It was a little too insta love for me but the messaging behind the story was very endearing. I liked their story.

I enjoyed this soo much! This is more than your typical YA romance story. It a story about grief, self forgiveness, and the hope for the future. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the pace of the storyline. I would say that I wanted more from the end but overall this is a great read that I would highly recommend.

This is my first book by this author, and it was a very intriguing story. The story is about being able to find yourself, grieve and face the future, with many uncertainties.

“Maybe that’s what grief is. Just a series of yesterday’s forever.”

It’s a book that you need to read for yourself in order to have a full effect of the story. It was really powerful as you got into it and as the story evolves. Sometimes it’s just a moment in time that changes a lifetime. I really enjoyed it.

“I just wish I knew where the past goes when you’re the only one who knows it.”

About this Book
High school seniors
Deep grief
Groundhog Day
First Love
Perfect Moments
Time Slip
Dunkin
Found Family
Friendships

I did not see the ending coming and I was surprised and then pleased. It was one of those moments where I truly sat stupefied and threw the book down. Wonderful twist and epilogue

“I feel like alive is what a house plant is. It eats plant food, drinks water, exists. But living is a risk. The good kind.”

This book had my heart! I was as much trapped in between these pages as Sydney and Marcus were stuck on September 24.

Our two characters crashed into each other one fateful day in a crowded Dunkin' and they're now doomed to repeat the same day over and over again. But is it really such a bad thing to be stuck with your new favorite person, doing all the things you could ever want, forever, when there's an empty chasm waiting for you in your real life.

In It's You Every Time, we follow Sydney and Marcus as they explore the city of New York and get to know each other, peeling back layer after layer until they uncover the real reason that keeps them stuck and work on getting to tomorrow.
It's a story of grief and acceptance, and finding yourself again after a loss.

I enjoyed Charlene's writing and the characters she brought to life in this book. Sydney and Marcus were funny and loveable and I loved watching them find joy again and help each other on the path of healing, one day at a time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for the eARC!

Charlene Thomas delivers a thoughtful and emotionally resonant story in It’s You Every Time, blending romance with a touch of mystery. When Sydney meets Marcus on what should be an ordinary day, their instant connection leads to something unexpectedly magical. This novel explores love, healing, and the possibility of second chances in a way that’s both heartwarming and thought-provoking. It's a moving read perfect for fans of character-driven romance with a twist!!

I seriously enjoyed this book. I honestly had forgotten the description when I started reading it, so the whole Groundhog Day theme caught me off guard.
This book had so many little life lessons beautifully written into the story line. One that stood out the most is that we all know someone who isn't here any longer, sometimes that person meant a lot to us, new people we meet didn't get a chance to meet them but their lives can still be affected by the memories we have of our lost loved ones.

It’s You Every Time isn’t your typical YA romance. It was deep I’m so many ways with themes like self discovery, coming of age, grief, forgiveness, family bonding, and love. This story incorporates both young love and grief in ways that helps two teenagers learn to navigate life beyond the lost they have experienced. By this being a romance novel, I love how authors portrayed the plot as them being stuck in this type of time loop with it being September 24th until they figured out what they needed to do together to get unstuck. It was like fate brought them together from the time they walked into Dunkin’s. It was the best meet cute honestly! Same order number and if you put the two meals together it makes one whole sandwich 🥰 Sydney and Marcus were each others light down their dark paths and I love how they were able to help each other get through their traumas and find love.

At first I thought the repetition of days was a bit too much but honestly once I finished the book, it was actually intentional and perfect for this story. It wasn’t just about them being stuck in this time loop but it helped them learn to communicate and understand their trauma. They weren’t just stuck in time, but emotionally and with uncertainty with how to move forward. I highly recommend this book!

Let’s talk about what it means to fall in love in a time loop—especially when you’re carrying the weight of grief.

Sydney Michaels is just trying to survive college, chasing a dream that doesn’t quite feel like hers, grieving a brother she can’t stop missing. One skipped class and a breakfast detour later, she meets Marcus Burke—kind, charming, and dealing with his own loss. What starts as one magical day in New York City quickly becomes something else entirely when Sydney wakes up… and it’s September 24 again. And again.

