It’s 1995, and Alex Dean has it all: a spot at Cambridge University next year, the love of an amazing woman named Holly and all the time in the world ahead of him. That is until a brutal encounter with a ghost from his past sees him beaten, battered and almost drowning in the Thames.

I really liked the main character. some of his demons were things that i've battled myself. However, i don't think this book was for me. It didn't grip me in, and I kinda struggled to finish it. It wasn't a bad book, just not my cup of tea.

This book just wasn’t for me. The lack of world-building made it hard to feel fully immersed in the story, and the writing didn’t do much to bring it to life. It felt flat, and the slow flow made it tough to stay engaged.

While the premise might work for some readers, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

I do love a good second-chances novel, and I'm always intrigued by time-travel stories and how (or whether) they fit the pieces together. To me, this one felt more intriguing as a think-piece than in execution. If you suddenly started living the days of your life out of order, jumping from age 22 to age 42 and back at random with each passing day, and you learned in the later-years days that you'd wrecked your life and the lives of those around you, what kind of choices could you make on one single day that would make meaningful changes for the rest of your life?

For Alex, the protagonist of The Day Tripper, the experience starts in his 20s: He's a decent guitarist and a heavy drinker with a rep as a party boy, he's on his way to Cambridge, and he's just started dating a woman he's head over heels for. Then something changes, and he starts skipping through time, and finding that his later years are a miserable mess, for reasons he only pieces together over time. Once he realizes he can make changes in his early days that do have effects on the later ones, he fumbles toward self-improvement, or at least toward understanding himself and his own behavior better, in pursuit of unpacking why he so often does such self-destructive and self-sabotaging things.

I liked the prose and the way this story was told, but a consistent problem for me was that I didn't much like Alex, either the original version of him or the improved one. And I didn't feel much connection to his quest, which is mostly about ending up with Holly, the cool, stylish, funny lady he's barely started a relationship with at the beginning of the book, yet ends up feeling like he can't live without. Way too much of his wasted life revolves around her and his need to get back to a timeline where they can be together, but nothing in The Day Tripper really convinced me she needed to be with him.

Like so many load-bearing women in stories about immature men that need to get their shit together (I'm looking at you, The Entire Works Of Judd Apatow), Holly is way ahead of him in terms of knowing who she is and being a complete person — she's a doctor, blessed with what seems like an infinite supply of patience for his antics, always willing to drop everything and come running when he calls to complain about what his life has become. From her point of view, this novel is just a near-endless series of abrupt Alex crises, where he calls her up teary and drunk and demands she listen to him ramble, while he can't remember anything about her life.

I think I could have done without the entire sideline involving a professor who seems to know what's going on with Alex — he lets Alex talk through his problems out loud in a way that advances the story, but he also winds up being a bit preachy, nakedly delivering the book's themes in aphorism form. This book is strongly akin to The Time Traveler's Wife, but without the benefit of exploring both participants' points of view. Which leaves it more like the movie About Time, which gave me a similar sense that the whole story is about whether the man can unlock all the puzzles that let him win the girl, without any sense of her as a willing or knowing participant in this story.

Those sound like huge objections, but they were mostly just things that nagged at me as I zipped through this book, because there is a lot of it that doesn't rely on the Holly relationship, and that winds up being more touching and satisfying — Alex trying to build a relationship with his mom, trying to support a local kid who admires his busking, trying to navigate something that happened to him in childhood. Those are the parts of this novel that will really stick with me, in terms of how it links the past, present, and future in people's lives, and explores how much power we have to reshape other people's lives as well as our own.

The book's ultimate messages, that good decisions beget good decisions and that understanding ourselves is the first step toward changing ourselves, are all good ones. I personally just had a hard time connecting with the part of that message that was all about getting the girl.

This book was a fast paced gripping read. Could you imagine living this type of experience? I couldn’t even wrap my head around the jolt this would cause.

I highly recommend this book. It is a trip through a crazy day in the life of Alex.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced reader copy. This is my honest opinion.

It's hard to describe The Day Tripper by James Goodhand. It's partly a coming of age story, a little bit of a love story, and a lot of a "how did I get here" story.
At first glance, The Day Tripper appears to be a straightforward time travel story. But as we follow Alex Dean through each passing day, it becomes clear that this journey is far more complex than just changing one event and altering the course of a life. Goodhand delves into the deeper question of what happens when you don’t just change your actions, but your very perception of reality. We often hear that "hindsight is 20/20," but what if it’s not that simple? What if what we believe is the key to change isn’t actually the difference at all?

I was so excited to read a book that had time travel, but this was not it. I felt like I was launched into the book without any world building. I couldn't picture anything. The characters also lacked depth and were pretty one dimensional. There was no substance to them and I just flat out didn't like them. Sorry to say this just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Team for this Advanced Digital Readers Copy, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. This book was a DNF for me- I found it difficult with the multiple timelines and the lingo was out of my wheelhouse.

Interesting, but dark in spots. The main character evolves while dealing with his situation. He would have great difficulty without his "guide." Worthwhile.

The Day Tripper is a story of time travel, second chances, and redemption. Alex Dean, the young man being tossed through time after one fateful night resulting in a brutal encounter, is forced to navigate future, past, and present within the span of a single night sleep. It’s a thought provoking story that is at times cold, unsettling, over-bearing, frustrating, and heart warming. It’s not an easy read, and not entirely enjoyable, but it is thought provoking. The ideas and themes presented within the pages will linger long after you read the last line.

REVIEW: The Day Tripper by James Goodhand

A Thought-Provoking Time-Travel Adventure

James Goodhand's The Day Tripper is a captivating novel that explores the complexities of time travel and the consequences of our choices. The story follows Alex, a man trapped in a time loop who repeatedly relives the same day.

