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niftyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
5.0
First impression review:
I found a new go-to pick-me-up romance read. I loved everything about this. The only thing I’m mad about is how long I waited to read it.
Full Review:
I had a few quick thoughts when I finished SECOND CHANCE YEAR by Melissa Weisner:
I’m so happy right now.
Katie, why did you wait so long to read this?
You must tell everyone about this book.
And now, because I know y’all are at the edge of your seats, I will elaborate on each thought 🤓
I’m so happy right now.
Tbh, so many smiles happened during this book, especially at the end! It is a Groundhog’s Day-esque book without the same-day repeating. Our FMC gets to redo a year, and every moment is handled with thought and humor. I just loved it!
Katie, why did you wait so long to read this?
Yes, sometimes I talk (yell) at myself in the third person, but this was deserved. So, shame on me for having the Netgalley arc and letting it sit by the wayside, but I’m doing much better at staying on top of those and catching up! This book was recommended on my Libby app and looked cute! (I had forgotten it’s on my past due Netgalley list I’m working through 🤦🏻♀️) And the audiobook was so cute!!!! So that was a definite win for me on many levels, haha.
You must tell everyone about this book.
Well, I already have been as I listened, when I finished, and now all y’all are officially hearing about it in this review! The story is so funny and heartwarming, with good arms and abs descriptions, a great found family, and the coolest way to become a cat lady. Plus, if you’re an audiobook person, Helen Laser does an excellent job as the narrator! I know where one of my Libro credits is going because this is one I’ll be listening to again!
Take my quick thoughts or the expanded version, but do yourself a favor and read SECOND CHANCE YEAR. It’s fun, and it made me smile and laugh so much. I hope it brings you the same joy, too!
I found a new go-to pick-me-up romance read. I loved everything about this. The only thing I’m mad about is how long I waited to read it.
Full Review:
I had a few quick thoughts when I finished SECOND CHANCE YEAR by Melissa Weisner:
I’m so happy right now.
Katie, why did you wait so long to read this?
You must tell everyone about this book.
And now, because I know y’all are at the edge of your seats, I will elaborate on each thought 🤓
I’m so happy right now.
Tbh, so many smiles happened during this book, especially at the end! It is a Groundhog’s Day-esque book without the same-day repeating. Our FMC gets to redo a year, and every moment is handled with thought and humor. I just loved it!
Katie, why did you wait so long to read this?
Yes, sometimes I talk (yell) at myself in the third person, but this was deserved. So, shame on me for having the Netgalley arc and letting it sit by the wayside, but I’m doing much better at staying on top of those and catching up! This book was recommended on my Libby app and looked cute! (I had forgotten it’s on my past due Netgalley list I’m working through 🤦🏻♀️) And the audiobook was so cute!!!! So that was a definite win for me on many levels, haha.
You must tell everyone about this book.
Well, I already have been as I listened, when I finished, and now all y’all are officially hearing about it in this review! The story is so funny and heartwarming, with good arms and abs descriptions, a great found family, and the coolest way to become a cat lady. Plus, if you’re an audiobook person, Helen Laser does an excellent job as the narrator! I know where one of my Libro credits is going because this is one I’ll be listening to again!
Take my quick thoughts or the expanded version, but do yourself a favor and read SECOND CHANCE YEAR. It’s fun, and it made me smile and laugh so much. I hope it brings you the same joy, too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Bullying, and Misogyny
readingonthefly's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.5
I liked it! This was a super short read, and easy to get into. I thought the premise of the book was similar to other time travel books (The Good Part) but had a few differences. Slightly heavier topics of sexual harrassement in the workplace and misogyny are covered in this book. Overall I did enjoy it but it’s not one that will be super memorable to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexism and Misogyny
juanat77's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Alcohol, Bullying, Gaslighting, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
jazzsilvestri's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
vj_thompson's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
5.0
This book gave me all the feels and made me feel giddy while reading. I loved the found family aspect among Sadie's little community of friends. I enjoyed every moment of this book 💕
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexism, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Classism, Bullying, and Alcohol
Minor: Racism and Sexual assault
kateyoutka's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
5.0
I read this and Sarah Adler's newest, Happy Medium, back-to-back, and now I'm on a magical realism romance high.
Sadie has had the worst year of her life. When she meets a fortune teller at an over-the-top party on New Year's Eve, she wishes to relive it again to make different decisions....right before she drunkenly kisses her brother's best friend Jacob at midnight, which leaves her reeling. When she wakes up on New Year's Day and discovers that fortune teller wasn't a fraud, and she actually *has* been transported back in time a year, she pledges to do everything differently. She won't yell at her boyfriend's coworker for being a sexist jerk, so her boyfriend won't break up with her. She won't tell off her abusive boss, so she won't get fired and lose her beloved apartment. But the fact that she's reliving her last year means that kiss at midnight didn't actually happen, and she's thinking about it more than she's comfortable with.
Throughout Sadie's second chance year, she resists her impulse to be all the things that got her dumped and fired -- loud, opinionated, impulsive -- and slowly realizes that just because the horrible things that happened to her last year aren't happening this year, she somehow doesn't feel any better. Meanwhile, she's lost a bit of herself along the way, and she keeps running into Jacob, who has no idea about the kiss that is haunting Sadie (because for him, it never happened).
