I enjoyed this Groundhog Day-esque romance! When Noelle Tom has dumplings at a market that promise "to be the thing she needs the most," she ends up stuck reliving the same day over and over again. Noelle meets Cam, who day after day does not remember who she is, but with whom she starts to develop a relationship, although Noelle fears she will never actually know Cam as he is not reliving the same day.

Broken up into to parts, I liked the overall story. Noelle learns to take small risks and repair relationships while she's stuck in the time loop. Also while stuck, she meets Avery, another woman stuck reliving the same day. The two strike a friendship and I think their friendship was a major highlight of the story. I do think the first part starts to get repetitive and I found myself reading faster so I can move on in the story. The second half changes the story a little and there are some fun twists! I feel like Noelle and Cam's relationship is much more developed in the second half (although I did feel like there was more emotion in the first half). They had generally good chemistry, but I did wish for a little bit more depth to the relationship.

Overall, this was a cute romance and I enjoyed reading Noelle and Cam's story. The food descriptions throughout had my mouth watering and I immediately wanted every meal described. I liked how Noelle reconnects with her family and how she forms a new friendship through being stuck in the time loop. I would recommend to romance fans!

This novel is a fresh and heartfelt take on the time-loop trope, blending humor, romance, and self-discovery into an irresistible story. Noelle Tom, a dedicated engineer, finds herself stuck in an endless Friday after eating mysterious dumplings at a night market. What starts as an amusing inconvenience quickly spirals into an existential crisis—until she meets Cam, a charming brewery owner who just might hold the key to her escape, even if he doesn’t remember her.

What makes this story stand out is its perfect balance of wit, warmth, and emotional depth. Noelle’s journey is not just about breaking the loop but about breaking free from the expectations and pressures she places on herself. Her interactions with Cam are filled with chemistry and tenderness, making their budding connection all the more compelling. The novel also offers a unique exploration of work-life balance, the meaning of happiness, and what it truly means to live in the moment.

With its vibrant setting, lovable characters, and a romance that feels both magical and deeply real, this book is a delightful read that will resonate long after the final page. Fans of charming, thought-provoking love stories with a touch of whimsy will find this one hard to put down.

I thought this was super cute, and like most romances predictable in the way you want it to be. This definitely felt like a fresh take on a time loop romance, and I fully enjoyed it. Bonus .25 Star for the food descriptions on the dates. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted arc.

let me introduce you to my next book obsession:

𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐬 & 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 has all my favorite things:

✨ magical realism
✨ dumplings
✨ bingeable
✨ cozy

this one immediately sucked me in and I might’ve cancelled anything on my to-do list to finish it in one sitting.

Cam and Noelle were the cutest pairing and being able to see Noelle continually have different meet cutes with Cam was adorable.

Noelle was super relatable with being frustrated at her job, her struggles to connect with her family and having had her heart broken. Cam was the perfect counterpart to Noelle with his charm and wit and their chemistry was jumping off the page.

If you were a fan of Seven Year Slip then 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐬 & 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 is for you!

fun exciting story, with a unique premise/plot! some of the writing comes across a little simple which gets annoying at times. the story moves kinda slow at the beginning, but if you can push through that, it’s a good story!

3.5⭐

LIKED:
- I’ve been sitting with this book for a couple of days, and I think it’s grown on me a bit just because of what emotional resonance that it was striving for. I think its footing in the Women’s Lit genre is more solid than it is for romance, but not necessarily in a bad way? I think Cam’s POV chapters (for the most part) are pretty integral to the structure of the book, so it’s a tricky balance.
- I really liked that Part 2 kind of turns everything on its head with this book. Time Loops are not really that novel of a plot when it comes to media (it’s a bit more with written romances, but still). However, without spoiling anything, the second act is a bit more of a unique perspective than we normally see. I really appreciated this part and wish that it was longer (not the book, I think this section could have taken some of the time from the first Part). Part two is also just…deeply sad in many ways and sounds like a bit of a living nightmare.
- The friendship between Noelle and Avery was really lovely and honestly Avery’s whole side of the story was pretty devastating in many ways. I actually wish we had more conversations or scenes with Noelle and Avery to really flesh out that relationship even more. Because we only kind of get a Happily Ever After for Avery and her Part 2 is terrifying.
- I also enjoyed Noelle’s relationship with her family and seeing how they all perceive her as well. It added a lot to Noelle’s character
- Cam is good. I like his chapters throughout Part 1, but they were really confusing until you get to Part 2 and understand what purpose they serve.
- I love this cover. I love the story it tells, the colors, the whole thing. 10/10

