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.

Liked it even though it was predictable. The characters were fun but some were hideous (Saddie's mom)
I don't typically love time travel but this one was ok. 3.5 stars

This book had the potential to be really charming, but fell flat in my opinion. There is a lot of focus on Sadie's career, which is great, but the details of all of Sadie's pastry creations kind of get in the way of the story. If Wiesner wanted to dig in to the MeToo aspect of the story, she could have done and done it well, but it felt like an after thought. I kept forgetting about Josh's existence because he darts in and out of the story. He needed a bigger personality and a bigger role to Sadie's re-do.

I feel like there should have been just a dash more magic. Something to show that Sadie ~changed~ something about her own past and future with her choices.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was SO good! I can't believe there isn't more buzz about it. I thought Sadie and Jacob were so cute. Wiesner handled difficult subjects really well, which made this book feel like it was more than romance. It was a cute way to ring in the new year!

"The Second Chance Year" by Melissa Wiesner is a delightful exploration of second chances, redemption, and the unforeseen consequences that come with wishing for a do-over. With a mix of humor and heartfelt moments, Wiesner crafts a story that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

Sadie Thatcher, the protagonist, finds herself at rock bottom after a series of unfortunate events—losing her job, apartment, and boyfriend. Desperate for a change, she seizes the opportunity offered by a fortune teller to redo her disastrous year. The narrative takes an intriguing turn when, despite her skepticism, Sadie's wish seemingly comes true. However, the twist lies in the fact that she wakes up a year in the past, with a chance to correct the mistakes that led to her downfall.

Wiesner skillfully navigates Sadie's journey as she relives the events of the past year. The author cleverly weaves in elements of self-discovery, allowing Sadie to recognize the red flags in her relationships and career that she had previously overlooked. The exploration of regret, growth, and the consequences of impulsive decisions adds depth to the storyline.

The character dynamics, particularly Sadie's interactions with Jacob, her brother's best friend, inject a sense of romance and tension into the narrative. The forbidden kiss adds an element of complexity to Sadie's second chance, making readers eager to see how their relationship unfolds throughout the story.

Wiesner's writing is engaging and witty, capturing the essence of Sadie's journey with humor and authenticity. The pacing of the novel is well-executed, keeping the reader invested in Sadie's quest for redemption. The author's exploration of the intricacies of relationships and the impact of choices resonates with readers on a personal level.

In "The Second Chance Year," Melissa Wiesner delivers a charming and relatable tale of self-discovery and redemption. The novel's blend of humor, romance, and the exploration of life's complexities make it a thoroughly enjoyable read. Wiesner proves to be a skilled storyteller, and "The Second Chance Year" is a testament to her ability to create a captivating narrative that lingers in the reader's mind.

I adored this novel about friendship, love, and career; it really resonated with me. The premise is a female pastry chef in New York City who had a terrible year after getting fired from her job and she gets a second chance to "do-over" the year. She realizes each decision had a consequence and I enjoyed the aspects of her self-evaluation and personal growth through the book.

The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I thoroughly enjoyed this rom-com from Melissa Wiesner! It was a great read for New Years! I enjoyed the magical realism element and the romance is lovely.
Our female main character, Sadie, is a pastry chef who thinks her tendency to be “too much” and speak up against injustice might have caused a Very Bad Year. When she is given a chance for a do-over by a fortune teller at a New Years Eve party, she takes it. But is being yourself really the best course of action?
The Second Chance Year is a book about friendship, second chances, and believing in yourself. I highly recommend it!

n The Second Chance Year Sadie gets a redo. She 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.

This romance is a story that touches on sexism in the workplace, parental expectations, and friendship and is for all the girlies who tend to speak their minds, but 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!

A great book to read in January, this story centers around a New Year's Eve party and wish to relive the past year and 'get it right' that comes true. I loved how Sadie had to navigate living a year that she had already participated in but in a new way, and the little things that compound to make that hard when she can't explain the situation to anyone; things like knowing someone's name that she shouldn't yet, or walking to the wrong apartment out of habit when she doesn't live there this time around.

While everything ties up in a nice bow by the end, I just kept my rose coloured glasses on and enjoyed the ride for what it is! Jacob was a delight in both versions of the year and I enjoyed seeing Sadie's growth and understanding that doing things 'right' didn't make her life right for her.

