I’m a hard sell on romantic comedy. By which I mean, I love reading it, but usually consider it a win if it’s mildly amusing. This isn’t a jab at rom com authors at all. I have an oddball sense of humor that doesn’t line up with what a lot of other people consider funny.

Becca Kinzer’s novels? Are funny.

Not in a slapstick sort of way, nor in the dying-of-embarrassment sort of way. Just great interior dialogue and situations that get a tiny bit (or a large bit) out of control.

First off, I’m not keen on sports novels. Noah is a famous baseball star. While that’s important to the story, sports scenes are thankfully a very minor part of the story.

Second, my experience as an independent author of Christian romance often causes eye rolls when I read about author characters. They so often are a one-hit wonder! But Gracie’s big sales are in the past (incidentally achieved when married to a baseball player and writing baseball romance) and now she is struggling in a major way.

Enter Noah, who not only takes care of her after her accident but steps back into his former role as muse and idea-bouncer, though Gracie doesn’t want him for those roles or any other. He picks up a scene she wrote and said the couple couldn’t kiss in that position seated on the steps. Of course, she isn’t willing to test it with him, but he calls on Gracie’s nephew and his would-be girlfriend to prove to Gracie that what she wrote is impossible.

This was by far the funniest scene in the story and it definitely got some verbal laughs from me, not just a smirk or a quiet snicker! The dialogue as well as the interior monologue as well as the couple’s attempts to act out Gracie’s scene were, frankly, hilarious.

As post-divorce romances go, this one was fairly believable as readers come to understand the details of Gracie and Noah’s marriage and downfall. Highly recommend this novel.

I enjoyed this rather ridiculous rom-com. Two characters who are so bad at communicating that they divorce get their "second chance" when she is injured and he signs up to be her caretaker. Add in a mess of a sister, a meddling nephew, and an author with writers block and you have quite a romp.

Was this an emotionally deep story? No. Were there parts that really seemed unnecessary? Absolutely. But was it also lighthearted and fun? Yes!

It was nice to see the MMC be the one who is better at communicating and the one who is trying to fix things. Gracie has so many walls up that she doesn't always feel like a 3 dimensional character. Forcing them to write Noah's memoir was far-fetched, but it was an interesting way to get their backstory.

I enjoyed this one.

This sweet second chance sports romance is such a fun read! We follow Gracie, a romance writer, while she has to work with her ex-husband, Noah (who happens to also be a famous baseball player).

This book had a bit of a slow start for me and it took me a minute to get into but I am really so glad I stuck with it! I loved that we got 2 second Chance romances in one book!! Both of the storylines were excellent but I have such a soft spot for marriage reconciliation- Gracie and Noah’s story was so beautiful and redemptive and getting to see her turn back to God was a full circle moment and the highlight of the story for me. This was my first book by Becca but definitely not my last!

A beautiful story about love, forgiveness, redemption and of course coming back to God.

Thankyou net galley for the e-arc read, I powered through this book and did reallyenjoy it!

I had read previous reviews about the religious aspect to the book and how that had maybe put them off it a little or the opposite and that they wanted more religious bits in the story.

To each their own, I did like this fluffy romance read, the miscommunication trope is also something that divides people but I always try to read a book with an open mind, thinking of the likability of characters and flow of a story/plot which can say I did enjoy 🙂

This is not the easiest review to write. On one hand, there were some good tropes in this book - forced proximity and second chance romance. On the other hand, miscommunication (or no communication) drives me up a wall. The other elephant in the room I want to address is that this is a Christian book. Before you come at me with pitchforks, I am actually sad that aspect wasn’t more prevalent. I think many of the heavy topics would’ve done well through a lens of religion and hope. It felt like religion was really only mentioned at the very end of the book and I was a little removed from the characters by then. The idea is great - an author who is struggling for many reasons (physical and mental) and is coming dangerously close to missing her deadline. Enter a professional baseball player ex-husband who clearly still loves his ex-wife and is desperate to get her back. I think the reason I struggled at times with this one was because lack of communication killed their marriage, and it felt like they learned nothing in the 5 years apart and hadn’t really talked about, let alone resolved, those issues by the end of the story. On a more basic level, the book jumped around a lot and I am not sure the nephew’s POV was needed to make this a good story. I see some really good potential here and think this might be an option for the right person. I think it just missed the mark for me overall.

