3.5 ⭐️ It was a cute romance. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. Who wouldn’t want to go back and redo a year in their life sometimes.

Thank you NetGalley, Forever, and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC of The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by this book and even though this theme has been done before, Second Chance Year has a twist that I really enjoyed.

Even though this novel may seem “holiday-ish”, the timeframe does not affect the story and I think it can be read at any time.

I really enjoyed the growth that Sadie goes through as she looks back on the choices she has made even though there were time when her choices annoyed me. I really just wanted the best for her.

I didn’t really see the connection between Sadie and her former boyfriend and cringed at the relationship.

The ending was a pleasant surprise and I really liked the way the story ended.

I would definitely recommend Second Chance Year especially for my romance lovers.

This story was so sweet, so real (in spite of the time travel element), and I fell in love with Jacob for Sadie. I am a sucker for time travel, do-over romances, and this one reeled me in. I highly recommend Melissa Wiesner's books!

This was a fun interesting premise that I was excited to read. I haven't really read and time traveling romances, so I was stoked for this one. However, I just had a hard time with the charactes. I didn't feel the connection and chemistry I was hoping to have with them.

This is a contemporary adult romance. This was a really fun book. the main character meets a fortune teller at a new years party. She's able to restart the year and make different choices. She makes different work and family decisions. This kind of resembles a Christmas Carol with the fact of going back in the past and making better choices.

What if you were given a second chance to do over one year? Would you do it. So many possibilities in that year. It’s exactly what the heroine did without realizing the consequences at first.

It was interesting to watch her make decisions during that year. I was able relate to her. I give this book a four stars.

Thank you netgalley and Forever for this interesting eARC . As usual, all of my reviews are purely my own opinions without any influence from any publisher.

First impression review:
I found a new go-to pick-me-up romance read. I loved everything about this. The only thing I’m mad about is how long I waited to read it.

Full Review:
I had a few quick thoughts when I finished SECOND CHANCE YEAR by Melissa Weisner:

I’m so happy right now.
Katie, why did you wait so long to read this?
You must tell everyone about this book.

And now, because I know y’all are at the edge of your seats, I will elaborate on each thought 🤓

I’m so happy right now.
Tbh, so many smiles happened during this book, especially at the end! It is a Groundhog’s Day-esque book without the same-day repeating. Our FMC gets to redo a year, and every moment is handled with thought and humor. I just loved it!

Katie, why did you wait so long to read this?
Yes, sometimes I talk (yell) at myself in the third person, but this was deserved. So, shame on me for having the Netgalley arc and letting it sit by the wayside, but I’m doing much better at staying on top of those and catching up! This book was recommended on my Libby app and looked cute! (I had forgotten it’s on my past due Netgalley list I’m working through 🤦🏻‍♀️) And the audiobook was so cute!!!! So that was a definite win for me on many levels, haha.

You must tell everyone about this book.
Well, I already have been as I listened, when I finished, and now all y’all are officially hearing about it in this review! The story is so funny and heartwarming, with good arms and abs descriptions, a great found family, and the coolest way to become a cat lady. Plus, if you’re an audiobook person, Helen Laser does an excellent job as the narrator! I know where one of my Libro credits is going because this is one I’ll be listening to again!

Take my quick thoughts or the expanded version, but do yourself a favor and read SECOND CHANCE YEAR. It’s fun, and it made me smile and laugh so much. I hope it brings you the same joy, too!

Content warnings: sexual harassment, gaslighting, misogyny, bullying

This was a great book. I connected with the characters. I felt engrossed with the plot. I would read another book by this author.

Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I wanted to love this. I love a good time travel love story arc but this didn’t click for me.

I loved the found family aspect of this and will ALWAYS love that in a novel. I also enjoyed the ‘being your authentic self’ portion of this.

I just ABSOLUTELY hated the guy she was going after in her ‘do-over’ year (as will you) and so much of the book was dedicated to that schmuck. And the constant references to her ‘very bad year’ was overdone and started to annoy me.

Our heroine Sadie is a pastry chef at a super exclusive NYC restaurant... Or she *was* until she goes through a Very Bad Year and loses everything, all because of her big mouth. In fact, that's also the reason why Sadie has lost her boyfriend... and her apartment. At the beginning of the book, Sadie is staying in the guest room of her brother's best friend and working at a coffee shop. At a New Year's Eve party she sees a fortune teller and wishes that she could have a redo of the whole last year. When she wakes up the next morning, she's back in her apartment with her boyfriend, running late for work at her fancy restaurant.

As the year unfolds (again!) Sadie tries to reign in her strong-headedness, and things seem to be working out better this time, but at what cost?

A fast-paced, fun thought experiment that manages to escape most of the cliches. I enjoyed this one!

My thanks to the author, publisher and #NetGalley for the ARC!

This book definitely landed more in contemporary lit fic than it did in romance. While there is a romantic undertone, a lot of this book is our MC Sadie trying to figure out life.

