A romance that features fall in NYC and Broadway? All in a dreamy brownstone? Sign me up.

June and Adam spent years building their friendship in their beloved brownstone at 74 Perry Street — where they spent those same years trying to stay “just friends.” But now, 6 years after they said goodbye, their home has brought them together again. Can they heal the wounds that broke them apart before?

Let’s be very clear — the miscommunication trope is strong in this one. Sometimes straight up no communication. But, at the end of the day, I wanted to be in Adam and June’s cozy brownstone — and I was rooting for them. Sure, I’m jealous that in her 30s, June is in consideration to play a teenage in one of the most beloved musicals of all time — but watching their NY dreams come true was fun.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Format - E ARC (netgalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶 🌶

Series- N/A

Troupes- Second Chance, forced proximity, duel time lines big city in a cozy house.


CW- Parent with Cancer.

I cannot believe that this is Joss’s debut! This book drew me in from the first pages. Our Heroine being a struggling actor in LA is not not my usual choice for a cozy read, but we move very quickly to NYC in fall in a house with nostalgic memories and suddenly it’s the perfect cozy read for the fall. Duel time lines are hard to write and to read but Joss has done it beautifully. I fell in love with these two idiots twice as they fell in love with each other.

June and Adam have some off the charts chemistry when we first meet them in the present. And then we get taken back to the first time they met and we get to watch them slowly fall in love. It was just a great way really the only way to tell this story and it works so well!

Ok on to other things June right out of the gate I related to her, she’s not where she wants to be in life she’s got this huge unresolved mess in her head about how she left NY, in short she’s a bit of a mess. As we all are. While on the flip side Adam seems to be thriving, seems to be. His head is not mush better, so when fate or Landlord matchmaking from the great beyond forces them together the sparks really start to fly.

I loved everything about this book. The NY back drop the restaurant and theatre scene so synonymous with the City. Joss’s voice, her story telling is like a hit of dopamine to my starving brain, while her characters are charming and dynamic and make you want them to be real.

A debut NYC fall romance from a Talented author who I will defiantly be reading more of as soon as she has more!

Thank you Joss Richard, Dell and netgalley for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

Coming Soon -- 9/30/25!

It's Different This Time by Joss Richard

June has been out of NYC for years, but gets a strange request that sends her back to the city and the amazing brownstone she lived in years before. She doesn't expect her former roommate and best friend, Adam, to be a part of this equation. They have been essentially gifted the brownstone by their former landlord, but they need to live in it, together, for a month. The problem is, they haven't seen each other in years, and things did not end well. What will happen in beautiful NYC fall? Will they find their ways to home ownership and each other?

The setting of this book is amazing! Greenwich Village in the fall? Perfect. The characters and storyline kept me invested and, again, great description of the West Village and many other NYC areas. Theatre -- check! Restaurants - check! Central Park-- check! Rockefeller Center -- check! This book checks all the fall boxes! I enjoyed it!

Thank you, Joss Richard for the great story, and Ballatine & NetGalley for the eARC!

Thank you to Dell & NetGalley for the arc!

5 shining stars for Adam & June!!! It's Different This Time by Joss Richard is a beautiful debut romance, filled with absolutely everything I love! We follow June as she's placed back in NYC both for work & unexpected life changes. Changes that bring her old roommate & bestfriend, Adam, back into her life.

June is a character I think a lot of people will relate to, and I was certainly one of them. Her journey as she navigated her career, the ups and the downs of the acting world, the "i don't know's" and the "what if's". I loved being inside her head and getting to know her. I loved seeing her past & her relationship with Adam through her eyes!!! I loved her!!! Speaking of Adam, I ADORE that man. He is so special to me, my little chef man!!!

The romance in this is absolutely delectable. Adam & June's slow burning chemistry & tension had me in a chokehold, waiting for the next touch, eye contact, or moment of banter. I absolutely loved the dual timeline and being able to witness their relationship develop in both a past & present tense. A friends to lovers, second chance romance? It was like it was written for me!!! These two share such a deep, undeniable, beautiful connection that is filled with gentle love & care. I wanted to wrap them up in bubble wrap & keep them protected forever. I love them so much!!!!

