Thank you to NetGalley, Jackie Lau, and Atria Books for the eARC. This was such a fun and wild rom-com—an absolute delight from start to finish! It was a whirlwind of laughs and chaos, and the mouthwatering food descriptions had me hungry the whole time. I absolutely loved it!

This was cute, but boy did it make me hungry!

Time traveling/alternate realities are kind of hit or miss for me, sometimes they just freak me out way too much. But I think this book did a good job of toeing that line, it definitely does make you think but it did not send me into that downward depressive spiral.

Noelle as a FMC felt very realistic and relatable to me. I’m a fellow oldest daughter who can get into a bit of a rut and not take risks, so she’s inspired me a bit to put myself out there! I liked the dual POV of Cam and Noelle, while Noelle is reliving June 20th over and over, Cam’s life is slowly progressing.

It dropped off for me a little bit at part 2, but I did really enjoy the ending and I didn’t see the twist coming! I also really wasn’t sure if Noelle was ever going to get out of the time loop, or what would happen if she did.

Is this author also a food blogger or something? Oh my god, I’ve never seen food mentioned SO MUCH in a book and it kept making me hungry!! Which is not ideal when I’m reading at like 10 PM and have already brushed my teeth, but it was kind of non-stop descriptions of really delicious sounding food at times.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the eARC of this book!!

Thank you Atria books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Time Loops and Meet Cutes was intriguing to me. I requested it based on the description and was interested to see how it would play out. I get anxiety during "Groundhog Day"-esque plots, but there was so much more to this book than that. I loved how the plot developed and the characters were interesting and complex. This was definitely a read I would recommend!

Thanks again for the ARC!

This was very cut though ultimately I found it a little underwhelming. I normally love time loop tropes, but something about this one felt rushed or off somehow? That being said, I really enjoyed the dynamics and romance!

When I saw this was about a time loop, I was drawn in because I LOVE a good time loop a la Groundhog Day. After a late night dinner for night market dumplings, Noelle finds herself in a time loop. Noelle takes a very scientific approach to discovering she stuck in a time loop. Noelle is reliving the same day over 150 times. While on this journey, Noelle meets another woman, Avery, seemingly experiencing the time loop that is June 20th.

The friendship that developed between the women was enjoyable, more so than the romance between Noelle and Cam. While their romantic partners are in the story, it felt like their characters could have been developed a bit more. When we get Cam’s POV, it felt out of place, especially since most of the story is in Noelle’s POV.

This was started out as a fun read but there was something that felt flat for me. The chapters are short, which I loved, so it was also a quick read. The story itself was really fast paced, which made the over all story feel a bit rushed. The chemistry between Noelle and Cam was lackluster and the spicy scenes felt awkward and out of place.

Overall, it was a great premise but it felt like it wasn’t fully fleshed out.

Jackie Lau’s Time Loops & Meet Cutes blends the mundane with the magical in a light-hearted yet introspective rom-com that taps into the anxiety of burnout, the beauty of unexpected connection, and the delicious weirdness of a time loop that refuses to let its heroine escape—until she learns how to live.

Noelle Tom is the quintessential overworked engineer: punctual, anxious, and quietly unraveling beneath the weight of corporate expectations and stunted social routines. Lau opens the novel with a painfully relatable confession from Noelle: “Sometimes I feel like a poorly planned design project… possibly held in place by the miracle of duct tape.” That duct tape soon peels away when a mysterious dumpling stall at a Toronto night market sends Noelle into a repetitive Friday time loop. And with each frustrating reset, she’s forced to confront more than just unfinished proposals or missed meals—she must examine what she truly wants from life.

What sets this book apart is Lau’s deft handling of the speculative premise with grounded character development. While the setup has shades of Palm Springs and Before I Fall, the tone is gentler, more introspective, and brimming with cultural specificity—from the dumpling vendor who cryptically promises, “They give you what you need most,” to the night market ambiance that feels like a love letter to Toronto’s vibrant food scene.

Enter Cam, a charming brewery owner who may—or may not—be the key to Noelle’s freedom. Their budding connection is slow-burn and refreshingly low on drama. While he appears unaware of the loop, his warmth provides a counterbalance to Noelle’s anxiety, offering not a magical fix, but an emotional mirror.

