For some reason when I read the blurb it gave me some “Sliding Doors” vibes and I was in. This wasn’t that book for me. Laurel thinks her boyfriend is going to propose and is surprised that her first instinct is not to be internally jumping for joy, but rather, what if he isn’t it for her. What if it’s the guy at work she is crushing on? She decides to avail herself of some new technology that will allow her to jump from reality to an alternate reality and test the waters of something and someone else. Then it hits the fan and things go all FUBAR and it’s time to figure it out and make some decisions. For me, there was too much tech/sci-fi and not enough romance and honestly I didn’t really find Laurel terribly likable.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What If It’s You
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So her long term boyfriend proposes, she’s like wait I MIGHT have feelings for a coworker who I don’t have any history with…guuuurl. WHAT?! There is a reason I soft dnfed this book when I got the arc, but I was trying to be a good little bookworm and try the audio, but yeah dnf wouldn’t have been a terrible idea. To be honest the more I sit and think about it the more and more I dislike it lol I did not enjoy the characters, the FMC was very….annoying and selfish and I feel like she was just dragging poor Ollie (her long term boyfriend, he’s the only okay character) around and I kinda feel like she didn’t grow that much by the end. It had this whole what if thing going on, which can be entertaining, but didn’t have the impact I think it was trying to because there was no romance with the coworker and ya’ll, their conversation at the end 💀😂 she was humbled. I absolutely love magical realism, but this was like a sci-fi romance and I just was not enjoying the AI stuff, I was looking for AliH science and got white dude mansplaining AI / finance bro vibes. I don’t know, I was just bored, there was a lot of inner monologues that I didn’t care for either. We get some spice, which was fine, nothing crazy. It’s a skip for me ⭐️⭐️💫
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This was a NetGalley backlist (thank you Jilly Gagnon and Dell for the e-arc / / out now).

I really didn't like this. I just found the whole premise to be really off-putting. I didn't think that it would be that bad when I requested it, but it really was. Like, what do you mean you've been with your boyfriend for 5 years, and yet you don't know if your life would have been better if you instead started dating someone you worked with instead when he asked you out, also after you had already started dating your current boyfriend. If you're still having second thoughts after five years, then you should have found that out way before hand instead of actually going through another whole relationship with someone else just because you're getting cold feet and are scared of the commitment after finding out your guy bought an engagement ring. I had absolutely no respect for the FMC for doing what she did, instead of actually being an adult and communicating her fears with her partner.

I did enjoy the physics part of this story, and that is the only reason why I'm giving it 2 stars instead of one.

Thank you to Random House, Jilly Gagnon, and NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Laurel has been with Ollie for five years, but when she finds a ring as she puts laundry away she begins to panic. Is this the forever life that she wants? As an executive with a tech company she worked her way up at the same time as Drew, a computer genius. They are close friends and he has a certain charm that she has begun to notice. When he asks for her help on a presentation, he explains his team’s current project. AltR allows people to experience an alternate reality. A short test allows Laurel an opportunity to experience how it works. Returning that evening, she tries it on her own. When she wakes up the next morning, it is next to Drew rather than Ollie. In this reality she has been with him for five years and no longer works for the company. She is now a writer. As she tries to adjust to this new reality she begins to slip between the two versions of her life. It appears to be a fluke in the AI training, but Laurel must come to terms with what she really wants to regain stability.

Jilly Gagnon presents a love story that touches on science fiction. When Drew begins to explain the quantum computer and the physics invoked in the project it started to lose me until Laurel stops him, explaining that she was an English major and all this was beyond her. It is a what if story in a similar vein as Sliding Doors. Gagnon will keep you glued to the pages waiting to discover Lauren’s fate. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for providing this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book was intriguing; the plot hinges on mind-bending concepts that were fun to learn about. I also enjoyed tackling the creeping doubts in a committed relationship, though that alone made me question whether this is truly a romance (without so many of the conventions), or more contemporary fiction.

In this case, I was craving a frothy, fun read with a little time/space travel mixed in. I was wholly unprepared for how ruminative this was. Over 80% of the narrative takes place inside Laurel's head, which broke up conversations and made it difficult to get to know the other characters--or even Laurel, as she exists in the world(s).

