It’s You Every Time is a beautifully crafted YA romance that transcends typical teen love stories by delving deep into themes of grief, fate, and emotional healing. When Sydney Michaels meets Marcus Burke in a chaotic Dunkin’ rush—thanks to a bizarre order mix-up—they end up spending an unforgettable day together in New York City… only for that same day to repeat itself in a time loop.  

Thomas handles the time-loop trope with nuance. Sydney desperately wants to escape the cycle, while Marcus finds solace in these repeat encounters—each one a tender escape from the real grief he’s trying to outrun.  

Beyond the romance, what truly stands out is how authentically the characters grapple with loss. Kirkus praises the “realistic portrayal of the grieving process,” while the School Library Journal highlights how the “what if” fantasy serves a deeper emotional purpose.    Readers on Goodreads echo this sentiment, calling it “a fun combination of 50 First Dates and Groundhog Day” with emotional layers that linger.  

There are subtle structural choices that elevate the narrative, like perspective shifts and compartmentalizing the story into distinct sections—Sydney, Marcus, “Us,” and “Them”—which makes the emotional journey all the more compelling. 

Some readers noted that the repetitive loop can feel a bit drawn out at first, but many agreed it’s intentional: a mirror for emotional stagnation and the painstaking process of healing. 

In short: A gorgeously written, emotionally anchored YA romance that blends speculative fantasy with raw vulnerability. It’s a story about repeating the same day—not for plot, but as a metaphor for dealing with grief, finding connection, and moving forward. Highly recommended.

This one caught me completely off guard and i enjoyed every minute of it! This book gives groundhog day with a YA Romance twist, but there's also this air of mystery involved. The discussion of grief was really important especially for Black teenagers. The ending was not at all what I wanted but i understand the choice the author made. I've sent this on to the teens in my life, i feel like it's a book they should read!

DNF @ 5% — I’m sure this book is great, but I don’t have the time to read this right now and will probably come back to read at a later date after it releases.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this unique and emotional new YA Groundhog Day-esque romance novel, readers follow teens Sydney Michaels and Marcus Burke on one formative September 24 as they relive it over and over again. Literally bumping into each other and spending a magical day together in New York City, every September 24 ends with an accident or something in the crosswalk, forcing them to repeat the day all over again. As they deal with their dreams, challenges, and grief, both Sydney and Michael have no idea how to get time to move normally again, and they must work together to understand why September 24 is so important for them. With alternating perspectives and a fascinating premise, readers will really get to understand the characters’ emotions and backstories in some fascinating ways. The emotional storyline of this book is particularly strong and draws readers into the story, and their journeys together and separately will really get readers to sympathize with them. The characters are definitely the stars of the novel, and readers will really enjoy the complexities of their backstories when paired with the time loop aspect. Entertaining, emotional, and well-written, readers will absolutely love this charming and heartwarming new YA romance novel.

An interesting look at grief, but I wanted more discussion about the loss of her brother. I felt like it was second place to the loss of his best friend. I would definitely recommend it to my high school students.

"It's You Every Time" is Hallmark Christmas Movie meets 50 First Dates with a twist.
I can wholeheartedly say I truly enjoyed this book and felt for the characters. The author did a superb job of making the characters believable, relatable and made the reader feel the emotions of the various characters. The book gave me the sad and loving vibes that I get when I watch a Hallmark Christmas movie. However, unlike a Hallmark movie, this book was not predictable. Each chapter was a new surprise that kept my attention. Sydney and Marcus needed to find each other. They needed someone who understood but also someone who would challenge them to push forward. I would recommend this book to everyone, especially those who love feel-good vibes with a touch of sadness that grows into a powerful lesson/meaning.

I received an ARC from Netgalley.

I wanted to read this book because of the cover. The illustrator did a beautiful job creating the MCs. It took me a while to complete this book. I found the book to be entertaining, but it was hard for me to start for personal reasons. Both MCs are grieving and get stuck in a time loop. Marcus is aware that he has been stuck in one longer than Syndey, and he is suffering from savior guilt. I like that they had these cute adventures during the time loop and were getting to know each other. They even helped each other through their grief and feeling of not feeling adequate. The ending was disappointing, though. When the time loop ends, its like their last day together never happened, and they don't know each other. Too much time is lost before they reconnect, and I'm left feeling like did they actually heal.

September 24 is more than just a date—it’s the day Sydney Michaels’ life tilts on its axis. What begins as a chance encounter with the magnetic, mysterious Marcus Burke quickly blossoms into something intimate and unforgettable. But just when Sydney dares to believe in joy again, tragedy strikes—and time fractures.

Told with lyrical prose and sharp emotional insight, this story captures the surreal ache of grief and the strange comfort of repetition. As Sydney wakes up in the same day again and again, she’s forced to confront not just her feelings for Marcus, but the pain she’s been carrying for far too long.