The pacing is measured—perhaps too much so in the early chapters, as Noelle’s internal monologue can occasionally overstay its welcome—but the prose is sincere and funny, peppered with small delights. Scenes like Noelle marveling over the “fluffy and buttery” ube halaya pandesal after a long day, or noting the poetic irony in a car held together by literal duct tape, underscore Lau’s talent for elevating everyday moments into emotional resonance.

Fans of Ali Hazelwood’s Love on the Brain or Christina Lauren’s The Soulmate Equation will appreciate the nerdy heart of this story, though Lau’s quieter style leans more toward emotional unraveling than banter-heavy romance.

Overall, Time Loops & Meet Cutes is a gentle reminder that sometimes what we need most isn’t progress—it’s presence. Jackie Lau offers a delightful and thoughtful story for anyone who’s ever felt trapped by routine, and dares to imagine what could happen if we paused long enough to taste the dumplings.

Best for: Fans of contemporary rom-coms with speculative elements, overthinkers who need a push toward self-compassion, and readers hungry for food-themed magic and slow-building intimacy.

✨ARC Review✨

I was provided with a copy by Artia and Net Galley.

I have loved time travel stories since I can remember so I was excited to read this! And it definitely was just what I needed. It was cute, light and easy to connect to the main characters.

I enjoyed that Noelle wasn't alone in her journey of examining her current life and getting it back on track.

Obviously with her being stuck in a time loop it gets a bit repetitive I just wish the ending didn't feel so rushed after.

This was a fun read. I was not overly attached to any of the characters, but I enjoyed the writing and the pacing of the story. I love a story that has a little bit of magical realism, and this was perfect for me. Would recommend to anyone looking for a fun quick read.

I’m a sucker for time loops and I enjoyed this one! It was really cute, especially with Noelle gaining her confidence living the same day over and over. Where it lost me a little bit was the disconnect with the sprinkles of Cam’s POV through the book. I sort of understand why it’s there, it just didn’t flow. Also, Noelle loses a lot that she gained in the time loop almost immediately. Which i get too, it just fell a bit flat after all the progress she made. She does eventually find her footing but it makes for a lackluster third act.

I loved the narration by Cindy Kay and Raymond J. Lee. I thought they both did an excellent job in the audiobook.

Definitely pick up if you are a fan of time loops!

This was such a fantastic and unique take on the time travelling trope! I enjoyed this book so much: I could not put it down! I really enjoyed how Noelle and Cam's relationship progressed and how the time loop was such an important factor for them to get to the point where they could actually get together. I also really appreciated that this wasn't just a romance book and the friendship between Noelle and Avery was such a pillar of the book. The difficulties related to the lime loops also felt very real and I was fully invested in how Noelle and Avery would sort out everything in their lives that needed changing. I did think the outcome was a bit simple and it bothered me that we never got an explanation for some of the things related to the time loop... but also, such is life sometimes! I think I get what the author was trying to do by not tying everything up in a tight neat little bow and in a way that was also refreshing in and of itself.

I don’t believe that I’ve ever read a time loop in a book before but I was pleasantly surprised to be in this one. I loved that this book was different and took a risk and it was definitely a great first read by Jackie Lau. This is a quick read, with a little heart and depth, I teared up once or twice so I recommend people take a chance on this one.

Ahh! This gave me 50 First Dates vibes and I’m not mad about it! I don’t think I’ve ever read a time loop romance like this ine and it was so refreshing. After Noelle eats dumplings from an old woman at a night market, Noelle seems to be reliving June 20th over and over with no idea how to break the loop. She does finally meet another woman who is stuck in the loop with her, which makes it a little easier because she knows no one will believe her. Despite trying to get out of the loop, she is trying to hang on to the one good thing of her forever day, Cam, who she meets every day but he can’t remember her name.
This was a super cute, super binge able open door romance with loads of steam and loads of yummy food and references to the Office!
If you like steam, time travel, magical realism, dual POV, you’re going to enjoy this.
Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

The premise sounded interesting, since I am a fan of Groundhog Day. Sadly, the execution of this book fell flat for me. The characters were not as developed as I would've expected, and the chemistry between them was lacking. The pacing was a bit uneven, and the story, overall, was too predictable. I couldn't stay engaged or even care about how things ended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day. I loved the characters and the storyline. I thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

A really cute book! At first, I was like oh my gosh this is going to be so boring and repetitive and no depth - but then slowly the book hooked me and I was invested in Noelle and how she would get out of this time loop. I enjoyed the lessons and moments each day inside and outside of the loop. Very realistic moments of what we wish we could do and say. The relationship with Cam is sweet and wholesome. The sex scenes are well earned and not spicy but two adults who’ve built the appropriate tension. Without giving any spoilers, the endings are wrapped up so nicely - you are quite happy with the weaving of the narrative and the book has paid off entirely.

