Book picks similar to
A Long Walk in Wintertime by Libby Purves


fiction
cheating
second-chance-love
science-fiction

The Returning


Ann Tatlock - 2009
    Now John is returning home from a five-year stint in prison. Can John and Andrea mend the rifts that have torn their family apart?

How to Mend a Broken Heart


Amy Andrews - 2012
    Impossible when your husband’s the one man it hurts your heart to touch...but the one man you can’t resist...

Bent


H.B. Heinzer - 2013
    Newly divorced, Julia returns to the small hometown she swore she?d left forever. She plans on enjoying the cheap rental a friend offers and staying there just long enough to figure out her next steps in life. But before long, Julia realizes she's made a big mistake. A decade ago, Micah Anderson promised Julia forever but broke her heart right before she left for college. Now, Julia's back in town, and he's going to have to tell her the truth about why he left her ? it's impossible to hide a twelve-year-old child when you live in such a small town. Can Julia forgive Micah and start anew? Should she try to make a relationship work if Micah's past becomes a threat to her safety? Should she follow her dreams if it means giving up on a second chance with her first love?

Promise Me


Barbie Bohrman - 2013
    Drawing strength from him, she left everything behind and sought a new life for herself, far away from the pain and shame.Fast forward ten years: Sabrina is settled in Miami, happy at last—until her best friend urges her to attend her high school reunion and face her painful past once and for all.And…maybe meet the mysterious Tyler once again.Can Sabrina find the courage to face the demons in her past, let go of the pain, and move forward into happiness? Or will insecurity and self-doubt ruin her one chance to get the love she’s not sure she even deserves?

The Stuff That Never Happened


Maddie Dawson - 2010
    She’s been in a stable marriage that’s lasted almost three decades and has provided her with two wonderful children, thousands of family dinners around a sturdy oak table, and a husband so devoted that he schedules lovemaking into his calendar every Wednesday morning. Other wives envy the fact that Grant is not the type of man who would ever cheat on her or leave her for a younger woman. The trouble is Annabelle isn’t sure she wants to be married to Grant anymore. The trouble is she’s still in love with someone else. In the early tumultuous years of her marriage, Annabelle carried on a clandestine affair with the one person whose betrayal would hurt her husband the most. When it ended, she and Grant found their way back together and made a pact that they would never speak of that time again. But now years later, with her children grown and gone, and an ominous distance opening between them, she can’t help but remember those glorious, passionate days and wonder if she chose the right man. Then, when called to New York City to help care for her pregnant daughter, Annabelle bumps into her old lover. Offered a second chance at an unforgettable love, she must decide between the man who possesses her heart and the husband who has stood squarely by her side. A journey into the what-ifs that haunt us all, The Stuff That Never Happened is an intricate, heartfelt examination of modern marriage that brims with truths about the nature of romantic love.

Picking up the Pieces


Jessica Prince - 2013
    It’s taken years, but Emmy is finally starting to pick up the pieces of her broken life. Until the man who destroyed her heart returns, bringing with him the pain of the past. Running from Emmy was the only way Lucas Allen knew he could protect her from the demons he carried with him. After spending one perfect night together, Luke took off, certain he couldn’t possibly give Emmy everything she deserved. Eight long years later, he’s returned to Cloverleaf to try and make up for his mistakes. He can only hope it isn’t too late. Loving Luke has always been easy. It’s forgiving him that seems impossible. Now it’s up to Emmy to decide whether to give him a second chance or let him go for good.

Leaving Haven


Kathleen McCleary - 2013
    Through a miraculous egg donation, Georgia is thrilled to find herself pregnant—until she makes a startling discovery that changes her mind about how much she really wants the baby…Georgia’s best friend, Alice, has a happy teenage daughter, a faithful husband, and a perfectly organized life. But her world spins off its axis when she falls for a man who is everything she knows she doesn’t want…Leaving Haven is a provocative and touching novel that will appeal to readers of contemporary fiction and fans of Jodi Picoult, Luanne Rice, and Kristin Hannah.

Three Months in Florence


Mary Carter - 2013
    That was sixteen years ago. Instead, she settles for cooking Spaghetti Bolognese for her two children while her husband, Alex, is on yet another business trip to Florence without her. Lena deals with his absences in the same stoic way she deals with all her responsibilities. And then comes the call that changes everything—the one from Alex’s Italian mistress. Stunned and heartsick, Lena flies to Florence to confront Alex. The city is every bit as beautiful as she imagined, from its glittering fountains and cafes to the golden sunsets over rolling hills. But the further she goes to salvage her marriage, the less Lena recognizes herself—or the husband she’s trying to win back. Instead, she’s catching glimpses of the person she once hoped to be and the life and family she truly wants. Most of all, she’s wondering if the real journey is only just beginning…

