Hearties Review: The House of Second Chances

Monday 11 February 2019

Return to West Cork with the new heartwarming romance from Esther Campion. Happily ever afters abound!

‘Oh that man! She could kill him and kiss him at the same time.’

Love a bit of second-chance romance? That’s the one where our two leads, who missed out on great love, find each other later in life.

How about the classic enemies to lovers trope? In that one our two leads, who can’t stand each other, come to realise that they actually have the hots for one another.

These stories both end in a HEA (happily ever after), have a heart-warming story at their center and lots of smooching.

If this sounds like your cup of tea then you’re going to love an Esther Campion novel. Not only has she mastered the second-chance romance but with her second book The House of Second Chances, she has also thrown in a great enemies to lovers story.

Plus, the gorgeous backdrops of Ireland and South Australia don’t hurt the romance factor either.

If you were a fan of Leaving Ocean Road, Esther’s first novel, then you’re really in for a treat. Aidan O’Shea is Ellen’s brother and he knew her best friend Colette Barry from back in high school. He never looked at her twice, never thought about her in any way that was remotely romantic. Cut to twenty years later and Colette is a top interior designer and Aidan is a builder. There’s the O’Shea family cottage to restore and they both have very different opinions on home renovation. You get what’s about to happen here…

Reading The House of Second Chances was such an enjoyable experience. It contained a cast of characters that felt familiar and kept us in the realm of family saga. Plus the romance was perfectly developed and just warmed my heart. Be sure to pour yourself a cuppa and snuggle on the couch to read this one.

(Oh and if you miss Ellen and Gerry you get to see more of their love story too!)

Chat about The House of Second Chances with author Esther Campion over on the Books With Heart Book Club Facebook group.

You can win a copy here!

Latest news

Start Reading No One's Looking

Read an extract from No One's Looking, a comedic and uplifting novel from bestselling author Brooke Davis. Out October 13 2026!

Hachette Memories of Lost & Found

Our staff share how special Brooke Davis' debut was - we’d love to hear your memories too!

Brooke Davis' Letter to Booksellers

The lovely Brooke, a bookseller herself, checks in with her colleagues across Australia to say a big hello.

Alice Oseman is coming to ANZ!

Information on Alice Oseman's - author of Heartstopper - trip to Australia and New Zealand.

Q&A with Penny Sunday

Meet Aussie dark romance author Penny Sunday!

Read an extract from The Wretched Divine

From the bestselling author of Belladonna

Ashleigh Barton's Letter to Readers

Ahead of Eighty-Nine Questions for After, Ashleigh shares her thoughts on why sad books are so important for kids.

Read an extract of True Crime

Start reading Patricia Cornwell's thrilling memoir

The Richell Prize Opens 2026

Announcing this year's round of The Richell Prize

Mum's Shelf, Sorted

Happy Mother's Day!

Read an extract from The Chateau on Sunset

Read the new book from bestselling author Natasha Lester

Read an extract from Rat Daniels

Dive into this unforgettable coming-of-age story from a stunning new voice in Australian fiction

Book Club Questions for Margaret, Are You Leaving?

We hope these questions help guide your book club discussion for this heartfelt novel. We’ve done our best to avoid spoilers, but don’t read these questions unless you’ve finished Margaret, Are You Leaving? – you don’t want to risk ruining any reveals!

Welcome to the World of Donovan Bixley

Entertain the kids at home

Read an Extract from Rebirth: A Love Story From the Depths of War

Antoun Issa powerfully captures his mother's true experiences of love, heartbreak and new hope during the violence of civil war.

Celebrating our CBCA 2026 Notables

The Children's Book Council of Australia's 2026 Notables list has been announced!

Meet J.P. Pomare and Candice Fox on tour across NSW

J.P. Pomare and Candice Fox are teaming up for a scintillating series of events across regional NSW. Hear J.P. discuss his highly charged thriller The Gambler and Candice discuss her addictive new novel Redbelly Crossing.

Natasha Lester On Tour | 2026

Meet bestselling author Natasha Lester as she tours Australia

Book Club Questions for The Gambler

We hope these questions help guide your book club discussion for this incredible thriller. We’ve done our best to avoid spoilers, but don’t read these questions unless you’ve finished The Gambler – you don’t want to run the risk of ruining any reveals!

J.P. Pomare Book Tour 2026

J.P. Pomare will tour Australia to discuss his highly charged new crime thriller, The Gambler, marking the start of an electrifying new series featuring PI Vince Reid.

Supporting our Adelaide Writers Week authors

A guide to our authors

Read an extract from Good People by Patmeena Sabit

A kaleidoscopic, urgent narrative, told through the chorus of voices surrounding the Sharafs, Good People is a riveting, provocative and unforgettable story of community, family and identity.

Read an extract from Finding Her Edge

A swoony YA sports romance coming soon to Netflix

Read an extract from The Swan's Daughter

Stardust meets Uprooted with a fairytale twist in this standalone fantasy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.