Book Review: First Love, Second Draft

What if a wife's worst day of her life was her husband's best day? What conflict and emotion might this conjure? I could well relate to this scenario. Not that my worst day was John's best day, but I worry there are much worse days ahead. We endured a miscarriage prior to the births of our three sons and, believe me, we processed and grieved differently. It is so hard when reactions don't match. The pain is intense and then you add a layer of misunderstanding. Men definitely grieve differently than women, and often communication in those tender initial days is non-existent.

Becca Kinzer has a real talent for taking the difficulties of relationships and spinning them out with wit. She knows how to write humor (a tough task). When you feel like crying over life's challenges, it is refreshing to pick up a book that leads from internal intensity into light-hearted laughter. Here is a brief summary of First Love, Second Draft, from the back cover of the book:

"Rom-com writer Gracie Parker hasn’t written a bestseller since she and her husband, a major league baseball star, divorced five years ago. On thin ice with her publisher―and with a looming deadline―Gracie couldn’t have picked a worse time for a painful injury that has her flat on her back. At this point, she’d accept help from anybody . . . except her first love and ex-husband, Noah Parker.

"The baseball season has just ended in massive disappointment for Noah. He’s facing the stark reality that he gave up everything for a career that’s let him down and that it might be too late to get back the one person he should’ve held on to. So when Gracie’s nephew calls, saying Gracie’s looking for a tenant for her next-door rental, it feels like it’s meant to be."

I've enjoyed all of Becca Kinzer's humorous tales. This one is a novel about second chances. Love is hard, but deserves a second chance. Sometimes women who have been hurt refuse to give an ex a second chance. We are all flawed and failing. We all desire forgiveness. I need to learn to extend grace to others more freely and open doors for restoration and reconciliation. I just hope it doesn't take a painful injury to get me to that point, ha! (My June fall from the treadmill wasn't as debilitating as Gracie's injury, but I'm still needing to sleep flat on my back because my normal side-sleeping causes twingy pain where I hit the chair. Say a prayer for healing, if you will.)

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Becca has announced a new book slated for the spring of 2026. It sounds like it will be another joyful journey with witty banter and unexpected romance. Here is the cover reveal for next year's novel, Not What We Pictured. (This title sounds like a commentary on my life, ha!)