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The Write Off
Two rival authors are forced to confront a decade of love and heartbreak on the campus where it all started in this captivating debut romance by Kara McDowell.
It’s been thirteen years since Mars Darling first met West Emerson on a bench outside their writing class. What started out as a friendly rivalry turned into a best friendship and then, for a brief time, a romance. Now over a decade later, as Mars stands at their college campus as a once-esteemed YA fantasy author, ready to take on a book festival, she comes face to face with West—the muse behind her infamous trilogy’s heartthrob hero, the man who betrayed her in the worst way.
Mars is determined not to let her comeback tour be ruined by the fact that West is also at the festival as an author. But the longer they are on the campus that holds so many shared memories, the more time they have to untangle their past, and Mars starts to question if maybe it’s not only her writing career that deserves a second chance.
Told in two unfolding timelines—Mars and West’s frenzied college days where they grapple with their undeniable connection, and their tension-filled present of heartache and familiar yearning—this charming romance shows that while you can’t rewrite the past, it’s never too late to chase your happily ever after and get back the one that got away.
It’s been thirteen years since Mars Darling first met West Emerson on a bench outside their writing class. What started out as a friendly rivalry turned into a best friendship and then, for a brief time, a romance. Now over a decade later, as Mars stands at their college campus as a once-esteemed YA fantasy author, ready to take on a book festival, she comes face to face with West—the muse behind her infamous trilogy’s heartthrob hero, the man who betrayed her in the worst way.
Mars is determined not to let her comeback tour be ruined by the fact that West is also at the festival as an author. But the longer they are on the campus that holds so many shared memories, the more time they have to untangle their past, and Mars starts to question if maybe it’s not only her writing career that deserves a second chance.
Told in two unfolding timelines—Mars and West’s frenzied college days where they grapple with their undeniable connection, and their tension-filled present of heartache and familiar yearning—this charming romance shows that while you can’t rewrite the past, it’s never too late to chase your happily ever after and get back the one that got away.
395 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2026
About the author
Kara McDowell
8 books470 followersKara McDowell is the author of romcoms for teenagers and adults, including her upcoming adult debut THE WRITE OFF. Coming from Berkley in Spring 2026.
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April 26, 2026
4.5/5
so do we think emily henry gets a residual check every time the line “why do you think” is used in reference to a break up…
books about authors can be pretty hit or miss for me. i sometimes find myself getting burnt out with the sheer amount of books that are written with bookish people as main characters, i love them dearly but sometimes a need something now. because of this, i was so scared about going into this one. i wanted to love to so badly because of the second chance element and thankfully this was a major win!!
mars and west meet in a creative writing class in college and their journey from these follows them through book deals, arguments, evil new york times articles, movie premieres, book festivals, and snow in arizona! i loved following these two as we unpacked their history, mars is such a likable main character (to me at least) and i was rooting for her to see her worth for the entire novel. the way she put so much stake into her career to prove to everyone that she could make it, girl i get you religiously. west was really sweet, and clearly very in love with her, but his insecurities are definitely what makes this book not five stars. i know that by the final page these two have worked through any problems he had with there success but i legitimately wanted to kill him at times for being so rude and undermining her/an entire genre of literature. thankfully the red vines pulled everything together so i can happily root for their perfect future!!
maybe it's just a case of this being the week the album came out, but this story really exemplified the great divide album by noah kahan to me. i was listening to staying still while finishing this book and it was perfect! plus wests' relationship with is family and how that seeps into his decision making... i see you. if you are looking for a romance book with two characters who cannot stay away from each other, but more importantly, can't stop writing about each other, pick this up!!
*thank you berkley and netgalley for the copy!*
so do we think emily henry gets a residual check every time the line “why do you think” is used in reference to a break up…
books about authors can be pretty hit or miss for me. i sometimes find myself getting burnt out with the sheer amount of books that are written with bookish people as main characters, i love them dearly but sometimes a need something now. because of this, i was so scared about going into this one. i wanted to love to so badly because of the second chance element and thankfully this was a major win!!
mars and west meet in a creative writing class in college and their journey from these follows them through book deals, arguments, evil new york times articles, movie premieres, book festivals, and snow in arizona! i loved following these two as we unpacked their history, mars is such a likable main character (to me at least) and i was rooting for her to see her worth for the entire novel. the way she put so much stake into her career to prove to everyone that she could make it, girl i get you religiously. west was really sweet, and clearly very in love with her, but his insecurities are definitely what makes this book not five stars. i know that by the final page these two have worked through any problems he had with there success but i legitimately wanted to kill him at times for being so rude and undermining her/an entire genre of literature. thankfully the red vines pulled everything together so i can happily root for their perfect future!!
maybe it's just a case of this being the week the album came out, but this story really exemplified the great divide album by noah kahan to me. i was listening to staying still while finishing this book and it was perfect! plus wests' relationship with is family and how that seeps into his decision making... i see you. if you are looking for a romance book with two characters who cannot stay away from each other, but more importantly, can't stop writing about each other, pick this up!!
*thank you berkley and netgalley for the copy!*
Read
November 30, 2025Dear Reader,
As a girl who’s been vicariously falling in love since I read Anne of Green Gables at 10 years old, I’ve had my fair share of “book boyfriends.” (A term I’ve always known in my soul, even if I didn’t have the words for it until recently.) I’ve fallen in love with Gilbert Blythe while studying at Queen’s Academy, Mr. Darcy while touring Pemberly, and Gus Everett while spending the summer at the beach. I’ve fallen in love with immortals, royals, and winged Fae. I know what it’s like to walk into a bookstore and feel butterflies in my stomach at the possibilities.
