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.

Sinopsis en español:

Tras tambaleándose por la cancelación de su exitoso programa de televisión, June Wood no tiene nada que perder cuando un misterioso correo electrónico la atrae de vuelta a la piedra rojiza de la ciudad de Nueva York que una vez llamó hogar antes de mudarse a Los Ángeles. Gracias a una cláusula en el testado del antiguo propietario, ella y su antiguo compañero de cuarto, Adam Harper, ahora son dueños de la propiedad multimillonaria, o al menos lo harán en un mes, una vez que se firme todo el papeleo.

Cuatro semanas, luego June puede volver a su vida en Los Ángeles y olvidarse de la ciudad de Nueva York y de todo lo que dejó atrás. Claro, el hecho de que June y Adam estén separados y ni siquiera hayan hablado en cinco años, y que su amistad no terminó exactamente en buenos términos podría complicar las cosas, pero esta es la oportunidad de su vida.

A medida que las hojas de otoño caen a su alrededor, a través de comidas compartidas y conversaciones nocturnas, resurgen viejas heridas y chispas enterradas durante mucho tiempo, y se vuelve sorprendentemente claro: June y Adam tienen asuntos pendientes. Frente a las consecuencias de sus elecciones años antes, ahora deben navegar por el campo minado de su pasado de la mejor manera que saben: juntos. Las segundas oportunidades siempre son un riesgo, pero tal vez, si lo hacen bien y finalmente son honestos el uno con el otro y consigo mismos, podría ser diferente esta vez.






Reseña:

June y Adam no se conocían hasta que, por azares del destino, terminaron siendo compañeros de piso. Durante seis años compartieron su día a día, construyeron una amistad profunda y, sin quererlo, comenzaron a enamorarse. Pero ninguno de los dos se atrevió a dar el primer paso.

June, marcada por el miedo al abandono, se convenció de que no merecía a alguien como Adam. Lo veía como un mujeriego y jamás pensó que él pudiera sentir lo mismo por ella ya que las mujeres con las que salía eran diferentes a ella. Por su parte, Adam nunca fue claro con sus sentimientos. No tiene povs por lo que todo fue a través de los ojos de June y parecía que sus sentimientos no iba más allá de la amistad. Mientras ella sufría en silencio, él salía con otras mujeres, aunque supuestamente estaba enamorado de June.

“It’s Different This Time” is a gorgeously layered second-chance romance that made me forget I don’t usually like second-chance romances.

Joss Richard tells the story of June, a Filipina American actress at a career crossroads who inherits half of a $6 brownstone in NYC… the other half belonging to Adam, the former roommate she once loved and lost. He’s now a successful chef and entrepreneur, and when they’re thrown back together under one roof, the novel begins to unravel what went wrong before—and what might be possible now.

Told in alternating timelines, the book gives you the thrill of watching them fall in love for the first time and the slow-burn intensity of rekindling that connection as older, wiser versions of themselves. Miscommunication is often a tired trope, but here it feels heartbreakingly real. The emotional distance between them is never due to laziness in the writing; it’s woven into who they are—how they’ve been hurt, how they’ve learned to protect themselves.

June is a standout heroine. She’s complex: brave, terrified, ambitious, self-sabotaging, hopeful. I cheered for her even when I disagreed with her choices. And Adam? He’s the rare romantic lead who manages to be both soft and strong. He’s open to love without sacrificing his sense of self, and it’s so satisfying to watch him fight for connection without pushing past boundaries.

If you’re in the mood for a romance that’s rich with character development, cultural nuance, and emotional payoff, this one’s worth your time. Joss Richard is definitely an author to watch.

June Wood is a struggling LA actress when she receives an email calling her back to New York City to talk about a brownstone she used to rent. She has, along with her former roommate, Adam Harper, inherited the property, now worth six million dollars. The problem is she hasn’t seen Adam since she ran away to LA six years ago. And her feelings for him come flooding back.

if you’re a second chance superfan like me, let me tell you right now: run, don’t walk to pick this up when it comes out on september 30th! i requested this on a whim and i couldn’t be happier that i took a chance – i completely devoured this in one day, and it was so hard to put it down even for the sake of a meal. i was that locked in.

in particular, i found myself reminded of books like happy place and the ex vows, which are two books that i absolutely adore. one of my biggest pet peeves in second chance and/or friends-to-lovers plotlines is when the author doesn’t make me believe in their history. if this foundation is so completely vital to the storyline, and to this couple’s love story, i need to feel it! joss richard did an incredible job with this exact thing – the flashbacks really brought that part of their story to life, and made me believe in both their friendship and the potential for more that always haunted the narrative. the slow burn was perfect, each flashback was perfectly placed, and even though june was so unbelievably wrong to leave the way she did, i was still rooting for them the whole time. it was perfect!

✨What a beautiful, lovely debut romance story ❤️✨
There were so many moments where I teared up, laughed my head off, and truly felt connected to the characters. The romance was ON POINT and did not feel forced at all. Adam and June are a fantastic example of friends to lovers done right. I honestly could read this story over and over and not get sick of it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the arc of this book in exchange for my review.

