Separated or Divorced Second Chance Romance Book Recommendations

SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE WITH DIVORCED OR SEPARATED COUPLES RECOMMENDATIONS!! Ooooh one of my favorite tropes. Totally my catnip ’cause of all of the emotional angst potential.

These stories run the gamut of all sorts of romance drama (from unrequited love, to more common marital strife issues, growing apart due to resentments, secrets, and life stresses… to some with PTSD, all the way to infidelity issues), and this list promises to tear our hearts out… and despite all odds, possibly mend ’em, too (hence, the “second chance romance” part). 😉 Sometimes love really IS enough.

Tamara requested (and while I do have a few similar categories for what she’s looking for) I figured I’d open her question up for all of us to sort through, since her request was pretty specific. 😀

She asks:

“I’m really into stories where the couple are married or have been married and are now separated/divorced and are reunited or one party is trying to win back the other party etc, etc.

My all time fav book like this is Mend (Waters Book 2) by Kirvin Wilson (which I never see get any love on similar list posts and it is such a fantastic read!)”…

READER RECOMMENDATIONS:

Rae:  loved Kirvin Wison. I forgot about that book. Thanks ladies got another load onto that list ! 🤣

Celeste: Ohhh. I read Mend by kirvin, didn’t know there was a sequel. 😍🙌🙌🙌

Beth: Following this!

Susan: Following 😜

Kristen: Between Me and You: A Novel by Allison Winn Scotch!

Cheryl: Just finished Between Me and You. I mostly loved it and it had the “feels” I love. It made my tummy hurt from the beginning- wondering how it would end and for all the miscommunications and bad timing that the MC’s experienced.

It did get a little redundant with the MC’s gripes/issues and it was somewhat confusing because the chapters were not in chronological order. (I had more parts highlighted and notes than I generally do trying to keep everything straight). It is in dual pov, but I didn’t think it took away from the angst level. FYI it does have cheating.

Yvonne: After I Do: A Novel by Tara Jenkins Reid

Maryse: YES!!!! I LOVED IT!! Here’s my 5-STAR Book Review

Rhonda: After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Ashley: The Retrieval Duet by Aly Martinez!!! My FAVE in this trope ever 🔥🔥

Maryse: YES!!! I loved this duet so much! Here are my book reviews of #1 (Retrieval) Book Review & #2 (Transfer) Book Review.

Željka: Every Wrong Reason by Rachel Higginson

Maryse: LOVED this one!!! 😀 Here’s my 5-STAR Book Review

R: I loved Every Wrong Reason

Cheryl: Every Wrong Reason was a great read also, not as gut-wrenching as After I Do, but still good. …It’s a well-written, “real-feel” look at a broken marriage and decision to divorce. Angsty, sad, although maybe not as angsty as After I Do. Still I really liked it.

Kim: I just finished “Every Wrong Reason” and all I can say is “Wow” that was some journey the author took me on. I really loved it…

Sam: Fisher’s Light! So good!

Maryse: OH YESSSS!!! He infuriated me!!! 😉 Here’s my Book Review.

Jenn: fishers light!!! So good. Have neglected the housework all day to read! Almost finished!!

Caro: Back to You (Hurley Brothers Book 3) by Lauren Dane

BN Toler: Wrecking Ball by meeeeee 😂

Bethany: I have one! 8 Weeks (Time for Love Book 1) and it’s free! 🙂

Rhonda: that’s a great one!

Anne: I can only think of Here With Me, Choose Me and Save Me by Heidi Mclaughlin and Wife in Name Only (Entangled Indulgence) by Hayson Manning

Rachelle: Just finished Here with Me – SOOO Good! …Read it in less than 24 hours, 5 stars!

Sherry: Wow, *Here With Me* sounds heartwrenching and full of angst.

MichelleS: Here With Me….. yikes!!!! the brother???? oh no no no…… I like the forbiddeny thing.

Grey: I’m reading that Here With You and Choose Me set right now and wow… angsty yowch!

Laurie: Letters to Molly (Maysen Jar Book 2) by Devney Perry!

Melanie: Currently reading Letters to Molly, love second chance romances.

Jody: Devney Perry’s Letters to Molly …I love Devney, and have read everything else of hers. This one I’m sure will wreck me.

Rae: The Divorce (The Relationship Quo Series Book 1) by Nicole Strycharz is awesome

Kayla: There’s my Confession Duet!

Tracey: Great story! Before the Lie and Truth Revealed by KD Robichaux

Kayleigh: Cole: A second chance romance (Bachelors of the Ridge Book 3) by Karla Sorensen. Part of the Bachelors of the Ridge series, but can be read as a standalone. In fact, Cole was my first, and I went on to read everything written.

Marnie: Winning Her Affection (Thirty-Something In The City: The Coopers Book 3) by Bailie Hantam. Actually, it’s just been released!

Tasara: All Your Perfects: A Novel by Colleen Hoover. It’s not exactly like the request, but it’s close and SO good.

