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4.41 AVERAGE
4.41 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This was such an amazing debut from Joss Richard! Everything about this book was spectacular. I'm a sucker for NYC romances and this was probably one of the best ones that I've read. It was fun for me to recognize the places that June and Adam went to (i.e. Chelsea Market my beloved and Dortoni bakery which is right by where I work). I instantly fell in love with June and Adam and the rest of the characters. This book had really great found family vibes. I didn't want this book to end but the ending was so satisfying. If you like People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry (both plot and formatting wise), you will absolutely love this book. Also, if you like the Red album by Taylor Swift, you will love this book. This is going to be one of the must read books of 2025 so make sure you add it to your TBR!!
Thank you Dell for the advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Thank you Dell for the advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Once best friends and roommates, June and Adam haven’t spoken to each in years. A surprise from their previous landlord brings them back together though. Now on their way to becoming something more a second time, Adam and June are forced to confront what happened between them years ago and have to decide if things will be different this time.
Tropes:
-New York in the fall/winter vibes.
-Actress FMC and Chef MMC
-Second chance ❤️🩹
-Friends to lovers
-Everyone can see their attraction but them
-For fans of "Les Misérables”
-Dual timeline/ flashbacks
-Single POV
-“It’s always been you”
-🌶️🌶️ explicit descriptions and an open door scene.
-Explicit language throughout.
It’s Different This Time was such a fun read! It sucked me in and I got so invested in June and Adams relationship. It is perfect for fans of People We Meet on Vacation, super similar vibes relationship wise (in my opinion). Readers who like the “best friends who were on their way to becoming something more but got scared and stopped acting on their obviously mutual romantic feelings, and now after not talking to each other for years they are forced to confront their feelings and history to finally be together” trope will eat this book up. This was a fun debut by Joss Richard’s and I am excited to read more of her stuff in the future!!
TW:
-death of parent from cancer (brief on page scene post funeral)
-parent abandonment
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
Tropes:
-New York in the fall/winter vibes.
-Actress FMC and Chef MMC
-Second chance ❤️🩹
-Friends to lovers
-Everyone can see their attraction but them
-For fans of "Les Misérables”
-Dual timeline/ flashbacks
-Single POV
-“It’s always been you”
-🌶️🌶️ explicit descriptions and an open door scene.
-Explicit language throughout.
It’s Different This Time was such a fun read! It sucked me in and I got so invested in June and Adams relationship. It is perfect for fans of People We Meet on Vacation, super similar vibes relationship wise (in my opinion). Readers who like the “best friends who were on their way to becoming something more but got scared and stopped acting on their obviously mutual romantic feelings, and now after not talking to each other for years they are forced to confront their feelings and history to finally be together” trope will eat this book up. This was a fun debut by Joss Richard’s and I am excited to read more of her stuff in the future!!
TW:
-death of parent from cancer (brief on page scene post funeral)
-parent abandonment
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Cancer
emotional
funny
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:
Complicated
💛It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard💛
I’ve read a lot of debuts and this was hands down the best one I’ve ever read. This book was so incredible and the detail and depth of the story was so captivating.
I enjoyed this read so much, I absolutely devoured it in 24hours haha! Getting to know June, and Adam through June, was so so amazing. The companionship and just plain understanding between the two of them was so nice to read. Their banter and the quips throughout this book had me kicking my feet and giggling. The dual timeline and getting to walk alongside them through their story was so fun and satisfying even through the bumps haha.
I had tears in my eyes during the last few chapters. Everything was wrapped up so incredibly and I felt like it was a true ending to their story.
@joss.richard, you’re amazing and I cannot wait to read what comes next!
🎶I always pick a song for my books and this one has to be Spring into Summer by Lizzy McAlpine🎶
Thank you NetGalley & Random House for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review!
I’ve read a lot of debuts and this was hands down the best one I’ve ever read. This book was so incredible and the detail and depth of the story was so captivating.
I enjoyed this read so much, I absolutely devoured it in 24hours haha! Getting to know June, and Adam through June, was so so amazing. The companionship and just plain understanding between the two of them was so nice to read. Their banter and the quips throughout this book had me kicking my feet and giggling. The dual timeline and getting to walk alongside them through their story was so fun and satisfying even through the bumps haha.
I had tears in my eyes during the last few chapters. Everything was wrapped up so incredibly and I felt like it was a true ending to their story.
@joss.richard, you’re amazing and I cannot wait to read what comes next!
