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Absolutely fabulous. I admit, I was a little skeptical when I discovered that it was a time loops story told in dual POV with only one of the people caught in the loop. I should have known to trust Jackie. She's an excellent story teller, and I get excited every time a new book of hers comes out.

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I wanted to love this book, it was truly so clever. But the redundancy (which was the point of the book) drove me crazy and did not keep me engaged. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Really enjoyed reading this sweet book. I loved the characters and it was a good quick read.
Thank you netgalley for this advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

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Jackie Lau always surprises me. At the beginning of each of her books, I think, "Oh right, she writes so simply," and then by the end I'm reminded there's elegance in simplicity.

In Time Loops and Meet Cutes, Noelle quickly finds herself in a time loop, but unlike many time loop books, this one hunkers down for a bit, as its heroine–not feisty, not a risk-taker–tentatively takes steps to try to resolve her problem. Also unlike many time loop romances, her love interest is not in the loop with her, causing a unique plot line I very much enjoyed.

This book, while written in a very forthright manner, manages to keep the reader on their toes by zigging when the trope calls for zagging, culminating in a satisfying conclusion.

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Time Loops & Meet Cutes is a little different from Jackie Lau’s usual offerings, but she still delivers.
The book has two distinct parts. The first one is a time loop story where Noelle keeps reliving the same day. One of the people she encounters is Cam and while he always forgets their previous encounters, he does feel she’s familiar. Throughout the many iterations of 20 June, we also read some brief chapters from Cam’s point of view. These show that time in the “real” world is progressing as usual and also that Cam feels someone is missing from his life.
In the second part of the book Noelle finally gets out of the time loop, only to find out it’s now January and things have happened in the seven months she was stuck on 20 June. Noelle fell deeply for Cam while she was in the time loop but now she’s a stranger to him. This provides some very interesting conflict for the romance.

I think Time Loops & Meet Cutes is a very clever spin on Groundhog Day. While we read many variations of the same day, it never becomes repetitive. One of the great changes compared to Groundhog Day is that Noelle actually meets someone who’s also stuck on that same day. They become good friends, and friendship is something they both lacked in the “real” world. I also loved that we saw the progression of time in Cams chapters; it really made curious to see how things would develop. I really appreciated as well how the second part of the book showed how Noelle changed her life after her time loop experience.

For me the resolution around the magic dumplings was a little unnecessary, but that is very much a me-thing so ymmv. I absolutely adored everything else about this book and I can’t wait to see what Jackie Lau has in store for us next.

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The perfect coupling of "Groundhog Day" and "50 First Dates".

Noelle has always been fiercely responsible--one to walk the line, never make waves or take unnecessary risks. However, everything changes when she becomes trapped in a seemingly endless time loop, repeating June 20th over 100 times after eating, hands down, the most delicious dumplings she's ever tasted. At first Noelle thinks she's completely alone, having no way to progress forward in life--no one remembers what transpired between her and them the next day, as June 20th restarts--until she meets Avery. Together they both attempt to break the vicious cycle by any means necessary, without luck. They eat all the dumplings they can get their hands on in the Toronto area, fly to New York on a whim to catch a Broadway show, make drastic hair changes, and try to make corrections in their love live--hard to do when the guy you're head over heels for doesn't remember you.

Cue the delightful "50 First Dates" trope of making your true love fall for you over and over again. Cam, can't remember Noelle-not really. He does know how she likes being kissed though. He knows the sound of her laugh. He misses "her" when she's not there. His life missing a vital piece. How can you need something so badly, but have no idea what, or who, it is?

Such a cute story, with a lovely romance, and some very strong family dynamics. Jackie doesn't hesitate to touch on estrangement, mental and emotional health, the struggles that befall migrant families and more. I am so beyond grateful to NetGalley and Jackie Lau for the ability to read this title prior to release in exchange for my thoughts. I know I will absolutely be picking up a physical copy after its debut on May 06, 2025. It was a delightful, and refreshing read with a sprinkling of Sci-Fi, a dash of ~spice~, and a look into Asian-American culture. I truly devoured this book, reading it in 3 days (between work and wedding planning at that!) Honestly, so satisfied.

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Time Loops & Meet Cutes is my first Jackie Lau read, and I'm officially hooked. I usually don't enjoy anything supernatural or outside the realm of "real life", but this book's magic dumplings and time loops captivated me. Noelle, the main character, is an engineer in Toronto. A self-proclaimed workaholic, she spends little time socializing or relaxing. One night, she stops at an outdoor market, and tries some delicious dumplings. When she wakes up the next morning, she discovers that it is the same date as yesterday - June 20. Noelle is stuck in a time loop where she has a normal Friday, then wakes up the next morning, and it is the same day again.

