3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I found this to be quite a slow pace and didn’t hold my interest or attention for long periods so I had to take breaks and come back to it. I picked it up because the description and premise of making a wish and repeating a year to make big changes because that year had been so bad had appealed to me, but sadly it didn’t live up to my expectations. It was fine, but nothing like I was hoping for it to be.

Sadie re-lives an entire year, going back from New Year’s Eve to January 1st, hoping to fix everything that went wrong with her old job and with her ex boyfriend in her “Very Bad Year.” We go through the entire do-over year with her as she makes changes and realizes the lessons she learned and is learning again… and what she wishes had stayed the same from her future.

The audio version was narrated by Helen Laser - a new voice to me but she did a good job.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Hachette Audio, and this is my honest feedback and opinion.

I just reviewed The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner. #TheSecondChanceYear #NetGalley

What a fun quirky read, initially I thought oh this is not for me, I’m not the right age group but that doesn’t matter, I was drawn into the unfolding story very quickly. Lots of topical stuff and hopefully will leave some people with a mindset of not settling, this may insidiously creep in and this wee book is a good shove to take stock and revaluate your own journey. I hope to read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for the audio version

This was such a cute holiday romance! Sadie has had the worst year of her life. All she wants is a do-over. So when she meets a fortune teller that tells her she can grant her one wish. The next morning when she wakes up in her old life, she is excited to start anew. As the days go by and she becomes the new Sadie, life does not really go as planned. I just loved Sadie so much. Jacob is the musical sweetheart of my dreams! I adored this book! I cannot wait to read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed following Sadie on her journey to redeem her past year, and loved to see her character growth. This is a great book to make you realize that sometimes everything happens for a reason that may not make sense in the moment but it all works out. Jacob was such a sweet MMC and I wish we would’ve got more of Sadie & Jacob together.

I listened to the audiobook version of “The Second Year Chance” and was thrilled to see that Helen Laser was the narrator. She does a fantastic job of bringing books to life and staying at a pace that makes it very easy to listen too.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC!

This was a cute time loop story and I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. It happens to be perfect for my mood at the moment. It helps to realize that everyone is special and we should be careful what we wish for. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio ARC.

“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 and Hauchette Audio for the ALC.

I picked up The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner from NetGalley for an honest review. I thought it was a New Year’s romcom and it leaned more towards women’s fiction with some romance, which is honestly what I’ve been enjoying more lately.

Sadie is a hot mess. She’s a pastry chef who lost her prestigious job, her successful boyfriend, and her apartment in the last year. Now she is staying at her brother’s best friend’s place because she has nowhere else to go. She and Jacob have known each other for years but never really spoke much, now she’s on his couch, eating Nutella from a jar and feeling sorry for herself.

When her best friend talks her into going to a circus-themed New Year’s party instead of wallowing, she meets a fortune teller who asks what she wishes for. She wished to go back to the beginning of the Very Bad Year and do it differently, knowing she wouldn’t make the same mistakes again. When she got home that night, however, she had a pretty intense moment with Jacob. Maybe there is something there after all?

Until BAM-she wakes up on New Year’s Day in her ex-boyfriend’s bed and realizes her silly wish has come true! Here was her second chance to do the year right—keep the job, the boyfriend, and the apartment, she just had to go back to never even talking to Jacob, because they had barely talked in this timeline.

In this do-over, Sadie thought if she stopped speaking out, and just toed the line, everything would be better. Only it just caused other problems.
"I thought if only I could tone myself down and smooth out all the rough edges, I'd land the perfect job, the perfect guy, and finally, my parents' acceptance. But it turns out that in pursuit of those things, I twisted myself into someone I don't recognize."

There was so much character growth in The Second Chance Year, and it covered a lot of issues like sexual harassment, equal pay, misogyny, parental relationships, friendship, and love. It was also about accepting and loving yourself.

If you are into baking you will love this book if not just for the amount of baking puns!

