For all my fellow second chance romance lovers, you don't want to miss this one once it comes out in September! The autumn NYC vibes were immaculate 🍂👌🏻

I truly loved Adam and June’s story, and watching it unfold throughout the book thanks to the dual timeline only fueled my desire to keep reading. It was so fascinating to watch them grow up and reach their aspirations, navigating both triumphs and struggles: Adam as a chef, June as an actress (I loooved the musical storyline!), each being the other’s biggest supporter. Call me biased (I'm a sucker for friends to lovers), but I really can't wait to recommend this book to everyone next fall.

This was such a great debut. I'm looking forward to reading more by Joss Richard!

I love the tone and the atmosphere of this book. I felt like I was in NYC in the middle of fall and I loved it.

The pacing was good and the story never dragged. It was a pretty good debut novel. I think I would read another book by this author.

I loved the tension between the two characters for up to 70% of the book. Once I found out the main conflict was due to miscommunication, my feelings changed a little. I am not a fan of miscommunication and this one irked me due to the immaturity of the characters. Both from the past and the present. Personally, I just couldn't get past it. People who don't mind miscommunication might love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group the the e-arc!

One of my favorite debuts of the year & also one of the reasons I’ve been softly sobbing into my bodega coffee, wishing Summer would be over already.

✔️ NYC in the Fall
✔️ Found family
✔️ Forced proximity (aka cohabiting with your ex-friend / roommate / emotional kryptonite)
✔️ Second chance / dual timeline
✔️ BROADWAY 😍

This is a capital F Feelings book. June & Adam are real, flawed, messy humans who fumble their way through life, healing, and communication. (Like yes, please hand me a mirror & a tissue.) They let their internal wounds keep them from finding happiness within themselves and each other. (I’ll take that mirror again.) But ultimately, we get a well-earned happily ever after. ♥️

The setting encapsulates everything beautiful about New York- pumpkins on stoops, Broadway, food, and the heavy weight of ambition and dreams in the air. This city will wreck you and call it character development (cue the broadway jazz hands)- and watching June go through that process was heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the e-ARC!

I loved this debut! It’s a dual timeline friends-to-lover second chance romance perfect for fans of Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller. The story follows June, an actress and singer, and Adam, a chef, as they reconnect in NYC five years after a tumultuous falling out. Their story is heartwarming and I loved June’s journey to realizing that she is good enough. You’ve got found family, forced proximity, Broadway, New York in the fall…what’s not to love? Pick this one up in September!

This is a lovely debut -- warm, with a real sense of place and time, a true love for NYC, and an actual interest in building all of its characters. Is that sometimes at the expense of its central love story? A bit, yes. I never felt fully invested in June and Adam, mostly because I didn't ever feel as if I knew Adam. I felt invested and interested in June, who is complex and flawed and quite wonderful, but Adam stayed at a real remove for me.

This second-chance romance was a page turner in all the best ways. If you love fall, NYC theatre and food scenes and found family vibes - this story is for you. What an excellent debut!

I didn’t expect this book to hit me the way it did… but wow. 💭🍂

I picked up It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard not knowing it would completely steal my heart. Dual timelines in romance can be tricky—sometimes the flow is off or the tone shifts too much—but this? This was seamless. It felt like slipping into a story I didn’t want to leave.

June and Adam. Ugh. Two roommates who slowly become best friends… and then something more. Their relationship is built with such care and gentleness, and it all unfolds under one cozy New York brownstone roof (yes, the brownstone Perry feels like a whole character on its own). And then there’s Alden, the dreamy restaurant I would give anything to visit IRL. 🥹

What I loved most is how real this story felt. It’s not over-the-top or overly dramatized—it’s thoughtful. Emotional. Grounded. You live every moment with these characters. As someone who loves Broadway (the Les Mis references made my theater heart so happy), and as someone who’s often wondered about the blurry line between friendship and love… this book just got me.

There were moments I had a lump in my throat. I kept rereading lines because the conversations felt so human and honest. I don’t even know how to explain it except to say: Joss Richard really sees people, and she writes them in a way that makes you feel seen too.

By the time I reached the end, I was teary-eyed in the best way. This is the kind of book I’ll be thinking about for a long time. A quietly stunning, deeply emotional debut—and I need more from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Forever obsessed.

Thank you so much for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this debut second-chance romance! The writing was strong and emotional, with just the right balance of angst, tenderness, and spice. The tension and slow-burn pining between June and Adam had me hooked from the beginning. I'm usually not a big fan of the miscommunication trope, but it didn’t detract from my investment in the story.

