This Week's Topic
Happy Friday! I actually had a different topic picked out for this month, but then I saw the Let's Talk Bookish prompt and was inspired to add my two cents to the discussion.
If I've said it once, I have said it a thousand times - I LOVE TROPES! The truth is there are very few tropes I don't like, but my favorites are friends-to-lovers and second chance romance. Today, I am going to talk more about second chance romances.
I constantly blather on about the way second chances in books give me hope. It can be a second chance at anything, but the ultimate second chance is with the love of your life. It's so easy to root for people who meant so much to each and who were torn apart for whatever dramatic reason but somehow, find their way back to each other. That right there is the universe giving that relationship its stamp of approval. It's fated, written in the stars, and who are we to get in the way of that????
But the characters also tend to have quite a bit of history, or at least some history. Below are ten second-chance romances I adored. Some are reunions with first loves from their youth. There are several summer romances that get an opportunity to become more years later, and there's one where a whirlwind romance is given a second chance when the pair find their worlds colliding. Regardless of the circumstances, all these couples got a second shot at love, and I enjoyed cheering them on.
- Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker
- Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley
- Anything for You by Kristan Higgins
- Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction by Shannon Richard
- Wreck My Plans by Jillian Meadows
- PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly
- If Tomorrow Never Comes by Allison Ashley
- Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis
- Pictures of You by Emma Grey
- Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan
Now it's your turn!
Let us know in the comments!
Friends to lovers is my favourite, the anticipation is all, but like you there aren’t any I don’t like.
ReplyDeleteThat is tied with second chance as my favorite. Again, it's the history, and the characters also tend to have this solid foundation. I am trash for friends-to-lovers for sure.
DeleteYES! I am here for the second chance romances! The characters already know each other, so I feel like it adds more layers to their relationship. A few of these are also on my TBR!
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the reasons it works so well. We can believe in the instant connection because it's built on their past. Sometimes, years had passed or they were kids when they first fell and now need to get to know the adult versions of each other, but there's a foundation. Absolutely adds layers to their relationship.
DeleteWell I love second chance romance too and single parent (single dad is even better!). The grumpy/sunshine is also a trope I enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteSingle parent romances are great. I think I like them for the same reason as a second chance romance. It's that person second shot at love but with someone new.
DeleteMy only issue with second chance romances is the reason they broke up in the first place. Sometimes there is really no coming back from a break-up, depending on what it is. And if it's many years later, people can change a lot. I find it difficult when a character is so hung up on someone from their past that no one else will compare and they are essentially unhappy until that person comes back into their life.
ReplyDeleteThere have never been any second chance romance break up that I couldn't get past. Lately, a lot have just been "they were young", and for the ones with many years apart, the authors did a nice job have the characters acknowledge the growth and change and how they were excited to get to know this version of the person. I know what you are talking about with the no-one-compares-to-you but part of me loves that.
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