After enjoying the author's previous work, I was instantly curious about this one — and it did not disappoint. The premise hooked me right away, touching on one of those profound what if? questions we've all pondered at some point in our lives (I know I have). From the first page, I was completely swept up, devouring every word.

Laurel was such a relatable main character. Even with the presence of a love triangle — something I'm not usually a fan of — this story never veered into uncomfortable territory. The multidimensional aspect had me glued to the pages as she traversed between two versions of her life. I felt every moment of her confusion, fear, heartbreak, and longing right alongside her.

I'll be the first to admit — I know next to nothing about quantum physics, and Schrödinger's Cat makes my brain hurt. Science is not my thing. But the author wove those elements in seamlessly without ever making it feel overwhelming. And don't worry — the spicy bits definitely held their own.

As this story came to its conclusion it held me in a vice of emotions. That ending? Absolute perfection. I closed the book with a happy sigh and a full heart.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Jilly Gagnon for providing this free ARC in exchange for my honest review. I've read several books with this alternate reality premise, and it hits every time. Who hasn't wondered what their life would be like if they'd made one decision differently?

Gagnon did a good job of balancing the science talk and layman's terminology so that you didn't get too bogged down and confused. I liked how Laurel did a lot of self-reflection as she was yanked back and forth between worlds, and realized what she ultimately wanted. However, the development of her relationships with Drew and Ollie felt a touch lacking to me, and the ending was a bit anti-climatic.

One thing I really loved was the epilogue - it was different from the standard romance-novel epilogue, where you see the main characters 5, 10, 15, etc years down the line. I won't spoil anything, but it was a fun, unique twist that tied up my last loose end. Overall, another fun tale from Gagnon.

I was intrigued by the premise and summary of this book but I just could not get into it. I have never read anything by this author and the excessive use of adjectives was a turn off for me. It dod not keep my interest.

If you ever wondered what the movie Sliding Doors would be like if it had a baby with the matrix then boy do I have a book for you. Jilly Gagnon writes an ambitious and fascinating conundrum of a novel that more or less sticks the landing. I will say, I have rarely dislike a main character as much as I disliked Laurel. There is some good character development, and eventually Laurel becomes likable but that is in the last.... 2.5 pages of the book. This was an interesting sort of sci-fi sort of romcom novel. Would make a pretty good beach read.

3.5🌟
Don’t we all think about the what ifs? The road not taken?
Laurel and Ollie have reached that pivotal point in their relationship. Their next step being a potential engagement and marriage. And Laurel is freaking out. Suddenly questioning if this is the future she truly wants.

Then, in some parallel universe…

Laurel wakes the next morning to discover it’s her coworker Drew in bed beside her, not Ollie! (ummm...Awkward!) Is this the life and future she secretly imagined?

Ok Laurel, it’s time to make a choice.

Loved the premise! That fork in the road…and what your life may have looked like. Is it better? Worse? Is the grass really greener on the other side?

Only Laurel can answer that!

Unfortunately, the story gets bogged down in tedious discussions of quantum physics and AI (and I mean a lot!). To the point where my eyes, as well as my brain, blurred over😵‍💫 leaving me no choice but to skim those parts.

Perhaps a bit more romance and thought provoking moments and a lot less mind-bending science?‍💁🏼‍♀️ But that’s just me!
The ending took me a minute to wrap my head around, (and if I truly understood it properly) then well done!😅

Spice meter: 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine

*What If It's You* by Jessica Wilde is a delightful and thought-provoking exploration of love, choices, and the complexities of alternate realities. At the heart of this novel is Laurel Everett, a woman at a crossroads in her life, suddenly faced with the question of "what if?"—what if she had taken a different path, pursued a different love, or made a different choice? The premise of the book is intriguing, leveraging the concept of alternate realities through a quantum tech project that allows Laurel to see how her life might have turned out if she had taken a different route with Drew, a former work crush.

The concept of the AltR project, where quantum computers enable users to glimpse alternate lives, adds a layer of speculative sci-fi to the novel. It’s a clever way to explore the idea of "what might have been," a theme that many of us can relate to. The parallel worlds Laurel experiences are both captivating and unnerving, as she slides between two very different versions of her life with Ollie and Drew, each presenting different ideas of happiness and fulfillment.