The dual timeline was executed beautifully and was very well-balanced. Every flashback added layers of meaning and intention to the plot, giving much insight into June and Adam’s dynamic. Watching their relationship unfold both in the past and present made their emotional journey feel so authentic.

The side characters were another highlight. They each brought something to the table and they all played such an important role in shaping the overall story. It’s clear that the author took great care in building a world where the characters felt real, flawed, and incredibly relatable.

This was such a heartfelt and delightful debut novel. I’m so excited to see what Joss Richard writes next!

Thank you to Dell/Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!

5 stars | Second chances, shared brownstones, and all the fall feelings 🍁
This book felt like walking through a crisp NYC autumn—bittersweet, nostalgic, and quietly hopeful. June and Adam’s story is full of tension and tenderness, layered with the ache of missed chances and the warmth of rediscovery. I loved how their reconnection unfolded against the backdrop of falling leaves, shared takeout, and late-night talks in a brownstone full of memories.

If you love second-chance romance, emotional slow burns, and stories that ask what it really means to come home—this one is worth curling up with. Just be warned: it might leave you craving cider, cozy sweaters, and a redo with someone from your past. 🍂📺🏙️

Big thank you to Ballantine for the digital ARC!

This book completely wrapped me up in its slow-burn second chance goodness. Joss Richards beautifully weaves a story that’s messy, honest, and so incredibly human. The characters feel like real people — ones you want to shake, protect, and hold close all at once.

And can we talk about June? I loved that she’s Filipino. As a Filipino reader myself, it meant so much to feel seen on the page in such a genuine way. Her identity wasn’t a plot device — it was part of her, layered in with the rest of her story, and that kind of representation hit deep.

There’s this emotional intimacy in the writing that pulled me in — the past and present colliding, old wounds reopening, and the hard (but beautiful) work of trying again.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the journey the characters went through. At times I wanted to shake June for her complete lack of courage, communication and self-doubt. The chemistry between her and Adam was flying off the page. I normally don’t love a friends to lovers situation but this one worked for me. There were swoon worthy moments, enough heat to keep me engaged and a fair bit of angst. The flashbacks to tell the story of the past were effective as was the way the truth of the past was unfolded. This was an excellent debut novel and I would read more from Joss Richard in the future.

I haven’t read anything by Joss Richard but from the first chapter I was hooked. Her writing is not complicated or over simplified. And the whole situation makes you want to see why the relationship didn’t work and how it could maybe work now with having a shared space. This book is good!!!

Joss Richard is a force to be reckoned with. It’s Different This Time is a stunning debut novel to enter the contemporary romance scene.

June Wood and Adam Harper were best friends and roommates living in a beautiful brownstone in New York City, until June suddenly leaves for LA and never looks back. June and Adam were both young and ambitious for successful careers and both have grown and changed since being apart. Years later, June is summoned back to New York and discovers their old landlord had passed and left his home to the two of them. After years of not speaking to each other, June and Adam must live together for the next month until they can legally claim ownership of the residence. The two are forced to be in the same space and as they familiarize themselves with each other, their past mistakes and feelings resurface and cannot be ignored this time around.

This second chance romance is cozy and nostalgic, but also incredibly moving and authentically tells a story of two people rekindling after years of no contact and tension from conversations left unsaid. June is an admirable hard working actress who has faced hardship throughout her career but has always persisted and chased her dreams. I saw so many pieces of myself in her that I bawled like a baby on multiple occasions. The chemistry between June and Adam is palpable and I was living so vicariously through them. I was emotional, giddy, and on the edge of my set rooting for them to be together.

This is the perfect fall romance and needs to be added to every TBR.

This debut has solidified me as a Joss Richard fan and I am already yearning to read her next project!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So cute and what a way to kick off an author career. 3-4 open door romance scenes. Some swearing. Friends to lovers, second change romance, past/present POVs, Broadway, food, best friendships, New York City in the fall…seriously, what’s not to love?!?!

Main TW: cancer, death of a loved one

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I can't believe what a knockout of a debut this author delivered! I enjoyed this story and can't wait to see what books Joss writes next!

This has easily become one of my favorite books. The only thing I am bummed about is that it's Joss Richards first novel and I can't binge read everything she's written. In it's different this time we fall for June, a struggling actress and former broadway delight , and Adam, an accomplished chef and Junes former roommate( plus more?). When a once in a chance inheritance brings them back into the same room for the first time in 6 years they're forced to face the past, and possibly forge a future. The characters were likeable even when their actions weren't. The tension was hot, the spice even hotter. The story will have you screaming, crying, heartbroken, turned on, happy, cheerful, all of the emotions! 5 stars. Looking forward to more that Joss has in store for us!

