not my style or preferred type of books but it was something interesting! i think the execution felt a bit unfocused and sloppy. If not for that it could have been even better

Sarah Jio does it again! A fun, flirty, and ultimately uplifting story about the different paths your life can take if you're not careful. Engaging and accessible, this story is thoroughly enjoyable.

I love a good magical realism read. They are some of my favorites to get lost in. I feel like my mind doesn’t have to stretch too far to believe them, and its just the best feeling for me. The pacing on this one is perfect. It’s not overwhelmingly fast, but it isn’t slow either, its just right. I loved how this one skipped around in time; it was a fun way to experience the story. This book is nice and lighthearted and left me with an overwhelming feeling of happiness. I love when books can do this. I also really enjoyed that this book had a deeper meaning. Figuring this out in a book is a lot of fun for me and sort of like a puzzle. With this one the message was fun and basically be true to yourself, which is always a good message. The writing was top notch and just amazing. This was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last.

If you’re looking for a delightful and lighthearted read, then you need to check this one out.

As a longtime Sarah Jio fan, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read and review this book. And it sounded right up my alley, a Sliding Doors situation. While this book definitely gave Gwenyth Paltrow pixie 90s vibes(IYKYK), I mostly felt lacking. The overall story delivers, but I mostly wanted more. More time, more background, more follow through. And maybe that’s the beauty of this book, the glimpse through the window. But for me, I just wanted more.

Insignificant Others
by Sarah Jio
Pub Date: Apr 1, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
From New York Times bestselling author Sarah Jio comes an escapist novel following a young woman stuck in a “time loop” of one-day relationships with romantic partners from her past.
Not a great fit for me~ I was excited to receive the ARC but it fell flat for me.
Interesting premise, but I think this could’ve been more effective if the story zoned in on just a few characters to make the ending more believable.

Felt kind of rushed and all over the place—such a shame because I love the idea of it as a concept.

I might sound like a creeper here, but with relative frequency I checked to see if Sarah Jio has a new book coming out. I was very excited to see a new one coming out and even more excited to get the chance to read this and give my honest opinion as an early reader for NetGalley and the publisher.
It was certainly worth the wait for her newest book. Our lives can sometimes be driven by the words- What If?
Can chance meetings be the one? Can the one you talk to every day be the one? What if I had kids? What if I didn’t have kids? What if I was the mother to someone else’s kids?
The main character in this book got to look at all those chances to find out .
I would definitely recommend this book!
After this book releases, I will have to go back to periodically checking to see when the next book comes out

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read an ARC of Insignificant Others by Sarah Jio, in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! This was a sometimes funny, sometimes sad, always good story! I loved everything about it; the writing, how each chapter was a "new day", the characters, and how Lena learned more about herself throughout the book.

I would have loved to read a "## months/years later epilogue".

I highly recommend reading this, and I look forward to reading more by Sarah Jio.

Execution fell a bit flat on this. The concept was so intriguing, as someone who likes dallying on what ifs, but ultimately I don’t think this is for me.

I found the pacing off—too much focus on one man vs another, and then it would jump or skip time in a way that just made it too fast paced to establish any emotional connection with the characters. Good concept, but not so great on exposition.

This book was interesting. It was high on my TBR as I absolutely loved Sarah Jio's book With Love From London, which happens to be the only other book I've read by her. I wouldn't say that I disliked this story necessarily, but it was definitely different than books I usually read. I've read a few books that have magical realism entwined in the story, so I thought this would be a fun one to read. This honestly has the same feel as another book I've read, so I think that took from this unique storyline a little. I was comparing this to that book as I read. If you're looking for something unique and different, this might just be the book for you.

Felt like a very weak version of her earlier work. It was a quick read, fun, but I felt like the depth of her original Seattle novels was missing.

Another Sarah Jio book for the win! I really enjoyed this novel. It was heartwarming, light, fun read, and just what I needed right now. We have Lena who lives out her past relationships/chance encounters and what life would’ve looked like if she had chosen these relationships as “the one”. She lives a day in the life of these “what if” relationships/life and wakes up the next day to a new life. I highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for an advanced copy.

“What If…?” meets “Groundhog Day” in this magical realism women’s lit novel. It’s humorous, but it’ll hit you over the head with its Hallmark movie themes, which should be familiar to the reader.

I found it interesting how the book seemingly makes the point that there are no soulmates, and there are many different compatible matches and futures you could have, but then the ending walks that back. The initial message was refreshing.

