The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner is an utterly charming and heartwarming tale about love, self-discovery, and the power of second chances. Sadie Thatcher’s disastrous year comes with a surprising twist when a magical wish allows her to relive the past and make different choices. Wiesner expertly crafts a romantic, feel-good journey as Sadie navigates the same situations, seeing red flags she previously missed in her career and relationship, while also re-evaluating her connection with Jacob - her brother’s best friend and the man whose kiss she can’t forget.

The magical premise, combined with sharp writing and emotional depth, makes this novel a standout. Sadie’s growth throughout the story is both relatable and inspiring, as she learns to embrace her true self, her worth, and what really makes her happy. The second-chance angle doesn’t just apply to love, but to life itself, offering a thoughtful reflection on choices and missed opportunities.

The romance between Sadie and Jacob is perfectly paced and beautifully written. It’s filled with warmth, humor, and plenty of swoon-worthy moments. Their chemistry is undeniable, and readers will root for them from the start. The book’s supporting cast, particularly Sadie’s family and friends, adds depth and a sense of found family that rounds out the story wonderfully.

With its perfect blend of romance, self-reflection, and a touch of magic, The Second Chance Year is a must-read for fans of heartwarming, second-chance love stories. It’s a delightful, emotional, and deeply satisfying read that will leave you with a smile.

Melissa Wiesner’s "The Second Chance Year" is a beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant novel that explores themes of redemption, resilience, and personal growth. Wiesner’s writing is both lyrical and heartfelt, drawing readers into a story that is as inspiring as it is touching. The characters are well-developed, each facing their own challenges and opportunities for transformation. The narrative flows smoothly, balancing poignant moments with uplifting elements, making for a compelling read. "The Second Chance Year" is a powerful reminder of the possibilities for renewal and the strength of the human spirit. It’s a must-read for those who appreciate deep, character-driven stories.

Sadie has had a bad year. She has lost her man, her job, her apartment, her reputation, her parents' approval and has been forced to live with her brother's best friend and work at a coffee shop to get back on her feet. So the night that her friend Kasumi invites her to a fancy New Year's Eve costume party, Sadie attends hoping that she can avoid any other bad luck and clowns. She meets a fortune teller that may not be such a sham and asks her for a wish. A wish to erase the previous year and give her to opportunity to make some changes. And sometimes, wishes come true.

I could just kick myself for letting this sit in my Kindle storage for 7 months. This was a nice quick little read. I did use the audiobook to help me get through faster and what a performance that was! So glad that I did! This was a solid 3.5⭐ read. However, I did bring it down to a 3 ⭐ because of the women's rights political talk throughout the book. I do not like when authors take their political ideals and plant them into their writing sooooo aggressively. If I show up for kissy books and get political ideology, I'm not enjoying myself. It would have been very obvious to any reader that the girls at the restaurant were being treated unfairly without all of the diversity hiring talk with the financial boys, the sexist discussion with mom about academic hierarchy, and the hundred of other places the author inserted her ideals. However, the story and the characters were well-crafted and I do adore Jacob and Sadie as a couple!

This was a delightful read that I found myself enthralled in - the concept of being able to have a second chance at a specific year is fascinating and enticing, I wish we all had that opportunity!

A happy, cute, easy read. I enjoyed the story and it is ideal for a beach read when you just want a bit of romantic escapism.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy.

Vibes: cute, fun, emotional.

In short it was ok. I enjoyed the book but found it average. There were moments that made me want to get up and cheer for the MC, but mostly I felt like I was just along for the ride rather than getting really stuck in.

Sadie has had a "Very Bad Year" - by the way, this phrase was overused, just as Sadie putting her palms to her blushing cheeks - and gets the chance to do it all again. Will she be able to stay true to herself? Keep her boyfriend? Keep her job or even get the coveted promotion? Or does fate have other ideas?

A second chance romance where most players get a second chance.

As mentioned above, a few phrases were overused. I think the book could have benefited from a bit more editing.

Okay, I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. But wow, this was a really unexpected surprise. I had no expectations going into the story, but I end up falling in love with it within the first few chapters. The Second Chance Year is a really interesting (and romantic) take on the whole "what-would-happen-if-you-could-redo-a-year" trope and I loved it. The way it was done was amazing. The pacing was also just right and as the months and the time passed, you could see Sadie realize how having a redo at things might not be as great as it had seemed. I loved how the story is centered around her and not the romance; it was truly delightful to see Sadie grow as a character and then eventually also find herself falling in love with Jacob (who had been there this whole time).

I honestly really adored this book and I cannot wait to read more of Melissa Wiesner's books!

