The roughest draft

In their first book for adults, married YA coauthors Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka portray coauthors who fall in love while writing a love story. Three years ago, New Yorkers Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen were at the pinnacle of their coauthoring career with a much-lauded and enormously popular book. But their success warped their professional relationship, and they parted ways on bad terms. She stopped writing, and he published a book with tepid sales. Now they are forced by their publishing contract to write one more book together, so they convene at a secluded cottage in Florida. They channel their animosity into their characters, writing viciously and passionately until they declare a truce. Unacknowledged attraction had always simmered between them. Each was the essence of life to the other, each found the other's very existence fascinating. While apart, Nathan got divorced, and Katrina got engaged, but the magnetism between them has persisted. In intricate layers, Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka unfurl what went wrong between Katrina and Nathan and how their past anger transmutes into desire and soul-binding love, making for a deeply emotional meditation on the psychological perils of success within a passionate romance.

Married coauthors Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka (Time of Our Lives) break from their usual YA rom-coms for a surprisingly bleak adult debut that's light on both romance and comedy. Three years ago, Nathan Van Huysen and Katrina Freeling co-wrote the bestseller Only Once, which centered on an affair. Nathan was married at the time, and rumors about their art reflecting their lives drove Katrina to an early retirement and Nathan to tell the New Yorker that writing with Katrina was "torture." But when Katrina's literary agent turned fiancé, Chris, runs into financial trouble and Nathan's solo book proposal is rejected, the pair reluctantly agree to work together again. They hole up in Florida and insult each other through drafting their new manuscript--until their true feelings reveal themselves on the page. The prose is rather pedestrian for how loftily both characters discuss literature, and the alternating timeline between their work on the new novel and their collaboration on Only Once adds little. Most rom-com readers will object to the emotional affair between Katrina and Nathan while Nathan was married, and the pretentious, privileged Nathan and self-involved Katrina do little to redeem themselves. This literary spin on Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story aims for bittersweet, but lands on depressing. Agent: Katie Shea Boutillier, Donald Maass Literary. (Jan.)

Three years ago, Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huys wrote a best-selling novel together. They haven't spoken since. Reunited to write their contracted next book, their story unfolds in flashbacks. Back then, Nathan was married and the two began to fall in love. Both remained professional but it is clear Nathan is expressing his feelings for Katrina in the pages he writes for their book. When Katrina and Nathan head back to the same beach house and begin to write their new novel, they must confront the unresolved issues from their past as they continue to communicate through their daily pages. Both characters stay entrenched in their emotionally tortuous positions until the very end, with an unsatisfying resolution that seems to come out of a desire to give the reader a happy ending, rather than giving these characters what they really need: couples therapy. Imani Jade Powers has a beautiful voice that glides over the words and lifts the material to a different level. Dan Bittner has a pleasant "everyman" voice that would fit well with any genre. VERDICT Well written, but excruciating in terms of human behavior. Better to read than to listen.--Laura Brosie

Famous co-writers who had a major falling out team up for a new novel and dredge up past feelings. Shortly after meeting each other at a writers' workshop, Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen decided to join forces. A novel they wrote about an affair became wildly popular, but they've refused to work together again for reasons they won't reveal. Nathan got divorced around the same time the book came out, leading to rumors and speculation about the relationship between the co-writers. Now, three years later, Nathan's new solo book is underperforming, and Chris, Katrina's fiance and agent, is pushing her to return to writing. Nathan and Katrina are under contract for one more book, so they agree to spend a few months together in a house in Florida and get it written. The rift between them is not easily repaired, but as they find a flow in their work, their friendship blossoms once more. As more feelings return, they have to confront what tore them apart the first time. The story alternates between past and present and shifts between Katrina's and Nathan's perspectives. Everything is written in first-person, present-tense, which gives the book a feeling of momentum and immediacy but doesn't lend itself to any differentiation in the narrative threads. The writing is beautiful, with many poetic musings, and the emotions throughout are rich and complex. The characters don't feel fully drawn, however, making some of their actions unbelievable, seeming like they're happening just for the plot. The reveal of the big conflict from the past is underwhelming, and the ending drags. Pretty prose but not entirely satisfying. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* In their first book for adults, married YA coauthors Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka portray coauthors who fall in love while writing a love story. Three years ago, New Yorkers Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen were at the pinnacle of their coauthoring career with a much-lauded and enormously popular book. But their success warped their professional relationship, and they parted ways on bad terms. She stopped writing, and he published a book with tepid sales. Now they are forced by their publishing contract to write one more book together, so they convene at a secluded cottage in Florida. They channel their animosity into their characters, writing viciously and passionately until they declare a truce. Unacknowledged attraction had always simmered between them. Each was the essence of life to the other, each found the other's very existence fascinating. While apart, Nathan got divorced, and Katrina got engaged, but the magnetism between them has persisted. In intricate layers, Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka unfurl what went wrong between Katrina and Nathan and how their past anger transmutes into desire and soul-binding love, making for a deeply emotional meditation on the psychological perils of success within a passionate romance. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen were publishing's up-and-coming dream team…until their writing partnership imploded pre-publication and neither would divulge the reason. Four years later, their book is still a best-selling success, and they're finally tasked with finishing out their contract. Retreating to Florida to write means rehashing the past, and the two must figure out whose love story they're actually crafting: their characters' or their own. This dual-perspective romance is the first adult novel from real-life couple Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka; fans of the pair's YA novels will still get all the feels from Nathan and Katrina's developing relationship. VERDICT This will-they-or-won't-they romance is perfect for readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers, or anyone pursuing a passion project professionally. For fans of Emily Henry's Beach Read, Minnie Drake's Star-Crossed, and Christina Lauren's Twice in a Blue Moon.—RachelAlexander, Peabody Inst. Lib., MA

Married coauthors Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka (Time of Our Lives) break from their usual YA rom-coms for a surprisingly bleak adult debut that's light on both romance and comedy. Three years ago, Nathan Van Huysen and Katrina Freeling co-wrote the bestseller Only Once, which centered on an affair. Nathan was married at the time, and rumors about their art reflecting their lives drove Katrina to an early retirement and Nathan to tell the New Yorker that writing with Katrina was "torture." But when Katrina's literary agent turned fiancé, Chris, runs into financial trouble and Nathan's solo book proposal is rejected, the pair reluctantly agree to work together again. They hole up in Florida and insult each other through drafting their new manuscript—until their true feelings reveal themselves on the page. The prose is rather pedestrian for how loftily both characters discuss literature, and the alternating timeline between their work on the new novel and their collaboration on Only Once adds little. Most rom-com readers will object to the emotional affair between Katrina and Nathan while Nathan was married, and the pretentious, privileged Nathan and self-involved Katrina do little to redeem themselves. This literary spin on Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story aims for bittersweet, but lands on depressing. Agent: Katie Shea Boutillier, Donald Maass Literary. (Jan.)