A strong debut novel by Joss Richard centered on friends-to-lovers and second(+) chances. June and Adam were best friends and roommates for 6 years before something happened that irreparably damaged their friendship. I could really feel the pain from both Adam and June on the loss of their friendship, despite having only June's POV, and how deep their feelings ran, even years later. What seemed like a natural progression of their initial friendship turned into a huge mess that leads to unresolved heartbreak on both sides.

From the very beginning, it's clear that June and Adam belong together - the chemistry is there and there's already attraction/tension between them that is initially suppressed due to the roommate situation. The anticipation of what happened between them that led to their rift continues on for most of the book, but for me, it was ultimately kind of a let down as it leaned heavily on the miscommunication trope, which is one of my least favorite tropes. Even throughout the book (in the past and present timelines that the book bounces between), communication seems to be and continues to be their weak point, and it was definitely frustrating as a reader, when all I wanted was for them to sit down and have an honest conversation with each other. However, I did really like the characters, and my desire to see them come together allowed me to push through to the end.

Hold on.... I think I just read one of my favorite books this year?! I want to let you know I was NOT prepared for how quickly and deeply this book hooked me from the very beginning. I'm so grateful I was given the opportunity to read this book early and I went in completely blind not knowing the of beautiul love story I was going to follow. The tension, the yearning, the chemistry... it’s all so palpable and real. It’s the kind of book that reminds you why you fell in love with reading romance in the first place.

Joss Richard had me gushing and spiraling at all the tiny, tender moments—his hand on her back, a lingering gaze across the room, a casual leg bump under the table. Those small, intimate details made my heart ache and flutter as I was trying to cram in and read as much as possible into very late hours I should have been sleeping. I really wasn't expecting the rollercoaster of emotions I felt while reading this. I felt like I knew the characters personally as they felt so alive and real to me. Bravo to Joss Richard! Thank you for the gift of an incredible second chance romance and for June and Adam, whose story will remain with me forever.

3.25/⭐

hey, so when do I get to go to new york???

My favorite thing about this story was the setting. The hole in the wall stores and restaurants, the theaters, the atmosphere- so lush. And the writing????? OH MY WORD. I highlighted so many quotes it's not even funny. The fact that this is the author's debut is INSANE- look out for Joss Richard guys because she is going places. The way that she describes conflicting emotions, settings, and the mundane-ness of life was stunning. I loved the friendships and support system the FMC had as well- the fact that they had known each other for ages made the whole thing feel deeper and the topics hit harder. I think the author did a great job of describing the way that you can grow apart from people you love but you still love and care about each other.

But unfortunately this book just didn't do it for me- which brings us to the not so gushy portion of our review:
My least favorite part was the characters. They were immensely juvenile in their conflict. Like I get not wanting to take a way a possibly better future from someone you love but to just up and leave for NO REASON???? and then get mad because the dude moved on? like, honey you dumped him- it's your own fault. And he was no walk in the park either- they both got mad at each other for being uncertain of life, and neither of them could communicate despite being in their 30s. Guys, please. They made me so incredibly mad.

I also didn't like how the past chapters jumped from strangers to lovers- I wouldn't say there was a 'friend' era in there at all and I wanted to see them getting to know each other in a deeper way in the past instead of skipping through the months like the book did. The theater portions were also not my favorite- now I am a theater girly. I adore being on stage and musicals and all that jazz (see what I did there) but this felt like it was written in for a plot but not because the author adores theater other than movie musicals. All the name drops were very stereotypical theater shows- which is fine but the FMC was on a date and the guy said his favorite musical was Wicked to which the FMC goes (paraphrased) "Ugh exactly what a person who didn't know anything about musicals would say" and proceeds to tell us her fav show is Les Mis which I would argue is right up there with Wicked in popularity. And I wish there were more moments of the FMC doing acting- whether it was filming an audition or being on stage or filming on set. When I read a book I liked to be immersed in the characters lives and not just their friendships/romance. This is a romance/friendship/emotional book with some hastily thrown in 'life' and I really wanted that to be more prevalent.

*** note that there is a few spice scenes in this story***

I don't know how much of my thoughts are because I really just don't like second chance but I did enjoy this one and I'm curious to see what Richard comes out with next!!

A big thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Dell Romance for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

IT’S DIFFERENT THIS TIME is drenched in the best kind of fall vibes (I could hear the leaves crunching and taste the pumpkin spice latte as I read this book). Richard’s love for New York Ciry is evident on every page, and as someone who works in entertainment, I was thrilled to see that this was an actor FMC written by an author familiar with Hollywood. This is a strong debut that should appeal to lovers of a dual timeline second chance romance with a good dose of angst. And I mean he’s a CHEF, what’s not to love?