Love, Rekindled: A Second-Chance Romance Collection

by Alexandra Ivy, Corinne Michaels, Kennedy Ryan

Sometimes, the best love stories come with a second chance. In Love, Rekindled, fiery passion meets lost love as couples reunite to rewrite their endings. Whether they’ve been torn apart by time, circumstance, or heartbreak, these characters will discover that love is never truly lost—only waiting for a spark.


Slayed by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy
Evermore by Corinne Michaels
The Close-up by Kennedy Ryan
Rafe by Sawyer Bennett
and
Rough Rhythm by Tessa Bailey

Reviews for Love,

“A fabulous selection of second chance romances.” ~ FYFB

“If you love the idea of rekindling lost love, this anthology is definitely worth checking out!” ~ amour.rebelle.reads

“My heart is always so full after reading a second chance romance book. This collection was no exception.” ~ It.sgottabethebooks

“A wonderful collection of second chance romance stories that I enjoyed.” ~ taccb_1981

“I loved this collection very much. If you’re looking for a second chance romance then you’re going to love it.” ~ mykhailiukkamila

“If you are a fan of second chance romances, this is a great book to pick up.” ~ Marsradsreads

Genres: Romance, Anthologies

665 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 14, 2025

About the author

I'm not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother's knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.

Years later (no, I'm not admitting how many) I'm still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!

I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

--From authors website--

Reviews

[Amy Imogene Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy Release Day!

Love, Rekindled: A Second-Chance Romance Collection by the 1001 Dark Nights is out now—and it's worth a read.

In this romance novella collection are five different stories from some of the best authors in the game, all dealing with one of my absolute FAVORITE tropes: second-chance romance. Most of them are with characters familiar to those authors' readers from their established worlds and etc., which is extra fun if you're interested in either revisiting your author's favorite worlds OR you'd like to try your hand at a new-to-you author.

(I know that stuff above is very market-y, but truly I think collections like this are a great soft sell for authors to meet new readers—it's how I get introduced to new series, because a novella is a lot less stakes than an entire novel!)

In this collection:

Slayed by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy
Evermore by Corinne Michaels
The Close-up by Kennedy Ryan
Rafe by Sawyer Bennett
Rough Rhythm by Tessa Bailey

I requested Love, Rekindled because I am a huge fan of both Kennedy Ryan and Tessa Bailey. So let's be real, most of my thoughts here are for those two novellas in particular because I DID run right to their stories first (listen, we all do it!).

Kennedy Ryan's second-chance romance with Takira and Naz had my heart, y'all, with its sweet high-school flame start and its steamy adult ending. These characters exist in a cross-section of Ryan's basketball players universe and her Reel universe, so I loved all of the references and to see these characters get their sweet happy ending.

Tessa Bailey's romance was, like all Bailey stories, SMOKIN' hot. I honestly don't want to talk about this one too much because I had the best time going into it blind, but here's a little teaser quote to get you interested... "If another man called you his plaything, Lita, I would gut him." (Tell me you don't want to read that!!)

As someone who hasn't read any of Alexandra Ivy, Corinne Michaels, or Sawyer Bennett before—and all of their worlds were new to me—I'll confess that I enjoyed them but don't have too much to say specifically about their individual stories. I did get intrigued though by their worlds, so those three authors have joined my growing TBR pile to try out their series soon!

Thank you so much to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

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[Amanda Mercedes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains 6 novellas told from 6 different, great authors and can be read as standalones. They do not interconnect at all. I loved that even though each one focused on the second chance trope, they felt different from each other.
Also each novella did a good job, in my opinion, of fleshing out their characters enough to make me care about them. I feel like this is normally a weak point for novellas, especially with side characters, and I think these actually did a good job of it.
They are all spicy too, so that is another positive I think—- it wasn’t just smut, but actually managed to fit in plot there too.

Thank you 1001 Dark Nights Press for the copy for review!

