🛌 MINI / BOOK / REVIEWS 👗

🛌: #insignificantothers by @sarahjio
📆: April 1, 2025
📚: @harpercollins @williammorrowbooks
✅️: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✍️: From New York Times bestselling author Sarah Jio comes an escapist novel following a young woman stuck in a “time loop” of one-day relationships with romantic partners from her past.
🗯: It has been way too long since I have read a book by Sarah, and I loved every second of this. It was so fun to get a behind the scenes peek into all of Lena's love interests and what led to her ultimate choice (which I LOVED). My only issue was there were a LOT of characters and storylines. The best part was keeping her best friend Frankie as a constant in her chaotic world. Highly recommend!!

Summary:
When Lena Westbrook's night doesn't go according to plan, she has no idea that it's just the tip of the iceberg. Lena's going to find out what it would've been like if any of her previous relationships had worked out.

Lena Westbrook is thinking tonight's the night she and her boyfriend will get engaged. Not only does that plan not work out, but she's given a weird conveyor belt analogy as part of the reason. Devastated, Lena goes to visit her Aunt and take some time to sort out her feelings. Her life goes in a completely different direction when she falls asleep in the guest house- located in Seattle, Washington- but wakes up in Paris, France.

Thus begins her journey of spending one day in the lives she would have lived if any of the men who came into her life (in various forms) had worked out. These days take her all over the world and give her a chance to live many different lives.

There's the marriage she where she and her husband are cheating. Or the life where she married a man she went on a couple of dates with, but make a life on a farm in Pennsylvania. The life she wakes up to where she discovers her husband is a con artist who scams retired people out of their money. In some lives, she deals with the subject of children- in the various forms in comes in. By the time she wakes up back in the guest house, Lena has learned far more about herself than she anticipated. Somehow, things never before on her radar now are. She learns that a big ring doesn't lead to a happy life. And sometimes, the life you really need is the last one you expected to want.

Once again, Sarah Jio has delivered a fascinating story. I was glued to what each new life was going to look like and reveal to her. The different careers and types of lives she lived out were captivating. I wanted to see what would unfold next. I chuckled at the funny scenes- be careful around an ice sculpture & when milking a cow), had my heart strings tugged at the encounters with children. Cheered her on when she rights the wrongs done by her crook husband. It was an emotional journey of discovery for not just Lena, but the reader as well. This book triggered me reflecting on my own past romances and what I learned from each one. Thank you, Sarah, for giving me another story to get lost in.

Jio is one of my favorite authors. I find her style and storytelling to be profoundly beautiful.
This premise was fun and really different. While I enjoyed it, I definitely found it to start dragging out a but too long in the end. Then the ending happened and felt way too rushed to be believable.
However, I really did enjoy the ride and find her writing style to be effortlessly beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. Waking up every day to a brand new life/man in this Groundhog Day type novel. Giving you the what if moments if you would have chosen a different path. My fifth novel by Sarah and it looks like there are plenty more to dive into.

The best part about this book was you just didn’t know what might happen next! With the main character bouncing in and out of different lives and men it made for a fun and fresh story that also had some depth. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

Insignificant Others by Sarah Jio

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In this magical realism read, the FMC wakes up every day married to a different man from her past. Each day, she sees what her life would be like with each of the men that got away.

When workaholic Lena is dumped on the same night she thought she’d be getting engaged, she flees to visit her aunt. She falls asleep in the guesthouse, but then wakes up the next morning in a completely different city next to a man who is calling her his wife. And for the next several days, Lena keeps waking up in a different place with a different man. As time goes by, she begins to realize what she truly values and how she wants to live her life once this is over.

This was a fun read from beginning to end. Seeing Lena’s growth as a character was great. Throughout the course of the story, it becomes evident that with each new day and reality, Lena begins to discover hope for the future that is much different from what she had imagined. The supporting characters were also pretty awesome!

After getting dumped by her boyfriend of two years, Lena goes to lick her wounds at her childhood home. She then starts waking up in new realities in which she has married various different men from her past.

This book kind of felt like The Midnight Library and The Husbands (though I haven’t actually read this one yet, but assume it’s the vibe). I had a lot of fun bouncing from reality to reality! This book had such 5 star energy for about 75% of the book. That’s why it’s unfortunate that the author did not quite stick the landing. The first issue I had was that there were about 2 or 3 too many different realities. The second issue was that I’m not even sure of the point that was trying to be made with this story. Everything was wrapped up way too quickly. And even though I predicted the ending about halfway through, I needed more time for it to be believable. I definitely had a good time reading it, but was left feeling disappointed at the end.

There’s also a few off hand fatphobic comments that were just ugh. I wasn’t sure if it was a character flaw that was going to be addressed or not, but it’s never dealt with so I can only assume that is how the author feels.

