If you love second-chance romances, if you love friends-to-lovers, if you love New York City in the fall—then 'It’s Different This Time' by Joss Richard is the book you need in your life. I swear, I have not felt this much for a romance in such a long time, and I still can’t believe this is her debut.

I LOVED this book with my whole heart. It’s everything I ever wanted in a love story. The emotions, the writing, the way friendship and romance are tied together so beautifully—it felt like Joss Richard wrote this book just for people like me who live for longing and love. The story showed every little detail of why the friends-to-lovers trope hits so hard: the fear of losing each other, the jealousy, the ache of wanting more but not knowing if it will ruin everything. It was all here, written so perfectly that I was literally obsessed.

Adam and June are my new fav book couple. Adam is everything. He’s gentle, steady, kind, and the way he cooks for her? I was gone. That’s one of my favorite little tropes and Joss gave it to me on a silver platter. He’s the kind of character who makes you believe that real love is in the quiet, everyday gestures. And June, she’s so real. She’s flawed, strong, vulnerable all at once. Together, they are best friends, soulmates, and the romance between them is the kind that makes your heart ache and heal at the same time.

The New York City fall setting made everything even more magical. It felt like a love letter to both the city and to love itself. It was the perfect backdrop for Adam and June’s story.

And the romance… oh my god. The “it’s always you, it’s always been you” moments!!!! I was screaming, crying, holding my breath. The last few chapters felt like a full rollercoaster; I couldn’t sit still, my heart was racing. I was so emotional because it was just that beautiful.

For a debut, this is incredible. Joss Richard’s writing is heartfelt, and so genuine. 'It’s Different This Time' is going straight to my list of favorite romances, and I’ll be recommending it to everyone!!

Loved this book! Really well written and really cute. The characters and relationships feel really real and believable while also giving a very cozy and sweet atmosphere. Can feel a little slow at times and can get a little frustrated with the communication between the characters but I actually think the lack of communication/miscommunications in this book actually make sense and are for good/believable reasons.

What a great, binge-worthy debut! IT'S DIFFERENT THIS TIME by Joss Richard has the most immaculate, cozy fall vibes, and it reads like a love letter to Nora Ephron's New York. With an addictive mix of all-out pining and swoony banter, Adam and June have sparkling, second-chance chemistry from the start. I loved seeing how their past impacted their present through the dual-timeline structure, each flashback building on their current dynamic, and the way they work through realistic obstacles makes their reunion all the more believable. Beyond their love story, Chloe is a standout character, and the book comes alive with its many city settings: Broadway, Rockefeller Center, New York's restaurant scene. I plan to recommend this book to all my romance-loving friends, and I can't wait to read what Joss Richard writes next!

If you know me, you know how much of a fan I am of long-pining friends to lovers. I’m talking PWMOV level. And @joss.richard absolutely nailed this vibe in her debut. Thank you to @dellromance for this early review copy, because I’ve thought of little else but Adam and June since I read them.

First of all, the fact that this is a debut is actually unfair. It’s robust and well-written - nuanced and full of banter and sweetness and longing that flies off the page. The tension Joss is able to build in this is masterful - I was rooting for Adam and June from their very first meeting (even when I wanted to give them both a smack upside the head for how stubborn they were being).

June is such a beautifully flawed character. She’s proud and serious and hard on herself. She goes on a massive self discovery journey and I related to her so hard. Running away from your problems? Couldn’t be me.

And ADAM oh my god Adam. He’s the man the man the man. He’s sweet and kind and funny and flirty. The man is a chef (we know how much I love chefs) and he is just the most down bad man. Old timeline, new timeline. He’s obsessed.

This book is perfect for Emily Henry fans. It’s got the same banter and longing with a maturity to it that’s just mind blowing. Joss wrote a knockout with two of my favorite MCs of the year! I love Perry Street and I love June and Adam and I LOVE Joss.

Forever fan. Where you lead, I will follow.

