If you love time loop rom coms, this is the perfect read for you. Even if you have read many and are skeptical of the trope, this story is a fresh version that I haven't seen done before. With themes of friendship and self-discovery, as well as comedic romantic endeavors, this book is the perfect fluffy rom com with some emotional depth as well.

Summary:
The story starts on June 20th with Noelle Tom as she visits a night market in Toronto. There she eats some fairly mysterious dumplings, but the next morning, she wakes up and it's June 20th again... She's pretty sure the dumplings are to blame, but the sweet old woman who sold them to her is nowhere to be found. The same thing happens the next day, and though the old woman is still missing, this time she bumps into Cam, an attractive and kind man. Could he be the ticket to escaping the time loop?

Thoughts:
I have never read a time loop like this, and I thought the magical realism was executed really well in this story. Critics of the "groundhog day" trope will likely be satisfied by this fresh take on the controversial trope. When I first started reading, there wasn't anything that particularly grabbed my attention and made me want to keep reading, but I thought the story was cute. Once I met a few more of the characters, it was harder to put the book down because I was getting more invested in them and the story. I thought the characters were great, and I loved the second POV that shows up periodically, but it did take me a while to catch on to the significance of the timing of those POVs. I can see other readers being confused by that as well. As the story progressed, I did feel like parts of it were dragged out a bit more than necessary, but the resolution wrapped up all of the questions I had neatly. I will say I was satisfied by the ending, but by the time I got to that point, I wasn't as invested in the resolution as I had been reading the middle of the book. I'm not sure why that is other than the slow pacing right before and after the climax of the story.

I don't know if I would consider this a "must read," but I had a fun time reading. Lots of rom com readers will really enjoy this sweet and silly romance with a touch of magical realism. Readers that want a bit more substance to their rom coms will love the other themes explored throughout this story. Overall, I'm glad I was able to read this adorable story!

Thank you to Atria | Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Time Loops & Meet Cutes is the first book I read by Jackie Lae. I really enjoyed the storyline and felt it was very unique. I can't wait to ready more by Jackie!

Noelle is a hard worker that goes above and beyond to be recognized at her company. After a long night, she goes to a night market in town and helps herself to some dim sum being served by a sweet old woman. Little does she know, she’s about to enter a whole new dimension that she can’t get out of.

Cam, on the other hand, is just a chill guy that works at a brewery that he owns with his best friend. He’s living every day wondering why he feels like he’s missing a piece of the puzzle that’s important to solving the whole thing.

Noelle and Cam meet dozens of times around the city & she’s the only one who can remember it happening. Can she get out of the time loop to meet Cam in their normal timeline or is she bound to meet him every day, on the same day, over and over again?

I know I made this out to seem like a love story, but I don’t even think that’s all this book is cracked up to be! Not only does Noelle meet Cam... She gains friendship, she builds strong relationships with her family, and she’s able to stand up for herself in her workplace. This Groundhog Day for Noelle gives her the confidence to not be so strict on herself because living the same day over and over again isn’t what she wants. She wants to experience what life has to offer and not work overtime every day just to fix the mistakes of some bozo nepo baby who doesn’t know what they’re doing half the time!

This book is a solid 3 stars. In retrospect, I can see why Noelle is stuck in the time loop for so long, but in the moment, I was about ready to break the chain myself and not finish the book. After part 2, I found it more enjoyable seeing as how she’s now out of the time loop and she’s now months into the future (instead of living the next day). The connection between Cam and the time loop was something I wasn’t expecting and that was a fun little twist. I think if there was less time loop and more ATP (after time loop), I would’ve enjoyed this much more.

Time Loops & Meet Cutes from Jackie Lau is absolutely delightful. This is my first time reading a JL book, but definitely won't be my last. Everything from the characters' individual journeys to their sweet first "dates" warmed my heart. I love a story with a bit of magic and this one didn't disappoint.

If I had one complaint it's that the sex scenes seemed out of place in this sweet romantic journey. The moments of intimacy seemed to pull me out of the story and wish for a little less detail. Otherwise, Time Loops and Meet Cutes is a perfect beach read that'll leave you smiling!

