if they could have a future. Loved the characters a story, must read.

I love Becca Kinzer’s books. I devoured her first two and could not wait for this third release. But then I did something stupid. I read an early review for First Love, Second Draft and shelved the book for later. Such a dumb move on my part! I NEVER read early reviews. Never ever! So months after it was released, I finally forced myself to read the book… who cares what others say, right?! Oh my word, I flew through the pages of First Love, Second Draft. I HATED to put this book down. I ran the gamut with this story, emotionally speaking. One minute I was laughing so hard I was trying not to pee my pants (every moment readers see into Gracie’s author-mind and writing process was pure comedy gold), the next I was sobbing my eyeballs out (having Kleenex nearby is a must). It was the comedic and cathartic read I didn’t even know I needed. I’m a sucker for second-chance romances. This is one of my most favorite tropes ever, and Kinzer did it justice…and then some. I love Gracie and Noah. I love their banter, their many attempts to maybe reconcile (will they, won’t they?!), their walks down memory lane, and all their many real and relatable human moments. It all coalesces into a very real, relatable human story with very life-like characters. In fact, Kinzer did such a good job with her characters it’s easy to believe they could be real people living real lives. And because of this, it was exceptionally easy for me to relate to all the LIFE they have going on in this story. Gracie’s relationship with her dying father reminded me SO much of my own dad before he passed that I can barely keep from crying as I type this review. It was so good for me to go through all the stuff and feelings of losing a beloved parent with Gracie. I also really liked that readers get to see things from Noah’s perspective. It was interesting to see a man transition from baseball star to regular dude. I especially loved Noah’s tenacity. He understood and accepted that a major part of his life was ending, and he did what he needed to in order to get his life on a new path — one that was going to include Gracie no matter what. Gracie and Noah’s journey to another round of love was so much fun. I loved every minute of this hilarious and deeply emotional ride, and I am truly sad my time with these amazing characters is over.

First Love, Second Draft is a brilliant Contemporary Rom-Com. I cannot recommend this book enough. If you love superbly written Rom-Coms filled with depth and heart, then this is the book for you. Purchase a copy ASAP. You won’t be disappointed you did!

I purchased a copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on July 3, 2025, in order to review. I also received a copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Tyndale Fiction, via NetGalley. I am under no obligation to leave a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Great banter for a closed door story. Two love stories in one, not just the couple on the cover. Trigger warning for a dying parent and infertility.

She’s a romance writer burned out on love. He’s her famous baseball star ex-husband. The last man she wants to be forced to work with is the one who broke her heart. Such a good story to reflect.

Okay, I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I did love the banter between the characters. This book was a slow start for me. But I loved that we get two romance stories in one. And both are second chances too!

I did not love the female main character, Gracie. She just never seemed to really let go of the past. But I did like the male main character, Noah. I also really loved the Rachel and Matt side story.

This one seemed to do a bit of jumping around though, and that threw me off a bit while I was reading. It just switched over without much ado.

I really did not like Gracie’s sister, Mona. She was an absolutely terrible sister and I would even question her basic humanity 😳 she was terrible. And the scenes where she was present just were not great.

Overall, this was cute but I had higher hopes. I’d give it 2.5 stars…

3.5⭐
Received a copy from Net Gallery in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Firstly, this was hilarious. Laughing out loud in public. I struggled to keep a straight face while sitting in the waiting room for my appointment. The humour worked well to maintain a lighthearted story. There were heavier moments, but this wasn't by any means a tearjerker.

Secondly, I enjoyed Matt and Rachel's story. It added substance to the story and facilitated more Noah and Gracie moments. However, I do wish it had been mentioned in the blurb. Many readers may feel upset because Matt and Rachel's story was not what they had wanted to read, but were forced to.

Now for the issues, Noah and Gracie went in circles. We made barely any progress, and it became frustrating. I wish we got to see more development and communication. There was so much wasted potential. And Mona, WHAT A TERRIBLE SISTER? AND TERRIBLE HUMAN BEING! I may just be too much of a cat lover, but I hold a grudge.

All in all, this was fun, but didn't stick out as something to remember.

Proof that closed-door romance does not equal bad, boring or lacking intimacy.

