It's Different This Time

It's Different This Time
By Joss Richard
Dell, an imprint of Random House, 2025. 420 pages. Romance.

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.

It's Different This Time is a fantastic debut novel with a whole lot of heart and yearning, showcasing the love story of June and Adam while also acting as a love letter to New York City, Broadway, and Autumn. There were times where I found myself frustrated by both Adam and June (especially June) when they wouldn't properly communicate with one another, but their intentions and their insecurities felt very human and realistic in a way that only added emotional depth to the story and made the pay-off even more worth it. If you are looking for a slow-burn, second-chance, friends-to-lovers romance that also touches on tough topics like grief in a sensitive, beautiful way, you will love It's Different This Time.

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Grab your favorite fall candle, cuddle into a comfy blanket, and travel back in time to 1997 autumn in Vermont in this cozy, slow-burn romance. My new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn't notice them, I swear. I, on the other hand, don't-at all-have anything figured out. Trust me, I didn't think taking over my mom's dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy. It should be a good place to heal after my divorce. But apparently my scones belong in the garbage with my small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff. 

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ND