second chance romances
In the world of romance novels, “tropes” are huge and can be a reason why someone does (or doesn’t) read a novel. Usually, one can decipher what tropes may be in a novel just by reading the synopsis, or sometimes even the title. For example, The Hating Game by Sally Thorne is pretty obviously enemies-to-lovers. The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, when you read the synopsis, is obviously fake dating. Tropes are not a new thing, either: even fairytales read by children have them (the evil stepmother, the wicked witch, the absent father or parents).
One trope, however, is hotly debated by a lot of romance readers, and for some, it may be the reason a reader refuses to read a novel: that trope is the second-chance romance. In a second-chance romance, the characters are pushed back together after previously being separated (and usually a previous end of a relationship) and are given, you guessed it, a second-chance. Second-chance romances usually feature themes of forgiveness, getting over grudges, reminiscing on the past, and lots and lots of angst.
So why are second-chance romances so hotly debated? Well, in short: they’re hard to get right, and it is OBVIOUS (and extremely frustrating) when they haven’t hit the mark. Have you ever known a couple that’s on-again, off-again, and they’re constantly causing drama amongst their friends? Unfortunately, that’s what it’s like to read a poorly executed second-chance romance. It’s hard to believe in a relationship that has shown multiple times that it hasn’t worked, unless the reader has enough evidence to believe that both characters have grown enough to not allow the previous relationship issues to happen again.
Let’s use The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce as an example (spoilers ahead - you’ve been warned). When we start the novel, Eli Mora and Georgia Woodward are five years past a breakup after having been high-school sweethearts (and it’s obvious that neither of them are over each other). They are brought back together by their best friend’s wedding and have to cling to their self-control and self-preservation to make it through the week (or so they think). The reader learns that the breakup occurred for a few reasons. One main reason for the end of the relationship is Eli’s workaholism. Eli and Georgia moved away from their family and friends for his job, but he regularly allows work to take over all his time (including time with her) and loses himself (and her) in the process. Additionally, Georgia’s people-pleasing nature feeds into their breakup as well. Georgia is afraid of speaking her needs and being ‘messy,’ so she refuses to tell Eli that she’s feeling abandoned and unimportant to him as he’s falling further and further into his work. Although they still love each other, they decide to end things because each sees that their actions are making the other unhappy.
So how do they fix it? Eli shares with Georgia that he’s been seeing a therapist and working through the root of his workaholism, he’s quit his overbearing job, and he’s working towards a better work-life balance. Georgia has a bit of an emotional breakdown and shares her fears with her friends (that being messy and needing to rely on them will make them not want to spend time with her or prioritize her) and begins working towards allowing herself to speak up, share what’s bothering her, and be a healthier, more well-rounded person. Because they BOTH work to grow and become better people, the reader is able to buy-in to their relationship and their happily ever after. The reader is able to see a future for them that is healthy and realistic, and that should not have the same issues that caused their previous breakup.
The Ex Vows is obviously not the only example of a well-written second-chance romance, but it does the most important thing right: it demonstrates the growth within each character that will lead to a healthier relationship after the events of the novel.
One other important aspect of a second-chance romance that makes it extremely difficult to do right is that the author is not able to hide the character growth behind spicy scenes. Don’t get me wrong: I love some spice as much as the next gal, and I’ve read a healthy share of Tessa Bailey. However, bedroom chemistry is not enough to make character growth believable. As much as it would be nice if jumping into bed with a partner would solve all relationship problems, that is not how the world works. When an author leans too heavily into spicy scenes in a second-chance romance, it makes the relationship feel a lot less stable or capable of being rebuilt. That doesn’t mean that a second-chance romance can’t have spice, of course! It just needs to be done effectively in a way that either: a) emphasizes that the characters know that having sex is not solving the problems they had before, or b) is held until the characters have shown enough individual growth to make the reader believe that they could realistically get back together in a healthier way. Think again about the on-again, off-again couple: if neither of them have grown or changed as people, and they jumped into bed together, would anyone realistically think that they would magically be able to have a healthy and long-lasting relationship? No. It’s the same with a second-chance romance novel: sex scenes are not going to make up for a lack of character growth and development.
So why does any of this matter? Well, stories about forgiveness, fixing mistakes, and self-improvement are important and necessary. It’s important for people to believe that they can grow after making a mistake or doing the wrong thing. It’s important for people to know that they can fix their wrongdoings and do their best moving forward. In a world where holding grudges and lack of self- awareness has become the norm, it’s important to emphasize stories in which people make mistakes but genuinely apologize and grow from them. Stories of hope, of forgiveness, of redemption, are all so important. Maybe someone reading a second-chance romance novel is going through a rough patch with their own partner, and sees a character on the page who is reflecting and improving, and is inspired to look within and work on themselves to live a happier life and be a better partner. Maybe someone reading a second-chance romance novel broke up with a previous partner, but needs the encouragement to apologize and find solace in the situation. That’s not to say that romance novels can fix relationships on their own, but sometimes it takes a story that’s similar to your own life to help guide you in the right direction for yourself. And isn’t that why we read fiction?
This article was written by @tessajane_books on Instagram. You can follow her here — https://www.instagram.com/tessajane_books/ — for more bookish content!