sadie's had a really bad year: she was fired from her job, broke up with her boyfriend, and lost her apartment. when at a new year's party, she is given the opportunity to redo that year of her life, she jumps at the chance. but maybe seeing the year from a fresh perspective makes her realize everything happens for a reason, and that better things come to those who deserve them. this was so fun & i flew thru it. i love a time travel trope, and seeing sadie's personal development, as well as her romantic developments, was great. highly recommend!

4.25⭐️

Sadie has had a very bad year. So when, on New Year’s Eve, she encounters a fortune teller who grants her wish for a do-over, she begins a journey to fix her past mistakes. She hopes to save her failed relationship and keep her prestigious job, and sets about doing anything she can to keep her boyfriend and her boss happy.

But, is SHE happy?

Sometimes what you wish for isn’t really what you want. And sometimes, what you really did want is right there all along, you just weren’t ready to see that yet.

Sadie was a very relatable character. So much so, that I found myself quite frustrated in some of the early chapters, watching her make some painful mistakes, wishing we could move past that part of her journey a bit more quickly. But the payoff was lovely in the end.

Thank you Melissa Wiesner, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

I usually don't like my romance laced with fantasy, but The Second Chance Year might have changed my mind. Sadie has found herself single, recently fired, and living in the guest room of her little brother's friend. When given the chance to re-do the last year of her life, she takes it. But is the ability to live a year over again as good as it seems?

While internally torn between the choice to be quiet and allow the patriarical to control her or to be loud and stand up for what is right, I found myself emotionally tangled in Sadie's second chance year to see if doing it over again leads to happiness.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy. I absolutely loved this book, a quick read and cute romcom. After having the worst year of her life she wishes for a do over and gets it, but along the way she discovers that all the things she longs for were not what she thought. After changing who she was to fit into everyone else’s view and how of how her parents think she should act, and starts sucking up to her boss all in hopes to keep the job that she lost, only to lose everything again. After some personal and discover what she needed in her life was already there if she just opened her eyes.


🔹He falls first
🔹Found family
🔹Second chance

I always know that I’ve really enjoyed a book when I, a stringent TBR follower, decide one evening to abandon my entire monthly TBR in favor of rereading said book. That’s exactly what happened with The Second Chance Year, which easily puts it in my top 3 favorite romances of 2023.

What would you do if you knew you could have a do-over of the last year of your life?

In this book, you’re introduced to Sadie on New Year’s Eve after what she considers her Very Bad Year. Her boyfriend broke up with her (after getting a fancy tech-bro job), she lost her job (because she called out her boss for workplace harassment), she had to move in with her brother’s best friend (who can’t seem to stand being in the same room as her), her parents are disappointed in her (but aren’t they always?), and she’s not baking anymore (the one thing that has always brought her joy). She’s hurting and holding on to what she lost.

When I first read this book, I was in an incredibly vulnerable place in my life–much like Saide–questioning not only what came next, but what I had left behind. It immediately endeared me to this character and as I read, I wondered if I too would make the same choice she did to ask for a second chance year.

Once you start reading The Second Chance Year, it’s hard to put down. You’re desperate to know what will happen next, not only to Sadie but to the entire cast of characters that you’re sure to quickly fall head over heels for. It’s like Melissa Wiesner knew I was a sucker for a precious secondary cast because each and every one of these characters (Zoe, Kasumi, José Luis, Mrs. Kaminski, Owen, and obviously Jacob) are so special and add something really wonderful to the story. I was just as wrapped up in their individual threads of the tale as I was with Sadie and Jacob’s.

This book is also incredibly empowering. It handles topics like sexual harassment and the concept of women bowing to men in the workplace and while some of the passages are a little hard to read, they’re also really well-written and filled with hope and encouragement. I felt as if I gained newfound courage just from reading the experiences of the women in The Second Chance Year.

Of course, I can’t NOT talk about the absolutely adorable, swoony, kick-your-heels-and-giggle romance between Sadie and Jacob. It’s a brother’s best friend, he fell (okay, let’s be real, he launched himself off a cliff and nosedived) first, longing-filled whirlwind of a romance and I loved every single second of it. This book is closed-door, and you know what? I didn’t even notice that until after the second time I read it because I was too focused on the cutest freaking relationship ever unfolding before my eyes.

