I really enjoyed this book!! The meet cute in the beginning was so good. I loved the back and forth of present and past. I love a good second chance romance too. Although I know it was needed for the story the no communication was annoying because they just needed to talk it out. I like that they finally talked and figured their life out though. The story was good and the heartbreak was devastating. The best friends and family were good and added to the plot too!! But overall this was a great first novel!!

Gosh I love this book. The FEELINGS. It hit me right in them. Estranged best friends to lovers is my kryptonite, and Adam and June’s story destroyed me in the best way. The chemistry!! The heartbreak!! The pining!!!!! Off the charts. These two truly felt like two best friends who were destined to end up together.

I really enjoyed this one. Second chance romances are my favorite and I seem to gravitate towards them. They are tricky to get right, though. Whatever reason caused the breakup or distance has to be big, but not so bad that you hate either main character. I think the Author did a nice job with that throughout the story. I liked both main characters and was rooting for them the entire time.

I absolutely loved this novel. I fell in love with both characters. The banter between them was hilarious and realistic. The yearning between them was off the pages. Loved loved loved. Amazingly written and beautifully told.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this. Can’t wait to buy the physical copy! Will post a review on my TikTok soon!

This book went down SO easy. I mean, two people chasing their dreams and falling in love in a cozy NYC brownstone… what’s not to love?

June was such a relatable mess in the best way. She worked her ass off for a seemingly impossible dream, and even when I wanted to shake her for some of the decisions she made, I got it—she was just doing what she felt she had to do to protect herself. And Adam was an actual dream man. Kind, patient, charming, quietly smitten for YEARS. We love a cinnamon roll / golden retriever / yes chef all rolled into one.

The dual timeline was super effective, and watching their situationship slowly bloom and then break and then maybe bloom again?? Beautifully done. And the New York City setting was so lush and detailed and cozy. There were so many gorgeous descriptions of their brownstone, various neighborhoods and landmarks, and the food (!!!). It was lovely and made me feel like I was right there.

And the ending… dreamy. Like I closed the book with a sigh. I’m honestly kind of blown away this is a debut. Joss Richard is definitely one to watch.

It's Different This Time is a refreshing second chance romance! We meet June & Adam, who by a chance encounter end up as roommates in NYC. They were inseperable as best friends... until they weren't. Five years later, June has returned to NYC and learns that she and Adam will own the property they previously shared. They must wait 30 days before the paperwork can be signed and while they contemplate what they'd like to do with the property, they decide to stay there. All of the old wounds from unresolved feelings and conversation resurface and forces them to confront their choices of the past.

June & Adam's story is told over a dual timeline. We are able to see how their friendship/relationship foundation was laid, while simultaneously watching how they navigate this new circumstance. There is some angst, but June & Adam quickly and seamlessly fall back into old routines. There are still hiccups and rational fears that paralyze them, but they are able to find their way back to each other.

Joss Richard does a phenomenal job of storytelling. As a reader, I was able to absorb the story without feeling like my head was spinning. The pacing of the book flowed well, the spice was not overdone, but honestly for what we did get, it was perfection! The chemistry of the characters with the slow burn build-up, was chef's kiss!

My review is posted in full on StoryGraph here:
https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/mrslittle143

Also posted to Threads
https://www.threads.com/@justsandraaaaa?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

It may have taken me a little time to really get into the story, but once I did—oh, I was hooked! I absolutely loved the dual timeline structure, with the countdown of years woven in with the present day—it added such a unique rhythm to the storytelling and kept me completely engaged. The whole book had me in suspense, eagerly anticipating the moment when we’d finally uncover what really happened between June and Adam. I found myself so emotionally invested—not just in their relationship, but in their family life too. I was rooting for them every step of the way!

There were definitely moments when I was dying to know the truth already (seriously, the suspense!), but that just made me want to keep turning the pages even more. The story had the perfect balance of laugh-out-loud moments and heart-tugging scenes—I definitely chuckled and teared up more than once. Overall, it was a truly enjoyable and heartfelt read that stuck with me after the final page!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine, and Random House Publishing for my digital copy!