In short, I come by my fandom honestly, and I’m fascinated by the way fan spaces have evolved since I was a teenager spending my weekends in homemade merch at a midnight release party. Now, fan interactions happen online, and an artist’s lore is almost as important as the art itself. Entire careers are built on a foundation of self-mythology. 2020s pop culture thrives on it, and after one too many late-night internet deep dives, I got the idea for The Write Off.
We know what it looks like when a pop star breaks up with her boyfriend. Instead of love songs, she writes breakup songs. But what would happen if it was a best-selling fantasy series instead of pop music? Enter Mars Darling. When she accidentally makes the hero of her fantasy series a carbon copy of her first love, she turns him into the internet’s favorite book boyfriend. It’s mortifying and romantic and inspiring—right up until the moment Mars and West’s relationship implodes and she’s left broken hearted, alone, and with two more books to write.
In some ways, The Write Off is a fictional story about a fictional story. (I can’t say it doesn’t get a bit meta.) More importantly, I set out to write characters who feel real, even if that makes them a little messy. Mars and West’s story is one that embraces the angst and thrill of first love and second chances. It takes them more than a decade of art and love and loss to work through the mess, but when they do, every day of yearning was worth the wait.
For the devoted fangirl in me who duct taped a picture of one of my first “book boyfriends” to a plain white t-shirt because I couldn’t afford the real thing—putting this book into the world is a dream that was also worth the wait. Thank you for taking a look. I hope you find a little something that feels like falling in love.
Love,
Kara McDowell
P.S. Find me on IG or TikTok at @karajmcdowellbooks to find out what's next
As a girl who’s been vicariously falling in love since I read Anne of Green Gables at 10 years old, I’ve had my fair share of “book boyfriends.” (A term I’ve always known in my soul, even if I didn’t have the words for it until recently.) I’ve fallen in love with Gilbert Blythe while studying at Queen’s Academy, Mr. Darcy while touring Pemberly, and Gus Everett while spending the summer at the beach. I’ve fallen in love with immortals, royals, and winged Fae. I know what it’s like to walk into a bookstore and feel butterflies in my stomach at the possibilities.
In short, I come by my fandom honestly, and I’m fascinated by the way fan spaces have evolved since I was a teenager spending my weekends in homemade merch at a midnight release party. Now, fan interactions happen online, and an artist’s lore is almost as important as the art itself. Entire careers are built on a foundation of self-mythology. 2020s pop culture thrives on it, and after one too many late-night internet deep dives, I got the idea for The Write Off.
We know what it looks like when a pop star breaks up with her boyfriend. Instead of love songs, she writes breakup songs. But what would happen if it was a best-selling fantasy series instead of pop music? Enter Mars Darling. When she accidentally makes the hero of her fantasy series a carbon copy of her first love, she turns him into the internet’s favorite book boyfriend. It’s mortifying and romantic and inspiring—right up until the moment Mars and West’s relationship implodes and she’s left broken hearted, alone, and with two more books to write.
In some ways, The Write Off is a fictional story about a fictional story. (I can’t say it doesn’t get a bit meta.) More importantly, I set out to write characters who feel real, even if that makes them a little messy. Mars and West’s story is one that embraces the angst and thrill of first love and second chances. It takes them more than a decade of art and love and loss to work through the mess, but when they do, every day of yearning was worth the wait.
For the devoted fangirl in me who duct taped a picture of one of my first “book boyfriends” to a plain white t-shirt because I couldn’t afford the real thing—putting this book into the world is a dream that was also worth the wait. Thank you for taking a look. I hope you find a little something that feels like falling in love.
Love,
Kara McDowell
P.S. Find me on IG or TikTok at @karajmcdowellbooks to find out what's next
Did Not Finish
April 19, 2026My bad, honestly. I saw this on some spring release list and went for it. Never mind that list rarely works for me, and I read a YA from this author that was a sub-3. (It feels like I'm going to get strung along inorganically to what went wrong in overly telling dual timelines, if you must know)
15%
15%
June 21, 2026
I love it when I accidentally stumble into a new favorite with no warning or idea of what I was about to start!
Thirteen years ago, Mars Darling first met West Emerson during their freshman college writing class- and that meeting would change both of their lives forever. They went from strangers to friends to first love during their years in college, but then everything changed. Now Mars is back on their campus as the best-selling author of a YA romantasy series that has also become a worldwide movie phenomenon. Unfortunately, she’s been living with the shadow of West for years, as she so completely based the main character of the series on him. Then she discovers that West is also an author at the festival and they’ve been put on a panel together. After years of heartbreak and missed opportunity, Mars has shut West off from her life, but when faced with the man himself and his side of the story, undeniable feelings that have simmered just below the surface threaten to upend her world - again.
This story is told in a dual POV where we get the full story of their relationship - from first meeting to first kiss to everything that comes after. It is tender, messy, heartbreaking, funny, and just so good. I felt my college years in this one, McDowell so deftly describes that part of youth where dreams and opportunity lie ahead, coupled with big emotions, first loves, learning, exploration, and growth. The messiness of the story actually feels really relatable - I didn’t fault either character and related to them deeply in their complex emotions about the future. I really loved it.