What makes *What If It's You* stand out is its emotional depth. Laurel's journey isn’t just about figuring out which man she should choose, but about understanding what makes a life meaningful. It raises profound questions about identity, destiny, and the impact of our decisions, making readers ponder how much control we truly have over our paths. The high stakes—risking getting stuck in the wrong life or even erased entirely—add an extra layer of tension and urgency to the plot.

Wilde does a fantastic job of balancing the sci-fi elements with strong character development. Laurel is relatable and sympathetic, grappling with real human emotions that are amplified by the fantastical situation she’s in. The tension between the two worlds feels incredibly real, and the struggle between passion and stability, what we want versus what we think we need, is expertly portrayed.

The pacing is fast, keeping the reader engaged with plenty of twists and turns. As Laurel navigates the consequences of the quantum glitch and tries to piece together her fractured reality, the novel takes on a deeper, almost existential tone.

In the end, *What If It's You* is more than just a love triangle. It’s a meditation on regret, choice, and the unknowable nature of what could have been. The novel is a wonderful blend of romance, speculative fiction, and philosophical musings, making it a perfect read for those who love a compelling narrative with emotional resonance and a bit of futuristic flair.

If you're a fan of stories that combine heart, science fiction, and the exploration of life's "what ifs," this one is definitely worth picking up.

What if it’s you, quantum physics, multiple universes , the multiverse and personal growth all packed into 254 pages.

I loved this book, truly and fully devoured this book in only a few hours it was that good . I’ve always loved the idea of multiple universes , outcomes and versions of yourself and the idea of what would happened if you end up in one of those universes always fascinated me.

I love the journey Laurel goes through, the love, pain and all the emotions she goes through in this amazingly written book.

I highly recommend this book, if you have the chance pick up a copy and give it a read.

Thank you Netgalley Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the arc

What If It’s You is a genre-bending romp built on a solid premise of being half romance and half sci-fi. Fair warning, I ended up feeling that it was neither genre but more like contemporary fiction with elements of each.

The plot itself is very Black Mirror-esque. Laurel uses a new technology to experience two parallel universe paths of her life split at an inflection point five years ago with vastly different outcomes for her romantic life.

In her original world, her boyfriend of five years is named Ollie and I absolutely adored him. This man was the highlight of the book for me, a cozy cinnamon roll musician. The other love interest is named Drew, who Laurel refers to as her “work husband”. I didn’t mind him as a character but was put off by the blurred lines of intimacy their friendship entailed, it felt like an emotional affair right off the bat.

Laurel’s character would’ve benefitted a lot from having any established relationships outside of her two love interests. She doesn’t have any significant female friends or present family members to give her additional dimensions and depth. She also would’ve benefitted a lot from therapy instead of messing with experimental quantum tech to work through her issues tbh but that’s not the point of the book.

As someone who reads a lot of romance novels, I felt that the romance here was severely lacking. We never get that development of chemistry or spark between any of the love interests, just a lot of hand-wringing about Laurel’s indecisiveness and commitment issues, then the occasionally obligatory spicy scene, which often felt forced into the flow of the narrative.

Conceptually, I like the idea of incorporating an alternate reality element into a romance, but this book gets lost in trying to explain it over and over again, especially towards the climax and resolution. We’re told this is unexplainable technology, and no one has answers about how it works, but we still spend soo much time discussing it in great detail and 90% of the theories don’t end up mattering in the end.

Shoutout to NetGalley and Random House for access to the eARC, thank you!

I loved this sliding doors inspired book. I’m continually impressed at Jilly Gagnon’s ability to write well in so many genres. I also loved how she handled this prickly not always likable heroine.

While I haven't read much in the science fiction. genre, "What If It's You?" by Jilly Gagnon perfectly blends the genres I am an avid reader in, such as romance and adult fiction, to present an enjoyable read about alternate realities and exploring the "what ifs?" in life. The characters were enjoyable and nuanced, the plot was steady, and I enjoyed reading this one quite a bit!

🔉Thank you to Jilly Gagnon, Random House Publishing (Ballantine Books), and NetGalley for this arc of What If It’s You, out May 13, 2025!

