It felt light, easy enough to read. Sadie felt immature, and I didn’t want to hang out with her longer. I stopped after chapter 1 (4%), but I imagine it will be an easy three stars for the right reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed this book. I was skeptical about the whole Groundhog Day concept at first, but as the story went on, I couldn’t put the book down. All the topics mentioned were well executed. I loved all the side characters and the main characters even more. I’m a sucker for a shy mmc. This is the perfect book to pick up during the holidays

Sadie is having a horrible year. She lost her job and got broken up with. When she goes to a carnival themed New Year's party she wishes for another chance at the horrible ear. She goes back to her brothers best friend Jacob's apartment where she's been crashing. The night ends with a kiss she never expected from the person she never had noticed before.

She wakes up the next morning in her old apartment with her old boyfriend exactly one year in the past. She wants to try to make the year better this time around but keeps remembering the kiss and the guy she is now realizing has always been there for her.

This is my first book by Melissa Wiener and I absolutely enjoyed it! It was a romance story with a big focus on the FMC growth as she navigates the choices she made and learns how each one impacts her life and those around her. The romance aspect is not the central plot but is so enjoyable. The MMC is a sweetheart who you will definitely root for. There's also a big side story about women in the workplace and the challenges they face.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever publishing for this ARC and the chance to give an honest review.

Read from: Sep 13, 2023 - Sep 16, 2023
Good reads review posted 9/16
Instagram post scheduled for 9/19 and 9/20

When Sadie wishes for the opportunity to go back and "redo" an entire year of her life, you're cheering for her to get everything she wants. But that night when an unexpected encounter occurs with her brother's best friend, her eyes are opened to the possibilities of things she might have missed wallowing over the past mistakes she has made. When she wakes up to realize she's sent back to relive that entire year, you travel with her as she navigate through the mistakes she made and make sure she fixes her wrongdoing- All while remembering what happened that New Years Eve night. I loved this book. It fits the bill for anybody wanting a romance, as well as following a character through their life decisions and learning along side them through the ups and downs. The realizations, compassion and connections made through characters will leave you, sad, happy, angry, and rooting for them each step of the way. This is the perfect book to get lost in on a cozy afternoon with a cup of hot chocolate.

The Second Chance Year
Melissa Wiesner

Do you believe in the magic of second chances? For Sadie, a down on her luck pastry chef, a do-over of her “very bad year” cannot come soon enough. She’s lost her job, her apartment and her boyfriend. When the opportunity arises on New Year’s Eve to have a second chance at her “very bad year”, she seizes the opportunity. Will she fix everything she thought was wrong or will she realize the grass isn’t always greener on the other side?

Melissa Wiesner whipped up a novel that really takes the cake (pun intended) in the romcom department. I loved the clever way Wiesner told the alternate timeline story because I wasn’t re-reading things over and over again. I also appreciated that while this book is a romcom, the romance wasn’t the main story. I found Sadie’s personal growth and the way Wiesner dealt with hard topics (sexism and harassment in the workplace) to be the main points of focus that were so eloquently portrayed in this page-turning novel. They say that “baking is love made visible”, but I think the same is true about Melissa Wiesner’s writing as well. Can’t wait to get lost in the pages again!

Thank You to @ReadForeverPub (Forever, Grand Central Publishing) and @NetGalley for allowing me to read this sweet-as-pie novel ahead of its December 5th release date later this year.

The second chance year was a quick, light read for me, while also being thought provoking as we all have had years or situations we would love to have a second chance. I can relate a lot with this female lead character, being described as abrasive by some, but admired for standing up to bullies by others just shows its a matter of perspective in what one person sees as a flaw, another admires. As a mom of 3, I don't have a lot of time to read, but I read this one in less than 48 hours and did not want to put it down!

This is one of my new favorites! An overall very good and thought provoking story. It makes you question what you would change about your life given the chance.. and by the end, what you may not want to change. The romance followed in the book was sweet and thoughtful and feel good! The whole story was enjoyable and easy to read. The topics of women in the work place and the sexual harassment endured by the characters was handled so well, and respectfully and it was refreshing to read a book who handled it as such. This was such a good book!

Wow wow wow this book is amazing! Do you ever wonder what would happen if you had a second chance and could redo something in your life? Well, Sadie had that chance and got to redo a whole year of her life. After losing her job and long-term boyfriend in the same year, Sadie is down badly. When she comes across a fortune teller who gives her the chance to redo her whole year, she takes it.