Part romance, part speculative mystery, and all heart, this novel is Before I Fall meets The Sun Is Also a Star with a fresh, New York City twist. It's a moving exploration of how we find ourselves in others, and how the only way forward might be letting go.

For readers who love soul-deep love stories and time-bending emotional journeys, this one will stay with you long after the final page.

This reminds me of The Do-Over. It had the same “stuck in the same day” premise, but healing from grief & guilt was a big focus of their love story. Like The Do-Over, it was repetitive at times, but the authenticity of the characters & their love story made up for it.

Groundhog Day story about facing your fears and learning to move forward. Iiked how Marcus and Syd started to find each other when they first noticed the days were the same. I also liked how they spent their days- eating, exploring, enjoying each others' company.

Dual POV, true to heart scenarios, great storytelling.

I do think it started to drag in the middle, but it was quickly turned around and the author made you love the storyline again. The epilogue was so good and set the characters up for the future.

This was a very sweet book. I wasn't expecting such an earnest look at grief and the cyclical nature of healing. The structure of repeating the days over and over allowed us to really get to know the characters and made the development of their relationship realistic. And the reveal at the end... I won't spoil it, but I wasn't expecting it! I did think the end was a little too abrupt, but overall thought it was an enjoyable read that I would recommend for younger teens.

I’m such a sucker for a Groundhog Day premise, and “It’s You Every Time” did not disappoint!! The time loop angle was done in a way that didn’t feel overdone, and I really connected with the characters. The story dives into grief and fate, which really calls to me.💔♥️ Watching Sydney and Marcus learn and unlearn things each day felt so real. It’s romantic, thoughtful, emotional, and left me thinking about it way more than I expected. This story will stick with me always.

I HIGHLY recommend this book!
I want to thank Net galley for giving me the opportunity to review this amazing book.

Two Strangers Bound by Grief 💔

Sydney and Marcus are caught in this endless loop, forced to relive the same day until they figure out how to move forward.

It’s You Every Time is a heartfelt exploration of what it feels like to be stuck in grief… how some days just won’t let go until you face them head on.

I appreciated the way it captured grief in its messiest moments, how we avoid it, how it lingers, and how even the smallest bit of support can ease the weight.

I didn’t quite feel the spark between Sydney and Marcus. They felt more like best friends than love interests for me.

This wasn’t the YA story I expected, but it was still an engaging read with a thoughtful message.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! I walked into this read expecting a fluffy YA romance, but found myself loving Sydney and Marcus so much. The subplot of grief was intense and the talk of fate and desire really made me enjoy this read so much.. I cried, and I laughed, and I was oh so sad when this book finished. It just was so good.

It’s You Every Time is a heartfelt, unexpected story that takes readers on an emotional journey. It begins when Sydney skips school and meets Marcus at Dunkin’, sparking a spontaneous, magical day. But when that day begins to repeat, the story deepens into something much more moving and introspective. As the time loop continues, Sydney and Marcus’s relationship evolves in powerful, tender ways that explore love, fate, and personal growth. This beautifully written novel and I highly recommend to young readers.

A time traveling, time warp YA novel with the lovely flirtations of Sydney and Marcus and a Dunkin' but it's not all rainbows and sunshine.

There is a repetition each day and figuring out just what it means and why they're together is the appeal to the story. Do I completely understand what happened? No. But did I want to follow the two characters and understand their stories and root for them and figure out this mini-mystery? Yes.

And having a playlist works for the romantic time travel with real-life tragedy interwoven is a cherry on top. A refreshing YA.

Cute story a fun way to spin the groundhog day. Super too. But I don't think I was for the age range of the story

Reading Sydney and Marcus's story was such a journey. It differs from the formulaic YA, delving into the deeper themes of grief, coping, and life after loss with the added twist of fate.
I was so invested in Sydney and Marcus: the individuals as well as who they could be together. I appreciated the dual POV for precisely this reason. The end definitely threw me for a loop. It wasn't what I expected or even wanted, but upon reflecting more, it was exactly what I needed.
There is some smooching, but that's about it. These are children, y'all.
This book was heartwarming, heartwrenching, and brought me to tears multiple times. Y'all know I'm a triple OG. Tears don't drop without reason.
Take this emotional ride - you'll be glad you did.

I really tried with this one. It’s super cute and I totally get what the author was going for. The premise is great — a chance meeting that turns into a magical day in NYC, followed by a time loop that forces the characters to confront love, grief, and everything in between. I especially loved how it tackled real issues like loss and healing between two young people just trying to figure things out.

That said, the story started to feel a bit repetitive for me. The relived days kind of pulled me out of the flow, and I found myself getting distracted at times. That could totally be a me thing, but I do think younger readers or anyone who enjoys a slow burn with emotional depth will really connect with this.

Overall, it’s a sweet story with a lot of heart. Just wasn’t a perfect fit for my attention span, but I’m glad I gave it a shot.

This was an enjoyable read. In my opinion it started a little slow and the time jumping was a bit hard to follow. Though I would recommend the book to others, it wasn’t quite my taste.