I’m a sucker for time travel and alternate reality stories and this one just does it for me! Lena thinks her life is on track. She has crossed her t’s and dotted her i’s every step of the way and is at the point where she believes she is ready to settle down. But life doesn’t always turn out the way you plan! One morning she wakes up beside a man she barely knows, but finds out she is married to him! The next day something similar happens with a different man, and the next….
I really enjoyed the ride with Lena and the lessons she learned by spending a day with her former crushes and acquaintances. It was so much fun.
Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow Publishing for the digital ARC!

Do you ever wonder if any of your past romantic encounters are actually significant? If you could see what it would be like to marry someone from your past just for a day, would you take it?

We follow FMC, Lena, who is a total workaholic and perfectionist. On the night she thought was supposed to be her proposal, she actually gets dumped by her boyfriend of two years. How could she possibly have gotten this wrong? She had her life together and Kevin checked all the boxes for a husband... or so she thought. She's heartbroken and confused so she flees to her aunt's home in Seattle. She falls asleep in the guesthouse but is shocked when she finds out she was transported to Paris-- in bed with a French man who seems to think she's his wife.

After a long day of trying to figure out her life in Paris, she wakes up again in a new place WITH A NEW MAN. This goes on for pretty much the whole book (new day, new man, new location) and the big kicker here is that each man is someone from her past-- a past ex, someone she met at a wedding, someone she met briefly abroad or on a train, etc. In each experience, she sees what life would be like if she chose "that guy".

This book had some heartbreaking moments but also some very insightful moments. We see how Lena realizes what she really wants out of love, what she doesn't want, and what she needs. There were a LOT of guys in this book and I was rooting for at least 3 of them. Lena really went through the ringer with each experience. In some of them, the guys SUCKED but in others, the relationship was strained for some important reason and Lena has to find out what it is before the day is over.

This book really shows that someone can be in your life for a season, a reason, or a lifetime. I'm glad to see how Lena grows throughout this book and all the lessons that she learned. I felt so proud when she knew someone or a situation was not meant for her. 10/10, no notes for this book. It was perfection for me!

I thought the concept of this book was so interesting and unique! A time loop of waking up every day and getting a glimpse into the "what if" of different lives if the MC had ended up actually dating/marrying an array of missed connections and ex-partners.

The writing was engaging and well-done, and there was a nice bit of humor to add to the fun of it. I enjoyed the sweet moments too, and traveling to different places. Time loops have been popular lately and I really enjoy them, and I like that this one added something else to it that I haven't come across. There are also some really lovable side characters!

I found some elements to be disappointing, mainly the MC, Lena's lack of growth throughout the book. She came off as stuck up and judgmental until the last 5% of the book, rather than slowly growing and developing through all of these experiences that she got to have. I also think there was a missed opportunity for her to have been happily single in at least one of the time loops. Why does she NEED a relationship to learn about herself and her own happiness?

Somewhere around 3.25-3.5, rounded up.

Lena thinks she knows where her life is headed. That's until things take a very different turn. She tries to get away and visit her aunt, but when she wakes up in the morning, she's living a completely different life... and this happens every time she wakes up for a new day. Men from her past appear, along with very different lives (different jobs, locations, relationships). Are any of these men who she is really supposed to be with? Lena's journey helps show her what she values in life and eventually gets her right where she's meant to be.

I thought this was an interesting take on how to find what your true priorities are in life. Some things may seem ideal but are missing something that's truly more important.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

In this novel, main character Lena has everything in her life all planned out in her very driven life. After her boyfriend breaks up with her on the night she thinks he’s going to propose, she wakes up the next day in a totally different life where she’s married to someone else - and the same thing happens the next day, and so on. As Lena seeks to find her way back to her real life, she also learns more about herself and what she’s really looking for in love and in life.

This was a cute read with a fun exploration of the paths not taken. It makes an interesting counterpoint to last year’s The Husbands by Holly Gramazio, except in this one each of the guys was someone from Lena’s past rather than someone random. In reality it seems a little unlikely to me that Lena’s life would be quite that different depending on the guy, but I did like that the book was also examining her choices in career, friendship, and family, not just romance.

I’m a huge fan of Sarah Jio and have read all ten of her previous novels. I do miss the dual time period historical fiction of her early novels, but I love her contemporary books too. Definitely a can’t miss writer for me. This one would make a fun movie or tv show too.

After her latest breakup (which was unexpected since she thought the night was going to lead to a proposal), Lena goes to her aunt's to recuperate. The morning after arriving at her aunt's, rather than waking up in the bed she slept in, Lena wakes up in a different bedroom with a man that she doesn't recognize. Then she realizes she does know the man, she dated him years ago and spends the day living the alternative life. Every morning thereafter Lena wakes up in a new place with another man that she dated or met at some point in her life. These glimpses of lives that could have been help Lena realize what she actually wants in life and love.