LAMENTED:
- The intensity of the relationship between Noelle and Cam and just the kind of insta-love/fated relationship/etc., was a bit…unbelievable for me. I was kind of hoping that Cam would have more magicality about him that he just…didn’t, unfortunately. I needed them to have more conversations that connected them as humans. I liked them both separately, but together they just felt really basic.
- The ending revelation was…fine. I am a lil rat who finds every breadcrumb for plotlines annoyingly easily, so I’m a bit tricky to please when it comes to these types of things. I don’t think it ruins anything, by any means. It’s just a bit cheesy.
- Oh the third act breakup is DUMB. It did not need to happen. If a third act breakup doesn’t make sense, just don’t put it in.
- Jackie Lau’s style of writing is very cut and dry. It still has a flow to it, but it does make it a bit hard to picture people, places, actions, etc. I would like her to build out the world she makes a bit more on the page (I’ve had this trouble with her books in the past). I do think this is one of her best (if not the best) books for her character interiority and character writing overall.
- …The sex scenes are boring and kind of jarring. Again, Lau’s writing is a bit dry to begin with, and I just find her spicy scenes to lack some of the steam (tension, fire, whatever you want to call it) that I, as a reader, look for in these scenes. It’s my personal opinion, but I care less about the actual on the page spice in a sex scene than I do about feeling the characters’ connection growing and deepening.

LONGED FOR:
- More of Part 2 because it’s the most fascinating
- More of Noelle and Avery bonding as friends
- More of Cam and Noelle connecting as people beyond just finding each other attractive

WILL I READ THE NEXT ONE? : You know what, probably. About halfway through this book, I wasn’t so sure. But the second half really got me. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Donut Fall in Love (that title, oof), but this one redeemed her writing for me in my eyes .

This book had me hooked and I absolutely had to know how it was going to play out. Loved the characters and journey they all went on. The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is because I kind of wish that the mystery would have not been solved. I felt like it was out of nowhere and I think the later part of the story would have been more impactful if it was never explained and it focused more on the journey that Noelle went through and the outcome.

This book was cute! The beginning was a little rushed and felt a bit YA. The writing improved as the book went on. There was an odd amount of emphasis on the food being eaten. Cam is adorable though and I did love him!

Noelle is living a very mundane life. She has shut down emotionally since her last relationship, and is a workaholic. One night, she stops at the night market and eats magic dumplings that put her in a time loop. Each day that she lives over again, she makes discoveries about herself and the world around her. One day, she meets Cam, who she thinks might be the key to getting out of the loop. To Noelle, she is building a relationship with this man, but to Cam, he is meeting her for the first time each day. I absolutely loved this book! The premise was so unique, even in the time loop/Groundhog Day genre. I loved Noelle and Cam's relationship and her relationships with her family and friends, too. Definitely recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My review: I love time loop, alternate reality, time travel books. Noelle is caught in a Groundhog Day situation. Breaking out of the day on repeat seems impossible and she tries to make sense of WHY this is happening. She doesn't understand what she needs most: is it a better/different job? More appreciation of family or friends? Falling in love? The frustration of not being in control is a lot to handle.
I kept trying to guess what Noelle needed, what was the thing she needed? There were things (experiments she called them) that I would have done differently, but also things I never would have considered. I like that Noelle never really became dependent, she did keep trying and thinking, and planning. She did slowly learn more about living life, even if it was the same day over and over.
Avery and Cam were fabulous characters. I'm not sure that Avery got everything she needed to, but she did move forward.
The very end was kind of tied up quickly and seemed a little off...but I guess you have to just suspend disbelief in a time loop book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

