This book is a delightful read with a touch of magic(which I don’t always appreciate) and some fun friends to lovers romance.

Sadie is a relatable person, questioning her life choices, who gets a rare opportunity to rewind her previous year and fix her mistakes. But as she soon learns, changing the past is not as easy as it seems. Sadie’s journey is full of twists and turns, as she struggles to balance what she thinks she wants and how she thinks she needs to get it.

She also faces some serious challenges, such as workplace sexual harassment, that test her courage and integrity.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this book is of course the romance between Sadie and her brother’s best friend Jacob, who has always been there for her. While Sadie alters her past, she risks losing him in her new reality.

This book is a fun and engaging read that explores the consequences of our choices and the power of our actions. It is a perfect blend of humor, magic, and emotion that will keep you hooked until the end.

I have such a soft spot for second chances and what ifs. This was the perfect book for that. Along with some romance. Of course. And I found out recently that I like magical realism.

I really relate to Sadie. I have a mouth on me too. And if I am not offending someone with a little too much truth, I am spilling a little too much of something that would be better left unsaid. But I've never had the chance of a do over.

After Sadie's life implodes, she is able to make a wish and get a do over of the last year. It is again new year's and a chance at a better year. Sadie tries to reinvent herself to keep the things she feels most important to her.

While I always knew where this one was headed, the journey was enjoyable. Sadie is such a strong feisty woman and I couldn't help but like and root for her. A more important theme of this one is Sadie's self discovery and wins out for me over the romance. Of course I was all in for the romance, but Sadie's learning and growing as she discovers her true self. Especially what are her strengths and weaknesses, which weren't always self evident.

I loved Sadie's spunk, the supporting characters and the banter throughout the book. I was immersed in this entertaining read.

I loved this!
I really like Sadie and I LOOOVE a man who quietly pines. Jacob was so sweet and always willing to be there for Sadie, even though he never thought their relationship was going to progress.
though I think stories like these are often predictable (like ofc the main character is going to realize they shouldn't have repeated this time and learn why their life should have ended up as it did originally) I still really enjoyed seeing Sadie go on her journey.
funny and charming and sweet!

Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review The Second Chance Year. This was a cute, fun, quick read. We've all had the experience of wanting a do over, wishing that just once we could go back in time and do things differently. Sadie actually gets this chance, and she learns so much about herself, her choices, and the people she loves in the process. This is a fun, no pressure, life affirming read and I reccommed it to anyone who needs a light, good time read!

2.5 stars. Ugh I am so disappointed I wanted to enjoy this book, the cover art is amazing. This book was not what I expected it to be at all. Although the writing was easy to reading it was Very repetitive. Be ready to hear "Very bad year" and "The second chance year" about a million times. Then, too much feminism in this one that it's annoying, and you can clearly hear the political agenda coming across. I kept asking myself...Why does every man in this book hit on her?? (And her obsession with the girl getting hired at Alex's place.) The "incident" that happened was very fast and it felt like it was just glossed over. Also, i Didn't like the timeline, each chapter is a new month . I feel that so much more would happen within a month than we were able to read about if this really happened to her. Then, I didn't really like any of the characters, no real substance and all rude. However i am a fan of Jacob and Owen. Swoon. Which is unfortunate because this book has such a feel good ending. Thank you to Netgalley, hacette book group, forever publishing, and the author Melissa Wiesner for this gifted copy for review.

This was a fun New Years themed read with just a sprinkle of magic. I thought the life lessons were really great but they didn’t overpower the plot, they added to it and made the story that much more enjoyable. If you love brother’s best friend with a hint of love triangle this is the perfect read for you. Really enjoyed the writing style as well as the overall story. Would definitely recommend this book and I’ll be looking for more by this author.

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

Thank you to Forever books for the review copy of The Second Chance Year. I had an earlier review copy of this on audiobook and loved it.
I love plots that deal with time/redoing a year or part of life and The Second Chance Year does this well, with some nice depth in places about second chances and love and happiness and some excellent secondary characters. For me this was a great story about self growth and change. I think this will be a big win for many romance and women's fiction readers.

Recommended for Sophia Kinsella, Jennifer Weiner, Holly James fans and related authors. If you like the idea of second chances that is more than romance this is for you!

Some things that worked for me
1. A focus on restaurant and bakery settings, always a fun setting and this worked in some strong development of problems in the restaurant industry and gender. well done without being preachy and working within the bigger plot nicely.

2. A focus on female friendship and family relationships along with romance. This made the plot richer and really made the idea of a second chance year about so much more than romance. It was an exploration of a lot of interconnected themes that really made this a great story about self growth and second chances in a broad way.

The production and voice acting were great, Helen Laser's narration was perfect for the story!

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Pub) for the ARC. I'm loving all the magical realism romances this year. Time travel is always a fun time and makes for a great buddy read/book club debate. This was a fun premise but unfortunately all the wild af baking similes took me out of the zone.

