A review by stephsnextread
The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner

4.0

Sadie’s outspoken ways made her lose her boyfriend and her job. With the help of a little magic, she is given the opportunity to re-do the past year. She’s hoping that she can be less impulsive and fix everything this time around. But will things be better?

I really enjoyed this book! It felt more like women’s fiction to me than romance, because so much of the book was focused on Sadie’s character development. I loved Sadie’s journey and exploration of this second chance. She navigates career decisions, friendship challenges, and love. She learns a lot about herself and how she wants to present to the world.

There is romance, but I felt like it was the weakest part of the book and it was missing something for me. In this re-do year, Sadie is drawn to her brother’s best friend, who she has never noticed in that way before. I enjoyed them together and he was really sweet, but I was missing why she suddenly wanted him. I wanted to swoon and root for them, but I just didn’t. However, this didn’t keep me from flying through this book. I was invested in Sadie’s journey enough to keep me reading.

I recommend this book if you enjoy magical realism, character development, and second chances. The time loop starts over on New Year’s Day, so it would be a great NYE/New Year read!

Note: Check trigger warnings regarding SA (mild but could be triggering) if that is something you need.