I liked the premise of this novel and everything the fortune teller said to Sadie totally resonated with me. However, I felt the author relied a little to heavily on the “don’t have a meaningful conversation” trope, which isn’t one of my favorites. I felt that Sadie came across as immature because she just kept assuming she knew the answers to questions she never asked. Wiesner’s storytelling style kept me reading, not to mention I wanted more Jacob. I recommend this novel, but know what you are getting into going in.

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. In this story, Sadie is given a chance for a redo the past year. I could immediately relate to Sadie for being criticized by loved ones from not holding my tongue, or controlling my temper in situations that I have deemed unjust. The author did a fantastic job at normalizing the perception of assertive woman being shamed for being too “aggressive”, while men are rewarded for their assertiveness.

The meaning found in this book is more around developing confidence, truth and individuality more than the love story. Sadie’s realization that she is lovable because of her outspokenness and that she does not have to sacrifice her morals in order to be successful is way more important character development than the love story. However, how can you NOT fall in love either Jacob? Besides him being a talented dark-haired hottie with glasses? Well, if you are not moved by the quiet gestures of sweetness and love, and his admiration of Sadie’s strength, then you might want to take a break from dark romance for a bit, just saying …

Thanks so much for NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an ARC of The Second Chance Year in exchange for an honest opinion. All the opinions and ratings listed above are entirely my own.

The Second Chance Year is about Sadie, a woman living in New York in her early 30s that has just had the worst year of her life. She lost her job and was blackballed from the restaurant industry and her long-term relationship ended, both seemingly because of her big mouth. Her best friend lures her to a New Year's Eve party, where she meets a fortune teller and asks for a do-over for the previous year.

Sadie's wish is granted and Sadie immediately begins to make different choices. She learns a lot about herself while stifling her voice in order to advance in her career as a high end pastry chef and with her boyfriend. There are sumptuous descriptions of desserts and a wonderful cast of endearing characters. I really enjoyed Sadie's journey and how she realized what she had previously taken for granted. The story reminded me of The Good Part by Sophie Cousens. I listened to the audiobook, which Helen Laser wonderfully narrated. Highly recommend if you're looking for a lighthearted and uplifting romance about second chances and finding yourself.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ebook/audiobook ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book was absolutely delightful. I so enjoyed the themes that this book explored about being true to yourself even in the face of judgement from others. This was a beautiful story of self discovery and reflection. Even though there was romance in the book I think the parts I loved the most dealt with navigating our own love for ourselves. I am in awe of how courageous and awesome Sadie is and I was so invested in her story. If you’re looking for a book that examines family and societal pressures, overcoming our own insecurities and true love, then this is for you.

A cute read...I was expecting more of a holiday romance, but it was still a cute story about trying to change the past and realizing that things may have actually changed for a reason. I enjoyed the happy ending.

I loved this book! Felt it was fast paced and I needed to know how this story was going to unfold.

If you want a RomCom with fast pace and great characters this one is for u. But sorry to you lovers of steamy romance as there was none of that which was kind of nice. I may be a prude in my old age lol

This was my 100th read on my #bookstagram!

The Second Chance Year is incredibly heartwarming. Curl up with a cup of cocoa and dig into this book - I would highly recommend.

The Second Chance Year
Thank you to Forever Publishing, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the advance copies.

Sadie’s life is truly falling apart - in a very short period of time she managed to lose her boyfriend, her job, and her apartment, all because she was a bit too vocal about her thoughts. When she attends a New Year’s Eve party, she is granted one wish by a fortune teller. She immediately knows what to wish for: the chance to redo the past year of her life and the chance to make things right. The next day she wakes up in her old apartment, with her old boyfriend, getting a call from her old job - the wish worked and she’s back to January 1st of last year. She lives through the year again with the chance to do things differently and also with a new perspective that leads her to wonder if she really wanted this second chance after all.

I LOVED this story. Sadie’s journey through her second chance year is filled with emotion, growth, and heartwarming moments. I flew through this story because I was so captivated by the story and needed to know what would happen to Sadie. I loved seeing how she learned to really love herself and be true to herself. Jacob was the perfect cinnamon roll balance to her strong independent woman vibes and I really loved how their relationship progressed.

The audiobook was narrated by Helen Laser and was fantastic. I listened to the audio for most of it because I really enjoyed her voice and the emotion she added to the story. Overall, this book left me with all the warm fuzzy feelings.

