This one was so good! I loved how it was split during the time loop and then after. Noelle and Cam were so cute together. Every time they met during the loop I was hoping he would remember. I couldn't put this one down once I started.

The amount of times I had to convince myself to NOT DNF this are too many to count. It finally got interesting around the 40-50% mark which to me is way too far into a book for things to pick up. Before that, it just felt like reading the same thing over and over again which in a way makes sense because she was trapped in a time loop, but still should not have been the case for a book. Also, kind of annoying that we got like no real answers to anything by the end idk…

This was super cute! A bit of a different take on the whole Groundhog Day scenario, and I liked the different things she was able to experience. It felt like there was a lot of growth with Noelle, both within herself and with other characters. Overall a cute story that I’d recommend to others!

I’m always a little skeptical when reading groundhogs day esque stories this one was cute and unique. It started out well but the pacing is kind of slow. Cute overall story that just needed a little refinement.

Noelle Tom really shouldn’t have eaten those dumplings at the night market. But the old lady at the stall said they’d give her what she needed most, and what Noelle desperately needed after another long workweek was food.

Except now she’s reliving the same Friday over and over. Every morning her alarm goes off at 6:45 no matter what, the Wordle answer is always “happy,” and she watches a silly squirrel video go viral day after day. And no matter how much she works on the same proposal, it’s always erased when she wakes up. It seems Monday will never come in this workaholic’s worst nightmare.

Noelle has no idea how being trapped in a time loop is the “thing she needed most,” especially now that everything seems meaningless. Sure, three fancy meals in a row is a fun treat, but it’s getting repetitive. Noelle’s not sure what lesson the old lady was trying to impart. Even a trip to the dumpling stall doesn’t help…because there’s no sign of it.

But then she meets a young woman who also ate the dumplings, and good-looking Cam, who appears in multiple places on her Friday. While he seems to have no memory of their encounters, there are signs he might be the key to getting un-stuck. But Noelle will have to put work aside and live a little in order to make him notice her. As their flirtation progresses, Noelle begins to worry that if she ever gets to turn the calendar page, Cam won’t know who she is and her life may never return to what it was before that fateful Friday…

Loved it. I thought the plot was a fresh concept. Well written and easy to relate to characters. Will recommend to others.

Groundhog Day meets 50 First Dates! Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau combines my favorite genre - romance - with one of my favorite sub-genres: time travel/alternate universe/parallel universe. As with all of Jackie Lau's romances, this one is funny, features Asian main characters, and has great spicy scenes! I loved the sci-fi element of this romance, and especially the female friendship portrayed. I felt this book of Lau's had a bit more depth to it than many of her other books.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to read and review an e-galley of this lovely book!

Noelle really shouldn't have eaten those delicious dumplings at the night market. No matter how absolutely delicious they were. The old lady selling them did say that they would give her what she needed most, so in hindsight she really shouldn't be surprised to be reliving the same Friday over and over... and over again. If there's anything a time loop story has thought her, it's that something will be the key to get her out of it. And when she keeps bumping into a cute guy named Cam at the same night market, and a boba shop, and at his brewery, she figures that he is the key to getting her unstuck. With the help of a woman who also ate the dumplings, Noelle has to learn how to put her type A tendencies to the side and live fully every day.

This is not my first time loop rodeo, and while they were many aspects of this sweet story that I loved, the middle of the book unfortunately dragged on too much for me. When I have to read about the same day for the hundredth time, maybe it's time to move on. But the way that the story is tied up at the end did leave me with a big smile.

Time Loops & Meet Cutes is an absolute delight from start to finish—a perfect blend of whimsy and heart with a fresh take on the time loop story. Noelle’s journey is both relatable and captivating, balancing the frustration of her endless Friday with moments of genuine growth and unexpected joy. The chemistry with Cam adds just the right amount of sweetness without overpowering the plot, and the way the narrative weaves humour with deeper themes hits all the right notes. What stands out is how the story captures that tension between being stuck and the hope of moving forward, both in life and love. It’s a beautifully paced, thoughtful read that leaves you smiling and thinking long after the last page.

I love a good time travel/see how life choices affected you story. I can also relate to replaying conversations in your head over and over again. I liked the dual POV, it seems like I read fewer books with a dual POV than not so I appreciate finding one with it. Overall I enjoyed this one.

I enjoyed this cozy, emotional romance! It read very much like translated literary fiction, which could be at times stilted and other times insightful. It took some time to settle into the writing style, but once I did, I enjoyed it. I loved that it wasn't just a romance and encouraged bonding/repairing bonds with the many kinds of people in life. The flirting was equally adorable and cringe inducing in the way flirting can be. I did enjoy the novel overall, but it took me a very long time to settle into.

This was such a cute whimsical read. I love all the journey all the characters had in this story. It was very different from time loop reads I’ve read before, but so so good. I will definitely recommend this books to others.

Cute take on the time loops trope. I like Noelle and Cams story. I did find it a slight predictable at times, but overall I truly enjoyed the story.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the DRC of Time Loops & Meet Cutes! All opinions in this review are my own.

