
Member Reviews

I found “What If It’s You?” to be a uniquely refreshing take on meshing sci-fi and romance! Laurel’s journey through the multiverse is interesting and her story is captivating. I like that this story started 5 years into her relationship with Ollie and wound up with her on a mission of self discovery as much as finding her footing in her relationship. This is definitely less romance and more speculative science fiction but I really enjoyed it.

I must say that this story confused me. I almost DNF this but I plundered through. Very sci-fi based mixed with romance. Lots of computer jargon that lost me. A bit far fetched for me living in parallel universes. Just okay. Thanks to #netgalley for the chance to read and review this book.

What If It's You was a really interesting story that combined sci-fi and romance. It was a unique story which made it a really fun read and I looked forward to how Laurel would handle each situation she encountered. It was a bit stiff in places, but overall I really enjoyed it.

Interesting premise. Kinda hated her but she did come around. Full review to come on NetGalley, Instagram, Goodreads, and StoryGraph.

To be honest I DNFed this book! There is nothing inherently wrong with the book, just the more I read the book the less I was comfortable with the idea of it! It just didn’t sit well with me that she was so far into a relationship and daydreaming about another man. I do think that the fact it touched on her hesitation four to her mother makes sense, but I cannot relate to that unfortunately so I think that’s why I couldn’t fully grasp it.
It was written very well and does well to pull you in. Where you’re wondering who is she going to wake up with now? Who will she be with in the end? Drew? Ollie? No one?
This is a romance book where a woman sees there’s a ring in her long time boyfriend’s dreams drawer and suddenly is frightened by the word “forever.” When she gets to work her work husband is working on virtual reality project and after a fight with her boyfriend she finds herself thrown into an alternate reality where she was dating her work husband!

Laurel Everett is at a crossroads. When she accidentally finds a ln engagement ring in her boyfriend’s apartment, rather than being excited she actually starts to question her relationship with him. It leads her down a road of “what ifs” and starts to question if she should have taken up her colleague, Drew on his date offer 5 years ago. Luckily for Laurel she gets the opportunity by participating in an experiment that actually allows her to live out this reality.
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This story was unique and I appreciated the growth that you see from the MC. The Sci Fi element was a bit too much for me personally. Which is potentially just a me thing. Overall it was a unique concept and I loved reading about Laurel and her journey.
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Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House publishing for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jilly Gagnon combines romance and sci-fi into a thought-provoking and entertaining story. The story explores the theme of self-reflection and fate while adding in tons of quantum physics. I'm not a huge science fiction fan and at times it is hard for my brain to process alternative universes. This made the story difficult for me to follow at some points. However, I enjoyed the overall plot and the growth of the main character, Laurel. If you enjoy romance and have a science geared brain, you will love this one!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️3.5 stars
This was a bit more sci-fi based than romance in my opinion but I still enjoyed the story. I love how the author made me feel each thing for each man - when Laurel had doubts, so did I. When she saw the good things, so did I.
Loved the epilogue 🤌🏻
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this advanced copy!

A "what if" that lost me a little with the tech speak, "What If It's You?" is an interesting read that keeps you guessing as Laurel finds herself going between two different men, one in reality and one in the alternate reality. The ethics of which are questionable, and the feelings of which in the alternate can't possibly be really true as it blurs the line between reality and non. The characters are compelling and keep your interest enough to keep coming back to the story, and it really was overall enjoyable

A great and realistic version of "what if?" The setup felt realistic and interesting, in a way that other novels that follow this storyline do no. Based on this novel, I would read additional books from the author.
I received a ARC for my opinion.

This wasn’t one of my favorites from Jilly Gagnon but I had to pick it up after I really enjoyed Love You, Mean It. If you’re a fan of Love Triangles, I think you’d enjoy it more than me! For a sci-fi- also wasn’t hard to follow!

This was such an interesting new romance book that took a different turn of what I was expecting. I like that it kept me on my toes.

So many of us worry about what might happen if we make a different choice. For some it's about a career. For others it's about who they have chosen to love. But what if there was a way to find out if you did or are doing the right thing? Would you want to find out? That is exactly what happens to Laurel. She loves Ollie. But what if Drew were the one she is meant to be with? Perhaps she can find out using Drew's alternate reality program?
What happens next is pure science fiction, or is it? Physicists truly believe in the existence of parallel universes. So, can we believe that they exist? Ms. Gagnon explores this phenomenon. And in doing so helps Laurel to find, "Mr. Right".
The book could have done with a few less pages of sex. But it tells a really good story that doesn't get too bogged down in the science lingo. I enjoyed it thoroughly and highly recommend it.

I think most of us find ourselves asking “what if?” at some point in our lives. I ask “what if I’d chosen a different career path after college?” In this book, Laurel asks, “what if I’d chosen a different person to spend my time with?”
I thought this was a really cute, quick read. Laurel was totally unlikeable to begin with. I thought getting through the book, listening to her complain about her seemingly wonderful relationship was going to be a slog. But, then Laurel started appreciating her life and started to slowly change and develop into a more caring person. Her transformation was the highlight of the story for me.
I loved Ollie so much. I also liked Drew, but in a totally different way. It was interesting to see how Laurel’s lives looked with each of these gentlemen and how these gentlemen looked with and without her.
The epilogue: chef’s kiss.
There was a lot of quantum physics talk in this one that I didn’t quite understand, but I think the author did the best job she could “dumbing it down” for us non-sciencey folks.
I really enjoyed this one. This was my first book by Jilly Gagnon, but after reading this, I’d like to explore some of her other works.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Dell Romance (a Random House Publishing Group imprint) for a free eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on 13 May 2025.