Loved this book! After having a Very Bad Year Sadie gets a redo. She gets to the person who will get the ending she wants … or does she. Be prepared for some fun quirky romance bits and for some serious topics that relate to woman. I definitely recommend this and will watch for the next book in 2024.

I LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEE this book! I couldn’t put it down, it was so good!

After having a Very Bad Year, Sadie meets a fortune teller at a New Year’s Eve party and wishes for a do-over. She thinks that if she just stops being so loud and assertive, she’ll be able to save her career and her relationship and set everything right. But what she learns is that things don’t always go the way you plan even when you think you have it all figured out. And sometimes what you think you want isn’t what’s right for you.

This is definitely a romance story but also a story about friendship, acceptance and learning to be true to yourself regardless of what other people think. It’s funny, heartwarming, and at times heartbreaking. Resetting a year means you might not have the same bad memories but you also probably won’t have the same good ones, so how do you determine which year is really better? Sadie’s struggle to get what she thinks she wants out of life without compromising who she is at her core will be relatable and engaging for anyone who reads this book. Her friends, family and coworkers are all really well developed and you find yourself wanting to just climb into the pages and be a part of her found family! I loved Sadie even when I was frustrated with her, and Jacob is the perfect cinnamon roll love interest: he’s shy but supportive and so talented. The story takes place for the duration of Sadie’s second chance year and the chapters tell you which month we’re up to which makes the story flow smoothly and allows us to compare where Sadie was this time “last year” and where she is the second time around. The ending gives the reader closure and brings the story full circle. While the ending definitely made sense the way it was, I’d be happy to have an extra chapter on how everyone’s doing in the real new year because I just love all the characters and always want more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
100% a 5 star read and I would recommend it to everyone!

Content warning: sexual harassment in the workplace.

Thank you NetGalley & Forever/Grand Central Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! This review is posted on Goodreads, Instagram and Amazon.

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.

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

This was a very cute one-year time loop brother's best friend romance from Melissa Weisner!!

After a terrible year where loudmouth Sadie loses both her finance bro boyfriend and her job as a pastry chef at a high-end NYC restaurant, a fortune teller grants her a little bit of real life magic. Sadie wakes up one year in the past--and in the process of trying to save it all, she wonders if true happiness was right in front of her all along (maybe since childhood?).

Read if you love:
- single POV
- brother's best friend
- time loop
- s l o w b u r n
- closed door
- forced proximity (shared apartment)
- a dash of #MeToo redemption (CW for sexual harassment)
- delicious food puns

I usually find myself leaning towards dual POV romance novels, but Weisner pulled off a single POV that I flew through in two days. She wrote Jacob in a way where his intentions were pretty clear to the reader even if Sadie was a bit oblivious at times ;)

Absolutely adorable and charming!! I enjoyed every single moment of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for a chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

This one was cute but not one that will stay with me. Would I read more by this author? Yes, and I would even recommend this book. That aside, I had a hard time believing Sadie was over 30 as she acted much younger. Also, the baking puns/similies were a bit much. Yes, she’s a baker but no one thinks like that (ex: Something about that leaves me as hollow as a cannoli without any filling. or Look, the last year of my life sucked like a straw in a milkshake.)
I did like Jacob, Owen, and the coffee shop gang and the idea of a do-over. Overall, a cute read.

I loved this book! Sadie wants to redo her horrible year so she makes that her one wish from a fortune teller on New Year’s Eve. Of course Sadie quickly realizes maybe this wasn’t the best idea but she soon begins to understand what she really wants in life with her career, personal relationships, and her own personality. Sadie had a lot of personal growth throughout the story. The characters are wonderful and the dialogue is entertaining. Jacob will become your new favourite book boyfriend! Check this one out if you want an upbeat story with romance and a little magic.

Sadie is having a Very Bad Year. She has lost her job, her boyfriend, and her apartment—all because of her big mouth. Despite her lack of belief in magic, when a fortune teller offers her chance at a redo, Sadie follows the instructions and…nothing happens. Dejected, she finds solace in sharing a kiss with her brother’s best friend Jacob. When she wakes up the next morning, she finds herself in her old apartment next to her old boyfriend and late to work at her old job. It’s January 1st of the year before and Sadie has a chance to salvage the life she lost. But as she navigates her new reality, she finds herself lingering on her kiss with Jacob and wondering if her only mistake was asking for a redo.

