The Second Tryst: A Spicy, Second Chance Romantic Comedy

by Shannon Saunders

She ran when he needed her most, but now she needs him.

Sydney
Since my diagnosis, my family did everything they could to smooth the edges of life for me. When I met Adrian Alessi the summer before college, it was like coming up for desperately needed air. I wanted that one thing for myself. One thing that wasn't consumed by doctors and meds and concern. Adrian treated me like every other girl, because he didn't know I wasn't—and that's how I liked it. Years of secret rendezvous and deepening feelings made walking away from him the most difficult thing I'd ever done. Now I'm back in his orbit, and he suddenly knows every secret I've kept from him. Every secret except the ones I refuse to admit to myself.

Adrian
I was always the class clown. The reckless, impulsive youngest brother who no one took seriously. Then, at twenty-two years old, the death of my mother plunged me into a dark place. My brothers did their best to be supportive, but they couldn't substitute for the one person I truly needed—Sydney Byrne. We spent every summer sneaking away, falling in love, only to separate when fall came. When my mom got sick and I needed Sydney more than ever, she left me. No explanation, no remorse. Now that she's popped back into my life, she owes me an explanation and the life we could have had.



The Second Tryst from Shannon Saunders is a standalone romantic comedy featuring a trio of brothers with plenty of family banter. The Second Tryst follows their free spirited youngest brother as he reconnects with his summer love. Readers will love it for the crazy side characters, deep connections, sarcasm, steam, and happily ever after! For fans of Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score, this short romance gives you everything you want in a compact package.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 10, 2026

About the author

Shannon Saunders writes spicy, bingeable romantic comedies with characters that are navigating the complexities that life often serves us. Her books reflect what we all experience—laughter, heartbreak, and triumph. All topped with a heavy dollop of banter.

Shannon has been a romance reader since she was a little ten-year-old. Problematic? Maybe. The Tyler series circa early 90s really made an impact. Now she writes the same stories that shaped her.

If you are a fan of Lucy Score, Claire Kingsley, or Sloane St. James, you’ll love her compact stories that are perfect for a vacation read, a palette cleanser, or to drag you out of a reading rut.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she's not wrangling small children, she's probably in her garden. Possibly gardening, possibly making someone else look at everything while she says "Look!" repeatedly.

Reviews

[Stephanie Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a quick, compact read! The story of Sydney and Adrian's rekindled love was sweet, with a good measure of humor and banter injected, much like the other Alessi Brothers books. While I anticipated a happy ending, it wasn't without acknowledgement of pain and difficult times in the characters lives. There was quality family dynamics that helped shaped the scenes for our characters and added a layer of complexity to character choices.

I would have loved some more details on Sydney and Adrian's backstory and how their college summer love came to be, but overall this was a cute, funny, feel-good, short romance read.

Thank you to the author for the ARC opportunity!

[Lovelettelore · Rating 3 out of 5]

💔⏳ Sometimes, first love never really leaves… it just waits for a second chance.

📖 The Second Tryst by Shannon Saunders
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🌶️🌶️
Contemporary Romance

Tropes:
💞 Second Chance
💍 Marriage of Convenience
🐶 Golden Retriever MMC
🤫 Secret Marriage

Sydney and Adrian fell in love as teenagers during stolen summer moments, hiding their relationship from their families. But Sydney was keeping a bigger secret—she had an autoimmune disorder and never told Adrian. When Adrian’s mother became terminally ill, Sydney made the painful decision to leave him, believing she would only become another burden in his life. Years later, fate brings them back together when Adrian’s brother hosts his wedding at Sydney’s family inn, forcing them to confront everything they left unresolved.

I liked this book, but I didn’t feel as emotionally connected to the characters as I hoped. Sydney constantly saw herself as a burden, even when everyone around her reassured her otherwise. She often made big decisions without considering how they affected others, which came across as selfish at times. While I understood her motivations, her big “epiphany” moment felt a bit flat and not as powerful as it should have been.

Adrian, though… he completely had my heart. He was just a man deeply in love—heartbroken, depressed, and struggling, yet still willing to seek help and grow. I really admired him for that. I honestly felt angry on his behalf at times because of how Sydney treated him, especially when she failed to see how deeply he loved her and how far he was willing to go for her.

Overall, this was a decent second-chance romance with emotional themes and a lovable MMC, but it didn’t fully hit for me in terms of character connection and emotional payoff.

Thank you Shannon Saunders for this ARC. 🤍

[Kristen Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adrian is such an interesting character. He is known as the happy go lucky guy but we can see that he has that as a front from the heartbreak he experienced. But as soon as he heard that Sydney needed help and that he could provide it, he instantly offered it and convinced her to accept it. Adrian is just the sweetest person and his dad describes him perfectly. " watching you ride that motorcycle around is like seeing a kitten in a leather jacket."

This is such a sweet book. It was just so relaxed when I was reading this and I just knew that there would be a happily ever after. I also loved the humor throughout.

Some of my favorite quotes:

"No walking around this place half naked," she ordered. "Only fully naked, got it."

"Sometimes in lust, sometimes in hate, always in love."

[Shyanne Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I DEVOURED this book. The story between Adrian and Sydney was so good. I love a book that doesn’t rely on the enemies to lovers trope and this delivered. The background, the romance, the laughs, the crying. I really loved this book. Definitely recommend!!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second chance romance was a cute read, loved the setting and the representation from both main characters.