I was not a huge fan of this one.
I couldn’t feel the chemistry between the two characters so I just didn’t care for the story.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc

This time loop contemporary romance is a real charmer. The book has a dual POV, with chapters narrated by Noelle, who is stuck in a time loop, and her love interest Cam. Noelle is a highly relatable young woman, who struggles with keeping up with all of her responsibilities, including her demanding job. After she inexplicably begins living the same day over again, Noelle begins to live her life in earnest. Her relationship with Cam, who will never retain memories of their time together, is the focal point of the story.. But the supporting characters are just as interesting. She befriends Avery and learns to value friendship. She finds the fun in a good haircut, a delicious meal, and setting some personal boundaries.. But the most satisfying part of the story happens with the resolution of the time loop scenario. Lau adeptly explores a trope that has been done before and done well. But her spin on it is a delightful read. Highly recommend for any contemporary romance reader looking for something a little different. Fans of Groundhog Day and 50 First Dates will eat this delicious romance up with a spoon, Pleased to give this one five out of five stars.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book looked like a lot of fun and reminded a bit of Groundhog Day or freaky Friday, however, i was not a huge fan of this one.

I couldn’t feel the chemistry between the two characters so I just didn’t care for the story.

I have heard a lot of people loving this one so I think it was more a me problem than anything else.

An actual delight, I absolutely adored the Freaky Friday meets Groundhogs day aspect of the magic realism of the story. When an overworked engineer finds herself at a food market, she has a batch of dumplings that has her stuck in the same day, repeating events but changing some outcomes, ways of responding, and other miscellaneous tasks. Meanwhile she finds herself falling for a man who happens to be in the loop though unaware and resetting every so often. I just loved the feeling that this read gave me.

3.5/5 rounded up

Thank you Atria Books for the advanced reading copy!

While I definitely liked and enjoyed this book, it left a bit to be desired on the whole.

The time loop part of the book was fun, and gave definite Addie LaRue/Seven Year Slip vibes in a way that I loved. Noelle and Cam meeting over and over was fun, and it was entertaining to see how Noelle tried to grab Cam's attention time after time. However, after that it started to feel a bit awkward and forced, especially romance-wise. Reliving Noelle and Cam meeting for the first time was frustrating and it started to get a little bit boring.

Much of this was due to my irritation with Noelle. I found her to be fairly immature in many ways, and, while there were flashes of growth and maturity, they didn't last. I wanted to scream "we get it!! You've never had a friend!" after one too many moments of her being unsure how to interact with Avery. Lots of moments started to feel like we were living Noelle's rumination and internal monologue with her, and it started to get old after a while.

The initial exit of the time loop -- no spoilers here! -- was not satisfying, though I did find the book to wrap up effectively overall, making that worth the wait. In all, this was a cute romance that left a little bit to be desired, though the premise was entertaining and fun! Not my favorite, but I would try this author again in the future!

Time Loops and Meet Cutes offers an imaginative and romantic twist on the time loop trope, centered around Noelle, a woman who begins reliving the same day over and over after eating some magical dumplings. At the heart of the story is her repeated meet-cute with Cam—a charming stranger who, frustratingly, never remembers her when the day resets. Noelle becomes convinced Cam holds the key to escaping the loop, but she’s unsure how.

Along the way, she meets another young woman trapped in the same time warp, and the two bond as they attempt to uncover the mystery behind their strange situation. Initially, the endless day offers comedic and liberating possibilities—freedom without consequences—but over time, the emotional weight of being stuck becomes apparent.

While the premise is undeniably adorable and the setup promises whimsy and romantic charm, the pacing drags in parts. The middle portion of the book feels repetitive, and the lack of progress toward solving the loop may test the reader’s patience. Still, the ending ties the story together satisfyingly, offering a sweet and heartfelt conclusion that rewards those who stick with it.

Kind of like Groundhog Day...

But better. Noelle is stuck in a time loop wherein she relives the same day, meets the charming Cam, who forgets her on each loop. They meet repeatedly in different ways in series of meet-cutes. Its a fresh take on time loops and finding out what you might really need.
Recommend. Its a good one!

What a delightful time loop romance.

While I would HATE to be in a time loop I love a time loop story. This one had traditional elements while feeling like a fresh take. I really enjoyed when they figured out the why and the how along with the tension in the romance.

Noelle is stuck in a time loop and she believes it has to do with magic dumplings. She and her new friend Avery seem to be the only ones reliving June 20 on repeat. Noelle is able to try new things with no consequences and able to connect with a man that never remembers her.

Super sweet.

Thanks to netgalley and Atria books for an eARC

I absolutely love time loop romance novels. They are so much fun. This book did not disappoint! This is my first Jackie Lau book, and I can’t wait to devour her back list! Not only is this book well written, but the storyline was entertaining with lots of good conflict to keep me reading from start to finish. I feel like most time loop stories are told in first person. I appreciated that the author also had Cam’s POV in this story, and this story had a little bit of a different twist.
I loved Noelle. She was a socially awkward heroine that was so afraid of getting hurt that she let her job hold her hostile while the world went on around her. The character growth was amazing for Noelle.
Overall, a fun read! I highly recommend! I received this book from Atria books and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Atria Books and Net Galley for the ARC!

