THE SECOND CHANCE YEAR

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.

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“A touch of magic and a heap of self-growth animate this sparkling and sophisticated rom-com.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A swoony romance with a subplot about harassment and sexism in the workplace, Wiesner’s latest will resonate with every reader who’s wondered, ‘What if?'” —Booklist, starred review

“Wiesner, a top-notch storyteller, puts a fresh, fun spin on a classic set-up. A self-aware, flawed, quirky heroine–with a strong supporting cast; a slow-burning, opposites-attract romance; and well-drawn scenes that tackle issues of feminism and workplace microaggressions–makes for a delightful seriocomic read that dynamically explores the what-ifs of life.” —Shelf Awareness

“An ambitious woman finding her way in the world and the heart-meltingly caring man who loves her for who she is combine to make this a charming romance.” —Library Journal

“Tough themes with a light touch and many winning characters.” —Kirkus Reviews

“*The* book you need to read before setting your resolutions.” —The Knot

“The Second Chance Year is a charmingly sweet time-loop romance about a hard yet hope-filled journey to discovering what truly matters in life, embracing your voice, and standing up for what you believe in.” —Chloe Liese, author of Two Wrongs Make a Right

1. When Sadie meets the fortune teller and asks about a do-over, she says about her Very Bad Year: “I can’t help thinking if I’d known what was coming, I would have made different choices.” Is there a year of your life you look back on and wish you could do over? What choices would you make differently?
2. Sadie worked with Zoe, José Luis, and Mrs. Kaminski at Higher Grounds during her Very Bad Year, but she doesn’t grow close with them until she goes back there during her second chance year. Why do you think she didn’t appreciate them the first time around?
3. When Jacob goes to Sadie’s apartment to share the desserts Sadie baked for her parents, Jacob tells her he’s never been able to reach out and grab the one thing he’s always wanted in life. What factors were holding Jacob back from confessing his feelings for Sadie for all those years?
4. Sadie has a very difficult relationship with her parents throughout the book. But at one point, her mother reveals that even as a university dean, she still has to work harder than the men in her department. Sadie is surprised to learn that her mother is still dealing with sexism at her high-level job. Did this conversation change your opinion of Sadie’s mother? What about Sadie’s father? Why or why not?
5. As the #metoo movement has shown, many women who experience sexual harassment keep quiet about it. Throughout the book, Sadie deals with unwanted advances from Rob Thurmond and her boss, Xavier. Yet, she doesn’t tell anyone about it until she opens up to Kasumi at the end of the book. Only then does she learn that Kasumi had similar experiences. Can you relate to why Sadie and Kasumi kept quiet? Why or why not?
6. On New Year’s Eve of Sadie’s Very Bad Year, she tells Jacob, “I’m too old to let my big mouth ruin my career and my relationships.” So, in her second chance year, she stops speaking up, even in situations she believes are wrong—such as when Alex’s coworker Zach makes sexist comments or Xavier blames a line cook for ruining a pan of food. What did you think of Sadie’s first approach (loudly calling people out) compared to her second approach (staying silent)? What would your approach be in similar situations?
7. Later in the book, we learn that Owen would rather be inventing video games than working for a robotics company. Why do you think Sadie was able to go against her parents’ wishes and Owen wasn’t? Sadie tells Owen that she’d support him if he decided to give up his job and follow his dream. Do you think Owen will ever decide to do this? If so, how do you think their parents will react?
8. At the end of the book, when Sadie learns that Paige and Brandon met on a dating app, she thinks, “Somehow, despite my meddling, everything worked out exactly as it was supposed to.” She calls it “some serious cosmic intervention.” Do you believe that everything works out as it’s supposed to? Or do you think we’re able to control our own destinies?

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for choosing to read The Second Chance Year with your book club! I hope you found the book funny and entertaining. At the same time, I hope the themes of this story spark some interesting conversations among your group.

My inspiration for this book began with the idea of the do-over. I imagined that all of us have something in our past—a conversation, an event, maybe even an entire year—that we’d love to go back and change. We think that maybe if we knew then what we know now, we could fix our mistakes and life would be perfect.

But if we actually had the chance to go back and change the past, would we be happier? Or would we find that things had actually worked out for the best the first time around?

Do we sometimes second-guess ourselves when maybe we shouldn’t? Sadie is someone who rarely second-guessed herself until, in one Very Bad Year, everything fell apart.

Or so she thought.

As I began to dig into Sadie’s Second Chance Year, I happened to read about several incidents during the #metoo movement where high-profile chefs were accused of sexual misconduct by women working in their restaurants. I imagined how women in those situations might have second-guessed their own instincts, maybe to hold on to their job, for fear that they would be blamed, or maybe because on some level, they blamed themselves for what happened. These #metoo stories inspired Sadie’s career as a pastry chef and her job in Xavier’s restaurant.

Ultimately, in writing this book, I wanted to explore Sadie’s journey through second-guessing and self-doubt until she finally came to understanding the value of believing in herself and trusting her instincts.

I hope you enjoyed Sadie’s story! I’d love to hear more about your book club discussion, so please reach out over social media! And thank you again for reading.

Best wishes,
Melissa