I didn’t have an expectations when I went into this read, but it was such a sweet story that I fell into it and sped through it once I finally did. I love that the author highlighted the struggles women face in any workplace where a man is considered more important. I also think it was so important that by showing someone ‘playing the game’ doesn’t always get you somewhere. It was so refreshing.

Loved Jacob and Sadie’s relationship so much. You just wanted to smack them silly until they realised who they needed to be with each other. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely keep an eye on the author's other books in the future.

We all wonder what if and if hindsight life could be different if we could redo something woth the knowlrdge we have now.. This feel good story is just that. After a terrible year where Sadie has lost her boyfriend job and apartment she is given the chance to do over the last year.
This sounds like a good fit for romantics but it is so much more. Its about discovering how things aren't always what they serms and rediscovering you and your place in the world and seeing things differently. I loved the plot and the development of Sadie finding herself . There were a lot of food mentioned . and i dd feel hungry reading it . It had deeper issues of sexual harassment parental approval and social media.
I found this very enjoyable it was more women lit than sci-fi and romance. The tomance was rhete but it was not the main thing
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author for this cracking 5 star read

This book was such a special read and definitely one of my favourites from this year. The thought of getting to re do a year is something I'm sure many of us would like to be able to do and I adored the romance in this story

Highly recommend!

I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a lighthearted romance for the holidays, The Second Chance Year is being released on 5th December 2023. I absolutely loved this. I loved Sadie and Jacob and their entire dynamic. I loved the side characters (shout out to Gio) and would have loved to get to know them more. I've outlined my full review below but ultimately the main point is I loved this and I think you should read this book.

Sometimes you read a book that feels like it was written specifically for you and The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner was exactly that for me.

We begin the book with meeting Sadie who's had an awful year losing her job, apartment and long-term boyfriend. She's having to stay with her brother's best friend while she's trying to get back on her feet when all she wants is a do-over of her 'Very Bad Year'. Through some magic wishes on NYE, she finds herself waking up on January 1st of the previous year but only after having the best kiss of her life with her brother's best friend at midnight. Now she's got her chance at a do-over and fix all the mistakes she made in her year but she's wondering whether making the wish for a do-over was the worst mistake of all.

This book called out to me because 2023 has probably been one of the worst years of my life and I've spent a lot of time wondering what I'd do differently if I could have a re-do of this year, especially now that we're so close to 2024. Seeing Sadie navigate her re-do year definitely made me think about whether living 2023 again would actually give me what I want.

When we were introduced to Sadie, I completely empathised with her wish and could see exactly why she thought that reliving her year would make it better. She can avoid her 'mistakes' but in doing so she ends up foresaking some of the most important parts of herself. I wanted to shake her at some of the decisions she was making and scream but ultimately her decisions led her to see what was really the priority.

I loved Sadie and Jacob's relationship so much, their interactions had me giggling and screaming to just hurry up and kiss already. Their chemistry was electric and this was a slow burn in every sense.

Without spoiling too much, the book also touched on some important themes relating to work place sexual harassment. It was handled in a super mature (and satisfying) way but could still be triggering to some readers so fair warning.

Overall, l loved this book. It was such a fun and easy read despite some of the themes. This was the first of Melissa Wiesner's books that I've read but I loved her style of writing and will definitely be adding more of her works to my TBR.

