In a world where the one man who we didn’t want to have a second chance got one, why is this trope exploding in the romance world?

Cross-posted on Substack.

I admittedly haven’t done a ton of research on this, but it feels like second chance romance is So Hot Right Now. We’ve got big, up-and-coming names giving their main characters a second chance at love right now, from Hannah Bonam-Young’s Out of the Woods to Tarah DeWitt’s Left of Forever. Lyla Sage just released Wild and Wrangled, and Jeannie Choe is releasing Take Me Back to the Start this spring (and I literally cannot wait to get my grubby little hands on it). Falon Ballard gave us a second chance Christmas novella (All I Want is You). And Ivy Fairbanks is releasing Heart Strings this summer.

Shop the List (and support me!)

And, of course, coming IN FOUR DAYS is Not a Strong Enough Word.

So why is second chance so hot right now?

Before we talk about what’s hot, let’s talk about what’s cool. I just need to take a moment of appreciation for my cold brew, because it has really been putting in the work this week.

And speaking of appreciation, today is the last day of Teacher Appreciation Week here in the United States. Go appreciate a teacher today (and every day)! No teacher in your life? LIES because I am a teacher, and you are welcome to appreciate me. (lol)

We all know not everyone deserves a second chance, and I’m not just talking politically. As YouTube user Gregg-o7j so eloquently put it in a comment on one of my Shorts: “God brings out [sic] ex’s back into our lives just to see if we are still STUPID!!!” And while I responded that he must not reach much romance, honestly, he kind of has a point. Most of the time, when we walk away from someone or something, it’s after we have exhausted all the chances we have to give…and then some. It’s not second chance at that point; it’s fiftieth, and we’re ready to cinematically burn it to the ground as we walk way, the fire blazing behind us.

So why are so many writers leaning into second chances right now?

I say “right now” like it’s a fad, and it’s not. Second chance romance has been around since even before Persuasion. But anecdotally, the number of readers who have mentioned to me that Not a Strong Enough Word is in good company this season is more than ten, which tells me people are noticing this trope.

Some of these books have been in the works for years, because that’s how trad publishing works. Some of them might also be the natural order of a series; there needs to be some couple we’ve been following since book one who has a backstory we’ve gotten snippets of in each book to the point where we are feral for them, ready to find out what actually happened and how they’re going to fix it.

But it doesn’t seem like an accident that all these giant second chance romances are being released right now and people are eating them up. Again, I have no hard evidence of this, but since we exist on vibes in the bookish community, I think it’s okay to say that I have a feeling we are collectively craving second chances.

It is possible that second chance is often—though not always—connected to enemies-to-lovers, which we adore. That Venn diagram has a huge center, which makes sense. When we’ve burned it to the ground one time, there was a reason. But not all enemies-to-lovers are second chances; to be a second chance at romance, there has to have been a first. A lot of times, those enemies are just enemies at first, and when they fall in love, it’s the first time.

In the same vein, not all second chances are enemies-to-lovers either. Not a Strong Enough Word isn’t. I meant for it to be. Originally, Scarlett was going to have been so angry at Ryan for suggesting she work harder through her burnout for more money that she was going to hate him, and Ryan was going to also hate Scarlett for walking away and jeopardizing his career. But the more I wrote, the clearer it became that these two never hated each other. They wanted to love each other; they just didn’t have the tools to make it work.

But one thing all good second chance romances have in common, whether the characters start as enemies or not, is angst. Yearning. Pining. The question at the start isn’t “will they fall back in love?” We know they will. It’s clear from the start they’re probably already deeply in love, which is why they can’t stay away from each other. The question at the start of a good second chance is “how will they make it work?” Right now, a lot of us are tired of the same old five acts. The meet cute/denial/falling in love/dark night/resolution is fun and comforting, but it’s not exactly fresh. And this isn’t me disparaging any of those novels; I write them, I read them, I love them. But second chance gives authors and readers an opportunity to explore something different. By just changing the initial question a little, we open up infinite possibilities. The same five acts don’t apply here. Each journey is as unique as the characters traveling it, because it needs to be tailored to them if it is to lead us to a believable and satisfying ending. And as such, second chance romances aren’t only giving readers the angst we’re craving right now; they’re giving them surprising and rewarding storylines rooted in reality but existing mostly in fiction—after we burn it down and walk away, can we come back to the ashes and build something new and better? I think most of us would like to think that answer is “yes.”

When I started writing Not a Strong Enough Word, I was craving a second chance romance, so I wrote it. I wanted my characters to be bookish, for them to test the limits of language and love. And I wanted them both not only to have a second chance at love, but to have a second chance at creating a life that’s worth living. For Scarlett, that was finding a way to set boundaries and write; for Ryan, that was discovering the passion he had for literature again. They do this through each other, of course, but also separately because we all know real love can’t exist in a vacuum. You’ve got to learn how to be happy alone before you can love someone fully, after all.

I know second chance romance sometimes gets a bad rap. Sometimes it deserves the ire. Maybe we don’t want to give a second chance. Maybe the initial break was too bad to recover from, or not bad enough to be a believable reason to break up in the first place. Maybe we’re sick of the pining (though, respectfully, how??). Maybe we want the freshness of two strangers learning about each other rather than two people with a past intimacy. But if that’s you, this is me asking you to give it another chance…a second chance if you will.

And whether you’re a fan of second chances or not, I think you’ll find something to love in Not a Strong Enough Word. It releases on Wednesday, and I hope you…give it a chance. (I am so sorry. I can’t help myself.)

IT’S RELEASE WEEK! Cue me running around screaming with flailing arms like Kermit. Or maybe more like Elmo on fire.

Not a Strong Enough Word will be available everywhere on May 14. I know we are in the middle of an Amazon boycott again, but you can have your local indie order it. If it’s not showing up on Bookshop.org, sometimes that takes a few days. And you can always order it from me directly! Because you are all amazing, my stock is running low, but I have more on the way.

Ebooks directly from my website are no longer available. If you bought an ebook from me, it should be delivered to you via BookFunnel sometime between May 13-14. If you have trouble with that, please contact BookFunnel support. On release day, the ebook will be on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.

I’ve added a signing date, too! I’ll be at The Book Bar in Mokena, IL on July 20 at 1PM. (Missed my list of other signing dates? Check here!) I hope to see you there!

Thanks for giving me a chance. I’m so glad you’re here. I hope you read and love Not a Strong Enough Word. It’s a book that is so special to me, and I am proud to have it out in the world.

Happy reading!
Allie