Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m pretty picky when it comes to time-loop stories. I absolutely love the idea of them, but I often find the execution to be lacking. In Time Loops and Meet Cutes, however, this was far from the case. The author delivered a romance full of chaotic good, using the time loop element in an immensely creative way. Noelle was such a beautifully written character — her quirks made her so lovable and her tenacity was beyond fun to follow. The romance in this book delivered just the right amount of sweetness and light-hearted fun; Cam is honestly such a great parallel to Noelle and it was such a nice change of pace to have a MMC who is so full of life. Even beyond the romance, we got to see Noelle truly understand her life and what changes she needed to be making in order to mend the relationships that have been falling behind. I would highly recommend this book to lovers of light romances with a bit of finding yourself mixed in!

The classic story of girl meets boy, girl likes boy, but girl is stuck in a time loop and cannot for the life of her get out.

After eating dumplings at the night market in Toronto, Noelle Tom finds herself repeating June 20th over and over. After adapting to the idea of no consequences, she stops working, starts getting different haircuts, spends a bunch of money, but just cannot find a way to stop the cycle. She starts hoping that if she kisses the right guy she'll get out - and meets Cam, a brewery owner - but alas, this isn't the magic fix either. Noelle eventually does meet Avery, who is stuck in the same time loop, and together they try to make the best of the situation and work through it.

I enjoyed the story - this is my first time reading one of Jackie Lau's writing. Noelle and Cam both have POV chapters, which is a nice way to get to know Cam better as the main POV character is Noelle. I did find the writing a bit stilted at times, but particularly for Cam's POV. On the other hand, I enjoyed seeing the friendship between Avery and Noelle blossom and how they grew to support each other. There's some great character development from Noelle as she slowly gets herself out of her workaholic, perfectionist lifestyle.

All in all, it's a fun read - thanks very much to Atria Books and to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

After work one Friday Noelle decides to stop at a night market before heading home, the lines are long at every stall but one. So she goes there. Enjoys her dinner and heads home. The next morning she wakes up to her alarm going off and is Friday again. She lives June 20th over and over and over again. She tries to break the time loop but is unsuccessful, but along the way she finds love but he forgets her every night.

This book is Groundhog Day meets Meet Cute Rom-Com. I thought this book was okay. The time loop part felt like it dragged on and nothing ever happened (which I guess is the point of living the same day over and over). I also wasn’t a huge fan of how everything just wrapped up so perfectly. I feel like for most people if this happened and then they got out of the loop they would blow their lives up and change things immediately. She went right back to worrying about consequences and stayed at her job for months. I just felt that there should have been a bigger change in part 2.

I will post about this title on release day in my instagram.

I don’t know what Jackie Lau put in this book but it’s ADDICTING! I literally couldn’t put this down. The time loop was fun and I felt myself getting frustrated when Noelle and Avery were frustrated, happy when they were happy. I felt like I was there with them, and if that’s not a sign of how good this writing was I don’t know what is. Highly recommend this for the romance, for the friendship, for the reminder that life is beautiful.

Thank you to Emily Bestler Books/Atria for an early copy!

Thank you to atria and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Noelle lives a pretty sheltered life. She goes to work and comes home and doesn’t have many friends. She sheltered herself after a bad breakup. One night she eats dumplings from a stand that promises to give her what she needs. Noelle thinks that is just food after a long day but she wakes up and finds herself stuck in a time loop. She meets another woman stuck in the loop and keeps coming across a good looking guy.

What I liked: this was a fun book and really liked the Groundhog Day. Noelle is so sheltered but the loop is good for her. She grows a lot while in it. The things they do to try and get out of the loop are so funny and girl you definitely need those extra chances at flirting. Avery the other person stuck is reliving a terrible day and struggles to keep going. I loved how they leaned on each other and helped each other out. Cam provides a bright spot in their days. I really liked how it worked out too.

I'm not a fan of time travel in books but I do find time loops to be an interesting setup for a romance. How do you write a believable romance when one partner can remember every previous interaction, while the other partner's memory resets each day leaving the couple back at square one, repeating their meet-cute or first date over and over?

Jackie Lau takes this improbable premise and runs with it. Noelle, the FMC, finds herself stuck in a time loop, repeating June 20 over and over, apparently due to eating some magical dumplings at a night market. Recognizing that this could be a terribly isolating situation leading quickly to depression, the author also introduces Avery, another character who ate the dumplings on the same night as Noelle and also finds herself stuck in the June 20 time loop. Between them, Noelle and Avery quickly form a tight friendship and support system as they try everything they can think of to get out of the loop. Meanwhile, Noelle keeps running into Cam, a sweet, cute guy who she forms a connection with, even though every new day, his memory resets and she has to introduce herself all over again. Those repeated meet-cutes form the basis of their relationship and it was fun to watch Noelle, who had sworn off relationships, change various elements each day to see what worked best for her in this new relationship with Cam.

Because Noelle changes something or reacts differently to events every time she repeats the day, that keeps the plot from getting repetitive. As to how the loop is resolved and why it was created in the first place, I'll leave that for the story to tell, but I felt that it was resolved pretty creatively and didn't leave me with head hurting, trying to figure out the implications of stuck or lost time. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I had more fun reading this book then I thought I would. There were times in the middle of the book where it was repetitive, but the beginning and end made up for it. After eating dumplings at a night market, Noelle finds herself stuck in a time loop. Fortunately, she isn't alone as she meets Avery who is also stuck. They become friends, and work together to try and get out of the time loop. I loved the chemistry between Noelle and Cam and enjoyed reading about all of their first dates since he never remembered them. Overall, I would recommend this as a cute read!

Spiciness: 2/5 🌶️

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

I honestly loved this book and the cover was super cute. I would tell anyone that wants a good read to order and read this book. Super excited for more to come!

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.