ARC from NetGalley
Thank you to the author and publisher.
Publish Date: Oct 07 2025

Rating: 3/5

Initial thoughts:
I believe I understood the message this was trying to convey and it is a good one. However, this would likely have been a lower rating if not for the scenes about Ben. I could not get behind the main characters.

Plot:
Drake and Ellie seem to have an ideal relationship. Then they stumble upon a midnight cinema. What's playing isn't typical shows, it's playing their formative memories. As they gain a deeper knowledge of each other's past, their relationship begins to change. Will it continue or are the secrets too difficult to get past?

Praise:
- Concept
- Certain emotional moments stir appropriate emotions
- Imagery of cinema
- Secondary characters and relationships

Critiques:
- Lagged at times
- Traits of main characters removed the desire to root for them
- Predictable

Fav Quote:
“A first love is about finding yourself. A second love is about sharing the self you found with someone new.”

The promotional synopsis describes this as “scintillating.” Unfortunately, the novel did not come close to fulfilling that promise. The pacing, especially in the first third of the book, is slow and overall, plods along to the conclusion. I did not feel connected to the characters, experiencing them as lacking depth even in the face of their most distressing revelations.

The premise is what drew me to the book. I love magical realism and the idea of a cinema that explores its audience’s individual histories is intriguing. In the months leading up to their wedding, Ellie and Drake stumble across a movie theater that defies logic. It is open only one night a week and features ten different shows revealing their pasts starting in childhood and concluding with the present. It is a gorgeously restored cinema on the nights they attend and reverts to a decrepit state the other days. Each night has a theme that exposes noteworthy events and relationships that have shaped them into the individuals they have become – most of which is hidden from each other in the fear of being rejected and abandoned. The question is “Will these revelations bring them closer together or tear them apart?”

Overall, this book required patience and perseverance to get through. It is a passable read, but not one I can enthusiastically endorse as enjoyable or entertaining.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. I loved the thought of magical realism mixed with romance. And I will say Thea Weiss did a great job with this story, especially for it being her first novel! I just feel like this fell a little flat for me.
The story didn’t truly pick up until about 30-40% into the book, so I found it really hard to want to pick up and continue this. Ellie and Drake felt a little flat at parts. But I did really enjoy that this showed the hard parts of romance, not just the good parts. I think if you can get past the pacing at the beginning, you will really like this.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Rating is 4.5

A movie theater that can peak into your past with the person you came with. Ellie and Drake must figure out whether their pasts will alter their future of getting married
o enchanting and thought provoking way to how memory can shape the way of a person
o Drake fears what the past will show for his while Ellie is having trouble remembering something that occurred with her and she is trying to use the cinema for what did happen on that night since her memory was fuzzy.

He has turned out to be the total opposite of using her but, just a jerk because he has reused something that was meant to be sacred to someone else and given it to her after repeating the same words to someone else to her. And in that moment, that would have made me feel insecure because that alone let’s me know I am not the only one and who else did you tell that yo would love them forever. You dint even bother buying me a me ring you want to be reminded by your ex all the time even when you hold my hand. I think she should have made me get another rig but, I can see why she wanted to keep it, just because of the type of person she is. I like the way it ended with the bonus chapter and the next couple the cinema will embark on and the amount of tea that it will dish out for them is going to be insanely juicy to say the least.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. I love a blend of magical realism with a love story, but this just didn’t deliver. The characters are so flat, the pacing is so slow, and it was truly difficult to get through it. It read like a Hallmark movie script and I don’t think 3rd person narration works as it made the already flat characters more lifeless. Some lovely lines in the book, but overall I wouldn’t recommend this one.

Ellie has a knack for finding the secret treasures in this city. On the brink of closing doors she finds them (the lounges, bars, restaurants, boutiques, etc) and gives them new life through her writing. Drake is a regular at one of these bars in which they strike an immediate connection. Everything is good for both, except Ellie has fallen into routine. Upon attempting to break this routine she finds a vintage cinema, it only runs one show- The Story of You. Drake is unsure about this cinema, but Ellie needs to go. She needs to know what her mind refuses to remember. Will their relationship survive the untold stories of their lives? This novel has toyed with my emotions, feeling the pain of loss, the happiness in little moments, the joy and heartbreak of family, the jealousy of past relationships, the thrill in finding that special treasure, the guilt of omissions.

Let me start by saying WOW! This book completely captivated me from the very first page. The premise is intriguing: what if you had the opportunity to watch the most significant and influential moments of your life replayed like a movie? This thought-provoking idea is beautifully explored throughout the story, and I was totally on board for the journey it took me on.

