I thought this book was such a cute Rom-Com, and I honestly didn't think I'd enjoy the time-loop and insta love trope as much as I did. I loved how James (the author) intertwined the family drama, ex-drama, and time loop all together. I read for about 20 minutes daily but after I was halfway in, I just couldn't put it down. I instantly absolutely loved Jack, but Gemma took me a while. I really loved how Gemma's character changed towards the end with all she experienced. Imagine chasing the same person/dream for 5 months and hoping for it to be THE DAY. This was an upbeat, very clean (hardly any spice), and charming cosmic read.

Thank you Netgally and Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC. I am excited for its publishing in the near future.

This was a cute, easy, time loop rom-com. A lot of the book was adorable and mushy. The author did a good job making the insta love connection more believable.

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

Gemma Peters is in a bit of a rut. She working in the music industry she loves, but not in the job she wants. She’s excited her brother is apart to return after six months in Africa, but still reeling from a bad breakup and estranged from her famous father. On the morning of her best friend Lila’s birthday, Gemma collides with handsome Jack Lincoln in a Starbucks, and as they talk, 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. And while it sounds unbelievable, he knows things about her that even a stalker wouldn’t know, and she has a sense of déjà vu about things that keep happening, and a sense that she’s kissed him before….

I enjoyed The Déjà Glitch. I doubt many of the plot beats will come as much of a surprise. The story is predictable in the way of a Hallmark movie, where you know where the drama will come from and that in the end everything will work out well for the right characters. It’s sweet and funny, often courtesy of Lila, the classic sassy best friend: “Who hurt you, Helen? Don’t you believe in love? This woman is here grand-gesturing and you’re creating a needless barrier!”

That said, The Déjà Glitch describes itself as a time loop story, and specifically references the classic movie Groundhog Day, so you’ll probably go into the story with certain expectations (but not if I can help it 😄). In fact, the book subverts two pretty common pieces of time loop stories. First, the story is not being told from the perspective of Jack, the person who knows they’re in the time loop. Instead, we’re seeing the story from Gemma’s point of view, as she grapples with her confusion and slow acceptance of what’s happening. Second, and I would say this is a much more surprising choice, we only see one loop. We are told Jack has been aware that he’s experienced the same day for five months. But we the reader only see the day reset one time. Seeing the different variations, the loopers’ mounting frustration at being able to escape the loop, the existential sadness that could come from fearing an endless life of a single day, is usually a significant part of these stories, and it’s absence here was noticeable. I probably would have enjoyed seeing a few more loops, before or after Gemma knew what was happening. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended.

This was my first Netgalley read of the year, and I was not disappointed! Although the book is pitched as a sort of modern Groundhog Day, I was happy to learn that we, the reader, weren't cursed to relive the same day 147 times, since we followed Gemma--who just learned she's in a "temporal anomaly"--not Jack--who knows he's been living in one. And, as an added bonus, the novel not only recognizes the cliché but also gives us some meatier topics to weigh in on too, like nepotism, loneliness, and forgiveness for familial hurts.

“I know every word of
'Bohemian Rhapsody,' I secretly love romantic comedies despite what I said earlier about classic films, and I think I was a miserably unhappy person until I met you." 🥹🫶🏻

What a cute and fun read!!!! Gemma was having a typical morning, sleeping in and then taking her dog for a walk before going into work when she starts to get a feeling of deja vu. When she runs out of coffee and has to stop by a coffee shop to get her mornings fix she runs into a man that changes her whole world in one day.

Jack and Gemma were the cutest and I loved every second of this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Holly James for Advanced Copy! If you love time loops and where the boy falls first then check this book out on August 1st! ♥️

This is a time loop story with a twist. In a classic time loop story, you follow the character who is aware they are in a time loop. That's not the case in the book. This story is told from the other perspective. Jack informs Gemma that he has been living the same day over and over. We are following Gemma. It was a nice switch. It's not repetitive.
I really enjoyed how this one played out. It has some really sweet moments. I was rooting for Jack and Gemma the whole time.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A fun rom com mixed with a groundhog day! A wild unbelievable day for those two but it was very fun to read.

This book was the only second Groundhog’s Day time loops that I have read, and this story was so cute! I really enjoyed the faster pacing of the book without all the repetitive time loops. Sometimes in romances, the plot is only about the characters finding each other and falling in love, but that was not the case with this book. You get to know the characters on a more personal and deeper level and see all the areas of their lives the time loop and them meeting impacts. If you are looking for a quick, fast paced romance, this book is for you!

