I was asked to review “The Déjà Glitch” by Holly James, which promised itself as a “Groundhog’s Day” novel, though the story ended up being different from what I expected.

Jack Lincoln is stuck in a time loop, but we don’t know it when we’re introduced to Gemma Peters. Gemma’s struggling to find her place in this world. While she is working in the music industry, she does not like her job. Further, she is suffering the effects of a bad break up. So, when she runs into Jack and he tells her that he has been stuck in a time loop for five months and that he believes she’s the key to getting out of it, she doesn’t know what to believe.

I liked the premise, especially since most novels of this type are written in the POV of the person experiencing the repetitious day. I thought a lot of the plot was predictable, which isn’t a bad thing (unless you are someone who avoids the Hallmark network at all costs). I appreciated the sweetness that wasn’t too saccharine or overdone, especially with the subplots that I wish the writer spent a bit more time on.

Three and a half stars.

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks so much Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley!

Gemma is doing fine. She literally crashes into Jack on Thursday and gets this odd feeling that they've met before. Wouldn't she remember? In fact, they have been reliving this Thursday for months and months. She doesn't remember. He's trying to convince her and has this theory that things will go back to normal if he can convince her to fall in love again.

I thought this was super cute and I loved the deja vu twist. There's some background stories that really add to the main plot - Gemma's career, her lack of relationship with her father, her terrible ex - and I appreciated all of it so much. I might have a book crush on Jack now!

The Deja Glitch was a super quick and fun read to get through. the time-loop story setting was really interesting, and it was something I hadn’t really read about in a novel before! the book felt like a typical romcom movie in word form: cheesy, light, and slightly unrealistic. one of the things that I would have to criticize is the characters. in the book, they’re described to be around 30 years old, but I felt like the characters felt so juvenile (dialogue and inner monologue) to be coming from 30-year-olds, specifically Gemma. Her emotions resembled a teenagers mood swings as she navigated through the time loop, and it seemed like all she did was act based on her emotions.
- I will say, some of the romance in the book did come off as slightly insta-lovey for me, which is something that I am not a huge fan of. Though I did feel like the characters had chemistry, some of the proclamations of love felt too intense for feelings to be developed within the first time meeting one another, or the first day of meeting the other.
- I also felt like some of the conflicts that Gemma had with other characters, such as with her father and her brother, were brought up and resolved too quickly and easily. Both of these relationships seemed to be patched within the day that the book takes place in, and I found it to be quite realistic. One moment, it seemed like she would never see eye-to-eye with them, and the next she was making up on the phone after a single conversation.
- all in all, an enjoyable read to pass time that I was able to consume at a startling pace. Nothing ground breaking but a fun time nonetheless!

A fun romantic time loop story with great characters and a terrific story line. A very quick read. Perfect for my flight!

The Deja Glitch was wonderful! This charming story lifted my spirits and blew me away! This was an adorable romantic comedy with magical realism. The characters were developed and rich. The story had some fun twists and turns and overall it was just pure enjoyment!

This was a really cute book! It follows the promise of being stuck in a repeating day (think: Groundhog Day), but it has an interesting twist where there’s one person that remembers the day each time it repeats and the main character does not. The book mostly only covers one full day, with the exception of the first and last chapters. Overall this was a really cute read and I like how it addressed working through some difficult family dynamics and life problems.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for granting me an ARC. This book will be published on 8/1/23.

Rounding up a 3.5. The Déjà Glitch is a fun rom-com romp that feels like it walked out of the 1990s. It was a funny, quick read with very vibrant characters! You definitely know what's coming with the Groundhog Day style plot, but that's the charm, isn't it? (And why I wanted to read it!) I feel like I've seen variations on this plot in movies, but this is a first for me in a romance novel so I was intrigued.

As someone who tends more often towards Historical Romance, some of my iffy feelings are probably just due to the contemporary setting. I really, really enjoyed Jack and Gemma and I particularly love how sweet and sincere Jack is. He's definitely a cinnamon bun.

