Jason Michaels knows second chances are very much a part of "happy ever after." He's seen it firsthand, more than once. So when will it be his turn? He has a great group of friends and family to share his life with, but he knows there is one thing still missing. Love isn't something he's been avoiding, he just hasn't found it yet... or has he? Tori Peterson has made mistakes in her life, but they all pale in comparison to her marriage. Luckily, she's a woman who quickly learned from her mistakes. Doing everything in her power to escape the man who promised to cherish her, she builds herself a life she can be proud of. Never again will she be fooled into being with a man who she might love. She knows she has too much to lose. Her hope? That she will recognize real love when she finds it. Her fear? That her past will catch her before she has a chance to find the love she deserves, the love that is required ... So what happens when her hopes and fears catch up to her at the same time? Because settling for less than real love is no longer acceptable ... this time, it's required.

For Allie Baxter, love was never something she had to worry about. She was loved by her friends, her family, her husband ... until the day he was ripped away. Losing love was the deepest pain Allie had ever endured, and it was an agony she vowed to avoid feeling ever again. Crippled with guilt over her loss, for five years, Allie served her self-appointed exile from the daily comforts offered by friends and family, only to return and attempt to fit herself back into their open arms - even if she knew she didn't deserve it. Mike Lawson was not something that Allie expected; the love of a man was not something Allie was prepared to want. The spark of desire that had long ago died inside her returned, bringing the memories of her pain with it. She swore she would never allow herself to love again ... but how long could love be resisted?