Becca Kinzer is quickly becoming a go-to author for me when I am looking for light, laugh out loud, totally enjoyable clean, sweet romance. First Love, Second Draft is such a fun story, full of wit, sass, and second chances. I love that the conversations have such a unique humor to them while still managing to convey relevant and important points. No dialogue is a simple conversation, and it is delightful! Gracie and Noah get a second chance on the love story neither of them ever got over. Don’t get me wrong, there are some serious topics, but they are not handled in a heavy, drawn-out way, which is exactly the kind of escape that is needed sometimes. Then there’s Gracie’s sister, her nephew, her dad, and some other delightful characters who complete the plot in such uniquely perfect ways. Between Gracie’s time traveling horse, Noah’s attempt to get Gracie to allow him stay, her sister’s tough love, and her nephew’s sweet meddling, it is a guaranteed combination for some good belly laughs along the way.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

3.5 stars
I quite enjoyed it. It wasn’t the best book I ever read, but I believe it’s mostly because of my taste in books. Personally, I don’t enjoy sports romances, nor second chance romances that often so it was a bit iffy for me at times, but overall the writing style was good and it was an interesting story.

I am so very sorry but I had to DNF this one. It was literally blocking me, I thought it was me but I see several opinions similar to what I thought.
When I saw the plot I was very excited but I never thought it would have this weird 3rd person POV, it also felt like it was following way too many characters and it was too hard to follow. Regarding the FMC, her reluctancy to accept help and the rejection towards her ex was too much for my taste.

If you’re looking for a romantic comedy that delivers on heart, humor, and a touch of faith, First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer is a must-read!

A new-to-me author, Kinzer delivered a well-paced, laugh-out-loud story that features sizzling banter, hilarious situations and undeniable chemistry between Gracie, an injured writer struggling to meet a deadline and her ex-husband, Noah, a Major League Baseball player. Add in a charming second storyline featuring Gracie’s nephew Matt and his best friend, Rachel, and you've got double the romance, double the laughs, and double the heart!

I couldn't have loved this book more. With quirky side characters, clever dialogue, and just the right amount of tension and tenderness, this clean, second chances rom-com is the perfect balance of entertainingly and witty. Plus, the audiobook narration made the story even more entertaining!

In short, First Love Second Draft had me grinning from start to finish and is a definite recommendation from me to you.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advanced reader e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

I was a little disappointed by this book. I was hoping for a good Christian fiction looking at the publisher, but I was surprised by the boundaries that were crossed on some things.

This is the second book I have read written by Becca Kinzer. I was excited to read this because of the humor I have found in her books.

The character development was good. Gracie has a lot to unpack with her divorce and her ex-husband, Noah, showing up at her house to help take care of her. He is intent on rekindling the broken marriage. However, they keep finding themselves in compromising positions. Gracie is in the bathtub and Noah trying to help her. Though they were married, they no longer are. Some of the innuendos were too much for me.
There is also Matt and Rachel, which has the friends-to-lovers aspect going.

The plot was a little hard to follow at times. Some scenes had a lot going on. A lot of different characters, so seemed overwhelming and chaotic at times.
The one thing this book had going for it was that it was funny. But also some very unnecessary aspects that just left me uncomfortable as a Christian ie. all the firemen shirtless for a photoshoot.

The romance was a closed-door, low spice with innuendos.

The Christian/faith aspect was lacking. It was very much a sprinkling, very surface level. I would have liked more.

*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

3.75 stars

Really enjoyed this one! This was a book that had some serious moments, and I also loved the main characters and was really rooting for them. There were genuine reasons to be apart and genuine reasons for a second chance! Really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for the e-ARC of this title to read and review. I was really excited to read this one because the premise was so up my alley -- especially with a rom-com writer main character! -- but this is unfortunately a big letdown for me. I hate to have a low rating of a work that shows promise, but it's ultimately for the content and not the writing talent.

Right from the start, there's a ton of chaos on-page. You jump right into a lot of characters and a lot of their histories and problems: ex-spouses, injury, work deadline, new side characters all at once. The dialogue and descriptions feel like they could be snappy and fun, but amidst the chaos, the little quips just add to the chaos because it's not really straight forward or easy to read/jump into. There's a paragraph about joining a bowling league and the literal next sentence is something about Jesus. There's a lot of flurry happening without it being at all interesting or plot-based too. At several different times throughout the book, characters are talking about the bathroom, going to the bathroom, or trying to get to the bathroom, for instance. But more worryingly (and the basis of my low rating) is that AT LEAST TWICE (by my imperfect count), the ex-husband spikes the lead's drink with either medicine or alcohol that she cannot have and does not want - this is not funny or quirky! This is not a starting-off point for hijinks!

