If I didn't know that It's Different This Time was Joss Richard's debut, I would have never guessed that it was. IDTT is heartwarming and charming, perfect for for fans of Tarah Dewitt and Abby Jimenez. June and Adam are easily lovable characters and Richard writes their growth as their own people over the years in such a way that you root for both characters to get what they want. This book is atmospheric for a romcom-- readers will love 74 Perry and NYC just by Richard's descriptions alone.

Second chance romance meets fall in NYC! I enjoyed the cozy vibes of this love story.

June Wood + Adam Harper made the best friends to lovers with a long friendship before the romance. When done well, I think this trope enriches the romance! The slow burn of it all makes a beautiful melody of wonderful chemistry and found family. June, a talented actress and Adam, a highly-esteemed chef, were both incredibly dedicated to their crafts. They are brought back together by 74 Perry Street, a beautiful brownstone in NYC. I love all the secondary characters that made the story so vivid and colorful. I did not the scene at 88%, it felt forced, but I will say I did enjoy the payoff!

Thank you Netgalley Dell Romance for this ARC!

Great debut. Enjoyed the New York setting and the second chance friends to lovers storyline. I liked the twist that they never had actually been together as more than friends Overly descriptive “eat my breakfast” sexual comments are a little over the top in my opinion. Over all will look forward from
More from this author

Left review on Goodreads as well

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

3.75 stars!

This is a great debut romance and perfect for Autumn. It had me yearning for New York in the fall. This book follows the standard “third act conflict” where characters just refuse to communicate when it counts, but that’s pretty par for the course no matter what book you pick up.

I liked the story and characters but I do think that June’s hesitation for a real relationship due to her trauma with her parents is not fleshed out enough to warrant her behavior. Just my thoughts!

Over all, fun and quick read and a nice debut from a new author!

**Special thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy of this for an honest review via Netgalley!**

If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I'm a sucker for second-chance romance. No, seriously, pretty much the ONLY romances I've ever loved have been second chances for some odd reason, and It's Different This Time was NOT any different (see what I did there??).

This book had such a unique concept. We follow June and Adam, who both used to live at 74 Perry Street in NYC. After a turn of events, their paths reconnect years later when they find that the owner of the building passed away and left it to them. I don't really want to say much more because there's so much you find out while reading!

I absolutely ate this up and really loved how the story was told. Plus, I really connected with both June and Adam and enjoyed how, over time, we really saw them change from things that hadn't worked in the past. It was really interesting, too, to see how much their lives had evolved through the years that they were apart.

While there was a bit of the miscommunication trope, I didn't mind it all! (I personally usually love that trope, and this was no different.)

If you're looking for a unique second-chance romance, It's Different This Time is exactly the book you're looking for. I will 100% be reading anything else Joss Richard writes in the future!

June and Adam haven’t spoken in years. So when they inherit a house together in NYC and are thrown back together June is thrown for a loop. Being around Adam again makes her uneasy, but it also reminds her of the closeness they once had. As the story unfolds we see snippets of Adam and’s past. How they met, close moments of friendship, and why June left for LA all those years ago. And hopefully it’s different this time around.

Wow this one kind of broke my heart? The ending is happy but damn all those years apart make my heart ache… honestly when you’re young it’s so easy to make dumb rash decisions. Adam and June’s characters have a lot of depth and feel very human.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

That was absolutely incredible. The characters were so relatable and had such good growth. Even the side characters were done in such a way that you grew attached to them. The story line of the inheriting a brownstone together was so unique. My heart hurt for Joss every time she felt she wasn’t lovable. That is such an awful feeling to have. Adam was so patient and so kind and cared for her in the best ways possible. After losing grandparents to Alzheimer’s, the story around Stanley broke me. Joss, well freaking done! This was absolutely incredible. You have a FOREVER fan!