As I read, I found myself reflecting deeply on what my own cinematic highlights would include—the moments that shaped who I am and connections I’ve built. It was a great (book-club worthy) exercise, imagining how incredible it would be to share these moments with my partner. The thought of reliving memories I can’t fully recall, or showing him experiences I wish I could, filled me with a sense of wonder and nostalgia.

The author’s use of descriptive language is mesmerizing. Every scene is painted vividly, transporting you right into the heart of the narrative. The storytelling feels magical and raw. This book is not just a read; it’s an experience that encourages introspection and connection. I wholeheartedly recommend it to my audience! It's a remarkable journey that will leave you feeling inspired and reflective.

so adorable and emotional. you’ll be rooting for this couple and wonder about yourselves in your relationships

A story about a couple who stumble upon a magical theater to review their pasts on screen. They're given 10 tickets to divide between them to watch these particular moments. While an interesting concept, I struggled to connect with this story. The main characters just didn't seem like they liked each other enough be getting married especially after only meeting within 2 years.

Ellie and Drake are stuck in a rut. Having her editor tell her the stories aren't resonating anymore and she's missing her spark makes venture out of her normal routines. Drake has settled into his job, but it's not even close to what he wants to do. A mysterious alley leads to the Second Chance Cinema, where they get to view important life altering moments from their past, which brings up even more questions about who each of them are.

I felt like the cinema revealed things that they should have already told each other since they were getting married in the near future. I did enjoy the adventure they went on to have the past help shape the future. I loved the last memory to connect it back to their first encounter.

This is such a great premise! I did enjoy the novel, but I’m sorry to say it did not completely live up to the premise. Although Ellie’s grief makes her a sympathetic character, overall both Ellie and Drake lacked relatability, and they seemed almost shallow. They had a lot of trouble opening up to each other, and I grew frustrated with this as it continued. The whole idea of the cinema was to promote vulnerability. Again, this is a fabulous idea; I just wish the execution had been a bit more nuanced and developed so that the novel would appeal to smart readers. Overall, this was still an entertaining read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

There was something about the title of this book that grabbed my attention. Second chances have always been a big deal to me. I have always loved the idea of having another chance to level out regretsy (probably why I’m drawn to books about time travel), and second chance romance tropes happen to be one of my favorite tropes (despite the idea of ever finding personally finding myself in some forced proximity scenario with an ex to be a first class trip into a nightmare). So, whoever’s decision it was to include the phrase “second chance” in this title? It worked. It got my attention. And I’m very glad it did.

I came across this book on Netgalley by accident. I had seen that Katherine Center’s newest book was available to read, and even though I had already preordered the book and had every intention of reading it once it came out, I still ran for the chance to read it early. (It was amazing. Buy the book! I’m excited to reread it when it comes out next week so I can put my highlights in my personal copy.) So, in trying to find her book, I came across this one. And speaking of books to read and buy, this is definitely one of those books.

This book focuses on Drake and Ellie, an engaged couple who happen upon a theater late at night while in search of something to do. The young man in the ticket booth tells them they have been granted 10 tickets, at $5 per ticket. They realize quickly that this is not an ordinary theater. The theater shows them movies that are directly linked to events from their past. Each set of tickets has a theme, and the theme will showcase a set of memories of events for each Ellie and Drake, and as they continue to return to the theater to cash in their tickets, details that each kept purposefully shrouded from each other are revealed, and their relationship is tested in ways that scare them both. Ellie is hiding a major traumatic event from her past that she fears will make Drake question her integrity, and Drake is hiding a significant part of his past—one he worries might make Ellie see him so differently that she will doubt whether he's truly enough for her. And guys, these secrets are DOOZIES. I was personally so horrified on both of their behalfs - I do not know if I could have recovered. I have horrible insecurities, and I think the revelation of these secrets would have been enough to completely topple my belief that this relationship could succeed - regardless of which side of the line of secrets I was on with these two. This book was written incredibly well. I do not think I have ever read strife written as believably in a romance as I did in this book. Despite the heartbreak, the story was beautiful. These people were so witty with each, so hilarious, and so flawed. I DEVOURED this book. I do not use adjectives like “devoured” lightly. I just had to see what else would be revealed at each movie theater visit, as these visits were spread out in at least weekly increments. Seeing how the relationship began to fracture with each visit, and learning more about them as they figured out how to navigate the repair or ultimate departure of their relationship (I won’t tell which one won) was genuinely heartbreaking and beautiful to read.

