It’s Different This Time

*NetGalley eARC Review *

It’s Different This Time by Joss Richards

This is a second-chance romance set in New York City with a dual timeline: past and present. We follow June, a struggling actress, and Adam, who’s now a successful chef and restaurateur. In the past, they meet in NYC, become roommates, and build a strong friendship. In the present, they’re forced back into each other’s lives, and those old feelings start to resurface.

Their chemistry is clear from the start, so it’s really satisfying when they finally give in to it. The NYC setting is super charming, with a cozy fall vibe, and there are a lot of cute, feel-good moments between them.

That said, the back and forth between timelines could get a little confusing. Also, the big reason they broke up the first time? It’s teased for most of the book, and when it’s finally revealed, it doesn’t feel like that big of a deal. Definitely not enough to end a relationship over. The third-act breakup felt like a repeat of the same issue, which was frustrating. It uses one of those romance tropes that feels tired at this point, and it kind of made it seem like the characters hadn’t really grown.

Overall, it doesn’t do anything super new for the genre, but if you love second-chance romances or anything set in NYC, it’s a fun read with plenty of heart.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Spice Level: 🌶️

Blurb:

In this sweeping, second-chance romance, a twist of fate forces two former roommates back into their beloved New York City brownstone where they must confront the events that led to their estrangement—and the unresolved feelings lingering between them.

Reeling from the cancellation of her hit TV show, June Wood has nothing left to lose when a mysterious email lures her back to the New York City brownstone she once called home before she moved to Los Angeles. Thanks to a clause in the former owner’s will, she and her old roommate, Adam Harper, now own the multimillion-dollar property—or at least they will in a month, once all the paperwork is signed.

Four weeks, then June can return to her life in LA and forget about New York City and everything she left behind. Sure, the fact that June and Adam are estranged and haven’t even spoken in five years, and that their friendship didn’t exactly end on good terms might complicate matters, but this is an opportunity of a lifetime.

As the autumn leaves fall around them, through shared meals and late-night conversations, old wounds and long-buried sparks resurface, and it becomes strikingly clear: June and Adam have unfinished business. Confronted with the consequences of their choices years before, they must now navigate the minefield of their past the best way they know how: together. Second chances are always a risk, but maybe, if they get it right and are finally honest with each other and with themselves, it could be different this time.