Hello Fellow Readers,

I knew I wanted to read more science fiction this year, but little did I know that one would be a Rom-Com about being stuck in a time loop. Of course, Jackie Lau would be the author to pull it off. Lau is just about to take any trope from different genres, and reinvent them into something unique and enjoyable, and boy, did I enjoy this book. Noelle is your typical boring overworked main character who needs a bit of a shake up in life, this shake up comes in the form of magical dumplings causing her to continuously live June 20th over and over again.

Soon, Noelle starts to live, finding friendship and love while also realizing that her familial relationships also need some work. I enjoyed reading about Noelle's growth and struggles as she lives through the same day and realizes that no matter what she does, no one remembers he actions except her. You can feel her hopelessness and desperation, especially when it came to Cam. I know that I am not as resilient as Noelle, as I think I would have gone completely insane.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more of Lau's work.

I love a time loop story! This was filled with such depth and heart. You will absolutely swoon over Noelle and Cam's relationship. What a sweet treat.

This was a cute yet deep-in-parts story with good writing. The first 2/3 are about the meet-cutes and the last third deals with the main characters' personal growth and a twist.
Noelle and Cam are very sweet together, and each encounter on the darned repeated day is different, with Noelle changing what she eats or wears or even how she cuts her hair to try to break the monotony. She is also in a dead-end job, and she learns to grow more confident in that arena, too, and change things up because what has she got to lose?
Avery, her new bestie, is also trapped in the same loop but dating a total loser, and I enjoyed reading about how both women navigated through their inability to escape and how they developed their friendship and their courage.
I did find it difficult to get my teeth into Noelle and Cam's relationship as Cam was always meeting her for the first time, and once Noelle escaped the loop, it felt a little like I was reading a different book - sort of like jumping from romance to women's fiction. Despite that, it was a good read that I think most readers will enjoy.
3.7 rounded up

Noelle is a workaholic. The last person to the leave the office during her city's night market, she stumbles across a delicious dumpling stand. The dumplings lead to her re-living the summer solstice over and over again. While this book at first blush may seem that it's based on the romantic interest, it's also a book on friendship, patience, and taking a leap of faith.

I loved this! I'm a huge fan of magic realism novels and this one was very well-written. I loved the main character arcs for both female protagonists even if I did find Noelle to be a little selfish.

Solid 4 stars from me!

This is a fun take on time loops! I thought the romance was cute. I adored Cam as a love interest. I liked the sister plot line and the growth in that relationship. The thing I liked the most was the friendship between Noelle and Avery. Avery got the shit end of the stick when it came to the time loop, but I’m so happy to see how far they both grew and the way their stories ended.

I had never read a time loop trope before because I was worried about the repetition, but Time Loops and Meet Cutes executed it so well that I found myself completely hooked. The variations in each loop kept things fresh and engaging, and while I occasionally wished for a little more detail in certain days, I appreciated that the pacing never dragged or became redundant.

One of the book’s greatest strengths was its character development. Noelle was an incredibly relatable protagonist, especially for readers in her age range who might see themselves in her work-driven mindset and personal struggles. Her growth throughout the book was subtle but meaningful, and I loved how the author balanced self-discovery with the romance. Having Avery, another character trapped in the time loop, made the story even stronger—her presence added depth, and the friendship between her and Noelle was one of my favorite aspects of the book.

The romance was also a highlight. Noelle and Cam had undeniable chemistry, and the way their repeated first dates played out was so fun—some moments had me literally kicking my feet! The slow buildup, despite the constraints of the time loop, felt natural and compelling. My only small critique is that the resolution came together a little too quickly. While it was satisfying, I would have liked just a bit more time spent on wrapping things up.