[Lisa Spofford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, Rekindled is a second chance romance collection published by 1001 Dark Nights-Blue Box Press. The novellas included in the collection are:

Slayed by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy @alexandra.ivy
Evermore by Corinne Michaels @corinnemichaels
The Close-up by Kennedy Ryan @kennedyryan1
Rafe by Sawyer Bennett @sawyerbennett123
Rough Rhythm by Tessa Bailey @tessabaileyisanauthor

All five stories were new to me, even though three were part of series that I have read and all by authors with whom I am familiar. They averaged ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫, for an overall rating of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the collection. All five authors are successful, skilled romance authors and each one created an engrossing story that I thoroughly enjoyed. All five are open door stories with combustible chemistry, the majority with high levels of steam. I think that each novella is a great opportunity to give a new author a try, if any of these are unfamiliar to you. The primary theme of these stories is second chances, but the stories vary in subgeneres, including paranormal, sports, military, and rockstar/dark romance. None of these novellas felt rushed and all have happy endings. If you enjoy contemporary romance novellas, then I definitely recommend checking out this collection. The book is currently available as an ebook or paperback, and the ebook is available through kindle unlimited.

I would like to thank 1001 Dark Nights, Blue Box Press for providing this ARC in exchange for your honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[anovelaccount (Kayla) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to @1001darknights_blueboxpress for my copy of this romance collection!

If I haven’t said it enough, second chance romance is easily my FAVORITE trope! So I was all in for these five novellas.

Each one is VERY different from the others, so the variety here was good. We go from vampires, to military romance, to basketball players/forced proximity on a yacht, to hockey romance, to leaning more towards dark romance (this is my perception as a non-dark romance reader, but true dark romance readers would probably roll their eyes 🤣).

While each story is spicy, there are definitely varying levels of spice, and I’ll admit that some were a bit much for me 🥵 I think it’s good to know that going in.

Overall, this collection was enjoyable. I enjoyed Kennedy Ryan’s writing the best, and Sawyer Bennett’s story the best of the bunch. Each had a very different take on second chance romance that was fun to see.
I felt like the writing struggled, especially for the dialogue, in certain areas, and at times I struggled to stay engaged on certain stories that didn’t capture my attention the whole way through. But overall, definitely five short stories I had fun reading.

[thebeespot72 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite Trope with Great Authors

I love anthologies. I feel like my frugal side is getting a good deal. And in this case, I’m getting my favorite authors all in one book. Put together by 1001 Dark Nights, I knew it would be fabulous.

Authors Kennedy Ryan, Corinne Michaels, Tessa Baily, Sawyer Bennett, and Alexander Ivy all have short second-chance romances in this one. Readers will get a little bit of everything, from enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, and even a paranormal romance.

One of my favorite stories was Corinne Michaels' “Evermore.” It was the perfect blend of romance, emotional angst, great group friends, some steam, and, of course, an HEA. 1001 Dark Nights' “Love Rekindled” was a good anthology.

[Pidabean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed all the stories in Love, Rekindled: A Second-Chance Romance. All authors were new to me so I was able to sample their writing styles. It is hard to pick a favorite but I would have to say the one book I kept thinking about was Evermore by Corinne Michaels. Look forward to read reading more by all of these authors.

Thank you to 1001darknights_blueboxpress for a copy of the book.

[KDRBCK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, Rekindled by 1001 Dark Nights contains the following books.
The Close-Up by Kennedy Ryan: The Close-Up by K. Ryan is book 1.5 in her Hollywood Renaissance Series and a 1001 DNights Novella.
The book can easily be read as stand-alone. For best reading experience I recommend to read the books in order.
This is Takiry and Naz's story.
Takira I already met in Reel and Naz is her brother's competition.
A gripping story that gives all the feels, a great read, 5 stars.

Evermore by Corinne Michaels : Evermore by Corinne Michaels is a novella, set in the Salvation series and Dark Nights and fits right in.
I was so so happy to get a glimpse at all my favorite characters from the Salvation world. Lee and Liam, Liam oh Liam I missed you so much - Mark, Ashton, Charlie and all the others.
But back to the story. Gretchen is an attorney and she loves her plans. She only properly exists with a plan.- What leads her to being stood up on the altar on her wedding day. She packs up her life and starts over with the Cole Security family.
And there she meets a old acquaintance, Ben - Benjamin Pryce. Ben is a ex-SEAL, was badly injured and works now for Cole and co. He is in love with Gretchen for nearly his whole life and now he has her at his fingertips. Only his issues threaten to win and he's about to lose her for good.
Evermore is a pleasure to read. The story is great and I can't express how much I love all the characters. The Salvation series is on my all time favorite and reread list and I don't know how much I already read the books.
And now there's another story to add to. Be still my beating heart. I highly recommend Evermore and give 5++ stars.

