‘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!
Read an extract from No One's Looking, a comedic and uplifting novel from bestselling author Brooke Davis. Out October 13 2026!
Our staff share how special Brooke Davis' debut was - we’d love to hear your memories too!
The lovely Brooke, a bookseller herself, checks in with her colleagues across Australia to say a big hello.
Information on Alice Oseman's - author of Heartstopper - trip to Australia and New Zealand.
Meet Aussie dark romance author Penny Sunday!
From the bestselling author of Belladonna
Ahead of Eighty-Nine Questions for After, Ashleigh shares her thoughts on why sad books are so important for kids.
Start reading Patricia Cornwell's thrilling memoir
Announcing this year's round of The Richell Prize
Happy Mother's Day!
Read the new book from bestselling author Natasha Lester
Dive into this unforgettable coming-of-age story from a stunning new voice in Australian fiction
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!
Entertain the kids at home
Antoun Issa powerfully captures his mother's true experiences of love, heartbreak and new hope during the violence of civil war.
The Children's Book Council of Australia's 2026 Notables list has been announced!
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.
Meet bestselling author Natasha Lester as she tours Australia
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 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.
A guide to our authors
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.
A swoony YA sports romance coming soon to Netflix
Stardust meets Uprooted with a fairytale twist in this standalone fantasy.
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