We follow June Wood and Adam Harper while they grow their friendship, love and career aspirations. In this dual time line we watch them come together, fall apart and return to the magical word that is NYC in the fall. All the comforts you would find in a Meg Ryan romcom set in streets of Manhattan will be enjoyed in the pages of ‘It’s Different This Time’.

For me, this book was fall vibes! The hisotrical beauty of the brownstone set the scene for most of our story, and you could feel the warmth of this once in a life-time home while reading. I too would live there, even if it meant living with a past love I left behind. I enjoyed the past timeline a little more as we read about June & Adam’s friendship developing into love.. Sometimes June was hard to root for because she could come across a little selfish, especially in the beginning. I kept thinking "the reason she left better be worth it". Adam is your typically dreamy lead MMC. Who doesn't love a man that shows his love through food? Overall, this book had all of my favorit things in a cozy fall romance - friends to lovers, second chance, NYC in fall.

absolutely obsessed with this book. it’s easily one of my top reads of the year and a new favorite. friends to lovers, second chance and angsty. yeah, i ate up this book in 24 hours. this didn’t feel like a 400+ page book. it was reminiscent of PWMOV but dare i say BETTER?!

i loved being in june’s head and my heart absolutely ached for her. i understood her actions even if they were hard to swallow at times. her less than ideal childhood made everything make sense. the dual timeline developed a beautiful friendship between adam and june, but also carefully revealed everything that went wrong. the way it unfolded broke my heart, but put it back together again. adam and june had such amazing chemistry and i just loved them so so much.

this book was so cozy and such a perfect fall read. i can’t believe this is joss richard’s debut! i’m so looking forward to see what she delivers next!

thank you to dell romance for a gifted copy. my thoughts are my own.

A fantastic debut from Joss Richards!!

It's Different This Time is a second chance romance between two former roommates (that were maybe more than just roommates) set in New York City during fall! This is the perfect book if you're looking for something not only adorable and will have your feet kicking, but also if you want a book that plays into your fall NYC fantasy.

I'm not always a fan of a dual timeline in a book, but I think Joss did a wonderful job distinguishing between the two timelines, it was easy to follow and I honestly enjoyed it! I also thought that their meet cute was really fun! A little unrealistic in modern days but honestly it didn't bother me that much. I personally loved both June and Adam, and their characters felt very real to me, which only made me want to keep reading. The individual struggles both June and Adam dealth with during the story that ultimately led to their first "breakup" felt like it would be something I'd hear about in real life, so I honestly enjoyed the "miscommunication," even though I know some aren't a fan of that trope. The chemistry between our two main characters was DELICIOUS and honestly Adam really is doing wonders for the hot chef propoganda.

definitely excited to see what Joss writes next!

I loved this book. The writing, the story, the characters. All amazing. Plus it's the perfect fall read <3 10/10

I am not a stay up late to finish a book kind of girlie but this one hooked me so much I just had to see it through to the end! I was shocked to learn that this is Richard's debut novel because I feel it can hold its weight among my favorite novels. The way she adds such life to both the characters as well as the setting is a delight. Also, she is so great at balancing the tightrope that is miscommunication so that at no point in the novel you feel like it's no longer worth the chase.
I found June to be a refreshing FMC in that while she is in her thirties, she is still trying to figure life out. Her passion for theater jumps off the page and helps show her passion in all aspects of her life. I loved Adam's calm but still flirty nature, I believe that he makes the perfect counterpart to June's zest. The romance was sweet and calm, shown through acts of love and moments of yearning. I particularly was a fan of the flashback scenes to help show us that June and Adam will always be themselves even ten years later. I also have to give praise to Richard's for writing New York in the fall with such love and attention in a way that has me looking at plane tickets right now. I highly recommend adding this one to your fall TBR and escaping to 74 Perry Street for a sweet cozy romance. (Also, the people need a Robby book!)

This was an incredible debut - I can't wait for Joss Richard's future books!