🎧 Audio Performance: (10h 41m) Brittany Pressley once again proves why she is the queen of audiobook narration. It had been a minute since I’d listened to one of hers, so I was excited to see that she narrated this one. She really handled the big emotional swings of this one perfectly.
Thirteen years ago, Mars Darling first met West Emerson during their freshman college writing class- and that meeting would change both of their lives forever. They went from strangers to friends to first love during their years in college, but then everything changed. Now Mars is back on their campus as the best-selling author of a YA romantasy series that has also become a worldwide movie phenomenon. Unfortunately, she’s been living with the shadow of West for years, as she so completely based the main character of the series on him. Then she discovers that West is also an author at the festival and they’ve been put on a panel together. After years of heartbreak and missed opportunity, Mars has shut West off from her life, but when faced with the man himself and his side of the story, undeniable feelings that have simmered just below the surface threaten to upend her world - again.
This story is told in a dual POV where we get the full story of their relationship - from first meeting to first kiss to everything that comes after. It is tender, messy, heartbreaking, funny, and just so good. I felt my college years in this one, McDowell so deftly describes that part of youth where dreams and opportunity lie ahead, coupled with big emotions, first loves, learning, exploration, and growth. The messiness of the story actually feels really relatable - I didn’t fault either character and related to them deeply in their complex emotions about the future. I really loved it.
🎧 Audio Performance: (10h 41m) Brittany Pressley once again proves why she is the queen of audiobook narration. It had been a minute since I’d listened to one of hers, so I was excited to see that she narrated this one. She really handled the big emotional swings of this one perfectly.
April 19, 2026
warning: spoilers run amok all over this review, proceed at your own peril
~.~.~
1.25 stars
it started out cute and angsty and i saw the vision, but as the story went on, i can’t shake the feeling that the two leads - mars and west - are just so unhealthy for each other? is no one going to mention the fact that there’s a sense of codependency going on between them, mars more so? she’s west-centered and west-obsessed, and her clear incapacity to function normally when things are rocky with west is something she should’ve taken up with a therapist. it makes me sick to my stomach that she can’t even feel a tincture of joy signing her books at the conference just because she had a nothingburger love spat with her decade-long ex.
this is not to excuse west, who was such a huge loser the entire decade they’ve known each other. dating your high school ex in college within nine days of mars asking to be friends because she’s overwhelmed? sure, let’s be generous and chalk it up to youthful idiocy. publicly humiliating the supposed love of your life on a new york times interview during the premiere season of the movie adaptation of her bestselling book because you don’t want to be associated with her? dude, shut the fuck up. the level of stupidity you possess to torpedo your career and hers with shitty answers within minutes of almost sleeping with her when there are a million other ways you could’ve phrased your sentiment? ASTRONOMICAL.
am i supposed to believe that the “book as the apology” shtick was enough penance? this ‘tall, multicolor-eyed’ idiot let the love of his life believe that he thinks she’s pathetic for years. it’s not the first time his sense of timing fucked things up. there’s no sense of urgency in his actions, especially in the moments where it would’ve mattered the most. let’s go back to when they broke up: oh shit, i received a scathing rejection letter on the day of my girlfriend’s college graduation. what do i do? that’s right; upend the plans we made about moving to new york together, dump her ass, and walk away. but wait, actually no, scratch that. let me walk back to the house and talk to her. oh, she’s gone? she’s probably at the party we were supposed to attend together. no problem, i’ll just SLEEP IN HER BED TO WAIT FOR HER WITHOUT CALLING HER FIRST THING ABOUT CHANGING MY MIND ON ENDING OUR RELATIONSHIP.
the only consistent thing about west is his inconsistency. one minute he’s telling mars he’ll go anywhere she goes, and the next he’s done and hopes she’ll find happiness elsewhere. their relationship is so great that they tortured not only themselves but also me, the reader.
this feels like a first draft. like i said at the start of my review, i saw the vision - until the execution shattered my proverbial reading glasses and now i can’t see what i’m supposed to be looking at.
this would be better as a movie (inside joke intended).
~.~.~
uh, not sure i like how it only took west 9 days to get back together with the nearest available girl after mars freaked out and asked to be friends. not cool, man.
~.~.~
reading this for the books on books challenge, and am pleasantly surprised that this isn’t my first mcdowell. author characters, second chance romance (college to adulthood) - my catnip duo!
~.~.~
1.25 stars
it started out cute and angsty and i saw the vision, but as the story went on, i can’t shake the feeling that the two leads - mars and west - are just so unhealthy for each other? is no one going to mention the fact that there’s a sense of codependency going on between them, mars more so? she’s west-centered and west-obsessed, and her clear incapacity to function normally when things are rocky with west is something she should’ve taken up with a therapist. it makes me sick to my stomach that she can’t even feel a tincture of joy signing her books at the conference just because she had a nothingburger love spat with her decade-long ex.
this is not to excuse west, who was such a huge loser the entire decade they’ve known each other. dating your high school ex in college within nine days of mars asking to be friends because she’s overwhelmed? sure, let’s be generous and chalk it up to youthful idiocy. publicly humiliating the supposed love of your life on a new york times interview during the premiere season of the movie adaptation of her bestselling book because you don’t want to be associated with her? dude, shut the fuck up. the level of stupidity you possess to torpedo your career and hers with shitty answers within minutes of almost sleeping with her when there are a million other ways you could’ve phrased your sentiment? ASTRONOMICAL.
