Reviews

Five First Chances by Sarah Jost

hazelrosen's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

goatsbookgarden's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

aridoubra's review against another edition

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2.5

I expected more, but it was a snooze first. The fantasy part pulled me in but it fell off. 

lololovesthings's review

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4 stars!

When I began reading "Five First Chances" by Sarah Jost, I was not sold until about 20ish% in. It took a long time for the story and characters to click for me, but once they did, I really found myself enjoying this book. Don't go in expecting a fluffy, easygoing romance... it gets really dark and hard to read at times because of its subject matter. It can be bittersweet and heartbreaking, but it can also be miraculous, joyful, and restorative. As Lou, the female main character, relives a portion of her life over and over again, she learns how to be a better person, more open and honest, and someone who doesn't just live in the shadows of her life. She also connects with the main male character, Nick, more and more every go-around. She finds out that Nick is her destiny rather quickly. The question is: can she stop the inevitable from happening so she can get her life right? I liked the characters in this book, and I like how they learn from their mistakes and change over time. Lou starts out as selfish and kind of hard to root for, but her motivations and mannerisms are explored as the book continues. She learns to be strong, to be independent, to ask for what she wants, to trust herself, and to not take life for granted. Each of Lou's "chances" are *just* different enough to not be overly repetitive. Some might call me weird, but I actually love the way this book ends. I think it makes Lou's story and her struggles all that more impactful. I also liked Nick as a character, as well as many of the supporting players who also learn and grow as the story moves on. This is a slowly paced read, so I have a hunch many people will give up on it before it gets good... please don't do that! Take a chance on this book. You won't regret it. It will make you feel things you didn't know you were capable of feeling, and it will make you think about things you may not have considered in the past.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Jost, and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

sydsshelves's review against another edition

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4.0

A book that can make me cry will always be considered a great book in my mind! I didn’t expect this book to be sad, but here we are, having our heart broken and crying on my couch. 👍

I loved the usage of a time loop in this book, however it took me a minute to realize just how conscious/not conscious Louise was of her ability to go back in time. It was a little bit choppy when first reading it, but I went back and reread the chapter and it helped me understand a little bit more. I found it so fun to watch Louise get to live all these “different” lives when she’d go back. It brought choice into play as a key plotline and I really enjoyed it! For a debut, I was quite pleased. 

I loved that while the romance was integral to the storyline, it wasn’t the be all end all of the whole book. Nick and Louise’s story will rip you to shreds and that fifth chance absolutely gutted me. I was so excited and then promptly so sad. Who allowed this book to tug on my heartstrings and tear ducts like this??? 

Overall, if you like time loops, love and the impact of choice this could and probably should be your next read. Keep kleenex on standby though. 

🤍 Thank you so much to the publisher @bookmarked and the author @sarahjost_writesfor this physical advanced reader copy! Please always send me books that will make me sob. 

sagedotzoe's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

haylethal's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Lou feels like she’s stuck in a rut personally and professionally. She moves to England from Switzerland for a change and shortly after, her former partner announces his engagement to someone else. She suddenly feels herself slipping back in time to two years ago to try to change the trajectory of her life. 

I love and am obsessed with time loop novels. However, this one didn’t really work for me. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something about it didn’t gel right. 

Louise as a character was just ok. I really liked Nick though and the supporting characters like Yuki and Marion. 

I got bored about halfway through, but kept going and was not disappointed by the end. I really did like the ending. 

If you liked In Five Years by Rebecca Serle, you’ll probably like this book too.

sparetimereader's review against another edition

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3.75

Short synopsis: Lou is given the five chances to live the life of her dreams. 

My thoughts: I almost quit this one a number of times. I didn’t connect with the story until about halfway through. All-in-all I’m glad I stuck with it. There were some great character growth and depth that ultimately came with this poignant story. 

I thought it was fun that the more times she went back, the more she remembered what she’d done before. I loved the way it ended, and the learning experiences Lou and Nick had together. 

Read if you love: 
  • Time loops
  • Tragic storylines
  • Sad romances 
  • Character growth 
  • Great friendships 

Thank you to Sourcebooks for an early copy of this book! 

arbertram10's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense

4.5

srcaffrey's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Five First Chances by Sarah Jost is a Women's Lit book that focuses around the character Lou as she falls through time, again and again, learning to become the person she wants to be.

I couldn't put this book down. I am a sucker for time loop novels, especially ones that include romance. And while this book includes romance, it is not a romance book. This book is heartbreaking and inspirational, and it will make you cry so hard you can't see the words on the page.

But don't let the "heartbreak" deter you from reading this book. The Time Loop is done wonderfully, and in a way I hadn't seen done before, which is good, because I read a lot of time loop books. The characters are beautifully written. The growth Lou and Nick make after each loop is noticeable and appreciated. And reading the book never feels repetitive, which is hard in books like these.

I highly recommend this book. But make sure you set aside ample time to read it, because you will not want to stop. And also, make sure you have a box of tissue next to you. You're going to need it.