REVIEW: The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner

In The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner, Everyone’s had a bad day. Maybe even a bad week or month. But Sadie Thatcher has just had a Very Bad Year and all she wants is to be able to go back and do things differently. Perhaps then she won’t lose everything: her job, her boyfriend, her apartment, or have to sleep in her brother’s best friend’s guest bedroom. When she runs into a fortune teller at a New Year’s Eve party, Sadie pleads her case. And even though she gives a stern warning about it never turning out well, the fortune teller obliges. After nothing seems to happen when the spell is cast, Sadie trudges back to Jacob’s apartment, ready to mope. But the surprise kiss with her new roomie, well…that’s something that might make her Very Bad Year oh so much better.

‘Suddenly the room is spinning. Because though it’s January first, just like I expected… It’s January first, twelve months ago. The entire last year of my life is–gone. Gone. Just like I wished for.’

Sadie is shocked to wake up the next morning on January first a year in the past. It seems the fortune teller’s spell *did* work. Excited to correct all the wrongs that set bad things into motion, she tries to hold her temper–and her big mouth–in check, all while keeping her eyes open for what she missed the last time around. But it seems like even with Sadie’s good intentions, things still go awry. Just in a different way. Unsure if she’s messing things up or if this is just the universe telling her she can’t have what she’s wanted for so long, she’s pleasantly surprised when things finally start clicking into place. And maybe the best part of all, the person she can’t imagine not being with is someone who’s been in her life for many, many years.

‘I was so wrapped up in what I thought I wanted I didn’t stop to recognize what I actually had. I’ll never make that mistake again.’

A pleasing mix of humor, soul searching, complicated relationship dynamics, and a hint of magic, THE SECOND CHANCE YEAR was my fabulous introduction to Melissa Wiesner’s heartfelt writing.

‘That’s when I realize that it’s not only the trajectory of my life that I’m altering in this strange second chance year. There’s a domino effect for everyone around me.’

CW: View Spoiler »Workplace sexual harassment, sexism, blackmail. « Hide Spoiler

Time jump/magical realism novels seem to be all the rage lately and for good reason. There’s something so fun about watching the main character–in this case, Sadie–being tossed back a year in her life and seeing what she picked up on differently this time around. It’s something we’ve all probably thought to ourselves: “I’d love to go back and change how I handled that situation”. But as the fortune teller warned Sadie when she performed the magical spell, be careful what you wish for as it might not turn out as you’d hoped or planned. Which was definitely what happened in THE SECOND CHANCE YEAR.

I will caution that sensitive readers will want to check out the CW. Sadie and some of her coworkers weren’t always treated well by their bosses or even customers at the restaurant. What I really thought was interesting was that Sadie, being a naturally extroverted, outspoken woman who stood up for herself and those around her, tried toning herself down to fit into the situations she lived over again. Without giving too much away, Sadie had, ahem, varying results at being less forthright. (lol) Readers will laugh over some of the times she held herself in check. Other times…not so much. You could see the issues ahead but some of them just had to happen in order for Sadie to grow and come to terms with what she really wanted in life.

In a novel filled with awesome characters and fun, lively banter, my favorite person (aside from pastry chef Sadie, of course) has to be Jacob. Talk about the perfect example of a beta hero. *swoon* He was always a positive light in Sadie’s world, even if she didn’t realize the connection they shared until it was almost too late. I just adored the ways Jacob showed up for Sadie–both small and large. And I can honestly say that after some bumpy moments, their HEA was everything I had hoped for.

QOTD: If you had the chance, would you do over a year of your life?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: December 5th, 2023 | by Forever |

In this unforgettable story full of charm, wit—and just a bit of magic—a woman down on her luck is given a second chance at fixing her life and trying one year all over again. Perfect for readers of Josie Silver and Rebecca Serle.

Sadie Thatcher’s life has fallen apart in spectacular fashion. In one fell swoop, she managed to lose her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend—all thanks to her big mouth. So when a fortune teller offers her one wish, Sadie jumps at the chance to redo her awful year. Deep down, she doesn’t believe magic will fix her life, but taking a leap of faith, Sadie makes her wish, opens her eyes, and . . . nothing has changed. And then, in perhaps her dumbest move yet, she kisses her brother’s best friend, Jacob. When Sadie wakes up the next morning, she’s in her former apartment with her former boyfriend, and her former boss is expecting her at work. Checking the date, she realizes it’s January 1 . . . of last year. As Sadie navigates her second-chance year, she begins to see the red flags she missed in her relationship and in her career. Plus, she keeps running into Jacob, and she can’t stop thinking about their kiss . . . the one he has no idea ever happened. Suddenly, Sadie begins to wonder if her only mistake was wishing for a second chance.

Book of the Month’s December Add On. The Knot’s “The Coziest Romance Books to Snuggle Up with Fall & Winter 2023”.