Title: The Roughest Draft
Author(s): Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Publisher: Berkley Books
Length: 317 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
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.
No but seriously, I am sure you could enjoy this romance book without being a writer yourself, but there is an extra layer of nuance that can only truly be deeply felt by those touched with the mania that is the writing gene. Every piece of my romantic-flowery-word-loving soul felt the overwhelming rightness and completeness of the love between Nathen and Katrina. There is an intense intimacy associated with sharing your writing that becomes even more intimate when shared with the intent to edit. Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka capture the nakedness of this encounter with such stark detail; they leave every emotion tangible on the page. A masterclass in yearning, the emotional development of Nathen and Katrina is heart squeezing-ly tactile. If you have never experienced a good old-fashioned bout of Jane Austin style yearning, this novel will give you the perfect taste.
The Roughest Draft has every romance writing plot structure that I adore. Bouncing between Nathen and Katrina’s points of view and between their past and present helps to build tension as you learn both how they fell apart and watch them attempt to come back together. The character voices are not only distinct from one another when you read their chapters, but the authors have put such detail into the characters that their past voices differ from their present ones. While the changes are subtle, there are important changes in their inner narration that depicts the growth that has occurred over the missing two years. This is the kind of care and attention that differentiates a great book from an exceptional one. Character development like this doesn’t just happen, you know.
Speaking of masterclass, Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka’s writing is the textbook definition of “show don’t tell”. Nathen and Katrina don’t speak their feelings about one another in their own heads—let alone out loud—until almost halfway through the book. It is strictly through their actions and reactions toward one another that we see how deeply they feel for one another. This is only highlighted through the narration. The authors use parallel thoughts, sayings, and tones with a knife-like sharpness to illustrate how in tune, or on the same page if you will (get it?), with each other our characters are. From past to present, jumping POV to POV, through introducing these reoccurring pieces the intent of these feelings couldn’t be clearer.
And don’t even get me started on the language! Starting as early as page 30, the use of simile that is then turned into metaphor is flawlessly done. The seamless introduction of a thought or feeling as a simile to later be reused in its metaphoric context guides the reader to associate the current scene to the previous scene in which it was used. It is artistry how Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka manipulate the tools at their disposal.
With that exact thought in mind, I need to talk about the plot structure. When and where we jump back in time is perfectly, well, timed. It never feels like we are being pulled in an unnatural direction when the ‘then’ sections pop up. Each past scene is told by exactly the right narrator at exactly the right point in our present narration. On top of that, we are told the perfect amount of information to gain context for the characters’ current motivations without divulging the mystery of how they fell apart too soon. This use of pacing makes the whole story flow in seamless page turns. The authors have such control over their story that we get the emotional climax of the past (them falling apart) at the same time we are getting the emotional climax of the present (them coming back together). This choice leads to a breathlessly emotional read. It’s ingenious. ALSO, in an amazing feat of willpower by Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka, everything in the present isn’t immediately rainbows and butterflies. Our characters are people. It takes them a moment to figure things out, but one thing is made perfectly clear, Katrina and Nathen are only interested in the unending happiness of each other. They are willing to put aside everything they feel in order to ensure that happiness can be achieved. Not only does this make their love more real, but it makes the characters themselves feel more real.
Am I gushing? I think I’m gushing. I really cannot help it. I have read many, many, many love stories in my time, but this one has usurped most of those to be my favorite of all time. I think you all already know I am going to recommend you read this book, but for the sake of being clear, YOU SHOUD READ THIS BOOK! If you already have, I want to know what you think. Did you gush over it too? What was your favorite moment? How badly do you want to go on a writer’s retreat so you can meet the love of your life now? Let me know!
Until next time,
Keep wondering and stay wandering!
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