Because I have only rated this 3 stars, I am going to wait to share my review until after release day to give the author (who I do think had a great idea) the chance to not have my review stop people from trying it!

I sped through this book and thought it was fun, but the more I thought about it, the more issues I had with the plot and characters. I'll start with the things I liked about the book:

Pros:
- I love the Mariners, and the baseball parts were great.
- I liked how they talked about romance writing and even acted out logistics of unrealistic scenes in a humorous way.
- I enjoy forced proximity, and this was full of that!
- I also loved the grandpa character, Buck, and was very emotional at the end of the book. I wish there was more of him.

Cons:
- It got weirdly religious at the end, all at once, which I wasn't expecting. But I also kind of was expecting it with how fast all the characters got married.
- It also shifted perspectives in a choppy way, including a secondary romance for Gracie's nephew, Matthew, which I thought was strange and unnecessary to Gracie and Noah's story - maybe to appeal to younger readers? Not sure what the purpose was. Rachel was insuffrable and seemed extremely childlike to me.
- Mona as a character was a horrible sister. Family dynamics in this book felt off to me.
- There was the fact that Gracie was married to a baseball pitcher whose life was baseball. . .but she hates baseball, but also wrote a successful series about baseball?
- I could not wrap my head around the fact that they were married 20 years and didn't know about each other's childhoods?? That is so strange.
- I could sympathize with both Gracie and Noah thru the story, but also was angry at them about how they acted throughout the story. If Noah really wanted Gracie, why did he wait 5 years after their divorce? What were they both doing during that time? It was a weird timeline that just didn't make sense to me.
- There were so many weird vocabulary choices and pop culture references that really dated the characters and the book. I did not understand most of the actors/singer references and I am 30.
- The epilogue was so choppy and weird, almost like a dialogue but also like she was writing...something? I was like, if this is part of Noah's memoir, the memoir would be so bad.

It was a quick palate cleanser and good to read on my flights while I was bored. Would I recommend it to others? No. 2.5 stars.

I have one piece of advice for anyone considering reading this book: don't read it when you're having a coughing fit. Or any sort of coughing issue. Because trying to laugh and cough at the same time just doesn't work well (ask me how I know). You'll sound like a wheezing raccoon half coughing out a lung and half choking on a chortle. And there are several parts in First Love, Second Draft that will make you laugh.

Yet, for all of the humor, there are just as many touching and serious parts as well. Gracie and Noah both deal with emotional pain from their divorce. Noah as well suffers from a pained childhood, and Gracie's dad is in ill health. The ending, especially, will tug on the heartstrings.

It was both amusing and sweet to watch Gracie and Noah travel the journey of reconciliation. Equally enjoyable was the little side romance with Matt, Gracie's nephew, and his love interest. I honestly don't know which couple I liked better. They both were adorable.

As known by anyone who has followed my reviews for a while, I don't usually gravitate toward contemporary romance. Especially sports romances. But I'm so happy I picked up First Love, Second Draft, because it is truly an enjoyable story, and one I will be adding to my "read again" list. And for me to say that about a contemporary romance should tell you something about the book itself.

There are so many good parts in the story: parts that will cause you to laugh, snicker, root for the characters, enjoy the strong theme of family, and catch a case of the feels. Kinzer's writing style is smooth and flows well, but for me personally, the very best line in this book is not from the story itself, but from the last sentence in the Author's Note: "With Jesus, there is always reason to hope.

How beautiful and true that line is, and how applicable it is to both life and First Line, Second Draft's plot.

This is the first Becca Kinzer book I've read, and I'm looking forward to reading more.

