A fascinating "what-if" novel that, unfortunately, gets bogged down in quantum physics and artificial intelligence specifics. I loved the idea of this book: start the romance novel off five years into the relationship. And the conceit of being able to see "what might have been" instead of what is provides a good hook. The sad thing is that the execution just never clicked before - the 'what if' thing has been done better and large portions of this book got bogged down in some serious minutia that started to make my brain cloud over. When you add in that the main character is being rather ridiculous at the beginning of the book...I just never bought in. It isn't a bad novel, but I never entirely found myself caring about her outcome by the end. I think some people may really love this - I just didn't. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for a chance to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are uncompensated.

First, thank you to NetGalley, Jill Gagnon, and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. As I’m sitting here, I’m struggling with how to rate this book. My gut says 2 stars but I want to say 3 because I hate giving low ratings. However, know I would only recommend this book to a very specific reader: must like surface level concepts of the multiverse, must like unlikable main characters, must like slow character growth and late revelations.

With that said, I was sold on the concept of this book. Love story across multiple timelines? Say less. However, about halfway through the book I realized Laurel is a self-absorbed a-hole and Ollie deserved better. She took for granted a 5 year relationship with a man who always put her first. Not that that means she should bind herself to him completely, but if you’re still asking “what if” after 5 years, you probably need to move on. It took her sliding between timelines for her to truly see her partner and be willing to take his needs into consideration. She wasn’t a good partner, coworker, or person. She went on and on and on about how great she was because she had a VP position at some business that is secretly dabbling in quantum physics but then she violates the trust of everyone close to her? Tell me again how great you are? No. Please don’t.

The redeeming aspects of this novel were Ollie, Dana, and the writing. The writing was well done and fast paced. I didn’t feel like I was trudging through complicated science. Dana was a no nonsense academic who had zero time to placate Laurel. I appreciated that. Ollie was a kind, generous, and devoted. Towards the end, he set his boundaries and Laurel needed to make a choice. What makes me feel bad for Ollie is that he had this whole project going that he felt he couldn’t tell Laurel about because he didn’t think she’d find value in it. WHAT KIND OF PARTNER IS THAT? Again, Laurel was just completely unlikable and her character growth was slow and late to the game.

I feel like I’ve explained this book’s plot pretty well but let me lay it out for you: Laurel and Ollie are together. Ollie is planning on proposing and Laurel finds out. She panics and instead of being and adult and having a conversation, she intentionally sabotages the anniversary dinner when Ollie was planning the proposal. She then runs to her work bestie, Drew, and fantasizes about what life would have been like if she would have dated him. She sneaks into his lab at work, fiddles with a quantum computer, and manages to completely derail the project. She ends up slipping between her original timeline and an alternate timeline where she is with Drew. Her life with Drew is immaculate and expensive and she’s pretty happy about that but finds fault there after time. The book continues with Laurel moving between timelines and growing more and more manic until the problem magically resolves.

Sorry for the spoilers and sorry for truly just not caring for this book in the way that I had hoped.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

What If It's You? by Jilly Gagnon is a first person-POV romantic speculative contemporary exploring that question so many of us have when we’re at a crossroads of whether or not to commit to a partner. Laurel has been with Ollie for five years and the passion has never gone away, but her work husband, Drew, is someone she could have had a shot with around the same time she got together with Ollie. Because of this, she’s always wondered what could have been and she finally has a chance to do it.

I wouldn’t call this a romance for several reasons: it doesn’t follow the romance structure, as rooted as it is in romantic relationships, it doesn’t feel really feel like it’s about the romance itself but is more about Laurel learning who she wants and coming to terms with her flaws, and it’s not really as earnest as I’m expecting from a romance. Even characters who are more analytical in romances tend to be more earnest about their partners and not as back-and-forth as Laurel is. If I call this a romantic speculative or a speculative contemporary instead, my expectations change and this slots in very quickly and easily. I think romance readers who like a more women’s fiction bent to their romances or romance B-plots in their women’s fiction will really like this.