This story is tender. Messy. Sweet. Painful. Soft in all the places where grief lives quietly.

Charlene Thomas weaves love and loss together so beautifully—showing us what it looks like to fall in love while grieving, to search for meaning in the stillness, to let someone in when you’re still not sure you’re ready. Sydney and Marcus don’t save each other. They simply see each other. And in a world that keeps resetting, that’s the most honest kind of love.

Themes I loved:
– Time loops as a metaphor for grief
– Breakfast as an act of intimacy
– Black joy, Black grief, Black love
– The possibility of choosing yourself
– First love that feels like home

This was a cute grief story in the best way. I loved watching Sydney find the courage to stop surviving and start living—on her terms.

4.5⭐️ | This was such a cute & enjoyable YA Romance story! I loved this author’s writing style, the story line and definitely loved the characters.

Imagine reliving the same day over & over again. When you wake up, it’s always the day you’ve already relived on yesterday. When Sydney and Marcus are experiencing this, initially it’s a blessing because who wouldn’t want to spend everyday with their favorite person? But soon they realize this is no life to live, how can they escape this and keep each other considering everyday is their first day meeting?

If you’re a hopeless romantic, love self discovery, love character growth and some good story telling, this one’s for you! Recommend and will be reading more by this author. Thank you Scholastic and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Reader, I fear this will not be a spoiler free review as I need to scream into the void about this book. I’ve had a fear of reading a YA that focuses on grief cause the reaction can be…rough. But I took a chance at the premise of It’s You Every Time because it felt so unique. Stuck in what feels like a Groundhog’s Day loop, our two MCs Sydney and Marcus seem to relive the same date over and over again. But the small change is that Sydney and Marcus experience a different day each time’ from exploring to shopping and even a fake Prom, the teens most crucial days revolve around their conversations. They instantly feel a sense of kinship in one another and their banter is incredibly adorable. Throughout these deep conversions, the topics of grief and loss are heavily focused. Syndey, coping with the loss if her older brother, feels adrift when the future she desires doesn’t align with the future her parents want for her. Marcus, dealing with the more recent loss of his best friend and brother, is fresher in his grief and his fear of moving on seems to drag him down.

I truly enjoyed the ways Thomas handled how different grief can feel, manifest, and even overcome someone. While Syndey’s grief has been almost a companion to her, Marcus’s has become an overwhelming feeling that mentally and emotionally stops him from moving forward in his own life. The manifestation of their grief into the time loop was well done. They try so many ways to break the time loop and nothing seems to truly break them from it; until Sydney’s genius idea of having the days they truly were meant to have. I won’t spoil why that was crucial; but reader, prepare for an ending that is perplexingly hopeful.

*TRUE SPOILER BELOW*

A key part to their repetitive days were their order numbers for breakfast, both number 2. In a glimpse into the epilogue, we see order number 1 and Thomas alludes to THIS time being the time they were meant to meet and be together. BUT IT’S NOT FULLY CLEAR; and a part of that makes me think that was don’t to inspire hope in readers. Sydney and Marcus have to have blind faith that trusting they have the days they were meant to, means they can move forward. BUT THEN THEY DON’T REMEMBER EACH OTHER; until they meet again years later. I haven’t been pleasantly mad in a long time but damn did this get me.

Thank you to Charlene Thomas and Scholastic Press for a review copy.

This was a beautifully written YA story full of hope, love, and the layered ways that grief can hold you at a literal standstill. Both these characters journeyed through their grief in different ways, which allowed for stark contrasts between them, while the way they fell for each other formed a wonderful harmony.

While the romance in this book was adorable, the conversations around grief and the need to push forward and continue living, even though your heart doesn’t want to leave your person behind, is so important. Those are the segments of this story that shine brightest.

As for critique: the story started very quickly, and it took me a bit to feel like I knew the characters. There were some pop culture references that weren’t my favorite (loved the shout out to Greys and Sister Act two though!), And the ending wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for.

