Anybody who knows me at all knows I am a thriller girl through and through. Usually romance doesn't do it for me, I need something that go-go-GOES. With all of that being said, I LOVED THIS BOOK!
The Second Chance Year was *extremely* predictable, but so cozy and charming that I didn't care at all. I just wanted to hang out with these characters for yet another year!

Oh, and I loved all of the dessert puns. I would very much like a full list of every pastry simile/metaphor Wiesner used (please, Melissa, please provide this for me).

If you love second chances, fuck the patriarchy, sweet, cozy, character-driven books, this is for you.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Second Chance Year
by: Melissa Wiesner
Release Date: 12.5.23

The narrator of this book was Helen Laser. This was my first time listening to a book by this narrator. The narrator seamlessly moved between characters, and kept an easy and understandable flow between chapters. The narrator made the main character sound unique and relatable.

In The Second Chance year Sadie Thatcher gets a chance to have a do-0ver of her previous "very bad year". She soon finds out that she is able to change a few things, but that she holds back her true self in many ways in hopes of a better outcome. As the saying goes, "be careful what you wish for".

This was a fun read that also dealt with some heavy topics. There is a real sense of community that I enjoyed surrounding the local coffee shop. This would be a perfect book to read around the winter holiday season.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Hachette Audio for the ALC, and for letting me share my early thoughts on The Second Chance Year!

The Second Chance Year has all the feels - laughing, crying, and considering all the what if's of reliving your worst year.

Sadie has just experienced the worst year of her life. A chance encounter with a fortune teller at a New Years party has given Sadie the ability to relive her worst year. As Sadie is reliving her year, she must decide if what she really wanted out of life is actually what she wants. As the year progresses, Sadie begins to appreciate what she had in her worst year. She realizes that changing her perspective may be her best decision.

Underlying themes in the book include sexism in the workplace, through several generations and industries. h

Overall, The Second Chance Year is a heartwarming read which makes you realize that sometimes you have to go through the worst to get to the best.

4 1/2 ⭐️ for narration
3 1/2 ⭐️ for story
This was a cute story about Sadie, a pastry chef whose tendency to be vocal about the injustices around her have cost her her job, boyfriend, and apartment. She’s now working in a coffee shop and crashing with her brother’s best friend, Jacob, while she tries to find another pastry chef job. At a New Year’s Eve party, she meets a fortune teller who gives her a chance to relive her “very bad year”. However, she learns that keeping the job and the boyfriend may not be all it’s cracked up to be.
I thought the narration was great - very enjoyable to listen to. I also liked the story but the near constant and over-the-top food similes and metaphors were just too much, so I took 1/2 ⭐️ off my review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ARC.

I want to say thank you to Netgalley and the publishing house for letting me have an advanced ARC on audiobook

All opinions In this review are my own.

Listening to this audiobook I was hooked from beginning to end, at the beginning of the story I did think of the main character to be a bit nieve and also gullible when ot come to situations that happened. The Second change she gets at doing her year over again made her think that she was rhe problem but through living events again and doing things differently she slowly started to realise that more was happening and going on then she thought ( showing she was too self consumed with herself rather then the bigger picture).

The second chance she gets (in my eyes) goes better then the one before because the mistakes she makes helps her to grow and appreciate what and who she has in her life, finding out that what she needed was right in front of her all along & The lessons she learns grows friendships, family and relationships unexpected closer and stronger.

This book shows that when one door closes another one opens & u have to get our of ur own way though life experiences to see how bright a future can be when u get a redo.

I recommend this book and near the end agew scenes made me tear up a little I won't lie

I was given an advanced audiobook copy from netgalley for an honest review.

Sadie had a terrible year, she lost her job, her partner, and earned her parent’s disappointment. She has the opportunity to redo her year and make changes. As she revisits the year and sees her “mistakes” a second time she gets a new perspective. Sadie is pressured by her parents, her job, and her partner. She’s surrounded by sexism. And she makes new choices to try to go with the flow. But what if all her impulsive choices are just what makes her, her? What if thats what makes her strong? I love how this story is all about not fitting into society’s standards for how women should behave, from relationships to jobs.