am i supposed to believe that the “book as the apology” shtick was enough penance? this ‘tall, multicolor-eyed’ idiot let the love of his life believe that he thinks she’s pathetic for years. it’s not the first time his sense of timing fucked things up. there’s no sense of urgency in his actions, especially in the moments where it would’ve mattered the most. let’s go back to when they broke up: oh shit, i received a scathing rejection letter on the day of my girlfriend’s college graduation. what do i do? that’s right; upend the plans we made about moving to new york together, dump her ass, and walk away. but wait, actually no, scratch that. let me walk back to the house and talk to her. oh, she’s gone? she’s probably at the party we were supposed to attend together. no problem, i’ll just SLEEP IN HER BED TO WAIT FOR HER WITHOUT CALLING HER FIRST THING ABOUT CHANGING MY MIND ON ENDING OUR RELATIONSHIP.
the only consistent thing about west is his inconsistency. one minute he’s telling mars he’ll go anywhere she goes, and the next he’s done and hopes she’ll find happiness elsewhere. their relationship is so great that they tortured not only themselves but also me, the reader.
this feels like a first draft. like i said at the start of my review, i saw the vision - until the execution shattered my proverbial reading glasses and now i can’t see what i’m supposed to be looking at.
this would be better as a movie (inside joke intended).
~.~.~
uh, not sure i like how it only took west 9 days to get back together with the nearest available girl after mars freaked out and asked to be friends. not cool, man.
~.~.~
reading this for the books on books challenge, and am pleasantly surprised that this isn’t my first mcdowell. author characters, second chance romance (college to adulthood) - my catnip duo!
Read
March 25, 2026Thank you Berkley Romance for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
Something I love as a reader is following an author’s career from than debut. I have loved Kara McDowell since her YA Christmas romance, One Way Or Another, brought me joy in 2020 to now! I was so excited for her adult romance debut and it did not disappoint.
It’s a second chance romance between two writers that starts in college, so there is mess and passion and heartbreak and yearning. All things I love to find in that trope!
Synopsis:
“It’s been thirteen years since Mars Darling first met West Emerson on a bench outside their writing class. What started out as a friendly rivalry turned into a best friendship and then, for a brief time, a romance. Now over a decade later, as Mars stands at their college campus as a once-esteemed YA fantasy author, ready to take on a book festival, she comes face to face with West—the muse behind her infamous trilogy’s heartthrob hero, the man who betrayed her in the worst way.Mars is determined not to let her comeback tour be ruined by the fact that West is also at the festival as an author. But the longer they are on the campus that holds so many shared memories, the more time they have to untangle their past, and Mars starts to question if maybe it’s not only her writing career that deserves a second chance.Told in two unfolding timelines—Mars and West’s frenzied college days where they grapple with their undeniable connection, and their tension-filled present of heartache and familiar yearning—this charming romance shows that while you can’t rewrite the past, it’s never too late to chase your happily ever after and get back the one that got away.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Writing—I love Kara’s YA books so I couldn’t wait for her adult romance debut! I love how to strings together words.
The Characters—I loved both of them and the side characters! Daphne is such a great friend.
The Dual Timeline—I think it was executed extremely well and left me constantly wanting to turn the page.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
The Reason for the Break Up—From a writing perspective, it was great. From a reader perspective, I wasn’t sure if I should root for this couple. I was genuinely shocked by how hurtful the reasoning was. But! I do think one of the biggest mistakes reviewers can make is truly judging characters instead of going along for the ride with them and learning something.
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 2/5 Overall Rating: 4/5
Something I love as a reader is following an author’s career from than debut. I have loved Kara McDowell since her YA Christmas romance, One Way Or Another, brought me joy in 2020 to now! I was so excited for her adult romance debut and it did not disappoint.
It’s a second chance romance between two writers that starts in college, so there is mess and passion and heartbreak and yearning. All things I love to find in that trope!
Synopsis:
“It’s been thirteen years since Mars Darling first met West Emerson on a bench outside their writing class. What started out as a friendly rivalry turned into a best friendship and then, for a brief time, a romance. Now over a decade later, as Mars stands at their college campus as a once-esteemed YA fantasy author, ready to take on a book festival, she comes face to face with West—the muse behind her infamous trilogy’s heartthrob hero, the man who betrayed her in the worst way.Mars is determined not to let her comeback tour be ruined by the fact that West is also at the festival as an author. But the longer they are on the campus that holds so many shared memories, the more time they have to untangle their past, and Mars starts to question if maybe it’s not only her writing career that deserves a second chance.Told in two unfolding timelines—Mars and West’s frenzied college days where they grapple with their undeniable connection, and their tension-filled present of heartache and familiar yearning—this charming romance shows that while you can’t rewrite the past, it’s never too late to chase your happily ever after and get back the one that got away.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Writing—I love Kara’s YA books so I couldn’t wait for her adult romance debut! I love how to strings together words.
The Characters—I loved both of them and the side characters! Daphne is such a great friend.
The Dual Timeline—I think it was executed extremely well and left me constantly wanting to turn the page.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
The Reason for the Break Up—From a writing perspective, it was great. From a reader perspective, I wasn’t sure if I should root for this couple. I was genuinely shocked by how hurtful the reasoning was. But! I do think one of the biggest mistakes reviewers can make is truly judging characters instead of going along for the ride with them and learning something.