Also, I have to mention the food - I craved everything Noelle ate! Jackie Lau did an amazing job weaving food into the story in a way that made it feel so comforting and immersive.

Overall, Time Loops and Meet Cutes was a delightful, well-paced read with a perfect mix of romance, humor, and heartfelt moments. If you love swoon-worthy romance, engaging character growth, and books that will make you hungry, I highly recommend picking this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. Time Loops and Meet Cutes is set to be published on May 6, 2025.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

3.5 stars rounded down

Super mixed feelings about this honestly but at the end of it, I’m happy to have read it and did enjoy it! The first 55% was so repetitive (I get it, it’s a time loop story but I feel like maybe there was a way to get the point across without it being quite so drawn out) but the last half of the book was really sweet and I did enjoy the messaging on time, taking risks, and living your life without as much fear.

Overall 4.25 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, Atria, and Jackie Lau i for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book! From the character development, to the plot, to the romance, it was all a resounding YES!

Noelle (FMC) is living a normal workaholic life until she eats some magical dumplings that put her into a time loop. While in the loop she re-evaluates her life, choices, and relationships while also falling in love. The first 2/3 of this book focuses on the Noelle being in the loop while the last third explores how she is trying to navigate her life out of the loop.

This book made me laugh, cry, kick my feet, and think about my own life/what I would do if I was stuck in a time loop. Overall, I loved reading this book and honestly, I think this was the book I needed when I read it. I would 100% recommend this book to my friends (and already have!) and I can't wait for it to come out in May!

Mild SPOILERS

Characters: 4.5⭐
Plot: 4⭐
Writing Style: 3.5⭐
Enjoyment: 4⭐
Overall rating: 4⭐

What to expect? Time Loops & Meet Cutes follows Noelle as she gets trapped in a time loop after eating magical dumplings. We get to see her grapple with her work life balance, interpersonal relationships, and her budding, but trapped romantic relationship with Cam.

Things I loved?
🔸 I loved how not only did we get to see the time loop, but we got a good third of the book dedicated to dealing with the emotional and personal fallout of being trapped in a time loop.
🔸 The relationships were done so well in this book. The friendship between Avery and Noelle was so sweet and, of course, I loved Cam and Noelle. Even the relationship between Noelle and her sister/family. The development of all those was really great.

What could be improved?
🔸 I did think things had a slower start. Before Avery comes into the picture, I was struggling to read. But once things pick up, I was hooked.
🔸 I desperately wanted to see Noelle quit her job at the end. But alas. I guess we can't have it all.

Books recs if you liked this one?
🔸 Devils Day Party by CM Stunich. The only thing similar about these books is the time loop and that they're both done well. Devils Day Party is a reverse harem bully romance with a lot of trigger warnings, but a great amount of character growth and a good ending.

Would I recommend this book? Yes!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After eating magical dumplings, engineer Noelle finds herself locked in a time loop, repeating the same June day over and over. One constant is Cam, the brewery owner who she keeps encountering. Over many iterations, her attraction to him grows, but no matter how many meet cutes they have, until she breaks the loop, they have no future.

I enjoyed how from giving up on romance to pursuing Cam is only one of the many ways the time loop changes Noelle’s life giving her a robust character arc. The Toronto setting is lovingly built and Noelle eats so many fantastic foods in the story. The book is nicely structured, giving adequate time for her time loop adventures as well as the aftermath. It’s clear that Noelle and Cam are a good match from the start, but Noelle’s bad breakup baggage and the logistics of starting each day over with Cam provide conflict.

At first, I found the multitude of time loop interactions overkill, but the sheer number made sense once the plot progressed. I liked how Noelle’s new time loop friend was integrated into the plot, acted as a sounding board, and provided some stability to Noelle’s situation. I do wish more time was spent with Noelle’s siblings as I really liked seeing their interactions. The magical elements were well woven into the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to First Emily Bestler Books/Atria Books, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.