After reading the summary for Holly James' "The Deja Glitch" I assumed the story would be chapter after chapter of the same day happening over and over again. Boy was I pleasantly surprised! James' has managed to take a premise that seemed formulaic and infuse it with heart and excitement. She was able to beautifully demonstrate character growth, love, and hope into one day. The relationship between Gemma and Jack reads more authentically than many "traditional" love stories that I have read. The side story lines of Gemma's familial relationships and her career added additional feeling and depth to the story. "The Deja Glitch" is absolutely delightful, we cannot wait to bring into our store for the end of summer.

Such a unique time loop story! Jack is living the same day over and over and can't escape no matter what he tries. What's unique is that the story is told from the point of view of Gemma. Jack thinks he may have figured out how to stop the time loop and for the first time Gemma is having feelings of deja vu. Jack tells Gemma about the time loop when they literally run into each other at the coffee shop. I like how she immediately doesn't believe him. As the day goes on, she flips between thinking he's crazy to maybe believing him.

I really enjoy the time loop trope, so this was a fun read. It reminded me of the movie Meet Cute. The author did a good job of making the story their own, though. Very charming!

Ooo I live for a good time loop.
This was adorable.
A fun, quick read with cute characters.
Gemma is having a normal not great day, avoiding conflict with her family, nervous about a potential interview with her childhood hero/crush when she quite literally runs into Jack at a coffee shop- she feels weirdly connected to him. They chat and he is stuck in a time loop and thinks she’s the key. Is she? Maybe let’s just see how the day unfolds. 😂
Cute. Fun. Made me want to rewatch Palm Springs.

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for an eARC.

Jack has lived the same day, over and over, for the last 146 days. But for Gemma, it’s just a normal Thursday. When a handsome stranger spills coffee on her, Gemma can’t shake the sense that she’s met him before. Their meeting, which was not by chance, sets in motion a series of events that spark Gemma and Jack to examine their own happiness and what they want from life. But how do they break the time loop? Jack has come up with a theory to bring his own personal Groundhog Day to an end—before the day is over, he has to get Gemma to fall in love with him.

Thank you so much @netgalley, @duttonbokks, and @hellohollyjames for the advance copy! This was such a unique story and I really enjoyed it! It was kind of like 50 First Dates meets Groundhog Day. Gemma and Jack were really cute characters and I really liked how they were able to bring out the best in each other. I also really enjoyed Gemma’s relationship with her family and how she was able to overcome some of her insecurities and go for what she really wanted. The story is a little predictable, as you would expect with a time loop plot line, but that didn’t detract at all from how much I enjoyed it and it didn’t feel repetitive at all. Cute story, cute main characters, cute supporting characters, cute everything! The Déjà Glitch comes out August 1!

Seriously, this is probably the most delightful book I have read or will read this year! I loved Holly James’ writing style and found the story of Jack and Gemma’s journey out of a time loop to scratch every specific itch I have in a sweet magical realism romance! Gemma is very relatable and lovable. I deeply understood her family issues and the lack of confidence that would naturally accompany said issues. Jack is the perfect lovesick dream boy. They are both saving each other here and the desperate collision of hearts through time and space is palpable right off the page. The scientific explanation of what is going on within the “glitch” is nothing short of poetry. I highlighted the heck out of the professor’s explanation!
I mostly want to praise the pacing of this book. Just from the little I knew before starting it, I was worried about a painful repetition of days, but the author did a wonderful job of keeping it fresh every step of the way. I genuinely enjoyed reading every page and felt a bit bereft for it to end. I highly recommend this book to those in search of wonder, heart explosions and a chance at being rescued from the mundane linear timeline we could all use a break from!

A time loop rom com just in time for beach season! Gemma, a radio producer and daughter to a music mogul is just going through her life when things start to seem a little off. Jack, a screen writer for an Uber popular tv show, is madly in ,I’ve with Gemma and a will live the same day over and to convince her that they are destined to be together! Super cute and would make a wonderful Netflix movie! Don’t miss this delightful modern day groundhogs day!

Fun time loop story from the perspective of the person NOT trapped in the loop.

