No. 1 ยท November 2026For women dating again after 40
The Second Chapter
The covers of all three Second Chapter books
The Second Chapter Books

The Second Chapter Collection

All three books: Why He Pulls Away, Dating After Divorce at 40, 50 and Beyond, and The Attachment Style Workbook for Women Over 40

Three short, research-based books that work as a set: starting again, understanding him, and understanding yourself.

The three books were planned together, and they read well together.

Dating After Divorce at 40, 50 and Beyond is about the beginning: whether you're ready, who you are now, and how to start without losing yourself. Why He Pulls Away is about the moment most women dread a few months in, when a man goes quiet and the old fear wakes up. The Attachment Style Workbook for Women Over 40 goes underneath both, to the patterns you bring to every relationship, and gives you exercises to make them steadier.

Bought separately, the three cost $33. The collection is $27. When the store opens, you'll get every finished book right away and each new one the day it's released, at no extra cost.

All three follow the same rules as everything we publish: no tactics, no games, no invented statistics. Every study is named and listed so you can check it. Stories are composites and are marked as illustrative.

The Second Chapter Collection · $27 · PDF + EPUB

Join the waitlist

The three books

  1. 01
    Why He Pulls Away

    The four ordinary reasons men go quiet, the demand-withdraw loop, the calm check-in with word-for-word scripts, and when to walk away. Finished: about 18,000 words.

  2. 02
    Dating After Divorce at 40, 50 and Beyond

    Signs you're ready, rebuilding your sense of self, the settling trap, where people over 40 meet, safety and first dates. In writing.

  3. 03
    The Attachment Style Workbook for Women Over 40

    The two dimensions of attachment, your pattern and where it came from, and step-by-step exercises and journaling prompts for building security. In writing.

Who it's for

  • You want the whole set, from starting again to building something steady.
  • You'd rather buy once and receive each new book as it's released.

Who it's not for

  • Anyone looking for manipulation tactics. There are none in any of the three.
  • Anyone in an unsafe relationship. Please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline first: 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.

The research behind it

We name every study we rely on, so you can read it yourself. Some of the main sources:

  1. Attachment theory: Hazan & Shaver (1987); Fraley, Waller & Brennan (2000); Mikulincer & Shaver (2003); Arriaga and colleagues (2018).
  2. Commitment: Rusbult (1980); Le & Agnew (2003); Stanley, Rhoades & Markman (2006).
  3. Couples research: Gottman & Levenson (1992); Driver & Gottman (2004); Schrodt, Witt & Shimkowski (2014).
  4. Later-life divorce and repartnering: Brown & Lin (2012); Brown and colleagues (2019); Benson & Coleman (2016).
  5. Full references, with DOIs, are at the back of each book and on each book's page.

Questions about the collection

What do I get, and when?

When the store opens: Why He Pulls Away right away (PDF and EPUB), then the other two books by email the day each is released, included in the price.

What formats?

Every book comes as a PDF (6 by 9 inches) and an EPUB for phones and e-readers.

Is there a refund policy?

We'll publish the full refund policy here before the store opens. If a file won't open or download, write to us and we'll sort it out.

Can I buy just one?

Yes. Each book has its own page, linked below.

The Second Chapter Collection · $27 · PDF + EPUB

Join the waitlist

Also on the shelf:

Free reading first

Our books are educational and are not therapy, medical, legal or financial advice. If you feel unsafe in a relationship, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is free and confidential, 24 hours a day: 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788. If your distress feels like too much to carry, call or text 988, any time.