Fresh, funny -- this is an absolutely delightful time loop story! The two main characters, Gemma and Jack, are utterly lovable. James does a beautiful job with the trope, giving us one day to see time unfold. The scene with Helen in the airport is gold. I genuinely cared what happened to all the characters. Incredibly fun read.

The Deja Glitch was an enjoyable read overall, solid 1.5 stars. The concept was infinitely adorable although I would have appreciated at least some subtle commentary on how a gender-swapped version of this storyline would not yield the same adjective.

The only big recommendation I have for the storyline is that the reader should be clued into the story with the ex-boyfriend MUCH SOONER. The author does almost too good of a job making the main character, Gemma, boring. She sounds extraordinarily naive with how bullish she is around conversations of dating just because she had a bad breakup. It makes her more difficult to relate to. This is especially true due to all the depictions of Jack where Gemma is the detailing the total adoration in his eyes. She can see he is genuinely interested and yet acts/treats Jack horribly through most of the story.

On another note, this bullish attitude extends to her friendship & family members as well, not just dear old dad, but her poor brother stuck in an infinite time loop at the airport. Overall, this is what brought the rating down the most. The main character is too extreme in all her reactions and emotions. Jack is as well, but the 5 months of reliving the same day can explain some of his emotional responses.

This book in 3 words: Adorable. Surprising. Cinematic. 

Gemma Peters, an up-and-comer in the LA music scene, finds herself in a time loop on a random Thursday. She literally crashes into Jack at a coffee shop and has an insane feeling of deja vu, and the realization that this Thursday is anything but normal. 

The Deja Glitch is the reimagined-groundhog's-day story we've been waiting for. With a unique tkae on the time loop concept, The Deja Glitch delivers a packed story with character growth and important themes throughout. 
While I was reading, it was so easy to visually explore the pages.

This seems like a perfect book for a visual adaptation. I enjoyed the way the author set the scenes and incorporated all of the senses for the reader. 

This book is all about Gemma's growth, boundaries, and goals. I love that Gemma is someone we can root for and feel connected to. Jack is sweet as pie and a perfect fit as the male main character. This was a great read and can't wait for more readers to meet Gemma and Jack!

This is a sweet, cute, clean, romance with a cool time loop. I've only ever read one time loop book before so I didn't really know what to expect, but this was a pretty good read. I actually really liked the POV of this book as it's told from the person unaware of the time loop.

Jack was an instant like and made me root for him from the beginning. I wanted him to win over Gemma so bad.
All the theories and twists kept me wanting to read.

I also really liked a lot of the side characters. Especially Lila.

If you're wanting a cute, easy romance to read...this is it.

I will say that I don’t typically like groundhog day stories but I think this book did a great job! I like how it was over one day so it wasn’t the same repetitive stuff over and over again. I think for insta love the author did a really good job, making it work well for this book. I loved getting to see Gemma develop throughout the story! This book is definitely a fun and adorable read! Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton Publishing for sending me this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Truly an interesting take on what happens if we relive the same day over and over. Gemma and Jack seemingly meet at her best friend's birthday party. At the end of the night, Jack pleads with Gemma not to forget him, The next morning's events seem eerily familiar to Gemma. And we're off. Jack has been reliving this day for far too long. Gemma never seems to remember Jack from day to day. When she finally does remember Jack, the idea of reliving the same day is too theatrical for her to believe. But Jack is able to slowly convince her that this is possible. Gemma has reasons to be skeptical, but the day holds so many realizations for Gemma. She finds herself growing in ways she never imagined. Old hurts are revisited and a path to healing is found. Dramatic? Yes, but it's unreal how one thing leads to another. Do this, and this happens. Do that, and then you move on to another opportunity. Yes, this is a book, and no, we can't relive days over to get things right. But this is a great example of what happens when we try to move beyond our past. I think this book will stay with me for some time. It did not land as a romance. More like women's fiction, and I am so glad I was allowed to read this book. Cheers to all Gemmas and their new outlook on life.

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc.

3.5/5 ⭐

I did like this book. I just felt it could've been shorter. It's very slow-paced and took a while to get to the main plot. I loved Jack but felt like Gemma was a little whiny. Overall, the book was very cute and took a semi-unique twist on a time-loop romance.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with a digital arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was a fun, romantic twist on the Groundhog Day story! I liked that it all took place in one day, so I didn't feel caught in a repetitive loop. The characters were still well rounded, and the story made sense. I would recommend!