While I enjoyed the characters, I was a little unsatisfied with ways the plot was handled. To avoid spoilers, I think I would have liked if some of the time-loop aspects were explored further and lingered in a little longer. Heck, I could have read 100 more pages happily. As it stands, I loved the vibe of the characters but it felt a little rushed.

Definitely would read a sequel. Definitely worth a read for 90s-00s Rom-Com fans.

The Deja Glitch was a very cute rom-com time loop. Predictable like a Hallmark movie, where you know what's coming but you still want to keep watching.

I enjoyed all of the characters. Jack and Gemma were adorable, Lila was a fun, sassy best friend. Patrick the loyal brother. Of course, you have to love the rock star Nigel and even Gemma's dad.

I also enjoyed the plot, but would have enjoyed a few more loops woven in the story. We basically just see one day's loop and I'd love to have seen them bump into each other a few more times.

The author does wrap everything up and explain why, but I was still a little curious to exactly how and why the time loop started with a little more detail.

Spice level was one pepper. Just one fairly tame make-out scene.

It was really just a cute, quick read. Nothing deep, pretty predictable, but it was sweet and fun! No complaints here.

Thank you to Holly James and Penguin Group for sending me the ARC to read for review!

This was very Groundhog Day-esque! I personally haven’t read anything like this before and it kept me so engaged! I couldn’t put it down!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this eARC and review!

This book was so cute!! I instantly loved Gemma and Jack. I was rooting for them from the very beginning! This story was about a super cool time loop. I loved how Holly James approached it. This story felt predictable from the beginning in a good way. I loved the cheesy lengths that Jack was willing to go to to get Gemma to fall in love with him. I am definitely going to recommend this book to all my friends!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for sending me an ARC of The Deja Glitch in exchange for an honest review.

Gemma Peters is stuck in a time loop, but she just doesn't know it until she happens to bump into Jack Lincoln who has happened to have met her before (147 times to be exact). The unbelievable happens, and for the first time she has a hint of recognition. But she can't pin point how she knows him.
Gemma daughter of a famous music industry professional, produces a radio show. She badly wants to host her own show, but she doesn't think she is capable of it. She also hasn't forgiven her dad for making her childhood unbearable. This is until she meets Jack of course.
In the span of a couple of day for her, and a number of months for Jack, Gemma's life changes for the better. Together, they navigate their new reality whilst tying their hardest to get out of the time loop.

Well, what a story! I loved it. I've never been a fan of time loop stories, but this one takes the cake. It was interesting, shocking, and incredibly romantic. Sweet and funny, this book kept me hooked from the first page to the end.

At times, I was frustrated for Gemma for not seeing what was right in front of her, but hey, if this was a real life situation would you believe some random guy that you're the key to getting out of a time loop? However, I also think I felt this way as the story is set in her perspective and she is confused, whereas, if it was set in Jack's perspective, there would be more understanding about the situation.
Nevertheless, I loved the characters and the depth to them. They were likeable and I found myself cheering them on.

The pacing was great and I found myself not wanting to put the book down because I just wanted to know what would happen.

No bad things to say about this book! Add it to your TBR!!

I love a good "Groundhog Day"-esque storyline. This one was done well enough but didn't exactly blow my expectations out of the water. It was good, the characters were witty even with them being kind of annoying. It just wasn't anything special. Maybe I came in with too high expectations.

Gemma Peter's life is going great. She's got a great job as a radio producer, a great best friend named Lila, and a loyal Labrador named Rex. She has a no musicians rule about dating after the fiasco with her ex-boyfriend using her to get a record deal from her rock star dad. She runs into a man named Jack and he somehow knows her name. She feels a sense of deja vu when she looks at him. Unknown to her, they have lived this same day over and over, as Jack is stuck in a time loop. The only way for him to break free is to make Gemma fall in love with him in a single day.
Can he make Gemma fall in love with him in time to let him break free of the time loop?
This story was somewhat predictable with how it played out but still very enjoyable to read. I did like how the story played out from the perspective of Gemma rather than Jack, to me this made the story more interesting. Overall it was a great light read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Thank you to Holly James and Penguin Group for sending me the ARC for my honest review.