The book, because of the plot, is like a series of vignettes, and I would have appreciated more of an overarching story or romance holding it together. It’s categorized as a romance, but I personally would not call it one. There are romantic elements, but this is definitely more of a women’s literature book.

There is forced exposition to explain each new scenario the FMC wakes up in, but I think it would have been less awkward if the reader was left to find out the context.

🌟🌟ARC REVIEW🌟🌟
I was given the opportunity to read this story early on NetGalley. I am a huge Sarah Jio fan but this one fell flat for me.

Insignificant Other is described as “an escapist novel following a young woman stuck in a “time loop” of one day relationships with romantic partners from her past.” We follow Lena on a journey similar to the one in The Midnight Library (without the suicide attempt). I was initially quite annoyed with the MC and found her to be irritating and unrelatable. Then we hit the plot twist at chapter four when she wakes up in France. Readers are then taken on a journey of what life could have been for Lena before she makes it back home to her Aunt.

It’s a lovely novel but doesn’t top the list as my favorite Sarah Jio story. I wish the “magic” of the cottage was described a little more in depth but overall a lovely story.

Insignificant Others is a lighthearted and enjoyable read about a woman in her mid-thirties who wakes up in alternate timelines she did not choose. The sliding doors trope is one of my favorites in romance and fiction, so I really liked this one. When we meet Lena, she is 35, professionally successful, and hoping to get engaged to her long-term boyfriend, who is perfect on paper.

Soon after, Lena goes to stay with her Aunt Rosie, who has raised her for much of her life. When she wakes up, she finds herself in Paris, with a man she only fleetingly remembers meeting some years before. Lena continues to wake up each day in a different life, with a man she had chemistry with, but the relationship didn’t develop or last.

The story moves how you would expect, but I really enjoyed the premise and characters. It really emphasized the importance of being true to ourselves and open to new experiences. I would recommend this if you’re looking for a comforting read and enjoy Rebecca Serle’s books.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC, all thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed this book.
It was fun traveling all over with Lena and the men of her last, was it one man too many?

3.25⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Insignificant Others is a "what if" story, following Lena through past loves, near misses, and neverweres. If everything in her life is perfect, why is she newly single and not really happy?

I wanted to love this. The concept was interesting and Jio's style is approachable and introspective. Lena is a likeable, relatable FMC, who obviously cares deeply for the people in her life. She and Frankie's friendship functioned well as an anchor to Lena's true timeline, even if Frankie herself seemed to morph with each new scenario.

Unfortunately, a dozen what ifs was too many for me. It really started to drag a bit. I also, personally, don't appreciate the "but have you considered that maybe you really need a baby?!" trope in books. Women can be successful and happy without children. It's ok if you want them and it's ok not to, as well. I wish sometimes we'd just let women exist in stories. That's obviously totally subjective.

Overall, an enjoyable read, and I can definitely think of people who would enjoy it immensely. Give it shot if you like second chances, or often find yourself wondering "what if I'd talked to that guy who smiled at me on the subway?"

Oh this book... If you love "The Midnight Library", then this is for you! Could you imagine waking up with a different ex every morning? Yikes! However, the story is so deeply thought-provoking and emotional, I highly recommend it! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC opportunity!

3.5 stars

this was somewhat of an interesting read. a story about a woman who wakes up everyday with someone from her past and lives a completely different life, this book explored all the different possibilities a person's life can have, and all the decisions they make that affect it. i found the first third of the book to be boring and had a hard time getting myself to read it. however, after that the pace picked up and i wanted to know what would happen next. although the different lives and partners were interesting, i felt that it started to get really repetitive. i lost count of how many times she'd woken up in a new life after the seventh time, and from there i felt that even some of the lessons and observations she was making were repetitive or could've been made in a previous life and the story started to drag again. i think the ending was slightly rushed and anti-climatic, and in all honesty i wish it was different. for all the things she learned about herself, i wasn't so sure why she chose to be with the person she did at the end.

i received a copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow books for this ARC for review. I love Sarah Jio's books and have read so many of them so when I saw she had a new book coming out, I had to get my hands on it. This book has a great premise- workaholic and perfectionist is now single after 2-year relationship ends when she thought he was going to propose. Now she wakes up every day to 1 day "dates" with those men who "got away" to see if any of them were more "significant" than she gave them credit for.... Really great premise, could have been better, but overall, loved the idea and the story. The what if? with the one who got away. You might think about if you just end a relationship so think book explores that. I really enjoyed this and will read anything and everything Sarah Jio writes so keep writing!!

So happy to see Sarah Jio back! The time travel to various old boyfriends, lovers, and acquaintances made each chapter new and interesting.