I’ve read many of Jackie Lau’s contemporary romances but this is the first time she’s steered from her usual formula to introduce a time paradox, reminiscent of the movie Groundhog Day. This story also involves a little magic, courtesy of some Chinese dumplings, and it’s an enjoyable and interesting take on finding your special someone – over and over again.

Noelle Tom is stuck in a rut. Her engineering colleagues expect her to take on their duties, her relationships haven’t worked out and her family has its issues. Tired and hungry after working late one Friday night, she finds her way to a night market with all of its sights and smells, including a little booth with an elderly woman working alone making dumplings. There is no line and only one kind of dumpling for sale, but the price is right, and the old woman says her dumplings will “give you what you need most”. Noelle is in luck – they turn out to be the best dumplings she’s ever eaten. After trying some other food and drinks, she makes her way home and settles in for the night with the list of her plans for Saturday running through her head and falls asleep – only to wake up to her alarm beeping. Believing she’d forgotten to turn if off (not needing it for Saturday morning) she picks up her phone to do the Wordle puzzle and funnily enough, it’s the same word as yesterday. Then the calendar on her phone says its Friday June twentieth. And when she checks her laptop, the proposal she stayed late to finish is still in its draft form.

At first Noelle thinks she must have dreamt Friday, that it didn’t actually happen and that she’s woken up to the real Friday. But when she goes to the night market, the dumpling stall isn’t there. And the next morning, she wakes up and it’s Friday again. And again. And again.

The one bright spot to reliving the same day over again is Noelle meeting a good looking bar owner named Cam, whom she meets in multiple locations over the course of reliving the same day. She also meets a young woman, Avery, who is in the same boat as her – she ate the dumplings and she is also reliving the same day. When they examine their lives and try to find a reason for what is happening to them, all they can come up with is that it must have to do with finding a good relationship, as Avery is living with a boyfriend with whom she wants to break up. Noelle comes to realize that Cam is going to be the key for her to break out of the cycle, but how?

I really enjoyed how this story unfolds. It’s actually divided into two parts – girl meets boy, and then boy meets girl, and while Noelle is reliving her one day and meeting Cam over and over again, Cam is not stuck on that same day and so the months are passing by for him. We get to learn about Cam’s business and his family, and the story alternates chapters between Noelle and Cam’s perspectives. Noelle and Cam develop a relationship and have some intimate scenes but I don’t want to spoil how that comes about. What’s important is that both Noelle and Cam undergo character development as the story progresses, in different ways and for different reasons. But watching that evolution is part of what makes this story interesting. There is a happy ending and it’s a satisfying romance even if it comes about in a unusual way. Time Loops & Meet Cutes is refreshingly different and well worth checking out if you enjoy this author’s work.

This was a really cute and thought-provoking romance. A great palate cleanser and just a solid light-hearted romance, with some heavy themes. The romance was really cute and actually had me laughing out loud. I loved the magical aspect and I truly wondered how everything would be solved. Also a quick read that keeps you engaged! Loved it!

3.75 ⭐️!

The plot of this book was so cool! The main character, Noelle, gets stuck in a time loop after eating magical dumplings from a market. The woman working the stand told her the dumplings would give her what she needed most, so the book follows her trying all these different things to get out of the loop. She gets crazy haircuts, quits her job, and takes more risks than she ever would’ve before. She even develops a crush, but he forgets who she is every single day, and Noelle is convinced he is the one to get her out of the loop somehow.

The romance in this wasn’t super well developed and felt rather rushed once the story made it back to the present, but it was very enjoyable still. I also liked the relationship between Noelle and Avery throughout the story and how they helped each other work through countless June Twentieths. Also, I loved the ending and how everything linked together! This was super easy to read and understand, and was a great pallet cleanser book for me. I would recommend this if you want something quick and easy to read, with a fun twist throughout!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria/ Emily Bestler Books for this e-arc for my honest review.

Time loops and meet cutes is everything I wanted it to be and more. I love the movie Groundhog Day and when I read the description of this book I KNEW I had to read it and I was NOT disappointed at all.

Noelle is a fantastic main character. Watched her grow as a person from beginning to end was just absolutely beautiful. She was funny and super self aware which I loved and watching her let loose because of the time loop was just great. Cam was also so so amazing and his involvement in the time loop was unexpected but perfect and I loved him and Noelle together.

I loved the duel pov throughout the book and I really think it brought the story together (and I always love seeing different perspectives). This book was hilarious and romantic but also retrospective and really made me think about life in a productive way!! I would 100% recommend it to someone else.

Thank you so much to Atria books for giving me an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a cute book & I’m so happy that it didn’t follow the tradition time loop cliches. I loved Avery & Noelle’s friendship, it was nice they had someone to help each other during the time loops. That’s one thing that I liked about this book as opposed to other time loop books/movies, it was not lonely. As a reader I liked seeing their friendship (and Noelle’s romance with Cam) develop while I root for them to make it to tomorrow.