📜Quick Summary: Laurel works at Pixel, a giant tech company, where a department is working on a project called AltR. AltR is an alternate reality program where you could possibly answer that one question everyone asks themselves at one point in their life; What if? Laurel is happy with her boyfriend Ollie but when she finds an engagement ring in his drawer, she starts to question if she’s making the right choice. Drew, a coworker who is running the AltR program (and prior crush), once asked her out but she declined because of the budding relationship with Ollie. When this AltR program actually works, and she wakes up five years later dating Drew, she can’t believe her sights. As she shifts back and forth between realities, she will have to figure out where she’s going to settle… before it’s too late.

❣️Initial Feels: I love a science fiction mingle with romance and even a little magical realism… I’m interested to see where this one goes! I love the idea of seeing if that “What if” question alternate reality would be beneficial… or just completely mess with you even more.

👀Trigger Warnings: mother/daughter family drama

🌶️Spice Level: 🌶️

📖Read if you want: romance, alternate reality plot, sci-fi aspects, answering the question of “What If?”, science jargon/quantum physics lessons

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: Laurel shows a lot of growth, especially as she navigates going back and forth between both worlds. I think she learned the most about herself by seeing who she is with and without both Drew and Ollie. She had the chance to find herself along the way, which was a vital part to this book.

🗨️Touching Words: “To not worry about the possibility of something better so constantly, that it opened up an abscess in the right now?”

💡Final Sentiments: I love science fiction and this novel carries a lot of quantum physics knowledge. There’s a lot of jargon that will skim right over your brain, but it won’t take away from the storyline. This was a quick and quirky read, and I would still recommend it as a palate cleanser. The dynamic between Laurel, Ollie, and Drew seemed a little undercooked. I don’t know exactly what I was pining for, but I felt like I didn’t feel the sincerity of their relationships throughout the changing of universes. Maybe because it jumped right into changing universes, and I would have liked to see a deeper relationship between Ollie and Laurel prior to her questioning her life choices. When she found the engagement ring after five years of dating, she completely flipped out. Then started to think of Drew and oh, what would be so different if I said yes to him FIVE YEARS AGO!? I totally understand people have a change of heart, fall out of love, things shift…but I would think an educated woman like Laurel would have thought of these ideas prior to staying in a relationship for five years. If you want a fun, trying to figure out the mystery of how to get back to the “right” time line, this is absolutely for you! The three main characters were the star of the show, and showed how one simple choice could alter everything.

🌟Overall Rating: 3.5 stars

This novel was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

This story felt like others that attempt the same idea..and sort of fell short for me. I felt like there should've been *more* that happened. It was good overall, though!

This book was so much fun! I loved the alternate reality plot. It was so much fun how Laurel was bounced back and forth between the worlds. There was a point I wasn't sure which she was going to stay in. I also loved how much growth Laurel had throughout this book.

I've to say that I've not related to a lead character as much in a while. Maybe I feel I'm a bit wired for dissatisfaction too, but I fully understood her need to know exactly what would happen if she went down a saison path, and the sci-fi setting that enabled her to do it. Worth a read.

This just did not work for me. While I loved the premise and science fiction elements, my absolute hatred for the main character and general malaise about the rest of the characters left me unable to get invested into the story.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of Jilly Gagnon’s What If It’s You for an honest review of the book.

This book answers the “what if” question. What would have happened if I had ended up with the other guy? What would life be like now? Laurel Everett is currently in that situation. Ollie, her boyfriend of 5 years, is about to propose and she is not ready for it. Instead she is wondering “what if” she had gone out with her ‘work husband’ Drew when he asked her out 5 years ago when she and Ollie had just started dating. Drew shows her a new program he has been working on that can take users on a glimpse of alternate realities. She secretly starts to set up a profile but gets scared and doesn’t fully finish up. She goes to sleep next to Ollie that night and wakes up in an alternate reality where she is with Drew and living a totally different life. She starts switching between the two worlds and has no idea how or what causes the switching to happen. She then has to figure out which like she prefers and how to stay in that life.

I really liked the author’s book, Love you, Mean it, but I was not a fan of this one. The concept was great, the growth of Laurel’s character was great, and the relationships between the characters were great, there was so much science jargon and talk about the alternate reality. I found the book confusing, overwhelming, and frankly the science took away from the book for me. I was disappointed to sit down to read what I thought was going to be a romance but found it was actually had so much science jargon in it that it felt more like a science textbook and a romance combined.