I was so pleasantly surprised, and enchanted by The Deja Glitch. What happens when Groundhog Day meets Funny You Should Ask? meets The Love Hypothesis? Something entirely new and refreshing.

Jack Lincoln is stuck in a 147 time-loop where he's the only one who realizes that the same thing is happening, day after day. The only thing capable of changing is Gemma, who he quickly figured out could be the key to breaking the loop. Along the way, however, in trying to figure out how to break the loop, he's fallen in love with Emma, and he's convinced that the solution to break the loop is getting her to love him back.

I loved Lila and Gemma's friendship, the superb world building while the characters roamed around L.A., and the splash of science and family drama.

Holly James blended comedy, romance, and a touch of magic perfectly in The Deja Glitch. 5 stars from me and a must read!

Loved everything about this book! Jack and Gemma are the sweetest ever. Everything brought them together whether they realized it or not. Jack is amazing. Always understanding no matter how much he’s gone through to even get Gemma to where they both needed to be. It hurts how Jack has had to relive so much but in the end it was so worth it. Not going to lie, I was a bit scared towards the end but almost cried when I read that it all worked out and they could finally continue their lives together! This book is amazing. From dealing with heart break to family drama. Also, everyone needs a friend like Lila.

3.5 stars

I thought this book was so so cute! I highly enjoyed this read! It was light and fun, nothing to crazy.

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC!

3.5🌟

If you are looking for a cute, hallmark-y “Goundhog Day” situation, then look no further!!

Jack was one of those male leads that had me swooning. While the whole situation was obviously so mind boggling and overwhelming for Gemma, Jack constantly gave her reassurance and a safe space to express her feelings. I loved how so unapologetically in love with Gemma he was even in the little moments such as with her bandaid finger he was worried about her. The spice was very tame, just a notch above a hallmark movie but the book still gave you the witty banter and chemistry that everyone looks for. The supporting characters were also some of my favorites, Lila was always there for her best friend and never judged her or questioned her sanity with everything going on. The only thing I disliked was that I wished the story was a little bit longer, it all seemed a bit rushed. I would have loved a longer story to really make us fall for Jack and Gemma and their backstories. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.

Gemma and Jack are stuck in a time loop, but only Jack is aware of it. Fun concept!

The Deja Glitch is told from Gemma’s perspective, taking place over a single day of the months-long time loop. It’s a fast paced plot, avoiding the “wash, rinse, repeat” cycle of some time loop stories.

Gemma’s story had nice depth, from her estranged music producer father and her relationship with her brother. But I wasn’t entirely convinced that Jack and Gemma were cosmic soulmates worth breaking the fabric of time over.

Jack is certainly charming and persistent, and patient with Gemma, but he doesn’t always come across as entirely trustworthy. He withholds information from the heroine and lies to his ex later in the story, rather than be honest. I love a realistic, flawed hero, but it was a little bit of a snag for me so it lowered the rating.

Overall, this was a quick, light, true-to-form Romantic Comedy. A sweet romance with only kissing, which felt true to the characters and their situation. I’d definitely read another Holly James book. Voluntary, honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I'm sad to say that I disliked this book, even though I was really looking forward to reading it after reading the blurb. I found both of the main characters to be unlikable and the story was far too predictable.

Holly James’ THE DÉJÀ GLITCH is an easy read, but that’s one of its only redeeming qualities.

This is a book of painful clichés, the least of which being the story’s big reveal on how to solve the time-loop driving the plot.

Gemma and Jack as a couple are also nearly impossible to root for — we never really get much clarity as to why they would work well together. Jack, in particular, is a borderline villain in disguise. For one, he’s been out of a relationship for weeks before he meets Gemma, and his way of getting his ex out of the picture is lying to her and telling her he’s moving out of the country? (Spoiler alert: These are not moves that suggest Jack is a honest or worthwhile kind of partner.)

That aside, THE DÉJÀ GLITCH is a quick read, and I can see the appeal for those who gravitate toward insta-love, Groundhog Day inspired kinds of romance.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.*