Book picks similar to
Forgotten Sweethearts by Melissa Bender


marriage-in-trouble
romance
second-chance
married

It's Not Over


Kaylee Ryan - 2019
    I had it all. The house, the job, the husband. Until one day, I didn't. I don't know when exactly things started to change between us, only that it did, and in a big way. So much so, I found myself standing before a judge and signing off on the end of my marriage. To the only man I've ever loved. Now, he's back, fighting, and ready to prove to me that we made a mistake, that our love is worth giving this another chance. I'm not sure if he's right, but I know what my heart wants, and it wants him. My ex-husband.HarrisonWhy is it that you don't know the depths of your mistakes until you've already made them? I knew signing those papers was a bad idea, but I thought that's what she wanted. The minute we stepped foot out of that courtroom, it hit me. She's no longer mine.That's when I also realized that I would do anything to change the past. I have so many regrets. Not her. I could never regret her, but how we ended. We never should have ended. I'm in for the battle of my life to convince her to give us another shot. I have a plan, one that will prove to her that it's not over.

Something Worth Saving


Mayra Statham - 2017
    Or so they thought. A fairytale kind of romance that started with a girl and a boy falling head over heels in love. This isn’t that part of the story. This is what happens after the happily ever after. After careers blossom, babies, stretch marks, and carpools. Nadia is lost. As much as she loves her life, she hardly recognizes the reflection in the mirror. All she sees is his wife, their mom. Owen works hard. Somewhere between his career and life, working to provide everything possible for his girls, he lost track of what was important. After one too many broken promises, cold shoulders, and nonexistent attempts at trying to work on ‘them’, she is ready for her life to change. When she does, he wakes up and realizes his own mistakes. Do Owen and Nadia have something worth saving?

My Biggest Mistake


Leddy Harper - 2015
    While my friends wished and wondered, I planned. A husband, children, even the perfect minivan--my future was a family, and I couldn’t wait to step into it. Donovan proposed right after graduation, and everything else fell into place too, right down to the van.I should have done things differently, I know that now. I should have told someone, should have told him about the bottomless depression I fell into post-partum. Instead, I convinced myself I just needed a little time away, a small break to get my head straight. I made my biggest mistake when I gave into my demons and walked away from everything I’d ever wanted.It took me two long years to recover, but now I know exactly what I want again. I want my family back. Donovan says they don’t want me. Don’t need me. He says he’s moved on. But the look in his eyes tells me there’s a chance, even if I have to fight.And I’m not going to lose again.

Breaking Point


Emma Darcy - 1992
    When he proposed, she'd been deliciously happy - happy to give up her job without a second thought, and devote herself to decorating their beautiful new home in Sydney's most prestigious neighborhood.She hadn't realized then that the only intimacy he wanted with her was in their bed. Rafe put business - including his cool blond personal assistant - first.Tanya was not about to spend the rest of her life waiting for a man who thought another woman was more important than his wife. The honeymoon was over. The marriage was at the breaking point.(Out of Print)

Echoes Of The Heart


Alyssa J. Montgomery - 2014
    Now that she’s alone again, nothing is going to stop him from coming for her. Australian media tycoon Jake Formosa does not believe in forgiving…or forgetting. So when he discovers that Amanda — the woman who once broke his heart — is newly widowed, he immediately enacts his revenge.  Jake is intent on making Amanda remember him, and making her suffer for what she did. He will leave her broken and alone, and finally have his closure. But Amanda is not the sweet girl that Jake remembers, and her life is far from perfect. As the web of lies surrounding her begins to unravel, Jake finds himself once again ensnared. Can he learn to overlook the past and risk his heart again? (This story is a stand alone read, however Alyssa J. Montgomery's "Roses for Sophie" is the next book in this series.) br>

A Whirlwind Marriage


Helen Brooks - 2000
    Was he tempted? Marianne was determined to save her marriage and prove to her husband that their honeymoon wasn't over, it was only just beginning!

The Ultimate Betrayal


Michelle Reid - 1995
    . ."I never meant to do it...she was just there when I needed someone..."Rachel and Daniel had three adorable children and a strong marriage-or so Rachel had always believed.But her happy life was shattered when she was told that Daniel had been having an affair. Then she realized that they'd been growing apart for years.Rachel wanted so much to save her marriage--but was it too late? Could she ever forgive Daniel, if he had committed the ultimate betrayal?

Inhale, Exhale.


C.L. Matthews - 2019
    In sickness and in health. For better or for worse. Til death do us part. And death dragged us apart. We both said those vows. But neither of us kept them. This is not one of those happy stories. Life isn't made of simple choices and happily ever afters. It's a dark place. It's not easy. It's full of mistakes and lessons. It hurts. And in the end, those two words said in love, are the same ones said in hate. "You want a divorce?" "I do."