Thank you to SS Atria for an early review copy.

What a fantastic novel by Jackie Lau. I’ve never read a time loop book before, but since I’m a huge fan of Jackie Lau’s previous novels, I had to give this one a try. I'm glad I did as this is my favourite Jackie Lau novel to date! After eating some scrumptious (and magical) dumplings at a night market, Noelle finds herself stuck on June 20th, a day that repeats over and over again. Fortunately, she's not stuck alone in the loop. She soon meets Avery, who's also experiencing her own time loop, and the two women form a strong bond, trying to find ways to break the loop. One of the ways Noelle tries is to create meet-cutes with Cam, the cute guy she saw by the dumpling stand, hoping a kiss from him would break the loop — but no luck.

I absolutely adored how Noelle’s character grew throughout the story and the close friendship she developed with Avery. The romance with Cam was so sweet (and steamy!) — their chemistry was incredible. I also loved the dual POV with Noelle and Cam. The ending was just magical and perfect. Definitely a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an absolutely delightful read! It may have been my first time reading a book by Jackie Lau, but it wasn’t my first time reading a book in this trope. Getting stuck in a time loop and having to relive the same day over and over again has become a popular trope, but it’s up to the author to make it new, fresh, and give the reader something that makes it stand out from the rest of the novels. Jackie Lau did exactly that.

After staying late at the office again on Friday, June 20th, Noelle is famished and decided to grab a bite out. Stopping by the late-night market on her way home seemed like the ideal choice. Filled with different vendors selling different cuisine, she soon found herself at what looked like a make-shift food stand that sold dumplings for a reasonable price. The old woman behind the stand told Noelle that the dumplings would give her what she needed, so a full stomach was what she had assumed. She assumed wrong.

Nothing would be more frustrating than being stuck reliving the same day over and over again, even if it had been a stellar day, but for Noelle it was just like any other day. I always like to put myself in the character’s shoes and wonder how I would feel if faced with the same predicament, and I can honestly say that Noelle reacted much better than I would have. For someone who lived a structured, routine life that was steady and predictable, Noelle was naturally freaked out by her circumstances, however, she was a practical, pragmatic woman, and she was devising ways to try to escape this continuous time loop.

When she realized that everything reset when she woke up at 6:45 a.m. on Friday, June 20th with no repercussions for her actions, she began to live a little. She spent more money on frivolous things than she normally would, she called in sick to work, and she even flirted with the good-looking guy who she would run into in different locations. No matter what she did, though, everything just started over again and again, including reintroducing herself to Cam because he never remembered her name. She found herself taking chances, risks, living outside of her normal comfort zone, but there was nothing normal about this time loop.

I loved these characters. There was so much more to this story than just the romance. I felt like I really got to know Noelle, and all I really wanted for her was to finally wake up to a different day and find happiness. I wanted to know what had happened to her on the fateful dumpling night. I wanted to find out how she was going to finally break out of the loop, and what her life would become. So many questions! Of course, I did enjoy the romance between Noelle and Cam, too. How could I not.

Time Loops & Meet Cutes was an enjoyable read from beginning to end. As I mentioned, this was my first time reading a book by Jackie Lau, but it certainly won’t be my last!

*4.5 Stars

I think this was a sweet and engaging interpretation of a well loved premise. I would recommend this for fans of Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston (which I loved). I also really liked Noelle’s friendship with Avery and the way that broke up some of the initial repetition.

I have two critiques - I would hav loved time stamps to clarify the differences between Noelle and Cam’s perspectives (loved dual POV), and I think the time loop stretched on too long, leaving a missed opportunity for a full circle moment when the mystery was solved.

Loved everything about this book. The romance, the friendship, and the plot. Noelle had immense character growth in her time loop. I fell in love with Cam everyday. Avery is such a great friend who I wanted to hug so bad! Devoured this book!

This book was so cute! I loved all the meet cutes between Noelle and Cam. It was really lovely to see how the time loop worked to bring Noelle out of her shell and to find her truest self. This book will resonate with so many of us who feel like every day is a never ending repeat of the day before, never changing for the better. But for Noelle, it does change. And I loved that so much.