Likes:
•I love the way the whole concept of a time loop was portrayed in this story.
•The character growth.
•It was paced well.
•Villains you love to hate.
•Kept me invested in the story the whole way through, I didn’t want to take a break.
•The found family at the coffee shop.
•The cat.

Dislikes:
•I wish there was more romance. The chemistry between Sadie and Jacob took a while to heat up.
•She was back with the ex for too long.
•I would have liked her best friend to be there for her more.
•Too many baking puns

The Narration:
This is my first Helen Laser book and I think she was fantastic. I hope to hear a lot more from her, as she absolutely enhanced the book with her narration.

The Down & Dirty:
I’m really glad I read The Second Chance Year. I have only read one or two other time travel type books, and they were nothing like this, so it was a unique read for me. Though it looks light and fun, there are some heavy themes in this, but I really loved the messages of not changing for others, loving yourself, and that wishing for the past to change is a waste—look at what is in front of you.

Rating: 4.25 Stars, 0 Heat, 5 Narration

I loved everything about this one!. The plot didn’t sound all that appealing but I was willing to give it a try based on how much I’ve enjoyed ALL of the author’s previous books. I’ve read quite a few travel back in time books and they’ve all been pretty meh but this one was so well done! I fell in love with the main characters and could feel their emotions. I listened to the audiobook and was immediately drawn in by the amazing narrator! She was fantastic and I even added her to my list of narrators to look for on future audiobooks. Highly recommend this book, this author AND this narrator!

I loved this book so much! I loved the community that the characters built and how the main character learns so much about herself throughout the book. I also loved the “sweet” metaphors (IYKYK). I think you’ll love this book if you liked Midnight Library!!!

This book was cute cute cute! Despite it sounding and seeming like a holiday book, it was so much more! So don't let the title make it seem like you could only read this around the holidays or the new year! I absolutely adored the characters, the setting, the way that we got a sprinkle of magical realism and the romance! Sadie was a fantastic main character to follow along with and I absolutely adored her when she was standing up for herself and for others. The character growth that we got to see as the story progressed was very well done and it genuinely made me root for Sadie.

I think Jacob was the sweetest guy on the planet and I loved each and every instance of the book that he was in. We love a shy, sweet, music composer with a love-complex! He was adorable and deserves everything good in the world!

I think that this book was a powerful statement on women and how they are perceived, even in society today. I read it and felt sick. I also read it and felt empowered. I loved it!

This book should definitely be on everyone's radar!

SECOND READ (NOV 2023)
I will be updating my rating to 5 stars because honestly, this book is wonderful!

Wow I really loved this book! With a twist of magic Sadie gets a re-do on the worst year of her life. From her boyfriend leaving her, losing her job, and otherwise being homeless if it weren't for her brother's best friend, she really messed up. So when she finds herself at a New Years carnival themed party with a wish for anything, why not re-do the worst year.

This message is a timeless one, but reads so well as you see the world a second time through Sadie's knowing eyes. The choices she makes and the feelings she feels as she re-does it all. Author Melissa Wiesner has made an extraordinarily binge worthy read, finished in one day as I quickly came to love this one.

Oh, I loved this book so much! Ever wished you could have a do-over to change the path of a really bad year? I know I have. But I wonder what would really happen and perhaps things would make more sense with a second glance. Highly recommended!

The premise was really intriguing and I couldn't wait to get stuck into this one but I struggled a bit with Sadie the main character. I found her very frustrating at times and her decision making bothered me.

The plot moved slowly but it was a lovely concept and I liked the way it was told from month to month.

Easy read.

Second Chance Year is a story about what is important in life and the struggle between pleasing others and being true to yourself. It is a struggle that I think everyone, particularly women will relate to.

I am someone who has had the opposite journey from Sadie. I am a people pleaser who needed to learn to stand up for myself as an adult. Sadie stood up for herself and faced the consequences and decided she could go back and be more accommodating. As many a chronic people pleaser could tell her, it's easy to lose yourself when you spend all your energy focusing on what others want.