The romance in this story was exceptionally fun to watch unfold as we see the progression in their relationship. Their conversations were so raw and sweet; making my heart pitter patter.

While "The Second Chance Year" dealt with heavy themes like sexism, workplace sexual harassment, and bullying, it was very well handled and mixed in with lots of humorous, heartfelt, and powerful moments to balance it out and make this a book I found genuine joy in reading.

I love a redo trope thanks to some magical intervention, but it always has the possibility of falling flat and being cheesy or not very well done. This is one of the better books I've read that did this trope well. I found Sadie's freakout upon realizing she was given the opportunity to redo that past year believable, and the way she went about trying to save her career and love life was realistic. She had trauma from all she lost and did everything in her power to do what she thought would fix it.

I'm glad with how the book ended, the lessons Sadie learned, and the people she befriended and fell in love with along the way. Very satisfying ending.

This was such a cute romance novel! After a terrible year with one bad thing happening after another, Sadie wants a redo on her “Very Bad Year” and a fortune teller grants her wish. Obviously, I knew it was not going to turn out the way Sadie is hoping it would, but seeing how everything unfolded was so enjoyable. The story moved at such a good pace, and I really loved how it focused a lot on her growing from her previous mistakes. Sadie learning how important her outspokenness is, was such a good direction for her character development. Sadie’s relationship with Jacob was absolutely adorable and I couldn’t wait to see how they would end up together. Jacob was an absolute sweetheart, and I am a sucker for a good brother’s best friend trope. Jacob was impossible not to love, along with the other fun side characters. Overall, I think this is a fun, sweet romance that any romance reader would enjoy!

“The Second Chance Year” was an interesting and reflective take on the “do over” trope. The author did a great job at developing a story that had enough nuance that when relived there were a lot of interesting and not overly predictable differences from her previous year. I loved the connection with Jacob and the music aspect of it was so so sweet. I also appreciated that Sadie’s do over year didn’t revolve around getting the guy though that was definitely part of it. Her career path was so relatable and the relationships she made because of it were really special. I want to find my Higher Grounds and the place where I will be able to bring my talent and my whole self to work and truly love what I do. Sadie, you have it all figured out! :-)

This is a lovely rom-com filled with magical realism, empowerment, and hope. After a disastrous year, Sadie gets a second chance to do things differently when her wish is granted by a fortune teller on New Year's Eve. But as she lives her year over again, she realizes that perhaps the things she thought she wanted may not be the keys to happiness after all. I loved the magical realism elements to this story as well as the relationships that developed for Sadie as she discovered a new found family and the places she truly belonged. The themes of listening to your own voice and living life on your own terms are well-crafted and inspiring. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the author's future works. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I was looking for the perfect book to start the new year off with, and this fit the theme perfectly! The Second Chance Year was beautifully written and full of so much thoughtful points. There are some possible triggers so please be warned. You won't be disapppointed by this read!

I am always down to read a book with a FMC named Sadie! This was a sweet story about second chances and finding out who your authentic self truly is. The premise of going back and redoing the last year of your life is totally intriguing. Like what and how much can/would you truly change. In this story we get to see Sadie do just that and it is a wonderful ride.

I flew through this one. I had to find out how Sadie handled the new year. The comparison to Josie Silver was spot on. There were a lot of thinking moments throughout the book, but enough humor mixed in to make it not feel super heavy.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Ever wanted to have second chance to do things over ? This book is your typical main character finds a fortune teller and ask to do it over again except the build of this character over her do over year is beautiful.She truly finds her self and realizes the things she lost she was going to anyways .
I will for now tell you what I was drawn to when selecting this book , the title, and the cover really got me.
Thank you net galley and publisher for allowing me to read this book. !

Who wouldn't want a second chance to set things right and make different choices.I did not expect to go through such an emotional roller coaster in this book! The plot of the Second Chance Year was very intriguing to me, as we have all experienced regrets from “mistakes” we have made in the past. The characters in the novel were perfectly developed with movie-like quality. There was enough snark and banter between the players that kept me humorously entertained. And of course the villains in the novel were the ones you would love to hate. A great balance of good guys and bad guys. Overall, The Second Chance Year is a must read for fans of second chance rom-coms. Five outstanding stars.