10 Emotional Romances Featuring Characters In Need Of A Fresh Start

Romance Books About Starting Over: Our 10 Picks

Fun Date Ideas For Your Real-Life Romance

• Cook dinner together
• Go for a hike or a bike ride
• Get together for a karaoke night
• Go bowling
• Have a picnic on a sunny day
• Play a boardgame or video game together
• Go to a roller rink
• Have a candlelit dinner
• Join a book club together

8 Great Romantic Movies

If you enjoy reading about love, you probably have a good time watching it on the big screen as well. Check out these eight romantic movies (if you haven't already):

1. Casablanca (1942)
2. Love Actually (2003)
3. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
4. The Notebook (2004)
5. Dirty Dancing (1987)
6. The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
7. Amélie (2001)
8. Ghost (1990)

What is Love?

In Depth

Readers who love inspiring stories about falling in love while facing great obstacles will surely enjoy the works listed here. The characters in these novels all face difficult situations, from cheating husbands to manipulative grandparents. These characters need a fresh start, and they may just fall in love along the way too. Here, in no particular order, are ten emotional books about new beginnings and new loves.

At #1 we have "Summer Blowout" by Claire Cook. When her husband runs off with her half-sister, Bella swears off men forever. Instead, she decides to focus on her career as a makeup artist working at her large blended family's chain of beauty salons. However, life has other plans for Bella, and it isn't long before she meets a handsome businessman she can't resist. This book is a fun beach read from the author of "Must Love Dogs" about makeup, tiny dogs, and letting love back into your life.

Next up, at #2, we have "For All You Have Left" by Laura Miller. When Logan married her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart at just eighteen years old, she thought she knew what the future held. But now she is twenty-two, and all alone in a small town in Missouri. Since the end of her relationship, she has rebranded herself and tried to move on from the heartbreak of a lifetime, but she still has a lot of healing to do. When Jorgen moves in next door, he helps her to confront her pain and heal from her past.

But now she is twenty-two, and all alone in a small town in Missouri.

In the #3 spot is "Please Don't Stop the Music" by Jane Lovering. In this dark romantic comedy set in York, England, Jemima has a secret, but so does enigmatic former rock star Ben Davies. Nobody knows why Ben suddenly quit his band during their American tour. When Ben starts selling Jemima's handmade belt buckles in his guitar shop, both of their secrets threaten to become unraveled. The two wounded souls tiptoe around each other, not willing to let anyone get a look at their truest selves. But maybe this time, they've both met someone worth fully opening up to.

Coming in at #4, we have "Sugar Rush" by Anna J. McIntyre. Lexi is cast out of her home after refusing to marry the man her grandfather has picked out for her. When her grandfather further attempts to control her life, she knows she needs to get far away to escape his clutches. So she packs up and moves to Lake Havasu City in Arizona to start over. There, she meets an attractive neighbor who helps her get back on her feet. But little does she know that he might not be exactly who he says he is.

Coming in at #5 is "Three Rivers" by Chloe T. Barlow. After her husband's sudden death in a car accident, Althea closes herself off to love. But after a chance meeting brings her together with mysterious journalist Griffen, she cannot ignore her attraction to him. Griffen, also haunted by his past, prefers casual sex over committed relationships. He proposes a two week long, no strings attached affair, after which he will leave town. Determined to not open her heart to true love, Althea agrees. But plans go awry when they start to connect on an emotional level.

But plans go awry when they start to connect on an emotional level.

At #6 is "Boomerangers" by Heather M. Orgeron. In this sweet second-chance love story, Spencer is a hard-working single mother of three who is forced to return to her hometown after she loses her job. Much to her surprise, her high school sweetheart Cooper has also recently moved back home, reeling from his own divorce. Sparks fly, and the two former lovers quickly become current lovers once again. However, Cooper doesn't want children, and Spencer's kids are definitely non-negotiable.

In the #7 spot is "Nora Roberts Land" by Ava Miles. After her cheating husband divorces her, Meredith heads home to Dare Valley in Colorado to help run her family's newspaper, find true love, and write a story about her journey. Love blossoms when she meets war correspondent Tanner, and they work together to uncover an even bigger scoop. Mystery and romance swirl together in this compelling read that pays homage to the titular romance writer.

Next up, at #8, is "Jayded" by Shevaun Delucia. Maxine is thirty-three years old and eager to make some changes in her life. She breaks up with her fiance, moves to New York, and takes on an exciting new job with Saunders Literary Agency. She wasn't planning on an office romance, but she can't resist Kyle, a twenty-four-year-old playboy and son of the agency's owners. Kyle doesn't want to settle down anytime soon, but he quickly realizes Maxine is everything he never knew he wanted.

She wasn't planning on an office romance, but she can't resist Kyle, a twenty-four-year-old playboy and son of the agency's owners.

For #9 we have "Man Drought" by Rachael Johns. Gibson's Find is a small rural Australian town with a run-down old pub, The Majestic Hotel, and plenty of heart. The one thing it doesn't have is female residents. So when Imogen, still recovering from the death of her husband, decides to move in and fix up the old pub, she's a welcome addition to the town by most. Enter Gibson, a farmer who has had enough of city girls to last his whole life. But in order to restore The Majestic Hotel to its former glory, Gibson and Imogen are going to have to work together.

And finally, at #10, we have "Out of the Box Awakening" by Jennifer Theriot. Olivia is fifty-seven years old when her husband's job forces her to uproot her life, leave behind her three grown children, and relocate to Chicago. But when her husband meets someone else and abandons her, she finds solace in the arms of a handsome older widower. This character-driven romance presents a sensual tale about finding new love at any age.