I find that I love the idea of time loops, but more often than not, stories that include them fall into the trap of retelling too much of the same action to reinforce the idea. Luckily, Time Loops & Meet Cutes does not fall into this trap! I finished this book in just over a day because I couldn't put it down! I love that each iteration of June 20th is different for Noelle and that we are able to see what happens after she is able to finally get out of the time loop! This was my first book by this author and I can't wait to read more!

This looked like such a fun plot, I had to read it!

After eating delicious, mysterious dumplings at a night market, overworked Noelle Tom finds herself trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day again and again. Each morning starts the same, and no matter how much progress she makes at work, it resets by the next day. Just when she’s wondering if she’ll be stuck forever, she meets Cam, a charming stranger who keeps popping up throughout her never-ending day. As they grow closer, Noelle starts to believe he might be the key to breaking the loop, but doing so means she might lose him forever.

I figured out the ending a little before the halfway point, but it was still fun to see how everything played out. Time loop stories are fun, and this one stayed fresh and creative. I loved watching Noelle try different versions of her day, from getting new haircuts to spending money with zero consequences. At the same time, it didn’t gloss over how frustrating and isolating it would feel to be stuck like that. I also loved that she ended up making a lifelong female friend in the middle of all the chaos! And watching her relationship with Cam develop, despite him forgetting her every morning, was really sweet. Overall, this was a super cute, fun read, and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re in the mood for a time-loop contemporary romcom.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Emily Bestler Books for this eARC.

This book was such a fun surprise. Noelle finds herself stuck in a time loop after eating magical dumplings and ends up reliving the same day, June 20th, over and over. She meets Avery, another looper, and together they try to break the cycle, but the real magic happens when Noelle keeps running into Cam, a stranger who feels oddly familiar to him every time they meet. I loved the sweet build of their connection, especially since we also get Cam’s perspective. He’s not in the loop, but he knows something isn’t quite right. The story mixes humor with thoughtful moments as Noelle uses her endless June 20ths to fix broken friendships, reassess her job, and figure out what she truly wants. The pacing dragged a little in spots, but I didn’t mind too much because I was rooting for these characters, and that final twist? Totally unexpected and made the whole story even better. Definitely a favorite.

Thank you Atria Books, Jackie Lau and NetGalley for the #gifted ebook arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

"Time Loops & Meet Cutes" finds Noelle Tom in a bit of a pickle. She ate magic dumplings after a long day at work, and now is stuck reliving June 20 over and over again. It wasn't the best day on the first time around, and since she has no idea what she has to do in order to rejoin the rest of the world navigating through time, she's finding things a challenge.

But the situation starts to look up when she meets a nice guy named Cam and decides that perhaps if she could get him to kiss her, she'd go back to her timeline. After all, he has a vague sense that he knows her from somewhere, so that's encouraging. Right?

As she relives June 20th dozens of times, she seems no closer to figuring out the solution than when she began. And it's getting harder to face Cam each day when he doesn't remember who she is.

One of the things that makes this time loop story different from others I've read is that the MC has no idea what the purpose of the loop is or what she needs to do or accomplish in order to escape it. And while that was intriguing at first, in the end, it wasn't very satisfying, because, just like Noelle, we have no idea if any of the things she's trying may be the solution she's looking for. Then, when we do finally find out what happened to trap her there, it's fairly vague. So there's no satisfying sense of closure or accomplishment.

What I did like about the scenario, though, is it forced Noelle outside of her comfort zone and gave her the opportunity to try things, risk-free. So, we get to see her growth along the way, which was nice. But overall, it wasn't enough to truly satisfy. By the end of the story, I kept reading mostly because I wanted to know what had triggered the loop in the first place. And there were seeds planted, like Cam's dad's story, that were never explored that could have provided a much more satisfying story, I think.

Thank you to Jackie Lau, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This was a fun, fast read with a really cute premise. The chapters were short and I flew through the pages. I would absolutely recommend that you throw this one in your beach bag.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A cute, quick read that was well executed but didn't really stick with me for too long after I finished reading it. It was a unique take on an idea that I've seen done several times, in several other ways. I did like the idea of the dumplings causing the time loop, and the idea of Noelle meeting Cam, and trying to get him to fall for her every day was great, and the little indications where he actually had some kind of slight memory of her was a great addition. There were definitely times where I was very ready for the time loop to end, and got bored when it didn't, especially considering there were over 130 time loops... Also, the story did feel a bit unfinished in a sense that I wish there was a bit more of an explanation of the time loops and why. I just feel like it was kind of thrown in there as a last minute solution because there wasn't anything else to put.

Thank you to Atria Books, Jackie Lau, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

i LOVED this book. I read it in one sitting which i havent done in forever. I loved the style, the writing, the story. It was so engaging like a combination of Groundhog Day and 50 First Dates. If there isnt a book for Avery next I am going to lose my mind, I am very attached to her, her story and what i hope is her happiness.

Time Loops & Meet Cutes is a sweet and creative romance that plays with time travel in a fun and thoughtful way. Jackie Lau blends humor, warmth, and a touch of sci-fi to craft a story that’s both entertaining and emotionally grounded.
The characters are endearing, and their connection feels natural, even through the repeating timelines. Some parts move a bit slowly, but the overall charm and originality more than make up for it.
A delightful read with a unique twist — perfect for fans of cozy romance with a bit of magic.