It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard: A Second Chance Romance
Looking for a second chance romance to read? My Review of It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard is one of my picks for the Best Cozy Romance Books for Fall 2025 and I’m here to tell you all about it. Check out my full list of Cozy Autumn Romance books here!
Review of It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard: A Second Chance Romance
Publication date: September 30, 2025 by Dell Books. Thanks to the publisher for the advance copy for review.
The cover of It’s Different This Time screams fall, with a couple sitting on the steps of a West Village brownstone surrounded by autumn leaves.
However, this cover is a bit of a catfish, as It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard is not really a fall romance at all.
June and Adam are shocked to be summoned by a lawyer who informs them that they have been willed a West Village townhouse by their former landlord. The book claims this townhouse is worth $6 but NO WAY.
Here’s the setting of It’s Different This Time:
This house is 74 Perry Street, the same block as the famous Carrie Bradshaw house (64 Perry). 74 Perry Street last changed hands in 2014 for over $16 million.
June, a struggling actress, is only worried about the awkwardness of having to live with Adam until the will is through probate. They ended their friendship (or whatever it was) on a very bad note.
But we will not know what drove them apart until MUCH later. SO much later.
It’s Different This Time has:
- A distinctly Emily Henry vibe.
- Past/present narrative: I was not a fan of this as I just wanted to tell me why they beefed and move on.
- Family trauma: death of a parent and a child who was rejected by a parent
- VERY slow burn second chance romance
- A main character with attachment issues who could use therapy
- LOW to no fall vibes. (See my Fall Romance Round Up for the cozy fall vibes we expect!) Adam does buy a pumpkin at one point at least. And they eat a pumpkin pie.
- Perhaps it was my mistake to assume that this was a fall book, thought it does take place in fall!
If you love EmHen, then definitely give this a try. If you are looking for books with STRONG fall vibes, check out that roundup!
I just finished this the other day, and I loved it. I was giggling at your bullet points about the therapy. It’s true though. I found making me wait for the whole story of what happened in the past really cranked my emotions.