Read this if you like second chance romance, NYC, and roommates to friends to lovers

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more! I don’t usually go for a 2nd chance romance or a friends to lovers trope, but this story made me realize maybe I’m not reading the right books. This was a movie rom com on the page and it was the first book in a long time that had me staying up way too late to keep reading. It’s Different This Time is told in two different timelines which is something I always love! One timeline is the present where June Wood, an out of work actress travels from LA to New York City, after learning that she and her former best friend/roommate, Adam Harper, have been left the brownstone they lived in by their former landlord. June and Adam hesitantly agree to keep the property and while deciding what to do with the brownstone, they also have to decide what to do about the lingering feelings and unresolved tension they have after 12 years apart. This book seamlessly weaves together the story of how June and Adam became roommates and best friends with the present where they are thrown together after years of avoiding one another. I loved reading how June and Adam grew up together, June chasing her dreams of Broadway and Adam trying to make it as a chef in the New York restaurant scene, just as much as I loved reading about the adults they became. Joss Richards is such a talented author and creates a beautiful story of friendship, longing and self discovery. Her writing and characters were so detailed and vivid that I felt like June and Adam were people I knew. This was a book I couldn’t put down and after I finished it, I wished I could read it again for the first time!

Thank you to netgalley and Ballantine for the ARC of this book!

This book was the perfect second chance fall NYC vibes! As a person who loves tension and slow burn, this book did it for me! The writing is beautiful, the story is beautiful. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a great fall romance! 🥰 5/5 ⭐️

This story captivated me from the start, I really enjoyed the autumnal vibes as well, the characters were so likable, and I felt intrigued to keep reading their story. Thank you for the chance to review this!

I thought this was pretty good! A really cute fall second chance romance!! There is a lot of tropes in this one: second chance romance, forced proximity, found family, he falls first, friends to lovers. I’m personally not the biggest fan of a second chance romance butttt I did really enjoy this one! I loved the character development and love reading how June & Adam love each other again (but did they ever stop is the question)!! I loved the found family aspect of this as well! This story is a dual timeline which I enjoyed because we got to see flashbacks! My one thing I didn’t like was the miscommunication. That trope just puts me over the edge 😭 other than that though for being her debut novel I enjoyed it!!

Thank you to NetGalley & Dell for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review!

It’s Different This Time is a rich, atmospheric second-chance romance that blends autumn-in-New-York nostalgia with the emotional ache of unresolved history. Joss Richard gives us June and Adam—two former roommates whose friendship fractured five years ago. Now, fate throws them back together when they unexpectedly inherit their beloved brownstone.

What makes this story shine is its grounding in both place and emotion. The brownstone isn’t just a house—it’s a time capsule, holding echoes of laughter, heartbreak, and moments neither of them ever really let go. Richard beautifully balances simmering tension with quiet intimacy, using shared meals and late-night conversations to slowly peel back the layers of what tore them apart.

The romance doesn’t rush. Instead, it lingers in silences, in hesitant glances, in the vulnerability of admitting what went wrong. June’s struggles with her career and Adam’s quiet steadiness form a perfect contrast, giving their dynamic depth and authenticity. By the time the leaves are falling around them, it’s clear this isn’t just about rekindling a romance—it’s about rediscovering a friendship, healing old wounds, and daring to believe in a future that feels both familiar and brand-new.

For readers who love slow burns, city atmospheres, and second chances that carry both heartbreak and hope, this is a story that will linger long after the final page.

Joss Richard is an amazing writer. There were a lot of sentences that I liked, and the writing was really immersive and descriptive, with some prose and figurative language that made this bearable to read. Whoever designed the cover needs a raise because gosh dang it’s cute! 😍 It’s what drew me in to request this arc. I also liked the side characters like June’s bff and Adam’s family, and the situation that brings them together was quite interesting. There were also cute moments June and Adam had together. But that is the end of what I liked about the book. I really, really did not like June, and I state my reasons why in my GoodReads review.

This was so disappointing. I was hoping that I would love this book, but as you can see, I clearly did not. However, if you choose to read this book, I hope you enjoy it! Maybe I’m wrong about June, and it’s just me being in my logical, critical state of mind again, or what I like to call “my villain era.” Well, I’ve said my piece. I’m going to go watch a cute rom-com or something to remove the memory of this book from my brain. 😭

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.