If you were to go through my Kindle, you’d notice that 85% of my (65 total) highlights are just Jacob doing the literal sweetest things ever for Sadie for no reason other than because he’s been in love with her since childhood. I’m feeling giddy all over again just writing about it! He’s definitely the epitome of a golden retriever, cinnamon roll and he’s absolute book boyfriend goals.

I could honestly talk about The Second Chance Year all day long, but instead, I’m just going to tell you to read it yourself! You can thank me later.

[CW: (Graphic) Sexual harassment and Toxic relationship, (Moderate) Sexism]

After a "Very Bad Year" of losing her job, apartment, and boyfriend, Sadie Thatcher is granted her wish of a do-over. Waking up the next day one year in the past, she is determined to get it right this time!

Upon reading the synopsis, this sounded like all-time-favourite potential. I adore a story that uses magic, in this case time travel, to force a character to learn a crucial lesson about their life. This one was unique in that it spans an entire year, with every few chapters representing a new month.

I'd consider this a lighter read as a whole, but there were also heavy themes as Sadie navigates the consequences of suppressing her typically outspoken personality within her severely toxic, sexist work environment. Is gaining everything she ever wanted at the expense of her voice worth it? I was rooting so hard for Sadie to get it right.

I went back and forth on my rating for this one, to be honest. I liked it, but ultimately I was just not invested in the romance—at all. Jacob, the adorably shy friend of Sadie's brother, was a great guy, but their brewing relationship felt more like a filler in the background of the story. I don't need the romance to be the focus, but this one lacked an emotional connection for me.

It is a fun and heartwarming time travel read. Where often you are in a time loop with these kinds of stories, where you are reading the same events over and over, that was not the case with this one! You get to meet Sadie, a sassy pastry chef, who has had a bad year and gets to do it all over again! While love is part of the equation, it's not the main theme and I loved that. You really get to watch Sadie grow and learn so many things about herself. You also get to explore what it means to really be careful of what you wish for! This was a quick read and perfect for fans of women’s fiction and time travel!

OMG. If you need a feel good read this holiday season, do I have a recommendation for you!! I was smiling through this entire read - such a powerful message about staying true to ourselves, sticking up for others, and finding positivity in the bad things that happen.

Sadie is having a Very Bad Year. She was let go from her job as a pastry chef in one of New York's top restaurants for standing up to her boss, her boyfriend of three years dumped her, and now she's living with her brother's best friend because she can no longer afford her own apartment. When she comes across a fortune teller on New Year's Eve, she wishes more than anything for a second chance to go back and fix her mistakes.

When Sadie wakes up the next morning, she's been given just that. A do-over to right her wrongs over the past year. But while she is trying desperately to hold on to what she had once wanted, she realizes that this life might not be as great as she had imagined.

I flew through this ARC in one sitting. I love when non-thrillers can hold my attention, and this one surely did. It's just the right hint of magical realism, and if you read my reviews you know a contemporary romance with a hint of fantasy is something that I'm always going to love.

Melissa Wiesner did such a great job of crafting a strong, witty FMC who goes on an incredible character development arc throughout the story. There's a great undertone of feminism and the struggles women in the workforce experience compared to their male counterparts, without it being overly in your face. You love the characters you're meant to love and HATE the characters you're meant to hate. Just all around awesome plot building going on here.

I just recently read and reviewed The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston and this was giving me the same vibes - a love from the past and having to navigate feelings in the present, jumps between timelines/experiences, strong friendships and self discovery. If you were a fan of that, make sure this is on your list when it releases. I can see this being a viral holiday read for this season!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the advanced copy of The Second Chance Year in exchange for my honest review!

This was just an okay read for me. I love a good time loop, second chance at life story but this one fell a little flat for me. Sadie has a 'very terrible year' and wishes for a do-over only to get her wish and repeat the same mistakes. The love interest was cute (her brother's best friend) but it took her a while to dump her horrible ex. Slow moving at times and lacking the kind of romance I crave. Recommend for fans of Rebecca Serle and Sophie Cousens, this was still a solid read but nothing special for me unfortunately. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Sadie erases a whole disastrous year with a shot of vodka and a magical glitter bomb. She spends a Groundhog Year correcting course after she'd been fired & broken up with the first time through.

