Ok I wasn't sure where this one was taking us. However, I couldn't put it down. What an interesting sliding door look at how our life changes depending on who we pick to love.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sarah Jio and HarperAudio for the ALC of the audiobook! Brittany Pressley absolutely rocked it as the narrator.

finished and i love, love, loved it. what an awesome story to create; I am feeling like Sarah Jio and I are soul-sisters.

I can confidently say this is 4.5 stars rounded up. I ended up re-listening to that last two chapters for a more substantial impact... but literally, what WOULD you do if you were able to go through all alternate realities and explore what life would be like with each potential partner? I've always thought of this, and i loved this take on magical realism. It's "Click" but make it romantic and fem. I've still thought about it again and again, with full recall, two months later. I'm obsessed with this story and I really hope anyone seeing this gives it a chance.

My favorite quotes:

"Sometimes the most beautiful things in life are right in front of our eyes, we just need to learn to see them."

"I want to bottle this feeling before it passes, and I'm acutely aware that it will. Soon. What will become of them? Of this? When I close my eyes tonight, will we find each other again? Could we ever recreate what we have right now? Where love once bloomed, it can bloom again... Could anything ever be this perfect?"

"Yes, I see many reflections of your mother in you, that's the legacy of family. She was as brilliant as she was flawed, but you are your own soul. Never for a second think your path is predestined to follow in any one else's footsteps. Accept the good, reject the bad. You're already doing that."

"I suppose everyone has their 'what-if' person, the profound chance encounter turned into a missed connection... but Callum was special."

"There probably won't be a tomorrow, at least not for the two of us. If today is anything like yesterday, I'll drift off to sleep and wake up beside someone new. In another strange life, filled with its own landmines and complexities. But right now, I can't stop thinking about this one."

"Because when you love someone, they never leave you. They stay right here."

First I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperAudio and William Morrow for the early ARC and audiobooks of this novel.

This was my first Sarah Jio novel but it won’t be my last. I unexpectedly loved this book. I went back and forth between the kindle version and the audiobook and I really enjoyed both but the audiobook was my favorite. Brittany Presley might be my new favorite narrator. This audiobook was so well done.

I loved the touch of magical realism in this book. This book was so unexpectedly touching and lovely I can’t wait to tell everyone to pick up this book. I will admit i have been struggling to enjoy romance books lately but this was a new fresh take on a romance book and i loved it.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending but overall I loved the book.

4.25/5 stars

4 stars. I loved this!!! The Midnight Library meets Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (I know it’s a movie but whatever) in this plucky, magical realism romcom. The plot was fascinating and I was on the edge of my seat with every character introduced. I was even pleasantly surprised by a few twists. The FMC, Lena, had major character development and I thought the book was overall perfectly paced. I also enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook.

In Insignificant Others, Lena is a shallow, corporate monster who is hellbent on getting a perfect proposal from her dream man to check all her boxes. Her plan is chucked out the window when her boyfriend breaks up with her, so she spends the night at her aunt’s house to clear her head. Only when she wakes, she’s not in the comfort of the house she grew up in—she is in a random apartment with a wedding ring on her finger and a supposed husband. Every day she wakes up in a new place and with a different man from her past… With every pseudo-life she finds herself in, she realizes what’s actually important in her own. Will Lena ever land back in her real life for a second chance at going after what (or who) she wants? Read to find out!!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the audiobook!

Sarah Jio is a master with unique storytelling. The audiobook is magnificent. Insignificant Others is a beautiful novel about learning to know yourself and how to choose love.

I just finished Insignificant Others by Sarah Jio and here are my musings.

Lena Westbrook is heartbroken when her boyfriend of 2 years doesn’t propose to her like she thought he was going to. She runs home to her aunt and when she wakes up the next day, she finds herself in Paris… Married to a man she doesn’t know.. Every night when she goes to bed she wakes up in another timeline with another man….

She realizes each man is a missed opportunity from her life and she gets to see if any of these men were really as significant as her imagination believed…


I kinda liked the time slipping. It was really cool! Imagine being able to live for one day a missed opportunity that plagued you. It would be wild. What I loved the most is that Lena didn’t really go looking for the one… She was really looking to find herself and that was the beauty of this book for me.
It was really well written and I loved Lena. She was a bit of a workaholic and her life felt scripted. It was awesome watching her test drive the lives and careers she could have had.

I loved it. 4.5 stars

4.5 rounded up to 5.
I really enjoyed this novel! It gave me The Midnight Library vibes. I enjoyed the changes for the main character to see what her life would be like ending up with different lovers. I thought the comedy was perfect in this without being too cheesy with some laugh out loud moments. The ending made me super happy - wasn’t 100% sure if it was going to be a happy ending or not.

This was such a fun audiobook from NetGalley! A time slip/time loop of relationship what ifs that either had you swooning or cringing. Loved watching Lena’s growth and being a Puget sound local was a huge bonus!

Good story with the "road not taken" / Groundhog Day / Butterfly Effect approach.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

Read If You Like:
• Time-loop romances with a whimsical twist
• Explorations of “what if” scenarios in love and life
• Stories set against vibrant international backdrops
• Protagonists on journeys of self-discovery
• magical realism

Lena Westbrook has meticulously planned every facet of her life. So when her boyfriend of two years breaks up with her on the night she anticipates a proposal, her world unravels. Seeking solace, Lena retreats to her aunt’s home on Bainbridge Island. However, upon waking the next morning, she finds herself in Paris, in bed with a man who believes he’s her husband.   

Thus begins Lena’s unexpected journey through a series of alternate realities, each presenting a different version of her life with past romantic interests. From the charming streets of Kinsale, Ireland, to the bustling avenues of New York City, Lena experiences the myriad paths her life could have taken. Each day offers a new setting and a new partner, prompting her to reflect on her choices and the true meaning of love and fulfillment.  