🎶I always pick a song for my books and this one has to be Spring into Summer by Lizzy McAlpine🎶
Thank you NetGalley & Random House for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. I absolutely loved it. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book; I knew nothing about it. But it was phenomenal. I loved June, and I loved Adam. Their friendship and the tension behind their history was excruciating in the best way. Chloe and Lucia were excellent side characters (but I'd love a whole story just about them, too). And the Harper family was a lovely aside. The will they/won't they vibe was excellent throughout, even to the end. I liked the back and forth between the before and the present. And all of the Broadway talk was perfect, especially since in my real life it was just Tony season and the second half of the Wicked movie is coming out this year and I'm full on in musical mode in my brain. This was just beautiful. Also I'd love it if someone gave me a $6M house, please.
Genuinely dumbfounded that this is a debut novel. I haven’t felt like this about a romance book in a while. So good I sat there staring at a while with tears in my eyes questioning my whole life. I truly felt like I was living alongside these two characters for 12 years. Wow, wow, WOW. Favorite romance I’ve read so far this year! Can’t wait to get my hands on it after release.
Thank you NetGalley & Random House for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley & Random House for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This story completely swept me off my feet. From the very first chapter, I was pulled into June and Adam’s world and couldn’t stop turning the pages.
June’s journey was powerful. Watching her navigate life fresh out of college and grow into the woman she dreamed of becoming was inspiring. Her decisions may have been extreme at times, but they were driven by fear, love, and the very real emotions that come with holding something precious too tightly.
Adam was such a standout. He chased his goals with quiet determination. His love for June never faded, and when their paths crossed again, his only goal was to do things right this time. His bond with his family added even more depth to his character. I couldn’t help but root for him.
The story of June and Adam felt incredibly real, full of raw emotion and authenticity. I found myself laughing, crying, and feeling everything right alongside the characters. It’s one of those rare books that truly gets under your skin and leaves a lasting mark.
Joss Richard has delivered a beautifully written, emotional story about love, timing, and second chances. I feel lucky to have read it early, and I can’t wait for others to experience this incredible book.
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-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
It’s Different This Time
by: Joss Richard
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is the debut book for author Joss Richard, so if you’re looking for a fresh new voice in romance, look no further! June and Adam were such a realistic portrayal of what it feels like to develop deep feelings for someone who you consider your best friend. Told in a dual timeline, this story did an amazing job of creating tension and causing so much yearning!
This book is a must read if you like:
🍂 Friends to Lovers
🍂 Forced Proximity
🍂 Dual Timeline
🍂 Second Chance Romance
Thank you to Megan Whalen at Dell Romance for sending me an eARC via email in exchange for an honest review.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A cute, easy read - 3.5 stars. While relatively predictable, it was a cozy story, good for a rainy fall day. Especially if you love NYC.
Joss Richard shows a lot of potential in her debut novel. It’s somewhere between a friends to lovers and second chance romance. June and Adam were best friends for six years only to not talk for the last five years. Now thrown together for a month, they fall back into their old relationship only this time with a different ending.
My biggest issue with this story is June herself. I’m bothered by how she treats her friends - being careless with Adam’s feelings, keeping things from Chloe, turning her back on everyone in her life for five years, etc. Additionally, she feels juvenile and her character arc la is the growth I was expecting (I.e., the third act miscommunication was more fitting for a 20yr old than a 30yr old).
Thank you to Richard, Dell, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Joss Richard shows a lot of potential in her debut novel. It’s somewhere between a friends to lovers and second chance romance. June and Adam were best friends for six years only to not talk for the last five years. Now thrown together for a month, they fall back into their old relationship only this time with a different ending.
My biggest issue with this story is June herself. I’m bothered by how she treats her friends - being careless with Adam’s feelings, keeping things from Chloe, turning her back on everyone in her life for five years, etc. Additionally, she feels juvenile and her character arc la is the growth I was expecting (I.e., the third act miscommunication was more fitting for a 20yr old than a 30yr old).
Thank you to Richard, Dell, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
How is this her first book?!?!? How is that possible?! I felt all the things in the course of reading this book and I laughed and I cried and screamed in my head at June, mostly, and about the musical theatre and ohmygawd!!! This book is very special. Very sweet and sad and lovely and funny and NEW YORK! I was able to feel the city and breathe in the energy of the places and I really think I would have loved to live there at some point.
Still can’t believe it’s her first book. Just. Wow. 💜💜💜📚
Still can’t believe it’s her first book. Just. Wow. 💜💜💜📚