What a heartwarming and adorable book! I always enjoy a time travel book because it really gets my mind going about the logistics involved. This one had an interesting way of handling time travel.

I really liked Noelle. She was a wonderful character and I loved seeing her grow and change - Learning to take chances, putting herself out there, and taking risks for love and friendship. It was very inspiring.

The romance here was complicated yet simple and sweet. Cam and Noelle worked so well together and have a love story for the ages. They were meant to be! 💙

3.75⭐️ There are so adorable meet cutes in this one. Overall, I enjoyed the story. Noelle is throw in a time loop somehow and lives the same day over and over. As she memorizes the days events, she begins to find boldness. Ask the cute guy out, shave her head, send a crazy amount of money, mend relationships, and stand up for herself. Noelle has tried everything to break the loop, but what will happen if it doesn’t.

Thank you to @netgalley, @atriabooks, and the author for the advanced reader copy.

What if you have a thousand chances to re-do your meet cute wjth your significant other. Would you do it??

This book is for my fellow type A people who are so scared to make mistakes 😂

After a long day at work, Noelle (female lead) visited a night market to get dinner. She stumbled upon a dumpling stand, ate the best dumplings she ever had, then woke up living the same day over and over again!
This is pretty much the plot!

I love magical realism so I got excited reading this book. The night market featured here was sooo good. I was craving some good Asian food crawl moment! 😂

I love the concept of “what if making mistakes doesn’t matter anymore? Will you do things differently?” It speaks to my type A self who is so afraid of taking risks 😂

This is insta connection but of the “soulmate” kind of vibe so I wasn’t super bother with it. The meetcute were well - cute!

My only note is that because this feels like a Groundhog Day movie, some of the scenes were too repetitive and slowed down the middle of the story for me. Overall, I did find this cute. It has a nice twist at the end of the book. So this one is definitely for those who love a foodie, magical realism story about endless chances.

As for the spice, it does get spicy. Like I’d probably give it 2-3🌶️

Thank you so much @simon.audio for the audiobook and thank you @atriabooks for the free book!

Happy Mother’s Day, mom friends! 💗

💭 What is your fave midnight snack?
☕️ I dont really midnight snack anymore but sometimes, I would crave either chocolates or cheese 😂

I thought this started so cute and was a great concept! I enjoyed the way Noelle had to re-introduce herself to Cam. It was interesting seeing how she stumbles, even knowing he wouldn’t remember her the next day. Her relationship with Cam was cute, and I love how the relationship flourished. Avery was a fabulous addition! I loved their friendship, maybe even more than her relationship with Cam.

I had a few issues, but the biggest one was how repetitive it was. I know, there are time loops. The problem was that it went on way too long. Having her go through 130 days of this was boring, but it’s even worse when there is no character growth. She probably could have broken it if she worked on herself and took actual risks. Another issue I had was that the explanation for the time loop didn’t happen. I was so confused about how it resolved or why it even happened. I don’t know what lesson she was supposed to have gained.

With all that being said, I was left with mixed feelings. There are many cute moments, and there is a wonderful friendship. The bulk of the time loop scenario was boring and confusing. The MC felt immature and underdeveloped by the end.

Thank you, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Netgalley, for the e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Noelle Tom is a dedicated mechanical engineer who likes her very predictable life. She saves a good portion of her paycheck, picks up the slack at work, and doesn’t make waves. That is, until she gets caught in a time loop. She finds herself living June 20th repeatedly all while meeting Cam, who doesn’t remember her the next day. During this loop, Noelle is able to take risks at her job and have multiple first dates with Cam, but is there something missing? This cute novel will have you coming back for more!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.