Sadie is the type of character who will not back down from a fight and stays true to herself no matter what. She has that confidence that people admire but that others see as a threat. Some think that she’s “too outspoken” and that leads her to lose things in her life. Now with her second chance, she sees it as a way to change the things that went wrong but along the way, she loses herself. Surprisingly this book made me very emotional. Seeing how Sadie didn’t realize she was becoming a person she didn’t recognize because she was trying to fit into what society deems acceptable. I feel that everyone goes through a time where they question their actions and just maybe if they did things differently, life would be easier. What I learned and Sadie did as well by the end of the book is that staying true to yourself and not caring what people say is the way to live. Everything will get figured out eventually and sometimes we just need to let life happen.

THE ROMANCE!!! The author did a great job of making sure the romance between Jacob and Sadie didn’t interfere with Sadie’s growth but helped it. I think it allowed Sadie to reflect on her past actions and mature. JACOB IS SADIE’S PERFECT MATCH!! There’s just something about a couple where one of them is shy and the other is outgoing. Sadie needed someone to see and love her for the person she was, and that was Jacob. He was there for her no matter what. One of my favorite things was seeing Sadie gradually fall in love with Jacob.

I HIGHLY recommend and everyone NEEDS to read it when it comes out on December 3rd, 2023! Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this eARC!

The main character frustrated me so much. I was screaming at her to open her eyes and just see what was in front of her. To see that she actually has everything she wanted.

But through that frustration I grew to love her and all the other characters in the book. I loved the journey the main character takes and it’s a book I will return to in the future just to see that journey again.

Thanks to NetGallery and the Publisher for this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance copy of The Second Chance Year in return for an honest review.
"I can't speak highly enough of 'The Second Chance Year'. From the moment I started reading, I was immediately drawn into Sadie's journey. The concept of going back in time to fix mistakes is explored in a refreshing and thought-provoking way. The story flowed seamlessly, with well-fleshed-out characters that I couldn't help but root for. The author's ability to keep me hooked from start to finish made it difficult to put the book down. 'The Second Chance Year' is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves a captivating and inspiring story."

This gave very Groundhog Day vibes. It's about Sadie who wished to have a redo of her "very bad year," only to wake up on New Year's day to find out that her wish came true. but she soon realizes, that maybe this isn't what she wants after all.

The writing was lighthearted which definitely fit the vibes of the book. It sometimes felt like whatever events were happening I had already read about, which made sense since Sadie was experiencing everything again, however, it got boring sometimes. I really liked the topic of sexism though, and what women have to go through, whatever industry they work in.

I really liked Jacob and the sibling relationship between Owen and Sadie <3 very cute and enjoyable. the last 40% of the book definitely picked up, in my opinion, and tied the whole book together.

The Second Chance Year is an alternate universe, brothers bestfrind, cute romance. Sadie has been giving the chance to redo her Very Bad Year and of course she takes it, because what could go wrong? She'll make everything right and she won't have the stress of no longer having an apartment or dream job. This book stood out to me because not only did it have a great plot line, funny banter, an adorable romance, and a cute black kitten, but it also touched on the hardships of being a woman in the workplace. It shows readers the sexism and sexual harassment us women face on a daily basis, not just in the workforce but in our everyday lives. I love how Melissa Wiesner can still create a wonderfully written story but still try to spread the word about hardships in the world.
Perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle and Emily Henry.

Cute rom-com with a fun premise. The characters were interesting and I found myself invested in the FMC and how she plan to redo her year. It was a bit heartbreaking to watch her be so unaware of her personal strengths and how much people cared about her, but I’m glad that she eventually realized it in the end.

I loved loved loved this book.
I was excited to read the book after reading the description of it.
I was sucked in to the story and the characters.
I was cheering for the main character and I wanted to finish the book so I could find out what happens but at the same time I didn’t want the book to end!
Highly recommend!

Sadie has had a Very Bad Year, she lost her job, her boyfriend and her apartment. At a New Year’s Eve party, she meets a fortune teller and wishes she could have a do-over and change her ways to prevent the Very Bad Year from happening. Sadie reminded me so much of myself in the beginning, a loud moth who speaks her mind and doesn’t like bullies so she stands up to them.

Each month of the year has its own few chapters as we watch Sadie learn and grow during the book, realizing that her life wasn’t really as great as she thought it was and that sometimes having a big mouth can be a good thing. As a woman who speaks her mind my family has never had to worry about me being taken advantage of or being abused in a relationship. I am fiercely independent and I saw these qualities in Sadie.

There is romance in this book but it isn’t front and center. The story mostly focuses on Sadie being true to herself and her happiness. She goes through a career change, and friendship change and even takes a different approach with her parents and others, I particularly loved her friend Kasumi and the descriptions of the baking but be careful you will get hungry!