What if everything in life was going wrong and you had a chance to do the last year all over again, would you do it? Set amongst the backdrop of NYC, this is exactly the choice pastry chef Sadie is facing on New Year’s Eve of her Very Bad Year. Everything she wanted and had worked so hard for has gone wrong. Making a wish to do the whole year over again, will she fix the mistakes she made in the past and see all that she’s hoped for realized or will she discover that maybe there is something more to life than what she had imagined for herself?

I truly loved this story of second chances and my heart ached each time Sadie faced adversity and hardships. Life is challenging sometimes and we all know how it feels to strive for something we want for so long only to get close to having it and realizing maybe it’s not all we thought it would be. I got so swept away with Sadie’s story and completely devoured this beautiful story in just two days. If you’re a lover of sweet, slow-burn romances novels; delicious, mouthwatering pastries; and have an appreciation for the nostalgic New York City, then read this book. You won’t want to miss it! And, remember, you may not get a second chance!!

I absolutely love magical realism when it means the MC gets a second chance at a major life event. This was such a lovely reading experience. Highly recommend.

4.5 stars — A whimsical soul-searching, brother’s best friend, time loop, second chance romance life story.

This book is equal parts women’s fiction as it is romance. We’re introduced to our usually outspoken, career-focused female protagonist, Sadie, when she thinks she’s hit rock bottom after losing her job, her apartment, and her long-term boyfriend in the span of a month — all because she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. With her reputation burned by her former employer, her parents disapproving of her every move, and temporarily living with her brother’s childhood best friend (graciously rent-free), she turns to a hired fortune teller at a NYE party with a desperate plea to be able to go back and fix the mistakes she made that disastrous year. She arrives home just before midnight, catching Jake at a vulnerable moment leading to an almost sexual encounter that he will definitely regret later (right?), and she is certain that her life cannot possibly get any worse.

Sadie wakes up the next morning, on New Year’s Day, one year ago. Her wish had come true! And thus begins twelve months of trying to right her wrongs, only to learn that the alternate route doesn’t always change the destination. Staying silently committed to not to making the same mistakes twice comes at a cost, not unlike her first time around, new friendships are made but some are lost. And she realizes that her Very Bad Year may not have been worth repeating after all.

A lighthearted, addicting read that dives deep into real life situations (on page sexual harassment/assault in the workplace and strained parental relationship) all in the realm of magic and what-ifs. Every character played a critical role in Sadie’s year of self-discovery and growth. There is definitely a slow burn romance aspect, with sizzling chemistry, but this is a story about how real happiness is rooted in authenticity and you may not be able to change fate.

Spoiler Alert: Jake would not have regretted it!

Sadie is just trying to prove herself in her life. Between her parents not acknowledging her own talents as a pastry chef, always living in the shadow of her brother, trying to prove herself and get that promotion in her career and trying to be the perfect girlfriend to a man that doesn’t deserve her she always is down on her luck. After a breakup and her getting fired she meets with a fortune teller that allows her a chance for a redo. Sadie shrugs it off but when she wakes up the next day back in time a year prior she decides to do things differently. 

What she doesn’t realize is the ripple effect of making these changes and how it doesn’t quite all end up being what she expected. Sadie tries hard to fix where she thought the issues were and discovers that she maybe had it all wrong to begin with.

🗯️Thoughts:

I loved this one! What a wonderful story about believing in yourself, lovin your brothers best friend, mouthwatering desserts, self love, time travel, and adorable found family! Sadie was such a sweet, feisty, driven woman that I thought was fun to watch develop and gain more of a voice as the book went on. This book tackled topics like workplace harassment and learning how to stand up against bullies. There is even an adorable adopted cat that makes an appearance. I loved the idea of getting to “re-do” life but then also the unsuspecting ripple effect of what could happen when you make changes. The best way to describe this book is clean romance with all the charm. I just loved it! Thank you again for allowing me the chance to read this book!

I loved this book! I loved getting to relive the year with Sadie, reflect on the regrets and the impact that our decisions make - and ultimately, learning that looking forward and appreciating the present is much more valuable then yearning for the past.

Thank you to Netgalley for my advanced copy!

I absolutely loved this! I felt like I was re-living the year with Sadie, feeling all of her feelings and experiencing every emotion. I literally fell in love with Jacob and each of the side characters in Sadie's corner. Her struggle of honoring herself and her beliefs was relatable and real, with plenty of laughable moments to keep things light. This was all around a quintessential rom-com for me!

