Joanna's Reviews > First Love, Second Draft

This should be called First Love, First Draft. This book made absolutely no sense from the character details to the way the story is told. I honestly feel apathetic towards the characters, like I don’t love or hate them - I just don’t care for them. Except maybe for Gracie’s dad, Buck. First off, why do we have a POV and chapters dedicated to her nephew? He’s not a main character, he’s not her love interest. This is a story about family, but his aunt getting back with her ex-husband. This just makes the story confusing, because him being in love with a girl from high school doesn’t add to the story. Second, you mean to tell me it’s been 5 years since Gracie and Noah divorced and they’re still so hung on each that they call each other husband/wife without the ex in front? At that point, they should just be separated. Noah never actually apologizes for not being their for Gracie during the catalyst of their divorce. He only justifies his stupid decision by blaming childhood trauma he NEVER told her about and that baseball is his job. We don’t actually see Noah’s growth or how their divorce affected him besides “I’m so loney”. This novel could’ve been very well written with a dying parent and traumatizing divorce but it lacked the depth needed for these topics.

Thank you Tyndale House publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.