Life has a way of putting things you need, right in front of your face. This book was something I needed to read, not only because it was fun, but because it had a deeper message about continuing to look forward, instead of searching for what's already behind you.
I loved this message and loved this book- and just like I needed this book and it was right under my nose, so was Jacob when Sadie needed him most!

First thought: Cute fast read about the magic of the a second chance to fix mistakes while learning that maybe some things are just meant to happen. This is a reminder to never change yourself to fit the mold, blaze your own path!

The year did not go as planned for Sadie. She got fired from her pastry chef job and black barred from all other restaurants. She had to move out of her perfect apartment onto her little brother’s best friend’s couch. And she was dumped by her boyfriend of 3 years. She was at her breaking point the universe was against her all she wanted was to go back and fix her mistakes.

Luck was in her favor as she found a fortune teller at a NYE party that so happened to give her a powder to throw in the air to allow her a do over. To her surprise it worked and she found herself able to relive the last year.

However some things are meant to happen for a reason, they shape us into who we are meant to be. If we try to prevent life from happening we risk losing ourselves in the process. Sometimes the least expected path is the right one to happiness.

Literally Themes you’ll find:

* Little Bro Best Friend
* Fortune Teller Magic Powder
* Chance to Redo the Year
* Childhood Crush
* Strong Pastry Chef FMC
* Closed Door

Trigger warning of sexual harassment in the workplace.

🔮🎶🥐🔮🎶🥐🔮🎶🥐🔮🎶🥐

If you're seeking a heartwarming tale that embraces second chances, this novel is the one for you! In The Second Chance Year, Melissa Wiesner crafts an unforgettable story that blends charm, wit, and just a touch of magic.

Meet Sadie Thatcher. She’s a woman down on her luck who is granted an extraordinary opportunity: to fix her life by reliving one year all over again. This novel takes readers on a delightful journey with Sadie, as her life has unraveled rather spectacularly. She lost her job, apartment, and boyfriend due to her own big mouth.

Then she meets a fortune teller who offers her a wish. Sadie seizes the chance to redo her disastrous year. But when she wakes up, nothing has changed. At least that’s what she thinks until she stumblers upon one unexpected detail: she kissed her brother's best friend, Jacob. And then she realizes it's January 1 of last year.

Follow Sadie as she navigates her second-chance year, uncovering red flags in her relationship and career missed the first time around. The novel beautifully explores themes of divorce, sobriety, and forgiveness. Plus there's that lingering kiss with Jacob, the one he has no memory of.

Wiesner's writing in this novel is both honest and enchanting. The Floridian setting adds warmth, and the magical realism elements infuse the story with wonder. Whether you're sipping cocoa by the fireplace or lounging on a sunny beach, The Second Chance Year is a perfect companion for the holiday season and beyond.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (an imprint of Grand Central Publishing) for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the chance to read this advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! The banter, brothers best friend, second chance, and lightheartedness of it all had me captivated and it made for this to be a really great feel good read!

The Second Chance Year is a little clunky, and a good chunk of it read like an after school special on sexual harassment. While it’s definitely an important issue, the way it was handled seemed superficial and obvious. I didn’t get enough of the characters in terms of their depth, motivation, or connection with one another. I didn’t really believe they loved each other, which is note great for a romance. The female main character’s parents were needlessly unsupportive- honestly pretty toxic- and main male character had very little… well… character. It was nice that he was not a traditional romance alpha male, but I also cannot think of adjectives to describe him beyond “quiet” as I write this review. Also, I made the mistake of reading some other reviews prior to reading that pointed out the continuous comparisons to food and it was pretty distracting as I read through. We get it, she’s a baker. That being said, it was vaguely entertaining, and I do enjoy a heroine who stands up for herself. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

Strap yourself in to go through an emotional rollercoaster when you read this fabulous book! An intriguing plot that pulls you in quickly and keeps you interested throughout the book. The pace is wonderful and it is superbly written to keep the reader turning the pages quickly until the very end.

Have you ever had a year that went completely wrong? Well, Sadie has and she can't help but wish if she had another chance she could change all of her regrets of the previous year into success just by changing how she handles a few situations. But she quickly finds out that sometimes we have to be careful what we wish for. But, throughout Sadie's second chance year she grows in her confidence and individuality becoming a person that the woman that wished for the second chance year may not recognize.

