The one who got away … #ComingOfAge #CollegeRomance #SecondChanceRomance

Today is release day for my friend J.J. DiBennedetto’s new second chance romance, Ten Years and Then...

Leave him a comment to show him some love!

Blurb

What if the love of your life was the one who got away… over and over again?

In 1988, Daniel Keller is a shy, brilliant college sophomore who never expected to fall for anyone—until Nora Langley crashes into his life like a thunderstorm in heels. With wit, ambition, and a wild heart she tries to hide, Nora makes Daniel feel seen for the first time. Their love is messy, exhilarating… and more than either of them knows how to handle.

When the pressure of family expectations and uncertain futures becomes too much, they break apart—but the story doesn’t end there.

Over the next ten years, Daniel and Nora keep finding their way back to each other. Different cities. New careers. Almost-relationships. But the connection never fades. Every reunion brings joy and pain, hope and heartbreak. And always, the question: what if?

Told with nostalgia, emotional depth, and aching romanticism, Ten Years and Then… is for anyone who’s ever looked back at a lost love and wondered what might have been. Can two people who never stopped loving each other finally get it right, or are some hearts never meant to stay?

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00BW6L9GK

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ten-years-and-then

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/ten-years-and-then/id6751422121

Excerpt

“So, what do you think? Do you want to see me again?” He was pushing a little bit, but it felt like this was the moment to do it. “Dinner. Or a movie. Or just sitting out here on a bench and talking for three hours. It doesn’t matter, as long as we’re together, right?”

Nora closed her eyes for a long moment, and he could feel her hands shaking. Maybe he had pushed too hard.

She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and answered, “Yes. Definitely yes.” He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. She pulled her hands away from him, fished around in her purse. “Of course. Pen but no paper. Wouldn’t happen to you—if you carried a purse, you’d have a little notebook in there just in case.” She reached back and grabbed his left hand, writing on his palm. “Never mind, that works. My phone number. Don’t forget to write it in a notebook when you get back to your room. Not that you would forget. You probably never forget important stuff.”

He kissed her one more time, and put an arm around her and walked her the rest of the way back to Morris Hall. “I definitely won’t ever forget anything about last night. Or anything about you, Nora Langley.”

There was one last kiss, at least for the moment. Then she opened the door and started to walk inside, but she poked her head back out. “Call me later today. Maybe we can just talk for three hours.” She blew him a kiss, and disappeared inside.

He stood there for a couple of minutes, staring at his palm, memorizing her number, just in case anything happened to it on the way back to West Hall.

About the Author

J.J. DiBenedetto is the author of more than a dozen novels across romance, fantasy, adventure, and romance. His works include the beloved Dream Doctor Mysteries, the fast-paced Jane Barnaby Adventures, and sweeping love stories like his new novel Ten Years and Then…

No matter the setting — from college campuses to the ends of the Earth— his books are driven by heartfelt characters, emotional depth, and stories that stay with readers long after the last page.

When he’s not writing, James enjoys opera, tabletop role-playing games, and life with his tuxedo cat, Roxie.