The Road Back to Us


K. Webster - 2015
    After eight long years in an unhappy marriage, she’s ready to throw in the towel. Her workaholic husband, Bentley, is done too—choosing his career over his wife. They’ve met with their lawyers and only need to get through the holidays until their divorce is finalized. Bentley isn’t ready to tell his family about the divorce, so he asks Caroline to spend one more Christmas at his mom’s under the ruse they are still happily married. Together, they set out on a seven hour car ride in the middle of the Canadian Caribou to put on one last happy show. What could be an opportunity to rekindle their love and spend quality time together turns out to be a road trip from hell.When a surprise snow storm catches them off guard, Bentley and Caroline find themselves in an accident without any possibility of help in their near future. At one point, their love was all they needed to survive. But now, when all they have is each other against the frigid winter storm, will they find the love they lost before it’s too late? Or will this be the end…in more ways than one for Mr. and Mrs. Harrison?The road back to us may be a turbulent path, but in the end, it’s worth the chaos because it leads back home.

True


Gwendolyn Grace - 2014
    Life has become more about the demands of their careers and growing family rather than living the life they dreamed together. When another man displays interest in Courtney, and isn't shy about his intentions, one relationship develops while another slowly unravels. Courtney is soon caught in a web of secrets and lies. Deep in her heart she knows Alex has always been her one true love but is it enough to resist temptation?Through a roller-coaster of emotion and not so wise choices, Alex and Courtney must come to realize they want the same thing. Each other.

The Divorce


Nicole Strycharz - 2016
    We were college sweethearts and for seven years I've been his wife. Five of those years were bliss; the last two have been a long fall from grace. He’s the love of my life, the sexy and smart man I saw my future with, but now I don’t think he sees it too. I’m tired of not being seen, I’m tired of not being heard, and I’m tired of being in love alone. I was his optimistic hippie girl that he couldn’t get enough of. Now I’m just his annoyance. So I told him, I finally found the backbone and this is our story.... Chris: My wife just told me she wants a divorce. What the hell do I say to that? I thought we were fine-, well fine is a bad word, I thought we were okay. Doesn't matter what I think because she's moving out and I can't really let this happen. Yeah, she annoys me, we’re total opposites, but I knew that when I met her, she hasn’t changed…maybe I have? I was her anchor, her safety, her home. Now I’m that guy that’s wreaked her and there are plenty of men willing to repair the damage I did. So I have a plan. Find out what happened to change my affection for her within the last two years, and win her back before someone else does, because I still love her, and she still loves me....I guess....

Written in the Scars


Adriana Locke - 2016
    It was just so damn easy to fall for the dark-haired hometown hero with his charming smile and strong, athletic build.Thousands of sleepy smiles, aimless drives down country roads, and squeaks of the backdoor after a swing shift later, reality hits. And it hits hard. Falling in love was definitely the easy part. Watching it break apart was impossible.Through the tears, the second-guesses, the memories of a life built together, the world keeps spinning. With each turn comes clarity and hope—sometimes in the form of a pair of muddy boots by the back door or from the words of a wise friend.When Ty shows back up with a new found determination to put his family back together, Elin's torn between the fights of the past and the possibility of a new start. This is the man that holds her heart, the man she loves beyond anything else. But this is also the one person in the world that can cause her the most pain.Life’s not always easy. Love’s not for the faint of heart. But with life comes lessons and Ty and Elin have the scars to prove it. But it's their love written in those scars that will hold them together … or break them apart.

Separate Beds


LaVyrle Spencer - 1985
    It seemed like a page out of a fairy tale. But everything about it–from the formal vows to the magnificent reception–was a lie, Catherine had reluctantly agreed to Clay's "marriage of convenience"...and the only thing that could threaten their arrangement was the unexpected arrival of love.

A Vow Of Hate


Lylah James - 2021
    We were poison together and there was no antidote.Our story began like any other fairy tale ended.With a beautiful wedding.One kiss.Two rings.Three vows.Killian Spencer became my lawfully wedded husband and I, his dutiful wife.But he was no Prince Charming. He didn’t come to save me… and he vowed there would be no happily ever after.And me?Just like the legends I'd read as a little girl, I always thought I’d be the princess in my fairy tale.Well, I was the villain of our love story.“Till death do us part…”

Just the Way You Are


Barbara Freethy - 2000
    a life about to be tested by the return of the only woman who can break them up—Alli's sister, Tessa.A baby brought them together—and even though Alli has always loved her strong, sexy husband Sam and the life they've built together, she has decided to set him free to follow his youthful dreams. It is no longer enough for her to be wife and lover when she knows she holds so little of his heart.Sam has always dreamed of a life away from the close-knit world of Tucker's Landing, but marriage and fatherhood ended all that. Now Sam is torn between what was and what was meant to be. He must decide if it's time to rekindle the dreams of the past ... or accept Alli, and her love, just the way she is.JUST THE WAY YOU ARE is an emotionallly compelling, heartwarming, beautiful love story about choices, second chances, the crush of a youthful love, the intensity of a love born from marriage and life. "An exceptional novel from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy!"