Also, I've read approximately one thousand romance novels, and never in the history of any of them have I thought, "wow, I wonder what the nephew thinks, we should bring in his POV." There were so many POVs in this story that I actually wasn't sure who was talking several times, and I wasn't invested enough in side characters to actually want to figure it out.

I don't mind messy characters as long as they either 1) find their way through or 2) embrace the mess and bring us along for the ride! But here, I just didn't want to stay in these characters' worlds.

I really thought I would love this book, and I did like it, but I didn't love it as much as I hoped. I loved the addition of a side love story, but at times the book felt very chaotic and I wasn't sure who I was supposed to be reading as. It jumped around in characters so much that I was left a little confused. I was a huge fan of the MC's never wanting anyone else and that deep down they knew they would find one another again. They just had so much trauma and communicating to do to get there.

First Love, Second Draft is a second chance, enemies to lovers type of rom-com romance. Fans of those tropes and sports romances would like this. Lots of humor in Grace and Noah's story.

While I appreciate themes of redemption and personal growth, I realized that enemies-to-lovers (or in this case, exes-to-lovers) just isn't my favorite setup, so I think this one just wasn't for me personally and I unfortunately had to put this one down.

Noah wants to make amends, it obvious, but Gracie was just a bit too hateful with him, and that is a personal thing I am not a fan of in books so while I have loved Becca's other two books, this one just is one I put down because I knew the trope wouldn't be for me. I won't really mention my thoughts on my channel or goodreads, just to leave my bias out of the review process since it's one of those "not for me" tropes, as I have loved Dear Henry and Love in Tandem. This is truly just a trope thing for me so I realized I needed to DNF.

Although this book wasn’t a perfect fit for my personal tastes, I think others who enjoy clean, funny rom-coms, with an author FMC and a baseball player MMC, and these tropes, will find a lot to love here.

I wanted to absolutely love this one, especially since it had a little something to do with baseball! Unfortunately, I ended up dnfing this one 30% in. I was very confused about the characters and why there were so many!it felt like every chapter introduced more and was in someone else's pov and I guess I wasn't aware that would be happening based on the description. The main female character was not very likeable and was overly rude to her ex. I mean,I get it, he's your ex. But he was the one there to help her which she obviously needed but was just too stubborn and rude to get passed all that had happened between them. Super bummed about this one!

This book was seriously difficult to get through. I loved Mona and Gracie's dynamic and the premise of second chance love is usually a fun road to go down. But I found the plot immensely slow and more importantly neither Noah nor Gracie were particularly likeable. Since I don't have much positive feedback I will keep this review short but definitely missed the mark for a sports romance, second chance, exes to lovers romance.

Snappy dialogue and a small strand of the Christian faith in this rom-com between a couple that has been divorced for five years. I like how it delved into the deeper issues of life, love and faith - and second chances. Compelling protagonist.
3.5 stars of five - so highly rated from me.

Firstly, thank you NetGalley and Tyndall House Publishers for this arc.
Unfortunately I cannot say that I entirely enjoyed this book. This was two separate stories that shouldn’t have been pushed together. It got confusing and I lost interest because of all the jumping around. Now usually I’m the first to yell at you to read a second chance romance, but this time I’ll let it slide. This really saddens me to say because I was actually very excited to read this book. I didn’t find myself rooting for any character or relating to any either. I honestly hope that if you do read this book then you enjoy it, but it was sadly not for me.

Rating: 2.5

This book was one that I was really looking forward to reading however, I ended up dnf'ing around 50%. I had a really hard time connecting with any of the characters. I think the title, premise, and the cover will suck many readers in the story just felt a little bit chaotic to me with how many characters there were.

This book sadly wasn't for me. I think it's more of a new adult read. I was drawn to the writing/author element but just couldn't gel with any character. I think I'm just not the target audience. Not my cup of tea.

⚾📖 First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer ✨💘

In this sweet and witty second-chance romance, a burned-out rom-com author and her baseball star ex-husband are thrown back into each other’s lives when a looming writing deadline, an injury, and a conveniently available rental next door force them to reconnect. Gracie Parker hasn’t had a hit since her divorce from Noah—and the last thing she wants is his help, especially from the man who once broke her heart. But as Noah confronts his regrets and gently tries to win her back, Gracie must decide if it’s too late for a second draft of their love story.

📚 Highlights

I’m a sucker for second-chance romances, so this one immediately caught my attention—especially with the idea of two exes working on a memoir together (though I wish that part had come into play sooner).

