Second chance romance books are not everyone’s cup of tea, but they are surely mine. One of my favorite books has this trope, and when done right, these books are so emotional, so full of yearning that you can’t resist them. Of course, finding the ones where the original reason for breaking up isn’t something ridiculous, or at the very least still true when the couple rekindles their relationship is so hard.
But I read so much of this trope that find them I did. Below you’ll find my favorite second chance romance books (the very best, might I add), so I hope you love them as much as I did.
Persuasion by Jane Austen
“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant.”
This is the classic of second chance romances, the quintessential story of lovers being brought back together after circumstances (and bad choices) have torn them apart. Anne and Wentworth were deeply in love years ago and were meant to marry, but someone talks Anne out of it because Wentworth wasn’t a rich man.
Now, years later, Anne is still unmarried and unhappy, but Wentworth is back, now with money and respect, and she’s forced to spend time in his company as other people try to set him up with other women. It’s heartbreaking and hopeful, and so, so good!
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
“But you still haven’t said you love me.”
“That’s not true.”
“You haven’t.”
“I say it all the time, I just say it very, very quietly. I tell you when you’re in another room, or right after we hang up the phone. I tell you when you’ve got headphones on. I say it after you shut the door behind you. I say it in my head every time you look at me.”
This is my favorite contemporary romance book of all time. In it, Nicholas and Naomi are engaged, but the wedding prep and life together isn’t all Naomi hoped for, and she wants out. It seems Nicholas wants out too, but neither will back out of the wedding first, so they begin a prank war that may or may not make them see each other as they truly are, no filters or lies. And that leads to some interesting things. Just go read it, it’s a legendary book, and so funny too! You can also take a look at my full review here.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
“He’s become my best friend the way the others did. Bit by bit, sand passing through an hour glass so slowly, it’s impossible to pin down the moment it happens. When suddenly, more of my heart belongs to him than doesn’t, and I know I’ll never get a single grain back.”
This book made me believe in Emily Henry again. I loved Beach Read, then hated People We Meet on Vacation and Book Lovers, but this book brought me back into the fan fold again.
It follows our two main characters, Harriet and Wyn, who broke up six months ago, and now they’re both coming to a friend-cation, where they find out two of their friends are getting married. Too afraid to mess everyone’s joy up, they pretend to still be dating, even though their hearts are still broken and raw.
But being forced to spend time with each other might also make them have some difficult (and much needed) conversations. I cannot tell you how many times this book made me cry or at least tear up. I loved the story, loved the themes and the romance was so full of yearning and melancholy and regret and swoon. You can see my full review of Happy Place here.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
“One thing,” she whispered, her lips by his jaw. She didn’t want anyone to overhear. “Before I forget.”
“What’s that?”
“Stop writing about me.”
Only Eva could’ve noticed the change in his expression. She saw the flinch. The slow, satisfied curl of his lip. His bronzy-amber eyes flashing. It was like he’d been waiting years to hear those words. Like the girl whose pigtails he’d been yanking during recess all year had finally shoved him back. He looked gratified. In a voice both raspy and low, and so, so familiar, Shane said, “You first.”
Seven Days in June feels both so literary and so swoony, you won’t know what hit you! Our heroes are both writers — the heroine writes spicy vampire stories, and the hero snobby litfic — but they have never met since their whirlwind affair when they were teenagers. Now they finally see each other again at a panel, and this first interaction is so steamy (no better word for it) without them ever touching. The heroine also has a chronic illness and a daughter, so if you’re looking for something relatable, give this one a try.
Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt
“If you won’t have me back anymore, then I’ll find you in the next life. You are the only thing that makes me believe in that. In something bigger than myself. The way I have felt about you has been the only thing that’s felt like … like it can’t be contained in one body or lifetime.”
Wren and Ellis used to be married and madly in love, but then something happened, and their marriage fell apart. But they still have feelings for each other, so when they move their son into his new dorm at college, they take the scenic route back home in order to see if their yearning can ever be more or if they’ll have to let each other go. I had mixed feelings about previous Tarah DeWitt books (loved Funny Feelings, disliked Savor it), so I didn’t know what to expect and this book blew me away.
Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade
“He didn’t bother answering her question. Asked his own instead. “You legally obligated to be a pain in my ass, Dearborn?” “No.” She lifted her latte, lips still curved. “Just constitutionally inclined.”
If you want childhood friends who could have been more, turned into something resentful, then to strangers then to lovers, I highly recommend this book. It’s about Karl and Molly who were good friends in high school but after he starts dating a popular girl, their friendship fell apart.
Molly moves away, marries, divorces, starts narrating monster romance, and Karl never forgets her (so much so that he listens to her audiobooks out loud in his bakery; yes, he bakes). And then Molly sees an obituary for Karl and rushes back to his home town to see what’s up. Imagine her surprise when Karl is alive and well, and their feelings are far from being in the past.