The time loop lasts for months, and during that time, her life completely changes. She stops going to work, and creates new relationships, finds new hobbies, and explores her city. I loved how she traveled and treated herself to expensive restaurants without worrying about the consequences. Being stuck in a time loop challenges and frustrates her in many ways, but also allows her to step back and realize what is most important in life.

She meets and falls for Cam, a local brewery owner, while in the time loop. They go on many first dates, and Noelle is desperate to get out of the time loop to truly get to know him. As the story concludes, Noelle finds a new direction in life, and her happy ending.

The premise of this story was initially hard to believe, but the characters and their adventures in the time loop drew me in. I finished this book in several days and loved getting to know Noelle and watch her transform. The story moves forward quickly and it was rewarding to see Noelle step out of her regular life, have new experiences, and reset her priorities. This mystical story kept this very pragmatic reader completely engrossed until the last page - what a great read!

Thank you to Jackie Lau, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and NetGalley for this advance reader's copy in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books and Simon Schuster for this ARC in exchange for my review. While I find time loop stories a bit exhausting, I really enjoyed Noelle's and Cam's story. I found the ending a bit rushed but found myself laughing and emotionally invested in Noelle's and Avery's ability to break the time loop!

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Thanks NetGalley and Atria for the Arc in exchange for an honest review!

3.75 ⭐️

Noelle lives her life according to her rules. She is a workaholic, giving her job way too much of her and more than they deserve. After working late on a Friday (as usual) on a Thursday, she decides to stop at a night market to grab dinner, which is very unlike her. She finds a stall, unlike the rest, with no line selling dumplings. When morning comes, she realizes the date is the day before, and every thing is shaping up to be what’s already happened. Noelle is in a time loop and she has no idea how to find her way out of it. Tracing her steps over and over trying to discover a way to return time to normal, she meets Cam. He will never remember her name, but he always finds her familiar and the sparks fly every single meet cute. She also discovers Avery, also stuck in the same time loop. Together they work tirelessly to escape the seamlessly never ending reliving of June 20th, while also taking advantage of no consequences!


A very quick and cutesy read of a “Groundhog Day” plot! It did get a bit repetitive of course but that’s to be expected when someone is on a time loop! I loved the friendship Noelle built with Avery and of course as a sucker of romance, Cam 🩷

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This book reminded me of groundhogs day movie when I read the synopsis. Finding a way to live while also living is the important lesson. Throw in some romance on top and I’m sold! And dumplings!

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This was a cute read. I've been in a bit of a slump so this was really good in bringing me out of it slowly. I love time loops, which is always surprising for me. But I think I like the idea of being able to relive a day and see the different outcomes that different choices make. It was a creative take on a time loop for sure and I love that cause they can be repetitive (lol) after awhile.

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Noelle Tom’s endless Friday is part Groundhog Day, part rom-com, and completely addictive—I couldn’t put this one down. What starts with a mysterious dumpling at a night market turns into a time loop that forces Noelle to slow down, reevaluate, and actually live a little. As someone who’s totally been in the “live to work” zone, this storyline hit home in the best way.

The setup is smart and snappy—Wordle always says happy, her hard work gets reset every morning, and there’s no trace of the dumpling lady who set it all in motion. (Rude.)

Enter Cam, the charming brewery owner who keeps popping up across her looped day. Is he the key to her escape? Or just another wrinkle in this magical mess? Watching Noelle push past her rigid routine to chase connection, joy, and meaning made this more than a quirky time loop story—it’s got heart. I loved the friendship between Noelle and Avery.

The ending tied everything up so satisfyingly, too. No spoilers, but it stuck the landing in a way that left me smiling. If you like a little speculative twist with your slow-burn romance, this one’s for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC approval!

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This book was just ok for me. I actually almost DNF'd several times, but was just curious enough to keep going. I didn't particularly like Noelle and the side story with her sister was weird. I would've loved to get more of Avery!!

**Thanks Atria via NetGalley for inviting me to read this book in exchange of my honest opinion.

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There's a few reasons why a novel may take close to few months to read for an avid reader.

One, it's a biography or non-fiction and chockfull of information, a.k.a. dense read, so it takes time to absorb.
Two, an anticipated new release came out from a different, favorite author that, as a reader, must take precedence despite starting the prior novel.
Or, three, the reader tries and tries to get thru the book and only does so by returning every so often hoping that the read will improve.
In the case of this book, it was the third option.

