3.5/5

Thank you @atriabooks #emilybestlerbooks #partner for the gifted copies of this book!

I was intrigued by this one because the time loop idea sounded so fun! A woman stuck in a time loop waking up each day to the same day. She is able to make different decisions to see how the day turns out but essentially relives June 20th over and over and over again. The only way to get out is to find “the thing she needs most.” The unfortunate part is she doesn’t know what that “thing” is.

Okay, so like I mentioned — this one started off so fun! I was immediately hooked watching Noelle, our main character, come up with all these wild tactics and creative ideas to try and switch up her fate. Whether she was going after that well-deserved raise or desperately trying to get Cam to actually remember her the next day, I was completely entertained. The whole concept was just such a good time!

Now, I’ll be honest — after a little while, it did start to feel a bit repetitive. I know that’s kind of the nature of a time loop story, but I think a few scenes could’ve been tightened up to keep that snappy pacing I loved in the beginning.

One of the absolute highlights for me was when Avery showed up! Another time loop buddy? Yes, please. I adored the energy they brought to the story and their friendship with Noelle was seriously so sweet and wholesome — total serotonin boost.

As for the ending… I wasn’t fully sold on the explanation behind the time loop. It felt a little out of left field and probably would’ve landed better if it had been hinted at or integrated earlier on.

Overall though, this was such a fun, feel-good read that left me smiling. If you love a good time loop trope with heartwarming friendships and a bit of romance thrown in, definitely check this one out!

5/5 stars: This is Lau's BIPOC Sci-Fi (Time Loop) Steamy Romance (Groundhog's Day Homage) stand-alone set in Toronto, Canada that follows a workaholic engineer who finds herself reliving the same Friday over and over again after eating magical dumplings at the night market and can't help by fall for a brewery owner she meets she meets who can't quite remember her. She soon realizes he might be the key to getting un-stuck but she can’t figure out how, even when she steps outside of her comfort zone and lives a little. As she grows attached to him, she becomes more worried that she’ll never escape the loop and he’ll never recall her name. And if she does ever get out, can they be together in the “real” world? Written in dual POV with plenty of heart and humor, Lau's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain incredibly likable. Noelle's great and I love seeing her break out of her rut, having fun with the time loop and learning about herself and her friendship with Avery. Cam's lovely and I enjoyed following him and Noelle's journey to their HEA. The romance is top notch with plenty of swoony banter and the OPS scenes are incredibly steamy. While there are plenty of heartfelt and lighthearted moments, Lau does takes on same sensitive subjects; so take care and check the CWs. I loved this so much; highly recommend!

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

This was a cozy and warm read. Noelle gets stuck in a time loop after eating some magical dumplings and is forced to relive June 20th, she keeps meeting Cam and well I am sure you can guess where this is going.

The time loop section got pretty repetitive, which I guess is the point since it's a time loop, but that kind of dragged for me. I was also unsatisfied by how Noelle finally gets out of the loop. I liked the second section of life post time loop the best and Cam's golden retriever personality. Overall, enjoyable, light, fast, and easy to read.

3.5 stars but rounding up.

Thank you Netgalley & Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the advanced reader copy.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for the opportunity to read this e-ARC. I absolutely loved the premise of the book! The time loop was intriguing at first, but it did start to drag a bit, and I found myself ready for the characters to return to real life. The way they ultimately broke free felt a bit far-fetched, and I would have loved a deeper explanation of what could have truly gotten them out. There were definitely some fun 50 First Dates vibes. The book’s themes about taking risks and learning to live fully again were refreshing and made for a heartwarming read. Overall, it was a cute story, but I was left craving a bit more depth and resolution.

Time Loops and Meet Cutes
By: Jackie Lau

Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for free book #attria All opinions are my own.

“How can I miss someone without knowing who she is?”

If you are a fan of magical realism then I have the sweetest story for you to check out. It’s called Time Loops and Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau and it is just so much fun!

One night after a particularly stressful day, Noelle stops at the night market on the way home where she spies a handsome man and finds herself drawn to the most delicious dumplings. The woman who sells them to her cryptically says that they will give her what she needs the most and now she keeps reliving the same Friday over and over again.