Laurel’s inability to fully commit to Ollie makes a lot of sense to me given the fact that her mother left Laurel and her father. Ollie is an artist who teaches guitar lessons and who’s band hasn’t hit it big yet so Laurel is the breadwinner. Ollie is fine with it and is a walking green flag, but Drew is not only Laurel’s coworker but is probably making more money than her and I do think that does draw her eye to him and keeps it there. As a society post-COVID and post-2008 Housing Crisis, I cannot blame a young woman for wanting a partner who makes as much or more money than her because it is added security. For all of Ollie’s good points, him being more laid back and thinking things will work out were personality traits that helped me understand why Laurel is hesitant to say ‘yes’ when she finds out he wants to propose.

Of the two, I am firmly Team Ollie and not Team Drew. I’m a romance fan and I didn’t like how dismissive Drew was of the genre even if he is basically funding Laurel’s life so she can spend time writing her books. It just felt more and more like he thought it was a hobby to keep her busy while Ollie seemed to really believe in her dreams. More than that, there’s just these little slights that feel like Drew expects Laurel to fall into a more traditional role. There is nothing wrong with choosing to be a stay-at-home spouse/parent and it even makes the most sense in some circumstances, but it should be a choice and not an expectation.

I would recommend this to fans of books that are more contemporary/women’s fiction than romance and readers of speculative fiction looking for a book asking ‘what if someone else is The One?’

I wanted to love this book, but it was just okay for me. I love the cover, and premise is right up my alley- our main character Laurel, tries out an alternate reality that her friend Drew is working on, and somehow gets stuck between two worlds with her actual boyfriend Ollie vs one where she ends up with Drew.

I was totally fine with all the quantum physics/science-y dialogue, but my main issues were I don’t think either Drew or Ollie were developed enough for me to establish a connection to either one of them (even though there’s definitely a clear choice of which one we’re supposed to like more), and I didn’t think Laurel was good enough for the one that she actually ends up with. She didn’t really treat him well, and he just seemed too good for her, which you don’t really want to see in a romance novel.

I’ve read similar what-if/multiple scenarios books that were better, and unfortunately this isn’t one I’ll be revisiting.

Loved the concept, was luke warm about the execution

Multiple universes drew and kept me in as I was eager enough to know what happened to finish the book, but the main character, Laurel, was somewhat unlikeable until the very end (maybe that's the point, but it's not my preference), and the other characters lacked depth. Whenever Laurel was back in her real world, I had no attachment to her relationship because it wasn't given enough attention -- all spicy scenes felt forced to me and kind of out of the blue? And the alternate universe was even worse; I really didn't know who to root for in terms of love interest because I didn't want to root for Laurel...
With that said, the last few chapters are the book were redemptive, and I really enjoyed the epilogue, so all in all the book is a solid 3 out of 5 stars for me. I would definitely be interested in reading other books from this author with hopes to relate to the main character better and be more invested in the outcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC of What If It's You?

Not for me. There was too much going on. I’m not a sci fi person so the quantum physics was a no from me. The FMC was also aggravating.

This one just wasn’t for me. It didn’t hold my interest like I was hoping and I skipped through a lot of it. The premise was intriguing but the back and forth jumping was at times hard to keep up with. There were times I thought she was with Drew but she was with Ollie and vice versa. It was just a lot. I also wasn’t a fan of the MFC. She wasn’t someone that I wanted to root for in either universe tbh.

ARC Review – What If It’s You by Jilly Gagnon
⭐️ 3 stars
📅 Release Date: May 2025

What If It’s You explores the emotional unraveling of Laurel Everett, who tests a simulation called AltR to explore a life she didn’t choose—one where she’s with someone else, chasing dreams she left behind.

The concept is compelling and thought-provoking, and Laurel’s internal conflict felt deeply relatable. I appreciated the emotional nuance and how neither love interest was framed as the villain.