This book felt like a big warm hug & I can't wait to see what else Joss Richard has in store for us!!!

I love second chance romances, NYC settings, and anything Broadway, so this was such a fun read for me! A very impressive debut, and I’m excited to see what this author writes next.

If you've ever had that friend that definitely could've been more, and wish you'd had another shot at that...this book is for you.

It took me a minute to warm up to June, but I think it's because joining a character in the middle of their life when they are so deeply unhappy can take a minute. She's so lost right from the start and it makes the idea of being trapped at 74 Perry Street something that you want for her; regardless of any further chances to interact with her former roommate and supremely sweet hottie Adam, June needs a reset and this is how she gets it.

There isn't so much miscommunication in this book as much as there was a lack of communication in the past that led to a lot of caution in the present that maybe isn't necessary. What becomes clear is that Adam and June still care about each other, are still attracted to each other, and this reunion forces them both to examine their lives and decide what they want (not only each other but in other avenues as well.)

A unique, slightly slow burn second chance at something book with characters you will cheer for.

Autumn in NYC if you love the city & romance you will Fall for this one quickly.
It's a story of second chances is just the best possible way.
They used to be roommates. He's a chef and She's an actress.
She left NYC without even a goodbye after being roommates for 6yrs.

Fast forward 5 years, when a surprise email comes asking that she come back to NYC
to discuss the last place she lived she never expected what she finds.

June & Adam's story is:
Super cute, super sweet, lightly salted with spice and I loved every minute of it.

Looking for a cozy fall contemporary romance? Do you love NYC, theater, food, and found family? Enjoy second chance, friends to lovers, dual timeline stories? Then you will likely enjoy this book. June and Adam were best friends and roommates for several years, who abruptly went their separate ways. They find themselves thrown back together when they jointly inherit a brownstone. The main characters are flawed but likable, although the miscommunication got a bit frustrating. The side characters are fun.

3.5 stars rounded down, as knowing NYC real estate, I kept getting hung up on the premise of the brownstone requiring a bit too much suspension of disbelief. There were also a couple of West Coast/East Coast calls with the agent where the scene didn't make sense with the time zone dynamics. It's a total nitpick, but stuff like this makes my brain spin and takes me as a reader out of the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC, in exchange for this honest review. And congrats to Joss Richard on a fun debut novel!

A second chance friendship, friends to lovers novel centered around the relationship between June and Adam who have just been bequeathed a home with conditions. They were room mates and BFFs but then fell apart due to miscommunication. Now they must live together for 30 days and agree on the disposition of the brownstone. Sounds easy but it's not. This moves back and forth in time to explain what happened and then how they renew their connection. It's a bit trope-y to be sure but it's got good NYC vibes and characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC. A nice debut.

The story was cute, but it did not grab me and I didn’t love it the way that I thought that I would. I found the cover of the book to be very perfect for the new season and I absolutely love the cover. I think that it’s colorful and really cute and enough to pull anybody into wanting to read the book but I just don’t think that it was personally for me. It was all right and I still remember it a bit, but I just did not love it.

I truly cannot believe this is a debut novel, because it was absolute perfection!

The way this book was written and the locations and scenes were described truly felt like a movie was playing in my head. It was the perfect fall read.

In addition to the immaculate autumn vibes, I adored these characters. My favorite characters are the ones who are flawed and real and messy. I was seriously tearing up practically every page for awhile, and I can’t remember feeling like that since reading The Seven Year Slip, one of my forever favorites. Maybe I just have a thing for chefs?

But honestly, this book was beautiful, and I can’t wait for this to be out in the world, so I can recommend it to everyone I know.