This is a very sweet second chance romance! The setting of early fall in New York City is a no brainer good time for any romance reader. I would totally recommend this for the fall vibes and well done dual timelines.

I did find the writing to be a tad rote and the story to be a bit unbelievable at times which took me out of the romance, but I'm looking forward to this authors growth and will definitely be reading future releases!

I absolutely adored this book! I felt like the author handled the dual timelines really well, and we really got to see the distinct personalities of June and Adam. There were multiple times where I physically felt my stomach sink because I was so invested in the story and something happened. All of the side characters-- Adam's family, Chloe, Theo-- felt well-developed and important to the plot without overshadowing the MCs. Some of the MCs' accomplishments felt a bit far-fetched, but hey, it's a romance novel! It was the perfect fall read!

It’s Different This Time is the charming, emotional debut novel by Joss Richard that is as much a second chance romance as a love letter to New York City. All the classic notes were hit, from Broadway to Central Park to the Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree and the West Village brownstones made famous in SATC. The main characters, June and Adam, are young, ambitious 20-somethings who sort of accidentally but serendipitously became roommates in one of said amazing brownstones, in a fateful, too-good-to-be-true stroke of luck. And now they’ve inherited this incredible $6+ million property. (Just go with it!) Honestly, most of this story could be described as an unrealistic, nevertheless enticing fairytale fantasy, but that just adds to the magic.

The story is told through flashbacks of their time back then and the present-day twist-of-fate that has reunited them 11 years later. We know some Big Bad Awful happened and they haven’t spoken in five years, but both are clearly hoping things will be different this time. I was definitely rooting for Adam and June, who are so obviously in love with each other, but it was, of course, not going to be easy. Stories need conflict, after all.

There’s a lot of the typical new adult romance tropes of miscommunication, missed opportunity and misunderstanding, which was [ugh] frustrating. While angst and insecurity in your early 20s is understandable, I found it hard to believe that it dragged on to the point that these best friends let their relationship unequivocally shatter without even one conversation. My benefit of the doubt and empathy only stretch so far and I began to blame one character way more than the other. Full disclosure: I think the Big Bad was forgiven much(!) too easily. The MMCs are now in their 30s, supposedly grown up. Where’s the accountability? The lessons learned? An actual heartfelt apology of scale to the crime committed? When we got to the inevitable (predictable) third act breakup, I wanted to throw my Kindle. Turns out, I was waiting for a redemption arc that never fully materialized. Hence, four stars rather than five.

Note: This story would have really benefitted from dual POV. I wanted Adam’s perspective on the relationship, its downfall, and their potential second chance to get it right. Just a suggestion.

Overall, I did really enjoy the story, the supporting cast, the scenes, the banter, the forced proximity and friends-to-lovers tropes, and the fabulous Autumn in New York vibe of it all. I appreciated (and needed) the lovely escapism it offered. Also, mad props for the gorgeous cover design. This is a well-written, really solid debut and I’m looking forward to Ms. Richard’s sophomore book!

Thanks to Ballantine | Dell and Netgalley for the chance to read and review an ARC. Opinions are 100% mine.

4.5 - A story of heart, healing, and the risks of second chances. When June Wood returns to her old New York brownstone, she’s forced to face not only her past but her estranged former roommate, Adam Harper. As the intimacy that was once between them reignites and the tension burns brighter than ever, the two must learn how to navigate the delicate balance between old wounds and lingering attraction.

Joss Richard's ability to fill these pages with rich emotion and undeniable chemistry is truly something special -- it gave an air of Emily Henry in terms of reading about the beauty of mundane things and regular days. I love how she captured the reality of feeling behind and still trying to find your place in life. Being both Filipino and a musical theatre lover amongst other things, I found myself relating more to June than I expected. This is definitely a book I would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballentone, Dell, and Joss Richard for this advanced e-reader copy!