But what opportunities has she missed or erased completely when messing with time? Which victories are worth new sacrifices and which breakdowns prove to be inevitable?

Pick up "The Second Chance Year" for:

• Time-loop Do-over
• Behind closed door romance
• Brother's best friend love Interest
• Pastry p0rn
• Cozy coffee shop shenanigans

I was most impressed with the many multiple threads of Sadie's life given main character time on the page. Her do-over wish wasn't driven by romance - it was her career, relationship, family, lifestyle, and more. And all of these are given such genuine attention that no page is filler, truely no moment wasted. We see a clear chain reaction of how one small change can affect the year she's lived once already. And most endearing is how she begins to latch onto people and places she may have previously taken for granted.

Highly recommend "The Second Chance Year" as a last month of the year -OR- start of the new year read.

Thank you Netgalley & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Second Chance Year was an interesting concept. After a no good, very bad year, Sadie gets the change to do it all over. She’s able to make different choices, hoping for different outcomes.

Yet, she’s changed after her very bad year. So when she holds back her voice, doesn’t stand up for the underdog…she realizes that maybe what she thought she wanted, isn’t what she wants anymore (say that five times fast!). This story is less of a romance and more of Sadie’s year of discovering her true self. She deals with a misogynist boyfriend and boss, and there are some very real moments involving workplace sexual harassment. And at the end of the day, what Sadie learns from her very bad year made her a much better person (and character to like!).

The romance was sweet and cute, although very predictable. Regardless, I loved seeing their friendship develop and watch Sadie fall in love. I mean, who wouldn’t fall in love with Jacob? He was so shy and sweet and adoring and I can’t believe it took Sadie so long to truly see him.

And wow, after reading this I need a pastry, stat.

How much of your authentic self should you really bring to your workplace and your relationships?

This is what author Melissa Wiesner answers in her emotional rom-com. Along the way, she explores the choices we make and how/if fate plays a role. She’ll warm your heart with a romance and make you smile with her witty banter.

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡. 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭.

The Second Chance Year is about a pastry chef who has the chance to go back in time to save her job, fix her love life, and do over her terrible year when a carnival fortune teller grants her a wish.

Desperate to hold onto all the things she lost in the previous year, Sadie discovers that it comes with a price. Is she willing to shelf her authentic self at work and in her relationships for the sake of keeping her job, friends, and boyfriend?

You’ll love this romantic and heartfelt story with a spunky female and a swoon-worthy male. The slow-burn romance will have you choking back tears and agreeing that we all need a cinnamon-roll Jacob in our lives! The delicious pastries will have you wishing Higher Grounds Coffee was in YOUR neighbourhood.

This book is perfect for book clubs as it offers multiple topics for debate. There’s a #metoo movement focus, a spotlight on ‘fixing’ ourselves to fit in, as well as a highlight on women forging a place in male-dominated workplaces.

After losing her job, her boyfriend, and her apartment, Sadie has officially titled the past year her Very Bad Year. As she looks over everything thing that went wrong the past few months, she wishes more than anything to have a second chance to do things over. While at a New Years Eve party, Sadie is offered a chance to fix things by a fortune teller, and even though she doesn’t believe in magic, she takes the opportunity. Before the night ends, she ends up kissing her brother’s best friend, but when she wakes up the next day she finds herself 12 months in the past. However, she can’t stop thinking about the kiss and slowly discovers that keeping all the things she previously lost might not be worth it.

Second Chance Year is a super cute contemporary romance that was filled with pining. I found that the baking related similes were constant and got a little old. I enjoyed seeing Sadie’s character growth and liked how the pacing was set up. I was a little disappointed that we don’t get much actual romance, as the very end is when Sadie ends up with who she belongs with. I would’ve loved maybe another few chapters of the new couple and an epilogue further into the future.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Second Chance Year releases December 5, 2023

I’m starting to think that time loop/groundhog year stories are not my thing because this had me irrationally irritated.

Sadie has just experienced the worst year of her life with a break up with her boyfriend and losing her job as a pastry chef that led to her being blacklisted in the industry.
At a carnival themed NYE party, Sadie meets a fortune teller, and they grant her the chance to live out a do-over year.
The thing with most time loop stories though is that the characters never seem to understand that it’s not just their lives they’re affecting, but everyone else around them too.