I do love a charming meet cute, even if it’s one that keeps repeating itself. The first half of this book had me completely hooked. Cam is such a perfect MMC and it is so sweet that he picks up on the vibes between him and Noelle each day despite not being able to remember her name. My only criticism is that the story felt a little repetitive at times (duh, it’s a time loop) but I kept wishing for things to move forward and then when they finally did, the ending felt just a tiny bit rushed. With that said, I would still very much recommend this one especially if you are a fan of magical realism!

Read if you like:

Slow burn
Magical Realism
Insta-love
Personal Growth
Some Spice

I always pick up time loop stories even though I'm usually disappointed by them. This one had some great moments despite the repetition of the time loop, and if you appreciate feel-good, surface-level fluffy rom coms this might be more to your taste than mine. The romance just lacked the spark for me.

First off, I loved Noelle. I love seeing Asian-American couples represented in romance. At first she seems like a coldhearted, self-involved workaholic, but I related to her. She was the type who was in a gifted and talented program, always overachieving, and her social awkwardness and aversion to risk meant she had socially isolated herself over the years, even being judgmental toward her struggling sister.

I thought she was a great character and I enjoyed seeing her coming out of her shell during the various time loops. If you're not a people-pleasing introvert geek yourself, you'd probably find her unlikable. I did not. My only issue with her was that she was 32 going on 23, and she was a little dramatic about her first relationship ending and swearing off love as too much work for too little reward.

Noelle is a workaholic mechanical engineer who is underappreciated at her soul-sucking job. One day she goes to a night market after work and tries some dumplings, which turn out to have magic properties and force her to relive June 20 over and over. The elderly dumpling seller tells her it is to get what she wants most in this world. But kissing cute guys, mending fences with her sister and quitting her job don't seem to break the curse. She meets a cute guy, Cam, a bartender, who doesn't remember her each time they meet. The lack of consequences forces her to get out of her shell and figure out what she really wants.

I just felt underwhelmed by their romance. This was a dual POV romance but Cam's chapters were very short and I felt like I never really knew how he felt about the whole thing, he just seemed stunned into acceptance. And I felt like I didn't get to know him well enough to fall in love with him as a character. I felt like Noelle and her time loop friend had more chemistry. I did enjoy her awkward attempts at flirting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was cute! I was more interested in Avery and Noelle’s friendship than I was the romance. I wished we spent more time talking about the darker side of things. Overall, I had a good time!

Noelle eats a dumpling on her way home from work and gets trapped in a time loop living June 20th over and over again. There are only two things that change: Avery, the woman who's also trapped in the time loop, and Cam, the guy Noelle keeps meeting who seems to almost remember her, but a time loop is no place to build a relationship, and Noelle can't seem to find a way out.

I really enjoyed the time loop aspect of this book and thought it was really interesting and fun.

Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau is an absolute delight. It’s clever, heartfelt, and charming in every possible way. I loved this book. I mean, I really LOVED this book! The magical ambiguity of the time loop inducing dumplings? Brilliant. Lau smartly resists the urge to over-explain the mechanics, and the story is all the better for it. Sometimes, a little mystery makes the magic hit even harder.

The romance is swoon worthy in the most grounded, relatable way. I adored that the main characters are closer to middle age, being more mature, emotionally layered, and still so full of warmth and playfulness. Their chemistry is natural and endearing, and the character development was perfection. Add in the sweet, supportive friendships that grow alongside the romance, and you’ve got a full heart by the end.

My only (very tiny) gripe? With all the perfectly placed pop culture nods, how was Groundhog Day not mentioned?! It felt like the one obvious wink that somehow got missed.

Still, this book is a joy from start to finish. Cozy, romantic, and just the right amount of quirky. Jackie Lau has created something truly special.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Jackie Lau, and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest reviews.

This was cute! I was really excited for the idea of this novel, and although the plot and pacing left a little to be desired, overall I still thought it was a lot of fun. I think the biggest problem for me was the pacing, it felt like they had already done a lot of loops for being less than halfway through the novel. I really enjoyed the twist halfway through, and was satisfied with the conclusion. I thought the romance aspect of the story was well done, and I was really rooting for the characters in the end! Overall, fast paced, unique, and fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Emily Bestler Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I don’t know why but I just could not get into this book. Which is crazy because I love romance and I love time loop books. I may try again in the future, but sadly it is a DNF for now

Jackie Lau's "Time Loops and Meet Cutes" is a charming love story about Noelle Tom, an engineer stuck reliving the same Friday after eating mysterious dumplings. Each day starts the same, and her work is erased by morning. Noelle meets Cam, a brewery owner who might be the key to escaping the loop. While their romance is endearing, the novel spends too much time on the time loop mechanics, and the escape feels vague. Side plots involving Noelle clutter the story. Overall, it's a cute read with heartwarming moments, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars.

