Second chances are hard to come by, and they are even harder to dish out. This is even more so the case when it comes to relationships. Infidelity and unfaithfulness can be difficult to forgive, and this means that romance novels all about forgiveness can be incredibly exciting.
Reading as characters navigate through their complicated feelings can be very exciting and illuminating, and thus you may want to read through a number of novels all about the topic.
Luckily, you have come to just the right place, because today we are going to take a deep dive into this specific world of romantic fiction to find the very best romantic books about second chances!
There are some great picks on this list, so make sure to read on down below, because we can’t wait to show you what we have chosen!
1. Love And Other Words - Christina Lauren
This amazing book is entirely focused on what it means to allow someone to have a second chance at love. The book follows a dual narrative, with each chapter focusing on a different period of time.
Some chapters focus on protagonist Macy Sorensen’s first encounters with Elliot Petropoulos, while other chapters focus on her new re-encounters with the man, years after he first broke her heart.
This dual narrative comes together so magically by its end, and it’s a total page-turner throughout.
2. Ghosted - J.M. Darhower
This book, set against the backdrop of modern Hollywood, and our modern obsession with superheroes and franchises, follows two characters who once bonded over their shared love of comic books, and, secretly, their shared love of one another.
However, as the years have passed, the two have become distant, with very different lifestyles. Jonathan Cunningham is now the lead actor of the most popular superhero franchise, and Kennedy Garfield now lives a monotonous life as a store clerk. But their lives are about to collide together again once more.
Seeing how these two totally different lifestyles clash and conflict is rather heartwarming, and gives way to a joyous celebration of love.
3. RoomHate - Penelope Ward
What is the difference between love and hate? Could they perhaps be more deeply intertwined than we thought? This book seeks to investigate and find out!
The story follows a girl who inherits a grand house on a secluded island from her late grandmother. The only problem is, the ownership is shared with a man she once broke the heart of!
This gives way to a tense and fiery story as the two try to navigate living in the home together despite hating one another. But can they rediscover their old love?
4. Every Summer After - Carley Fortune
Persephone Fraser used to love visiting the Lakeshores of Barry’s Bay, until personal circumstances got in the way, and prevented her from ever connecting with others again.
However, one year she finds herself heading back to the bay, and, ultimately, back into contact with Sam Florek, a man she once loved with all her heart.
What starts as an awkward reunion between two former lovers soon turns into a series of beautiful scenes as the two slowly open back up to one another and try to rekindle the flames of their old passions.
5. Something Wilder - Christina Lauren
What can make a romance all the more spicy and exciting? Try adding a sense of grand adventure! This amazing novel from Christina Lauren features a second-chance story, but backdrops it against a fabulous hunt for hidden treasure!
The story follows Lily Wilder, the daughter of a former treasure hunter who now takes tourists on fake treasure hunts across the world.
However, after a tour goes wrong, Lily, and her unwanted charge, her former lover Leo Grady, must work together to discover the treasure that is more real than they ever thought before!
6. The Sweet Gum Tree - Katherine Allred
This story starts with the early days of its central couple as young Alix French cares for the wounds of young Nick Anderson, the frequent target of bullies. From here develops a years-long friendship, until Nick suddenly disappears from Alix’s life.
Years later, Alix, having already been divorced, and now working at a booming business, finds herself face-to-face with Nick. Childhood memories flood back as Alix wonders whether to take Nick back!
7. Swear On This Life - Renee Carlino
When UC San Diego writing instructor Emiline finds herself encountering a beautiful book about lost love between two childhood friends, she cannot help but identify with the story, especially when it seems to be so closely based on her own childhood memories.
This leads Emiline to believe that the hugely successful novel could only have been written by her own lost friend Jase. She soon sets out on a quest to reconnect with Jase, but what she finds may surprise her!
8. Say You Still Love Me - K.A. Tucker
Moving on from old loves can be a difficult endeavor, and this novel sees protagonist Piper Calloway trying to do exactly that. The trouble is, it isn’t exactly easy to hide away from such strong feelings!
With her career blooming, and her lifestyle being one of extravagance, Piper initially finds herself resistant to reconnecting with her first lover, Kyle Miller, now a security guard. How will Piper manage to stay on top of her burgeoning career when all she can think about is Kyle?
9. Stepbrother Dearest - Penelope Ward
This story follows the controversial love that our protagonist feels for the stepbrother that once tormented her. She only knew him for a short amount of time, and he resented his status as ‘stepbrother’ the entire time.
However, when our protagonist finds herself needing to reconnect with this stepbrother years later, in the wake of a family tragedy, she soon finds herself feeling some of those early teenage feelings once again… But how will she navigate it all?
10. Before We Were Strangers - Renee Carlino
Craigslist, the popular bulletin board website hosts a ‘Missed Connections’ board, which allows users to make posts calling out to reconnect with people met only fleetingly.
This story in particular follows one such post from a woman attempting to reconnect with someone she once met at NYU, the man who lived in the dorm next to hers.
What follows her posts is a riveting story about love reconnecting after many years, and you’ll easily feel your heart racing with the passion that flows from the page!
11. Twice In A Blue Moon - Christina Lauren
First loves and first heartbreaks. It’s amazing the impact that such things can have on our lives, and how long they can leave a shadow on our every waking moment.
Protagonist Tate still remembers her first love as the whirlwind romance that it was, so much so that she is often able to overlook the betrayal that Sam leveled against her.
Now that the two are forced to reconnect on the set of their next movie, Tate must now consider whether Sam is worth taking back, and what her feelings have meant all these years.
12. It Ends With Us - Colleen Hoover
Lily finds herself developing a wonderful relationship with Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon renowned for his skills. However, Ryle is resistant to ending up in a relationship, and as Lily seeks to find out what made Ryle so closed off, she soon finds herself in contact with her old lover, Atlas Corrigan.
Atlas Corrigan is the last link that Lily has to her past life, so what will she do when she is given the chance to return to that life? Will she put her new life under threat of collapse?
13. Seven Days In June - Tia Williams
This is a romantic novel simply made for lovers of the genre. The reason for this is that it is entirely focused on the blooming romance of two former lovers who are now bestselling authors!
This book is not only deeply romantic but is also deeply entrenched in the black experience, and also touches on experiences with motherhood!
14. The Unwanted Wife - Natasha Anders
With a title like that, how could you possibly resist the pull of this amazing novel? How about when we tell you just how amazing its story is?
This book is centered around a wife who feels unwanted, but before she can ask for a divorce, her husband asks her to give birth to a son.
This book is a little darker than some of the rest, as our protagonist grapples with her situation, and whether she is willing to concede to her husband’s request.
15. Vicious - L.J. Shen
This is another book that examines the potential similarities between love and hate, and it has some remarkably interesting observations to make!
The story follows our protagonist as she deals with her complicated feelings surrounding her former lover, who is the sole reason that she fled from home over ten years ago. But what will she do when she finds herself encountering him directly? Where will her heart lead her?
Summary
If you’re looking for a new love story to get lost in, then you will surely find one on this list here. Whether you want to see a romance to sweep you off your feet, or a love that lasts the ages, these second chance romance novels have it all.
