The Second Chance at Love series is one of the more interesting, and often overlooked, lines in the history of American category romance publishing. Although it never achieved the fame of Harlequin Presents or Silhouette Romance, it played an important role in the careers of numerous bestselling romance authors and reflected the changing tastes of romance readers during the 1980’s.

Overview

• Publisher: Zebra Books (Kensington Publishing Corp.)
• Imprint: Second Chance at Love
• Publication years: June 1981 – December 1989
• Numbered titles: 477
• Format: Mass-market paperback (4¼ × 7 inches)
• Release schedule:
• 1981–1983: generally 3–6 books per month
• 1984–1986: stabilized at 6 books per month
• 1987–1989: gradually reduced to 2–4 books per month before cancellation

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the romance market exploded after the enormous success of historical romances such as Kathleen Woodiwiss’s The Flame and the Flower and Rosemary Rogers’ novels.

Harlequin dominated the category romance market, but Zebra Books wanted its own successful romance line.

Rather than competing directly with Harlequin Presents, Zebra launched Second Chance at Love in 1981.

End of the series

By the late 1980s:

• romance publishing had become increasingly competitive
• Silhouette expanded rapidly
• Harlequin introduced numerous specialty lines
• readers shifted toward larger single-title romances and historical epics

Zebra gradually reduced the number of monthly releases.
The final numbered title was: #477 – Class Reunion by Jan Mathews (December 1989)
Afterward, Zebra concentrated on other romance imprints and standalone novels.

Interesting Facts

• The series published 477 numbered books over 8½ years, making it one of the longest-running Zebra romance lines.
• Several authors who later became New York Times bestselling writers got an early boost through this imprint.
• The line mixed contemporary, historical, gothic, and suspense romances instead of limiting itself to one niche.
• Many titles have never been reprinted, so the original Zebra paperbacks remain the only edition available.
• Because documentation is incomplete, identifying the real people behind some pseudonyms is still an ongoing project for romance bibliographers and collectors.
• The painted cover art is now appreciated as an example of the “golden age” of romance illustration, and some collectors seek the books as much for their artwork as for the stories.

For collectors of vintage romance paperbacks, Second Chance at Love represents an important bridge between the traditional category romances of the 1970s and the more diverse, character-driven romance fiction that flourished in the late 1980s and beyond.