I really enjoyed watching Sadie's growth and see her learn to value herself. I also appreciated how this book explored sexism and women's struggles in the workplace. I enjoyed Sadie and Jacob's friendship but I didn't feel enough of this book was really focused on it for this to be a romance. This felt more like self-discovery fiction. As someone who mainly reads romance, some parts of this moved a bit slowly for my taste.

A final issue I had was with how this book handled Sadie's mood. She had months where she struggled to do anything which sounds a bit like a major depressive episode. However, once she had another chance she had no lingering issues with energy or sleep disruption. People who have that much trouble don't usually just snap out of it.

I think this book is perfect for someone who enjoys fiction with a romance subplot. For a romance, it is very slow burn and I feel Sadie is really the focus. However, some romance readers will enjoy it!

I listened to the audiobook version of The Second Chance Year and really enjoyed it. Helen Laser does the audiobook narration (the book is single pov and therefore single narrator) and does a wonderful job! If you are an audiobook listener you may recognize her voice as she has done other popular titles including: A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon and Yellowface.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 Stars
Happy pub date to Melissa Wiesner and The Second Chance Year! Thank you to @melissawiesnerauthor, Hachette Audio, Forever ( @hachetteaudio ), and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read an ALC (Advanced Listener 🎧 Copy) for an honest review!

📅 Today (December 5, 2023) is the pub date for The Second Chance Year. The narrator🎙️for this audiobook 🎧 is Helen Laser. 📅

If you had one disastrous year, one magical wish, and one chance to change the past…would you?

Sadie didn’t second guess taking a chance for a do-over year when given a wish by a carnival fortune teller. She felt like she was at an all time low and had turned into someone she didn’t truly recognize. She was single, her parents never really accepted her career choice, and she wasn’t sure how to define success or self. Will Sadie’s second chance year be success or will she learn some of life’s most powerful lessons the hard way…attached to tough consequences? Do you really think I’d spoil the book by answering that? You’ll have to pick up your copy to find out.

Wiesner’s writing is masterful. It pulls at your heart strings and creates space for reflection pertaining to many powerful real world themes such as: self-shame, self-acceptance and awareness, bullying, feeling inept, standing up for yourself, and unwanted comments/touch.

The characters are just as powerful as the writing. It’s amazing to see Sadie flourish into the person she has always longed to be. Jacob is a cinnamon roll that can only see the strengths and good in others. Together, they defy the odds of happiness and love.

Wiesner leaves the reader wondering how often and when you should be your true, genuine, and authentic self. I personally believe you should always be your authentic self (much easier said than done) and in turn the people you need in your life will always support you and join you on your journey. When do you feel it’s most important to be your authentic self? Would you take a do-over year? What year would you want a second chance with?

Tropes:
💕 Second Chance Romance
💕 Brother’s Best Friend
💕 Small Town Romance
💕 Found Family
💕 Opposites Attract

Sadie has had one of the worst years of her life. Not only did her boyfriend break up with her, but she's also been fired from her job as assistant pastry chef at an upscale restaurant. Losing her job also meant that she couldn't afford rent on her place so she's moved in with her brother's best friend. She was able to find work as a local coffee shop, but her skills as a pastry chef are wasted and, pretty sure her former boss black-listed her, finding another job is proving difficult.

Just as her "very bad year" is coming to a close, Sadie reluctantly agrees to attend a carnival-themed New Year's Eve party. Of course no carnival would be complete without a fortune teller who somehow grants Sadie's wish of a year do-over.

Now, Sadie knows what's to come and can take steps to avoid reliving the "very bad year". Is changing the past worth it when you have to give up who you are in the present?

Who doesn't have at least one moment in their life that they wish they could do over? A book about a woman who gets to give a bad year another try immediately caught my attention. I like that it's not simply another version of Groundhog's Day. Sadie knows exactly what she's asking for, she just doesn't completely understand what it will mean. Seeing all the ways one simple action can have different consequences across the board was pretty eye-opening.