That said, the constant back-and-forth between realities gave me reader whiplash, and some setting descriptions felt overly detailed. I also struggled with the ending—it leaned heavily on ambiguity and left me wishing for more closure after such a layered journey.

Spice Level: 2/5 – Light romance, more emotional than steamy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Received an ARC via NetGalley.

I don’t really do a lot of romance. I want the ones with witty dialogue, not trying too hard to be funny dialogue that makes me cringe. I also tend to look for ones that have some other hook than just boy meets girl.

This one got me with the quantum physics aspect and though I don’t have a mind for quantum physics, slipping between two worlds does make for an interesting premise. And the dialogue was fun, not cringy.

Def hooked me and def didn’t make me roll my eyes. I could see the premise being a little confusing, like the technical aspects but I didn’t get bogged down in it. I liked the heart of it and that’s what mattered to me.

I love it when a book surprises me, not because it had twists and turns I didn't expect (although I'll take that, too), but when I went in without high expectations and they are exceeded. I read Jilly Gagnon's rom-com of 2024, Love You, Mean It, and I had a good time with it, but there were a few parts of it that just didn't work well for me. It was a solid read, but I didn't find myself immediately wanting to read everything by this author. When the publisher emailed to offer an ARC of this book, I hesitated, but I went ahead and read the description. I'm a bit of a sucker for time travel, time loops, and alternate realities, so I figured I'd give this a shot. It was a little more open-door than my usual comfort zone, and I can see how readers could get lost in the weeds of the physics/science parts of it (I chose not to), but honestly, I was blown away.

Laurel Everett is in a 5-year committed relationship and one morning she finds a ring in her boyfriend's drawer. She's immediately filled with anxiety and doubt about whether forever with Ollie is right for her. Meanwhile at work, her best friend/work husband, Drew, is working on a program called AltR that allows users to revisit an inflection point/decision in their lives and see what might have happened instead. Laurel becomes a test subject, and it seems the quantum computer can't complete her user profile, but of course, you know what's going to happen here. She wakes up the next morning and instead of a life with Ollie, she's spent the last five years in "World D" with Drew.

This could be seen as a book that includes a love triangle or even hints at infidelity, but I didn't see it that way. There are certainly people who are satisfied with their lives and don't wonder about inflection points, but there are others, myself included, who have a resounding voice that chants, "what if, what if, what if." The voice in my head doesn't ask about romantic partners, but it's asked many times, what if you'd chose a different college, what if you'd moved to a different city, what if, what if, what if.

And that's why I think this book worked so well for me, because it was less about who Laurel should be with and more about who Laurel should become. She doesn't wake up in life with Drew and suddenly feel like all is right with the world. Instead, she hardly recognizes herself. Through this alternate reality storyline, I felt like this book held up a mirror and asked the question, "how are we shaped by the people we love." I know I'd be a different person without my husband or even my closest friends.

I laughed, related big time, and even shed a couple tears reading this. I'd categorize this as less of a romance and more of a coming-of-quarter age book. I appreciated Laurel's journey and saw echoes of my own. I loved the resolution and the epilogue and hope that Jilly Gagnon keeps writing books like this one.

I love a slightly sci-fi inspired rom com! The multiverse elements were cool, but I found the romance lacking. The dialogue just felt stilted and unrelatable. I didn't find myself caring enough about any of the main characters to get invested in the story. However, the plotting was clever and I was satisfied overall with the ending!

I absolutely loved reading this book! The entire premise is so unique and thought provoking it really makes you stop and wonder. Imagine getting the chance to live out two different versions of your life, to see how things might unfold based on one choice versus another. No more “what ifs” lingering in the back of your mind just the clarity of experience.

We follow Laurel as she begins to question whether her life with Ollie is truly what she wants. With marriage looming as their next step, she’s more uncertain than ever. Enter the AltR project at her workplace, a groundbreaking opportunity to step into an alternate reality. And this is where things get really interesting. Through this project, Laurel gets to explore a completely different life, one where her path leads her to her charming coworker, Drew.

