The publisher kindly provided me with a physical copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
They were cowriting literary darlings until they hit a plot hole that turned their lives upside down.
Three years ago, Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen were the brightest literary stars on the horizon, their cowritten books topping bestseller lists. But on the heels of their greatest success, they ended their partnership on bad terms, for reasons neither would divulge to the public. They haven’t spoken since, and never planned to, except they have one final book due on contract.
Facing crossroads in their personal and professional lives, they’re forced to reunite. The last thing they ever thought they’d do again is hole up in the tiny Florida town where they wrote their previous book, trying to finish a new manuscript quickly and painlessly. Working through the reasons they’ve hated each other for the past three years isn’t easy, especially not while writing a romantic novel.
While passion and prose push them closer together in the Florida heat, Katrina and Nathan will learn that relationships, like writing, sometimes take a few rough drafts before they get it right.
The Roughest Draft Review
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. And lucky for me, they’ve always been great supporters of my blog. Their adult debut is so delightful and just as enjoyable as their young adult books!
The Roughest Draft follows Katrina and Nathan, successful cowriters whose relationship has fallen apart. After reaching a breaking point in both their lives, they reunite to draft another book. It’s a book about mending relationships, discovering love and finding yourself.
I really like Katrina and Nathan — both together and as individuals. Their personalities are captivating and the dual POV really helps draw the reader in to both these characters. It’s interesting to see their friendship as it was and the way they work to rebuild.
An important thing to note is that this is not the fluffy, lighthearted rom-com that the cover suggests. It’s more than that — it’s more women’s literary fiction with romance woven throughout. While I was expecting something I little bit different heading into it, it didn’t take away from the experience.
Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka always create such beautiful stories. They draw you in with the written word and it’s always so captivating. I think it’s even more apparent in their adult debut and I’m so glad that this read was as enjoyable as I hoped it would be.
Overall, The Roughest Draft is a charming story about second chances, rebuilding and discovery. It’s a sweet story with some romance on the side. I would recommend it to those looking for an enjoyable summer read and fans of Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka’s young adult novels.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Favourite Quote
There’s no truth to these pages, but the trick of fiction is to make you think there is. I let myself fall for it as often as I can.
About the Authors
Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka met in high school and fell in love over a shared passion for Shakespeare. Austin went on to impress Emily with his literary anlysis while Emily studied adolescent psychology at Princeton. They live in Los Angeles, where they’ve combined their interests and decied to write stories of high school, literature and first love.
Follow Emily
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Buy The Roughest Draft
Amazon CA | Amazon US | Book Depository | Indigo
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Happy to hear you enjoyed this one! It’s on my tbr. 🙂