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 2/5 Overall Rating: 4/5
August 5, 2026
i don’t have words rn
January 20, 2026
4 stars 🌟 what a sweet second chance 🥹 this really took me through the ringer but i have no regrets and i absolutely loved westmargot 📖🍊🌸 they were meant for each other, even if it took them 10+ years to figure it out 😊
one of my favorite things about this was the way that margot healed her relationship with her writing ❤️🩹 i think the author did a great job about portraying her emotions from beginning to end and by the epilogue, it truly felt like she made a drastic shift in her mentality towards her work 🥲
sometimes the amount of times they saw each other over the years and something happened got a bit annoying but it all came together in the end (AND THE RED VINES AT THE MOVIE PREMIERE GODDDDD west is my dream man im sorry)
a special thank you to netgalley and berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
one of my favorite things about this was the way that margot healed her relationship with her writing ❤️🩹 i think the author did a great job about portraying her emotions from beginning to end and by the epilogue, it truly felt like she made a drastic shift in her mentality towards her work 🥲
sometimes the amount of times they saw each other over the years and something happened got a bit annoying but it all came together in the end (AND THE RED VINES AT THE MOVIE PREMIERE GODDDDD west is my dream man im sorry)
a special thank you to netgalley and berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
June 6, 2026
✎ᝰ. ★★.5 stars
This book put me on a huge reading slump, I swear the MCs are going to last 3 years tops.
This book put me on a huge reading slump, I swear the MCs are going to last 3 years tops.
June 1, 2026
DNF at 40%
I loved Kara McDowell’s YA series but this one just didn’t work for me. I wasn’t feeling or connecting with the characters.
I loved Kara McDowell’s YA series but this one just didn’t work for me. I wasn’t feeling or connecting with the characters.
June 8, 2026
It’s the worst feeling ever when one of your most anticipated releases gets a two star rating.
I absolutely loved every one of this author’s YA books and was super excited to read her adult debut. Unfortunately, while I normally love this author’s characters, I didn’t like Mars or West at all, either as individual characters or as a couple. Their relationship wasn’t healthy at all, from their weird codependency issues to their random moments of jealousy. They spent most of the book hurting each other. I didn’t see a connection between them at all and I was definitely not rooting for them to end up together. They were definitely a couple that wouldn’t make it a month past the epilogue.
I absolutely loved every one of this author’s YA books and was super excited to read her adult debut. Unfortunately, while I normally love this author’s characters, I didn’t like Mars or West at all, either as individual characters or as a couple. Their relationship wasn’t healthy at all, from their weird codependency issues to their random moments of jealousy. They spent most of the book hurting each other. I didn’t see a connection between them at all and I was definitely not rooting for them to end up together. They were definitely a couple that wouldn’t make it a month past the epilogue.
April 19, 2026
This book means everything to me. Genuinely. I cannot even put into words just how much I love this story. When I started crying, I knew it had easily became a favorite. Holding this one so close to my heart and recommending it to everyone.
Everything about it was perfect. The microtropes, Mars & West and their individual arcs, the ROMANCE (I'm such a bffs to lovers LOVER), the quotes, the setting, the message about forgiveness, happiness, and success–all of it made such an impact on me. This is one of those magical stories that just completely takes me by surprise and ruins me forever with how good it is. I will be rereading this one so many times throughout my lifetime.
It was extra special as a University of Arizona alumni and Tucson native!! I've never read a book that takes place in my slow-paced little hometown, so this meant so much to me. All of the local spots that were mentioned made me feel so deeply nostalgic. Kara NAILED it. I mean CASA VIDEO (ahem and the forbidden section) and GENTLE BENS and EEGEES?? C'mon!!
And West? Oh my gosh that man made the husband list–like HIGH on the list too. Oh my gosh, I am in love with him. He had me swooning every 5 pages.
Ughhhh I wish I could properly convey just how special this book is, but like West–my words fail me!! I'm obsessed with this story and I'm so happy I'm early to the party. Kara, you ate and left no crumbs and I cannot wait to read more of your work!!
Everything about it was perfect. The microtropes, Mars & West and their individual arcs, the ROMANCE (I'm such a bffs to lovers LOVER), the quotes, the setting, the message about forgiveness, happiness, and success–all of it made such an impact on me. This is one of those magical stories that just completely takes me by surprise and ruins me forever with how good it is. I will be rereading this one so many times throughout my lifetime.
It was extra special as a University of Arizona alumni and Tucson native!! I've never read a book that takes place in my slow-paced little hometown, so this meant so much to me. All of the local spots that were mentioned made me feel so deeply nostalgic. Kara NAILED it. I mean CASA VIDEO (ahem and the forbidden section) and GENTLE BENS and EEGEES?? C'mon!!
And West? Oh my gosh that man made the husband list–like HIGH on the list too. Oh my gosh, I am in love with him. He had me swooning every 5 pages.
Ughhhh I wish I could properly convey just how special this book is, but like West–my words fail me!! I'm obsessed with this story and I'm so happy I'm early to the party. Kara, you ate and left no crumbs and I cannot wait to read more of your work!!
December 10, 2025
Big thanks to Berkley Romance for the ARC of this one! This was my first by this author and will definitely not be my last! The story follows two writers who met in college as English majors. Mars is the author of a wildly successful YA romantasy series and West writes Literary Fiction. As a former English teacher and English major myself, so many of the details surrounding their college years were so fun for me, including descriptions of classics that I absolutely did not enjoy either! The book follows Mars and West over the course of their college career and post college as they fall in and out of love. This book was the perfect second chance romance with a slow burn. The tension between the two characters was incredible and despite all of the miscommunication between them. I could see that they were perfect for each other! The timeline goes back and forth between college, in between, and present day when they are seeing each other after many years apart at a book convention at the alma mater. This book was so great and I really loved every detail. It is perfect for all romance lovers, but especially people who love second chance and enjoy some fun literary details. Five stars all around! LOVED IT!