While this book is a slow burn with very little sexual romance, it’s very cute and sweet. And I love a book that gets into having a healthy relationship and what that means. This is a super sweet and easy read. The story and romance itself would probably normally be a 3.5, but because it delves into the heavy topic of sexism in the workplace, I think it adds a bit of a rating for me.

The Narrator of the audiobook, Helen Laser, is experienced and fantastic. I enjoy her clear speech and how emotion reflects in her words. If you’re someone, like me, who turns the speed up on audio, she’s easy to listen to.

The Second Chance Year
By Melissa Weisner
Narrated by Helen Laser
Book - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Narrator - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5
This was such a cute book! Sadie, who is a pastry chef, had the worst year ever, lost her boyfriend her job and apartment. She went to a NYE party seen a fortune teller and made a wish to go back and have a do over. Throughout the book you follow Sadie as she has a second chance to redo her year. I really enjoyed all the characters each one added such depth. There were lots of topics covered, sexual harassment, parental expectations, gender equality and friendships, I liked how each one was addressed and taken care of. I laughed, I almost cried, I just truly liked this book. It's a perfect book New Year's Eve!

~ Dash of magic
~ Brother's best friend
~ Found family
~ Second chances
~Standing up to bullies

Audiobook review-
The narrator Helen Laser has such a clear voice. She was fantastic, and made it easy to follow her in the story. She made sure that each character had a unique voice so that they were easily distinguished. She kept me interested and excited to hear what was going to happen next. I will definitely lister to another book narrated by Helen.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the gifted copy of this audiobook. All opinions and reviews are of my own.

I love a good time loop story. This one does not disappoint. It’s younger brother’s best friend, a fortune teller at a carnival and they were roommates before her second chance year.

This has been one of the most fun snd loveliest book I’d read or listened to this year. Is there anyone who didn’t eish to go back in time and do things differently? Well, Sadie has that opportunity but it’s not really going as expected. But seeing her try to fix her Very Bad Year and during all that time she actually grows and discovers herself a bit more was so great and fun! Her real and found family relationships, her love stories, her career - all that helped her discover what she really wants and needs - and what a fun road that was.
I enjoyed the audio version of the book as narrator did amazing job throughout the book!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an advanced copy of this audio book!

This book just made my heart happy. I’ve recently realized that I really enjoy stories that involve time travel. I enjoyed watching Sadie’s character evolve during her second chance year. Things happen for a reason and Sadie comes to that realization more and more as the months pass.

The romance between Sadie and Jacob was really sweet, but it took a back seat to heavier topics throughout the book. Topics that included family pressures and sexual harassment. The book felt more like women’s lit, than a romance. But, I was still very happy for the HEA I knew would come at the end.

I want a Higher Grounds Coffee Shop in my neighborhood. I loved all of the quirky side characters we got to meet there. It really added a fun, endearing aspect to the story.

Overall, a sweet story with wonderful side characters. Definitely a book I’d recommend.

Sadie's life has completely fallen apart. She managed to lose her boyfriend, job, and apartment, all thanks to her smart mouth. When a fortune teller offers her a chance to redo her terrible year, she jumps at the chance to redo it all.

I loved this book so much. I received this as an audio ARC through NetGalley and I will definitely be getting my hands on a physical copy to keep FOREVER. It's absolutely charming and magical in the best way possible. It gives you hope and makes you feel all warm inside. Now, it does come with heartache along the way because, what is life without some difficulties? I laughed, I cried, and I just really adored The Second Chance Year. Sadie is relatable, Jacob is my favorite, and Sadie's brother is simply the BEST brother and the BEST friend. Maybe he's my favorite character... overall, it was the perfect book for this holiday season and so good to read at the end of the year. If you are looking for the prefect book to round out the end of the year for you, I highly encourage you to get yourself a copy. It is truly a gift.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the audio ARC and the chance to listen and review it honestly.

Happy reading!