I love Jackie Lau's writing. Her writing is funny, sweet and relatable, even though I don't share the same background as her characters. In Time Loops & Meet Cutes, Noelle Tom is an engineer who has sworn off romance and is married to her job (where she's under-appreciated and underpaid). Cam Huang owns a brewery in Toronto with his friends. Noelle gets caught in a time loop on June 20, the summer solstice, after eating some dumplings at a Night Market. Noelle thinks she's alone in her time loop, but after a couple dozen times of reliving June 20, she meets Avery, someone who is also reliving the same day, but in very different circumstances. Noelle and Avery try so many things to get out of the time loop, but while they're stuck, Noelle and Cam strike up a relationship (well, Cam doesn't remember her). I won't spoil how the time loop pans out and how everything ends up, but it is really well done and charming. As always, this is a heartfelt and steamy romance from Jackie Lau, with a nice side helping of our heroine figuring herself out. There are POV chapters from Cam, but the nature of the time loop means that we spend most of our time with Noelle.

3.5/5 stars! The plot was unique to me at least and for a while I was hooked! I couldn’t stop reading to see when the time loop would end. But at some point the pacing lost me and I felt less engaged. Overall a cute read and I would recommend it!

When I saw that this book is inspired by Groundhog Day and other time loop stories, I was excited to read it. Overall a great story! I loved hearing about Noelle's repeating days and how she handled them; I found it very relatable. Plus, the book is set in Toronto, so there were lots of descriptions of delicious foods and neighborhoods that I found fun! It's a sweet romance with some spicy scenes. And the family/friend relationships helped with giving context to how Noelle approaches the world around her.

In the end, I really liked this book! I only felt the magical realism, could have been more developed as it felt like it came together in a rushed/convenient way. If the story idea intrigues you, I invite you to give it a try!

First, thank you to Atria and NetGalley for sharing this ARC with me!

4/5

The concept of this book was so cute and the way it all tied together was actually really good. The concept of being stuck in a time loop of the same day to find exactly what you need in life is interesting and I'm not sure I've read anything similar to this before.

The part where it fell flat for me was the writing, it never drew me in and made me go "Oh, I absolutely need to lose sleep to find out what happens next." And I'm just not a big fan of that much internal dialogue. The ending also did get kinda predictable, but I'd still love to read a second book with the details revealed at the end.

But that being said, I did have fun reading it and would recommend it to people who like the following tropes:

-Magical Realism
-Slowburn
-New friendships

3/5 stars. This was cute but very predictable The pacing was a little off but I enjoyed the dates they went on! Thanks to NetGalley for the arc

📖 review
4.5 ⭐️
.5 🌶️ 2 or 3 open door scenes

Absolutely captivated by this book! Idk what I was expecting going in, but this book exceeded beyond my expectations.
Noelle and Avery are stuck in a time loop repeating Friday June 20th over and over. I couldn’t put this book down, trying to figure out how this would end!
I loved the ending and how everything just seemed to make sense! This is a MUST read for sure!
I normally go for books that are big on spice, but I was pulled in by this book and recommend it to everyone!

Noelle works for an engineering company. She's often staying late, covering for her coworker. On this particular day, she's working late (not unusual) but, tonight she decides to go to the night market. There's a booth with a handmade sign advertising dumplings for $5. Noelle decides to take a chance. And that stand is the only thing missing when Noelle wakes up and it's Friday again.
Cam is a brewery owner who is, throughout this book, going through time normally. He and Noelle meet several times in her loop and it feels like he's just starting to know her when the loop abruptly stops.
The time loop in this book is different from other time loops and I quite enjoyed it although I was frustrated. I did enjoy that Noelle had a friend in the time loop, but for me, Avery felt more like a prop to help the story along than a developed character. That may have been a function of us seeing the book through Noelle's eyes. Overall, I did enjoy the book.

Three and a half stars
This book came out May 6, 2025
ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

4.5 stars

What an adorable, magical romance! I was captivated by this book from the very beginning and found it so hard to put down.

Despite living the same day over and over, I never grew tired of reading Noelle’s journey through this story. I loved watching her grow in friendship with Avery and slowly begin to fall in love with Cam.

This book was so beautifully thought out. While I’ve read quite a few times loop books, I’ve never read one that drew me in so thoroughly as this one. It was imaginative and so creative. Two souls who are stuck in a permanent loop of “not knowing” yet are still drawn to each other day after day. It was so romantic and at times heartbreaking. What would we all do if we were stuck in a loop? To never be known past a single day?

And I couldn’t finish this review off without mentioning the food! This book felt like a celebration of food and how memories can be attached to it. I loved the descriptions of all the different dishes. My mouth was definitely watering by the time I finished the book!

A really charming, sweet book! The biggest thank you to @atriabooks and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I had the greatest time with this book!