But overall, this was well done!

If you’re into stories that mix heart, romance, and a little bit of time-bending mystery, this one’s a must-read. When Sydney Michaels meets Marcus Burke over a chance breakfast, it feels like life is finally throwing her a break after years of heartache. But just when things start to feel right, one moment changes everything—and she wakes up stuck in the same day. Full of charm, emotion, and a touch of magic, this story is a beautiful reminder that even when life hits pause, your heart doesn’t have to. Perfect for fans of love, loss, and second chances.

Thank you Hear Our Voices and the author for an ARC for my honest review.

What starts as a Dunkin’ mix-up turns into the ultimate time loop romance. Sydney and Marcus skip class, fall into a whirlwind day in NYC… and then get stuck living that same day over and over. September 24th never ends, but their adventures and feelings only grow. I really enjoyed this book. Not just a typical YA romance. It explores grief and the path to getting back to your regular life after experiencing a devastating loss. I loved the depth of both main characters. The author did such a good job with this one.

“Maybe that’s what grief is, just a series of yesterdays forever.”

Book Tour: It’s you Every time by Charlene Thomas
Pub day: May 6

It’s you Every time is a deeply moving YA romance that highlights the themes of grief, coming of age, friendship and self discovery. Marcus and Sydney are going through different forms of grief, stuck living the same day over and over again. They meet at Dunkin and both have their number called at the same time. They found friendship, understanding and love in this time loop. The book show readers that It takes one person who will be there to show you to find the light in a dark place and keeps on shining.

A beautiful love story between two individuals who are connected together by grief. Thanks to author Charlene Thomas, Scholastic Press, and Hear our voices book tours for organizing this book tour.

#HearOurVoicesTours #ItsYouEveryTime #YARomance

This was a book that left me pleasantly surprised.

Rating 4/5

I think it perfectly balanced heavier conversations around grief while also including soft, comforting moments that are often found in contemporary romances. What I really appreciated—especially given that this is a young adult novel—was how, even though we see a budding romance between Sydney and Marcus, the author makes it clear that a new love or new sense of comfort, while beautiful and worth looking forward to, is not meant to replace the loss of someone you’ve loved deeply. This felt like a really beautiful and accessible explanation of grief and reason—one that resonates with readers of any age, but particularly works for a YA audience.

We get the classic moments of teen angst: worrying if you’ve said the right thing to the guy you like, being self-conscious about how you're perceived, the thrill of the first kiss or touch. But what’s even more poignant is that we also get to see two teens navigating different kinds of loss, realizing that grief doesn’t single anyone out—nobody is safe from it, and nobody has to endure it alone. I’d describe this book as a fun combination of 50 First Dates and Groundhog Day, where we see Sydney and Marcus relive the same day over and over again. I also appreciated that their experience wasn’t all magic and romance—they had moments of disconnect, moments where reality set in and reminded them of the weight of what they were going through.

I think the author made a powerful choice by using Sydney as a voice of reason throughout the book. It was also meaningful to see how the adults in their lives were quietly carrying their own grief. The book underscores that grief and healing aren’t solitary experiences—they’re journeys that are better shared. It’s beautiful to see that the act of remembering someone no longer with us doesn’t need to be a burden we carry alone.

This book isn’t just a young love story—it tackles the kind of love we don’t always feel comfortable talking about: the love of someone who is no longer here, and how we preserve that love in their absence. It also speaks to the power of family and friendship. We see that clearly in Sydney’s relationship with her best friend Jaq, and the way she begins to process that moving forward isn’t just for her—it’s also for the future of the people she holds dear. Meanwhile, so much of Marcus’s journey is a reflection on healing, fear, and forgiveness.

I think this book will be well received by a wide range of readers. It’s not overly cozy or filled with insta-love, and the two main characters are ones anyone could see themselves in—whether you’re currently dealing with the pressure of grades and your uncertain future, or someone older looking back with reflection. Most importantly, this is a story about grief, and anyone can relate to that. Through Marcus and Sydney, we see how grief is felt and explored in different ways—but there is a path forward.

