Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read this lovely book. With a unique premise of an age-old tale, A Quantum Love Story puts a fun spin on the trope but unfortunately for me, it didn’t quite capture my attention. The writing was polished but both the dialogue and world building felt as if Chen was holding back. Neither Carter nor Mariana were particularly exciting characters nor their backstories—I simply didn’t connect with either of them or their love story. It is a genuinely cute story but one I wish had more heft.

Quantum Love Story is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant novel that explores the themes of love, loss, and the power of human connection. Mike Chen's masterful storytelling and well-developed characters keep the reader engaged from start to finish, even as the story takes some unexpected turns.

While some reviewers have criticized the novel's muted human responses to catastrophic and peculiar events, others have found the characters' reactions to be realistic and believable. Ultimately, the novel's success in capturing the human experience is a matter of personal taste.

One of the novel's greatest strengths is its ability to balance complex scientific concepts with a heartwarming love story. Chen never gets bogged down in technical jargon, and the romance between Mariana and Carter feels both organic and believable.

The novel's ending is sure to spark debate among readers. While some may find it satisfying, others may be left feeling disappointed or confused. However, there is no denying that A Quantum Love Story is a unique and unforgettable novel that will stay with readers long after they finish reading it.

Overall, A Quantum Love Story is a well-written and thought-provoking novel that is sure to appeal to fans of science fiction, romance, and literary fiction.

I think this one just wasn't for me -- it's a perfectly competent story, but it never hooked my interest.

I was immediately drawn to this quirky and interesting premise. It wasn’t predictable (which I find many time looping stories to be), and the friendship, love, grief, and hope surprised me with its depth. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did (as this is outside of my normal genre preferences), but I found myself thinking about it for days and days after I set it down.

A very enjoyable entry in the time loop/"Groundhog Day" sort of genre, with a sweet romance to keep it going. The characters were quirky and realistic (and smart), the plot never dragged, the science wasn't eyeroll-inducing. The ending was hopeful and no loose ends. 4.25 stars.

Welcome to the time loop.

You have four days to do whatever you want and then the loop goes back to the beginning. Wake up Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Repeat. Over and over and over and over and over again. This is not Groundhog Day. Its more than one day. You can do whatever you want. No consequences.

What would you do?

A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen is about a man named Carter who is living the same four days over and over. He’s stuck in a time loop and he’s the only one who realizes it. Everyone else is just going about their days without a clue. Then Carter has an idea. He meets a woman, Mariana, that he likes and decides that he’ll include her in the time loop. He figures out how to do it and just does it. And so two people are stuck repeating the same day over and over. What will they do with their time? Will they fall in love? Will they get out of the loop?

No, I’m not going to tell you anything more about the book. You’ll have to read it!

I read A Quantum Love Story early thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing (via NetGalley). And I liked it a lot. Of course I’m a total sucker for time loop stories. I love them. Groundhog Day, yes, its my favorite but there are so many other good ones. A Quantum Love Story is one of the good ones. Its not a comedy at all. Its a drama with a pretty unique take on the time loop gimmick.

I really like that the book doesn’t repeat one day over and over. Having it be several days makes this story more interesting. Also, unlike a lot of repeating time stories, A Quantum Love Story doesn’t get obsessed with the details.

We find out about some repeating events but not a lot. Instead the book focuses on how the loop effects its two characters. Sometimes a chapter will be focused on Carter and sometimes on Mariana and sometimes both. Both of them are two unique, complex individuals with their own likes and dislikes. Both are so well thought out. The characters of A Quantum Love Story are more important than the plot’s concept.

The book is well written and while its not the most intense book, it’ll keep your attention for sure.

Honestly, the only part I was disappointed with was the ending. I felt like the ending was a little rushed. It was a pretty typical time loop type of ending. I wanted to know more at the end.

Otherwise, I enjoyed A Quantum Love Story a lot. I would definitely include it in a list of favorite time loop stories. If you’re looking for a good time loop story with interesting characters, then keep this book in mind when its releases in January 2024.

Here ends the time loop. We hope you had a good time.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing a digital copy of this story for review. A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen releases on January 30th, 2024.

This book hits all the marks for me. Enjoyed this book immensely, quirky AI, time travel and great characters. Both our main characters are a little dissatisfied with life. They both get stuck in a time loop, forced to relive the same time over and over again trying to solve the problem without losing their sanity. Problem solving, troubleshooting and breaking some rules. This book was a great length it could have easily dragged on with the plot line, but I thought it was perfect, kept me engaged through the whole story. You don't have to be a hardcore sci-fi reader for this one. Highly recommend!

If you’re stuck in a time loop, what do you do with your time, and how do you try to get out of it? I loved the take this story had on a familiar premise, with Carter and Mariana trying to use science and experiments to try and figure the true boundaries of the loop. This was heartfelt and fun, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

Thank you to Mike Chen and NetGalley for a free copy of this novel in exchange for my thoughts on it!

This was such an interesting book! I won't get too far into the plot in the first half of this review to avoid spoilers, but it's not your classic romance. Mariana and Carters relationship built so naturally that it didn't feel forced for the sake of the plot, despite the inevitability of the title.

I thought the world building was really strong. It was a logical extension of the tech we have in todays world which kept the plot from feeling too fantastical. I think a major contributor to this was having the tech advancements having taken place a number of years ago. All of the advancements that are just barely out of reach for us (ie. physical AI personal assistants and fully automated smart homes) have become commonplace enough that they are only mentioned in passing, placing us firmly in a fairly realistic future.