What would you do if you relived the same day over and over again? Quit your job? Dye your hair pink? See if you can get the same man to kiss you every night?

These are the queries Noelle is faced with after she accidentally gets stuck in a time loop on June 20th. Unsure how to escape the situation, Noelle draws inspiration from the movies and sets out to change her life for the better in hopes of breaking free from the loop. Enter Cam, potential love interest and loop breaker. The really interesting piece? While it never stops being June 20th for Noelle, for Cam life goes on, but he starts to feel that he's missing something in his life as well.

This was a fun and clever take on the classic time loop trope! It was a very cute read, and I really liked the characters of Noelle and Cam, as well as several really great supporting characters. And the descriptions of the Asian market and the food? My mouth was watering. I also love that this was set in Toronto! A solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me and a great rec for AAPI Heritage Month!

If you’re a fan of Groundhog Day, you may like this novel by Jackie Lau, a time-loop romance set in Toronto. Noelle Tom leaves her job late on June 20, as she always does, and this time she heads to the night market. After eating some questionable dumplings, she finds she wakes up the next morning to the same day. The dumpling woman said the dumplings would give her “what she needs most” so she tries to figure out what she needs to do to get out of the time loop.


She learns that anything good or bad that happens that day will reset the next morning. She takes up crocheting but it always starts over the next day. Things she would normally worry about like cleaning and money have become completely irrelevant. She can dye her hair any color, eat anything she wants, say anything she wants, and it all gets reset and no one will remember. No one, that is, except Avery, a woman she meets in the night market who’s caught in the same situation.

In the loop, she starts running into a guy in multiple places around town. Cam is thoughtful and funny and cute, but he never remembers her the next day, except some vague sense they’ve met before. At first, that’s kind of a blessing, because Noelle is a terrible flirt and can barely make conversation. She can embarrass herself without consequence. As she gets better at banter, their relationship starts to build, but it still starts over the next day.

Cam might be the key to getting out of the loop – only it’s clear there are other issues she needs to resolve. She’s underpaid and overworked at her job, and she has a difficult relationship with her sister. While Noelle has always been the responsible sibling, her sister is unstable and doesn’t make good decisions.

I liked the time loop story a lot, for many of the reasons I love Groundhog Day. Noelle has all the time in the world to explore and try new things, but I can also see her frustration of having none of those things matter.

I could relate to Noelle quite a bit. She’s awkward and insecure, and the time loop shows her she doesn’t have to live by the same script every day. Maybe time loop stories appeal to those of us who worry too much and generally follow the rules – Noelle is free to skip work and take chances she wouldn’t otherwise. This resonated because my days feel a little that way too, since I’m not working.

Two things I liked most about the book were Noelle’s friendship with Avery and her relationship with her sister. I think these were more compelling than the romance itself. I wish Avery had been more developed; at times she felt like she was there so Noelle had someone to talk to, and Avery always had it worse than Noelle. But I appreciated that a lot of this book was about Noelle learning to be more giving of herself and more open to others.

Lau writes a lot about food and beer, which I enjoyed, even though I often didn’t know the foods she was describing. I liked the details about Asian holidays and food, and I imagine Asian readers will appreciate that.

In the last third or so of the book, Lau throws a wrench into the time loop formula, in that she explores the aftermath of the loop. I liked her approach to this, though I won’t say more about it.

However, something about the writing in the last part of the book felt very stilted to me, not like the rest of the book, which I flew through. Some of the very short chapters are told from Cam’s point of view, and I found these incredibly distracting, and they didn’t advance the story at all.

I also didn’t care for the ending, though I can’t tell you why. I can say it’s a pet peeve of mine that might not bother other readers.

The book owes a lot to Groundhog Day, and I was very surprised it wasn’t mentioned, especially as Noelle starts reading and watching time loop stories to come up with ideas for getting out. I honestly can’t think of a similar time loop story. If you know of any, please share!

In reading other reviews, some readers found the time loop story way too repetitive. I didn’t, but then I like repetition and patterns. I don’t love stories that have lots of time jumping, that just makes my head hurt (Ministry of Time was one of those). I enjoyed the idea that every day starts out the same, and Noelle has an opportunity every day to try something different. If that sounds maddening to you, or you hated seeing the same things over and over again in Groundhog Day, you probably won’t enjoy this book.

Note: I received an advanced review copy of this book from NetGalley and publisher Atria Books. This book publishes May 6, 2025.

What a wild and fun ride! Thank you Jackie Lau, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Admittedly, it took me a while to become invested in the story. The time loops starts almost immediately and you don't have a lot of character background or information. It also took me a while to realize that the Cam chapters moved along the non loop timeline. However, as the story progressed I found myself much more engaged and ended up really enjoying the story as a whole. I also really loved the Avery & Noelle storyline. I wish there had been some Avery chapters sprinkled in there too. She really goes through it and having insight into her mindset would have really evolved her character more.

Overall I really enjoyed it! Thank you again for the ARC NetGalley, Jackie, and S&S!