The Deja Glitch is the next perfect Rom-Com. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book is a must of anyone who reads the rom com Genre. It is the story of a potential couple stuck in a time loop. However interesting twist only one of them is aware they are aware that have been in a time loop for the last 5 months. Gemma is a main female character, and she has no idea why this morning it all strangely feels like déjà vu until she bumps into Jack who tell her this a has repeated itself for the last 5 months. I know personally I would not trust a guy in LA who told me that I have been in a time loop, I would think that he is a wacko. However, the heroine is way more curious the I would be and goes to learn more and hopes to break the time loop with Jack. This book is a perfect read, as on top of the romance in this novel there is also a lot of deep emotional parts, such as Gemma’s relationship with her father who works in the music industry that she has been estranged from for the last 20 years due to him cheating on her mother with a young pop star. The main character Gemma has also just been through a terrible break up where her ex used her. The book deals with emotionally abusive relationships, and if family bonds can heal. Gemma is also a strong character and produces a radio show, trying to make a name for herself. The main character is a strong human character, that is easy to root for in the book, and that makes this book a very enjoyable read. This book has hundred percent chance of becoming a movie in the future, that I would watch as fun watch on the level of legally blonde or mean girls. I highly recommend this book.

Holly James-The Deja Glitch

Description:

To break out of a 24-hour time loop, all Jack needs is for Gemma to fall in love with him in a single day. All Gemma needs is to remember him first . . .

Gemma Peters is doing fine. She’s making a name for herself in the L.A. music biz as a radio producer. She’s got a ride-or-die best friend in Lila, and she gets to come home to Rex, her loving Labrador, every night. But ever since her rock star ex-boyfriend used her to get a record deal from her rock legend dad, she’s made a “no musicians” rule when it comes to dating that’s becoming more like a “no dating” rule, period.

So, when Gemma crashes (literally) into Jack one Thursday morning, at first she feels like fate might finally be doing her a favor. After all this guy is cute and, wait, is she imagining it, or is he staring a little too deeply into her eyes? And how does he know her name? Even harder to explain is the funny feeling of déjà vu she gets every time she looks at him. It’s not at all like Gemma to kiss a man and forget him completely, so then how can she explain the dreamlike memory of his lips on hers?

The truth is this is no ordinary Thursday. Not for them. In fact, they’ve lived this day over and over for months. And while Gemma has been totally oblivious to the time loop, Jack has been agonizingly aware of every single iteration. Luckily, Jack has a theory to bring his own personal Groundhog Day to an end. And it’s simple. Before the day is over, he just has to get Gemma to fall in love with him.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.

My Review
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶
Genre: Romance
Publication Date: August 1, 2023

This book is about a couple who have lived through the same day 147 days in a row. Gemma Peters meets Jack Lincoln in a bar while she’s there to celebrate her friend, Lila’s birthday. Gemma has the feeling she has met him before. Upon leaving he walks her out and kisses her goodnight and asks her to please remember him the next day.

The next day as Gemma is picking up her coffee order Jack bumps into her spilling the coffees over her favorite shirt and over Jack. He apologizes and through their conversation he tells her this has happened for 147 days in a row.

The rest of the book is spent as Jack keeps trying to break the cycle and convince her that they are perfect for each other and that they just need to break out of this time loop.

You will fall in love with Jack! He is kind, considerate and desperately in love with Gemma after repeating the same day 147 times. He just has to convince her she loves him too to break the time loop.

Gemma can be a tedious character at times. She’s all about herself and closed off to relationships of any kind. She has to make peace with her father, set her brother free, come to terms with her ex-boyfriend and build confidence in herself before the loop can be broken.

Jack finally has a day where he starts to break through her walls. You will have to read the book to find out if he succeeds and that the 147 time loop is broken.

A sweet clean romance.

James wrote a very successful novel! I haven’t read anything like this before. This is a very sweet, easy to read rom-com. I enjoyed how James made Gemma a very realistic character in that she didn’t just go along with everything that Jack said. Gemma questioned it and didn’t believe him; she needed to be convinced. I also enjoyed that the entire book happened in one day, that it wasn’t the same day we kept reading over and over. There was also more to this book than just the relationship between Jack and Gemma. James wrote beautiful relationships between Gemma and Lila, and Gemma and her brother, Patrick, as well as a troubled relationship between Gemma and her father. What it all boils down to is that James wrote a very well rounded, developed character. In my experience, this doesn’t happen too often. This is a must read for any rom-com reader!

GUYS! This was so precious. I loved the main characters, the side characters, the setting, the mood… every single piece! I was concerned that it would get repetitive because of the Groundhog Day plot but the author did a fantastic job of keeping the ball rolling.
The main characters are cute and I was rooting for them immediately. Jack has my heart 100%. Add this to your TBR!

Review posted to: Goodreads and Barnes and Noble.