I tried. I really did. I pushed through a slow read which I would liken to waiting for paint to dry on the wall or waiting in line during the height of summer for a popular tourist attraction's ride.

Noelle was unlikeable. Did not care for her personality or her relationship with her sister, Madison. Didn't care for Cam's reference of Noelle as an 'other Asian' either.

So, yes, even if a popular author gave high praise on this book, I'll join the small but vocal minority of readers and say 'nope, this book is not for me'. This is my second read by this author. Wanted to give it a try as the title was catchy, the cover was cute and the storyline appeared promising.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This book was so good! I do like the time loop tropes, but this book was better than any other one I have read! I really enjoyed the characters, the writing and the MMC. I am so thankful to have read this early and I will definitely be recommending this to everyone.

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time loops & meet cutes was a sweet and enjoyable read! i enjoyed my time with these characters and i really appreciated the inclusion of a fantasy/magic element in a romance story.

as i began the book, it did take me a little bit of time to get in tune with the writing style, but once i was in it i was in it! as this book is about a time loop, there was a bit of repetition going on. i could feel the palpable frustration of our main character noelle, as i too was hoping for her to find a way to end this loop.

my favorite things about this story:

- the themes of overcoming your fears and embracing life. i loved watching noelle grow over the course of her loop
- the familial relationships, particularly the relationship between noelle and her sister madison. in fact, i wish we had a bit more time with these two. as a sister, i really loved reading about it
- the bond between noelle and her friend avery. i always love and appreciate a strong friendship between two female characters
- the love interest cam was a certified good guy. very sweet and understanding. i enjoyed their various meet cutes throughout the book

overall i really enjoyed this one!

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Thank you for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a fair review. This did not do it for me. The best thing was the part two twist, it definitely changed the typical time travel story… but the rest was rough. Too fast paced, everything just moved along and was surface level, no real character development. Good concept, execution needs a little work.

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After eating some magic dumplings Noelle begins to live the same day over and over. Trying to figure out why it’s happening she learns she isn’t the only one, teaming up they try to figure out how to get out of the loop. Cam, the love interest, not being apart of the time loop but having a sense of a lost memory towards a woman he meets; never quite understands who she is other than how familiar everything feels with her.

This was such a clever way to write a time loop, I loved this book so much. The characters were so cute, the development and self discovery felt so comforting to read. Noelle trying new things she would never normally do was so sweet. Cam was so adorable as well. Poor Avery though, having to relive her boyfriend forgetting her birthday everyday and also getting stuck in a time loop while on her period, she definitely deserved that happy ending and all the good fanfics sent her way.

This book had the vibes of the movie Freaky Friday but instead of a body switch it’s a time loop, two strangers living the same day over and becoming friends (with the point of view of the love interest for the main character).

Plot: 10/10
Pace: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyability: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character: Noelle

Favorite Quote: ❝"Sometimes, when I'm with you," I say, "I have the feeling that I've done this before, in a previous life or something."❞

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This was so different cute, fun, and kept me on my toes!
Groundhogs day vibes but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The timeline and loop was pulled off and written SO WELL. The author truly knew what they were doing and really put their heart into this plot and development and it shows!
This was the first book I've read by Jackie Lau and I am sure this will not be the last either.
THe blend of humor and romance was wonderful and created such an enjoyable book.

Absolutely adored watching these two fall for eachother literally over and over again. It was such a emotional ride between the heartache of starting over and the giggling watching them fall again.

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4.25 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Jackie Lau for the opportunity to read this delightful ARC!

I want to start off by saying that the main character’s name is also Noelle, which was super fun! Her sister’s name is even Madison (my middle name). There were so many other similarities, it was crazy!

This book is written from the POV of Noelle and Cam. Noelle gets stuck in a time loop, reliving April 20th, after eating some magical dumplings at a night market. Noelle ends up meeting Avery, a woman who is stuck in the same loop. They work together trying different theories to become “unstuck”. During it all, Noelle keeps running into Cam. Each day Cam forgets about her, but Noelle never forgets him. They go on first date after first date, all the while Noelle is developing feelings and Cam is left with first impressions and déjà vu. Will Noelle and Avery ever be able to escape the time loop? And what will happen if they’re able to get out?

This book was absolutely adorable! Besides sharing names, I really did connect with Noelle’s character. It was really interesting to read how she handled being in a time loop, and how that was different from Avery’s experience. The book is not only about romance, but also friendship. I did really like Noelle and Cam together though. Their chemistry was amazing. 🔥 It was exactly what I needed! The twist at the end was also perfect. I definitely wasn’t expecting it, but it added so much to the story. I totally recommend checking this book out when it’s released on May 6th!

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