*4.25/5 Stars
I'd ABSOLUTELY recommend this book. This is Joss Richard's first book and I’d love more from her. I will honestly be shocked if it doesn't become major on booktok/bookstagram. The writing style was great, the second chance romance was done well (and I'm not always a big fan of that trope), while also doing flashbacks really well. This is set to come out in September of this year, and I'm definitely buying a physical copy when it does!

I don’t give out many 5-star ratings, but this book absolutely earned it!

I was completely charmed by the story and the way it made me feel—warm, giddy, and totally invested. I can’t believe this is Joss Richard’s debut novel!

This is a romance through and through, and it’s utterly adorable. June and Adam meet by chance, and before you know it, they’re taking a leap of faith as roommates in a well-priced New York townhouse. What follows is a delightful journey through their on-and-off "friendship" that keeps you smiling the whole way through.

If you're in the mood for an easy, heartwarming read that feels like a cozy romantic comedy, this one is for you!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC. I’m officially a big fan of Joss Richard and can’t wait to see what she writes next!

READ THIS BOOK!

From the very first page, I was entranced by the characters in this story, how they leapt off the page with witty banter and blink and you’ll miss it quips. The way that Joss Richard (debut author alert!) writes her characters with such distinct voice, it made me want to pull up a seat in that bar in Silverlake and become best buddies with them. Later, it was in a brownstone in New York City, a home in Connecticut and another in Long Island. I saw myself in June so much so that I felt protective of her throughout her journey. This story hit all my emotions. I loved June and Adam’s dynamic, spanning twelve years of will they/won’t they tension that brings up the age old question - can men and women *just* be friends? And, if the answer is yes, can they also be roommates without there being anything more?

You are going to love this book! It’s already a most requested on NetGalley. It comes out in September, so mark your calendars! I already secured my preorder and I am thrilled to support Joss in celebration of her magical debut. She is one to watch.

Fair warning though: Adam is a chef, so there are mouthwatering descriptors that made me race to the kitchen on more than one occasion.

I love a second chance romance and June and Adam were no exception. I loved that the book was set in NyC, my favorite place for contemporary romance settings! Great fall vibes, family, friends, and the romance was so sweet and tender. I love them!

3.75*s

It took me a while to get into “It’s Different This Time”, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. Each time I took a break, I had the itch to start reading again. I ended up finishing this in a day.

As with any second-chance romance, this is a heartwarming story of two people - June and Adam - finding their way back to one another after a period of separation. I usually struggle with second chance romances because the author has to convince me that the couple still belong together, especially when they spend years apart. June and Adam’s reunion just felt so authentic, I had little doubts about them by the end.

Much of June and Adam’s story is told through flashbacks. While this structure gives some insight into their 12-year relationship, from friends and roommates to something more, it was also lacking a little in substance. There are gaps in the timeline which resulted in gaps in their relationship. For example, after June and Adam first become roommates, there’s an 18-month jump where we’re told that they’ve developed a close friendship, but we don’t really see when or how that happened. This left me to make assumptions about their relationship and so made the early progression feel fragile. Rather than being left to assume, one or two scenes from this year-and-a-half gap could have helped their relationship feel more solid. However, Richard is effective at creating that initial chemistry between June and Adam and at developing that chemistry in the moments that we do get, that by the end I’d nearly forgotten about the clunky beginning.

Richard’s writing is simple, but still evocative. Together with the alternating timeline, she crafts a slow build-up of romantic tension and a palpable anticipation. Richard writes June and Adam’s story with such tenderness, compassion, and empathy that the resolution of the central conflict, and June and Adam’s ability to move forward, felt organic. I also truly appreciated that the resolution occurred in the antepenultimate chapter, rather than being left for the last chapter. This prevented the ending from feeling rushed.

While I really enjoyed this book, connected with the story, and resonated with the characters (especially June) in the moment, I’m not sure I’ll still bring thinking about this months from now. That kind of longevity is what really makes a standout book for me, and would have made this a solid 4*s. Nevertheless, I can confidently say that Richard is an author to watch out for and I will be reading whatever she writes next.

