Sapphic second-chance romance: exes, former best friends and first loves who find their way back. Each review rates the book, states the heat and ending, and sums up what readers say. See our sapphic second chance romance books.
Verdict: A yearning, witty Regency gothic about two rival novelists in a supposedly haunted house, with a Lambda Literary Award and two starred trade reviews behind it, undercut by a rivalry that fizzles early and a crowded second half. Best for: Readers who love pining, banter and a working-class heroine meeting her teenage crush again, … Read more
Verdict: A cheerful, pun-heavy river adventure that doubles the sapphic couples and improves on book one in readers’ eyes, held back by low stakes, a baggy middle, and a main couple who spend much of the book watching someone else’s romance. Best for: Readers who loved Kianthe and Reyna in book one, who want a … Read more
Verdict: A steamy, angsty holiday romance with a premise that splits readers down the middle: five years after Brighton Fairbrook left her at the altar, violinist Charlotte Donovan arrives for Christmas at her quartet-mate’s family home to find her ex there too. Fans call it cute, angsty and hot; many others could not forgive Brighton … Read more
Verdict: A sweet, slow-burn second chance set in Las Vegas: Jordan Stryker left the FBI after her multiple sclerosis diagnosis and now plays professional poker, and at a tournament she runs into casino security officer Ashley Noble, the woman she had an affair with fifteen years ago. Readers like the older leads and the honest … Read more
Verdict: A fast, funny European caper with a friends-to-lovers heart: Callie Compton ran from her sweet, church-going grandmother, secretly the UK’s top crime boss, at eighteen, and six years later her deaf childhood best friend and crush, Daisy, tracks her down in Sweden. Readers love the humour, the twists and the ending; a few could … Read more
Verdict: A funny, heartfelt second-chance romance: teenage sweethearts Poppy, a musician, and Norah, an artist, split when Poppy left without explanation for pop stardom; twenty years later, both parents, they meet at the school gates and discover their kids are best friends. Readers love West’s humour, the everyday realism and a truly hateful villain; some … Read more
Verdict: An emotional enemies-to-lovers debut: three years after her wife’s sudden death, New Orleans mom Sam Parker is thrown when Ashley Valence — the girl who tormented her in high school — moves home and joins her softball team. Readers praise the angst, the supporting cast and the forgiveness arc; others couldn’t buy falling for … Read more
Verdict: An emotional, angst-rich second chance: five years after leaving for stardom, pop star Bridget Callahan comes home after a broken engagement and faces Alex, the bar owner she left behind. Readers praise the heartache, consistent characters and the slow understanding of why Bridget left; others found Alex maddeningly stubborn and the then/now structure choppy. … Read more
Verdict: Melissa Brayden’s beloved debut: a new musical-theatre graduate lands a role in a Broadway touring production headlined by TV star Adrienne Kenyon. Readers call it witty, romantic and a reread favourite; critics find the first half slow, the conflict unconvincing and the whole thing a little cheesy. Best for: Theatre lovers and Brayden fans … Read more
Verdict: A steamy, talky holiday second-chance romance between an A-list actress and the best friend she left behind in Wisconsin, now internet-famous for kissing strangers. Fans call it a gold standard of healthy communication and chemistry; detractors say nobody talks like these people and the stakes never bite. Best for: Readers who love emotionally literate, … Read more