4.25 stars

I enjoyed this and had a good time reading it. I generally like time loop stories if they're done right, and this was a good one. I liked the way Noelle orchestrated her various meet cutes, and I really loved the friendship that developed with Avery. There was a bit with Avery's storyline that felt unresolved to me (SPOILER: Why was Avery's time loop reduced to furthering Noelle's story instead of complementing it?)

And that cover? Looking back at it now, after reading it, and it is so well done! There is a little spice sprinkled in, which was fine. There are so many descriptions of food and now I want dumplings. But maybe not at the risk of a time loop.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

I've enjoyed Jackie Lau's books in the past but this one with it's slightly magical feel is the best I've read of hers! So much to feel and think about. Noelle is definitely in need of a shake up in her life and Cam is so perfect for her. Just a wonderful story.

This was a fun, heartfelt novel with a clever take on the time loop trope. It packed in humor, warmth, sweet chemistry between the main characters. While it's a quick read, it still manages to pack in good emotional depth and self discovery.

Noelle Tom, a workaholic engineer, wakes up one day to discover she’s living in a time loop. At first, it’s all fun and games but then she meets Cam, a handsome brewery owner. He never remembers her the next day…

ARC Review- The concept is really cool and what initially drew me into the book. The moment I started with the book, I instantly giggled. I love the Asian rep. Another thing is that I completely understood the fight between her and her sister. It hit a little close to home and I just wanted to be there for moral support and hug the girls. However, Noelle was an annoying character for me. I don’t think the choices she made were always right. Her character is a little uptight and a perfectionist, but even when she found out she was stuck in the time loop, she still picked safe options. Like I understand it’s scary, but the whole point of this was to learn to live a little, and that’s what we’re NOT doing. And when she gets out of the time loop, she still acts the exact same way like did NOTHING happen to you? It was just frustrating. I would like to thank Atria books and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like all good stories, this one starts with dumplings and since dumplings are my favorite food group (sue me) I knew I was already in love with this book from page one. And I honestly adored this book! Noelle is so authentic and relatable, even though she’s stuck in a time loop, and Cam is perfection. Fans of the movie Groundhog Day will love the time loop part of the story and the love story will appeal to those of us who love romance books. This is definitely worth the read!

A cutie little rom com, a treat for fans of Fifty First Dates and other 90s/00s rom coms.

I had a great time with Noelle and Cam’s story, but perhaps an even better one with the friendships developed in the book. Solid female friendship is often underrepresented in media.

The only mild criticism I would give is that the pacing did seem a little off at times, and reference to Fifty First Dates or Groundhog Day, Everything Everywhere All At Once, or even Freaky Friday would’ve been appreciated. As she realized what was happening, connecting it to familiar stories. Noelle clearly appreciated media and cinema, but no quips to related films were found which seemed a little out of character.

Being stuck living the same day repeatedly isn’t what anyone wants to do - let alone be the only one doing it. That is until she finds one other person that shares her experience. Will they find a way out and a way to get those they want to remember then to do so.

Noelle goes through the motions of her mundane life - overworking herself, taking things too seriously, and not investing time in her interpersonal relationships. On June 20th, after leaving work well past dinner time, she finds herself wandering around a market. An older woman selling dumplings catches her eye, so she stops there. They’re delicious, and the woman tells her they will bring her just what she needs. The next morning, Noelle discovers it is June 20th again. And again, and again - for days on end. Unsure what caused the loop or how to get out of it, Noelle searches for answers, others like her, and for ways to escape. One thing on her mind to escape? Kissing the cute guy she keeps running into.

Y’all. Not to be dramatic, but this book was so cute it made me want to cry. I loved this so much! I love a time loop book, and am fascinated that authors can continue to write unique ways of cause, entering, and escaping. With this one, I could not predict how Noelle was going to get out of this loop. There was only one twist I could predict and even with that, I wasn’t sure what caused things. I am obsessed with the main characters - I resonate with Noelle because she’s bad at flirting, and I resonate with Cam because he gets anxious and worried about losing a good thing, wanting to make it work. I loved all of the attempts and suggestions of escaping the loop. Avery was a great side character as well. Loved the family stressors and just found this really well put together.