Time loops can be problematic in how much agency those not stuck in the time loop have. The time loopers have a lot of power to manipulate emotions and such but this was handled decently enough. Gemma was very skeptical of Jack, his claims, and his ability to influence her, and it also seemed like Jack was trying everything in his power to not keep secrets from Gemma and break out of the loop.

It was a bit instalovey, due to the nature of the time loop, but it was still a cute story nonetheless.

The weakest part of this was just the mechanics of why Jack got caught in the loop in the first place and why Gemma was the "glitch." Even something as simple as the looped day was supposed to be yesterday or that yesterday was never supposed to happen would have made things a little clearer.

This was my first book by Holly James, but I look forward to reading more! I found her writing style to be very readable!

3.5

—4.5/5 stars—
Thank you to NetGalley, Holly James, and the publisher for the ARC of this book!! What a delight!!
About the book
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Age: adult
Genres: romance, contemporary, general fiction
Writing: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Plot: 9/10
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My thoughts:
This was a fantastic read that grabbed me from the beginning. The characters were a fun set of California adults, including your typical LA influencer. Gemma, our FMC, was really sweet! If anything, I felt she was a hair subdued but she was written so well that I’ll let it go. Jack, our MMC, was also soooo sweet! Without giving too much away, I really just wanted more of his background. As part of the plot, a lot of facts about him were peppered in but a stronger backstory would have made him shine even more.
Their connection was really wonderful and I loved the build to the end.
Time loop love stories are always SO good but I can’t help but how this could have been made even more different? That’s truly the reason for my 4.5 instead of a 5. I wanted something to just be a little more different, more unique.
All in all this was a fantastic book and I will absolutely be recommending this to my friends and reading groups!

StoryGraph review in link. Thank you for the book.

I enjoyed reading this and I liked how the characters developed throughout the book.

The Deja Glitch offers readers a new take on a time loop romance. Gemma is a radio producer that can tell things are a little hazy, but can’t remember enough to keep her from reliving the same day. Meanwhile, Jack, a TV producer, is stuck remembering and reliving the same day. The only way to break the cycle is to make Gemma fall in love with him. Readers are taken on a trip through Gemma and Jack’s history, as they both navigate a past that leads them to each other. Admittedly, I struggle to stay engaged in time loop books (and movies!), but I felt like author Holly James’ offers a fresh perspective on a situation that has been written before. I genuinely enjoyed the characters! I think Gemma’s relationship with her best friend, Lila, is a delightful part of the storyline (and I think maybe she should get her own book next!). Overall, readers that enjoy romcom books with a time loop twist will be hooked on Gemma and Jack’s story! The Deja Glitch is perfect for late summer reading by the pool!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gemma is a radio producer in the LA music scene and she is recovering form her ex-boyfriend using her to get to her dad who is a famous record producer. Once he got a deal, he dumped her and Gemma has sworn off musicians which has really turned into no dating at all. Jack crashes into her in the coffee shop one morning and Gemma is really confused on how she remembers him and feels like she has known him for a long time. Jack gets through to her that they have been living this same day over and over for a few months. Jack is convinced that in order to get out of this loop that Gemma has to fall in love with him in one day.

I thought this story was really cute but it felt like the first half kept dragging on while the second half had so much going on. It was closed door but you could tell the chemistry was there between the two main characters by the second half of the day. It was hard to keep up with some of the days starting over at the beginning of the book. Overall, it was a really cute read for any romcom fan.

Thank you to Penguin and Net Galley for the arc of this book!!

It reminded me a lot of Palm Springs movie, which was a movie I very much did enjoy. I did not like the instant love trope or the way things sped up towards the middle/end of the novel but overall it was very enjoyable and fun to read rom com!!

Thank you for the arc! I enjoyed the first half of this book. It is a fresh take on the Groundhog Day trope. The second half felt like we had too much going on. The events moved quickly and the couple parted and came back together too much.

I think the closed door element will be great for some but I would have preferred more detail.

Again, thank you for allowing me to read early!

Gemma runs into Jack, literally, I’m a coffee shop. She doesn’t know why he seems familiar, or why he knows her name. But when he tells her a story that he’s been stuck in a time loop reliving this day over and over again, she thinks he must be crazy. But when little things start to happen that give her a sense of deja vu, she can’t help but think he might be actually telling the truth. And according to him, all she has to do is fall in love with him in order to end the cycle.

