With just three weeks to go until You Had Me at Waffles: The Story of Emily and Adam launches on August 15, I thought I was in the home stretch. The manuscript had gone through rounds of edits. It had been beta read. It was already available for preorder on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. I have my ARC reading team lined up (with the final manuscript to go out this week. All systems go.
And then, two weeks ago, one of my beta readers came back with a strong suggestion.
She loved the story—funny banter, warm characters, slow-burn romance—but she felt something was missing at the end. Specifically, she wanted the love letter (a central emotional misunderstanding) to resurface. She felt the story needed a more honest resolution between the main characters, Emily and Adam.
I’ll admit—I rejected it at first.
Other beta readers had praised the manuscript. I felt confident in the original ending. So I thanked her and moved on.
But then… another beta reader independently gave the same feedback.
That gave me pause.
I sat with it. I re-read the scenes in question. I even asked another trusted beta reader who had come back with some minor feedback what she thought about changing the ending. Her response? “The original version is fine, but yeah—I can see why having Adam come clean about the letter would feel more satisfying.”
So I made the difficult decision to change it.
And honestly? Although it was A LOT of work, some stress, and everything needing to happen in a very short period of time…
… the story is so much better.
The original version of the story had Adam keeping the love letter a secret. He’d found it by accident, believed Emily had written it about him, and held onto it. Later in the story, he discovers the letter was never about him. He’s hurt, but gets over it. And throughout the story, he never brings it up again, even when Emily ponders where it went. He eventually decides the letter never mattered—that what they have now was real.
It worked “fine” over all. Adam’s growth arc was the realization the letter never mattered. I thought this was sufficient But the updated version works better.
Bringing the letter back into the story gave both characters more depth. It introduced more emotional tension. It required Adam to be honest and vulnerable, and Emily to respond in a way that felt earned. It didn’t just tie up loose ends—it strengthened the entire resolution.
Yes, it took two full weekends and many late nights to make the change and rework the scenes throughout the manuscript to ensure consistency. But I’m so glad I listened to the feedback.
And, on reflection, this is why beta readers matter.
As authors, we’re often too close to our work. We know what we meant to say, even if it’s not quite landing on the page. That’s why outside feedback is so valuable—especially from thoughtful beta readers (family, friends, book friends you meet on socials, etc) who want your book to succeed.
Sometimes they see what we don’t. Or they help us realize that “fine” isn’t good enough.
This experience reminds me that being open to change doesn’t mean you didn’t write a good story. It means you’re open to feedback and willing to make it better.
So now, You Had Me at Waffles: The Story of Emily and Adam is back on track—polished, emotionally resonant, and (hopefully!) even more satisfying for readers. It launches August 15, and I can’t wait for you to read it.
Have you ever made a major change to a story at the last minute? I’d love to hear how it went.
—Tracy
www.tracywrightbooks.com