Truly an incredible read I love romance books with a touch of magical realism. But this book also gave so much more than the romance the time loop forced this character to grow so much as a human and develop areally beautiful friendship with somebody she wouldn’t have otherwise. Then when we start getting into the romance, it was wonderful and also heartbreaking to watch her fall so in love with somebody who couldn’t remember her and then when they finally got their happy ending, it was so worth all the time we waited for it. A great story overall!

Dissatisfied workaholic and mechanical engineer Noelle Tom is not in a relationship, spends much of her time alone, and one Friday evening (June 20) eats some fantastic dumplings at the night market at the behest of the elderly stall owner. The woman convinced Noelle to have the dumplings, saying they would give her what she needed most.

The next day, Noelle wakes up on June 20. Noelle goes through the same day again, and again, and again, but begins making small changes each day in the hope of breaking out of the loop: She gets a different haircut, eats at different places, and begins flirting with a cute guy, Cam, whom she sees repeatedly through the day.

Cam never seems to remember her, but he does acknowledge, each time they meet, that she looks familiar. Noelle also begins a friendship with another young woman, also dissatisfied with her life and also someone who ate the dumplings at the night market stall, and who also is trapped in the same day's loop.

Together, Noelle and Avery try to find some way out of their predicament, doing anything they can think of, with each getting out of their comfort zones. This is particularly hard for Noelle, who likes order and predictability.

Noelle does get a little worn down by the repetitions, and wonders if she'll ever find a way out, much less get Cam to remember her.

This was delightful. I totally enjoyed Noelle's careful and eventually more daring forays into unusual activities, for her, and working on her relationships and herself as she's forced to confront things she has done in the past, or that make her unhappy.

I love the leads; both are people I liked, and though most of the book is in Noelle's point of view, I liked the occasional insight into Cam's life and emotions. We eventually get an explanation for the time loop, which was something I kinds of surmised early on, but this didn't diminish my enjoyment of this fun story.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review.

3 stars: ★★★
Huge thanks to Atria Books, for inviting me to read this ARC via NetGalley 💌

“Time Loops & Meet Cutes” by Jackie Lau had so much potential… a super fun premise, an adorable cover, and the kind of title that screams feel-good romance with a twist. And at first, it delivered—quirky, fast-paced, and unexpectedly deep in moments. But somewhere along the way, the magic started to slip. Here's what went down:

Let’s start strong: the beginning? SO FUN.
Time loop stories always grab me. The idea of Noelle reliving the same Friday again and again after eating magical dumplings? Iconic. The Wordle answer is always “happy” (cute touch) and her job resets daily? Brilliant setup. I genuinely liked Noelle at first—her voice was clever and sarcastic, her situation relatable, her internal monologue sometimes painfully real. Short chapters = major win too. I flew through them without trying.

But…

By the time she was living through June 20th for the 136th time, I was kinda done.
Like, I get the repetition was the point. I really do. But as a reader, reading the same vibes over and over again got old—fast. I started zoning out during sections and honestly, I was craving something more. Not every time loop needs 100+ days to make a point.

The romance was... hmm.
Cam was sweet. He owns a brewery and their moments together had some ✨ spark ✨ but—he wasn’t in the time loop. So every day, Noelle had to basically speed-run their relationship. Which is a cool idea in theory… but in practice? His feelings felt rushed and kind of undercooked, since he was always meeting her for the “first” time. Like bro, how are you falling this fast when she’s just a stranger to you?? 🥴

Still, some scenes between them made me smile—especially the slower, more vulnerable ones. And I did like how Jackie Lau explored themes of burnout, loneliness, and emotional growth underneath the chaos.

But the standout? Noelle and Avery’s friendship.
Another woman stuck in the loop = unexpected bestie energy. Their connection was warm, funny, and honestly felt more developed than the romance at times. Give me more magical best friend duos, please.

Now for the ending…
I’m still confused lol. The resolution didn’t hit as hard as I hoped. The why behind the time loop felt underwhelming and slightly messy. I didn’t hate it, but it didn’t leave me with that “omg that was clever” kind of feeling either.

So, final thoughts?
✨ Fun idea, sweet concept, solid writing—but it lacked emotional depth and overstayed its welcome. I enjoyed it, I just didn’t feel it, you know? Like, I’ll probably forget most of this in a month, but I don’t regret reading it either.

Read this if you’re into:
💫 Time loops
🧋 Magical dumplings at a night market
💻 Burned-out engineers trying to find meaning
📆 Rewriting the same day 150+ times
🍻 A soft guy with a brewery and a kind heart
🧡 Bestie bonding that lowkey outshines the romance

Would I recommend it?
Yeah, if you're in the mood for something light, different, and fast-paced. Just don’t expect it to change your life. It’s cute, clever at times, and might surprise you if you’re not too deep in your reading slump.

🌀 But also: looping through the same day 150 times sounds like a personal hell and I’m never eating dumplings from a mysterious food stall again. Ever.

