A huge thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!!!
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Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of books with magical elements, but this one absolutely stole my heart! I really felt for Sadie who at age 31 feels like the world is imploding around her, losing her job, her boyfriend, and her apartment in the same year, and in three decades still not able to earn the pride of her parents. It’s no surprise that having spent months wallowing in the spare room of her younger brother’s best friend Jacob, she wishes she could just go back and do this year over again. The real surprise is that she gets her wish, but not before one mind-blowing kiss with Jacob that he no longer remembers.
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The plot was enchanting, and the side characters were just as fleshed out as Sadie and Jacob, making the world feel whole despite having not experienced the Very Bad Year with Sadie. I would love a further look at Sadie’s brother, Owen, and his own struggles with their parents. This was a friends-to-lovers romance, but also a study in self-discovery and confidence. I particularly loved the ending that swerved differently than I was anticipating in a really poignant way outside of the norm. Definitely recommend adding this to your TBR list!

This book is about Sadie Thatcher, a 30 baker whose having a really tough year. I thought the premise of the book sounded so fun, who doesn't want to have a chance at a do-over?
I liked this book until I didn't. I didn't care for all the punny food references and the way she describes the other main character towards the beginning of the book. The reasons I didn't like this book may be up other folks alley. There are also many pop culture references. There are so many instances of sexism both in her relationships outside of work with others and in the workplace. I didn't make it to the end without skimming (started skimming around the 30% mark) but there is a element of found family that I would like liked to be explored more. The main female character is headstrong which I appreciate. Thanks for letting me read this early, but again because of the reasons I outlined this book just was not my taste after all.

I enjoyed this but I feel like it was too slow for me. She didn't actually spend that much time with Jacob. I sort of believe that she was in love with him but I needed more of them. Maybe if we got a longer epilogue with them actually being together.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Don't read this book if you are trying to avoid dessert. Not only is our main character Sadie a pastry chef, but the narrative is full of baking similes. I myself am a big fan of a delectable dessert, so I plunged ahead. After a disastrous year where she lost a job, boyfriend, and her apartment; Sadie is ready to try anything. Desperate enough to try the vodka shot potion given her by a fortune-teller at a NYE party. She wishes for a do-over and wakes up like that last year never happened. Now what will she do to avoid the mistakes of the past year? It is hard work! There is a good amount of déjà vu as you might imagine. I appreciated the variations that would pop up while the cast of characters remained constant. What if Sadie discovers that she really didn't want what she thought she did? Will it be too late? Includes a strong #metoo thread, an adorable rescue kitten named Giocuso, and the most adorable boyfriend ever.

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Forever(Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for both audio and digital ARCS. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Goodness. This was such a fun read.

Sadie. Pastry Chef. Defender of the mistreated. Outspoken. And she's having a Very Bad Year.

That loud mouth got her fired. Her boyfriend dumped her. She lost her apartment and was forced to move into her brother's best friend's spare room: where she basically binges The Golden Girls while eating spoonful's of Nutella.

We meet Sadie on New Year's Eve. Her best friend convinces her to attend a party where Sadie encounters a fortune teller. Sadie asks to re-do her year -- and wakes up the following morning on January 1 -- of that Very Bad Year.

This book incorporates a little magic (time loop) - but the fun thing is that Sadie remembers what happened the first time round and so is able to change her reactions to specific events. While she focuses on keeping her job and her boyfriend - other things start to shift. And not always for the better.

I LOVED that this is a book about Sadie figuring herself out. She has to really examine who she is, what she wants and who she wants in her life. Sometimes wanting what you had isn't all it's cut out to be ... and maybe letting go and opening yourself up to something new is what is best for you.

The love story between Sadie and Jacob is a sweet, slow burn. He is a strong, silent type. There are themes of sexual harassment, bullying, sexism (in the workplace) - which made this a bit more "serious" read. I thought that those events were treated with care.

Recommended read. I hope Melissa Wiesner decides to continue with these characters and gives us Owen's story next.

Melissa Weisner's THE SECOND CHANCE YEAR offers such a bright promise: young woman given the chance to do over a horrific year of work and romantic upheavals she believes is centered on her vehement calling out bad behavior and confronting those she believes are behaving badly directly and loudly. Given that opportunity, she lives the encounters, the relationships, and moments, but with the perspective of the long-term outcomes. Does she continue with the terrible relationships or does she remain quiet and let them wash over her -- or does she come to realize it was never about her big mouth and harsh takedowns and create an entirely new life? While I loved the concept of the story, I did not like the protagonist nor the ones in her world, feeling the ultimate story had its moments, but was not a pleasurable read or particularly engaging. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Sadie's life is not exactly where she wants it to be. Getting fired, loosing her long time boyfriend, and forced to crash in her brother's best friend's spare room all lead to a very bad year. But when a wish on NYE gives her a chance to redo it all, will she really change that much?