What follows are some pretty irritating decisions made on Sadie's part in the name of avoiding another disaster of a year. I say it's irritating not necessarily as a bad thing, but because the whole point of the story is seeing Sadie's growth so knowing there will be bumps in the road is par for the course. Melissa Wiesner so perfectly shows us who Sadie is as a person in the "before" that seeing her bend to the will of others - making sometimes bigger mistakes along the way - just to try to hold on to her boyfriend or her job is frustrating because we know she's so much better than that.

It takes her time to realize the fact that she can get a do-over without completely changing who she is. Once that epiphany happens, though, it's like magic. Understanding the gift of foresight and hindsight, knowing that you don't have to give up who you are to get what you want. It's very satisfying.

Of course, it wouldn't be a year of reevaluation if there wasn't new romance on the horizon. Right before the clock turns (back) for the year, Sadie gets a jolt of connection with Jacob her brother's best friend and the person who took her in after she lost her apartment in her "very bad year". I like that this is kind of a play on a second-chance romance. Yes, Sadie does get a second chance with her ex, but knowing how things turned out (or will turn out) shines a spotlight on underlining issues. Also, knowing what she knows of Jacob in the year to come, she can't help but see him in a different light too. The whole idea of trying desperately to hold onto something you want, only to find out it's not as sparkly as you once thought is the pretty much the story in a nutshell. Even though it's frustrating to come to this conclusion before Sadie does, it's still very rewarding to watch her get to that point.

Through all of this we get Helen Laser's wonderful narration. She really brings Sadie to life. The determination to get her life back to where it once was and the vulnerability in finding out it may not be possible transmit so clearly through her voice. The secondary characters also all have their own personalities and voices. I knew who was supposed to be speaking even without dialogue tags. I thought that the narration was great.

Despite this book taking place over the course of a year, I'd still firmly put it in the holiday category simply because the New Year plays such an important and pivotal part of the story. The changing of a year can be a figuratively magical time with the idea of resetting the calendar and starting fresh. It's only fitting that Melissa Wiesner turned it into a literal magical time.

Everyone has some point in their lives wished for a do-over. What would you do differently to obtain the outcome you so desperately hope for? And in the end will it even matter or does fate have something specific in store for you?

Full of charm, humor and wit this story is fun loving and unforgettable. You really feel for Sadie and want what she wants as you go through this 2nd chance year with her. A true 2nd chance story and a must read for any dreamer or romantic out there.

I really loved this book. Sadie is given the rare chance to relive a year of life and she realizes that what she wanted was always right in front of her. Brother's Best Friend is my favorite troupe so I was so happy when this book went that direction. It took Sadie losing sight of who she was as a person to appreciate that the life she thought she wanted was making her unhappy. She also lost herself by trying to fit into a life that should fit around her. I loved that she gradually realized how she felt about Jacob. It was not a quick and passionate love. It was slow and quite and I loved it. I will definitely be adding her books to my TBR.

This was such a delightful and charming audiobook, I 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!

Sadie Thatcher wants more than anything to redo her terrible year. When she encounters a fortune teller at a holiday party she knows exactly what she wants to wish for.

The Second Chance Year is a stand-alone contemporary romance. While parts of it center around the holiday season I would not necessarily consider it a holiday book.

I was a little unsure about the main character at the beginning but she really grew on me throughout the storyline. She definitely becomes more relatable as she begins to piece things together later on in the book. There have been so many of these “be careful what you wish for” novels this year but this one has a nice twist that gives it something unique.

I did end up switching from the ebook to the audiobook about halfway through. There was nothing with the ebook but I did find that the audio helped me with the pacing of the book. Helen Laser solo narrates the book and she does an excellent job. I highly recommend going with the audiobook.

I voluntarily read, listened to, and reviewed advanced copies of this book and audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Hachette Audio!