This book was everything I wanted in a fall romance and more. From the very first page, it swept me up in all the cozy, heartwarming feelings that make this season so special. At its core, it’s the most perfect second-chance romance—filled with yearning, tenderness, and that undeniable spark of two people finding their way back to each other. Add in a touch of forced proximity (which I always love in romance), and you’ve got a recipe for tension, connection, and some seriously swoony moments.
What made it stand out even more is the way Joss Richards structured the story. The dual timeline gave such depth, letting us see both the heartbreak of the past and the hope of the present, while the single POV kept it deeply personal and intimate. I felt so connected to the main character—her emotions, her struggles, and ultimately, her journey toward love again.
And let’s talk about the writing. For a debut, it’s nothing short of phenomenal. Richards’ prose is both lyrical and accessible, weaving together vivid descriptions and heartfelt dialogue that made me want to keep reading late into the night. The characters felt so real, the setting radiated autumn vibes, and the pacing hit that sweet spot of emotional build-up and payoff.
This book reminded me why I adore second-chance romances so much—they carry a weight of history, regret, and longing that makes the eventual resolution feel so satisfying. I truly can’t wait to see what this author does next, because if this is only the beginning, then she’s one to watch.

Publish to Goodreads on 9/25/25

This is an ARC review thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine

I went into this book blind and I am glad it did. It did drag a little bit there in the middle but the ending made up for it. I appreciated that it wasn’t too cheesy but the past was dragged on far too long. Some of it was just fluff and could have been omitted. Over all, cute story with a little bit of everything! Spice, romance, tragedy, nostalgia.

It’s different this time
Joss Richard


We meet June, a struggling actress in LA who has gotten surprising news that brings her back to New York City. New York City, where five years ago she used to live with her roommate/best friend Adam and because of so many miscommunications they become estranged and lose touch with each other. Now both June and Adam are brought back together unexpectedly because their old landlord where they used to live passes away and leaves the beautiful brownstone to the last tenants. Being that they were the last official tenants, the house belongs to them. The story goes on with them having to move in together for thirty days to try and figure out what they’re going to do. Quickly feelings and their old bond starts to come back and they’re forced to address those the romantic feelings and falling out they had. Will this be a second chance romance or a complete disaster?

I have to say that the story definitely had me wanting to get to the end, I read this book in a day in a half. I had to know if there would be a happy ending or not. So the story itself, the characters and the depiction of New York City were perfect. The only thing that really irked me though was June, she was terrible and honestly all the issues she had with Adam were because she couldn’t just have a mature conversation and towards the end I had no sympathy for her. But all the other side characters, like Chloe, who was my favorite really made a difference in the story.
Overall I give this book a 4 star rating because I just couldn’t vibe with June and she frustrated me so much. But everything else was great and I would recommend this book especially if you like dual POV’s and timelines, forced proximity, friends to lovers, second chance romance and a beautiful New York City Fall Vibes. Even though I didn’t like June’s character too much I’ll definitely still be looking out for other books by Joss Richard’s because I did really enjoy the book overall. There were also some spicy scenes in this book, I personally skip it and it didn’t take away from the story but just check the content warnings before reading.

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine | Dell , and Joss Richard’s for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review, I really appreciate it and enjoyed the book.

“We have a connection that’s lasted through many chapters of our lives, and if he’s not my happily ever after, he’s undoubtedly the one who will get away.”

♾️⭐️

It’s hard to put into words how much I loved this book. When you think about what makes up a great Second Chance Romance, it’s often you’ll see two individuals with undeniable chemistry, a complicated history and the chance to see the main characters through two different lenses shedding light between then and now —Joss Richard’s does this effortlessly in It’s Different This Time.

Instantly I became emotionally tied to June and Adam’s story and there were so many moments that I could relate to June, as a half filipino and half white FMC chasing her dreams and stability, while forced to be independent due to her complicated upbringing. I saw the way the beginning of their relationship mirrored so much of my own love story with my husband and how someone can become your safe haven and “home” after years and years of challenges and growing up together.

The grief emphasis was just enough to establish some found family and the way Joss Richard’s captures the beauty of New York city through the Fall and Winter seasons transported me straight to the steps of that brownstone on 74 Perry St.

There wasn’t a moment while reading this book that I was bored or upset with the characters and I couldn’t even really bring myself to put it down. I was desperate to get to that big “WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THEM?” moment, so desperate that I finished this book in a day.

