The Second Chance Year

A touch of magic and a heap of self-growth animate this sparkling and sophisticated rom-com from Wiesner (His Secret Daughter). New York City pastry chef Sadie Thatcher has had a “Very Bad Year”: she was dumped by her long-term boyfriend; fired by her celebrity chef boss; and, in the final moments of New Year’s Eve, impulsively kissed her brother’s best friend, Jacob, only for him to reject her. Fortunately, her desperate wish to relive the year unexpectedly comes true. This time, she vows to hold her tongue when she’s offended by her boyfriend’s coworkers’ sexist attitudes if it means saving their relationship, and look the other way when her boss sexually harasses staff if it means saving her job. But what if the decisions that caused everything to go wrong were ultimately the right things to do? Meanwhile, she can’t stop thinking about Jacob, who, she notices for the first time, is always there when she needs him, and finds a supportive community inside a local coffee shop that Wiesner fills with quirky characters who push Sadie to be her best self. Sadie is a wonderfully shaded character whose occasional awkwardness makes her all the more endearing. This enchanting Sliding Doors–style romance is sure to win plenty of admirers. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Dec.)