I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The story is bittersweet and captivating. I loved the premise and the way the story unfolded. The writing style was well written, and the two main characters were multi-faceted. Overall, The Second Chance Cinema was hopeful and just what I was looking for in a book right now. I'm already looking forward to reading whatever Thea Weiss writes next.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-arc copy. All opinions expressed are my own. Having said that, read this book!

A couple discovers a movie theater that plays back their memories. As they continue returning to the theater, they must learn to navigate complicated feelings that arise from the hard moments and secrets they kept. Debut author Thea Weiss offers lovely prose in a book that’s a little uneven in its treatment but ultimately charming in The Second Chance Cinema.

Ellie and Drake know they’re soulmates. Never mind that Ellie is the free spirit always looking for new mini adventures, and Drake is the solid, dependable type who rotates through his three favorite restaurants. They knew from the moment they met in the bar that Ellie was writing about in an article that they were meant to be. Three years later, they can’t wait for their wedding in the spring.

There are times Drake’s staid attitude bugs Ellie, and those are the times when she tries to shake things up. Late after a date night, as they’re walking around downtown, Ellie spots a mysterious alleyway. Despite Drake’s apprehension, Ellie insists they see where it leads. When it takes the couple to an old-timey movie theater playing “The Story of You,” even Drake is intrigued. As Ellie and Drake settle into their seats, they watch two memories begin to play. One is of Ellie’s early childhood; the other is of Drake’s first years.

Although Drake and Ellie live together, they’re both aware that they lived whole lives before meeting. This chance to be a part of those lives is an amazing opportunity. But subsequent viewings reveal these memories aren’t just about squishy stuff like a baby’s first words. There are also moments of utter heartbreak and previous relationships.

They don’t know if they want to use all 10 tickets they purchased. Yet the theater keeps drawing them back, even after the hard conversations and complications that arise. As Ellie and Drake continue revisiting one another’s separate lives, they realize it takes more than a shared space and mutual love of monster movies to build a marriage to last.

Author Thea Weiss writes with interesting turns of phrase that will delight readers; one character tells another to shove a door closed “like it hurt your feelings.” Weiss’s concept for a theater that plays memories is also compelling enough to keep readers engaged all the way to the end.

Less successful are her plot choices. Some of the memories only seem to exist to engineer conflict between Drake and Ellie. Others feel completely out of character for the two as Weiss has presented them. Even with these challenges and the predictable happy ending, however, Weiss shows promise as an author who can present unique concepts and handle them with the kind of care that draws readers in.

This novel blends reality and magical realism seamlessly as the main characters, Ellie and Drake, happen upon an old fashioned movie palace that only shows their memories. They're forced to confront their pasts and their secrets before they can decide if they have a future together.
By the end of the book, I was ugly crying in the best possible way. The ending was so satisfying, especially the last few lines.
I love stories where the protagonists are messy because that's real life. And a cinema that only opens for two people?
Magical realism at its best!
This isn't a Christmas book but I would recommend this with a roaring fire, a mug of mulled wine or hot chocolate, and a cozy blanket. Tissues are advised.

I loved the concept of this book--seeing your past, picking up on details that were missed in the moment, learning from those experiences more with time separating you from them. I saw the potential there while reading, however a lot of transitions felt forced, the dialogue seemed very juvenile for adults building their lives together, and was also extremely clunky. There was also a clear difference in Ellie's Act, to Drake's Act. In Ellie's Act, when they were at the theater there was minimal, if any at all, breaks from the movie once they entered the theater. In Drake's Act, I really appreciated the acknowledgment of the present, the seeking out of a glimpse of response in Ellie, offering support, etc. The tie to the present, rather than a regurgitation of the past was well done, I would have liked to see that same attention in Ellie's Act. Overall, I enjoyed the story, I just think it needs some considerable attention to the dialogue, to the character development, and the flow to make it all less clunky and jumpy.

As Ellie and Drake near their wedding date, they stumble upon a long-forgotten cinema claiming to play The Story of You. This launches them into their pasts and little secrets they’ve been hiding from each other. Or are they that little? This magical cinema seems to be testing not only their relationship, but who they are individually that led them to each other.

When I say I sobbed through most of this book, that is no exaggeration. This book is simply heart wrenching and beautiful. The idea of forced reflection on some of our hardest memories was written in such a fresh way. I’m always a sucker for magical realism, and this book did it perfectly.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC!

What a wonderful feel good book.

What would you do if you could watch memories of your past with your fiancé? Are you proud of everything you’ve done? Do your memories come from things you’ve chosen to remember or are they real? Have you told him/her all your secrets? Discovering an old-time theater showing The Story of You promises to be a complex, emotional roller coaster for Drake and Ellie. The author writes in a way that takes you into their story and propels you along the ride right with them. The ups and downs having you hoping their relationship can survive but can it sustain what the movie reveals?

I fell in love with this book and its characters.