I literally could not put this book down! This story is filled with all kinds of amazing goodness—love, laughs, loss, and lots of pastries. Sadie is an incredibly relatable character as she recounts the worst year of her life—who among us hasn’t wished for a do over once or twice? Even through her disbelief, she manages to take advantage of her second chance year, whether it’s what she expected or not.

From the moment, and I mean the literal second, Jacob was introduced, I was in love. I love me a good morally gray, shadow daddy, slightly villainous book boyfriend as much as the next girl, but there is just something so sweet about a cinnamon roll book boyfriend that steals my heart and Jacob is just that. Despite the (very skewed) lens that Sadie sees him through, his personality and feelings shine right through. When someone says “not all men,” they are absolutely right because Jacob Gray would never. Absolute top tier book boyfriend.

In addition to the god-level book boyfriend that is Jacob, Sadie also unexpectedly builds herself a found family full of big personalities and all the love and support that she never got from her parents—a reminder to readers that family is not just blood. Each character brings something different to the table and they are all dynamic enough that I wouldn’t mind reading a book that centers each of them. (Hi, Melissa, if you want to make this happen, I'll be first in line to read, thanks.)

This story plays with the sayings “be careful what you wish for” and “the grass is always greener on the other side” so well. Sadie has been given a chance we normally don’t get and she is able to fix all the “mistakes” that she made during her Very Bad Year—but she’s also able to see situations from a different angle that she wasn’t able to the first time around. It’s a bit heartbreaking at times to watch her shrink and change the powerhouse of a person she is to fit what others what her to be, but it makes it that much more satisfying when she comes back into herself at the end. Wiesner masterfully tugs at all the emotions throughout the story and I really can’t say anything but “thank you, can I have some more please?”

My only gripe about this book is that there were no recipes for any of the deliciousness that Sadie makes throughout the story! I read an advanced copy so it may be different in the finished version (and I am crossing all the things that it is!)

And, of course, content warnings for those who need it: this story includes scenes of sexual harassment (specifically in the workplace), misogyny and sexism, bullying, strained parental relationship, and abuse of power/power imbalance in the workplace.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

The Second Chance Year is a charming romantic comedy that is a perfect holiday season read. Sadie, the protagonist, has a Very Bad Year that leaves her jobless, single, and staying with her brother's best friend. At a New Year's Eve party, Sadie makes a wish to go back in time and fix her mistakes. To her surprise, it works! She is back with her investor boyfriend and employed as a pastry chef at a popular restaurant. However, she begins to miss the time spent with Jacob, her brother's best friend, and starts to question if she should have wished for a second chance.
I enjoyed the second chance trope in this book. Sadie's second chance year helps her appreciate her strengths and learn to prioritize her own happiness over the opinions of others. The book also explores the pervasiveness of sexism and sexual harassment in various workplaces. Sadie's experience with harassment is portrayed sensitively and highlights the devastating effects it has on victims. The book shows how victims often blame themselves, and encourages speaking up and making positive changes.
Overall, this book is a delightful rom-com with a quick pace and relatable themes. The New Year's Eve setting makes it a perfect holiday read.

This story was fun and cute! I enjoyed our character, Sadie, and her strong personality. I loved the message in this story.

It touches on heavy themes, and I thought the author did a great job writing it.

The romance was so good. I found myself connected to both Sadie and Jacob. Owen had me cracking up on Christmas night! I think that was my favorite part, aside from the ending, of course.

I would recommend this book!

4.5 out of 5 stars!

I told myself I was going to make it a point to dive into new genres and tropes this year and this book delivered. A second chance to do over a craptastic year?!??! Why not! Sadie was all for it, especially because hindsight gave her the opportunity to see where she could have done better. Would a do-over right all the wrongs and she'd still be in a relationship with Alex and working as a pastry chef? I guess Sadie didn't realized that changing what she did in the previous life would change the outcome of the year she wanted to make perfect. I do think that the do-over year gave her the opportunity to be more observant, but it made her less Sadie (at least in her friends' eyes). Then there was Jacob. He was her brother's best friend, but he was just in her periphery. If she hadn't lived with him, would she have noticed him in the do-over? Why was it any different?

This book was a great way to be a little nostalgic about the things in the past I'd want to change up, but then again I probably wouldn't have the life I live now.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and voluntarily left this review.

This was okay. I simply wasn't invested in the romantic relationship. It felt like it was merely a filler for the backdrop of the story. I was disappointed because the synopsis sounded so promising.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the E-ARC

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.