emuhly 's review for:

It's Different This Time by Joss Richard

5.0

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if you’re a second chance superfan like me, let me tell you right now: run, don’t walk to pick this up when it comes out on september 30th! i requested this on a whim and i couldn’t be happier that i took a chance – i completely devoured this in one day, and it was so hard to put it down even for the sake of a meal. i was that locked in. 

in particular, i found myself reminded of books like happy place and the ex vows, which are two books that i absolutely adore. one of my biggest pet peeves in second chance and/or friends-to-lovers plotlines is when the author doesn’t make me believe in their history. if this foundation is so completely vital to the storyline, and to this couple’s love story, i need to feel it! joss richard did an incredible job with this exact thing – the flashbacks really brought that part of their story to life, and made me believe in both their friendship and the potential for more that always haunted the narrative. the slow burn was perfect, each flashback was perfectly placed, and even though june was so unbelievably wrong to leave the way she did, i was still rooting for them the whole time. it was perfect! 

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.