For the helpless romantics and those who love second chance romance, this will surely be your favorite read of 2025. If you loved The Ex Vows, Rewind It Back and Left of Forever look no further for your next obsession and while many are labeling this as a Fall book, you can surely read this throughout the next several months as the timeline takes place from October-December.

Thank you @netgalley @dellromance @joss.richard and @ballantinebooks for allowing me to review this amazing e-book!

Can June and Adam get a second chance!

Actress June Wood never expected to get an email from a lawyer about 74 Perry Street where she had lived with her former friend Adam Harper five years after she had moved to Los Angeles. But she never expected to find out that she would inherit the house with Adam if they could spend 30 days living in the brownstone together because they had been the last full time tenants only problem was she hadn’t talked to Adam since she had moved to Los Angeles.

I thought that It's Different This Time would be the usual second chance romance but you really get to find out the reasons that the friendship between June and Adam went sideways and now they needed to figure out what to do with 47 Perry Street and what they were looking for in their futures.

Plus, many times a second chance romance just ends when the couple gets back together but I love how It's Different This Time wraps the book up with the perfect ending.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m going to go with a 3.75 star! Overall, the story was really great. I loved Adam 😍 June was a little tough at some parts but overall I think her past really made loving people hard for her.

Once I got to about 70% it went down hill a little bit. It could have been sooo good if done just a little bit different. Stanley’s note bumped it back up a little bit! The last chapter also left me wanting a little bit more info. Moving where?!

Overall I really did enjoy the story! Also great fall vibes and o would now like a brownstone please 😍

Dell eARC
What a debut! This was a beautiful second chance romance set in NYC during the fall. I am so picky about second chance because there's so much to get over, and the stakes here so high. I loved the past and present timelines and how they worked together to show a complete picture of these two's journey. The characters were rich and flawed and so lovable. Sweet June. How she deserved to be loved. I liked how her journey was full of wonderings and missteps and how she worked to figure things out. I'm intentionally vague because there'll be no spoilers here. Adam was also flawed, yet dedicated and so easy to root for. I loved their dynamic and how they worked together to push each other to be the best. I adored this book and can't wait to see what Joss Richard comes up with next!

A great debut!

I think the sign of a good book is your ability to devour it in almost a single setting. While I had to take a few breaks, I definitely devoured this one in less than a day.

I'll always be a sucker for a second-chance romance, but this one has some interesting wrinkles. June is an actress, currently in LA, but previously a rising theater star in NYC. Adam is a chef and owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant. The two were best friends and roommates more than a decade earlier and find themselves thrown back together when the owner of their brownstone wills it to both of them. The two must decide what to do with their inheritance and their fractured relationship.

The brownstone is a convenient way to force them into the same proximity and test out whether there is any love left between the two. The book is told is single POV, but told in alternating timelines. You are able to see Adam and June's relationship from its original meet cute straight through to the event that will break their friendship apart. That can be a difficult format to pull off, but Richard handles it well. While I can't say that I love the precipitating event that temporarily ends their friendship, it is somewhat shocking and not entirely unrealistic. At the end of the day, there's little else to criticize in the book!

* Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

First -- how is this a debut?!
Second -- a book hasn't sucked me in like this in a long time. It had my stomach in knots & kept my mind thinking: "What is happening?! How did this happen!? I can't do this again! What! When? Agh! No!"

Adam & June are strangers until they meet and decide to become roommates at an amazing brownstone in NYC. They quickly become each other's person. These two are best friends and support each other in every way. It's told in a dual timeline and I think that is the only way to do second chance...because you really get all of the angst and heartbreak in those past scenes.

If you like green flag MMC's, Adam is your guy! The sweet man just wants the kind of love that his parents had. As for June, some readers may have issue with her because of her communication skills, but I find her extremely relatable and real.

What to expect:
-second chance
-friends to lovers
-NYC & fall vibes
-roommates
-chef MMC (so good!)
-actress FMC
-angst & emotions
-single POV

Thank you for the ARC!