Melissa Wiesner's written a book that is both romantic and heartwarming, but is also an extremely insightful read at the beginning of a new year. It gives the reader a lot to think about -- if you could relive a year of your life, would you? And if you did things differently -- would you actually be better off?
Sadie has had the worst year of her life. When she meets a fortune teller at an over-the-top party on New Year's Eve, she wishes to relive it again to make different decisions....right before she drunkenly kisses her brother's best friend Jacob at midnight, which leaves her reeling. When she wakes up on New Year's Day and discovers that fortune teller wasn't a fraud, and she actually *has* been transported back in time a year, she pledges to do everything differently. She won't yell at her boyfriend's coworker for being a sexist jerk, so her boyfriend won't break up with her. She won't tell off her abusive boss, so she won't get fired and lose her beloved apartment. But the fact that she's reliving her last year means that kiss at midnight didn't actually happen, and she's thinking about it more than she's comfortable with.
Throughout Sadie's second chance year, she resists her impulse to be all the things that got her dumped and fired -- loud, opinionated, impulsive -- and slowly realizes that just because the horrible things that happened to her last year aren't happening this year, she somehow doesn't feel any better. Meanwhile, she's lost a bit of herself along the way, and she keeps running into Jacob, who has no idea about the kiss that is haunting Sadie (because for him, it never happened).
Melissa Wiesner's written a book that is both romantic and heartwarming, but is also an extremely insightful read at the beginning of a new year. It gives the reader a lot to think about -- if you could relive a year of your life, would you? And if you did things differently -- would you actually be better off?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault
jessgreads's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment
lovelymisanthrope's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.5
I heard about this book online, and I was immediately intrigued and wanted to read it during this holiday season.
"The Second Chance Year" follows Sadie Thatcher, a woman who has just completed the worst year of her life. On New Years Eve, Sadie craves nothing more than a do-over. She lost her job, her boyfriend, and her beloved apartment all in one year, and she has not been able to pull herself out of this depression since. A chance encounter on New Years Eve gives Sadie the opportunity to get her second chance, but a second chance might not be what she actually needed.
This story was so special and sweet, and it really explored this idea of differentiating between what you actually need and what you think you need. Sadie has convinced herself that she can make her life better if she just has a second chance to do everything "right". But it does not take her long to realize that to do things "right" means conforming for people who never actually appreciated her. She also learns very quickly that life is going to play out how it is supposed to, with or without her interference.
People around Sadie do not seem to really see her and appreciate how great and talented she actually is. Sadie is a very skilled baker, but her parents snub her accomplishments because they are not scholarly enough. She has a big mouth and stands up for what she believes in, but her boyfriend sees her stirring the pot. Sadie is lucky enough to have a small circle of people who do appreciate her, but it takes her second chance year for her to really see that. I loved seeing Sadie realize that she really did have it good, she was just looking at things wrong.
Sadie's bad year was a trainwreck, but it helped to establish the life she was meant to live all along. I think so many of us tend to see doors closing as a bad thing, but sometimes that can just be the universe trying to redirect us back on the path that is destined for us. Sadie's growth and reestablishment of her self-confidence was beautiful to read.
I did think this was a romance going into the book, and there is a really sweet romantic interest for Sadie, but it was not the main focus of the story, in my opinion. I loved Jacob, and I wanted to see more from him and Sadie, but it took her the entire book to realize her true feelings for him. I loved the messaging that Jacob has always seen Sadie for how great she is, and that for the right person, you do not need to change a thing.
This was a beautiful, quick story, that is perfect to read this time of year, to get inspired to live your best self in the new year!
"The Second Chance Year" follows Sadie Thatcher, a woman who has just completed the worst year of her life. On New Years Eve, Sadie craves nothing more than a do-over. She lost her job, her boyfriend, and her beloved apartment all in one year, and she has not been able to pull herself out of this depression since. A chance encounter on New Years Eve gives Sadie the opportunity to get her second chance, but a second chance might not be what she actually needed.
People around Sadie do not seem to really see her and appreciate how great and talented she actually is. Sadie is a very skilled baker, but her parents snub her accomplishments because they are not scholarly enough. She has a big mouth and stands up for what she believes in, but her boyfriend sees her stirring the pot. Sadie is lucky enough to have a small circle of people who do appreciate her, but it takes her second chance year for her to really see that. I loved seeing Sadie realize that she really did have it good, she was just looking at things wrong.
Sadie's bad year was a trainwreck, but it helped to establish the life she was meant to live all along. I think so many of us tend to see doors closing as a bad thing, but sometimes that can just be the universe trying to redirect us back on the path that is destined for us. Sadie's growth and reestablishment of her self-confidence was beautiful to read.
I did think this was a romance going into the book, and there is a really sweet romantic interest for Sadie, but it was not the main focus of the story, in my opinion. I loved Jacob, and I wanted to see more from him and Sadie, but it took her the entire book to realize her true feelings for him. I loved the messaging that Jacob has always seen Sadie for how great she is, and that for the right person, you do not need to change a thing.
This was a beautiful, quick story, that is perfect to read this time of year, to get inspired to live your best self in the new year!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
guardianofthebookshelf's review
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Misogyny
uranaishi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcohol, Classism, Sexism, Bullying, Grief, Gaslighting, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual content, Cursing, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, and Toxic relationship