Thank you to Dell Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced E-ARC of this title.
I really enjoyed this book! As a romance addict, I loved the nerd fest of this book and the magical realism element.
Laurel starts to doubt her relationship with her longtime boyfriend who is ready to propose. The fear of commitment, the question of what ifs, and the means to go down a different path, lead her to accidently bounce between two different parallel lives. One where she gets to answer the question of what if with her work crush, and one where she gets to stay with her long time boyfriend.
At the beginning of the book, I was infuriated with Laurel. Ollie is so perfect and she is blinded to what she has right in front of her. That is really the point of the book. To appreciate the small things, the things that bring us comfort and ease. The everyday things we take for granted. This is where Laurel has the most growth when she is able to see her life for what it is and not looking back for it to be more.
This is a really fun read and I was invested in the story and the love triangle of it. It is a low spice book!

What If It’s You explores the intriguing premise of using computational AI and AR models to play out the scenario of making another choice in a life partner.
On the morning of her five year anniversary with her boyfriend Ollie, Laurel, a marketing executive at a huge social media/metadata provider, finds what she knows to be an heirloom engagement ring belonging to her boyfriend’s family in his bureau as she’s putting away his laundry. Instead of breathless anticipation, Laurel’s jaded position on long term commitment instead gives way to rising panic, After a segue into her workday husband’s latest project during her workday introduces her to a basic concept of quantum physics and the multiverse, she completely melts down at their traditional anniversary dinner date and flees back to her work campus where she plays out the age old question of “what if”: what if she’d agreed to get drinks with her nerdy coworker Drew while her relationship with Ollie was in its infancy?
Something happens which I won’t spoil, but the manner in which things play out isn’t just via the AltR program Drew’s debugging.
There are done surprisingly esoteric concepts explored within this not terribly long novel, to varying degrees of satisfaction, imho. Laurel is no perfect protagonist (yay! I love a difficult female lead) and neither are Oliie and Drew, and I am grateful this what if concept isn’t at play in my own life, tbh. I imagine this book will frustrate many and it will result in readers either loving or hating it. I liked it a lot, and Jilly Gagnon is a gifted writer who infuses dark humor along with thought provoking concepts.
I was very generously furnished an advance reader copy from the author and NetGalley, and I’m sharing my honest impressions.

It's not very often that you come across a book that melds romance and sci-fi together, and does it WELL. Jilly Gagnon managed to hit it out of the park with this book!
Our main character, Laurel, is afraid to commit to her longtime boyfriend, Ollie. While at work at her tech company, the opportunity presents itself where Laurel can explore what life would have been like if she had been with someone else instead. The problem comes when she actually gets stuck in the other life.
Steamy and science driven, this book ticked all of the boxes!

What If It's You is about getting a second chance after you lost someone. Laurel finds a ring in her boyfriend's stuff and she knows she should be excited. However, she's left thinking " what if?" What if she dated her work crush. She doesn't think about it long because she goes to work working on her project creating alternate realities. Then the craziest thing happens, the program works and Laurel finds herself in an alternate realities where she lives with Drew. Honestly, this book was not for me. I didn't really love Laurel going back in forth between the realities to be with both guys. I also think there was too much technical talk to follow but that's my personal preference.

Jilly Gagnon’s What If It’s You is a cool new spin on that classic question: What if I had chosen differently? Mixing romance, sci-fi, and some deep stuff, the novel dives into love, fate, and who we really are through a tech project that lets one woman revisit her past choices.
The main character, Laurel Everett, seems to have it all figured out until she finds a hidden engagement ring in her boyfriend Ollie’s sock drawer. That makes her second-guess her decisions. Then she comes across Pixel's AltR project, which lets her check out alternate versions of her life. Suddenly, Laurel is navigating a world where she ended up with Drew, a past crush, which kicks off a wild ride of romance and self-discovery.
Gagnon does a great job of juggling Laurel’s two lives, keeping the story gripping as she deals with the fallout of her reality jumps. It’s not just about picking between two love interests; it’s really about digging into who Laurel is and the idea that happiness isn’t always tied to one person or path. The pacing is quick, and things get tense as Laurel struggles with her timeline jumps.
Although some might think the science behind the AltR project could have been explained better, the emotional heart of the story—Laurel’s internal struggles and her choices—holds everything together. For fans of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, What If It’s You is an exciting mix of speculative fiction and romance that’ll make you ponder your own “what ifs” long after you finish reading.

3.25- I cool sci-fi romance that did keep me reading but at times lost me a little bit- but that may have been all the tech/science jargon that is well over my head! I did find the two male characters a bit flat and didn't really care for either of them.. also it bothers me the cover art doesn't depict the characters in both universes.? If you are into tech, AI, the multiverse and computer science then you'll enjoy this book!