Thank you so much to the publisher for my gifted ALC and ARC!

Insignificant Others
By Sarah Jio
Narrated by Brittany Pressley

Published April 1,2025

I really enjoyed this book by Sarah Jim. I loved the time loop story about Lena who is a dumped workaholic. She travels to her aunts in Seattle and she goes to sleep and keeps waking up in different relationships. I wish it was longer and had even more relationships she woke up in. I will definitely be reading more from Jio if her books are good like this!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the ALC audiobook. All opinions are my own.

A toxic workaholic who keeps her personal life less than personal becomes stuck in a time-loop of one-day relationships with men she has encountered in the past. Lena Westbrook, fresh off a recent breakup, goes home to visit her aunt and get away from her life for a bit following a break-up in which just minutes before she thought he was going to propose to her. What a surprise the real reason for their "special occasion dinner". While there, she falls asleep in the guest house, only to awaken in a stranger’s bed. But as she begins to grow more and more attached to each person she awakens to, she realizes she might just want more than a partner who looks good on paper.

I had the audiobook and the narrator was amazing and perfect for the rom-com book narration. She was funny when she needed to be but not in a forced way. She read the story effortlessly in a way that captured my attention and held it through out. I was able to follow the story without having to stop and constantly rewind. I recommend listening along with the audiobook if possible.

A truly fun listen from start to finish, I loved the growth arc of Lena’s character as she meets each new boyfriend/husband and awakens to hopes for the future far different than she had ever imagined. The side characters add beneficial to the story, from Lena’s friend Frankie and her husband, Chris, to Aunt Rosie, the woman who raised Lena after the death of her mother.

You get a look into Lena's past and what situations made her unconsciously the way she is. Great character development from where she began at the beginning of the story to where she ends.

There were quite a few laugh-out-loud scenes that set this book apart from other recent time-loop novels. Although there was a small dangle of a relationship I had concerns about, I was very happy to see it didn’t end up going where I thought it might be going. All in all, a fast-paced, very enjoyable romcom with more emotional depth than most.

Read if you like women’s fiction, magical realism, found family, self discovery journeys, and are a girls girl! It's important to be true to yourself, your needs and wants unless you'll end up settling next to the person next to you on the assembly line.

“Maybe love is less about fate and fairy dust and more about grit and intention? Maybe it’s as simple as being the one for the one you love?”

Thank you William Morrow and Harper Audio as well as netgalley for the gifted audiobook ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for granting me access to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a pleasant surprise and I was drawn into the story immediately! Lena has been on autopilot, just navigating through life, when she finds herself stuck in a time loop of various alternate lives - each day a different alternate life. She gets the unique opportunity to see how life would have turned out had she pursued a relationship with various men from her past. As a result, she realizes what she likes, dislikes, and what is truly important to her.

If you like magical realism and enjoyed Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston or In Five Years by Rebecca Serle, I think you will enjoy Insignificant Others.

Fabulous narration by Brittany Pressley!

Lena finds out that she’s not with Mr. Right - she’s with Mr. Wrong. This is a cute little rom-com with a little bit of time travel in the mix. Fun read with a light-hearted ending. Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook. Narration was amazing!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was a cute read, and fun to see how all the "what if" relationships may have worked out. I enjoyed listening, and while it would have been nice to have each day a little more developed I thought it was well done overall.

Overall rating: 4/5

Honestly this book was so cute and fun. The narrator did a fantastic job, the vocals were different enough to be able to decipher who was talking and the voice is pleasant to listen to.

The concept is cute, basically the FMC falls asleep and wakes up in a loop of her past relationships in a “what if it had worked out” scenario.

The writing was very good as far as setting a clear realistic environment.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this audiobook.

Highly recommend - especially for fans of The Midnight Library!

Lena is stuck in a time loop of what could have been. Waking up every day to a different lover in a different city has her head spinning, but it also gives her some much needed clarity.

If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for, it’s any kind of time travel/magical realism. And this book DELIVERED! I loved seeing how Lena learned and adjusted in every rendition of her life. There were a few relationships where I couldn’t wait for her to go back to sleep to move on, but there were also I couple that I kept hoping hoping hoping she’d get to stay and live out the rest of her time in that timeline.

The narrator did a phenomenal job. She had very clear annunciation, did great accents, and really put feeling into the story!

Thank you very much to HarperAudio Adult, Sarah Jio, and NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook!

I was able to listen to this as an audio, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
It does start off a little confusing, but the main character is also confused so you get to be confused together. As the story goes and watching her with the insignificant others and what could’ve been gives you quite a different perspective on how things can go. I did find it funny when certain characters showed up in other dreams and the reactions that happened with them.

This is a clean romance. There are some mentions of pregnancy and miscarriage and loss of a child/parent. So keep that in mind before reading if those things bother you.
This does end in an HEA.

This reminded me a bit of The Husbands by Holly Gramazio in that she kept waking up to a new husband/love. I thought it was interesting that she got a chance to see how things would work out with these men who were passing thoughts. The book didn't end the way I was expecting but I think it was a satisfying ending. It was a quick read and overall I enjoyed it.

“Maybe love is less about fate and fairy dust, and more about grit and intention. Maybe it’s as simple as being the one for the one you love.”

Have you ever wondered how your life might be different if you made one small choice differently? This light, yet thought-provoking story is a mix between the butterfly effect and a “sliding doors” -style look at how one choice in Lena’s life created wildly different trajectories for her life path. She experiences the full gamut of life experiences one day at a time over the course of about week or so, deepening her understanding of herself and what she wants out of life and in a partner. I really loved this story, and couldn’t help but imagine the world of possibilities if this were based on the characters and experiences in my life.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.