That said, there was real potential here. I loved Dana and Ollie was truly the sweetest partner who seemed to balance Laurel out so well. I just wish we could have experienced more of him that wasn't filtered through Laurel's anxiety (which could have been a character itself).

While this may not have been my favorite read, I'm confident it will resonate with readers who are more in the mood for a reflective, speculative read. I'll keep an eye out for future releases from Jilly Gagnon -- TBR when I'm craving something mind-bending!

This was a nice lighthearted read by an author I haven't heard of so I cannot wait to indulge more into this author and other books they may have written because I loved the vibes

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this book.

Do you ever wonder how your life would change based on one decision you made years ago? The main character in this story (Laurel) wonders what life would have been like if she didn't pursue a relationship with Ollie, but instead said yes to Drew. Drew is working on an alternate reality project with their company Pixel. She gets a chance to try on the headset and ask AltR a question. The next morning she wakes up into World D (the world where she is with Drew and not Ollie).

This book was very interesting, especially since we all have what if questions. This is a good one.

It took me awhile to finish this. I found the technologic parts to be overwhelming. Time travel and quantum whatever's are not my jam and not something I care for. I was worried I wouldn't enjoy this book but I did end up liking it. The time jumps weaved into each other really nicely and the ending was great.

What an amazingly clever romance- a twist of science fiction and romance, but in a very modern way. What I really loved most about the book was the relationship between Laurel and Ollie and how she had to grow as a character and realize about the give and takes of a relationship and what sacrificing for your partner means...wonderful character growth. And the romance was 100% believable. Read in 24 hours. Loved this so much!
Thanks to #NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the ARC.

4.5 stars.
Laurel Everett thinks her relationship with long-term boyfriend Ollie is going great. Sure, there's the normal strains and petty arguments that comes with years together. So why, when she finds an engagement ring hidden in his drawer, does she panic?
She's a newly appointed VP at Pixel, a leading tech company not dissimilar to Google, in both size and reach. When computer science genius Drew, Laurel's closest work friend (whom she perhaps harbors a slight crush for) tells her about the new, experimental quantum alternate reality AI program his department is working on, Laurel gives it a try. What's the harm in asking a computer "What if?"? "What if I'd said yes to Drew instead of Ollie 5 years ago?"
It's not until the next morning, when Laurel wakes in Drew's arms--and in their joint apartment-- that she begins to think the program isn't as theoretical as everyone assumed.

13 Going on 30, It's a Wonderful Life, Butterfly Effect-- I absolutely love stories where one wish causes the MC to see the possibility of their life if a different choice is taken. One thing that I really enjoyed about this particular story is that Laurel isn't perfect. She's flawed, an over-thinker and over-worker, wanting everything to be exactly right. So when things with Ollie get sticky, she looks at greener grasses, only to realize it's not what she expected. But is it what she wants?

This really didn't read much as a romance, more of a contemporarly mild sci-fi with romantic undertones. Laurel's journey is that of self-discovery, finding what she truly wants instead of what will make her life perfect. It's probably because of this that I enjoyed it-- there wasn't really a wrong answer, just wrong for her.

⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What If It’s You?
Author: Jilly Gagnon

This book felt like a Black Mirror episode turned into a romance novel. I’ll admit, at first I was nervous it was heading in a direction I wouldn’t enjoy, but I was completely wrong. Everything, right down to the epilogue, was perfection. Jilly, you really had me stressed for a second. Laurel is a successful tech exec who has been with her boyfriend Ollie for five years. When she finds an engagement ring, she panics. Still haunted by a past connection with her coworker Drew, she agrees to test secret quantum tech that sends her into an alternate life where she is with him instead. As she shifts between the two timelines, Laurel starts to question which version of her life feels most real. This was such a smart, emotional, and unique rom-com. I loved the tech and science elements. Thank you Random House Publishing for my copy!

I thought What If It's You was pretty good. I enjoyed the technological plot lines as well as the artistry of the human essence. I fell in love with Ollie right away.