This book took me a second to get into, but once I accepted it for the sweet, lighthearted story that it was, I ended up enjoying it. I liked the idea of the second chance year but I thought the transition to the time jump was rather abrupt – it happened only a few chapters in. I wished slightly more time was taken to establish Sadie. That way her impulsive actions wouldn’t have seemed so flighty. It also didn’t help that the writing style felt immature at times. Luckily, I got over my reservations and along the way the novel won me over.

Sadie was naturally a passionate, outspoken and morally sound person, but this had caused her to lose her job and her boyfriend. She initially used her second chance year to suppress her instinct to speak up for what was right. This could be frustrating to watch because it weakened her morals and dampened her personality. However, as it dawned on her that being bold and assertive were the best parts of her, she eventually got her fire back. It was rewarding to watch Sadie take back her life and forge a path for herself that she wanted and was willing to fight for.

The romance in this novel wasn’t front and centre, yet it was something I always looked forward to. Even though it used the cliché of “suddenly realising that your childhood friend is insanely good looking” and made Sadie annoyingly ignorant to Jacob’s obvious feelings, I thought it was cute. Jacob was so precious – kind, considerate and unwavering – that I easily rooted for their relationship to develop.

Admittedly some suspension of disbelief was needed, but the journey Sadie went on to reclaim her life ultimately won me over. This sweet story left me with a smile on my face.

The story of Sadie and Jacob. A lesson to be careful what you wish for, with this sliding doors type novel.

Okay, this was super cute. I always really enjoy time travel or parallel universe or time loop stories, especially holiday themed ones, which is why I picked up The Second Chance Year. The plot of this one was super fun, and I enjoyed following the main character as she realised her Very Bad Year may not have been the worst thing for her after all. I loved the romance between her and her brother's best friend, especially because he had been in love with her for years and years. I love that trope.

I do think I will mostly have forgotten about this book by this time next year, as it doesn't seem to be very memorable to me, but it was a good while to read while I was in the mood for it.

I did have a slight issue with the main character's best friend trying to pressure her into calling out an abusive boss, the main character telling her best friend that she wasn't comfortable, the best friend doing it anyway, and then getting annoyed with the main character for not backing her up. You absolutely cannot force women into that, and don't put the blame on them when the abuser then retaliates - it's entirely on him!

Apart from that, this was a lovely read and perfect for the holidays.

Sadie's year hadn't been the best. In one fell swoop, she managed to lose her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend—all thanks to her big mouth. She'd also been fired from the restaurant she worked at. Who wouldn't want a do-over?😂 So when a fortune teller offered her one wish, Sadie jumped at the chance to redo her awful year. She didn’t believe magic would fix her life, but taking a leap of faith, she made her wish.

She finally got it, and was so excited to see everything as she had wanted it; her boyfriend, her job and her life. Still, something was missing. As the days went, she realized her job wasn't all it was cracked up to be and her relationship had problems of its own.

Jacob, her brother's best friend and a musician, gradually became a constant that she looked forward to. She couldn't also forget the kiss they'd shared before her second chance year began, a kiss he didn't know existed since she had began the year afresh.

So, would she continue with life as it was, or take a chance on the unknown? I loved seeing her eventually figure it all out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I read this in both e-book and audio and enjoyed it.

This is a joyful, lighthearted exploration of the main character, Sadie, getting an opportunity to redo a year of her life and make all of the “right” decisions. It touches on friendship, duty, a little bit of misogyny and sexual harassment, a good amount of romance, but mostly it’s about self image, sold esteem, and identity.

The question of whether the “right” decisions turn out to be the best thing for Sadie in the long run drives the narrative - and it’s unsurprising that the answer isn’t a resounding yes.

I enjoyed all of the characters. Sadie has the most complexity, as see tries to navigate the consequences of making different choices during her repeated year. The supporting characters (Jacob, Owen, Zoe…) are more two dimensional, but likeable and engaging.

There weren’t that many surprises in the plot, which ultimately turned out largely as I expected it to… but I’m a sucker for an upbeat story so that was absolutely fine with me!

Thank you #NetGalley and Headline Eternal for the free review copy of #TheSecondChanceYear in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Second Chance year by Melissa Wiesner is a really fun, sweet story about second chances and the grass not always being greener.

There is a slight fantasy element which sets up the whole story but otherwise it’s a contemporary romance. The romance is slow burn and sweet but there is a meatier storyline dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace and misogyny in general. The main character wrestles with feeling she can’t be herself if she wants to achieve her goals in her career and relationship, and gets the chance to actually see what would have happened in her life if she had bitten her tongue.

I really enjoyed this book and flew through it in a day.