One of my favorite parts of this story was the friendship that developed between Noelle and Avery. It was so clear how they both needed each other to get through the tough times, as well as how beneficial a true friend is. Though their lives are truly so different, the connection they form is one that I’m confident will remain long after the conclusion of this story.

I don’t read a lot of time-travel romance, but this one was a fantastic read! It kept me going and I became more and more invested in Noelle herself as the story went on. I’m so happy for her happy ending but I’m also so happy for her self discovery and the relationships she’s able to build and grow in her life!

Thank you to Atria Books and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the opportunity to read and review this book! I received a free advance copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 🌟

Romance is not my regular genre, but I do like branching out now and again. I thought this was a really fun book with a cute romance and a bit of mysticism. The time loop was really interesting, but ALMOST dragged on too long - thankfully there is a bit of a switch up that made things more interesting again.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This book is like the perfect Friday night takeout—tasty, comforting, but you can’t have it every day without getting a little tired of it. Noelle’s time loop adventure is quirky and entertaining, and I couldn’t help but root for her as she navigates her way through endless Fridays. The romance is cute, and the whole “living in the moment” message comes across well. While the repetition of it all starts to feel like the same day over and over (literally), it’s a light, fun read with some laughs along the way. A solid choice for a feel-good, no-pressure kind of book!

How many ways can I express how much I adored this story? I love a good time loop story, especially a romance. How are they going to connect over and over again, and how are they going to get out of it? Jackie Lau's take on the time loop romance is something special. The characters all made me feel deeply, and I was rooting for the main couple to get together the entire time. She created and solved so many unique problems within the story, and the resolution felt well earned.

This was the first book by her that I've read, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books. She's got a great voice.


Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Let me start by saying I really like Jackie Lau's books, so I was pre-disposed to like 'Time Loops & Meet Cutes' - and I did!

Lau write real characters that are often more fully fleshed out than I find in many novels - they have flaws, they aren't always conventionally attractive (not the "not like other girls" kind, but more ordinary, real people), and they struggle with the same things that many of us struggle with. And she's good at acknowledging those struggles without making something for a character to overcome or the whole basis for a character. For example, the main character, Noelle, is introverted, a little shy, and very risk-averse. This is just who she is, and while in the repetition of the time loop, she does experiment with speaking up for herself, it's not something that she's "cured" of by the end of the book. She DOES evolve, as would any of us (hopefully) after many months in a time loop!

This book has really stayed with me in a way I didn't expect. What would I do, should this happen to me? While the premise of the book is fun to start with, there are some real psychological ramifications of having the same day over and over again, and as the character's explore that experience, you can feel the raw, visceral hurt of falling in love with someone, then having them not remember you the following day. To trying a lot of different experiments to try to change the outcome, and having <b>none</b> of them bear fruit.

I appreciated the exploration of Noelle and Cam meeting once the time loop was broken - he felt like he knew her, but didn't know how. And of course, she knew him well! I appreciated that Noelle felt that she had to be honest to continue to be in a relationship with Cam, and that he was willing to take what she said seriously. The one thing I wished for was more time with the characters after they got together. I would have liked to spend more time with them as they learned how to be a couple, now that days aren't re-setting.

Last note - in characteristic Lau fashion, the amazing food of Toronto is highly featured, and I enjoyed it thoroughly! I looked up many of the dishes I was unfamiliar with, and find myself dreaming of a trip to Toronto to eat my way around the city ...

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance - what a treat, especially for one of my favorite authors!

This was cute, but it didn’t totally win me over—solid 3 stars. I loved the concept (magic dumplings! endless Fridays!), and Noelle and Cam had sweet moments, but the time loop dragged on way too long. After 180+ days, she still doesn’t figure out Cam’s grandmother caused it? I would've loved for her to actually meet his grandma and realize the true reason for the loop—that moment could’ve added so much heart and clarity. It had charm and laughs, but the plot just didn’t stick the landing for me.

