When breakups happen or “the one that got away” suddenly makes an appearance in your life, what are you supposed to do? Sure, you can take a session or two from your therapist, but what if I told you that you may just need a bout of “second-chance” love story trope — those romantic literary devices that toy with the notion of rekindling old flames in a second shot at love? It’s all a possibility when you curl up with one of your favorite, or soon to be, second-chance romance novels.
These novels feature two people who have a history together as once-lovers who don’t make it the first time around but now have a chance to fall back in love — for example, Penelope and Odysseus from Homer’s The Odyssey or Allie and Noah from Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook.
Reading second-chance romance novels is better than therapy. Here are three reasons why:
Better Than Middle School Puppy Love Pining
The world always seemed like it was over during the years of middle school puppy love when we went from butterflies in our stomach to tearful breakups, and while we’ve grown up since then, sometimes a breakup could bring us back to that teenage mindset. But instead of pouring out our hearts with friends over the phone, today the therapist is often on speed dial for a much-needed session filled with tears and tissue only to pine over a middle school puppy love real-life saga. Be my guest if you want to squeeze in one of these waterworks sessions in your already-busy schedule. But I’m all for a second-chance romance novel any day. It’s better than pining over the middle school love that’s likely to be nothing like you remembered.
Relive Your Passion Without The Burn From Your Ex
Your ex is your ex for a reason, but that doesn’t always stop you from wondering what if. What if your ex could learn to be better with money or respect your career choice? What if you and your ex would have been able to work things out? These are all questions you can ask your therapist, who could either entertain you with a rhetorical question or just nod as you sob away at the possibilities.
Or you could just put that question aside and relive your passion without enduring any hurt from your ex — who likely won’t learn his lesson anyway — when you use second-chance romance novels as your therapy. You can explore what it would be like if opposites attract and rekindle their love, like Bishop and Ella from Bishop’s Queen, all without experiencing the pain that comes with an ex burning you. No therapist required. Now, that sounds sweet — and safe — to me.
Fall Head Over Heels in Love (Sans Your Personal Baggage)
Personal baggage sometimes gets in the way of moving forward and taking a chance on love the second time around. You can mope about it with a therapist, or you can save yourself some major cents and your sanity by checking out a second-chance romance novel. When you’re reading second-chance novels, such as Garrison’s Creed or any of the second-chance romance novels from the Only series, you don’t have to deal with your personal baggage. Instead, you get to fall in love with a new couple.
Second-chance romance novels may not erase every stressful moment or encounter with your ex or potential love post-breakup, but they certainly help you escape into a safe haven of love. There’s no therapist required — yet it’s just what the doctor ordered.
Second-Chance Romance Novels You Need To Read
- Garrison’s Creed: Best friends to lovers torn apart in college only to reunite as a sniper and spy.
- Gambled: A married couple grown apart finds a hot and sexy way to reignite the flame. This is a novella.
- Bishop’s Queen: Opposite attract when a bodyguard is hired to protect his ex-girlfriend, turned overnight reality star, from a stalker.
- The Only Series: Friends to lovers pulled apart by war and kept apart by secrets and family. Four novella series. First book is free!
All Titan books can be read as a standalone novel.
Interested in other book tropes like enemies to lovers or billionaires? Check out Cristin Harber’s book by trope list.
This tongue-in-cheek post is not to make light of therapy. If you need to speak with someone or feel like you may hurt yourself, please go to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline to find someone to talk. They’re specific contact numbers for English, Spanish, for Deaf or hard of hearing callers, or you’re a veteran. They can connect you to someone who can help.
The content above submitted by a guest blogger.
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