This was such a cute book. Here's what I liked:
- The structure. It's told month by mont in the year Sadie relives. I loved this because it didn't drag things out and really got to the points that mattered to the story.

-The premise. I love time books. They are always so clever with how things are put together, and this was put together really well. Not a lot of time was wasted on explaining the time travel, focusing more on Sadie and what she's going to do with the new time.

- Jacob. I loved this man. He was that sweet, nerdy guy that really does hold his heart on his sleeve. He's just such a great guy and melted my heart with how much he does for Sadie.

All in all, this was a really good time travel book that looks at what you think you want versus what you really want.

-Brother's best friend
-time travel

Thank you to the author for the gifted copy.
My reviews are always honest.

4.5 stars

Thanks to Forever for the advance copy of this book!

“When your role has been clearly laid out for your entire life, it’s not easy to pivot to being someone else.”

I looooove a good timeline jump story where the main character gets a redo. In The Second Chance Year, Sadie has the WORST year - losing her job, apartment, and boyfriend. On New Year's Eve, she meets a fortune teller and wishes for a redo... and wakes up on January 1 of last year with a chance for a redo.

Not only was this a second chance at love (with a BROTHER'S BEST FRIEND), this is a story that touches on sexism in the workplace, parental expectations, and friendship. I laughed, I teared up, and I adored this book. This one is for all the girlies who tend to speak their minds, who are struggling to live up to a role or expectation someone has set for them, or who just wish they could have a reset.

Highly recommend picking this up in December - it's perfect for New Year's Eve!

Sadie has not had the best year. First she gets fired from her job at a prestigious restaurant then her boyfriend breaks up with her and now she’s living with her brother’s best friend Jacob. At a New Year’s party Sadie meets a fortune teller who gives her the chance to relive the past year. When Sadie wakes up on January 1st she is still with her ex-boyfriend and working as an assistant pastry chef. But the more she tries to change herself and outcomes of the past year the more unhappy Sadie becomes. She ends up losing her best friend and being sexually harassed at her restaurant. The only constants seem to be Jacob and the small coffee shop she has grown to love. With time Sadie learns that she does not to change who she is in order to create the life she’s always wanted.

This book was such a delight! First of all I loved all the desserts and nods to the GBBO. Second, the message that there is only so much bending we can do for other people is VITAL and something I am working on myself. Lastly, Jacob just melts my heart with how soft of a character he is! This will be a holiday romance that I read every year! Loved it!

Cute story, quick read, trying to write a review a couple of weeks after finishing and I am failing to come up with anything else to say. A Groundhog Day-esque premise where the lead character gets to relive one whole year of her life, and she finds new family and purpose and passion along the way and basically realizes everything turns out the way it does for a reason. An enjoyable read with sweet characters.

What a cute story with a strong message. I was able to enjoy this story via audiobook in which I thought the narrator did a phenomenal job, I literally started and finished in one day

I was a bit skeptical at first with the time loop story (I've read some very bad executed time loop books) but, I was very impressed with the way the story was told. Sadie’s character was easy to connect to and relate to.

I loved that her personal journey was the main focus and the romantic aspect was sprinkled around until it needed to be the spotlight towards the end. I do wish I got a bit more of JACOB because I just loved him so much but that’s the romantic reader in me.

I am ROMANCE/give me the SMUT girlie but honestly the book was great without it and I don’t say that often.

Overall, I think it is a great book for this holiday season or if you are in search for a good book to round out the end of the year!

After going through a couple of disastrous situations, Sadie wished for a second chance in life. And she gets her wish. As Sadie navigates her second-chance year, she begins to wonder if her only mistake was wishing for a second chance.

I'm going to start with how much I loved and adored the love interest, Jacob. He was one of the softest, kindest, nerdiest, & humorous MCs I've ever come across. I loved how he was pinned after Sadie silently and then...not so silently.

Speaking of Sadie, her journey throughout the book was one hell of a ride. She was brave, courageous, & just like everyone else tried to live. There were some heavy & important topics mentioned in the book that were dealt with care, which I appreciated.

I loved the way Sadie & Jacob got together in the end; it was so satisfying & cute.

<i>Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

This was so cute and perfect as the New Year approaches. The story is broken down into months as Sadie has a redo of her previous year. You don’t know many details about her previous year so the redo still felt fresh. Through this storytelling, you get to know the characters even better (I loved them all) and see how she tries to fix things.. But fate has better things in mind.

The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner was such a charming story.
This was an unputdownable book for me. I had such a hard time stopping to do adult things.
I loved everything about this book. I loved the character cast, the location, the plot and pacing, the chemistry, the dialogue and banter, the humor, the romance, the progression of the characters, and the wonderful ending. Just perfect.
Wiesner’s writing is something special. And I adored it.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Forever for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Awww okay, despite the laughable food similes and metaphors, I really loved this. This book was a sweet treat (haaaa forgive me, I had to)! I must be in my ~time travel rom com~ era because this is at least the third book of a similar premise that I’ve read - but I’m here for it! I thought it was really well done in this case, and Sadie is only mildly annoying in her ability to completely forget that she’s re-living this year and making comments that other people don’t understand because the things she refers to didn’t happen in their reality.