*I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you to the publisher/NetGalley.

Thanks to Tyndale Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion! First, this book was really sweet and I loved seeing the will they or won't they between writer Gracie and her ex-husband + baseball player Noah. The town, the side characters, the vibes were all really sweet and I really enjoyed it, except that I felt like the christian themes came in a little hard toward the end, which wasn't for me.

Anytime books and sports collide, it’s a must read for me. Gracie is a writer, down on her luck and trying to write her next bestselling book. She used to be married to Noah, a big time baseball star, who’s back in town and trying to help get her back on her feet. Surrounded by colourful friends and family, who like us are wondering: will they or won’t they? Overall, a total home run. While the main storyline takes a while to get going, you are given some fun supporting character sub plots and budding young love to tide you over until you are rewarded in the second half when things start to pick up - so keep going! The ending makes it all worth it.

I always struggle with this sort of review. As much as I try to not compare one author's book with another one of their books, it's impossible. I do love Becca Kinzer's debut. It is a smart and hilarious book yet wasn't fluffy or without good meaning. Book 2 wasn't for me. This one falls in the middle. It had some funny moments and touching moments that I really enjoyed; but, it also had some issues.

I'll just get my "CONs" out of the way before I share my "PRO":
1. The second POV from the female main character's nephew made no sense within •Gracie's• story. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed his story but it should have been in a different book. These two stories weren't really connected except as aunt and nephew. It was very puzzling.
2. The story felt choppy for me. Some of the transitions felt as though I missed something. I'd go back and look to see if I accidentally skipped ahead on my Kindle, but no.
3. The ending was a little odd for me. Both decided to actually do something very last minute but it felt half-hearted. It didn't feel like Gracie or Noah had any growth or understanding of each other's perspective, outside of the Morris story.
4. Sometimes I felt as though I was reading filler that didn't contribute to Gracie and Noah's story and that's likely why it felt choppy and incomplete to me. I wasn't ever invested. The ending, though happy, felt a little forced and unsatisfying.
5. The cover. I've never been a fan of illustrated covers. They feel like they fit younger teenagers. The main characters are 40-ish. It doesn't fit.

The "PROs":
1. There is some really good witty humour and sarcasm that I enjoyed.
2. I like the Dad a lot but wish he had a stronger presence within the story.
3. Though Gracie's sister, Mona, seems to be very disliked in the reviews I saw, I think she is very memorable, even if she is insufferable and annoying. She DID have a growth arc that I wish I had seen in Gracie and Noah.
4. The Morris story is significant and helps the reader to understand Gracie better.
5. The scene with her Dad toward the end is good. It would be even better if his presence had been in the book more, as I mentioned in my second point.


>>> My thanks and appreciation to Tyndale and Net Galley for providing me with an advanced reader copy. My review is voluntary, sincere, and in my own words.

This story was such a cute read! I spent the entire story rooting for all the characters, internally groaning when they *just missed* the meaning behind the words, and I greatly appreciated the redemption theme throughout. I loved the play on words in the title and how that played out in the overall story as well. The characters were enjoyable and I'd like to revisit these characters!

This one was cute and funny and also tugged right at my heart!

After being injured in a horribly embarrassing way, the last thing author, Gracie, wants is to be cared for by her ex-husband. But Noah is who is there for her. As they continue to spend more time together and open up about their past hurts, things start to look up.

Was this book perfect? No. There were some POVs that didn't feel necessary, but I don't think they detracted from the overall book.

Gracie was funny, and I enjoyed the banter between her and Noah. There were definitely moments that made me giggle.

🌼 Second Chance Romance
🌼 He takes care of her
🌼 High School Sweethearts
🌼 Baseball pitcher × writer
🌼 Faith elements
🌼 Friends-to-Lovers (side characters)

1.5/5 - Some books just don’t work for me and this was one of them. The premise had so much potential - two exes forced to cohabitate and write a book together in a small town - but unfortunately the execution fell flat. The characters weren’t particularly likable, their reason for splitting wasn’t super compelling, the chemistry was off and the triple point of view felt unnecessary (her nephew’s story). Plus it was all in third person, so perspective was confusing. I probably wouldn’t have finished this if it hadn’t been an ARC.