I received an ARC from Simon and Schuster through NetGalley. This is no way affects my rating or review of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

I really love magical reality. I also love movies so this was the perfect book for me. While I generally don't trend toward romance this sounded intriguing. But it's a different kind of romance. Ellie and Drake are two people who become engaged without knowing a lot about each other because they hide the truth from themselves the most of all. One late night they stumble across a vintage movie theater and decide to see what's playing. Loving to breathe live into old things, Ellie insists they go in. They receive 10 tickets for 10 showings. The movies are about them in various stages of their life. They go back each week to see their movie, some of which are difficult to watch. Through the viewings, they confront their pasts as each memory shown on screen forces Ellie and Drake to confront lingering grief, unspoken resentments, and long-forgotten truths. Major themes are healing unspeakable grief, forgiving yourself, and understanding how the past shapes you but not letting it define your future.

Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC opportunity.

I never expected a book to burrow so deeply into my soul. Thea Weiss’s “The Second Chance Romance” is a raw, reflective mirror of human connection.

Ellie and Drake’s world pulled me in instantly. Their story isn’t about perfection, but the complicated reality of love. With each page, I recognized fragments of my own hidden self in their journey.

The magical cinema at the story’s heart transcends mere plot device. It became a window into the depths of memory and vulnerability. What secrets would I uncover if given such an opportunity? Would I find the courage to confront my past as these characters do?

Weiss peels back emotional layers with remarkable skill. Her characters are living individuals with scars, hopes, and unspoken truths. Their struggle to maintain their relationship while confronting buried memories felt achingly authentic.

Cassandra Campbell’s narration breathed additional life into these characters. Her nuanced performance had me alternating between disliking and loving Ellie and Drake, making their emotional journey even more immersive. Her ability to distinguish between characters was so precise that I felt connected to the story even when I couldn’t physically hold the book.

This book challenged my understanding of love. It’s not about being flawless, but accepting a person’s entire landscape of the past, present, and the complicated spaces between. The magical realism transforms a simple romance into a profound exploration of human connection.

I closed the book feeling both exposed and hopeful, a testament to a story that makes you look inward while expanding your understanding of love, forgiveness, and second chances.

Thanks to Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Simon Audio, and NetGalley, for the advance review copies. My thoughts remain entirely my own.

The Second Chance Cinema is a heartfelt and magical debut that really pulled me in. The idea of a hidden theater that plays your own life is whimsical on the surface, but the way it forces Ellie and Drake to face old wounds and hidden truths gives the story real weight. Their relationship isn’t polished or perfect—it’s messy, complicated, and all the more moving for it.

What I loved most was how warm and cozy the writing feels, even while asking big questions about love, forgiveness, and what it means to truly accept someone. I kept thinking about what might play on the screen if it were my own life, and whether I’d have the courage to watch it. This book is tender, thought-provoking, and left me with that full, satisfied feeling you only get from a really good read.

Ellie and Drake are a couple soon to be married, and one day, by strolling around town on a Saturday night, they stumble upon a hidden cinema on the street. They are curious about it and when they enter and get a ticket, they find out that that cinema is only showing fragments of their lives on the screen, some memories from different moments of their personal lives, before they met each other. The cinema has provided 10 tickets for the couple, to be used one ticket every Saturday at midnight. And only Ellie and Drake can watch that. Hesitant, but intrigued, Ellie and Drake accept the challenge and go to that odd cinema every Saturday to watch a piece of their memories on screen. Pieces that they didn't share with one another. It's like secrets they have and those secret parts of their lives are now being displayed to each other.
Some memories really take their tolls on them and their relationship is put to test.

I'll start saying that this book was totally out of my comfort zone. I am not a romance reader. At all. But the plot intrigued me a lot, so I decided to give it a go. And I'm so glad I did. I loved it! I loved how intriguing and quite original the plot is, how the characters are written, how dramatic it all is. Oh, the drama! LOL And realistic. Sure, not the magical cinema thing, but the characters and their struggles are very realistic, so it made me feel more connected to them. I could even relate to one of them in some parts.
And more importantly, THERE IS romance in this book. Ellie and Drake, and Drake and his ex-girlfriend, have chemistry. We, the readers, believe they are in love. This is not that kind of 'romance' novel on which the protagonists behave like stupid, petty and virgin teenagers, pretending they hate each other and by halfway through the book it all becomes a stupid vulgar porn story, full of that smut nonsense. (that is why I personally avoid reading 'romance' novels these days)
No! The Second Chance Cinema is a REAL ROMANCE novel, with actual romance between the main characters.

So, if you like TRUE romance stories, with a lot of drama and some magical elements to it, please consider giving this book a chance.
It might not please every romance reader out there, but it surely pleased me - a non romance reader - A LOT.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

A magic theater at the end of a foggy alley with a midnight showing of past memories? What could possibly go wrong. Ellie and Drake, newly engaged and comfortably settled into coupledom, discover that this exclusive film may test more than just their promise of forever.

Both Ellie and Drake carry pieces of their past they’ve kept tucked away, and watching those memories unfold forces them to reckon with not only their own truths but each other’s as well. I loved how the author wove in their personal revelations with the messy, tender process of confronting secrets in a relationship.