Rafe by Sawyer Bennett: Rafe by Sawyer Bennett is an Arizona Vengeance Novella and part of the 1001 Dark Nights World.
Rafe is back home. The pro hockey player was traded, new team, old flame, awaiting heart break, sorry not sorry, no spoilers here.
I fell in love with the characters and the story pretty quick. The writing is excellent and I loved the story and the characters, 5 stars.

Rough Rhythm by Tessa Bailey, book 1.5 in her Made in Jersey Series.

Slayed by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy, Guardians of Eternity book 17.5.

[Mars Rads · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of second chance romances, this is a great book to pick up. It is a collection of five novellas that are written by five different authors. They aren’t connected to each other other than the fact that they are all stories of second chance loves. They can be read in any order, and each brings a completely different story. I honestly had not read anything by any of the authors, so this was a great way to get a short story from each and get exposed to five new authors with a short story each. The characters and subjects in each of these stories is so different that there is a little bit of everything that you could crave. The stories include vampires, hockey, basketball, and military. While each author does a good job of giving us characters with some depth, because of the length of each story, we don’t get too deep or get too much of a back story on any one character.

The authors of each of these stories did a great job of writing novellas that were engaging and made you care about what happened to the characters. As a fan of both sports romances and dark romances, I found that I got pulled in by each of the stories. I specifically enjoyed the story by Alexandra Ivy and the story by Tessa Bailey. I tend to lean more towards darker romances, so these two fit well with that. I felt that these stories were entertaining and really enjoyed them. Even though I liked those two stories best, it doesn’t mean that the others weren’t good. I thought that each story had its very good plot points and that people in the stories were relatable. Each of the authors included in this collection did a wonderful job of writing a compact story that packed a lot into about 100 pages.

This is definitely worth picking up, especially if you enjoy second chance romances. Because of the length, you can read at your own pace. You can also read only the books that seem to be up your alley. There is plenty of spice across these five stories, with some having more than others. This is a great mix of different stories and a great option if you aren’t looking for a huge commitment. You can easily read what you feel like reading and it is fairly easy to read one story in the span of a few hours.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, Rekindled: A Second-Chance Romance
Collection
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Slayed by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy
Evermore by Corinne Michaels
The Close-up by Kennedy Ryan
Rafe by Sawyer Bennett
Rough Rhythm by Tessa Bailey

Thank you to the publisher Dark Nights Press for my gifted copy.

Okay, all you second-chance romance lovers out there,
listen up! This book is like a box of chocolates, but,
you know, without the risk of getting a weird orange
cream filling. Instead, you get five novellas written by
five different authors, each one a tasty little morsel of
second-chance love. They're all separate, so you can
bounce around and read them in whatever order you
want. It's like a party in your mouth, but instead of
cake, there are vampires, hockey, basketball, and
military dudes. The authors do a solid job of creating
characters with some actual depth, but let's be real,
these are novellas, so you're not going to get a ton of
backstory. That being said, each author managed to
write an engaging story that made me care about what
happened to the characters. I was pleasantly surprised
by how much I enjoyed each of the stories. Alexandra
Ivy and Tessa Bailey were my standouts - their stories
were right up my alley. But even though I had my
favorites, the other stories were still solid. Each author
brought their A-game and wrote a compact story that
packed a punch. If you're looking for something fun
and easy to read, this is a great choice. Plus, it's like a
sampler platter - you can read what you want, when
you want. And don't worry, there's plenty of spice to
go around. So, if you're in the mood for something
light and fun, pick this up.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous selection of second chance romances in Love Rekindled from five of the most popular authors of the genre. Every fan of romantic fiction knows that love is all the sweeter second time around and this collection of novellas from Alexandra Ivy, Corinne Michaels, Kennedy Ryan, Sawyer Bennett, and Tessa Bailey only proves it. They are set in world’s that will be familiar to regular readers of these authors but still written in such a way that they can easily be read as standalones without giving away spoilers of other books and act as introductions to a particular author’s work. Covering a wide range of tropes, from paranormal to rockstar and military to sports there was something for all tastes. Speaking as a reader who believes a book can never have too many pages, despite their brevity none of these novellas feel rushed in any way and each was a great way to spend an hour or two. If you haven’t read any of these authors before you won't be disappointed with this anthology.

[Timitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, Rekindled is a wonderful collection of second chance romance stories that I enjoyed. Evermore by Corinne Michaels was a quick, fun read with steam and emotion. I enjoyed watching Gretchen and Ben reconnect and rekindle the embers started in childhood. The Close-up by Kennedy Ryan was a joy to read since it not only featured awesome characters but my culture, the culture of Trinidad and Tobago as well. I loved seeing mentions of things I know and hold dear. I also loved watching the main characters, Takira and Naz find each other again and get their HEA. Their journey was steamy, tension filled and sweet among other things. I loved the way Naz treated her, it is what swoons are made of. Dreamy sigh. Slayed by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy was an interesting read with intriguing moments amd characters. There was a suspense element with a bit of action as well. I loved the magic system. I enjoyed this story and loved reading a paranormal in the midst of contemporary romance. I definitely recommend this collection.



Copy provided by publisher

[Katie | Untitledbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, Rekindled is a solid second-chance romance anthology featuring six standalone novellas from powerhouse authors like Kennedy Ryan, Corinne Michaels, Tessa Bailey, Sawyer Bennett, and Alexandra Ivy. Each story brings something different; grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, even a little paranormal and they all deliver on both heat and heart.

I was especially impressed with how well-developed the characters felt, which can be tough in novella format.

Big thanks to 1001 Dark Nights Press for the review copy!

[Kamila Mykhailiuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I absolutely loved this collection. Amazing characters and wonderful plot. Very beautifully written and easy to read.

Every story in this collection was very interesting and entertaining to read. This collection is for everyone who likes second chances romance. Every couple was unique and beautiful.

Overall I loved this collection very much. If you’re looking for a second chance romance then you’re going to love it.

[Aryel · Rating 4 out of 5]

We revisit 5 novellas that can be read as standalones, that just might make you want to read the rest of the stories they go with. From Vampires to basketball stars and military men getting second chances at love this compilation covers the second chance love trope perfectly. There is enough variety that everyone can find a love that makes them believe in happily ever after and two people being meant to be.

[the_romance_regent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed 1001 Dark Nights: Love, Rekindled because I love all the authors’s books, and second-chance romances are one of my favorite tropes. I’ve read books from each author before, but Tessa Bailey’s Rough Rhythm from the Made in Jersey series was the only one I knew going in. It was really fun to check back in with those characters. This anthology has a great mix of stories, so there’s something for everyone. If you’re into romance, it’s definitely worth a read.

[KazLikesToRead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Evermore by Corinne Michaels (novella) Review
It was fine. I think I miss the author's longer books with more in-depth exploration of character history and development. I think there was a lot of places where I was hoping that there would be an explanation of what happened like why the MMC didn't keep in contact. I also didn't like the reunion at the end. The grovelling needed to be fleshed out.

[Laura Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway and enjoyed it so much! It’s a collection of second chance romance short stories, but also has a great cross-section of other tropes. There’s vampires, hockey, enemies to lovers, jilted brides, fake dating, forced proximity, friends with benefits…the list goes on. My personal favorite was The Close Up. 4.5/5 stars.

[Amour.Rebelle.Reads (Bran.d) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed "Love, Rekindled," it’s a collection of second chance romance stories. It features some of my favorite authors like Corinne and Kennedy, it offers a mix of stories about love rediscovered, filled with hope and passion…and a little bit of angst (looking at you Corinne😘). Each story brings its own unique twist, making it a fun read. If you love the idea of rekindling lost love, this anthology is definitely worth checking out!

[it.sgottabethebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart is always so full after reading a second chance romance book. This collection was no exception. It was great discovering new to me authors and old favorites. This was an all in your feels book from start to finish.

[Becky Kapjon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series of five novella about second chances. Each story brings you back to a couple who has met before at some point and thou get they were the one. This is their second chance at chance at a happy ending.

I liked how each story had a couple with its own love story and happy ending.

[Donna ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this collection of novellas Review to follow

[River · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first story I LOVED and wanted so much more. I had zero complaints about it. Unfortunately the rest of the stories fell short for me and felt way too quick with not enough fleshing out or enough character development for me to justify the quick endings. There is in detail talk of death and hospice and mental health issues??? Either way there needed to be trigger warnings of some kind. Overall I was left disappointed.