May 3, 2026
The Write Off by Kara McDowell 💌
Such an easy five stars to give this book! A second chance romance told in dual timelines. That's enough to be a book I am going to love but also throwing in the fact that they are both authors that tend to be better with written words than spoken ones with each other. Yeah I ate it up and had the best time reading this.
Mars and West first met their freshman year of college on a bench outside their writing class. The chemistry is immediately there, but there's many phases to their relationship through college... rivalry, friendship, and romance. But in the present day Mars and West haven't spoken in years. Mars has been focused on redeeming her author career after facing backlash with how she wrapped up her best selling YA trilogy. There's more to the story there though as one of the main characters in her book is heavily inspired by West. So when West betrays her mid-way through writing the series, she makes a decision to end the series in a way that upsets fans. As part of her comeback with a new book, she attends a festival on her old college campus and comes face to face with West who is also an attending author. Surrounded by memories, it's finally time for them to face their past and maybe get a second chance.
This was a book that I didn't want to put down. I needed to know what had happened in their past that caused them to not speak to each other for so long. There's so much tension between them in the present as things are slowly revealed in the past timeline. I loved seeing all the pining from them both in both timelines. It felt very much like a situation of the right person but repeated wrong times. Both Mars and West play a role in wrong doings in their past too. They are flawed characters that needed additional time to grow apart and then continue to grow together. I can definitely see this being a book that I come back and reread and I am very much looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.
🫶🏼 second chance
⏰ dual timeline
📖 book about books (both authors)
❤️🔥 slow burn
🥺 so much yearning and pining
single POV
5/5 stars ⭐️
1/5 spice level 🌶️
Such an easy five stars to give this book! A second chance romance told in dual timelines. That's enough to be a book I am going to love but also throwing in the fact that they are both authors that tend to be better with written words than spoken ones with each other. Yeah I ate it up and had the best time reading this.
Mars and West first met their freshman year of college on a bench outside their writing class. The chemistry is immediately there, but there's many phases to their relationship through college... rivalry, friendship, and romance. But in the present day Mars and West haven't spoken in years. Mars has been focused on redeeming her author career after facing backlash with how she wrapped up her best selling YA trilogy. There's more to the story there though as one of the main characters in her book is heavily inspired by West. So when West betrays her mid-way through writing the series, she makes a decision to end the series in a way that upsets fans. As part of her comeback with a new book, she attends a festival on her old college campus and comes face to face with West who is also an attending author. Surrounded by memories, it's finally time for them to face their past and maybe get a second chance.
This was a book that I didn't want to put down. I needed to know what had happened in their past that caused them to not speak to each other for so long. There's so much tension between them in the present as things are slowly revealed in the past timeline. I loved seeing all the pining from them both in both timelines. It felt very much like a situation of the right person but repeated wrong times. Both Mars and West play a role in wrong doings in their past too. They are flawed characters that needed additional time to grow apart and then continue to grow together. I can definitely see this being a book that I come back and reread and I am very much looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.
🫶🏼 second chance
⏰ dual timeline
📖 book about books (both authors)
❤️🔥 slow burn
🥺 so much yearning and pining
single POV
5/5 stars ⭐️
1/5 spice level 🌶️
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The Write Off 📝📚📖🎓🏫
DNF @ 15%
Thank you to Berkley Romance for the gifted arc! #berkley #berkleypartner
I really tried to love this one, but it just wasn’t working for me. The synopsis was giving me the same energy as Beach Read but with a more academic setting, so I was immediately intrigued. I love a good second chance romance, especially when there’s a dual timeline in play, but it felt really disconnected in this book.
The first chapter immediately drew me in, and I’m sorry to say that it was all downhill from there. I have read McDowell in the past and didn’t enjoy her YA work, but I didn’t realize that this adult romance was hers when I downloaded it. That’s not to say that I don’t think that I could enjoy an author’s work that I previously haven’t, but I did unfortunately have the same issues with this book as her previous.
The writing in this book (as far as I got) was extremely spoon-fed and all telling, no showing. I felt like the FMC wasn’t very likeable, and there wasn’t anything about her that I felt like I could relate to. The MMC felt like he should’ve been giving off hot bad boy energy but instead made me cringe. I also felt like the FMC’s gripes towards her readers and the publishing process felt a little too realistic to have been fiction, and it makes me feel as though that’s how McDowell feels. That’s 100% an assumption on my part, and I’m not making any claims or accusations, but it just didn’t feel good to read.
I do think that this book will find an audience who will love and enjoy it. While that wasn’t me, unfortunately, I wish it and McDowell the best of luck!
DNF @ 15%
Thank you to Berkley Romance for the gifted arc! #berkley #berkleypartner
I really tried to love this one, but it just wasn’t working for me. The synopsis was giving me the same energy as Beach Read but with a more academic setting, so I was immediately intrigued. I love a good second chance romance, especially when there’s a dual timeline in play, but it felt really disconnected in this book.