The story is both heartwarming and deeply reflective, offering a glimpse into the universal human desire to understand our choices and where they lead us. It’s a beautiful exploration of love, identity, and the roads not taken.

If you're on the fence about picking this book up consider this your sign. It’s a must-read for anyone who’s ever found themselves wondering, "What if?" You won’t regret diving into this one.

This was such a fun read! I loved stepping out of the traditional romance genre and exploring this wonderfully executed multiverse, quantum physics, sci-fi romance!
My anxiety almost couldn’t handle all of the stress this book put me through, but it ended up being such a beautifully written love story underneath all the science. It created a lot of self-reflection in my own life and really makes you ponder all the big and small “what ifs” in life.
Ollie is a dream MMC and Laurel’s self-growth through the book perfectly counterbalanced the anxiety-inducing alternate reality jumps. It was such a fun journey to go on with the characters, and the epilogue literally gave me goosebumps because it was that perfect of an ending. Thank you to Dell Romance and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, What If It's You missed the mark for me. This alternative-reality-romance went much harder on the possible science behind the big switches than it did on character development. The characters weren't very likeable, which I can get behind if they are well developed (I know every character won't be FOR me) but these characters were not given any help here. We got the tiniest glimpse into Laurel's family history and why that might have her wondering "What If" on her relationship, but there isn't anything built off of that. The book just follows Laurel as she jumps to World D to realize she isn't happy there, must get back to World O, only for her to immediately want to jump into bed with Ollie and then panic that she doesn't want to be with Ollie. All we really learn about Ollie is that he's hopped from band to band, goes with the flow, but wants to ask Laurel to marry him as if everything is perfect. Then the two different Drews were so drastically different that I even laughed at the logic that just being with Laurel in this alternate world made him into an overly confident rude guy when he's wholesome and such a good friend in the current world. There are too few big conversations happening, too little character growth, and too many open door scenes that felt entirely out of place for me in this read. I'm bummed this one wasn't right for me given how much I enjoyed Love You, Mean It and I appreciate NetGalley and Dell for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

It's hard to root for a romance when you don't care for the main character.

Look, I like unlikeable characters, but in the "they're a bit questionable and incredibly flawed but have good intentions" sort of way. Not the "whiny, entitled, selfish" way. This isn't knocking her anxieties for the future, those are valid and completely understandable, but it was hard to feel her actually love her boyfriend?? She didn't seem to view him as a fully functioning adult a lot of the time and it was quite obvious she had this superiority complex thing going on. This isn't to say he was 100% perfect but he wasn't bad enough for her to have been treating him the way she did. It's like she wanted these life things (marriage, children, etc.) but couldn't actually see them with him because he was more of the free and loose type. No, he wasn't on the corporate grind but it's not like he was a freeloader with no direction.

Yes, there was character development and a HEA but for this to have been under 300 pages, it felt like it took forever for us to get there.

As far as all the science stuff goes, I was fine with it. A bit overexplained at times and a few too many metaphors, but it was interesting and was the only thing to keep me going besides my rage and annoyance.

She truly thought she was all that important that she figured her friend was still harboring a crush on her from five years ago. I just hate that Laurel has me out here wanting to defend a man.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book!

Another really great novel by Jilly Gagnon! A colorful cast of characters that kept me burning the midnight oil. I think the premise of this book was really interesting. The theory of six degrees of separation proved useful. Captivating from beginning to end.
Thank you NetGalley, Jilly Gagnon and DELL for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Romance? Alternate universes? I am in!

However, this book was not what I expected. I was looking for a fun. lighthearted read and this is NOT what I got. I finished the book, but admit I had to skim here and there just to get through. I am sure that didn't help me understand. There was soo much detail on the time travel and not enough character development. I was confused at times, and I didn't like the characters. At all. I didn't root for them and I didn't understand why some of the decisions were made.

I hate giving two stars. An author puts their heart and soul into a book. But to me, this was below average. I just didn't enjoy it.