#JillyGagnon #WhatIfItsYou #Romance #Fiction #ContemporaryFiction #ScienceFiction #Scientists #Relationships #Work #AlternateUniverse #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishing #February #2025

A Review of “What If It’s You?” by Jilly Gagnon

What if you could get a “Virtual do over”

Laurel Everett is an executive working at Pixel a well-known software and social media company. She lives a modest life with her boyfriend of 5 years, Ollie, and things are going well. But when Laurel discovers a ring in Ollie’s sock drawer she panics. Why would marrying her long-term love be eating at Laurel? Sure, Ollie gets her, and they work well together but she can’t stop thinking about the one who may have gotten away. Drew, her coworker who works in the coding department at Pixel. They both started at the same time and there was an interest in the past, but over the years they have developed a closeness of coworkers. Even so, Laurel can’t help but wonder what could have been between them. Ironically, Drew’s team at Pixel is currently working to develop a top-secret AI program. Tentatively named AltR the program is designed to allow people to experience alternate realities based on different choices taken in their lives. Drew invites Laurel to test drive the beta software because they need more people to work out the kinks and Laurel sees this as a perfect opportunity to satisfy her questions about her and Ollie. Laurel’s attempts to set up a profile and access the system appear to fail, but then she wakes up next to Drew instead of Ollie. It’s her but it’s not. She no longer works at Pixel but is pursuing her dreams as a writer outside of the company. If waking up in an alternative reality where nothing is what you know wasn’t stressful enough, Laurel begins to bounce between the two realities seemingly with no rhyme or reason and it becomes harder and harder to explain her erratic behavior to the inhabitants of both timelines. Desperate to learn how to reset this seeming glitch and install her back into her current reality, Laurel seeks out the help of some influential and familiar people. If Laurel can’t figure out how to get herself back to her reality with Ollie soon, she may cease to exist in either realm altogether.

What if it’s You is the newest book by author Jilly Gagnon. Following Laurel, a successful marketing exec for a technology company Laurel seems to have it all, but when a chance to explore a top-secret AI project in development prompts her to explore a nagging “what if” chaos ensues. Laurel finds herself bouncing between her current reality with her boyfriend Ollie and her “what if” with Drew her coworker. Watching Laurel navigate who she is supposed to be in the two different worlds and trying to keep it all straight was entertaining on its own. With each jump and twist her desperation to land in her own timeline and stay there became more and more apparent. This is the third Jilly Gagnon novel that I have read, and it is enough of a departure from the previous stories that I felt as if I was discovering an author for the first time all over again. Not quite a romance, and not quite a sci fi, What if it’s You? is a genre blending romp that will have you laughing at Laurel’s antics in both worlds as much as it will have you rooting for her to finally find the solution to her reality-hopping adventure.
If you are a fan of quirky romances with an edge of sci fi, What if it’s You is a fun read that will have you wanting to check out the other titles in Jilly Gagnon’s catalogue.

Full disclosure – I was provided an ARC copy of this book by through Netgalley; however, I have voluntarily chosen to write a review. All opinions are my own.

What If It’s You? is scheduled for May 13, 2025 release

I liked this author's previous book, but the main characters in this one were borderline unlikable. The plot of having 2 love interests also bordered on love triangle which is... Not my favorite trope.

I went into this book blind. It’s romance, it’s by Jilly Gagnon, what could go wrong?

It was a delightful surprise when I realized I was reading a story that involves magical realism or should I say sci-fi/quantum physics? After a rather unpleasant 5th anniversary dinner with her beau Ollie, Laurel finds herself in crisis with the a life choice she made. This launches a journey through two parallel lives—her reality and the life she wondered she could have been living.

This book took me out for a spin. I am here for Laurel’s character development and loved how Gagnon made the character realize her faults and imperfections—not that she needed to be perfect but she def needed to work on herself to be a better person and partner to his man. I got a little confused at times with all the science and logic and had to slow down my reading but that didn’t take away from being able to enjoy the story. You can tell the author put a lot of thought in building the story and making it understandable for normal people.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book!

What If It’s You was my first book by Jilly Gagnon, and I really enjoyed the storyline! The premise immediately intrigued me—exploring love, fate, and the choices that shape our relationships. The characters felt authentic, and I was invested in their journey, eager to see how things would unfold. Gagnon’s writing style is engaging, making it easy to get swept up in the emotions and dilemmas the characters face.

Overall, it was a compelling and heartfelt read that kept me turning the pages. I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author in the future!