The Write Off - by Kara McDowell (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"The Write Off is the perfect romance for anyone with a love for books! Kara McDowell has crafted a second chance romance that captures not just a beautiful love story, but an honest look at relationships in the bookish community and how they impact authors. I found myself applauding the relatability just as often as I was swooning! If you have ever wondered what it's like to be an author, The Write Off is a must read!"--Falon Ballard, USA Today bestselling author of Toe to Toe

"The Write Off is a second chance love story that is just as swoony as it is beautifully devastating. I was hooked from the very first page, and I couldn't put it down for a single second. Let it be known: Kara McDowell is creating absolute art."--Julie Olivia, USA Today bestselling author of If It Makes You Happy

"Some couples are just written in the stars, and that's Mars and West in Kara McDowell's The Write Off. I love all their tension when they're rival authors both nursing broken hearts and resentments from their first draft at a relationship, and then I love their history and tenderness toward each other as they work their way through a revision a full decade later. There's pining and then there's next-level pining (writing thinly veiled references to how much you love each other into your books). I was rooting for their happily ever after from page one!"--Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Never Been Shipped

"Laced with nostalgia and electric chemistry, The Write Off is an intimate second-chance romance that captures the delicious ache of two beautifully flawed people who can't help but orbit each other. Kara McDowell deftly weaves past and present into a story pulsing with yearning and forgiveness, delivering a hard-won love you can't help but root for."--Ali Brady, USA Today bestselling author of Battle of the Bookstores

"An exquisitely told story about the lasting power of first loves, the magic of storytelling, and the power of forgiveness. Between the beautiful writing, one-of-a-kind characters, and propelling storyline, I couldn't put this one down."--Sarah T. Dubb, author of Birding with Benefits

"Witty and writerly, McDowell's romance debut crackles with enemies-to-lovers sparks and charges every page with Mars and West's undeniable tension. Unraveling their dual timelines with deft insight, The Write Off is the bookish rom-com our shelves needed."--Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of The Roughest Draft

"The Write Off is heartfelt, honest, and beautifully written. The love story between Mars and West is whimsical and aspirational, while also masterfully realistic. This is second chance at its best!"--Neely Tubati Alexander, USA Today bestselling author of Courtroom Drama

"[Mars and West's] chemistry is intense, even as their own stubbornness keeps them apart. Their very human flaws are on display as West struggles with feelings of inadequacy and Mars places her sense of self-worth solely on her success as a writer. Their youthful foibles make it easy to see why their relationship struggled, and McDowell expertly shows how they've grown and changed over the years. A delightfully bookish second-chance romance with plenty of angst."--Kirkus, starred review

"[West and Mars'] chemistry is undeniable, and readers will pine just as hard as they have for a second chance, even as each attempt seems to push them further and further from lovers to enemies. She and he are equally complex, the romance is messy, and the behind-the-scenes world of authors, books, and fandom feels genuine. Mars' backstory and West's betrayal are both heartbreaking and tender, capturing all the emotion of the very best rom-coms. Highly recommended for fans of Emily Henry and Emma Lord."--Booklist, starred review

"Switching back and forth in time between college and the present, we get a satisfying view of the entire arc of their relationship. Full of fun winks that fans of romantic reads will just get, The Write off is a gift to rom-com lovers everywhere."--Apple Books

About the Author

Kara McDowell writes romantic comedies for teens and adults including The Prince & the Apocalypse, One Way or Another, This Might Get Awkward, and others. She lives with her husband and three sons in Mesa, Arizona, where she divides her time between writing, baking, and wishing for rain.