This book had a slow start, with the explaining of how the main characters get reunited, but the story picked up by the middle, when we get into why we need a second chance in the first place. We get 2 simultaneous romance stories happening and each is given enough space to be interesting and for the HEA develop at a good pace.

The main (4) characters have well deserved HEAs in their second chance romances, and each main and supporting character I feel had strong character development:
- the primary FMC beating her writer's block
- the primary MMC getting to end his career on his own terms
- the secondary couple's journey, including the girl finally admitting her feelings after her avoidant shenanigans since high school
- the dad's journey and the adult kids' acceptance

I would read another romance from this author.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an E-Arc of this book. The following is my honest opinion *

2.8⭐ out 5

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book, which is why the review for this ARC is months after the release. There was bits where this book called to me and others that just meh...

It surprised me how much I really liked the the MMC (Noah) as oppose to the FMC (Grace). So when it came to the Noah's POV, I enjoyed it. I don't know why FMC just, sort of, pissed me off. It felt like there wasn't any growth from her up at all, from the first chance, and even going into the second chance, she was "one foot in, one foot out.

The other thing that was a bit of surprise was the second lead characters (Rachel/Matt) romance that is interwoven. It wasn't mentioned in the excerpt so that POV just threw me off the first time. It did give the book a small hook, for me.

I would love to read another work from this author. This book had potential and it didn't quite deliver for me.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for this #gifted book!*
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Title: First Love, Second Draft
Author: Becca Kinzer
Genre: Contemporary Romcom
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Synopsis: Gracie is a struggling author just coming out of major surgery when an unexpected renter moves into the cottage in her backyard. As she struggles to make ends meet and just make it up the stairs, her renter comes to her rescue and Gracie discovers he’s the last person she wants helping her—her ex-husband. As an all-star baseball player, Noah had it all until his injury kicked him off the team. But his broken situation motivates him to move back home and win the game he shouldn’t have quit a long time ago—his marriage to Gracie. Can their hurting past find hope and healing as the two try to find their way home again?

Analysis: I think Christian romcoms are probably one of the hardest books to write, and I applaud any author who ventures into this field! There’s such a delicate line between funny and cutting humor. This book did have moments that made me laugh, but overall I felt that the humor was a little harsh and sometimes questionable for Christian fiction. I also enjoyed the faith arc, but I do wish there was a little more depth throughout the book. And I really loved the ending! Seriously the perfect romcom closure (think like the old A Cinderella Story movie meets Tangled 😍). If you’ve been wanting to try a subtle Christian romcom, this may be a good fit for you!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer

First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer was a sweet Christian Contemporary Romance novel. It’s about a couple, Gracie and Noah, who got divorced 5 years previously, but neither has quite moved on. There’s a sweet side romance between Gracie’s nephew and the girl who was his best friend all through high school. It had me laughing and crying. Also, I absolutely love the clever title!

Audience
Older Teen Girls & Women

Genre
Christian Contemporary Romance, Closed-door Romance, Rom-com

Author
Becca Kinzer

Noah and Gracie never learned how to grieve the fact that they weren’t able to have children. Gracie’s dream had always been to be a mom, and she was absolutely crushed. When she saw Noah continuing on with his professional baseball career, she could only assume he wasn’t affected by it all. So the two of them gave up.
Five years later, Gracie is dealing with a hip injury and a tight writing deadline. Her nephew, Matt, arranges behind her back for her ex-husband to come and take care of her. Saying Gracie is furious would maybe even be an underestimate. How could she possibly focus on her writing deadline with that handsome (and infuriating) face around? The only face she ever kissed?
As Gracie and Noah bicker, Matt is reconnecting with Rachel, his high school best friend he’s always been in love with, but feels friend-zoned by.

A few of my favorite things…
• The friends-to-lovers story
• Characters learning to grieve
• Noah and Gracie are still learning new things about each other after many years of marriage
• The humor
• References to classic old movies

Know that…
• There’s a part where Noah helps Gracie take a bath because she can’t do it on her own. At this point, they’re divorced…so ya, that’s a bit messy…

Perfect for…
Any woman looking for a humorous and Christian contemporary romance novel filled with bickering and processing grief.
Amazon
Notes: I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m also an Amazon Affiliate, so I receive a commission on anything purchased through links I share.