Ellie and Drake are happily engaged. He works on new-build homes. She keeps amazing old places in business. They don’t make sense on paper, but they’re drawn together by their shared sense of humor and how easy it all feels. The two of them think they know each other well until they discover the vintage movie palace at the top of a dark alley.

On entering, they’re met with an unusual form of entertainment: their own memories. They begin to watch their past lives back in two-hour installments. Ellie and Drake come closer together as they see glimpses of the person they love in their younger selves. But when the memories creep toward the present and secrets are revealed, they begin to wonder the same thing. Do you need to love who someone was in the past to love who they are now? 

The Second Chance Cinema is coming from Atria Books/Simon & Schuster in the fall of 2025. For professional inquiries, please reach out to Amy Tannenbaum at Jane Rotrosen Agency (atannenbaum at janerotrosen.com).