First of all, the cover is gorgeous and gives the best fall vibes; it would be the perfect book to read in the autumn season.

It’s Different This Time by Joss Richards is a beautifully written, deeply emotional second chance romance that completely swept me away. I devoured this book in a single day and went on a full rollercoaster of emotions; I laughed, I teared up, I fell head over heels. This story just got me.

The book is set in New York City, and is packed with all the autumn vibes I love. The city feels like a character in itself because it feels so alive, vibrant, and brimming with memory and meaning. The dual timeline format was so effective at unraveling June and Adam’s past while slowly rebuilding their present. Watching their connection shift from estranged best friends to something more again had me hooked.

June is a TV actress who has been feeling the sting of change and loss, and Adam is a chef with a steady, quiet kind of devotion that made my heart ache. Their unexpected inheritance of the brownstone they once shared forces them to confront everything they’ve left unsaid, which is years of heartbreak, longing, and unresolved feelings.

This book was such a rich blend of tension, tenderness, and hope. I especially loved the theme of returning, not just to a place, but to yourself, your passions, your people. The chemistry between June and Adam was perfection, and the pacing of their emotional journey felt so natural and real. Yes, there’s a third act breakup (which normally is not my favorite trope), but here, I felt like it worked well. To me, it feels earned, and the payoff is so worth it.

Read if you love:
🍂 Friends to lovers
🍂 Second chances that make your heart hurt (in the best way)
🍂 NYC in the fall
🍂 Banter, Broadway, and a cinnamon roll chef love interest

I’ll be picking up anything Joss Richards writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley, Joss Richard, and Ballantine/Dell for the eARC of this book.

Such a beautiful second chance romance with all the fall vibes! I absolutely devoured this book in one day and had a whole rollercoaster of emotions.

I delighted in this friends to lovers, second chance romance and will happily be gobbling up anything from Joss Richards moving forward.

June has made a life out in LA where she's a TV actor sharing an apartment with her friend and friend's boyfriend. Just as June's show is cancelled for another season, her life in New York City turns from past to present when the owner of the brownstone she formerly lived in with her estranged best friend, Adam, has passed and left the property to...both of them.

This story is a second chance in ways that extend beyond romance. It was encouraging to see June return to her loves (including New York City and Broadway) and I found it comforting to see that stepping away doesn't have to be for always when it comes to cities, careers, or relationships.

June and Adam's romance will delight fans of roommates to lovers and friends to lovers - the tension between wanting to avoid jeopardizing your most important friendship while often being in close proximity with the person you are in love with!! Delicious!

Those who long for love, who are also scared at the prospect and at the reality of it will find this story to be particularly heart wrenching and hopeful. I highly recommend this book and thank Dell, the publisher, for the ARC!

THIS WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!! What did I just read?! I loved every single page of this stunning romance. Every. Single. Page. It absolutely broke me but also healed me. The way I loved Adam and June.

The story begins with a brownstone. Adam and June have inherited a 6 million dollar brownstone in New York City. Which sounds like a dream right? But it's trickier than that. These two have not spoken to each other in years (since they lived in said brownstone together) after a very dramatic end to their relationship. They now have to come together and decide what to do with this property. But not only that, they must confront their past and all the ways things fell apart, all the feelings they've kept locked away, and how life has changed for both of them. Can they come back together and rebuild something? Or are they destined to repeat the past?

I had so much fun with this. I will never get over novels with NYC as a main character. I love when the city's spirit is captured so perfectly. I love when I can see everything so clearly in my head. And NYC in the fall?! I literally will always eat that up.

This story is a dual timeline. It starts in the present but we go back in time to build their relationship, and watch it fall apart. It was so heartbreaking to keep going back in time and see how special these two were to each other to not being in each other lives at all. I loved their friendship and how much they valued each other...while also screaming at them to finally see what everyone else is seeing in them. I was literally SCREAMING! They had such good chemistry and such good banter.

Chef meets broadway actress??? Make me their child! This was everything to me. Living in NYC in a brownstone, living with a chef, having the talent to be on broadway and having your bestie/crush love all your showtunes?! Stop it right now. That is the dream. June, you're living me dream.

I won't spoil anything, but this book was so good and you should absolutely read this...I'm already ready for a reread. This was such a dreamy second chance romance, friends to lovers romance. What a perfect debut novel. I will be reading all things Joss Richard writes. You will be kicking your feet and giddy over these two, and I'm so sorry, you will be sobbing. But it'll be worth it.

Thank you Netgalley & Random House for this advanced copy! I had a really fun time reading this and finished it in one day.
This book is for lovers of second-chance romances, cooking, classic rom-coms, slow burn friends to lovers—it's for theater kids, people who didn't have a loving home, found families, 20-somethings who are working towards their goals & 30-somethings who still haven't figured it out.

It's Different This Time felt like a love letter to chasing your dreams. It will forever hold a place in my heart, and I think it's the perfect debut novel. Joss Richard does a beautiful job of writing a heart-wrenchingly, beautiful and timeless love story.

