Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
June and Adam used to be roommates. With a lot of unfinished business.
✅Sexual tension
✅Free 6.4 Mil brownstone if they can live together for a month
✅Unresolved feelings
I enjoyed this debut a lot. I’m kind of mad that June didn’t realize how Adam felt before they moved out the first time because it was pretty clear. But I guess I wouldn’t have this adorable boom if she had so I’m okay with that.
This book is great. If you enjoy forced proximity, slow burn romances this is for you. It would be a great read to cozy up on the couch with as the leaves fall outside and pumpkins sit on your porch. It’s well written, the characters are likable, the situations are mostly plausible and the end is satisfying.
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Ballantine | Dell, NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read a digital arc for review. All opinions are my own.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
emotional
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
I am not a stay up late to finish a book kind of girlie but this one hooked me so much I just had to see it through to the end! I was shocked to learn that this is Richard's debut novel because I feel it can hold its weight among my favorite novels. The way she adds such life to both the charecters as well as the setting is a delight. Also, she is so great at balancing the tightrope that is miscommunication so that at no point in the novel you feel like it's no longer worth the chase.
I found June to be a refreshing FMC in that while she is in her thirties, she is still trying to figure life out. Her passion for theater jumps off the page and helps show her passion in all aspects of her life. I loved Adam's calm but still flirty nature, I believe that he makes the perfect counterpart to June's zest. The romance was sweet and calm, shown through acts of love and moments of yearning. I particularly was a fan of the flashback scenes to help show us that June and Adam will always be themselves even ten years later. I also have to give praise to Richard's for writing New York in the fall with such love and attention in a way that has me looking at plane tickets right now. I highly recommend adding this one to your fall TBR and escaping to 74 Perry Street for a sweet cozy romance. (Also, the people need a Robby book!)
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely loved this debut second-chance romance! The writing was strong and emotional, with just the right balance of angst, tenderness, and spice. The tension and slow-burn pining between June and Adam had me hooked from the beginning. I'm usually not a big fan of the miscommunication trope, but it didn’t detract from my investment in the story.
The dual timeline was executed beautifully and was very well-balanced. Every flashback added layers of meaning and intention to the plot, giving much insight into June and Adam’s dynamic. Watching their relationship unfold both in the past and present made their emotional journey feel so authentic.
The side characters were another highlight. They each brought something to the table and they all played such an important role in shaping the overall story. It’s clear that the author took great care in building a world where the characters felt real, flawed, and incredibly relatable.
This was such a heartfelt and delightful debut novel. I’m so excited to see what Joss Richard writes next!
Thank you to Dell/Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!
The dual timeline was executed beautifully and was very well-balanced. Every flashback added layers of meaning and intention to the plot, giving much insight into June and Adam’s dynamic. Watching their relationship unfold both in the past and present made their emotional journey feel so authentic.
The side characters were another highlight. They each brought something to the table and they all played such an important role in shaping the overall story. It’s clear that the author took great care in building a world where the characters felt real, flawed, and incredibly relatable.
This was such a heartfelt and delightful debut novel. I’m so excited to see what Joss Richard writes next!
Thank you to Dell/Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
So cute and what a way to kick off an author career. 3-4 open door romance scenes. Some swearing. Friends to lovers, second change romance, Broadway, food, best friendships, New York City… seriously, what’s not to love?!?!
Main TW: cancer, death of a loved one
Main TW: cancer, death of a loved one
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
🍂 roommates to lovers with a lot in between
🌆 dual timeline
🍂 first person single POV
🌆 actress & chef
🍂 autumn in New York
🌆 second chance
🍂 forced proximity
🌆 found family
🍂 “it’s always been you”
🌆 Broadway references
Joss Richard’s debut novel, It’s Different This Time, is a beautiful story of love, loss, coming into one’s own, and finding your way back home. I found the writing style to be warm and inviting while building characters with rich backstories and personalities, and settings that I couldn’t help but to picture in my mind as I read. I’m not typically a person who visualizes a book as she reads it, but I could actually see this book play out in front of me like a film. It would make a brilliant movie. I appreciated that each of the side characters were every bit as developed as the main ones, not merely thrown in as an afterthought. It gave the story such depth and kept my interest piqued.
Being able to watch June and Adam skirt around their mutual attraction, see everything fall apart, and to witness them ultimately fall in love (again) felt like a privilege, like I was granted access to someone’s real life and I got to see it all from the sidelines in the best way. I couldn’t help but to smile so many times while reading. Theirs is the sweetest love story, although a bit rocky in the middle, and an absolute joy to read.
“For the first time, I finally know what it feels like to be wanted, to be loved… and it’s the best feeling in the world.”
“It feels like we're two kids back on the fire escape, looking over New York. The concept of love and happiness is something that would solve everything. Here we are, almost a decade later, and that sentiment still rings true.”
“It’s a moment in time that looks just like ones years before, but it’s not. It’s different this time.”
Trigger warnings for cancer and Alzheimer’s
Thank you to Netgalley and Dell/Ballantine for the early copy of this book! Receiving a free advanced copy of this book did not influence my opinions or the content of my review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Grief
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hold on.... I think I just read one of my favorite books this year?! I want to let you know I was NOT prepared for how quickly and deeply this book hooked me from the very beginning. I'm so grateful I was given the opportunity to read this book early and I went in completely blind not knowing the of beautiul love story I was going to follow. The tension, the yearning, the chemistry... it’s all so palpable and real. It’s the kind of book that reminds you why you fell in love with reading romance in the first place.
Joss Richard had me gushing and spiraling at all the tiny, tender moments—his hand on her back, a lingering gaze across the room, a casual leg bump under the table. Those small, intimate details made my heart ache and flutter as I was trying to cram in and read as much as possible into very late hours I should have been sleeping. I really wasn't expecting the rollercoaster of emotions I felt while reading this. I felt like I knew the characters personally as they felt so alive and real to me. Bravo to Joss Richard! Thank you for the gift of an incredible second chance romance and for June and Adam, whose story will remain with me forever.
Joss Richard had me gushing and spiraling at all the tiny, tender moments—his hand on her back, a lingering gaze across the room, a casual leg bump under the table. Those small, intimate details made my heart ache and flutter as I was trying to cram in and read as much as possible into very late hours I should have been sleeping. I really wasn't expecting the rollercoaster of emotions I felt while reading this. I felt like I knew the characters personally as they felt so alive and real to me. Bravo to Joss Richard! Thank you for the gift of an incredible second chance romance and for June and Adam, whose story will remain with me forever.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book started out promising (I love a good friends to lovers), but it ultimately fell flat. I found the characters to be very one-dimensional to the point where I didn't really care what happened to them in the end. The initial conflict 5 years ago and the second conflict were both things that could've been solved with a simple conversation, and I felt like I was reading about teenagers communicating when the characters are in their 30s.
The New York part of the book also felt a bit too hallmark-y? It all felt very unrealistic and too cheesy.
There were also some typos, mostly missing quotation marks, enough of them that it was hard to overlook.
This book started out promising (I love a good friends to lovers), but it ultimately fell flat. I found the characters to be very one-dimensional to the point where I didn't really care what happened to them in the end. The initial conflict 5 years ago and the second conflict were both things that could've been solved with a simple conversation, and I felt like I was reading about teenagers communicating when the characters are in their 30s.
The New York part of the book also felt a bit too hallmark-y? It all felt very unrealistic and too cheesy.
There were also some typos, mostly missing quotation marks, enough of them that it was hard to overlook.