Insignificant Others follows the story of Lena who is so focused on work that she find herself trying to settle for a relationship that’s not meant. Through the journey of the story she gets a chance to experience her life if she had made the decision to marry guys she had a crush on, met, and dated. I love how the story ends. I always love stories that have a little magical realism.

I am not usually a fan of time-travel-y books, but if I had to read one, this one was pretty good. The jump through life like the “Groundhog’s Day” movie, reliving the same day over and over, was fun in a different kind of way. There was a movie a long time ago with a similar vibe too, can’t think of the name though. Either way, this was well written and the details and challenges were spot on. Every relationship has its ups and downs, but it was interesting to see how the Female Main Character grew with all this new insight to how life could have been. Not a super light read, but if you like time travel type books, this may be for you.

This was a pretty quick and easy read for me. I liked the premise of getting to revisit past relationships for a day and to discover what life (and love) might have looked like if those had really come to fruition. There was an interesting and engaging cast of characters. And I also appreciated the way in which the audiobook narrator brought this book to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Insignificant Others follows a career-focused woman as she is thrust into situation after situation of what ifs. What if it had worked out with each guy she had once dated? I liked the concept behind the book and the variety of lives she’s lives. Each one brings out a little more character growth as she discovers what she truly wants in life.

The pace of the book and pattern of plot remained the same until almost the very end. Each new storyline was short and felt a little underdeveloped. When she finally decided to escape, there was no build up with excitement or real challenge to break the loop. And then guy she ended up picking was totally unexpected and felt baseless. He needed to pop up here and there in all the universes. That would have been cute.

You all know I love a romance with emotional depth and this one delivers! I also love a time loop trope and I think Jio gave us a really refreshing take on it to where I was thoroughly invested and wanting to know what the next morning of our MC’s life would entail.

“I can’t help but wonder if I’m happy, fulfilled under these circumstances… or am I merely treading water secretly longing for the shore.”

Lena (our MC) made for a really satisfying character. What started off with her embracing a toxic work life balance and settling for a man who clearly wasn’t right for her, evolved into a truly wonderful journey of self discovery and worth. We found her waking up each morning married or involved with a man from her past. Each new day provides a different reality for Lena with a chance to explore a future had she chosen differently in her past. We get new cities, new relationships, new careers, and with each a realization of what she could be missing out on as well as what qualities in life she may be simply settling for.

“Who we choose to partner with to love carries such weight while it doesn’t define us it does change us whether we like it or not.”

I appreciated the foundation of side characters that really added a found family aspect to each timeline and storyline. Between the aunt that raised her, to her best friend, we’re taken on such a beautiful journey as Lena comes out of her time loop ready to embrace a life she deserves. This is my second novel by this author and both have been 5 stars now! I can’t recommend this book or the audiobook enough-especially since Pressley, my favorite narrator, absolutely shines in this!

•𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 •
+ time loop trope
+ each day is a different lover, life, and city
+ dreamy locales including Paris, NYC, Ireland, Seattle, Hawaii, a yacht and more
+ armchair travel/ escapist type novel
+ the one who got away trope
+ self realization & self discovery
+ magical realism
+ found family
+ read if you enjoyed reading The Midnight Library or watching Serendipity

𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: April 1, 2025
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Romance • Magical Realism • Women’s Fiction
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: 🎧 Audiobook
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Brittany Pressley
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★★ 𝟓
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: I loved it!!

Thank you @williammorrow @netgalley for my ALC!

This was a great book about a young woman who experiences a break up and wakes to find that she is given an opportunity to revisit her past relationships by living out her life for a day in those alternate universes. The book brings to life the phrase that the grass is not always greener on the other side. I recommend this read for anyone who needs a good reminder of this and enjoys a good love story.

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!