After Sadie's Very Bad Year, even jars of chocolate frosting eaten in front of reality TV lose their appeal. All she wants is a do-over - but when she gets it, courtesy of a fortune teller at a warehouse party, she realises that some things are best left unchanged. A story about being true to yourself, standing up for others, getting a cat (the cat thankfully seems to exist in both timelines at the end) and focusing on the good things about your life and your inner self, rather than changing the past or focusing on the approval of others, even when you love them. Despite all the baking metaphors, this story is deeper and more sustained than it seems on the swirly meringue surface (there's another baking metaphor for you)!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book. The Second Chance Year asks the question -what would you do if you could live the last year over again? Sadie does in fact get this chance, when she meets a fortune teller at a party. The story takes place over the new year, with Sadie learning about life, love and happiness as she goes along. This was an enjoyable read.

The Second Chance Year, by Melissa Wiesner, was really quite something. It is a wonderful rom com but it’s also so much much.

This was a novel written with the #MeToo movement as its background context, and within it we are presented with a very special character who finds herself in some difficult situations and with some very hard choices.

At the centre of the story is Sadie who is at the end of her Very Bad Year where everything has been going wrong. After a meeting with a fortune teller Sadie is given the chance at a redo year. Just before midnight strikes she may also have ended up kissing her brother’s best friend Jacob. Only when she wakes up it’s now January first of last year! As Sadie navigates her second-chance year, she begins to see the red flags she missed in both her relationship and her career. Plus, she keeps running into Jacob, and she can't stop thinking about their kiss . . . maybe her biggest mistake was in wishing for her second chance year.

The romance in this story is lovely, it’s a slow burn romance that gently simmers in the background throughout. You can’t help but root for Sadie and Jacob to end up together, but it’s quite the journey to get there.

At the heart of this story though is Sadie, who tries to change herself initially to fit within the parameters of the male (and more patriarchal) dominated worlds she finds herself in. Where’s before she’d have stood up for herself and those around her, now she shrinks herself in the hope it will make things better. Along the way she realises that in doing so she’s losing everything that makes her her and that in no way should she have to cower and smile to try and get ahead. I don’t want to say much else but this is a powerful novel, where she faces some events that may be triggering for some, though it’s written with great sensitivity by Weisner.

This is one I’d thoroughly recommend.

I would highly recommend to family and friends. I love author’s that can describe a scene and you are immediately there, you close your eyes and you picture the scene. This author does that for me.

Don’t let the chirpy cover fool you – while this is by no means a miserable or downbeat read, neither is it a laugh a minute. I was impressed at the manner in which Wiesner tackles the issue of workplace bullying and sexual harassment within the story. I was also impressed that she warns the reader this is a key topic at the start of the book – all too often sensitive subjects crop up in books without any kind of upfront mention.

Sadie’s first-person narrative is engaging and charming. I like her forceful attitude – and was quite shocked at how she reined herself in after the first disastrous year. It makes sense that she’d do such a thing, but my heart went out to her when she tried to make herself smaller and less outspoken, because she was afraid to lose her job, or her boyfriend. It reminded me of times in my own life when I tried to alter myself to fit around other people’s expectations – and I’m sure I’m not the only woman who’ll read this one and find it chimes with our experiences.

While the slow-burn romance is the narrative engine of this novel, Sadie is kept busy throughout her second-chance year. Think of Groundhog Day, but on a year-long scale. The other issue that came up is parental expectations and how unhappy Sadie is that her parents don’t value her career in the hospitality industry, as they are academics. At times, the clash between them is amusing – at others, not so much.

All in all, I think this is a thoroughly enjoyable story full of humour with an engaging love story at its heart, that nonetheless also manages to examine some hefty issues along the way. If you enjoy your love stories with a slice of the sharper side of contemporary life and a paranormal twist, this offering comes highly recommended. While I obtained an arc of The Second Chance Year from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

I’m finding it hard to believe that I’ve never read a Melissa Wiesner book until now. The Second Chance Year was a great read!

Sadie Thatcher lost everything during her Very Bad Year because she was “loud and opinionated”. At New Years Eve, she attends a carnival themed party where she gets chased by a clown and then visits a fortune teller. She makes a wish to redo the last year so that she can correct her mistakes, and to her surprise, this fortune teller was the real deal. She wakes up on New Years Day to find that she has rewound time to a year ago. She has her job, boyfriend, and her beautiful apartment back again, and her dreams of opening her own bakery are still possible! But in going backwards, she realizes that maybe she didn’t exactly need a second chance year after all.

Let me first start by saying that I usually don’t read books or watch tv shows/movies about going back in time because I often find that they are repetitive (well, duh) but also just a bit overdone. So when I picked up my Kindle to read this one I was hesitant on whether I’d actually enjoy it. Suffice to say, it was worth the read! The story was paced well and had elements of romance, comedy, and drama (the good kind) that I really liked. It’s not an overly complicated story and it was a bit predictable (as time travel stories can be), but it was sweet and cute and wholesome, with a moral lesson I could get behind. I definitely recommend this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline Eternal for this ebook copy!