There were parts of this I really enjoyed- the night market and brewery settings, all of the food descriptions, the relationship between Avery and Noelle, and both of their personal growth. The inner dialogue of the characters and the romance both often seemed out of place and awkward. Overall it was a fun romance, especially to read around the summer solstice!

This was a cute read, but honestly, it dragged for way too long. Super repetitive—it felt like I was stuck in the time loop right along with the characters. The ending, though? Totally worth it. Loved the twist and it left me smiling.

The story follows Noelle, who visits a night market, eats some dumplings, and suddenly finds herself reliving the same day—June 20—over and over again. As she tries to figure out what’s going on, she keeps bumping into Cam. Even though she has to reintroduce herself every single day, their connection starts to grow, and the chemistry builds. She also meets Avery, another person caught in the loop, and the two team up to find a way out.

I enjoyed the romance overall, but the constant repetition made the middle feel like a slog. We get a few chapters from Cam’s perspective, but to be honest, they didn’t add much for me. The final few chapters picked up the pace and ended the story on a high note.

Heads-up: this is definitely an open-door romance—there’s heat, so if that’s your thing, you’ll enjoy it. If you’re cool with a bit (ok, a lot) of repetition, this is a fun, feel-good read with a clever concept and a satisfying payoff.

This is a fun book and the subject is very obviously time loops. The trick with time loop/groundhog day storylines is they can get a bit repetitive. This book did NOT fall into that trap, but I found myself dreading repeating the same day again after an extended period. I liked the resolution and thought it was handled well and I wasn’t left with plot holes like can often happen with these types of books.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a fun romance with a magical realism twist. It was more focused on the time loop than I initially thought it would be, but the romance was still present and the scenes with the MCs were always great. I liked how everything unfolded. Noelle and Cam were both great characters and had natural chemistry.

This was more of a romance with Asian cuisine than it was with the MMC - but it was totally justified. The writing style was easily digestible, and all the talk about dumplings made me force my husband to go out for some mid read 😂

Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC

I loved this story. It was perfectly written with very relatable characters. Noelle getting caught in the loop and allowing herself to take risks, knowing there probably would not be any consequences, was fun. I enjoyed it when she met up with Avery, who was also stuck. Their growing friendship was awesome. And then there is Cam. He is such a good guy, I love that they hooked up. The dumpling lady mystery had a satisfying conclusion. All in all, this was fabulous and I cannot wait to read more by this author.

Grabbed this one after some friends recommended it on bookstagram and so glad i did. THis was such a cute read and kept my interest the whole time. Thanks so much for the gifted copy!

Thank you to Atria for the gifted eARC. My opinions are my own.

Synopsis: thoroughly unique love story about a woman reliving the same Friday over and over again—and the intriguing man who can’t quite remember her.

Read for:
- time loops
- LOTS of meet cutes
- lots of food
- FMC stuck in a rut
- making friends
- Asian main characters
- fixing families
- multi POV’s
- MMC who knows a lot about beer

My thoughts: this is a cute and enjoyable story. I loved Noelle and her approach to figuring out what she’s meant to do while being stuck on the longest day of the year. Cam is funny and almost seems that he sorta remembers her every time they meet on the longest day. I enjoyed the dual perspectives and the resolution to the time loop as well as the development of the actual relationship outside of a time loop.

Recommend for readers searching for a cute romance read with Asian main characters set in Toronto. If you enjoyed: That Prince Is Mine by Jayci Lee or Red String Theory by Lauren King Jessen, then consider giving this a try.

This book was so different from books I normally gravitate to, and I loved the ride! Noelle, a rigid workaholic somehow finds herself repeating the same day, over and over again. Of course, there is cause of repetition throughout the book, especially during the more boring days, but I enjoyed Noelle and her journey and the magic of living life completely outside of her comfort zone.

I didn’t know what to expect with this one at first because the time jumping had me a little confused. After finishing if, I can confirm that this book was SO GOOD. It’s really hard to do a time loop book without it feeling played out or recycled from things past but this one felt refreshing to read. I loved the dynamic between all of the characters and especially loved the found friendship/family through between Avery and Noelle. Cam felt like a breath of fresh air in the realm of MMCs - nothing hidden behind his personality - just a nice guy trying to figure things out. Loved loved loved this one.

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I am working through my backlog, and will be momentarily posting reviews for the stories I have yet to get posted but have finished reading.

This was cute and mystical romcom that was a fun read. I liked Noelle’s and Cam’s constant meet cutes and getting to see them fall in love over and over, even for a day. But more than that I loved seeing Noelle’s growth through the book to putting herself out there to fall in love, start and maintain a new friendship while reconnecting with older ones, rekindling her relationship with her sister, and knowing her worth. There are so many more relationships beyond the obvious romantic one, which I loved and thought was cute and kinda fated in a way with the time loops, but Noelle’s other relationships and their development are just as important.