Thanks so much to @readforeverpub and @netgalley and @hachetteaudio for my ALC and eARC. All thoughts are my own.

The audio quality was great and I had no issues at all when listening. I also liked the narrator and thought she sounded like what I imagined Sadie’s voice would be.

Pub Date: Today, Dec 5!
Genre: Romance

💫Sadie is a pastry chef but ends up having a Very Bad Year- her boyfriend breaks up with her, she loses her job, and then her apartment. At a NYE party, she meets a fortune teller who gives her the opportunity to redo her year and she takes it. But in her Second Chance Year, Sadie starts to wonder if the things she is changing are really for the better or are they taking away from who she is at her core?

This was such a feel good book and was a good reminder of pursuing your own success (whatever that means to you) and not measuring yourself against others.
Read if you love:
-found family
-rescue cats
-a hint of magic
-cinnamon roll heroes
-delicious bakery descriptions
-low/no spice romance

"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."

Let's be honest - who HASN'T wished, at some point, that they could go back and change something(s) they did wrong? I certainly know I have, on more than one occasion.

But boy, oh boy, am I glad I wasn't able to... because I ended up right where I was supposed to be. ❤️

But I have so many thoughts about this book, because I just hurt so much for Sadie. Because, although, she thought she knew what she wanted and what she needed to do, people still got hurt... people got away with terrible things... BUT ultimately, everyone ended up where they were supposed to be - because the Universe truly knows what it's doing!

Thank you @hachetteaudio, @readforeverpub and @netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review!
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#bookstagram #booksta #books #booksbooksbooks #avidreader #ilovereading #thetwistedlibrarian #professionalbookworm #thesecondchanceyear #melissawiesner #book91of2023 #whatsnikkilisteningto #whatsnikkireading #audiobook #audiobookreview #becarefulwhatyouwishfor #brothersbestfriend #workplacesexism #baking #yearofdoovers #hachetteaudio #foreverpublishing #netgally

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Second Chance Year" and all opinions expressed are my own. I downloaded the kindle book and the audio. I ended up listening to the audio for this one. My favorite type of book: magical realism. This was really good to listen to, it kept me interested. You can have a do-over but it changes everything, not just your situation but people around you too. Would you really want a do-over? It might not come out like you think it would. Overall a good story and I enjoyed listening to it.

Sadie ends the year in a colossal heap of garbage. Her job, relationship, living situation - it's all complete crap. She begs a fortune teller for a redo on New Years and wakes up to one year ago when everything was the opposite. Sadie jumps at the opportunity to make the changes necessary to reverse every bad decision to end the year on a high note instead.
I did not read the synopsis (cue all the laugh crying emojis). Love the cover and I LOVE second chance romances. It's in the title, okay?? This is not a second chance romance. LOL
But can I just say WOW?! I loved every second this was in my ears. I rewound a few times just to make certain scenes sit a little bit longer. If this isn't a "me" book, I don't know what is. My recommendation to other readers would be to expect more women's fiction (I know we hate this classification but until someone comes up with something better, it is what it is), less rom-com. I loved Sadie's journey and light bulb moments of clarity. And Jacob? Be still my heart.
The narrator, Helen Laser, does an excellent job performing this story. I've only had the opportunity to listen to her before with a couple of YA books, but her voice translates well to both genres.
Thank you to Hachette Audio and Netgalley for the alc. All thoughts are my own.

Awww super cute! I really enjoyed this one - loved the food and music core and the message of just being your damn self!

This was a cute story. I wasn't completely invested in the romance but I did like the story overall. We all have had a time in our life where we wish we could go back in time and have a redo. Sadie got the chance. In her redo year she realizes that some of the bad moments she wanted a second chance at happened f9r a reason. We've all gone through bad times, maybe they happened for a reason? This story also touches on sexism and the way the author wrote it was well-written

Oh wow! The Second Chance Year is such a fun read. 4 stars!

Sadie had a Very Bad Year - she lost her job, apartment, and boyfriend in quick succession - and wishes she could go back in time to course correct her path and life. And sometimes, wishes do come true. Sadie travels back one year in time and is given a chance to relive the past 365 days.

I loved Sadie as a character and felt invested in her choices and relationships. It’s been a while since I’ve cried while reading a book but this had me tearing up.
Wiesner also did an excellent job of tackling issues such as sexism and harassment in the workplace.

Overall, the story was great and this book was really a joy to read.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the advance copy.

Thank you Hachette Audio and NetGalley for audio ARC of the book.