The parallel narrative between Matt & Rachel (Gracie’s nephew and his best friend) and Gracie & Noah’s present was an interesting storytelling choice. At first, I appreciated how it mirrored youthful love and the possibilities of “what could have been.” However, it occasionally pulled focus away from Gracie and Noah’s emotional arc.

What stood out most was the raw portrayal of marriage struggles. It didn’t shy away from the pain, frustration, and longing that can exist when both people are wrestling with unspoken hopes and past wounds.

💭 My Thoughts
The story opens strong, with Noah stepping up when Gracie needs help, showing just how much he still cares. As it progressed, I found myself frustrated with how emotionally closed off Gracie was, particularly in how she treated Noah. But by the end, I understood her better. Her deep longing for family, the hurt she carried, and how she processed grief made her feel more real, even if she was harder to connect with early on.

A few emotional moments near the end tug at the heart (no spoilers, but have tissues ready!). I wish those moments were more evenly paced; the ending felt a bit rushed after a slow build-up.

Still, I’m glad I stuck with it—the emotional payoff was worth it, and the themes of forgiveness, grace, and second chances were beautifully portrayed. It’s not a favorite for me, as the main characters weren’t as fully developed as I’d hoped, and I wanted to love it more. That said, fans of second-chance romance with multiple POVs might enjoy it!

Thanks to the author and publisher for the gifted copy. Opinions shared here are 100% my own.

💕 The Swoon Scale 💕
(This is how I rate my books. For more information, see my instagram pinned post @thewholesomeshelf.)


💍 Swoon-Worthy Sparks: 3/5

💬 Dialogue & Tension: 3/5

🦋 Emotional Impact: 3.5/5

📖 Re-Readability: 3/5

This book is a second-chance romance between formerly married Gracie and Noah. They are thrown together when Gracie is seriously injured and Noah rents out her apartment, hoping to win her back, He is put in the role of caretaker while she recuperates, and she is mortified to be dependent on him.

I liked seeing them remember what they loved about each other and gradually work out their problems. Of course, nothing is ever easy when it comes to love, so you have to read the book to see if they can make things work again.

The writing aspect of the story was fun too, since I am a writer. It seems like a lot of romance writers are doing books where the main character is a writer, and I wonder if readers who aren't writers can connect with that part of the story. I think I could, even if I weren't a writer, but I can't be sure.

I still love Dear Henry, Love Edith the best of Becca Kinzer's books, but I haven't read one yet that I didn't think was above average in every way and worth reading--and this one is no exception.

BOOK: FIRST LOVE, SECOND DRAFT
AUTHOR: BECCA KINZER
PUB DATE: APRIL 2025
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REVIEW- 2.8stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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This book was somehow easy to read, i found some part easy and others the opposite. At the end of the day, I can say that this was an okay book which unfortunately, was mid for me. I didn't like it and I didn't hate. There was two love stories between Grace and Noah & Rachel and Matt. Both romance were kinda bland. It was obvious how it would play out and there was no zing, no drama. The characters were good, okay people, but there was nothing interesting about them.
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However, I was still able to finish the book. I feel ambiguous about the book, but the characters and settings were okay

This was such an enjoyable second-chance romance! I usually don't love books where a husband and wife get back together, but maybe that's because other authors haven't written this trope as well as Becca Kinzer. She knocked it out of the park - and yes, that's a baseball reference because there is a bit of baseball in this book, which I loved. (A hero who is a pitcher? I will read it every time. One of my favorite movies is For the Love of the Game, and this book reminded me of everything I love about that movie.) The banter in the dialogue is spot-on throughout this novel, and every scene strikes a perfect balance between clever humor and emotional depth. There's also a subplot second-chance romance involving the heroine's nephew that is as adorable and sweet as the main love story. This was just all-around excellent, and I can't recommend it highly enough for your spring and summer TBR!

What a delightfully funny book- both entertaining and yet one which is packed thought provoking messages. First Love Second Draft is about second chances, redemption and hope. The main characters Gracie and Noah are in their 40’s which was really fun for a change rather than a younger age.
Grace holds a lot of bitterness after her divorce. And Noah is loaded with regrets over decisions he made which helped lead to their divorce. Grace ‘s journey in this book involved learning to let go of the past and accepting help from others rather than maintaining a stubborn independence. Noah needed to evaluate his priorities and determine what was most important in his life. I am not a big fan of contemporary fiction. Yet First Love Second Draft grabbed my attention in the first couple pages and made for a great read.
I received a copy of First Love Second Draft from NetGalley. All opinons expressed are my own.