2.5 Stars

The premise for this novel is very intriguing and I thought it was going to be a very light hearted romance/time-loop type of read and while at times it was, it was more of a learning process for Sadie our FMC.

She's basically at a New Year's Eve party and there's a fortune teller there that she makes a wish to go back a year to fix her 'Really Bad Year' only to pretty much make all the same mistakes again. 🥴

I thought there was a really excessive amount of sexism in the book and it kept pulling me away from what I thought was supposed to be a quick fun and light read. These types of sexist acts may very well still be prominent in the work place and I'm just unaware? I just felt like some of the situations threw women back a few generations and it was ick.

The romance- I didn't really feel any chemistry at all between the two, never really got the connection so that was a little bit of a bummer.

I had so many eye rolling moments with the insane amount of food similes and descriptions with literally every feeling or thought in the book - omg stfu. lol. Like what? Find some examples below:

"Something about that leaves me as hollow as a cannoli without any filling."

"Look, the last year of my life sucked like a straw in a milkshake

"Spinning around in the darkness like cake batter in a KitchenAid?"

"I ask, my voice like fluffy meringue"

"Confusion curls in my gut like a Swiss roll."

"My heart swelled like a sourdough loaf in the proof box"

"But my dad's face is as hard as a burned loaf of bread, and my mom keeps sighing and shaking her head like I've brought pumpkin pie to a summer party." 🤦‍♀️



It was really just alright in my opinion.


✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

I'm so excited for this! I love time travel and magical realism with romance! 🧡🧡🧡

Many thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Melissa Wiesner for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! 🧡

Oh my heart almost didn't make it through this one! After a disastrous year, Sadie just wants a redo, so when she goes to a carnival and meets a fortune teller, she gets her wish. Only, after meeting with the fortune teller and putting her plan into motion, she realizes that she might not actually want the same things she did just hours before. You see, at midnight, she kisses the boy she's known forever and that's when feelings start to change. When she wakes up the next morning, only to be transported to the year before, the one she wished she could redo, Jacob doesn't know about the kiss and she has to try to navigate her life again, without making the same mistakes she made before.
This book hit home because it really shows you, you are on the path for you even if you don't feel like it. Even if you feel like you should be something different than who you are, love yourself. The ones that stick around and that love you no matter what, those are the people that are meant for you. If someone wants to change you or make you into something other than what you are, they aren't for you. Jacob was just the sweetest and I knew one of the twists before it happened and when it did, my heart just got a bit crushed for Sadie. Everything will work out as it should in the end. Don't wish for a redo. Be you, unapologetically.
The audio was fantastic! Thanks to Hachette, Negalley and Melissa Wiedner for an early audio copy.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of The Second Chance Year on audio in exchange for a review.

The Second Chance Year is one of those books you can totally predict, but still enjoy the journey getting there. I really liked Sadie. She was fun, wild, a rebel, and very relatable. She was just the right amount of naive that every female romance book character needs to be.

I appreciated that her journey wasn’t solely focused on love, but more her own personal worth and self discovery.

This is a perfect, lighthearted book to ring in the new year with. I definitely recommend!

Trigger warning: sexual harassment

I really enjoyed this cute romance .
The characters were well written and easy to invest in — while covering difficult topics like- sexual and power harassment and equality in the workplaces and relationships . The slow burn growth of the romance was really nice —-and felt believable. The narrator of the audiobook was excellent and really good at creating good character differences in voicing - this narrator is easy to listen to as well. Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for this ARC. This is my honest review .

After Sadie’s life has fallen apart- losing her job, apartment and boyfriend- she wishes for a chance to redo the year, and then wakes up on Jan 1 being able to do just that. This was an uplifting New Years read filled with many important messages, my favorite being, “everything happens for a reason.” The second chance/ brother’s best friend romance was so dang cute, especially seeing how the MMC supported and empowered Sadie. The author also embeds some heavier topics (sexism in the workplace, parental expectations), that show just how much of a fighter Sadie is. The audiobook was really one done and made for easy listening.