Sadie is a strong, assertive woman who is constantly criticized by her parents for not being what they envision for her. She is determined to make them just as proud of her as they are her brother. While her boyfriend just wants her to be a pretty girl on his arm that will be the perfect corporate wife. But Sadie has big dreams that do not include going to corporate dinners every evening. Other than her brother, only Jacob seems happy with who she is and encourages her to follow her dreams but Jacob is just her brother's best friend, why does he care what he thinks?

This is woman's fiction with a bit of swoon worthy romance mixed in. A fast read that will have the reader falling in love with Sadie and the colorful secondary characters. It's not just a relatable story, it also carrying a fantastic message that many readers with appreciate. I highly recommend this book and I think other readers will appreciate it, too.

I am extremely grateful to Forever Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary digital copy of this uplifting book.

Thank you, Net Galley, for the book in exchange for an honest review. I was really excited to read this author because this was my first read of hers. I loved the reality of this story. Reading about the MC and her struggles was very relatable. I also loved the concept of this story, and it made me reflect on my own life. I was trying to debate what I would do in this situation. It's hard to think about whether you would redo your worst year yet over, and I really enjoyed reading this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I must be feeling a certain type of way because I’ve been very drawn to time jump books. Luckily for me, The Second Chance Year helped scratch that itch. Melissa Wiesner has written a wonderful romance with enough edge to balance out some of the sweeter moments.

We follow Sadie as she rings in a new year, hopefully leaving behind the ‘very bad’ one. Having lost her job, been dumped by her BF, and moved into her brother’s best friend’s apartment because she can no longer afford hers, I can’t really disagree with her outlook. But as often happens in second chance books she runs into a fortune teller on NYE while evading a clown (as one does) and gets the chance for a do over.

What happens is for other readers to (hopefully - if you have a great librarian/have a good friend/have good taste) find out. But I will say this isn’t a shallow second chance year all about the romance or one that shows our main character making all the right moves. Sadie loses something of herself, a very important something, and more than the romance I was desperate to find out if she reclaims it. I highly recommend this for those of us who sometimes wish for our own do over, or muffle our voices thinking that we are just too much. And, of course, readers of good romances.

The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner
Pub Date. December 5th, 2023

Thank you Forever and Netgalley, for the e-arc!

Sadie Thatcher, a brilliant pastry chef, was on the path to becoming head pastry chef, something she was working very hard for. Being a woman in a largely male-dominated workplace led to Sadie having horrifying experiences. There are themes of sexism, bullying, and sexual harassment in the workplace throughout the story.

Speaking her mind, and standing up for harassment and bullying leads Sadie to losing her boyfriend of 3 years and her job.

This year, known as the Very Bad Year makes Sadie rethink who she is and everything she stands for. She would give anything to go back for a do-over to the point where she encounters a fortune teller at a New Year's Eve party and wishes that she could go back.

With her wish coming true, Sadie must make decisions that go against her beliefs and values, molding herself into what she feels those around her would want.

Through these experiences, she finds herself rethinking her choices and who she is.

I liked reading about the time loop and having Sadie experience the year over again. Wiesner did a wonderful job driving the storyline by offering Sadie alternative choices and giving Sadie (and the reader) a different perspective. I feel that by giving Sadie a do-over, she ended up being in a place where she was meant to be - finding love, a family, and a career that she could grow and make her own.

The Second Chance Year is one of my surprise favorites from last year.

I can't help but grab a book when the main plot is getting a chance to do something over. Sadie is getting a chance to redo her very bad year, which she hopes will mean keeping her boyfriend and saving her job. Like many other books using the same plot device, Sadie discovers that what seemed bad may have been blessings in disguise.

It seemed like it would be just another do-over novel, but Wiesner’s writing made all the difference because I found the novel engaging. As Sadie reexamined her choices, I was given the same opportunity to do some reexamining of my own. I was so happy to be present for Sadie's redo because I easily sympathized with her. The romance is more secondary here, but I loved it nonetheless. I was giggling at so many scenes with my favorite being the moment she realizes she is in love with someone she did not expect. It was wonderful.