Maryse: Excellent!!! Loved it too! Here’s my 4.5 star Book Review

Leslie M: Maryse, I love that although our tastes can be quite different, we still have some same faves! I was dying laughing at our freak outs over All Your Perfects.

Jaime: All Your Perfects is an incredible book! Colleen Hoover killed it with this book.

MichelleS: I’m reading All Your Perfects. I have friends who struggled with infertility, so it’s really emotional for me… wondering if that’s what they thought & felt. Better have a HEA, all I’m sayin’.

Kayleigh: Kiss Me Like You Mean It: Inspired By A True Story!

Cynthia: KISS ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT by Jen Rogue

Christina: Kiss Me Like You Mean It by Jen Rogue

Gloria: Definitely Kiss Me Like You Mean it by J.R. Rogue

Robyn: Kiss Me Like You Mean It, oh geewilikers!! My heart! If only the synopsis did that to me, what is the whole book gonna do?!

Amy: …am STILL loving Kiss Me Like You Mean It. At first I was cringing and thinking, “Don’t hurt him!” And now all I can think is “Freaking hurt his stupid a$$!!!”

Robyn: I finished Kiss Me Like You Mean It. I was emotionally exhausted at the end. Gwen has lots of problems. Conner is the constant in her life. It was raw, gritty, just like most real relationships are. Gwen explains why it’s hard to be in love with someone like her. I thought the book was ok. I guess when I read the blurb, I expected something else. The plot wasn’t what I expected. I for one, don’t like to be emotionally exhausted after reading a book, but then again I couldn’t get off the train either. So go figure. LOL…

Kaylee: Lacey Black and I have one. It’s Not Over: A Second-Chance Romance Novel (Paths To Love Book 1), and it’s on sale right now

Kimberly: It’s Not Over by Kaylee Ryan and Lacey Black!!! It’s so good!!

Kim: The Mrs. Clause: BBW Holiday Romance, Evie Mitchell

Željka: My Biggest Mistake by Leddy Harper

Cheryl: My Biggest Mistake sound good. The blurb for MBM makes my heart hurt- Angst!!

Grey: My Biggest Mistake gives me a huge angst jolt though… and it may steal my attention!

Amy: My Biggest Mistake. It was really good and pretty heavy emotionally in the first 40% or so. It’s in her POV, and I couldn’t help but feel for Donnie (the hubby) and her as well. He (understandably) puts up a fight, and she has to deal with the consequences of what she did.

One of my only complaints is the time span of the book…the entire thing takes place in a period of a couple of weeks, and things happened way too fast for that sort of situation. Also, the crying. Oh lawd the crying.

… BUT, the tummy-twisting, heart-aching drama with some angst thrown in made up for it, and it was a great emotional ride! 😀

Katie: Tessa Bailey just released Love Her or Lose Her: A Novel where the heroine decides she wants a divorce but they ultimately agree to counseling & trying to get their relationship back on track. Lots of winning each other back actions.

Jamie: Roller Coaster Love (Roller Coaster Love Series Book One) by J.S. Wilsoncroft

Magan: Saving Grace by A.D. Justice

Christina: Goalie: A Texas Mutiny Soccer Romance by ME Carter

Nicola: Does it need to be a contemporary? One of Eloisa James’ Duchess books had this trope, and I think Jennifer Haymore had one too, where her husband was presumed dead, she took up with someone else after 7 years, and then the husband came back. A Hint of Wicked (James Family Book 1).

Oh, and checking her webpage, it looks like she has a contemp along the original request, appropriately titled “The Reunion: A Sugar Cay Novella.” 🙂 I haven’t read it but I do like this author.

Nicola: It’s old, but Suburban Renewal (That Business Between Us Book 3) by Pamela Morsi.

JulieO: I forgot about SUBURBAN RENEWAL. Read it long before kindles were around. Very good. How do I know it is very good? Because as soon as I heard the title I remembered the goodness of the book. So will go find my paperback and blow off the dust.

Another reason is the last time I moved I went through all my paperbacks and only kept the ones I truly care out about and SUBURBAN RENEWAL made the cut.

Jolie: I have not read this book yet mostly because of the spoiler below but this came to mind. Forget Me Not by QB Tyler.
*spoiler*
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Infidelity involved.

Lana:  I recently read Forget Me Not by QB Tyler that I quite enjoyed!

Ashley: My favorite is Forget Me Not by QB Tyler!!!!! Hands down, holy infinity stars.

Looking for more in these genres? Check out:

• my entire MARITAL STRIFE category
• my entire DIVORCE category
• my entire SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE category
• Reader Favorites – Marital Strife Romance Book Recommendations

➔➔➔  Looking for more of our favorite recommendations? Browse our “Ultimate Favorites Lists” here. Are you in the mood for a certain kind of story? Browse our favorite “genre/trope categories” here and our reader favorites lists too.