Sadie just had the most awful year of her life - she lost her job, her apartment and her boyfriend broke up with her. So when during new a Year's Eve party a fortune teller offers her a second chance to redo the last year Sadie agrees. Can Sadie fix all past mistakes and have her wishes come true?

This book is filled with great humor and cute characters you want to be friends with. The main character Sadie has a strong and nice personality and I was happy to witness her journey through this book. I liked that not only romance and family relationships were big topic in this book but also career, sexism and friendship played a big role.

The narrator Helen Laser did a great job voicing different characters and their emotions.

The Second Chance Year is a new genre I’ve been told is romance+. Romance+ is reserved for those novels that often follow the typical sweetness and plot lines of romance novels, yet often have a little more depth to them. In The Second Chance Year, the protagonist deals with sexual harassment in her workplace. There is a clear imbalance of power as she struggles to for a promotion.

When I first started this book I thought it was going to be the typical do-the-same -day over and over until the protagonist finally gets it right and realizes the love of her life was in her sight the whole time. I was only partially right, The main character, Sadie, attends a NYE party after having a terrible, no good year. At the party she makes a wish and finds herself waking up to re-do the previous year (not just day). She sets out to fix all of her regrets. Will she get it right the second time?

I enjoyed this book. The narrator was perfect for the part. It was easy to listen to (even at 2x). Of course, the ending was predictable throughout the entire book, but isn’t that the reason we read romance? We like to know it all turns out as it should in the end. What didn’t work as well for me was the chemistry between Sadie and Jacob; I just didn’t buy it honestly. Overall, The Second Chance Year is a sweet closed-door romance with some depth and good narration.

Thank to Netgalley and Forever Audiobook for this ARC.

Melissa Wiesner's, "The Second Chance Year," is a fun, quick read. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Helen Laser. I would give this story 3.5 out of 5 and so will round up to 4. There should be a content warning for readers; the story contains descriptions and fall out related to sexual harassment and assault and some emotional abuse.

The narration and the story flow well together. Laser breathes life into the this first person narrative about a young woman, Sadie Thatcher, who is stuck in a rut after a year of personal and professional disappointments. She's been broken up with after 3 years with her ex; fired from her job at a high-end restaurant; and resorted to working as a barista while living in the spare room of her brother’s long time best friend and good family friend. With a chance encounter with a fortune teller on New Year’s Eve, she is given the opportunity to relive her past year. Will it be everything she hoped?

Sadie Thatcher is a relatably flawed main character. Her struggles with feeling accepted and supported will resonate for anyone with a difficult relationship with their parents. Since this is a single first person narrative, only a couple of character end up being fully flushed out. For one thing, her parents seem to be caricatures of disapproving parents. Her relationship to them is left fairly unexamined which makes her desire for their approval despite their belittling view of her career and abilities but their active antagonism toward her goals strain credulity. Their lack of dimension makes this part of the story fall flat. Just because they are professors doesn’t mean they can’t appreciate other forms of success or achievement. The assumption is of course professors wouldn’t approve of a child who wants to go into a creative field. This rings hallow. Especially with a child who is actively pursuing their goals and showing some results.

The storyline contains a surprising amount of pushback around patriarchal society standards and behaviors, which was interesting. Wiesner explores this within the world of cooking primarily and how gender and power dynamics are used and abused in this field of work. I wish more would have been developed between Sadie and her best friend. I do feel like Wiesner did a realist job of evoking the isolation that can be experienced by people who have been assaulted.

Overall I would recommend this book to people who have enjoyed other books with magical realist elements such as “Cassandra in Reverse,” by Holly Smale or “Oona Out of Order,” by Margarita Montimore.

I was strangely drawn to this book and found the premise interesting but wondered just how the story would fall into place.

I needn't have worried!

I fell into this story very quickly and wondered throughout if I would have been tempted to do the same in the same circumstances and the answer is...I just don't know!

There were enough twists and turns to make you question just how this was going to end for Sadie and if she would have any regrets about her choices.

Melissa Wiesner has a new fan and I'm keen to explore this new-to-me author's other publications.

A cute romcom story with a time twist. I thought this was a good read. I really enjoyed Sadie. A female character who was strong and opinionated! Love it!! I wish the relationship with Jacob had more banter, but it still kept my interest and I was rooting for them. Really enjoyed the audiobook! The narrator was absolutely perfect for Sadie's voice.

*Thank you @readforeverpub and @harperaudio for the #gifted egalley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

I’m definitely not one for typical romance, but something about the description snagged my attention and I’m so glad it did! The Second Chance Year was fun, flirty, comedic, and downright witty. I absolutely loved the baking puns and they definitely flowed throughout the novel better than “peanut butter through brownie batter” …see love it, lol! This novel also tackled some incredibly relevant women’s issues that had me applauding Sadie and her decisions in the end.