The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary
“He’s not looking at me like he’s never seen me before. He’s looking at me like he’s never seen anyone else.”
The Road Trip has a questionable component that makes people dislike it sometimes, but if you can look past it, it’s a really good second chance romance and the yearning is so good. It’s especially great if you want a bit of enemies to lovers in there as well.
So, the story follows Addie and her sister as they set out on a road trip to a wedding. Unfortunately, they get into a car crash with her ex’s car. Him (Dylan) and his friend are heading to the same wedding, so they all pack into the same car even though there’s two years of resentment and secrets between Addie and Dylan.
All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles
“It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”
If you’re up for some historical romance with a sprinkle of horror, mystery and gothic vibes, All of Us Murderers is the book for you.
It follows Zeb, who heads to his cousin’s house after a dreadful break up and still-ongoing recovery from it in London. He’s never met the cousin and he normally avoids his family, but the cousin was so persistent and seemed so nice that he actually goes.
But then he finds that his ex, Gideon, is also there, working as a secretary, and worse, his whole family is there. Unfortunately, much as he wants to escape almost immediately, the house is so isolated and set in such a dangerous area that he can find no way out which only pushes Gideon and him together. See my full review of this book here.
Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle
“Why did you have to be so pretty? It’s such a waste, whenever I have to look at anything else. The worst part is I’ve always known it, had to go too many years looking at too many other faces. Knew the whole time what I was missing. Knew that being satisfied with anyone else would be impossible.”
Old Flames and New Fortunes is a cozy romance that leans very fantastical. It follows a family of witches who have a flower-slash-candle-slash-bookshop (every girl’s dream) in a small town.
This first book is about Romina who once had a boy she loved desperately but then something happens and they’re torn apart. Now he’s back in town and seriously after her, determined to rekindle their relationship while she’s scared of heartbreak and busy trying to save their shop. You can see my full review of this book here.
A Foolish Flirtation by Alice Coldbreath
“Jeremy felt the laughter bubbling up inside him but knew it would be a mistake to let it out. God, he had forgotten how much he liked talking with her. It was so strange how she still had the ability to make him feel like the world was a better place simply by being in her presence.”
If you’re after some fun historical romance with one of the most well-loved heroes ever written, then this is your book. The story follows Emmeline whose father is a city trader and he spends a lot of money on one season for his daughter so she can meet and marry a nobleman.
And it seems to be going well, at least in Emmeline’s eyes, as the handsome Jeremy Vance takes a liking to her. But everyone else is warning her that she’s just a game to him — which unfortunately turns out to be true at the end of season when he marries another woman.
Now it’s ten years later and Jeremy and Emmeline meet again after his divorce and he offers her marriage this time, but can he be trusted? Find out in this book.
In the Weeds by B.K. Borison
“I swear I’ve turned into the tin man since she started sleeping in my house. A bunch of rattling cans, looking around for where the hell my heart got off to.”
In the Weeds is a second chance romance about Evelyn and Beckett who had a lovely weekend one time and never met again. But that doesn’t mean they stopped thinking about each other.
So when Evelyn comes to the farm where Beckett works to do a social media campaign, they have to face each other and figure out if what they had could be something more or not. This is the second book in the Lovelight Farms series, but you don’t need to read the previous one to get this one.
The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne
“You’ll never be rid of me now.” It would have been a tease from a less serious man, but coming from Dorian, it sounded like a dire warning. “You may come to regret it. My demons will haunt our lives.”
Farah reached for his wrist, stilling his hand and capturing his eyes with her own to make certain he understood her words. “I don’t mind battling a few demons when I’m living with their king.” She smiled. “And I think, after a time, we’ll chase them away together.”
The Highwayman will break your heart but you’ll love it. The story follows Farah, who once upon a time married her childhood best friend when they were both orphans. Tragedy tore them apart and now he’s dead and Farah lives alone in London, helping solve cases with the police.
She has no interest in romance, but then the notorious criminal Dorian kidnaps her and offers her marriage in exchange for protection (she has a secret that has people chasing her), and they’re forced together by choice and circumstance.
Final Thoughts
I hope you found the second chance romance of your dreams on this list. I love all of these books so much that I cannot recommend them enough, but if you happen to dislike all of them, just drop me a comment below and I’ll help you find something you’ll love based on your specific needs. If you prefer to browse on your own, some of the best places to start are these:
- You can find my favorite romance books of all time here.
- And my favorite fantasy romance books are here.
- I read a lot of historical romance, so you can find the very best I’ve read here.
- Plus, some excellent slow burn (if that’s what you like) here.
- If you want rom-coms only, you should try my favorite contemporary romance books.
- And if you prefer high-brow literature but still some swoon, you can find my favorite classics with romance here.
What’s your favorite second-chance romance book? Let me know in the comments and let’s chat!