Goodhand's vivid and engaging writing draws the reader into Alex's world of endless repetition. The author delves deep into the psychological toll of this experience, exploring themes of regret, redemption, and the power of choice.

While the plot may sometimes feel predictable, the characters are well-developed and relatable. Alex's journey is both heartbreaking and inspiring as he grapples with his past mistakes and searches for a way to break free from his time-locked existence.

Overall, The Day Tripper is a thought-provoking and entertaining read that will leave you pondering the possibilities of time travel and the importance of making the most of every moment.

Thank you, Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

The Day Tripper is an inventive time-slip novel by James Goodhand. Released 19th March 2024 by HarperCollins on their Harlequin Trade/Mira imprint, it's 368 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out from the same publisher in late 1st quarter 2025. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a well written time travel magical realism story with flashes of science fiction, which has accessible prose and a poignant plot. A traumatic injury sees MC Alex, whose life had been in an upward trajectory, slipping in and out of his life with the days completely out of order with no knowledge of what happened, or how he got there. It's an intriguing idea, but gets in its own way fairly often throughout. The pacing is deliberate, sometimes a bit ponderous, and the first few chapters will require a significant good faith effort on the reader's part. It does pay off, eventually.

It's not precisely derivative (not actionably anyhow), but fans of Montimore's Oona Out of Order will find parallels to that one here, as well. There are also some vibes from Haig's The Midnight Library.

The unabridged audio format has a run time of 11 hours 14 minutes and is capably narrated by James Meunier. He has a classically trained, smooth, well modulated voice and handles the disparate voices of a range of ages and both sexes very well. Sound and production quality is high throughout the read.

Three and a half stars. Well written, undeniably competently so. Some pacing and setup issues in the first 20% of the book, and there's surprisingly little actual effort expended on world building, but the bones of a very good story, well told.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I had to push through the first few chapters of this book, but as the story built, I grew increasingly invested in Alex’s life. I love the time travel trope, and especially enjoy when that yields second chances amd the butterfly effect. Admittedly this book was quite predictable, but that didn’t detract from its enjoyability. If you’re looking for a touching read along the same lines as ‘The Midnight Library,’ this book is for you.

Alex Dean has everything going for him, including a place at Cambridge University - until something happens that turns his life upside down. He almost died from being in a fight in 1995 when he was 20, and now, he’s living his life out of order. He wakes up in another year every day. He’s very confused at first, but he gradually realizes what’s happening and gets a bit more used to it. The problem is his life has gone all wrong! He’s broke, he’s an alcoholic, and what happened to the love of his life, Holly? As he wakes up in different years every day (and not in chronological order, either!), he’s determined to figure out what happened to up-end his seemingly bright future.

This book is a great example of the butterfly effect - that little decisions/acts can have a big impact. The book got a bit predictable/repetitive in the middle, but it was still a good story. I kept following along because I, too, wanted to know what had happened and whether Alex could “fix things” by changing a little something here and there, as he journeyed, out of order, through time.

I have to admit that Alex wasn’t the most likable character, but I eventually got to really feel for him and was glad that the book had a hopeful ending. Of the various side characters, I loved Jazz the most, and was happy to see that Alex would “bump into” him on a number of his out-of-order days. I also loved that Holly had been named after Buddy Holly and that music, especially Buddy Holly’s music, played such a large role in the story.

If you are a fan of books like The Midnight Library, I think you’ll like The Day Tripper. (I wasn’t a huge fan of The Midnight Library - I liked this one much better.) I haven’t read it, but Oona Out of Order is another one that seems to have a similar theme.

Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. I bounced between the review copy and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library. The narrator, James Meunier, did a great job with the various voices and accents. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! Sort of The Midnight Library vibes with a little more sci-fi built in. I would definitely recommend this one for people who enjoy time travel and time loop stories, and it would make good reading for a book group.

It took a bit of reading to get into The Day Tripper, once I did I was all in and rooting for the main characters Alex Dean and his girlfriend Holley. Love, loss, family, time travel and intrigue. There are so many things happening in this novel, in a good way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced electronic ARC.

The Day Tripper by James Goodhand
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It’s 1995 and Alex Dean has it all. Until a messy encounter with someone from his past leaves him beaten, battered, and almost drowned in the Thames. He wakes up the next day not knowing where he is and when he looks in the mirror he is older, MUCH older.
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What I liked:
-Time Travel. I think this book used time travel in a way that I haven’t seen it done before. It took me a while to get the hang of what was going on, but it worked really well.
-I was very glad once Alex met the teacher that helped him little by little work out what was going on and why. It really made everything that was going on make more sense.
-I loved when Alex started having the more meaningful conversations with people. And when he started telling his mom “I love you”. 🥹😭
-The ending was really good.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you love time travel books and books with emotions then this is a good one to check out.

This book is literally "Oona Out of Order" by Margarita Montimore. And I liked that one WAY better. Unbelievable.

This was such a difficult book for me to get through. I loved the idea of the book and was very into it at first. However, as the book wore on, it just lost steam for me. I was disappointed in the way that the events played out and it felt extremely disjointed and difficult to follow at times. I ended up glad I finished because the ending was very beautiful and inspiring. To be able to change your life, you must want too and that central theme was worth it in the end. I will say there were times I was so beyond frustrated with the main character but it all ended up working out.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the voice of the narrator as this intriguing story unfolded. After being badly beaten alongside the Thames, Alex wakes up each day not knowing where he will be or what the date is. The chapters jump around in time and I think maybe this would have worked better for me had I read a physical copy. I found the time jumps to be confusing at first, but as I kept reading I understood why it was done that way. It was fascinating to see how the little things make big changes in life and how much our choices matter. It did wrap up nicely in the end and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to listen to it.