I'm not generally a time travel girly or a holiday season reader, but I did like how this book really drove home the message that sometimes things happen for a reason. As Sadie starts her Second Chance Year, she starts to fold herself up and hide her true feelings in order to stop rocking the boat, because that's what resulted in the Very Bad Year.

I'll be honest, I liked her Second Chance Year. It might not have worked out the way she planned it, but she learned so much more through it and the finale felt all the more satisfying. It felt earned, even though she had to really go through it in order to get there.

The one thing I wish we had more of was Sadie actually talking through her feelings more, whether through her own narrative or a longer conversation with her friends/family. It would have made the bonds stronger and given us a bit more foundation for her relationships.

All in all, a solid read full of found family, chaos, and letting go of expectations.

TW: sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexism, alcohol consumption, racism; mentions death

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.01/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Forever in exchange for an honest review.

📖My Thoughts📖

Time travel (just a year). Fortune teller. Forbidden love. Friends to lovers. My gosh did I love this book a million times over and then some! It was a book that I 100% needed right now. It made me laugh, smile, brought me close to tears (happy and sad ones), made me angry, it just brought out all the feels. What did I love?
The characters for one. I would absolutely love to meet them and be friends with them in real life. They were like a small community type quirky little family. From Sadie, who couldn’t see what she had right smack dab in her face, to Mrs. Kaminski who seemed like a crotchety old lady until you peel back the layers. I also liked the food puns were fun and made this book that much more entertaining! The whole plot and the way it was executed really won me over. I think this is a book that I could read over and over again and not get sick of it! There were some strong themes throughout the book including self doubt, sexism in the workplace, sexual harassment in the workplace,

The main message that I took from this? Never change who you are for anyone. Don’t try to change your way of thinking and who you are in hopes that it will bring you happiness. Be you. Always be yourself. You are good enough. Do what makes you happy. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone else just so they finally recognize your accomplishments and talents. Don’t hold your standards to meet someone else’s expectations. It will never make you happy.
Thank you Netgalley, Forever and Melissa Wiesner for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book it had me smiling and crying. The characters were so cute and funny. This book got me out of my reading slump which was amazing.

"The Second Chance Year" is a charming and professionally written novel that offers a heartwarming escape. While the plot might not be a rollercoaster, the relatable characters and their journeys of self-discovery provide a thoroughly enjoyable read. Particularly appealing is the way Wiesner integrates Sadie's profession, creating a story that is as delightful to the mind as it is evocative to the senses. This novel is a perfect choice for readers seeking a feel-good story with a touch of magic and a sprinkle of romance.

Sadie cannot catch a break. She's having a hell-ish year, so of course, all she can think about is things would be better if she got a second chance.

This magical realism was very thought-provoking. I loved that Sadie got to have a second chance year, starting right when she thinks things took a turn. Now, she sees things with new eyes, which is both good and bad, because she starts holding herself back from speaking up. But through that and losing little pieces of herself, she starts to realize that she doesn't need to change.

I loved seeing Sadie develop and grow through this "new" year. I loved how it all turned out for her!

This is the first book I’ve read by Melissa Wiesner, and I greatly enjoyed it. Books that have an element of time travel are really my jam, and this book does not disappoint! Sadie finds herself at a NYE bash, at the end of what she refers to as a Very Bad Year. While there, she makes a wish to have a do-over of the past year. Fast forward to the next morning, and she finds herself one year in her past.

I was expecting this to be a time-travel romantic comedy, but it’s sort of a mix between a sweet rom-com and a finding-out-who-you-really-are-and-want-to-be story. Sadie gets the chance for her do-over, and ends up finding out a lot about herself in the process.

This is a quick read - a funny and sweet story that I highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

The star of Melissa Wiesner’s The Second Chance Year, Sadie Thatcher, is having a horrible, no good, very bad Year.
Her life has gone down hill and down hill FAST -she’s lost her job, her boyfriend, and her apartment in spectacular fashion. Despite being a skeptic, when Sadie has the opportunity to meet with a fortune teller who gives her the secret for a one year do over- Sadie jumps at giving things a second chance. Will Sadie relish her opportunity to change things, or will she find that seemingly missed opportunities aren’t always with her cracked up to be?

The Second chance Year by Melissa Wiesner is a perfect read for all the girlies who’ve been told they’re too much and for fans looking for a rom-com twist on Lauren Oliver’s before I fall or Stuart Turton The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

If you’re looking for a feel good book to get you out of a reading slump, keeps you in the moment, and reminds you to be true to yourself, Second Chance Year is the book for you!

I loved this! Second chance romances are cat nip for me and this was no exception’! These characters were written like I was watching a movie! The banter; the snark, I was cracking up! Also, who doesn’t love a villain!? It was like the perfect amount of good guys v bad guys! Loved!!

This was the perfect book to start the new year off with! I loved the characters and how cute it was. It made me think about my choices and how I wouldn’t take back a whole year of my life. If you need a good January romcom, this is the one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5

I am so sad that I waited for so long to pick this one up because this was such a fun listen! I absolutely loved the whole story and couldn’t wait to see how Sadie’s second chance year unfolded.

Thank you to Melissa Wiesner, Forever, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.