I think my biggest issue with this book is how the past is revealed and how much the flashbacks took up of the book. While I appreciate getting context, it felt more like two timelines and getting to know the characters at two very different points in their lives. With this focus on the past, I felt Ike I didn’t really understand the current iterations of the characters personalities. I also felt like I had to suspend disbelief a lot - the general plot just wasn’t really believable. There’s just a lot of miscommunication which is not my favorite trope. Perhaps if the book was a bit shorter and you get more info on the past sooner the second chance would make more sense. Overall this was just okay! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I was really, really excited to read this but unfortunately it started to fall apart around 60%. The author tried to be descriptive but I quite literally can’t get into anything she is describing once we hit that point, as if they ran out of things to say. The friendship was not believable in the least, it was always a will they-won’t they vibe and then they had a second chance. The FMC is very selfish. The only saving it was MC giving “The Bear” vibes.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book made me fall in love with the romance genre all over again, while simultaneously breaking my star rating scale… because I wish I could give it infinite stars. ✨

First and foremost, if this isn’t on your fall TBR already do yourself a favor and add it now. You can come back to this review after you add it. 🧡

The pacing of this book is fantastic. Nothing feels rushed, insta-lovey, or insta-lusty.

It made me homesick for a place I’ve never been, and left me craving more than just delicious pasta. Everything about this book felt real, and I think that’s what made it so great. All of the characters were written in such a way where you felt like you could instantly like them, and I especially loved Theo’s story.

What I really enjoyed what that when hard topics like cancer were depicted, they were done so in such a way that felt authentic, but not heavy to the point where it took the joy away from the rest of the story.

This is definitely going to be a forever favorite for me. 🖤

Thank you so much to Joss Richard & Dell Romance for providing me with an arc of this stunning book! I will treasure it forever.

i freaking loved this book. i thought that adam and june were such an interesting friends turned strangers turned friends turned lovers. the flashbacks were done really well and i genuinely loved seeing their relationship grow. i felt for june and hated that she viewed herself as the second choice. 😭 ugh i love a second chance book so much. joss did an amazing job with this book, i highly recommend it!!

I liked the premise of two people who liked each other coming back together to reconcile their differences. I really like Adam, who was kind, thoughtful and open minded. I liked that he was from a loving family and it showed in how he treated others. However, June to me was someone who wouldn't deal with her emotions and couldn't tell Adam how she felt, so she runs away to the other side of the country for years before taking responsibility for her actions. I was annoyed that June ran away for years and then wouldn't speak to Adam at all or hear him out and it wasn't until she finds out how far he went to makes amends that she falls back in love with him and tries to make things right. It was a little annoying and unbelievable.
I liked that all three friends (June, Adam and Chloe) accomplish their dreams and our happy about their choices,, but June again seem to let others dictate what she did next in her career, even though she love being in Broadway, she gave it up to runaway to L.A. just because she couldn't take responsibility for her feelings about Adam. It also seem that June who insist she was happy being in TV was not.
I do think it's a blast that someone from June and Adam's past would give them a beautiful townhouse in New York City, and it sounds like a dream house. I also like all the description of being in New York, it makes their live feel nostalgic and cozy and makes me think of the city the way it was in the 90's.

I want to thank Ballantine | Dell and NetGalley for an advance copy of a story about taking responsibility for ones actions and waking up to what you really want.

Thank you NetGalley and BANTAM DOUBLEDAY DELL for access to the eARC of It's Different This Time by Joss Richard.

This one was not my favorite mostly because I was not equally invested in both MCs. I LOVED Adam and barely tolerated June, so granted, I was not really fighting for them, I was pulling for him, for sure. He is my kind of romance hero, but she really was hard for me to love and root for. The years of miscommunication, misunderstandings, lack of openness about how they really felt and what they really wanted drove me bananas. I'm glad it all came fill circle for them, but I would have been just as happy if Adam had found his HEA with someone that felt a bit more at his emotional level, but the heart wants what it wants, I suppose.

I loved this book! For a debut author, the story was so well-written that you would easily think this book was part of a series. I wanted to read the stories of the supporting characters such as Chloe, Sarah and Robby.

This story is a second chance at love for June and Adam. They met at the bookstore she worked at and ended up being roommates and best friends for over 6 years. Circumstances drove them apart and the story starts 5 years later when a mysterious inheritance brings them back together.

The story operates on two timelines of the present and the past. We get to see June and Adam get close again while the other timeline gives us a glimpse of what led to their separation many years ago. I enjoyed the character development and growth in both June and Adam. Lovely story of deep love and true acceptance of oneself and others.

Highly recommend 👍🏻

Huge thank you to NetGalley for this arc 🍂

This is one of the few books this year, that have made me tear up! The way Joss Richards writes is so beautiful. I felt all the emotions of heartbreak, loss of a parent, and not knowing what you want to do with your life in your 30s throughout this book. She conveys seeing someone you love, be happy with someone else, choosing to walk away and leave your whole life behind in such a painful, yet realistic way my heart truly broke for these two!! 🥺

I was very satisfied with the ending and surprised this is Joss’s first book because the way she writes is truly beautiful and am looking forward to reading more from her. You all need to add this to your tbr!