I really liked Sadie as a main character, I liked Jacob as the love interest (wish we could’ve gotten even more insight into his personality/inner thoughts), and I thought the side characters were great (not excellent, but very good) as well - especially the crew at Higher Grounds). I loved how everything tied together at the end and thought it was very satisfying. It was a super cute closed-door romance.

However. My review would not be complete without warning other readers about the hilariously eye-roll inducing figurative language relating to baked goods. I kept highlighting sentences because I just could not handle it. To be clear: these did not work for me. Who in their right mind thinks like this? I know she’s a pastry chef, but come onnnn haha you’re hitting us over the head with a rolling pin (lol lol couldn’t help myself again) with these similes!!

Some favorites (by which I mean, most ridiculous) included:

- Hollow as a cannoli without any filling
- I deflate like an over-proofed bread loaf
- My mom hisses “Really, Sadie?” like I’m a toddler who’s gotten into the sugar and dumped it all over the floor
- My heart bursts open like molten chocolate cake

So as long as you can just laugh your way through some (ok, a lot) of baking comparisons, I think you’ll be okay!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

4/5 stars!

The Second Chance Year exceeded my expectations! I thought the author did a wonderful job creating realistic and vulnerable characters. I liked that Sadie's epiphanies about herself/life goals were gradual. I do wish there were more scenes between Sadie and Jacob. I assumed this book was going to be a light-hearted read....so I was surprised by the heavy topics (sexual harassment and parental issues). I thought the author handled these topics carefully and respectfully. Readers looking for a PG-13 romance will enjoy this one! Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

I’m starting to become a real sucker for the brothers best friend trope and this one did not disappoint! It was quite the slow burn too, and if you know me, you know I love to be tortured. The story was super cute, the writing was well done, I really loved the main characters, and enjoyed the HEA🥰. Definitely a book I would watch as a movie and definitely a book I will reread! 5 stars from me, go read this when it comes out this December friends. A perfect New Years Eve read!

Thank you @readforeverpub for a copy of this book. I always love a book with a do-over. Sadie has had a bad year with losing her job and boyfriend and wished for a do-over. She gets a wish and does things differently and enjoyed her journey. Her relationship with Jacob was sweet and their romance almost took a back seat. I enjoyed seeing how Sadie dealt with the misogynistic world of chefs and how she dealt with her parents expectations as well.

I recently read a book that really struck a chord with me. It's about a protagonist who faces some serious challenges, and her journey is both heart-wrenching and uplifting. The author does a fantastic job of drawing you into her world, making you feel every setback and triumph right along with her. Her resilience is the kind that makes you sit back and really think about the strength of the human spirit.

What's cool about this story is that it steers clear of the typical time-travel gimmicks you often see. Instead, it delves into a more realistic take on overcoming tough times. I found myself really rooting for the main character and feeling a sense of joy at her eventual victories. It's a story that really showcases the power of not giving up, no matter how tough things get.

The book touches on some darker moments from the protagonist's past, which adds a lot of depth to the story. I did feel like a bit more romance could have spiced things up, though. The romantic bits that are there are well done, but I think a deeper dive into that aspect would have made the story even more engaging.

All in all, this book is a standout piece of writing. The main character's story is one that a lot of people can relate to, especially the theme of getting a second shot at things. A little more love story would have been the icing on the cake, but even without it, the book is a compelling and thought-provoking read.

Thank you Forever for the eARC!

**thank you to netgalley for the ARC. These thoughts are my own***



“Sadie Thatcher’s life has fallen apart in spectacular fashion. In one fell swoop, she managed to lose her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend—all thanks to her big mouth. So when a fortune teller offers her one wish, Sadie jumps at the chance to redo her awful year. Deep down, she doesn’t believe magic will fix her life, but taking a leap of faith, Sadie makes her wish, opens her eyes, and . . . nothing has changed. And then, in perhaps her dumbest move yet, she kisses her brother’s best friend, Jacob.

When Sadie wakes up the next morning, she’s in her former apartment with her former boyfriend, and her former boss is expecting her at work. Checking the date, she realizes it's January 1 . . . of last year. As Sadie navigates her second-chance year, she begins to see the red flags she missed in her relationship and in her career. Plus, she keeps running into Jacob, and she can’t stop thinking about their kiss . . . the one he has no idea ever happened. Suddenly, Sadie begins to wonder if her only mistake was wishing for a second chance.”



What a ride, this book made me feel all the emotions. I loved the character growth throughout the story. I especially love the overall message that you should never have to water yourself down for anyone. This is definitely a book I’ll continue to think about.