I’ll be honest, I don’t always love time loop stories. Sometimes they just seem to go on for too long, and it gets a bit boring. But this book was a totally different side of things. Since the book is told in Gemma’s POV, we’re taking Jack’s word that he’s living this time loop. We haven’t actually loved it with him for all those days, so that set an entirely new twist for me to the typical time loop tale. In fact, the book takes place really over one day, bringing Gemma and Jack together in various ways to try to break the cycle.

This different perspective made all the difference for me! I loved Gemma and Jack’s story. All of their encounters felt really warm and special. The side characters all added plot pieces along the way that helped move the story in a complete way. I loved the growth that Gemma went through from start to finish, with her confidence, and her relationships, and mostly with Jack.

Overall this book was super cute! I definitely recommend it for any rom-com fan!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced copy of this book!

The Déjà Glitch is an engaging romance that takes place over the course of one day but has actually been repeating that one particular day over the “past” 147 days due to a time glitch. Jack knows that he’s been stuck on that one day; Gemma has no idea that she has met Jack “before.” We learn about some of those 147 days and why, much to Jack’s frustration, Gemma does not remember him when that day repeats and repeats and repeats itself.

Ultimately, Jack is convinced that the only way to break the time glitch is to get Gemma to fall in love with him. However, it seems that every time things seem to be going well for their relationship, some problem pops up, such as issues with previous lovers, family, and/or difficulties at work. There is a constant seesaw effect as their relationship goes up and down. Major complications arise that make it look like the day will draw to a close without Gemma falling in love with Jack. Will she remember him “tomorrow” if the time glitch doesn’t resolve?

There are funny moments and serious moments and frustrating moments and significant moments. At times it seems rather unrealistic that Jack keeps reappearing in Gemma’s life. But, all-in-all, it’s a very enjoyable and different kind of romantic comedy.

Seemed like a cute idea but ended up just being a cheap rip off of Groundhog Day with a cheesy and cliche romance twist. Now Im usually ok with cliche rom com books when they’re done well, but sadly this was not and the writing was shallow and too much of “this happened and then this and then this”. Also would have been nice to include a timeloop reset counter at the start of relevant chapters for clarity. Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

I haven't read anything by Holly James before, but I will definitely be reading future novels and looking into her backlist because this book and these characters were so addictive. And so precious!

Yes, I could've done without chapter 16 and I do wish Gemma had more of a background with Nigel (like her father produced his music so he was around in his childhood quite a bit) to warrant his paternal instincts towards Jack, but I had a hard time putting this book down. Gemma and Jack felt like such realistic characters to me -- especially Gemma's family issues -- and Gemma's friendship with Lila was just the best. Even though this film does run through some rom-com cliches -- down to the mad dash through the airport -- I had so much reading it.

I really like how James uses their writing to be exhilarating and thought-provoking within the science-fiction thriller genre that seamlessly blends the boundaries of time, memory, and reality. With its gripping plot, complex characters, and mind-bending concepts, this novel takes readers on a thrilling ride through a world where the past, present, and future converge.
The author's ability to craft a compelling and suspenseful narrative while at the same time creating a plot that keeps readers guessing and engaged throughout is phenomenal.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
#TheDéjàGlitch #NetGalley

Jack and Gemma were likable. Overall, I enjoyed the plot.

This was the first time I’ve ever gotten to 92% of a book and considered DNF’ing. From the 90% to the 95% mark, Jack and Gemma rehashed through written dialogue every single event of their time loop day. Then the epilogue was another half rehash half awkward mess. It was like, really? I read the book, and I knew what happened in the story… There was a lot of exposition throughout that just had me skim reading for pages on my kindle. I also noticed we were in limited third person POV focused on Gemma, but we were gifted random one-sentence omniscient POVs throughout (I really hope the line editors help fix before printing). I felt like so much of this book was padding for word count. I finished reading in three and a half hours, so probably. :-( (I’m a fast reader, but normally romcoms take me 4.5-5ish hours…)

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.