I thought this was cute! It seemed to drag a bit in the middle, which I think is just a con to writing a book like this since you need that repetitive aspect of the book for it to make sense. I thought the characters were charming and I found myself really liking them by the end! I love a good groundhog’s day storyline, especially when romance is involved!
3/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶️

Tropes:
- magical realism
- time loop
- meet cute
- strangers to lovers
- dual POV

After finishing her workday late, as usual, Noelle decides to stop by the night market for dinner. She has no idea that magical dumplings will pull her into a time loop, forcing her to relive the same day over and over with no way out.

The book explores themes of friendship, family, and the fear of taking the first step.

The story is filled with funny moments that made me recall similar situations from my own life—some of which I wouldn’t mind “rewriting” by reliving the day again. 🤣

This book made me wonder what I would do if I had to live the same day on repeat… One of those things would definitely be reading books. Sounds like a true paradise for a book lover, doesn’t it?

‼️WARNING: This book might make you raid your fridge in the middle of the night—there are plenty of mouthwatering food descriptions! 😁

I enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to fans of 2000s rom-coms (if the leads were Asian 😄) and to anyone who loves Groundhog Day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m always a sucker for a time loop story, so I knew I needed to pick this one up. After eating dodgy-but delicious- dumplings at a night market, Noelle finds herself reliving the same annoying Friday again and again. This book quickly sucks you in as Noelle tries figure out why she’s stuck in a time loop, how to break free, and deal with a growing crush on a man who doesn’t remember all the times they’ve met before. A fun romcom, with an interesting take on time loops- perfect to get me through the end of an annoying week!

Ground hog day meets 50 First Dates. Read if you like time loops and good food. I enjoyed all of the food references and felt like I ate my way through a delectable Asian food market. I enjoyed the romance intertwined with some mystery. A solid 5 star romance novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited to read this book, it just sounded like a really good time. It was basically like a Groundhog's Day rom-com, where after eating some dumplings at a night marketing, our main character Noelle finds herself reliving the same day over and over. She meets Cam almost every day when she restarts the same day, so she is convinced that he is the key for her to get out of her time loop. She also meets Avery who is stuck in exactly the same time loop as her, so a lot of the story is them working together to try to get out of the loop.

Honestly the friendship between Noelle and Avery was my favorite part of the book, and I do wish there was more time spent here, especially because Avery's day that she was forced to relive over and over was not great. They touched upon mental health issues, but it just felt like it was there for a couple of pages, and gone the next. The first part of the book is understandably repetitive and I did get bored, but once it hit the second half it went a lot quicker. Also for me, there was just way too much description of food. I would have preferred more character growth than another meal of what they were eating. The ending was also a little lackluster for me, it felt way too convenient, and we never got answers to multiple questions that I had throughout the story.

Overall it was an ok read, and I would recommend for a quick in between book. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Looking for character development and angst? This is your book!!

I don't think I could effectively take a sick day for four months in a row and remember the password to my work computer, much less how to actually do my job. Noelle, however, is a workaholic that experiences very little joy or deviation in her daily life until she unexpectedly wakes up in a time loop. She was a bit robotic at the start, and I worried that I was signing myself up to read a romance about a FMC possessing a personality with the flavor of keto bread. Seriously, what is that stuff? Chewy cardboard? Anyway, Noelle goes through a lot and comes out the other side a changed woman that has tried at least 3 different hairstyles. Stick with it!

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect with this book. The concept sounded really cool, but also like it would be very hard to execute well. Luckily, Jackie Lau managed to create a believable romance between two people wherein only one could remember their previous interactions. Lau also left me wondering how much longer I could last in the time loop. She took me just past the point of frustration + 3ish chapters. I may have considered tossing my kindle, but ultimately needed to know what would finally break the spell.

Noelle's reactions to Cam not remembering her were very realistic and actually hurt my feelings a little bit. She woke up every day with the knowledge the person she'd been seeing almost daily for 3+ months would not remember her name, and yet she was so drawn to him that she willingly spent time with Cam even while it was simultaneously breaking her heart.

I would have liked a bit more from Cam. Sure, he was basically restarting each and every day, and he gets a pass for being stuck in the time loop through Part 1. He was just so easygoing and eager. He was the opposite of Noelle in so many ways, but just a little bit one-dimensional, even in the second half.

Overall, 4.25 ⭐️
Would recommend