One thing that surprised me was the sudden plot shift in the final third of the book. I kept waiting for us to return to the rhythm that they had established in the loops and we just never did (though I suppose that was the point). I think my surprise at this lies in the fact that we never really get closure on what happens to Carter prime. It seemed hinted at that while his eidetic memory isn't enough to sustain all his memories across the loops, some impression of who Mariana is and what she means to him remains. I would have liked some insight about what happened to him when Mariana left him to face the loops alone, especially since that version of Carter would have had to cease to exist once the timeline was fixed, even if Mariana prime didn't.

Overall an interesting read, and I'll be keeping an eye out for further works by Chen!

A Quantum Love Story is a brilliantly ingenious sci-fi romance that captivated me from the first page. Mike Chen has crafted a wonderful time loop story fueled by friendship, grief, hope, and the power of human connection.

Neuroscientist Mariana Pineda finds her life turned upside down when a stranger named Carter Cho insists they are stuck repeating the same four days in an endless time loop. At first skeptical, Mariana comes to trust Carter as the loops reset again and again.

Chen's masterful storytelling kept me hooked as Mariana and Carter's attempts to understand the loop led to exhilarating twists and devastating heartbreak. The characters are profoundly human, with quirks and flaws that make them feel real. Mariana's take-charge attitude especially moved me, as did Carter's humor and empathy, and I loved Bowie.

Though underpinned with complex quantum physics principles, the story never gets bogged down in technical jargon. And while romance is central to the characters' arcs, it emerges organically from their layered friendship. This perfectly balanced blend of science fiction and love story worked beautifully.

From laugh-out-loud moments to edge-of-your-seat suspense to thinking about the ending for weeks after you put the book down, A Quantum Love Story transcends genres. Chen has written a timeless tale that will resonate deeply with readers. Add this one to the top of your TBR pile right now!

The pace of this book was a bit slow for me, but I really enjoyed the concept of the story. I really enjoyed the time loop aspect of it but wanted a bit more romance I guess.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book. A story that is equal parts love, sci-fi, mystery, and retrospective. And in being all of those things, it becomes something completely new. A completely unique time loop story that captures you from the first chapter and never lets go.

That ending…can’t wait to discuss with someone else!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This a cute little read, though a bit slow for me. I often found myself struggling to get through chapters and kind of skipping around the pages.

This is an interesting take on a time loop, feeling a bit like Groundhog Day but with a more scientific approach.

There was a sweet romance involved as well that was nice to watch blossom. So, overall, not my favourite, but not too bad.

I'm a Mike Chen fan, and A Quantum Love Story didn't disappoint. I appreciated how it deviated from other time travel/time loop stories I've read (especially the last 1/3 or so), and I was rooting for the characters. Some parts of the love story didn't ring perfectly true to me, but hey, I'm sure being trapped in time loops can make people do unusual things.

I appreciate the opportunity to read the digital ARC in advance of publication, and I will continue to recommend Mike Chan stories (including this one) to sci-fi fans.

I found this book a hard to get into. It was a neat concept but a little dry. I was thinking there would be more romance I guess. Just not my thing.

A little bit too repetitive for me but I overall enjoyed this rollercoaster of a story. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read your ARC!

I’m a huge Mike Chen fan, and so was excited to receive an eARC of this book, thanks to NetGalley! Opinions are my own.

I enjoy a crunchy scifi, and this book manages some crunch while still remaining human and character-driven. How do you escape a time loop? It’s not so easy as living life the right way and learning a lesson. I appreciate that this book doesn’t shy away from the science aspects of science fiction. (Not to mention some really lovely subtle worldbuilding.)

The thinnest part of this book is the romance - I completely believed that Carter and Mariana had a connection, but not the way that it played out. I gladly would’ve preferred some of the flashback stuff get trimmed down in exchange for a better-paced romance. And this is just a personal preference, but I tend not to enjoy books where 80% of chapters are from one character’s point of view, because it’s a little jarring to have the other 20%.

Despite that, I thought Mariana and Carter were terrific characters, and I loved the way they got to know each other. (My love language is also food, so I get it.) Overall this is a charming and emotional read. Like a less crunchy Ars Paradoxica. 4.5/5 stars.

I wasn't prepared to have the last couple of days sucked up by reading this book, but I picked it up every spare minute I had. I really wanted to know how it all turned out, but I won't spoil it for you.

An accident at a particle accelerator puts Carter into a 4 day loop. In trying to get out he tricks Mariana into the loop too. A budding romance as they try to fix the loop followed by loop complications that ramp up the 'solve the time travel problem' plot. Overall the romance part is very minimal, but so is the complication of the looping/time travel/paradox, which makes this a pretty accessible book. One might even call it cozy or sweet. Hidden among the plot is bit of exploration into the value of slowing down, of what one would do if there were no consequences, of savoring the moment, which was a delightful addition to the 'how do they get the timeline straightened out' plot.

There is also an AI modeled after David Bowie. What's not to love?

I've had a few Mike Chen books on my TBR, but "A Quantum Love Story" is the first one I have read and I think it was a pretty good introduction. I love a time-loop story, and this one had a bunch of differences from the typical (a 4 day loop! one of the parties starting to forget past loops!) that I really enjoyed. I almost wanted more from the love story, but appreciate that the last quarter of the book took me someplace different than I was expecting.

A tech is caught up in an accident at a scientific lab that pulls him into a time loop that resets every 4 days. He finds himself with a companion and both of them try to reset the time loop. I’ve read a book of the author’s before and I was interested in the synopsis of this book. The book has some nice twists and turns along the way. I appreciate a good sci-fi book and would recommend this. The ending was good but I wanted a follow up, so maybe the author continues the story. The title of the book makes it sound like a romance novel, don’t let it fool you. There is a love story but not it’s a slow build and not a torrid romance book. Thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollins for the advance read. Also, I loved the book cover design.

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