Love after Betrayal: An Interracial, Billionaire Romance


Yuwanda Black - 2019
    An unexpected pregnancy. A new love waiting to be explored. An old flame longing to be rekindled. Could there possibly be Love after Betrayal? *** How do you flush twelve years of marriage down the drain? Can you flush twelve years of marriage down the drain? When Gunner, Bria's husband of a dozen years, tells her that he's fathered a child outside of their marriage, her whole life plan is turned upside down. While she freely admits that she's been married to her career, she thought they were on the same page: she'd make partner at her corporate law firm, his construction firm would thrive, and then they'd start a family. They'd be financially secure – creating a life without the money worries they both grew up with. That's why Bria couldn't process what Gunner was telling her. *** "I'm sorry, but I had to tell you. I'm sorry, Bria. You have to believe me," Gunner pleaded. "I want to work through this. I'm hoping that in time you can forgive me. I love you. You're the only woman I've ever loved. You know this." He looked sincere. He sounded sincere. She knew this man. She loved this man. But … "Work through this?" Bria laughed humorlessly, drowning out the voices in her head and the love in her heart. "Let me get this straight. You‘re telling me that you've been cheating on me; that you have a one-month old baby with whoever the slut is, and you want me," she said, putting her index finger to her chest, "to somehow find it in me to work things out with you? Have you lost your ever-loving mind?!" she exploded. *** It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. But it was. And she had to accept it. But when Bria suddenly finds herself pregnant, will she and her ex-husband find their way back to each other? Or, will she find lasting love with a new flame?

Rags to Bitches


Pamela Burford - 1999
    Everyone assumed Gabe’s devotion to girlfriend Dena Devlin was mere puppy love, a rebellious stroll on the wrong side of the tracks. Dena was, after all, the janitor’s daughter. Unfortunately, even a love as strong as theirs couldn’t withstand Gabe’s act of betrayal.At their 15th high school reunion, Dena comes face-to-face with the cheating boyfriend who broke her fragile young heart. The good news is, Dena is now a self-made millionaire, thanks to the pet-resort empire she built, inspired by her love of dogs—a true Cinderella story! The bad news is, Gabe is sexier than ever. Well, no worries. She’s no longer the shy, self-conscious girl she was back then. She can handle one awkward evening.What she doesn’t count on is a full week at a Long Island B&B with Gabe and a quirky cast of characters from the old days. One of their housemates is the girl Gabe cheated with all those years ago, the “appropriate” girl his parents always intended for him to settle down with. Well, so what? Dena is over him. Really. All she wants is to get through the week and never lay eyes on the infuriating man again.If only there weren’t all those unanswered questions, all the doubts and longing she’s repressed for so long. If only she could ignore the magnetic attraction that still hummed between them. Forgiveness and second chances were far from her mind when she signed up for her high school reunion. How is she supposed to get through a whole week under the same roof with Gabe?A feel-good romantic comedy! Originally published as A Class Act.

Tumble


Adriana Locke - 2019
    Her plan? Relax, reset, and head back up the corporate ladder. There’s just one unexpected step. Neely’s back in Dogwood Lane for barely a day when she sees the man she ran from nine years ago: the bad boy next door who was her first kiss, her first love, and her first heartbreak.Devoted single dad Dane Madden knows he hurt Neely in the worst way. He’s got a lot to make up for. And as passionate as their reconnection is, it’s a lot to hope for. Having her back in his arms feels so right. But falling in love all over again with a woman who wants to live a world away is bound to go so wrong.What’s it going to take for Neely to give him—and Dogwood Lane—just one more chance?

Sugar Springs


Kim Law - 2012
    Then she found herself raising her deceased sister’s twin girls when their father disappeared. Now, with her beautiful girls, a community that depends on her, and her photography studio finally taking off, Lee Ann may not have the life she’d imagined, but it’s definitely where she wants it. Until Cody, her bad-boy ex, returns to Sugar Springs… Cody’s childhood put a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas. Bouncing around the foster care system, he was always the one to leave before anyone left him first. Then he found a place he wanted to stick. Lee Ann was the best thing that ever happened to him. Only, he hurt her. Bad. He’s back now, and determined to earn her forgiveness…and maybe win back her love while he’s at it.

The Forbidden


Jodi Ellen Malpas - 2017
    Annie has never experienced the 'spark' with a guy-the kind of instant chemistry that steals your breath and blindsides you completely. Until a night out with friends brings her face to face with the wickedly sexy and mysterious Jack. It's not just a spark that ignites between them. It's an explosion. Jack promises to consume Annie, and he fully delivers on that promise.Overwhelmed by the intensity of their one night together, Annie slips out of their hotel room. She is certain that a man who's had such a powerful impact on her and who could bend her to his will so easily, must be dangerous. But she's already in too deep. And Jack isn't only dangerous. He is forbidden.

The Torn Up Marriage


Caroline Roberts - 2015
    But what happens when you tear that family apart? Kate and Michael are about to find out as they cope with the crushing fallout of his affair, whilst trying to protect their two young children. This powerful and poignant novel captures the explosiveness of everyday life and what it is to be human; to make mistakes.Set in the historic town of Alnwick, Northumberland, with its stunning backdrop of castles, moorland hills and coastline, this relationship story of love and family takes you in a rollercoaster ride of emotions along with Kate and Michael.Michael’s mother’s battle with breast cancer shatters them all, yet shows them how precious life, love and family is. Can they find a way back and fight for their battered yet enduring love?So, what would you do if it happened to you? Could you betray? Could you forgive?

Pam of Babylon


Suzanne Jenkins - 2011
    Pam and his two lovers discover secrets and lies, and each other. The first book in the series. Book #10 available for preorder.