Sadie Thatcher has had “a no-good year”. A few major decisions to speak her mind has landed her couch surfing at her little brother’s best friend’s apartment. She’s lost her long-term boyfriend and the possibility of making her baking career a go. With a little bit of pressure, she attends a New Year’s Eve party and fate allows her a “redo” of the previous year. The major difference…she cannot speak her mind and must take daily doses of sexism, double standards, toxic masculinity and loses friendships she holds dear. However, she does get the guy and job back that she thought she desperately wants. As Sadie navigates this redo year small decisions have resounding impact and she begins to realize what she thought she wanted has definitely changed.

I absolutely would recommend this book as a fun and light holiday read with a little deeper context. Well done Melissa Wiesner for taking on important issues for women with a fun spin that didn’t make light of their importance. I enjoyed the audio production of the novel immensely. Helen Laser did a fantastic job with her narration and this may also be why I liked the story so much.

The Second Chance Year was a cute, sweet story about Sadie and how her wish to redo her terrible year came true. Not wanting to run into the same issues on her first go-around, Sadie is determined to make better choices with her relationships and career. Sure, this means she's not her usual vocal self, but if that allows her to keep her longtime boyfriend and land a job promotion, surely it's worth it, right? Well...

Of course, things don't go perfectly and she finds herself in equally stressful problems. She disappointed her best friend. She conforms to her boyfriend's wishes that don't match her own. Her parents still don't respect her job as a pastry chef. She finds herself crushing on her brother's best friend, Jacob.

I enjoyed how this book wasn't a full-on romance but instead had a more expansive plot. The conversations about the sexism she faces while working in a professional kitchen was especially interesting. I continually rooted for her to take charge and follow her dreams, even if they didn't match her original plans.

The narration was also very well done, and I thought that Sadie had a very "believable" voice. Sometimes the wrong narration can really pull you out of the story, but this was an ideal match for this outgoing character.

ALC REVIEW 🎧

The Second Chance Year - Melissa Wiesner
Narrated by @hlaserwolf
7 hours, 21 mins

Available on December 5th

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The Second Chance Year follows Sadie as the WORST year of her life is finally coming to an end. Recently unemployed, heartbroken, and living in her brother’s best friend’s spare room, her one wish? A chance to get it right! When she meets a fortune teller at a NYE party, her wish is granted but she soon finds out why you need to be careful with what you wish for. As she works to avoid her ‘mistakes’, she loses far more than she bargained for … including herself.

“If you need to be anything other than exactly who you are, then the problem is with them, not you.” ✨

The story expertly explores themes of family expectations, self discovery, bullying, sexual harassment, and equity within the workplace, with an ease that leaves you feeling empowered and confident in who you are.

Thank you @netgalley and @hachetteaudio for the advance copy of this audiobook! 🫶🏻

The perfect read to ring in the new year AND a new book boyfriend 😝 Jacob has my whole heart ❤️

Also read if you enjoy:
✨ Brother’s Best Friend
🔮 Second Chances
✨ Found Family
🔮 Time Loops
✨ Quirky Side Characters
🔮 Cinnamon Roll Hero AND actual Cinnamon Rolls
✨ Rescue Cat
🔮 Little to No Spice

I thought this book was good, it had a decent plot and string characters - I liked the slight fantasy aspect in the book as well.

I thought the narrator was really good.

Devoured this in one sitting. It was like pure warmth and fuzz (plus an extremely well-handled discussion of important issues) injected straight into my veins. This was an absolutely stellar read and will warrant many re-reads in the future, it solidly earned itself a place as one of my favourite reads of this year.
The audiobook performance was also impeccable. Not a single fault to be found, Helen Laser is a talent.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Funny, relatable, heartwarming. A really fun read with a magic twist and a quest for happiness. I truly was invested in Sadie’s journey and I love where she ended up. Full review on instagram

I am disappointed that I chose this book. This is filled with the same storyline, so predictable, sadly.

Thanks to the pub. for the ALC.
This was such a fun time loop story. Now, if this isn't your favorite trope, there is only one here, and it's so worth it to give this one a chance because it was such a well thought out story that really showcased the lessons the main character learned through her second chance year. It was easy to root for Sadie and what she wanted. I felt like since she had so many life changes happening, she was an easy character to relate to. I felt so many emotions while listening because of the great character development here. This is a perfect book for someone who wants a story with depth and occasionally asks their own 'what if' type of questions.
The audio narrator did such a great job capturing the complexities of this story in her performance. It's a book I would highly recommend on audio.