The first chapter immediately drew me in, and I’m sorry to say that it was all downhill from there. I have read McDowell in the past and didn’t enjoy her YA work, but I didn’t realize that this adult romance was hers when I downloaded it. That’s not to say that I don’t think that I could enjoy an author’s work that I previously haven’t, but I did unfortunately have the same issues with this book as her previous.
The writing in this book (as far as I got) was extremely spoon-fed and all telling, no showing. I felt like the FMC wasn’t very likeable, and there wasn’t anything about her that I felt like I could relate to. The MMC felt like he should’ve been giving off hot bad boy energy but instead made me cringe. I also felt like the FMC’s gripes towards her readers and the publishing process felt a little too realistic to have been fiction, and it makes me feel as though that’s how McDowell feels. That’s 100% an assumption on my part, and I’m not making any claims or accusations, but it just didn’t feel good to read.
I do think that this book will find an audience who will love and enjoy it. While that wasn’t me, unfortunately, I wish it and McDowell the best of luck!
April 5, 2026
The Write Off is a dual timeline, second chance, right person wrong time, romance filled with tension and yearning.
I love books that talk about books and the literary space and this one gave perspective of struggling authors and authors who have made it, which was intriguing!
Margot and West meet as college students and part as enemies. When we meet them in the present timeline, they have severed all connections and Margot absolutely hates West. However, she’s back at their old college grounds for a book event and somehow gets roped into doing a panel with him.
The underlying reasoning behind them becoming enemies was what had me hooked with this book. You see these two who are absolutely perfect for one another when they first meet to not really knowing why there’s such animosity with each other and it was really fun to uncover.
The reasoning behind their first break up… fine… they’re college kids I can see it. The second one… woof. All to have a semi third act break up at the end was a little rough for me but I still enjoyed the book nonetheless.
I love books that talk about books and the literary space and this one gave perspective of struggling authors and authors who have made it, which was intriguing!
Margot and West meet as college students and part as enemies. When we meet them in the present timeline, they have severed all connections and Margot absolutely hates West. However, she’s back at their old college grounds for a book event and somehow gets roped into doing a panel with him.
The underlying reasoning behind them becoming enemies was what had me hooked with this book. You see these two who are absolutely perfect for one another when they first meet to not really knowing why there’s such animosity with each other and it was really fun to uncover.
The reasoning behind their first break up… fine… they’re college kids I can see it. The second one… woof. All to have a semi third act break up at the end was a little rough for me but I still enjoyed the book nonetheless.
April 11, 2026
3.5 stars
I'm a sucker for a dual timeline and this one sounded so good.
I liked Mars and West. They're both anxious and unsure. There is instant chemistry, banter, and a sweetness only captured with first love. All of this had me rooting for them right from the start...even when I struggled to get invested.
Plot wise, it's a slow start. I did enjoy the past/present chapters; however, it still felt like we were being told everything and the hints of The Thing started to annoy me as it took forever to find out what happened. The loads of inner monologue (when all I wanted was open conversations) finally paid off as the adults were able to finally say what they meant.
Overall, the characters kept me interested and last few chapters were exactly what I wanted, but I also could have just skipped to the last bit to find out and been happy.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I'm a sucker for a dual timeline and this one sounded so good.
I liked Mars and West. They're both anxious and unsure. There is instant chemistry, banter, and a sweetness only captured with first love. All of this had me rooting for them right from the start...even when I struggled to get invested.
Plot wise, it's a slow start. I did enjoy the past/present chapters; however, it still felt like we were being told everything and the hints of The Thing started to annoy me as it took forever to find out what happened. The loads of inner monologue (when all I wanted was open conversations) finally paid off as the adults were able to finally say what they meant.
Overall, the characters kept me interested and last few chapters were exactly what I wanted, but I also could have just skipped to the last bit to find out and been happy.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
April 16, 2026
I really thought I was going to be in love with this book and there were a lot of elements I did love, but the conflict really set me back. Mars and West meet the first semester of college and keep meeting. They end up dating and she bases her MMC on him. Her books become super popular and then when their relationship tanks, so does the last book. There is a lot that happens in the 13 years that they know one another, but ultimately he wants her back and knows he was an idiot.
I felt awful for Margo, but I also was annoyed by her at times. She easily forgave him for something I would have needed a lot more groveling for. It was honestly wild to me after what happened to her career because of him. It is safe to say, these two do belong together.
I felt awful for Margo, but I also was annoyed by her at times. She easily forgave him for something I would have needed a lot more groveling for. It was honestly wild to me after what happened to her career because of him. It is safe to say, these two do belong together.
May 31, 2026
The Write Off is everything I want in a second chance romance: messy history, unbearable tension, and two people who were never really done with each other—even when they tried to be.
Mars and West have that “we were everything once and now we’re strangers who know each other too well” kind of energy that just hurts in the best way. The dual timelines add so much depth, you’re watching them fall in love and fall apart at the same time.
And the audiobook? Brittany Pressley makes every bit of longing feel personal.
📚 rivals → lovers
💔 second chance heartbreak
✍️ authors + academic setting
⏳ decade of unresolved feelings
Mars and West have that “we were everything once and now we’re strangers who know each other too well” kind of energy that just hurts in the best way. The dual timelines add so much depth, you’re watching them fall in love and fall apart at the same time.
And the audiobook? Brittany Pressley makes every bit of longing feel personal.