Some readers may find the initial repetitiveness of each day a bit difficult to get into. In that way, I do think the book could’ve been a few days shorter. But at the same time, as Sydney and Marcus show us—no day is wasted, and every moment brought them closer to where they needed to be. There were also some moments early on where POV shifts between Sydney and Marcus weren’t immediately clear, but as the book progresses, their voices become more distinct and easier to follow.

I do think the repetition and structure were intentional—it’s not just about reliving the same day, but about feeling emotionally stuck. Stuck in grief. Stuck in an idea of the future that will never come to be. Stuck in the terrifying uncertainty of how to get to tomorrow. But what this book reminds us is that while that journey is not easy, it doesn’t have to be taken alone.

Thanks to HOV Tours, Charlene Thompson, and NetGalley for this egalley.

Thank you to NetGalley for this opportunity to arc read this book. I loved it!! I have always enjoyed the books where people get stuck in a day and have to figure out how to get out. It also is so fun seeing how each authors makes it their own! Charlene Thomas did a great job with this book. From beginning to end I was hooked and I wanted to keep reading. I was confused at some points in the beginning on whose perspective it was but it was easy to figure out later on as I kept reading. I really liked how Sydney and Marcus were both dealing with their own thing but were brought together by it and were able to grow. I felt like this books was different from other stories like it just by the background of the characters and all of the connections they had. I definitely recommend this read!!!

Love this book so much! I’m a native NYCer so if I can feel, see, and hear the beat of this city in a book, author is doing it right. Sydney and Marcus are two teens looking to become more than what they are. I don’t know I’d I could see a Dunkin’ Donuts the same after reading this, but it’s definitely a NYC thing to be crashing into people. Might as well be the person you’re fated to fall for. I do believe this is my first time loop romance ans it’s absolutely adorable. Definitely first time reading a book by Charlene so now she’s going on my go to list because of all the feels she’s given me with this book. If you love meet cutes with dogs and food, you need to read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review!

Such a unique and heartwarming read. This is a story about love, grief, self discovery, and the struggle to continue on. This book will have you in tears and feeling a range of emotions. I really enjoyed Marcus and Sydney, their chemistry and connection was so cute.
Definitely read this book if you love:
❤️ ❤️❤️❤️
•meet cute
•time loops
•upper YA romance
•books w/ NYC setting
•themes of grief & healing

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this beautifully written and emotionally layered YA romance!

Wow—what an unforgettable read! From the very first pages, I was hooked by the charming, feel-good vibes. It’s the kind of book that feels warm and fun, but then completely surprises you by diving into deeper, more meaningful territory. With a clever twist on the Groundhog Day trope, this story kept me flipping pages, eager to see what would happen next.

This book does a fantastic job exploring grief—how it lingers, resurfaces, and subtly shapes us over time. The portrayal felt raw, real, and incredibly relatable. It reminded me that grief doesn’t just disappear; it evolves with us. I really appreciated how thoughtfully this was handled, especially in a YA setting.

But it’s not all heavy. There’s laughter, romance, and those sweet, swoony moments that make your heart flutter. Syd and Marcus are wonderfully complex—perfectly imperfect—and their flaws and insecurities made them feel so real. Watching their growth felt genuine and satisfying.

One of my favorite parts? When they finally break the time loop and don’t remember each other. It crushed me for a second—but the author delivers a beautiful, satisfying payoff that ties everything together with a perfect, emotional bow.

This was my first Charlene Thomas book, and it definitely won’t be my last. Her writing is compassionate, smart, and totally immersive.

A heartfelt, funny, and emotional ride—5 stars all the way!

This was a poignant reflection on grief, with a cute love story in the middle of it. Honestly, this book took me by surprise. At first I wasn’t sold by the characters. They felt flat & then as the book progressed I began to see their layers. The author did an incredible job at revealing depth slowly, making the readers work for it. I will be thinking about the ending for a long time. It left me with more thought provoking questions than I expected from your typical YA book. I’d definitely recommend this to teenagers and young adults.