✨My Review✨
This is my fourth Sarah Jio novel and I always have enjoyed them (although in all honesty I don't think I've read one in a while). This one reminded me of The Husbands and The Good Part, that concept that you get a peek at a different life (or lives) if you had made different choices (although the twist here is that all of these men have come in and out of Lena's life rather than being a stranger or strangers). I love the concept of different paths and in this case the execution worked really well, although maybe one too many alternate lives as I started to want the "what if" to end and for Lena to get back to her life (but since the character felt that way too, I get it). Now I remember why I loved to read Jio's novels and I will pick up the ones I haven't yet gotten to.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC to review

Sarah Jio's last book, which I read, I loved, this one I have very mixed opinions about. I felt the premise fell short of what it cold have been. Waking up every morning with a different male companion seemed so far fetched. I felt that there really was no story line until the very end. Sorry to say but this novel I could live without. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I've loved most of Jio's books, especially her earlier books. The magic is back with Insignificant Others. I was absolutely enthralled with this book.

We start off as Lena is nearly 2 weeks into a bizarre scenario in which she wakes up in a different alternative universe with a different husband or fiancé in a different city / location.

Lena is in finance and is hoping her boyfriend of 2 years is about to propose to her, but he breaks up with her after his surprise of Coldplay tickets fails to impress her. She goes to visit her aunt Rosie on Bainbridge Island, who raised her after her mother died. Lena falls asleep in the guest house and wakes up..... in Paris.

Each day brings a new awakening, discovering someone Lena had a chance romance or passing - the first being Sebastian, someone she met at her best friend Frankie's wedding. We travel from Paris to Lancaster County, Ireland, the west coast, even Florida and the Aegean Sea. In some versions, she and Frankie aren't close. In some, she has a child or stepchild, different kinds of jobs. She tries and usually fails to reach her aunt on the phone. Of all the potential husbands, I liked Colm the best. And the worst, probably Mike or "Derrick/Greg." Lena discovers a lot about herself and finds her way home so she can create her own reality. I pretty much saw the ending coming as far as who she ended up with and would have liked to see a more flushed out ending.

A small quip - i think at the beginning she said the date was April 8, 2023 (Rex Manning Day iykyk), and towards the end mentioned, it was 2024. Otherwise, I loved this book. Available April 1, 2025.

I am a sucker for any kind of time slip stories, and this was an uplifting story of the roads not taken. It's like a happier version of The Midnight Library. I loved exploring the different paths and how they all tied together in the end. Cute and hopeful!

Thanks to William Morrow for the gifted copy of this book!

“The most beautiful things in life are almost always right in front of our eyes.”

After NOT getting proposed to by her boyfriend of two years, Lena flees to her aunt’s house on Bainbridge Island, falling asleep in the guest house and waking up in an alternate timeline. In a series of parallel lives a la Groundhog Day, Lena comes to realize which encounters in her life were most significant.

I’ve been reading Sarah Jio for years and I love going into a read knowing it’s going to be a total win! Unlike most of her other books that alternate timelines for a contemporary / historical blend, this is a contemporary fiction novel with romance and magical realism. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn’t stop reading! It was fun to go through all the timelines and see all of Lena’s “what ifs” — because we all have those. I really appreciated that love wasn’t quite where she expected it and that she came to find what really mattered. This is a great blend of an engaging and fun read and a meaningful narrative. Another win from Sarah!

I absolutely devoured this book. It isn’t your typical romance so if romcom is your vibe, this isn’t that, but still, I hope you give it a chance!

The premise is interesting and refreshing from the typical time loop story because it’s more of a choose-your-own-adventure (or in this case, husband) feel. Lena lives various what-if lives with men she’s known in the past- the catch is, it only lasts for a day, and when she wakes up, it’s a new husband.

This is my first Sarah Jio book, but it won’t be the last. I absolutely love the way she tells a story and it kept my interest the entire time. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

Where do I start from?

Thank you to the William Morrow Epic Tastemakers program and NetGalley for this ARC!

Book: after a disastrous incident with her boyfriend, Lena finds herself stuck in a romantic time loop after visiting her aunt. She ends up in relationships with past “what ifs,” leading her to discover a lot about herself and her life.

My thoughts: Lena learns a lot about herself in this book, and I found myself learning from it too. You can pinpoint the moment she begins to realize how she had viewed her life before the time loop, and it was fascinating to read.

What I liked: I enjoyed the writing. The “what ifs” made me laugh, swoon, and reflect. It was both an easy and meaningful read.

What I did not like: it’s not a big deal, but the main character did something that put me off. I chose to overlook it, but every time I remember, I think, really?

Since I read this book as an ARC, I wasn’t surprised to find a few mistakes.

All in all, I really liked this book, and I can’t wait to see what others think!

Ever wondered what it’d be like to wake up married to a different ex every day? In this wild ride of a book, Lena does just that after dumping her boyfriend of two years. One morning she’s hitched to a guy she barely remembers, the next she’s with another blast from the past—each day a new husband, a new life, and a fresh lesson. I loved the quirky premise (totally new to me!) and the characters were a blast—Lena’s sass kept me grinning. I devoured it in nearly one sitting, though I’ll admit the ending felt a little rushed. Still, a super fun read—perfect for anyone who’s ever second-guessed their love life!