The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner is a charming feel good romance that is full of heart and delicious sounding food - so stock up on the baked goods before diving in.
Sadie has had a Very Bad Year, she has lost her job, her apartment and her boyfriend and is now living in her little brother's best friend's place while she stalks her ex and his new girlfriend on line. Desperate to drag her out of her funk, her best friend insists she comes to a New Year's Eve party. When Sadie meets a fortune teller there she assumes it is just part of the carnival theme and plays along with the offer of a wish. She wishes that the very bad year had never happened and thinks nothing more of it until she wakes up the next morning in her old apartment and with her ex beside her as her friend is calling her in a panic because she is late for her job as a pastry chef in one of the city's top restaurants. It is January 1, of last year and Sadie is getting a second chance, a do over . Will she make the same mistakes all over again or will she have learned from her terrible year? As the year unfolds and the story progresses we see Sadie shying away from what went wrong last time round, and watch as she sees the red flags she missed in both her work environment and her relationships the first time around. As the year comes to a close she discovers that what she thought she wanted is not right for her, her second chance year has given her a whole new outlook on life and love.
This was such a wonderful and heart warming read and I adored Sadie as a character. I was really rooting for her. I loved the friendships she had in the book and seeing the growing romance with Jacob made me almost as delighted as the beautiful descriptions of food that are heartily scattered throughout the book. In fact the characters are really the heart of this book, even those with relatively minor roles were so well drawn that it felt like they were coming to life on the page. I also really appreciated that the author went to the trouble of showing that there are no easy right or wrong answers to many of the issues that Sadie faced, the storytelling was nuanced. This is a beautiful story of self discovery that has more depth than many holiday reads, but is perfect for this time of year.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

A light and easy read. Wouldn’t we all like the chance to go back and live what appears to be a terrible year with the advantage of foresight ! Likeable characters. I did feel that it was a little predictable who Sadie would end up with. Nevertheless it was a fun read with plenty of humour.

I really enjoyed this book, its definitely one of my favourites of this year. I dodnt want to put it down.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner was magical sorry about second chances, about seeing what is in front of us and learning to trust ourselves! It was a truly cute book!
I loved it! I loved every single page, every single minute of this book! It was fun and easy, romantic, and in some parts poignantly sad but beautiful!

Sadie just survived the most horrible year and luckily for her, she receives a second chance. She can go back and fix all her mistakes. It sounds easier as it is. Soon Sadie understands that not everything is black or white! Will she manage to turn around things in the way she likes or she will end up in deeper trouble than the first time?

This is not a Christmas story but I would recommend it as an adorable holiday read!

Thank you, NetGalley, Headline, and Headline Eternal, for this unbelievable chance to enjoy this book!

Thank you to Headline Eternal and Melissa Wiesner for letting me have an ARC copy of The Second Chance Year to give a fair and honest review!

As we come to the end of 2023, some of us might have unfulfilled dreams, missed opportunities, and woeful regrets as we stare the approaching New Year in the face. We might even wish we could get a do-over year… be careful what you wish for as it might not turn out as you thought… as this wonderful intoxicating and magical New Year read proves!

I’m not exaggerating when I say I devoured this book overnight. I picked it up for an hour of little reading before bed, then suddenly it was 3 AM and I finished the last page. The writing is engrossing and will hook you from the first page as it reveals the story of how Sadie relives her last year; trying to stop herself from repeating her mistakes, seizing opportunities she missed, and trying to recover from a whole new set of mistakes she makes at cost to herself and the ones she truly cares for. The food descriptions are divine and mouth-watering for all the amazing cakes, deserts and baked goods mentioned. The book should carry the warning, don’t read when hungry.

The premises focus on Sadie’s journey of self-discovery, growing into herself, and learning about her flaws and insecurities which is a beautifully developed character arc, that compliments the romantic plot arc of the story. As she untangles were own personal troubles, Sadie moves closer to Jacob in a natural attraction and growth of feeling for her (though Jacob’s been in love with her since they were teens). He’s such a sweet, gentlemanly cinnamon roll sort; Jacob makes my heart melt just reading how kind, considerate, and protective he could be for those he cares about, friends and family.

The characters for me were a delight to read; they are the shining heart of this story. Melissa crafts everyone with a wonderful realism, even if they step onto the page for a few sentences, you learn so much about the characters themselves. The close-knit group of adopted friend family surrounding Sadie is so warm, loving, and supportive, you can’t help but wish they would adopt you too (got to love a found family trope!). It’s a lovely contrast to the tense relationship that Sadie can have with her.