Two former roommates reunite unexpectedly and have to come face-to-face with romance that never was one more time. This is a slow burn told with a dual timeline of where Adam and June before and where they are now. It's the story of them as a duo, as well as looking at their professional journeys. I did like the blend of the romance with the life stuff, and the dual timelines worked really well for the storytelling. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the look at this September 2025 release.

Oh this book throttled me, but by the end I wanted to throttle it. The story was so well written. It latched onto me from the get go and I didn't break free from that...until about 70% in. I am a huge sucker 'then and now' chapters but when a book is set up this way you don't get to the drama of the past until later on in the book. I spent the first half of the book learning to love June and then the last half wanting to strangle her. What she did to Adam was so immature and cruel. It didn't really even seem like she changed that much 5 years later. Adam deserves everything good in the world and I don't know if I would ever be able to get over what June did if I was him. This is still a 4 star read because it was a very captivating story, but just know I am so mad at June. But alas, incredibly impressive for a debut author!

I don’t think I’ve ever connected with a book like this before. I saw a lot of myself in the fmc June, with her love of theatre and her love of New York it drew me in instantly!

The dual timelines piece together the perfect puzzle that encapsulates their relationship as a whole. We get to see these two people grow during the most pivotal times in their lives. It made me think that home isn’t just a place but it’s also people, if you don’t have people by your side life can feel a little pointless. June is person who has a hard time believing people will stick around and finds herself spiraling in her personal and work life because of that very fear. That is until an offer that happens to be in New York and she finds herself stepping into her old life, quite literally. That comfort of home and it just so happens a man she hasn’t seen in years is roped into the same offer as her, Adam. Forced to confront her past June finds herself hopeful for the first time in a long time and finally goes after what she wants.

And Adam I mean MY GOD he is everything, I love a mmc that happens to be a chef. It’s in is nature to be attentive and thoughtful but this man’s patience is something else, don’t get me wrong I love June but girl is messy!! Aside from that the yearning is off the charts and had me addicted from the start!

For a debut novel I am astonished, Joss Richard’s writing is something magnificent! I truly hope she writes more because I would EAT it up

Thank you to NetGalley, Joss Richard, and Ballantine/Dell for the digital ARC!

I lost count of the times I cried! :) Second chance, friends to lovers and found family? SIGN ME UP! Everything from the natural progression of June and Adam’s friendship, the food, the theater. I loved every second of this. It’s Different This Time is a perfect fall read that should be on everyone’s radar!

Sadly this one did not work for me. The writing was a big sticking point here; it felt clunky, didn't flow, and overall the dialogue just felt very awkward. And I think because of the writing, the characters came across as juvenile and simplistic, not as complex as I wanted them to feel and often very immature for their age. I wish I liked this--it seemed right up my alley--but it just didn't end up working for me. :(

June and Adam are interesting characters, and watching them find their way back to each other was very sweet and satisfying. I love a romance with a deep, emotional connection. June's actions didn't always make sense to me, but there was some effort to explain them. The pacing also felt a little strange, because it felt like the climax was hitting in the middle of the book, and I wasn't sure what the next 100+ pages would hold. I liked that it wasn't as predictable as expected, though.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!

i devoured this book - i seriously could not put it down. this is going to be such an amazing debut for a nice, cozy fall read 🍂

set in NYC during the fall, june returns to the city after being left a brownstone that she used to rent with adam - who she hasn’t talked to in 5 years after leaving the city suddenly. the book is told in a first person dual timeline, which was excuted perfectly. each of the characters were developed and so beautifully utilized throughout the story (especially as someone who struggles to engage with the side characters because they’re typically flat). such a cute read!

thank you netgalley and ballantine/dell for the ARC in exchange for a review 💕

I absolutely loved this book. The characters emotions and the support system they show. The dual timeline was real orchestrated. I can't wait to purchase the book.