My final thoughts: This is not your typical time loop story as Sadie is re-doing a year to change things up so it was refreshing not to live the same things over again. With themes of sexism, bullying and sexual harassment this wasn’t a light easy read, but Sadie was a girl after my own heart, she is a fighter for sure and I am glad she realizes how special that can be. The book is also a caution…Be careful what you wish for.

The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

I had never read anything by this author before but I have a feeling this won’t be the last!

Melissa’s take on Groundhogs Day, this novel shows us how one decision can have a ripple effect on other areas of our lives, and other people’s lives.

Read this book if you’re a fan of strong female characters, feminism storylines, and second chance romances.

Oh how I love Jacob so much. The fact that he’s been in love with Sadie since they were in elementary school. I really enjoyed how Sadie realized that what she originally had wanted wasn’t really what she wanted in the end. And how she slowly started to realize just how much Jacob loves her and how much she loves Jacob. Honestly the whole SA and SH scenes had me so mad.

The “Second Chance Year” by Melissa Wiesner is the type of romance I usually enjoy – a time-travel / do-over tale in which past regrets are considered when one has the opportunity to correct previous decisions made.

This novel was a slow start for me. I was worried I was not going to like it as Sadie was initially the type of FMCs I strongly dislike: the rambling-when-nervous woman. Thankfully, the nervous-talk was limited, and I came to like the complexity of Sadie. She is a woman who is told she is too loud, too confrontational, too abrasive – she blames these qualities on events in her life (losing her job and her boyfriend) and wishes she could be less voluble is the same opportunities presented themselves again. And, like all good stories, Sadie gets what she most desires. During her second chance year, Sadie decides to play it safe, to ignore instinct, to keep quiet and play the game. The obvious, unintended consequences of these decisions form the enjoyment a reader has in these types of tales.

I think many readers, especially women, will instantly recognize the conditioning and comments so many face to be polite, the bide one’s time, to play the game. I’m not sure the moral of the story – that the worst elements of toxic masculinity will be overcome – is realistic, but it is hopeful and aspirational, which is the best part of romantic comedies.

The love story is a sweet, closed-door tale (i.e., no on-page sex). Jacob is the best friend of Sadie’s younger brother, Owen. Their love story develops slowly. Sadie is unexpectedly flippant and oblivious to Jacob in her recollection of their interactions since childhood. That she comes to regret her behaviour does help save Sadie from being a character I disliked, but I would have liked even more reflection beyond “why was a such an idiot?!”

This is an entertaining story, perfect for celebrating the start of a new year.

I received an ARC of this story from NetGalley and the publisher, but the review is my own.

This was a very sweet, swooned and thoughtful romance read. All of the side characters were amazing! The development and depth of all the characters in this book was great as well. I’ve never read a book with a Groundhog Day concept and I had to admit I was a bit worried about in this book but it was done so well. Trigger warnings though, this book does deal with workplace sexual harassment. However, that being said this was a wonderful, quick and fun read.

Thank you Negalley for the ARC!

Something I’ve learned about myself is that I love a good time loop/time jump/time travel romance novel. I enjoy seeing how authors come up with their own unique take on the idea and this book was a good one.

Sadie had a terrible few months to end her year. At a New Year’s Eve party, a talk with a psychic and a bag of magic leads her to making a wish for a do-over of the entire previous year. She wakes up on New Year’s Day and finds herself on Day 1 of her do-over. One thing she hadn’t planned on was a midnight kiss with her brother’s best friend, and now she’s noticing him in ways she didn’t the first time around.

I liked the way the time jump was handled. Instead of having seen the initial year and then jumping into the do-over, key moments are shared by Sadie remember how she reacted in the situation and then actually living it the second time with her new path of action. I didn’t love that Sadie’s choices were to make herself more docile and muted as she held back speaking her mind, but I understood it. Making a scene was what she believed cost her both her job and relationship in the ‘bad’ year, and she was determined to save both this time around. It showed a lot of growth as she came to the realization that sometimes what we think we want and what we actually want and need are not the same.

The romance between Sadie and Jacob, her younger brother’s best friend, was sweet but the implications/involvement of another woman in the mix in the do-over year was not to my taste, even as minimal as it really was. Before that came into play, I was really loving it. Jacob was adorable shy but obviously nursing a crush on Sadie, even if she couldn’t see it. Her finally noticing Jacob in a new light made me really happy, but I didn’t feel it was necessary to make her believe she might have started to see him too late. The woman had been through enough, one thing being sorted without an extra challenge would’ve been perfectly ok with me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and all the things Sadie was able to learn about herself in her do-over year. It was a different and engaging take on a time travel romance.