I was able to predict the ending within the first chapter, which made everything in between feel arduous. I mean, introducing a nice, shy, gentlemanly character who always shows up for you and happens to be your brother’s best friend? That’s the obvious choice.

Sadie is naturally outspoken and stands up for what’s right, which is what ended up being her downfall in her “worst year”. Meaning, in this do-over, to be “successful”, she’d have to dim the natural parts of her personality and not stay true to her core morals, which was so frustrating to witness.

This one might have hit too close to home with Sadie’s profession as a pastry chef and her parents and partner always undermining her job and encouraging her to “go back to school”, as if a culinary education means nothing. I’ve also experienced the male authoritative figure dangling promotions without it ever leading anywhere which is so exhausting. Luckily Sadie was able to have her great big realization and redemption packaged in a neat bow, but realistically, it doesn’t work that way for everyone.
It also felt a bit like a slap in the face with that one scene with Sadie’s mother, how she’s also victim to workplace sexism, yet treated her daughter so shitty even though she knew first hand the affects.
And, the countless food similes were too much even for me.

I will say, I loved the found family vibes at Higher Grounds. If more of the book was focused there while giving us more one-on-one time with Sadie and Jacob and not including Paige, I probably would have enjoyed it more.

cw: sexism, workplace sexual harassment

It's New Year's Eve and Sadie has had a very bad year. Lucky for her, she runs into a fortune teller at a carnival party who offers her the chance to start the year over. The fortune teller warns her there is no going back once she sets the spell in motion, but surely whatever happens in her second chance year has to be an improvement.. Right?

I love sliding doors and time travel, and I loved this book. The characters were lovely, the whole storyline was entertaining without being predictable, and along with the light romance and super-sweetness, there were several bigger messages and important topics touched on as well. I could easily see other separate books being written about some of the other characters, and I hope that happens! I definitely recommend this book!

I don't know who wouldn't want to redo one of the last few years! Especially their worst year!
This was such a heartwarming and lovable book with the most vibrate and wonderful characters!
This book felt like a hug! I feel like most books you read and either feel like you would absolutely love or hate to live inside and this one is the former!
This was a fast-paced and romantic book! It was charming and lovely! I can't wait to read more by this author! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers!

Thank you NetGalley and orever (Grand Central Publishing) for the arc of The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner. I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. Sadie is. an Assistant Pastry Chef at one of the best restaurants in NYC and is dating a guy, Alex, for the past three years who is an Investment Banker. She has a terrible year were she loses her job and her boyfriend breaks up with her and at a NYE party, she makes a wish for a do over year and wakes up New Years Day starting the year over. Sadie decides to take on the second chance year a little differently and she realizes that even though she reigns things in, the big changes from the redo year will happen anyway in some fashion, such as Sadie and Alex will break up. This book makes you think about life and the paths taken and not. I truly enjoyed this book.

Very clever concept done well. Characters were easy to root for. I longed for a tad more depth but enjoyed it nonetheless. 4 Stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Second Chance Year is a cute time travel book. Sadie has the worst year ever when she attends a New Years Eve party and meets a fortune teller who gives her the chance for a re-do. Seeing the year for a second time gives Sadie a different perspective and the chance to do things differently.

This was a quick fun romance that I enjoyed thoroughly. This is a low steam romance, kissing only. Highly recommend!

If you could redo a horrible year of your life, would you?

Sadie is spending New Years Eve being convinced by her best friend to go to a Carnival Themed NYE party after she has spent the past few months moping on her brother's friend/roommates couch. Sadie lost both her boyfriend AND her job this year, forcing her to move out of her apartment, and move in with her little brother's best friend. Jacob just so happened to let her live there for free while she gets back on her feet. The Worst Year is almost over.

Sadie goes to the party and finds a fortune teller and she wishes to redo the year. And what happens? Her wish is granted. How does she relive this year when she knows things about certain days? How will she change things?

I really loved this book and it makes you think about sometimes things just happen for a reason. There are many fun characters that I loved. It was a quick read that I cannot wait to add to my physical shelf. A great New Years read!

A review will be posted to @bookishlifeofabbyh on Instagram closer to pub date!

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!