Fans of second chance novels infused with magical realism will enjoy this. I adored it. (4.5 stars rounded to 5 stars)

Sadie's lost her job and her boyfriend of 3 years and still hasn't been able to gain the approval of her parents. At her rock bottom, she asks a fortune teller to grant her a wish to get a do-over of the previous year, so she can go back in time, close her big mouth, save her job & relationship, and make her parents proud.

I really enjoyed the time travel aspect of this book - it reminded me a lot of The Good Part. It was a great coming of age story about finding yourself, being yourself, and going after what you really want.

I read the first 50% incredibly fast and then found it got to be super repetitive and felt dragged out.

Also, can we talk about all the baking related similes?!? I started highlighting them about 80% through because it was so distracting an obnoxious.

Overall, was an okay book but honest to god, the similes brought the rating down 😂

Everybody has a time in their life where everything seems to be falling apart. Relationship, job and disappointing their parents. That’s what it’s like for Sadie. On New Year’s Eve she goes to a party where she is given a chance at a do-over and decides why not. However, doing the do over has it made Sadie lose pieces of herself?

I really enjoyed the storytelling and following Sadie’s life.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy

I really enjoyed this friends to lovers romance with a touch of magical realism. Sadie's life has fallen a part after losing her job, apartment and boyfriend, she is now rooming with her brother's best friend Jacob. On New Years' Eve she is granted her wish of repeating the last year but just before she realizes her wish was granted she kisses Jacob. Sadie wakes up the next day and finds she is back in her old apartment with her ex boyfriend and still has her old job. Reliving the last year of her life she try's her best to keep her job and her boyfriend but finds out that playing it safe by trying to be someone she's not isn't really what she wanted, and that kiss with Jacob meant more than she thought. This book also has a "me too" moment that I thought was very well done.

Be careful what you wish for…..

Despite the element of magical realism with repeating a year of her life, at her request to change some events of the past year, Sadie is a very real and relatable character. Throughout her repeat year she learns more about herself and what she values, when to speak up, who is meant to be in her life, and that the only approval you should be seeking is your own. The romance with Jacob took a back seat, but was still a sweet element.

More than just a chick lit or romance, this book addresses feminism, misogyny, sexual harassment in the workplace, family issues and parental approval, personal values, and staying true to oneself.

Pub Date: out now!

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the eARC of The Second Chance Year! All opinions in this review are my own.

I don't know what it is but lately I have really enjoyed books that have an element of time travel in them and this one did not disappoint! In The Second Chance Year, Sadie has the opportunity to relive her Very Bad Year. While it was at times predictable, I really liked watching Sadie grow and seeing how even though some things still go wrong in her Second Chance Year, she is able to achieve what she wants in a different way than she originally expected to. While there is a romance, The Second Chance Year is more about Sadie and her growth as a character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing access to this book in exchange for my review.

I enjoyed this book and I thought it was a swoon-worthy romantic comedy. It was also filled with drama and the type of book that pulls at your heartstrings. If you are a fan of the Hallmark Channel, I can say that you will most likely love this book.

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The Second Chance Year begins with pastry chef Sadie at rock bottom and desperate after the worst year of her life. When she has a chance encounter with a fortune teller offering her the chance to get a do-over, she jumps at the chance to carefully make different choices in order to correct her mistakes and change her fate.

I loved this book!! It checked all of my boxes. Found family, a swoon worthy romance, and a healthy dash of badassery.

Easily 5 stars, but fair warning, you will be hungry! Make sure to have a pastry or two and a nice cup of coffee to pair with this treat of a story.

Thank you so much to Forever and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Hindsight is 20/20. Having a chance to redo an entire year and make decisions differently is what this book is all about, catching the red flags not seen before, etc. I wish this were a more original plot, but for what it is, it was pretty good. Be careful what you wish for.

This book was just “meh” for me. I felt like I was reading it because I had to finish it instead of reading it because I wanted to finish it. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was.

while it was a little repetitive at times, i really liked this book. i love the idea of getting a second chance and doing things right the second time around. and even if its not the right thing, it's interesting to see how it can turn out.