📚 rivals → lovers
💔 second chance heartbreak
✍️ authors + academic setting
⏳ decade of unresolved feelings
April 8, 2026
This was such a fun book! Admittedly wasn’t a fan of the MMC at his introduction, but quickly turned around; he perfectly complements the quirky FMC. I’m a big fan of alternating timelines and thought the second chance romance was well done. There’s also always something fun and nostalgic reading a story about characters who write and love to read; it felt very relatable, and the descriptions were great. The storyline is interesting and I enjoyed the romance.
Thank you Berkley Romance for the eARC.
Thank you Berkley Romance for the eARC.
April 22, 2026
CRIED I CRIED *que where’s my husband* because West was UGHHHHH
I absolutely adored this one! It was sweet, swoon worthy, and a beautiful second chance love story!
I adore a good book about writing/ books and this delivered! Told in dual timeline with banter for miles and miles I loved it!!! I love how real Mars and West were, I truly fell in love with them.
“I just want to know you Mars, sue me”
I absolutely adored this one! It was sweet, swoon worthy, and a beautiful second chance love story!
I adore a good book about writing/ books and this delivered! Told in dual timeline with banter for miles and miles I loved it!!! I love how real Mars and West were, I truly fell in love with them.
“I just want to know you Mars, sue me”
July 19, 2026
An angsty romance that celebrated all things literary, THE WRITE OFF was an emotional debut by Kara McDowell that wove the past and present together for a couple whose timing just never seemed right. But the connection between Mars and West was never in question. It was West's secretiveness and, in some ways, Mars' ambition, that drove a wedge between them... Read More
April 6, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
May 12, 2026
Although it was extremely drawn out, really enjoyed the story.
May 31, 2026
A perfect read for any former Wildcat or T-Loc.
The book instantly brought me back to my college days at UofA! It was so nostalgic. I loved Mars and West and it was probably the most infuriating friends to lovers to enemies to lovers book I’ve ever read.
Only critique is the audiobook narrator mispronounced T-Loc and saguaro, but I’ve definitely encouraged the mispronounced saguaro an endless amount of times.
The book instantly brought me back to my college days at UofA! It was so nostalgic. I loved Mars and West and it was probably the most infuriating friends to lovers to enemies to lovers book I’ve ever read.
Only critique is the audiobook narrator mispronounced T-Loc and saguaro, but I’ve definitely encouraged the mispronounced saguaro an endless amount of times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2026
Cute book! The familiarity of the Tucson Festival of Books was quite nice.
I do have issues with second-chance romance, but it was well done.
I do have issues with second-chance romance, but it was well done.
April 26, 2026
If you live or are from Tuscon, I highly recommend this book. There’s so many cute Tuscon nods (gentle bens, U of A, bison witches, and more). Really enjoyed it
May 6, 2026
Mars and West met as university freshmen in a creative writing class and quickly developed a friendly rivalry that toyed with something more as two of the most talented writers in their year. Flash-forward to a decade later at an author convention held at their old alma mater, and Mars is doing everything in her power to avoid any interaction between the two of them. Will they find a way to break through the years of miscommunication and hurt to give their spark a second chance?
Told through a multi-timeline perspective where we are following along with the current plot line that primarily takes place over a few days at the writers festival, while simultaneously learning about what has made their relationship crash and burn in the past. I thought this was a really effective way to develop the story while keeping me guessing about what had caused the ultimate rupture that lead to the present-day tension. This book was a little outside of my comfort zone, as I don't typically pick up contemporary romance, but the writer-centric storyline and the long messy friends-rivals-enemies-lovers-and-back-again arc intrigued me, and I am so glad I gave this a chance as I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Mars' books have developed a devoted fanbase who have strong feelings about both the main character that she somewhat-accidentally based on West and the man himself. The fan-creator dynamic is fascinating to watch play out and mirrored how enmeshed fandom can become in a celebrity's real life in the social media age, especially if that celebrity has documented aspects of a relationship in their art.
I would recommend this to any reader who likes contemporary romance and doesn't mind a few open door scenes, those who enjoy stories the centre around writing and books, anyone who has ever been involved in a fandom, and especially for people that like reading about all the pining that happens in a decade-long situationship.
*DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher, Berkley, through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.*
Told through a multi-timeline perspective where we are following along with the current plot line that primarily takes place over a few days at the writers festival, while simultaneously learning about what has made their relationship crash and burn in the past. I thought this was a really effective way to develop the story while keeping me guessing about what had caused the ultimate rupture that lead to the present-day tension. This book was a little outside of my comfort zone, as I don't typically pick up contemporary romance, but the writer-centric storyline and the long messy friends-rivals-enemies-lovers-and-back-again arc intrigued me, and I am so glad I gave this a chance as I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Mars' books have developed a devoted fanbase who have strong feelings about both the main character that she somewhat-accidentally based on West and the man himself. The fan-creator dynamic is fascinating to watch play out and mirrored how enmeshed fandom can become in a celebrity's real life in the social media age, especially if that celebrity has documented aspects of a relationship in their art.
I would recommend this to any reader who likes contemporary romance and doesn't mind a few open door scenes, those who enjoy stories the centre around writing and books, anyone who has ever been involved in a fandom, and especially for people that like reading about all the pining that happens in a decade-long situationship.
*DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher, Berkley, through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.*
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February 24, 2026full rtc
Thank you, NetGalley, and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2026
There's just something about books set in the book world that manage to be elite - what reader doesn't want to hear about the inner workings of writers or readers?!? Kara McDowell's The Write Off was a surprise 5 star read for me - enemies to lovers and second chance romance - two of my favorite tropes. HIGHLY recommend picking this one up!
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