These 16 Romance Books Prove It's Never Too Late For a Second Chance at Love

In "First Love, Take Two" ($10) by Sajni Patel, exes become unlikely roommates and get another chance at figuring out what went wrong. Preeti and Daniel's first romance was torpedoed by plenty of problems, including family pressures. Now unexpectedly thrown together as roommates, they'll discover that the attraction between them is still there — if they can stand up for each other and their relationship this time around.

Emily Henry's "Happy Place" ($16) focuses on a seemingly perfect couple who are trying to hide their breakup from their friends. When their friend group heads to their beloved summer house for one last hurrah together, Harriet and Wyn agree not to spoil things by revealing they've split up. The more they pretend, though, the more things get complicated, and as their ruse starts to unravel, they'll have to decide what they really want their futures to look like.

Estranged childhood best friends Michelle and Gabe get a second chance at connection in "A Lot Like Adiós" ($9) by Alexis Daria. Michelle turned her marketing-career burnout into a thriving freelance graphic design business, but she's not prepared when she's asked to spearhead the new campaign for Gabe's gym. When the two collide again, the sparks between them make them want to pick right back up where they left off, but they've got a lot to work through if they want things to last.

Nina, the heroine of "Luck & Last Resorts" ($12) by Sarah Grunder Ruiz, has a bit of a problem: the new chef on the luxury yacht where she works is her ex Ollie. Not only that, but Ollie has arrived with a challenge for her. If she still insists she has no feelings for him by the end of the season, he'll go back to Ireland and never see her again — but if she finds those feelings still exist, they'll have to revisit the issues that got between them in the first place.

"Once Upon a Marquess" ($16) by Courtney Milan focuses on Judith, whose father was ruined years ago by Christian, the marquess she once trusted (and kissed). Years later, Judith reluctantly needs Christian's assistance on a business matter. But instead of sending a servant to help her, he goes in person. Their reunion is far from friendly — but as it turns out, the connection between them hasn't exactly faded with time and distance.

As you might guess, "Incense and Sensibility" ($11, originally $16) by Sonali Dev takes its inspiration from a Jane Austen classic. After a hate crime targets him and injures his friend, politician Yash's family insists he hire stress management coach India, who happens to be an old family friend. What their families don't know is that there's more than just an "acquaintance" history between them, and their professional work together soon blurs with personal drama that could threaten their careers and hearts.

Martha Waters gives us a second-chance romance between a couple who are already married in "To Have and to Hoax" ($13, originally $16). A year after their whirlwind romance and marriage, Violet and James had a terrible fight, and they've barely spoken in the four years since. When Violet hears that James has gotten into an accident, she's distraught, only to become furious when she finds out the story was somewhat exaggerated. Thus begins an ever-escalating war of fake illness, nonexistent affairs, and more, all pointing the stubborn duo towards the fact that they still do love each other.

Eva Leigh's "A Rogue's Rules For Seduction" ($8, originally $10) is a second-chance romance between the aristocratic Lady Willa and Dominic, the man who left her at the altar. When they're both invited to a house party, the attraction — and hurt — between them is stronger than ever. Their friends and family would love to play matchmaker again, but the pair will still have to get past Willa's fears of betrayal and the dark secrets that drove Dom to abandon her the first time.

Shane and Eva, the main characters of "Seven Days in June" ($10, originally $17) by Tia Williams, are both successful authors in very different genres, but they also have a shared secret. Fifteen years ago, when they were teenagers, they spent one tumultuous, passionate week desperately in love, only for tragedy and misunderstandings to separate them. Since then, they've both been writing "to" each other in their books, never guessing they'd see each other again — and when they do, there are a lot of questions they need to answer.

"Count Your Lucky Stars" ($13, originally $19) by Alexandria Bellefleur follows the story of Margot and Olivia, who were each other's childhood friends and first loves before everything fell apart a decade ago. Reunited unexpectedly, a rom-com-worthy series of mishaps leaves Olivia without a place to stay, so Margot offers up her spare room. The more time they spend together, the clearer it becomes that they still have feelings for each other, but there's a lot of hurt from the past they'll have to work through first.

Kosoko Jackson combines the second-chance narrative with another favorite trope — fake dating — in "I'm So (Not) Over You" ($12, originally $16). After a breakup with his ex Hudson leaves him reeling, Kian is shocked to get a text from Hudson himself — and he needs a favor. Before he knows it, Kian is pretending to still be dating Hudson in front of his ex's wealthy and demanding family. The longer they keep up the ruse, though, the harder it is for either of them to insist that it's all just for show.

In "A Love by Design" ($12, originally $17), Elizabeth Everett spins another story of Victorian lady scientists and the men who love them. Widowed engineer Margaret is determined to make a career for herself, and she won't let anything get in the way — not greedy investors or misogynistic and powerful men, and especially not George, the earl who broke her heart years ago. When their professional paths collide, though, the pair will have to face up to their complicated past and come to an agreement that could open new doors for them both.

An estranged duke and duchess must decide what comes next in "The Day of the Duchess" ($7, originally $9) by Sarah MacLean. Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, and his duchess Seraphina have lived apart for years after a heartbreak, and now they're ready to move on. Sera agrees to her husband's terms: she can have her freedom once she helps him find a new duchess to take her place. As they spend more time together, though, the duke has another goal in mind — convincing his duchess to give him another chance.

"Just Another Love Song" ($12, originally $17) by Kerry Winfrey follows two high school sweethearts whose lives painfully diverged. Hank got out of their small town and went on to become a music star, while Sandy stayed behind, letting go of her dreams of becoming an artist. Fifteen years later, Sandy helps run her family's B&B, and Hank is back in town with his son. Thrown together to work on the town's street fair, Hank and Sandy feel the old pull between them, leaving them to decide if it's just nostalgia for the old days or a chance at a new start.

Imagine if the date you rejected was suddenly your partner in a madcap dash to evade jewel thieves and solve a tangled mystery. That's what happens to Mira and Naveen, the main characters of "Partners in Crime" ($12, originally $17) by Alisha Rai. It's already uncomfortable when Mira shows up at Naveen's law office to handle her aunt's estate, but it gets even worse when things go wildly awry, forcing them to rely on each other to avoid the villains and figure out why, exactly, people seem to be after them.

"The Neighbor Favor" ($15) by Kristina Forest puts an interesting spin on the second-chance trope, with only one half of the couple realizing it's a second chance. Lily strikes up an email correspondence with her favorite author, only for him to drop off without a word when the conversations start getting more personal. What she doesn't know is that her mystery author is Nick, her reticent new neighbor, and when he figures out who she is, he tries to make it up to her (without her knowing) by helping her find a date for her sister's wedding, only to realize that he would rather be that date himself.