A romance utilizing quantum physics and AI. In the beginning, the scientific detail was too much, providing for less than light-hearted reading. As you continue through the book and the story unfolds and Laurel is thrashed about by the quantum ai universe, it does get a bit more interesting leading to a somewhat anticlimactic ending. I give the author an “A” for effort on this one. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

What If It’s You by Jilly Gagnon was such a fun and thought-provoking read! It’s technically a contemporary romance, but the romance part felt more like the setting than the main event, which I really liked. The story follows Laurel Everett, who totally panics when she realizes her boyfriend of five years is about to propose. She ends up sabotaging the evening and, in a totally unexpected twist, finds herself bouncing between alternate realities: one where she’s with her long-time boyfriend Ollie, and another with her coworker Drew, who she’s always secretly wondered about. Now, I’ll be honest, there’s a good chunk of quantum physics talk in this book that flew right over my head. Like, truly no idea what any of it meant. But I just rolled with it, didn’t stress, and still enjoyed the ride completely. (If you’ve ever watched something like Interstellar and just accepted the time-space stuff as part of the ride, you’ll be fine here too.) Despite the science-y angle, this isn’t a science book. It’s a smart rom-com with a cool concept and a lot of heart. For anyone who’s ever found themselves wondering “what if?”, this book digs into that question in a really clever and entertaining way. It’s like a multiverse sliding-doors situation, with a sprinkle of romance, some laugh-out-loud moments, and lots to think about. I definitely recommend it!

Very cute! A Sliding Doors-esque romance with some fun questioning about alternate worlds and timelines and what is fixed about our fundamental selves.

Jilly Gagnon delivers AGAIN! Oh my gosh, I love her writing, and usually I'm thrown off by alternate timeline stories, but she nailed it. We all wonder 'what if', and after a reality tech project works, Laurel Everett gets the chance to find out. The story focuses on her growth (+ romance of course), and I think it was brilliantly done how she began to see how her relationships shaped her, and who she had become over the years. Sometimes, it's not who we thought.
Gagnon made Laurel feel relatable, especially when faced with big life decisions, and how that can cause anxieties about identity and fulfillment. What is happiness after all? And isn't the grass greener on the other side?
Read it to find out :)

I love the concept of this story. The alternating realities and the dilemma of which man to choose. Honestly, I had a hard time getting into this book even though I was intrigued. I didn’t feel connections with the characters. All the science jargon bored me, and I often found myself skimming. I wanted to like it and this author has written some other stories that I enjoyed more. I think this one just fell a little short for me.

There’s something magical about falling in love, so it’s no surprise that authors who write about love often use magic in their tales—specifically, a type of magic that allows their protagonist to go back or forward in time to experience their life in a different way. In What If It’s You?, author Jilly Gagnon decides to use science to explore this trope, and this choice helps take the book to a different level.

Laurel Everett, an executive at the tech company Pixel, isn’t exactly overjoyed when she finds an engagement ring in her boyfriend Ollie’s sock drawer. Instead, she wonders what her life would have been like had she said yes to dating Drew, a co-worker who asked her out shortly after she met Ollie. Thanks to Drew’s new alternate reality program, Laurel can get an answer to that question due to the quantum physics that powers the program.

When she wakes up next to Drew, she’s shocked but not surprised. In this timeline, Drew is the high-powered Pixel executive, and Laurel has quit her job to write a novel. As the computer glitches and Laurel is shunted back and forth between two timelines, she has to figure out a way to stay in place—and which timeline she wants.

What If It’s You? has some physics in it, but like most romcoms, the story relies on chemistry. And Laurel has chemistry with both her leading men, but as the story progresses, she realizes that her choice is about more than which man she wants to end up with. What is the life she wants to lead? And, more importantly, what if being with her is the wrong timeline for Drew or Ollie?

Laurel is definitely a heroine to root for. She’s smart and funny, but what elevates her above other protagonists in the genre is her concern for her love interests. Not only does she ask, “what if it’s you,” but also “what if it’s not me?” What if being with Laurel means a lesser life for Ollie? What if Drew didn’t want to be with her to begin with?

What If It’s You? is a highly enjoyable, quick read. But I still don’t understand quantum physics. Maybe in another universe, there’s a version of me that does.

I love a good alternate life story. I did think this one was well written and made sense, no confusion. The only downside for me was that I didn't love Laurel. She was very frustrating and annoying for me.

I really loved the premise of the story, but I did not enjoy the ending of the book. Additionally, the explanations of physics and quantum mechanics that led to the switch in the first place were not very accessible, which made it hard for me to understand and theorize about the book.

What If It's You? is similar to the Seven Year Slip if Clementine made the wrong choice.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.