This novel is filled with hope, warmth, a dash of magic, and plenty of heartfelt self-examination. It reminds us that while the past shapes who we are, honesty and vulnerability are what truly set us free.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC! This was a fun read. While I wasn't sure if it was going to be my favorite, it did become one of those books that I am excited to talk about! The plot was intriguing, and the characters were fun to meet, too.

This is a disaster. A totally great idea- a cinema of second chances. A theater where the story playing is for you because it's made of your memories. What didn't work was the two absolutely atrocious main characters. Drake tries to come off as a dumb golden retriever type of fiancé but can't because he's actually self loathing and full of misogyny. He has lived a boring repetitive life- eating at the same 3 restaurants, cant cook, and cant get over the girl who has been preying on him since she was a senior and he was a sophomore in high school. But now he is with moody and mysterious Ellie. Ellie is such a stuck up bitch about everything, she thinks everything is about her so much so that she thinks she's the reason a car running a right light t-bones her and her brother and he dies when his airbag malfunctions. She also can't meet a man without sleeping with him and then disappearing out a window (literally). She loves all things eclectic and worn in. Which is exactly what Drake is. You can see right off the bat these two are polar opposites. But that doesn't stop them, and neither does watching and of what i just talked about playing out on the silver screen for them. Somehow it's a hallmark movie ending for them (no joke they end up with their own TV show) and they are building a life together ready to welcome a baby. I truly cannot recommend this, so much so that I felt the need to write this. It's written like some 17 year old's fan fic (which- given the writer was involved in Twilight I am not shocked) and the story is choppy and the third person narration just doesn't work/ Half the time the scene and story just change in a jolt and you're left wondering where the train of thought was going.

This is an absolute gem of a novel! It’s a story that is as heartwarming and charming as it is deeply moving. This book is a love letter to the magic of movies and the power of human connection.

Weiss's writing is infused with a gentle warmth, and she creates a cast of characters so genuine and lovable that they feel like old friends by the end. The titular cinema itself is a character, a place filled with nostalgia and the lingering echoes of past and present joys and sorrows.

This is a story that beautifully explores the concept of second chances, not just in life and love, but in a community coming together to save something they cherish.

Without giving anything away, I can say that the emotional journey is both authentic and incredibly satisfying. For a book that feels like a cozy, hopeful cinematic experience in itself, this is a read that you will want to revisit again and again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a temporary e-ARC!

Really liked the whole premise of this book. Did not necessarily feel either main character do anything bad enough to warrant a fight (except the ring maybe) but loved the resolution and the ending.

Ellie and Drake's wedding is being planned when they encounter a magical theatre in the city that advertises "The Story of You" as their Saturday midnight specials. They decide to check it out and receive ten tickets each. Each movie shows bits of their pasts not all of it pleasant and some hard to face up to who they each used to be.

A look at how our past choices shape our present selves and how our future decisions.

Very emotional at times but always encouraging and interesting.

Definitely worth the reading time.

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in advance. The Second Chance Cinema intrigued me with its concept and that's what prompted me to want to delve into the story.

I love stories that invoke magical realism and this was a unique addition to the category. I thought the author did a great job at illustrating the scenery. Although the locations were fictional, the author brought them to life and it was easy to get captivated by the setting. Even when the story would switch back and forth to the present and past, the way the author wrote it was seamless and made it easy for the reader to go along for the ride.

With that being said, the biggest issue I had with the story was unfortunately, the two main characters. Although there was some growth at the end, it was so difficult to root for the couple and I often wondered if they should even be together. Given the lack of support for the main characters, I don't think the book should be categorized in the romance section. The main focus should be the magical realism aspect because that's where it shined the best.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

What first drew me to Second Chance Cinema was the idea of a magical theater hidden in an alley—it immediately sparked my curiosity! I’m a big fan of magical realism, and this novel delivered that in such a unique and creative way!

Ella and Drake’s discovery of a theater that plays their own memories was both fascinating and emotional! I loved how the magical theater became more than just a whimsical idea—it was a space for truth, healing, and reflection! Watching Ella gain closure about her brother’s death through the memories, and seeing Drake relive his first love and heartbreak, made the story feel real in a raw, emotional way!

The way the theater forced them to be honest with each other was powerful! It showed that letting go of the past is never easy, but it’s possible to do so while still holding on to the memories that shaped you—just not so tightly that they hold you back! This book blended magic and emotion in a way that really worked for me!

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Second Chance Cinema releases October 7, 2025

Late one evening, an engaged couple stumble upon a magical theater atop a cobblestone path.
Ellie and Drake are allocated ten tickets each, with a unique experience to view weekly screenings of their formative memories, titled <I>The Story of You</I>.
It’s up to them to determine whether uncovering their grief and secrets from past relationships will hinder their upcoming wedding, or if it will allow them to better understand each other.

I <u>loved</u> the concept of this debut and all the nostalgia it evoked, but I couldn’t get past this gut feeling I had from the beginning that Ellie and Drake weren’t right for each other, which only grew stronger with each new revelation from Drake’s past.

I could not connect to Ellie and Drakes story, even tho I thought the plot was interesting, I just didn’t care about the characters which made it a slog to get thru.