Publication Date: December 5, 2023
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.Â
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.
The Second Chance Year, a contemporary romance by Melissa Wiesner is totally unexpected in its storytelling. When Sadie asks a fortuneteller for a do-over of the last year of her life, it still doesn’t turn out how she expected, even with magic guiding her life. Two proverbs apply to this novel, “Be careful what you wish for,” and “Things happen for a reason.”
There were laugh-out-loud moments, disgust, annoyance, anger, sexual harassment in the workplace, unexpected friendships, job opportunities, and so much more. Sadie has always stood up for those less fortunate or those who couldn’t stand up for themselves until her “Very Bad Year” gets a makeover, and she changes how she approaches life and seems to go more with the flow, whether she should or not. We get to know her a little at a time, and some of those she surrounds herself with—friends, family, coworkers, and even those she cares for. The story takes place over a year, and I liked how chapters would be titled the next month as we proceeded through the story.
She and Jacob apparently have liked and loved each other from afar, but since Jacob is her brother Owen’s best friend, neither felt they could act on it. Or could they? There were many layers to the story and several different tropes and storylines. They are nicely woven together as dreams come true for many characters. I loved how Sadie’s flair for baking was central to the story and how I could almost taste the pastries and other treats she made. I liked that the coffee shop became an essential part of her life but that she didn’t realize how it was her lifesaver and helped fulfill her dreams. The story had a good flow, and there was closure with the epilogue, but I wish it had gone on just a little longer to see how their lives and new business venture panned out. The icing on the cake would be if the characters were revisited and if Owen or her best friend got their own books to tell their stories.
The Second Chance Year is a contemporary romance with a little bit of magic as Sadie’s life gets a do-over for her “Very Bad Year.” Sit back with a cup of coffee and a sweet treat or two as you engross yourself in Sadie’s life.
Melissa Wiesner’s mother didn’t allow her to watch much TV as a child and, instead, made her play with paint, colorful pipe cleaners, random bits of fabric, and other crafty things. This set up Melissa for a lifetime of creative pursuits, and it was only a matter of time before things took a bookish turn. A night owl, Melissa began writing novels when her early-to-bed family retired for the evening. She is the author of emotional women’s fiction and romantic comedies. Along with her charming husband and two adorable children, Melissa splits her time between the big city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and rural West Virginia.