I loved the dual timeline! It helps add tension through the novel and builds their dynamic, while revealing details naturally about their past without feeling like an information dump. It makes you fall in love with June and Adam, and want to root for them to give their relationship a chance. I normally like a dual POV for a second-chance romance, but Richard does such a great job at making Adam's feelings and thoughts clear through June's perspective. It's the missing piece that a lot of romance novels don't have.

I loved that the book didn't end with them just getting together, but showing June finally succeeding and getting everything she wanted. I really appreciate when authors give romance books focus on other aspects of the characters life—it makes it feel realistic. I can't express how much it meant to me that June's favorite musical was Les Mis. I saw myself in her: a young girl full of dreams listening to the soundtrack on repeat, belting On My Own dreaming of being able to be apart of that world.

I also post my reviews on my Instagram: @alavenderlibrary where this one will be up this week. I can't wait for release day so everyone else will get to experience the beauty of this book!

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for this arc!

I thought this was a lovely debut for Joss Richard. It was cute and heartwarming. I loved how patient Adam was while June came to terms with certain things. I’m not the biggest fan of the third act breakup trope though. Overall it was a great book.

Oh my gosh, I just finished my ARC from It’s Different This Time and I am undone. 🥹 It was so good. It made me hate time…hate distance…hate that they wouldn’t ever talk about things they shouldn’t have had to talk about. I cried when Audrey was gone and finding out June told Sarah she was leaving…ugh😭😭😭😭

I hated the wait of it all. They deserved to be together the whole time…but ugh…being HOME was worth it. So worth it. 🥹

It was so beautiful and hard and wonderful and I loved it so much. I can’t wait to get a hard copy when it’s out because I’ll absolutely want to read it again and again. ❤️

I live in Georgia, but NYC is one of my favorites places. I was there last fall and the way you talk about the city literally made my heart ache from missing it.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

This book hit me right in the feels—in the best way possible. I absolutely cannot wait for its official release so I can grab a physical copy and proudly display it as a shelf trophy.

It took me a few chapters to really sink into the story, but once I was in, I was in. Each chapter pulled me deeper into June and Adam’s world, and I completely fell in love with them—and with their love. Despite the challenges they faced, their relationship was beautiful, honest, and had me rooting for them the entire time.

The found family element stole my heart. Watching June be welcomed into Adam’s family was so heartwarming and made their bond feel even richer. And that third act breakup? Absolutely shattered me. But the ending pieced me back together and left me with the most satisfied smile on my face.

This story made me want to book a fall trip to New York and experience the magic all over again. A heartfelt, emotionally satisfying read that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommend to any and all bookish theatre kids like myself 💛🎭🍂

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this e-book arc. This review was posted to my Goodreads (@MadyGrace) on May 13th, 2025.

This book is pure nostalgia in a bottle. You can’t help but feel a lump in your throat wondering what became of these two former roommates, who once happily shared a New York brownstone, and are now completely estranged. That is, until fate throws them back together when the brownstone, shockingly, is left to them in their late landlord’s will.
I’ll admit, a few elements of the premise stretched believability, like being gifted a $6 million brownstone after six years apart by a landlord you were simply kind to felt a bit far-fetched as well as some aspects of their falling-out. That said, if you’re a fan of second chance stories, this one is charming and heartfelt. A sweet, entertaining read and very impressive debut!

[ripping off shirt] ITS DIFFERENT THIS TIME BITCHES!!!!

no but on a serious note, as someone who is often overly critical of second chance romances and can only read them when written by Sarah Hogle, please clear a space for Joss Richard beside you on the list of sc romance authors I support, Ms. Hogle!

It’s always lovely to read an author’s debut and love it instantly because it really feels like “wow you got it right the first time!!” and though June and Adam did not in fact get in right the first time, I really loved their journey and friendship as well as their romance, something that is often missing from friends-to-lovers “second chance” tropes for me

I even enjoyed the time jumps in this, which is another aspect of these kinds of romances that I’m usually hesitant about because it can feel jarring but I felt like this was really concisely written in the best way, and as a sidenote, I personally loved Chloe as a side character a lot even when June was doing the thing I despise in contemporary romances where a fmc’s best friend has to convince her she finds someone (who WE know she finds attractive…) attractive, so extra point for not giving me the ick even despite that!

June was a lovely character and I really found myself routing for her even when I was frustrated with her actions & choices but I think there was a good basis of her self-talk to understand her (warped) thought process which is all I ever really ask for if my character is going to be slightly chaotic interpersonally! also, poor adam suffered more than jesus but he was also a bit flawed in a way that I enjoyed him owning so ultimately I was very satisfied by their HEA

I very much look forward to reading another book from this author in the future

thank you sm to netgalley and ballantine/dell for this arc to review!

It’s Different This Time is a beautiful debut, a love letter to New York and to pursuing your passions. It is filled with heart, with loss and confusion and questioning whether you’re good enough for the life you hope to live, and it spoke to me deeply. Joss Richard knocked it out of the park with her first novel and I am eager to read her future works, as well.

If you’re a fan of The Seven Year Slip, and either second-chance, friends-to-lovers, or forced-proximity tropes, this book is for you.