I do want to thank #netgalley and #randomhouse for the opportunity to read an ARC. It obviously didn't impact my opinion.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Random House for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. So, I like Romance novels. I like Alternate Universe novels. I thought I would like this romance/alternate universe book. I did not. The story is about Laurel, whose boyfriend Ollie is about to propose. She is not ready for this. She works at a tech /social media company, Pixel. She has a work friend,Drew. Drew asked her out 5 years ago. She had just started seeing Ollie, so they never dated. Drew is working on a project that predicts alternate universes. Laurel sneaks into the project and asks the computer it she should be with Drew. The next morning Laurel is in a new apartment with Drew. Over the next week, Laurel has episode of vertigo and ping pongs between universes. It is confusing and full of quantum physics jargon. It doesn't help that none of the characters are well written or likeable. Even the epilogue was confusing. ( I am still trying to sort it out). Just not for me.

When Laurel walks into the restaurant to meet Ollie for their 5th anniversary, she can feel it. He's going to propose. But how can she be expected to be ready for forever? How can anybody? Yes, she loves Ollie, but what if it goes wrong? What if he's her person now, but not her person forever? As the "what ifs" begin to grow, Laurel does what she can to assure his proposal gets postponed. Just until she's had time to think.

At work, her friend - and work crush - Drew invites her to try their latest test run. A quantum computer, and the program AltR, where you can set scenarios and ask those "what if" questions. What if you turned left instead of right? Or, after Ollie's failed question, what if she'd said yes to Drew? He'd asked her out 5 years ago, when she and Ollie had first started dating. What if that's who she was meant to be with?

The program gives her an error, and Laurel leaves it. Maybe it was foolish. Maybe she'll try again another time. Except the next morning, she doesn't wake up next to Ollie. She wakes up next to Drew, in a new apartment, in a new reality.

All Laurel can think about is getting back to her reality. World D, as she starts to call it, may have some fancy new upgrades - better neighborhood, better apartment, better organization. And here, she's even taken the plunge and quit her job to give her dream a shot - to become an author. Yet, somehow, she's not writing. And this Drew isn't the Drew she's come to know. By saying yes to Drew here, what happened to change both of them into these versions of themselves?

So, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this one going into it. I felt crushed by how she treated Ollie at their anniversary dinner (team Ollie all the way!) and couldn't relate to her commitment hang ups. She had a sweet, caring man she loves asking her to marry him, and she's doing everything she can to make sure he can't ask the question? And wondering what if you said yes to someone else is one thing. Getting dumped into that life 5 years in the making was another!

I didn't see how things had a chance of working out with Drew - the veneer looked nice, but the things that mattered, the small, everyday things, seemed to be missing the mark. However, the story did hook me, and I started to sympathize with Laurel a bit more. When she finds Ollie in World D and later looks him up to see who he's become, that's when the story really shifted for me. Team Ollie, remember?

In the end, this asks a lot of good questions. Who am I in a relationship? Who do I want to be? What matters more when it comes to support - freedom or belief? As Laurel asks these things of herself, looking at the men she knows in her world, and the men they've become in World D, she starts running out of time. The program is getting more unstable, something is running but they can't find how to stop it. If nothing else, they'll have to shut the program down and start from scratch. But with Laurel switching between realities, what will that mean for her?

This book definitely hit a little heavier, it wasn't the light read I expected. I think I enjoyed it more for that though, even if I had my doubts about Laurel to start with. And the ending, agh! I loved that last little glimpse.

Thank you to the NetGalley and Random House for the ARC for this one!

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and was excited to give it a try. There was nothing really wrong with the book I just didn't really enjoy it and was debating making it a DNF a few times. The main character was ok but had a hard time to relating to her issues with her boyfriend and why she was hung up on her friend. My other issue was there was something about the boyfriend character I just really didn't like and honestly wasn't rooting for either of the relationships. Would still recommend was just a miss for me, and be warned there is a good amount of sci-fi and suspending belief involved in this read. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the arc in exchange for a honest review.