“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.

Best book I have read in a while!

Jio's novel is such a fun yet deep novel about what it means to find "the one". After being dumped by her long term boyfriend, our main character, Lena, travels back to Washington (her home) to try to get a grasp on how she got it so wrong. However, Lena finds herself in a very different situation the next day when she wakes up the day...in Paris...and married. Every day Lena wakes up in a new place with a new husband, all of whom are past boyfriends or romantic encounters. She gets a glimpse into what her life would be like if she chose a different path.

The reality that Lena finds herself in is one that many of us think about often. The "what-ifs" that we always ask. And the insights that Lena gains into who she is at her core, the aspects of life or relationships that she really wants or doesn't want to put up with, and her thoughts about soulmates, "the one", and what it means to build a life with another, are tackled in such a beautiful and relatable way.

This book will change the way you think about love, friendship, and the work it takes to "have it all" and maybe change the way you think about what really matters in life. There is a lesson for everyone in this book and one that will both entertain you and make you think.

Insiginificant Others is the deepest rom-com you will read this year and you won't want to put it down once you start!

Thank you NetGalley and WIlliam Morrow Books for the eARC.
I loved the time travel concept and different destinations around the world each day. This book is perfect for people who want to read to escape on an "adventure of a lifetime." I also enjoyed Lena's character development throughout the book, which led her to have the ending she was looking for all along.

In "Insignificant Others" Sarah Jio lets us explore what could have been as Lena wakes up over the course of a week married to different partners that she has been with in the past.
Along the way she finds herself and realizes that her strict rules for dating and marriage are not that great and maybe she needs to step outside of that box and see the bigger picture.
I liked seeing her in these different lives and how she reacts to each one. I loved seeing her relationship with her Aunt Rosie, they have such a special bond and Rosie has helped influence her for the better over the years.
I loved the friendship she has with Frankie and how it is different in these dual timelines. But in the end she loves her friend and really relies on her friendship.
This book had me hooked from the beginning and I didn't want to put it down. I liked the adventures throughout, and the thought of looking at your life through a different lens.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Insignificant Others by Sarah Jio

Lena is stuck in a rut. She has a job she’s good at, but doesn’t seem to love, and she’s dated with no real long-lasting prospects. When her most recent relationship goes awry, she suddenly finds herself re-living her life and the choices she could’ve made. Finding herself with pasts in Paris, Pennsylvania, Ireland, Switzerland.. she is faced to come to terms with not just finding out what could have been, but finding within herself what is.

I really enjoyed reading this book, after all, who hasn’t wondered “what if..” at some point in their life? This book is for anyone who has looked up past relationships on social media and reminisced about what might have been or simply just to find out what has been. There is a piece of all of us in this book whether you’re the one wondering, searching, or remembering. I finished this book in a day and will happily recommend it to those wanting to escape for a little bit while having it tug lightly on your heartstrings. This is the first book I have read by Sarah Jio and it will not be my last! Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. I absolutely adored this one! I’ve read all of Sarah Jio’s work and enjoyed each- but really feel like this is one of her best! This book explores the question of “what-if” and it was such a fun read. It’s a must read! I enjoyed every minute of it.

Lena Westbrook lives life according to a detailed plan managing relationships like her career. She's achieved success and now wants her plus one to fit her constraints. When life veers off course, Lena is left picking up the pieces of her shattered dreams.

When a night's stay her aunt's guesthouse is meant to shake away life's cobwebs, Lena is left tangled in a web of revolving suitors. In the past they held held promise of being the 'one' but now are insignificant. While each castoff teaches Lena about what she wants, she needs to find her way home. Will Lena unlock the secret of living in the present or be stuck on life's hamster wheel?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #InsignificantOthers in exchange for an honest review. We strive for success but when it's achieved, that doesn't ensure happiness. Will Lena be able to forge her own path or get lost in the pursuit?

A fun read with an interesting premise on the what-ifs when it comes to love. However, I personally found the FMC to be dislikeable. At times it was hard to read because of this. I enjoyed the Groundhog Day-esque plot and Lena's journey to self discovery.

This was a really intriguing plot and would be perfect for a book club. That said, there were a few too many alternative realities and it felt repetitive. I just wanted to get to the last one by the end to see how it all worked out. Some realities were definitely more interesting than others and I wish the author focused on maybe 4-5 alternatives and really fleshed them out instead of having so many.

I really enjoyed this book. I got an Advanced Reader's Copy through NetGalley, choosing this one because I thought the cover was catching and the story sounded interesting. It was reminiscent of The Midnight Library, however the female main character Lena, didn't get to choose where she'd wake up next. Each 'adventure' only lasted one day giving her a glimpse into a day in the life with different men from her past. All those times we ask ourselves 'What if?, Lena got to actually see what if she'd ended up with that person instead.

I didn't know how many different stories we were going to get, but I did think the ending was pretty obvious, but not in a bad way. It was a great cozy little read, and adds to my list of reasons Seattle is on my bucket list of places to go someday!

Overall, I enjoyed this book and found the concept of revisiting past relationships intriguing. What didn’t click for me was how easily she adapted to each new “life” without having much background. I also found it to be a bit repetitive and kept hoping I would *finally* get to the last new life so I could learn more about that person. That said, it was a good read and it made me think about people I’ve encountered in the past.

Sliding Doors vibes but make it Sara Jio, who has written a few of my favorite reads. Lena is a control freak who relies on stability and the known. After her heart is broke, she runs away - only to keep waking up each day in a new location, married to a different former ex. This is a story of not only the what if’s we all have about our past, but it’s also a story of learning to let go, to let the unknown guide you sometimes.
Wonderful new Jio release!