15 Books That Contain The Second Chance Romance Trope That You Should Absolutely Read
1.You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
What it's about: Naomi and Nicholas are both working to escape their engagement, but there's a catch. Whoever actually ends things will have to pay the bill of their three-month-away, lavish, nonrefundable wedding. As the two battle it out in sabotage, pranks, and more, they start to finally be their true selves around each other, and both begin to realize that they might actually like the person they're working against.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
2.Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole
What it's about: This novella, set in the Reluctant Royals universe, follows Likotsi, personal assistant to a prince who has recently returned to NYC. Last time she was there, things ended in heartbreak, but when she runs into Fabiola again on a subway train, she agrees to get tea with her to find out why she was dumped in the first place.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
3.Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
What it's about: When current fifth wheel Margot agrees to tour a wedding venue with her engaged friends, she doesn't expect to run into newly divorced wedding planner Olivia, Margot's childhood friend and first love who she hasn't seen in a decade. A series of mishaps leaves Olivia without a place to stay, and out of the goodness in her heart, and maybe because of the sparks still between them, Margot offers her spare room, hoping this time doesn't end in disaster.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
4.Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai
What it's about: The deal was that Livvy Kane and Nicholas Chandler would meet one night a year and share a passionate evening together, despite both their pasts and the feud between their families. But then one year, Livvy didn't show. Now she's back in town, and Nicholas's mind is drawn away from the empire he's supposed to be running...and back to the woman he shouldn't want.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
5.Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan
What it's about: Kimba and Ezra were childhood friends, with a romance blossoming between them in their teens. But after a long separation, they meet once again...and then again. Now in their 30s, Ezra with a child and Kimba with a career at the center of their lives, the pair come back together with renewed hope for what they were, are, and could be.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
6.The Shaadi Set-Up by Lillie Vale
What it's about: Six years after their breakup, Rita is certainly not expecting her high school sweetheart, Milan, to walk back into her life, especially now that she's got a near-perfect boyfriend and a career in furniture restoration. Milan needs her help to flip a hard-to-sell house, but Rita is determined to prove she's over him. By signing herself and her boyfriend, Neil, up for a Desi matchmaking site, she'll be able to show that Neil is the one for her, but the site comes back with a different (and perfect) match for her...Milan.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
7.A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria
What it's about: Michelle and Gabe haven't seen each other in 13 years. But Gabe has returned to NYC to work on the opening of a new location of the celebrity gym he co-owns, and Michelle has been brought on to spearhead their marketing campaign. Being back in each other's lives proves immediately difficult for both of them, especially as Gabe can't wait to leave again, but with families that think they are dating and the mistakes of their past resurfacing hand in hand with their feelings, it's not long before a future together is back on the table.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
8.The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
What it's about: Vivienne dealt with heartbreak the way any reasonable person would: drinking, bubble baths, a curse upon the ex...standard stuff. But nine years later, Rhys has returned to town to make an appearance at the fall festival and recharge the town's ley lines. And when everything heads in the direction of disaster, including a pissed-off ghost, talking cat, and murderous wind-up toys, Vivi has to work together with Rhys to break the breakup curse that wasn't quite as harmless as intended.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
9.First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel
What it's about: What do you do when your new roommate is the ex you've never gotten over? Six years ago, Preeti and Daniel had a pretty...rough breakup, due in large part to his father and her aunts. Now in her residency and searching for a job as a doctor, Preeti ends up with a new place to stay, despite the fact it puts her face to face with the man of her dreams she thought she'd left behind.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
10.I'm So (Not) Over You by Kosoko Jackson
What it's about: When Kian gets a text from his ex, Hudson, asking to met, he's hoping for an apology. Instead what he gets is a proposition for a fake relationship, just while his parents are in town, to help Hudson preserve appearances. Plus, Kian might get the chance to meet some big names in media if he goes as Hudson's plus-one to the wedding of the season... But as their real feelings reemerge in their fake relationship, they're both going to have to face up to the truth.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
11.With and Without You by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka
What it's about: Siena is going to break up with her longtime boyfriend, Patrick. After all, college is quickly approaching, and she's not sure staying together is the best idea. But right before she gets the chance, Patrick announces his family is moving out of state, and Siena assumes that along the way, their relationship will naturally end due to time and distance. But the more time that passes, and the more visits they have with each other, she begins to see a different side of him, and starts to fall in love all over again.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
12.Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass
What it's about: The same year Reyna lost her mother, her childhood best friend/first kiss/first love, Aiden, left Tobago to pursue his music dreams. Two years later, Reyna is trying to keep the Plumeria, her family's seaside resort in Tobago where she has spent most of her life, running, and the three members of DJ Bacchanal, the hottest music group, have arrived as VIP guests — a trio that includes Aiden.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
13.Once Upon a Quincea?era by Monica Gomez-Hira
What it's about: Eighteen-year-old Carmen Aguilar is stuck in an unpaid internship, performing as a party princess in Miami with her friend Waverly. To make things worse, they've just been booked for a quincea?era — one for Carmen's spoiled cousin. Plus, her ex-boyfriend Mauro is back in town after his first year of college, naturally being assigned a role as her dance partner at work, and there might just be a second chance in the cards for them.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
14.Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
What it's about: It's the classic love story. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall for each other. Girl dies. Boy gets sent back in time to when they first meet. Boy and girl fall for each other. Girl still dies. Over and over, Jack keeps being sent back in time, altering his actions to try to save Kate. But altering his choices means risking the safety of other loved ones in his life, and Jack has to decide if Kate is worth the risk.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.
15.Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler
What it's about: Lara has liked Chase for pretty much all of high school, and now he actually seems to be flirting with her. But memories of Lara's perfect, confusing, romantic summer spent with a girl named Jasmine grow more disorienting when Jasmine arrives at school. After finally landing the guy of her dreams, why is it that she can't stop thinking of Jasmine?
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.