The book had the teeniest of slow starts, but it quickly picks up. I will be looking out for what Thea Weiss will have out next, as I am now most definitely a fan.

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

Would allowing your future spouse to see a recap of your life thus far change anything before your wedding? Not sure I would like to see my entire life on the big screen, but really enjoyed the premise of this book.

I loved the ideas of an established couple on the verge of getting married having a romance, contemporary fiction with a splash of magic in the form of a cinema that shows you a movie of your own life, and the concept that opposites attract can challenge you and make you grow in a relationship.

But ultimately I felt Ellie and Drake were just too different and kept too many things from each other for me to fall in love with their love story. That was the whole point of the magic movie theater, to blow open the veneer of a perfect relationship to push them into being more vulnerable with each other.

Drake was judgmental of Ellie's body count, and he was too comfortable and settled for her. He sucked Ellie into his comfort zone as well. Ellie, too, was shallow, ignorant of her economic privilege, and didn't trust Drake enough to open up to him about even basic secrets. I thought the portrayal of her grief was well done. But I didn't think they were right for each other.

They did open up to each other eventually, but I couldn't help but think they were going to keep ignoring their differences and it would doom them in the future.

So I was charmed by the idea of this cozy romance but it wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. I chose to review this book because of the theme of magical realism and the concept of walking into a theater and seeing your lives play before your eyes. While this did not quite have the magic of a Heather Webber book. it was a cozy romance that also navigated grief and had a touch of magic.

I quite enjoyed the concept of this book. Everyone comes to relationships with a history and baggage. In this novel, a couple gets to see each other’s baggage on the big screen. Will seeing baggage help them to better understand and love each other or will it destroy what they have?

Despite the fact that I found the protagonist Ellie absolutely insufferable (she comes VERY close to being a manic pixie dream girl), this is a gorgeous little book with an interesting premise and a lot of feeling.

I thought the concept for this book was very intriguing. Who wouldn’t want to be able to see in vivid detail, wonderful moments and memories that may have been forgotten or dimmed by time. But would you also want to see some of your worst moments the same way? Even more- would you want your significant other to see them? This is the situation Drake and Ellie find themselves in just months before their wedding, what they decide to do, and the consequences of those decisions.

This book is in the magical realism genre but I found much of the realism parts to feel sort of unrealistic as well. The protagonists feel like caricatures of people and seem like they try extra hard to be “quirky” and unusual. They seem to do things I don’t feel like real people in the same situation would do. The whole book feels kind of like a Hallmark Christmas movie and you just have to accept the saccharine feel that comes along with it.

I felt there were some pacing issues in the beginning of the book. The story did not pick up until about 30-40% of the way in and it felt like a slog to keep picking it up. After that point though it did improve and the tone did shift into some unexpected heavy content revolving around grief, guilt, and broken families.

The overall plot was predictable but again as with some Hallmark movies that is the case as well and some people enjoy that. This wasn’t my particular cup of tea but I do think that a lot of people will really enjoy this one and if you enjoy magical realism I’d definitely recommend to give it a try. I received an advance e-copy from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest opinion.

Thank you Thea Weiss and NetGalley for the advance copy of The Second Chance Cinema.

I was immediately drawn to this book because it was such an interesting premise. Would I want the story of my life recounted for me on the big screen? Events I may or may not remember?

I immediately feel in live with the two main characters, and especially the dichotomy between the two. A love story between Ellie, a free spirit with a love of seeking out and saving unique things, and Drake, a creature of habit. I am guilty of ordering the same dish every time I visit a restaurant, and want to always research and make plans. so I was definitely viewing this story from Drake's perspective.

No spoilers, but I'm just going to say that reliving your past can be hard. I definitely went through several tissues, and about halfway through. I had to set down the book for a little while, because my heart was so heavy.

is it worth it to relive and analyze all of these past events? Do you want your loved ones knowing all the sordid pieces of your history before you meet. Typically stories revolving around characters keeping secrets from each other. drive me crazy. but this book delves into exactly the reason why secret keeping can be so frustrating and problematic, which is refreshing..

The overarching theme of the book may seem onerous, the story is heartwarming and fun to read. I enjoy the characters, the settings, and how all the events spun together. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

*The Second Chance Cinema* by Thea Weiss is an absolute gem. I recently lost someone close to me, and Ellie’s story resonated so deeply—it felt like a balm for a grieving heart. Tears were definitely shed, but in the most cathartic way. The blend of nostalgia, healing, and hope is beautifully done. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC—this one will stay with me for a long while.