Now, this, this was an emotional rollercoaster. There is so much to say about this book. The idea of people falling in love during a time loop was very intriguing to me. I wasn't sure how the author was going to make this work, but I found the way Chen brought characters together was very interesting and heart braking at times. One aspect of this book that I adore is how much we get to know both Carter, Mariana, and their mannerisms. For instance, I love how Carter is writing everything down in his notebook: down to the second. Those are the ones to trust. Also, Mariana's place is giving smart house vibes- if you know, you know.

Another aspect that I find to be intriguing is how both Mariana and Carter are interpreting their experience. At first, Mariana thinks Carter is from a different dimension, and he thinks he's stuck in time. However, the shock for me was Carter's justification for bringing someone else into the loop- he is so casual about it.

In terms of the book's logistics, I don't love how the characters will randomly go into flashbacks with no inclination in the text. You just figure it out as you read. Also, I understand the plot towards the solution, but I'm not loving this divergence, which leads us to an ending where I can't say that I love it. It may just be me, but it really bothered me that in ever word that had an "f" next to an "l" there was a space? I sensed no reason for this, and I found it to be distracting. Ultimately, I am giving this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Genesis's Random Thoughts While Reading:

-I am rooting for them so hard: it's so sweet; also, I love how much Carter loves food
-I am so shocked at where all of this sudden romance is coming from. Like, a private experience on the Wimbledon tennis court???? Dang, Carter: you got game.
-I am so proud of Mariana for going for it, but we see that selfishness coming through
-He can't be forgetting her, I won't allow it.




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I love a good time loop, and I particularly loved the Quantum Leap easter eggs strewn throughout this tale, but the stakes of this story never really came together for me. A four-day time loop and a resetting bank account? Trips to places like London and all the best food you could find? That doesn't sound so bad.

I received an advanced ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis of this book totally sucked me in, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. It wasn’t bad, but just didn’t suck me in and really hold my attention like I’d hoped. The beginning and end were great, but the middle got fuzzy and it felt like the story lost its way. I think with 50ish fewer pages, the story would have better flow.

I did find the premise unique at least! You don’t need to be a science nerd to understand what’s going on. Very accessible for all audiences.

This is a classic love story set in a multi verse type setting with great twists, characters you’ll want to know, and a great ending that maybe sets up for more?

This is an absolutely enjoyable and quirky time loop reading experience! What sets it apart is its ability to avoid predictable and stereotypical time loop stories that overload your brain with scientific jargon, forcing you to re-read pages in hopes of understanding it all. Instead, this book offers a refreshing twist. While there is a hint of romance between the characters, their motivation to escape the time loop is not solely driven by an impossible love story, as often seen in similar plots.

The focus of this story lies primarily on friendship and grief, with an infusion of quirky and hilarious vibes, complemented by science fiction elements.

We are introduced to Mariana Pineda, a brilliant neuroscientist who is grieving the loss of her best friend and seeking a fresh start. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she encounters Carter Cho, who insists they already know each other and warns her not to forget this moment before the time loop resets. Although Mariana finds Carter's claims unbelievable, the next day, when she wakes up to another Monday and realizes the time has indeed reset, she understands they are trapped in this loop together. Now, they must urgently find a way to break free!

Both characters are engaging with their unique, nerdy, and peculiar attributes. There are numerous moments that brought a smile to my face as I witnessed their gradual discovery of each other's personalities and their deepening connection. Together, they race against time, searching for an escape from the time loop before Carter's memories are permanently erased.

Overall, this book offers a fast-paced and intriguing reading experience that kept my interest fully engaged. In my opinion, it may be the author's best work to date and the one I enjoyed the most!

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I always enjoy reading Mike Chen's work, and this was no exception. This is a fun and interesting time loop, light time travel novel with well-developed characters and an engaging plot. I easily got into and enjoyed where Mariana and Carter's story/(ies) went. It's one of those physics/time-themed novels that explains enough to get the gist of how the time wonkiness works, but not too much to make you bored. :)

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A sweet, Sci Fi, romance! The near-future setting was surprisingly realistic and characters are cute without being cheesy.

Parts of this review will be slightly spoilery so read ahead at your own risk.

This was a really interesting read and it has a little bit of everything: science fiction (emphasis on fiction), romance, humor, mystery, grief.

I loved watching Carter and Mariana spend time together in the various loops and the growth of their friendship seemed natural and realistic. But I wasn't really feeling the romance. There are small hints and you can tell that's where it's heading... maybe. With a little more buildup, and more of a certainty Carter felt the same way, the emotional impact of him not remembering the end of the boat day would have been that much more powerful. And, it would add more credence to what Mariana ultimately decides to do.

Even without the emotional oomph that could have been, it was still a good read. A nice bit of nerdy, quirky escapism.

*** All reviews are posted immediately to Goodreads, Storygraph, and Instagram. At least one follow-up/reminder review will be posted to Instagram a week or two prior to publication. Full review posted on Amazon within a week of publication.

Mike Chen does a great job in creating this time loop. I enjoyed how good everything that the concept was and how it worked together. I really enjoyed every part of the journey and thought the characters were strongly created.

This was a fun time travel story. I was worried the science might be too much but that wasn’t an issue, it wasn’t very technical. It was still somewhat believable in the way it was described. The story takes place in the future and two unlikely people get stuck in a time loop. The plot went farther than I expected and I had no idea what was going to happen. I loved how it all turned out, though. Good, easy read.

I enjoyed this time loop adventure. It centers on Carter, a technician at Hawke, stuck in a time loop … until Mariana, a neuroscientist from ReLive, joins him. Will they get out of the loop? What caused it?

I really liked Mariana and Carter. As a math nerd, it was great to see a woman in stem represented. I chuckled every time she spouted off digits of pi. My favorite character, though, was Carter. His innate intelligence, love of food, and his snarky conversations with David made his personality leap off the page.

I will admit that ReLive is a very interesting concept to me. I have aphantasia and suspect I had SDAM, so the possibility of some injections improving your memory like that? Wow.

I love elephants, so the cameo from their ancestor was super fun, too. Oh, and Maggie the cat was a show stopper. Too cute.

If you want a book that has some interesting (aka fiction novel) science, a love story, and a mystery, then I’d give this one a read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an arc of this book.