🍁 Friends to Lovers
🍁 Second Chance Romance
🍁 Dual Timeline
🍁 Slow Burn
🍁 Fall in NYC


I cannot wait to get the physical copy of this book on 9/30!

4.5 stars! ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

I saw this book all over my feed and requested it knowing it was a long shot, but I’m so glad I did! The fact that this is her first book is actually crazy, I can’t wait to see what else she writes in the future.

This is the perfect book for fall! You’ll love the main character and the mmc in this second chance, friends to lovers romance.
This book follows June, a theater major in NYC who meets and becomes roommates/friends with Adam. It follows their journey through their early twenties of figuring out what they want to do with their lives and working hard to accomplish everything they set their minds to. There is a bit of a miscommunication trope that happens, but not in the usual, overdone way, but this leads to time apart. Five years to be exact.
When a surprise opportunity is presented to both of them, it brings them back to the house they love, where everything fell apart the first time.

If you’re looking for a book to kick off your fall TBR, start here!

I can’t believe I’ve been putting off reading this ARC! I loved June and Adam and I LOVE second chance romances. Truly cozy, and cliche in the best way. New York is one of my favorite book settings for romances, even though it’s been done a million times. I liked the plot of June struggling as an actress and trying to find her place, and how endearing and comforting Adam was through all the turmoil. The perfect fall romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars!
I was so excited to see this book in my email inbox randomly one day and couldn't wait until the fall to read it! The cover is perfect fall vibes and the story is perfect for the fall and winter time. I was very excited to find out that it's a debut novel as well.
I loved this book so much more than I was expecting! I tried to not go in with any expectations since it is a debut and I was absolutely pleased with this book. It did start out a bit slow for me but really kicked up around the 30% mark and I was hooked from there. I was torn between wanting to keep reading and not wanting it to end because they were so perfect.
If anyone knows me, you know that second chance is one of my all time favorite tropes. This second chance was done beautifully with dual timelines. There was never a point while reading where I was upset that the timeline was switching; it was always the perfect timing. And Adam was the softest cinnamon roll MMC I have ever loved!
If you love The Seven Year Slip, I guarantee you will love this book!

I loved this book! “It's Different This Time” by Joss Richard is a heartwarming debut, a poignant, moving story that wraps you up in the emotional complexities of a second-chance romance. This novel is beautifully written, painting the portrait of a relationship with history, using a dual timeline to slowly reveal the messy and deeply human reasons June and Adam fell out of sync years ago. I love romance novels set in New York City, and the way Richard writes makes every conversation and shared moment feel authentic.

What resonates most powerfully is how the book honors the foundation of their friendship. This isn't just about a romantic reunion; it’s a poignant exploration of how two people can be so deeply connected that their separate lives feel incomplete. Richard's writing is immersive, capturing the push and pull of lingering feelings and the fear that comes with a second chance. It’s a compelling argument that love isn't just a spark, but a quiet, powerful understanding built on shared history.

The novel is also a love letter to autumn in New York. The cozy, atmospheric backdrop of a brownstone in the fall creates a mood that is both nostalgic and hopeful. It’s the kind of book you want to curl up with on a rainy day, feeling every bit of the emotional journey. It's Different This Time is a heartfelt, deeply satisfying read that proves that even after years apart, the right person is always worth the risk.

Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book by author Joss Richard. All opinions are my own

4.5 Stars!

Such a strong, beautiful debut novel! It's Different This Time is an emotionally layered story of second chances, set against the backdrop of autumn in New York City. I was immediately drawn into June's journey and the slow unraveling of her shared history with Adam.

June and Adam, estranged former friends, are unexpectedly thrown back into each other’s lives under the roof of a brownstone they once called home. With a ticking clock and a complicated past between them, their story is a nuanced exploration of regret, reconnection, and unfinished business, heightened by their forced proximity.

Joss Richards’ prose is beautiful & immersive, capturing the emotional push and pull between June and Adam, and her love for NYC and Broadway. The chemistry between June and Adam is undeniable, their history simmering beneath every word and glance.

A standout debut, full of heart and emotion. I can’t wait to see what Joss Richards writes next!