I ended 2023 feeling like I’d finally found a rom-com trope that I was totally into. I had a lot of success with books focusing on time travel last year, so I had high hopes for this one. While it may not have captivated me the way that “Cassandra in Reverse”, “This Spells Love” or “The Good Part” did, it definitely left me with a smile on my face.

The story follows Sadie Thatcher, a woman who is at rock bottom after losing everything she felt was important to her. She lost her job at one of New York’s finest restaurants because she couldn’t help but speak her mind. This propensity to call people out on their shit also landed her in hot water with her fiancée, leading him to call off their engagement. Desperate for a change, Sadie seizes an opportunity to redo her entire year when a fortune teller grants her a wish to travel back in time and redo every mistake she felt she made. However, she soon realizes that reliving her past mistakes isn’t as easy as she thought it would be, and maybe these mishaps weren’t really mistakes but instead meant to put her on a bigger and better trajectory in life.

One of the things that stood out to me in the novel was the attention to detail in describing Sadie’s journey through her second-chance year. Wiesner does an excellent job of illustrating the subtle changes in Sadie’s perspective as she re-experiences pivotal moments in her life. I enjoyed learning more about her as she relived these key moments, making small changes to ensure things played out differently. It was fun to see her gain new insights and uncover the red flags that she had previously overlooked.

The romance between Sadie and Jacob, her brother’s best friend, provides an extra layer of excitement to the story. Sadie and Jacob share a toe-curling kiss before she is flung back in time. When she awakens, she is back with her fiancée, and as she relives her year, she has to decide if staying with her fiancée is best or if she should pursue something with Jacob instead. This added a nice dynamic to the overall story, though I must say, I couldn’t understand what she saw in her fiancée in the first place. Also, I liked Jacob well enough, but I wasn’t completely smitten with him. He was just okay.

While I appreciated the creative concept behind the story and the genuine warmth it exuded, I felt that the plot fell a bit flat at times. There were moments when the narrative meandered, and I found myself longing for more depth and urgency. I enjoyed watching Sophie realize that she was just fine the way she was – big mouth and all – but I wish the story had been more engaging.
Overall, this was a cute story that explores the power of second chances and self-reflection. While the plot may have lacked a certain level of engagement for me personally, the heartwarming moments and relatable character development make this novel worth a read for rom-com lovers who are looking for something quick and light with a touch of magic.