Thank you to @netgalley and Tyndale for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book has such a cute premise. I was very excited to read it. Until I did. The characters were not really likeable. The dialogue was not realistic. There was a triple POV, but the voice of each waa exactly the same. I DNFed a third of the way through because i just couldn’t relate. Peehaps this book would be better for folks who like soap operas. It just wasn't for me. I see that a lot of people like this author on Goodreads. Thanks to Net Galley and Tyndale House for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. 1.5 stars since it had promise.

I loved the ending. And the title was a cute pun on the relationships within.

But I honestly struggled to like the main character or even to see why the hero had been attracted to her. The younger couple, who were a secondary focus with a friends to lovers trope, was cute.

There were some funny laughable moments. But some of the bathroom humor, etc. was a little much for me.

The ending redeemed the story for me. But only just.

Oof.. I love second chance romances, especially between married couples but this was not it. I really struggled with the writing and just ultimately decided to DNF.

*First Love, Second Draft* is an easy and refreshing romance read that follows the story of retired baseball player Noah and his ex-wife Gracie, a struggling writer. In this book, we follow Gracie as she attempts to recover from a bad fall with the unwelcome help of Noah, all while battling a severe case of writer's block that’s causing her to miss deadlines.

Throughout the story, we not only follow the lives and relationship of Noah and Gracie, but we’re also introduced to other important characters, such as Matt and Rachael, whose own love story unfolds. I also really liked Gracie’s father, Buck who was a great addition to this story. Both Noah and Gracie struggle with imposter syndrome as they embark on a journey to rediscover who they are beyond the careers they’ve hidden behind. This is a beautiful story of love, forgiveness, and personal growth, as well as facing your demons.

The main characters were easy to relate to, and it was heartwarming to watch Noah try to win Gracie back. The book is categorised as Christian fiction/clean romance, and there are no open-door scenes between the couples. Gracie is independent and doesn’t hesitate to remind Noah about this. It was great to watch them develop as characters over the course of this book.

I enjoyed the book but believe it would have been nice to have more scenes between Noah and Gracie. The only other area I’d fault is the ending; I was expecting a completely different epilogue, though perhaps the author plans to write a second book.

If you’re looking for a closed-door, second-chance romance with a dash of sports, this book might be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this book. Check out @brydzandherbooks for more reviews and bookish content.

If you’re new to Becca Kinzer’s books, you’ve been missing out! I adore her writing! Kinzer knows how to write an ensemble cast of quirky, lovable characters. While she tells the main characters’ story, she also gives the side characters their own storylines, too. It makes for a fuller reading experience.

First Love, Second Draft tells the story of Gracie and Noah, ex-spouses back in each other’s lives after Gracie is injured and Noah sees his opportunity to win her back while taking care of her. I loved reading about a divorced couple making their way back to each other. The book was realistic and the themes of forgiveness and restoration resonated with me. And don’t we love a man who pursuits?!

Alongside Gracie and Noah’s reconnection, the book also follows Gracie’s nephew, Matt, and his love story with his best friend Rachel. If you’re looking for a clean rom com with an amusing ensemble class, dual love stories, and a healthy dose of heart, make sure to grab this book!

Intimacy: Level 2 (kisses only)
Language: None
Content Considerations: Divorce, infertility, terminal illness, death of a loved one, grief

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher. All opinions are my own.

I was excited to read First Love, Second Draft as an ARC, especially with the promise of multiple love stories and fun characters. And I did enjoy the characters a lot! They were definitely a highlight.

However, I found it took a bit too long to get to the main issues of the story. I struggled to stay engaged, and didn't feel compelled to pick the book up as much as I'd hoped.

While I think readers who enjoy character-driven romances will find things to like, the slow pacing made it difficult for me to stay invested.