Getting past the "Nope." Lessons in Love and Second Chances by Merri Maywether

When I was in the classroom, I used to tell the kids that failing is better than not trying at all. When we fail, we move forward. It may not be as far as we’d hoped, but moving forward is better than being stagnant. 

Most of the time, that’s all they needed to try. There were instances where they looked me in the eye and gave me a big nope. “Sorry, ma’am, it’s not going to happen.” 

Then I had to unravel the jumble that created the resistance. 

Sometimes it was fatigue. 

Then there was fear. The disappointment of trying and not getting what we hoped for can get heavy. Why carry it? 

For others, it was distraction. Joking around with a friend is far more interesting than fixing misplaced modifiers. 

Or, they didn’t understand. They had enough tools to know what they were supposed to do, but not the right tools to do the work. 

At this point, you’re probably asking, what does this have to do with sweet romance? 

These principles also apply to characters that are being offered a second chance. Sometimes it’s a second chance at receiving the love they know exists because they’ve seen it. Other times, it’s a chance at the life they’ve always wanted. 

Why would they put up so much resistance? 

Let’s revisit the reasons I used to see daily: fatigue, fear, distraction. 

That’s when we hear someone say, I’m sick and tired. 

Then there’s fear. I don’t want to get hurt again. I don’t want to get my hopes up. 

Distraction—they’re too busy. 

The big one. They don’t know what to say or how to accept what’s being offered. 

And that’s why so many of us love second-chance romance. We get the chance to live vicariously through a fictional character and find an ember of hope, or the strength to get up one more time, or the friend who snaps in front of our face, insisting that it’s time to pay attention to what’s in front of us. 

Anyone who has read my books would see in an instant that my characters always have a community that shows them how to believe in love. This help could come via a wise older person, a sassy friend, or the grumpy guy who just wants to lock them in a room until they figure it out. They are not only given what they need, but they’re also shown how to apply it. 

Then we get to my favorite part of the story. We get to celebrate because love wins. 

Our character had a good reason to wallow in bitterness. Instead, they did the work, and because of how hard it was, the happy ending is S-W-E-E-T.

It’s your turn to share. What is it about the characters in second-chance romance that makes you look forward to their happy ending? Or do you have a different reason why they would be hesitant to try again?

Let me know in the comments. I’m excited to read your answers.