Audiobook review: I loved the narrator! She made it easy to follow and did a fantastic job making every character’s voice distinct. This was on the shorter side and a great pick if you need a palate cleanser in between longer books or to get you out of a slump. I would definitely listen to another audiobook by this narrator.

Book review: Oh my god, I loved that ending.

This might look like a cute romcom by the cover but it’s so much more than that. Definitely contemporary/women’s fiction that tackles some relevant and relatable themes with a ‘be careful what you wish for’ and ‘travel back in time’ plot. Sadie is the most self-involved protagonist ever but I enjoyed her growth throughout the book.

The romance was a very sweet, slow burn subplot with the BEST love interest (brother’s best friend). And I can’t stress enough how precious that ending. While I wish it was longer, maybe it’s better because it was on the shorter side. Recommend if you like the time travel subgenre.

“The Second Chance Year” by Melissa Wiesner
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤓🤓🤓🤓

If you’ve known me for longer than five minutes, you know there’s nothing I love more than books and food. You’ll also know that my favorite romance tropes are friends to lovers and second chance romance. A book with a gazillion food references and BOTH of these tropes?! Sign me up!!! I smiled from ear to ear for most of this listen (the narration by @hlaserwolf is very good and never cheesy). For lovers of “Seven Year Slip” and “In a Holidaze”, this romance will leave you feeling warm and cozy like a great cup of hot cocoa and a warm, flaky croissant.

Sadie is a pastry chef with big dreams who just had the worst year of her life. After a run in with a fortune teller, she gets a redo of said year and things don’t go the way she thought. This is a light, fun, heart warming story of love and self discovery. It delivers exactly how you want it to. Don’t skip this one! (The book begins and ends on New Year’s Eve, so this is a perfect add to your holiday TBR!) It comes out on 12/5/23! Pre-order it now!!! Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC!

@netgalley #netgalley @melissawiesnerauthor #melissawiesner #melissawiesnerauthor #timetravel #groundhog #secondchanceromance #friendstolovers #friendstoloversromance #childhoodfriendstolovers #brothersbestfriend #brothersbestfriendromance #thesecondchance #audiobook #audiobookstagram #audiobookreview #audiobookrecommendation #bookstagram #fyp #holiday #holidayreads

The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner was a great listening experience. The narrator did an amazing job of capturing the main character Sadie's, spirit and voicing the main male character, Jacob, and the myriad of secondary characters. None of her voices sounded forced, and were all natural and believable.

The story itself was the heroine finding that she didn't need to change herself to be worthy, after all. When Sadie is given a chance to re-do her Very Bad Year, she absolutely is all in thinking that she'll change to get the guy back, the job back, and then everything will be just as it should be.

I'm a sucker for sibling best friend romances, so I was already rooting for Jacob and Sadie from the beginning.

Their story evolved naturally, and I was absolutely thrilled when they found their way to each other.

I especially enjoyed the way the narrator voiced secondary characters, Sadie's BFF, Kasumi and her brother, Owen. Owen sounded exactly like an obnoxious brother should. :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Forever for my gifted Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

The Second Chance Year follows Sadie Thatcher as she navigates through reliving what she refers to as The Very Bad Year. At a New Years Eve party a fortune teller offers Sadie one wish, and after the horrors of the past year in which she lost her job, her apartment, and broke up with her boyfriend, the only thing Sadie wants, is a do-over. To her surprise, when she awakes the next morning, she quickly realizes that her wish has come true. It is indeed January 1 of LAST year.

If you are expecting a cute rom-com based on the synopsis and the cover, that is not what you will find. This book is very strongly centered around sexual harassment in the workplace and the exploitation of women in certain environments. Sadie is a pastry chef at a local exquisite restaurant in which she is continually hit on and a promotion dangled in front of her. As she re-lives this year, she will soon realize that her choices (and her choice to re-do this year) not only effects her, but some of the people she loves most.

I did enjoy this one, even though, it is not the cutesy storyline I expected. The growth of Sadie was done extremely well, and her relationships with the secondary characters was easy to relate to. It was a great reminder that we don't always know what is best for us and that even our trials we live through are so important and all part of the process.