I cheered for how important it is for us all to champion equality and stand up against sexual harassment for all genders in the workplace. I thought this thread of the story was handled very delicately. I love the way the story spun the comeuppance owned to the offending parties – I do love it when the villains get what’s coming to them.

Everything about The Second Chance Year is perfect for those of us wanting to curl up on New Year’s Eve with a good book to ring out the old and in with the new. A heart-warming, cosy vibes, reflective story full of wonderful characters and mouth-watering descriptions. This book is going to be one of my New Year's Day favourites for years to come.

I loved loved LOVED this gorgeous book!

I’m not usually a romance reader but this book had so many layers. Sadie is given the opportunity to go back to the start of her “Very Bad Year” and start it again. That means she gets her boyfriend back, her job back and her apartment back - what’s not to love? But with the benefit of hindsight, Sadie starts to see things differently and very much reacts to things differently, which at the start of her re-run of the year had me howling with laughter at some of the many mistakes she made and how she dug herself out of them.

There are some fantastic characters in this book, Sadie, her brother Owen, his friend Jacob and of course, Mrs Kaminski!

It was a bit Sliding Doors, a bit Groundhog Day and a bit 50 First Dates!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Melissa Wiesner and Headline for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Overall thoughts: This was a cute and fun read! Rom-com vibes. I thought the characters were very likeable and the book touched on sensitive topics like being a woman in a male-dominated field and dealing with workplace harrassment.

Thoughts on the time travel aspect: We've seen this plot device before. But I liked how this book used it in a slightly different way, exploring the idea of fate vs free will. Are we able to change our destiny by changing our actions? Or does everything happen for a reason? I really liked how the book ended, which was not exactly how I predicted it would.

Characters: I really liked Sadie, especially when she was dealing with her job. I liked how she was still trying to find footing in life and I liked seeing how her career and priorities evolved throughout the book. When she was dealing with inner conflicts on how to deal with offensive/misogynistic remarks and actions that were said/done to her, I definitely related to her hesitance and thought that she was very real.

Jacob was a great MMC. He was a great presence in her life as someone who was there for Sadie and supported her, which I think is some of the greatest qualities of a MMC in a romance book. He is so so subtly sweet and very loveable. *chef's kiss*

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

What a cute book. I really enjoyed this one. I liked the plot of where the main character, after having a hard year gets to redo it, but she still remembers everything that happened even though technically it never did.

The MC Sadie was a solid lead and I feel the author reflected the insecurities and doubts she had really well. I also liked that you got to see her find her way back to where she should be.

I also think the topic of sexual harassment in the workplace was dealt with sympathetically.

5 star read. Recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Melissa Wiesner for the ARC in return for my honest opinions

I adored this book, so much so that I read it in three days. The deep rooted realism hits different with how much expectations Sadie places on herself throughout the book from pressure from her parents, her boyfriend, etc. The end also definitely made me cry and I have no shame at all about this. 5/5 Sadie & Jacob have a place in my heart forever.

OH MY GOD this was so cute! After a horrible year Sadie attends a New Year's Eve party where a fortune teller offers her the chance to re-do her year. After nothing changing, The next morning she wakes up on January 1st of the year before.

I read this book in one sitting and I don't regret a thing! I loved the way the story was paced and how the book didn't revolve directly around Sadie and Jacob's relationship, but focussed mainly on how Sadie grew from her previous mistakes. The writing and the cover are stunning too.

Jacob and Sadie were so adorable and I loved his friendship with her brother Owen. The side characters were amazing, especially Mrs Kaminski who definitely grew on me. Sadie's friendship with Kasumi was precious and Giocoso crawled his way into my stone cold heart.

Trigger warning for sexual harassment,

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I seriously can’t say enough good things about this book! I’m going to be sharing a full review and thoughts very soon, but this was absolutely my favorite book I’ve read in quite some time. I was hooked from the first page and thought the storyline and writing was incredible. Melissa Wiesner is one to watch! I love the concept of a book about choices and what would entail if we could go back and this did not disappoint