4⭐️

I absolutely adored this story. Sadie has had a rough year when she's at a party she meets a fortune teller who gives her the option to have a redo of the previous year.
The next thing Sadie knows is after waking up the next day she's back to the previous year. What I loved about this book was it just wasn't a romance book, it dealt a lot with growth and overcoming your mistakes.
I really loved Jacob and his friendship with Sadie's brother Owen. Not only that but Jacob had been in love with Sadie for 20 years since they were little kids, unbeknownst to Sadie. All in all a really well written and great story. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to review

Sadie has had the worst year of her life. She's been dumped by her boyfriend, been fired from her job, and lost her apartment. When she attends a New Year's Eve party and meets a wish-granting fortune teller, she wishes for a re-do of this horrible year. After waking up on New Year's Day and realizing her wish was somehow magically granted, she begins to wonder if she made a mistake wishing for her second chance.

I loved every moment of this book. I loved Sadie as a character and ultimately saw myself in a lot of her qualities and life struggles. I also really loved the romantic element in this book. While I do consider this to be within the romance genre, I do feel like so much of this book focused on Sadie's personal growth as she comes (back) into her own skin.

I honestly just can't express how much I loved this story. If you are looking for a New Year's-themed book with all of the wonderful feels and a touch of magical realism, this one is for you. I will absolutely be checking out any and all other works from this author.

“I was so wrapped up in what I thought I wanted I didn’t stop to recognize what I already had.” 👏🏻👏🏻 THIS!

Sadie Thatcher is feisty and that has caused her some problems over the years. In fact, it resulted in her “very bad year”. But when she is given the chance to make a wish, she wishes for a do over and she swears she’ll do things differently so that she ends up right where she knows she wants to be.

Be careful what you wish for and all that is the basic premise of this book. I found it enjoyable and a quick read. Sadie had to redo her last year to find out that the things that she thought she wanted might not be the things that she actually needed.

The audiobook was fantastic! Sadie has a lot of strong emotions and the narrator captured those expertly making her character seem even more real. I loved rooting for her!

Thank you to Netgalley, Forever Publishing, Hauchette Audio, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

A very nice contemporary story. I enjoyed it and it was a quick read! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this release in exchange for my honest review.

The Second Chance Year is the story of Sadie, who’s kind, outspoken but also flawed. After breaking up with her boyfriend and getting fired from her job, she makes a wish with a fortune teller to have a “do-over” of her worst year, hoping she can get back what she lost.

I was very interested in the premise and I think the concept of wanting a “do-over year” is very relatable. Overall, it was a quick, charming read that I mostly enjoyed. Although I couldn’t personally relate to Sadie, I was really interested in her characters growth throughout the story. That said, I do think the novel heavily focused on workplace drama and family dynamics rather than romance. I was honestly surprised that this is considered a romance novel, as there was very little romance shown between Sadie and her love interest, Jacob. I did love the growing friendship between Sadie and Jacob, it was very sweet and there interactions often made me smile, but I was left wanting more as I didn’t feel any sizzling chemistry like you’d expect between the love interests.

I would still recommend if you like magical realism, brothers best friend and female empowerment!

** thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC and chance to read and review **

The Second Chance Year
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Melissa Wiesner

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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.

My Thoughts: This was a cute and endearing story that pulls at all of your heartstrings. Sadie’s year has been terrible, it feels like in one swoop, she loses her long-term boyfriend, her job that she has worked hard at, and her apartment, all because she is speaks her truth. Then on New Year’s Eve Party, she stumbles across this fortune teller, she figures why not and wishes for a do-over of the year. Now, she does not think anything of it, until the next morning she wakes up in her ex boyfriends bed and when she figures out she got a do-over, she says she will do everything right this year. Sadie begins to see the red flags that she missed earlier in the year that led to her losing everything. She also keeps running into Jacob and cannot stop thinking about him and what they shared New Year’s Eve. But in doing things right, does she lose the ability to stand in her truth and what matters most to her? Or will she live in bliss? This follows the tropes of second chance romance, time travel, and found family.

The story is narrated by Sadie in both present tense at first, then it is past tense for the past year, building up to the present again. Sadie was fierce, independent, loving, and had to learn to stand in her truth again. The characters were well developed with depth, wittiness, chemistry, compassion, and were intriguing. My favorite supporting character was Kasumi, she was an excellent cheerleader and I would love to see her story. The author’s writing style was complex, endearing, thought-provoking, light humor, poignant, and beautiful. The characters are built up, but the character with the most growth was Sadie, I adored her HEA. I am not usually a fan of time travel but when it’s crafted in a romance, in this way, I have been loving them.

Trigger warnings of sexual harassment, bullying, and sexism. While these are very serious topics, I felt Sadie’s stance on them within the book was endearing and a fighter. While there is definitely a romantic element in the book, I feel it is more chick lit and Sadie’s growth. This was a typical time loop book, it fascinated me from the wake up to the end. This is the first book I have read by Wiesner and it will not be my last. If you loved The Good Part, then you will love this; they are different but follow the same type of premise. I personally loved both of them! I highly recommend.