This wasn't really the book for me. But if you like smart romance with what ifs? It's most definitely the book for you!

If you’re in the mood for a story that’s both thought-provoking and entertaining, What If It’s You? by Jilly Gagnon is sure to capture your interest. Blending sci-fi and romance, this book had me curious to see how such an unusual combination would play out. I was thoroughly impressed with how the author brought this intriguing premise to life in such a skillful and creative way.

Laurel Everett has been living with her boyfriend, Ollie, for a few years when she stumbles across an engagement ring hidden in his drawer. Instead of feeling excited, she’s struck by doubt, questioning the decisions that have brought her to this moment. At work, her best friend and co-worker, Drew, comes to mind. Years ago, Drew had asked her out on a date, but she turned him down because she had just started seeing Ollie. Now, with the ring staring her in the face, she can’t help but wonder: did she make the right choice?

Meanwhile, Drew has been working on cutting-edge virtual reality technology called AltR. This immersive system allows users to explore "what if" scenarios and experience the consequences of different life choices in a simulated environment. Drew invites Laurel to test the program, asking her to input a random question. Without thinking too much about it, she asks, What if I’d said yes to that date with Drew?

The next morning, Laurel wakes up in bed with Drew, living in a parallel version of her life where she chose him instead of Ollie. From there, she alternates between her two realities—one with Ollie, one with Drew—getting glimpses of how her life unfolds in each timeline. However, as Drew explains in both realities, AltR’s system is malfunctioning. The simulation’s power output is spiking when it shouldn’t be, forcing them to consider shutting it down. Laurel realizes she may get stuck in one life permanently—and she must decide which version of her life she truly wants to live.

I loved the “what if” premise and how brilliantly it was executed. The plot had just the right mix of drama and intrigue to keep me flipping pages, eager to see what would happen next. At its core, this is a story of self-discovery, and the blend of sci-fi and romance made it all the more engaging and complex. The dual timelines added depth to the characters and their relationships, making each version of Laurel’s life feel vibrant and real.

Despite the sci-fi elements, the story was easy to follow and remained grounded in its emotional stakes. The unique premise, thoughtful exploration of choices, and fun, relatable characters make this a must-read. For those who enjoy stories that leave you thinking long after the final page, What If It’s You? is sure to deliver.

This review will be posted on or after 4/29/2025:

OMG I could not get enough of this book! I think I read it in 2 days, and probably would have read it in 1 but you know, I need sleep :) This is the classic romance trope about "the one that got away" but with a modern AI and STEM twist.

Five years into a relationship with Ollie, Laurel stumbles upon a not so cleverly hidden engagement ring (in the sock drawer). Instead of immediately starting to plan her wedding, she has a minor freak out and starts wondering what would have happened if she had agreed to go out on a date 5 years ago with her hot genius co-worker, Drew. Thanks to Laurel's position at the tech giant Pixel, and genius Drew's project using a Quantum computer and AltR project, she gets the chance to find out. Only instead of getting a glimpse into her alternate life, she seems to be sliding between them at random, and fears she will not get back to the right life.

Although quantum theory and alternate realities are the main theme throughout this book, it was not overwhelming to understand, (and this is coming from a person who knows nothing about either)

I cannot wait for this book to be released and the hype it is certainly going to get.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review this ARC*

Such a great story. Really liked the premise and found it very interesting. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

good romance about finding the one. There was alot of science and going between the worlds. I noticed that the author mentioned world d and world o. It made me wonder if she went to other worlds and that wasn't in the the book. I found that she had picked the person that she had sex with . she didn't even try living in the romance with drew. I found that she didn't really try. She also didn't have friends but reached out to a science person at mit.

This is a story about Laurel who finds an engagement ring in her boyfriend’s dresser and starts worrying about “forever” and the what ifs in her life. She is career focused, albeit not in love with her job, and works at a tech company where her friend Drew is developing an alternate universe machine. After she uses the machine she begins to slip between alternate universes.

I enjoyed the premise for the book and being on the techie side actually liked the whole quantum physics and alternate universe angle. The love triangle was a little hard to buy though. Ollie was clearly the better guy and it was almost frustrating that it took her sliding between universes to figure out. Then again don’t we all tend to take things we have for granted from time to time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. Book to be published May 13, 2025

This book was far more than I expected. I assumed it would sorta be a predictable read but I had no idea how it would turn out. Between the science of it all being quirky and all the feelings I was completely absorbed in this book. The mystery kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. I like books that explore what if moments and this book did that with ease and grace with a sci fi twist. I would recommend everyone check this read out if you want an interesting and heartfelt read. 4.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

I adored this novel that explores the dangers of imagining too many possibilities for one’s life. Laurel, the protagonist, doesn’t feel ready to commit to marriage to her boyfriend of five years, Ollie, and allows herself to wonder “what if” she had said yes to a coworker who asked her out early in that relationship. This confusion coincides with Laurel’s learning that Drew, her “work husband,” is working on a quantum mechanics project that explores whether alternate universes exist.

Now, Laurel is being swept back and forth between two worlds—her “real” world and one where much is the same, but she’s in a serious relationship with Drew instead. She’s surprised to see which aspects of her personality and Drew’s have changed in this new alternate reality, and now she’s questioning different parts of her relationship with Ollie than before.

While some readers might be a bit turned off by the amount of quantum mechanics included in the novel, I didn’t find it to slow down the pacing at all. The novel reminds me of The Good Part by Sophie Cousens, due to its exploration of alternate reality, though that book doesn’t get into the potential science nearly as much. It’s also quite similar to Angela Brown’s Some Other Time, which comes out in 2025.

What the author does beautifully is draw out nuances in the protagonist’s life to show her true growth. There’s romance that’s sexy as well as emotional, and I couldn’t wait to see how Laurel would find her way to the “right” world in the end. (I received an ARC from NetGalley.)

Laurel kind of annoyed me. She wanted everything to be perfect and wasn’t satisfied with either of her life choices until she was absolutely forced to make a decision.

What If It's You? features quantum computing, a (sort of) love triangle, and a heroine trying to figure out what her priorities actually are.

I am endlessly intrigued by multiverse stories and so I was very excited to read this one, especially because I quite enjoyed Gagnon's previous romance novel. For the most part, this really delivered, and I loved how the main character, Laurel, was able to find clarity through some unfortunate quantum entanglement. Ultimately, the biggest issue I had was the misguided attempt to try to classify this as a romance instead of just speculative fiction. Much more of the story is focused on Laurel's journey, and I think it would have been more satisfying to center that instead of spending so much time on the love triangle.

Overall, this is still well done and handles all of the complicated physics well. As a reader you both understand why Laurel is slipping between universes and also how she is able to find resolution. I also really liked the professor character that she seeks out for help in both worlds.

I loved this book! I first requested it on NetGalley because of the general synopsis as I am a software engineer who is fascinated by the concept of a multiverse and the constant existential crisis question of “what if I had chosen ___ instead of ___ and where would I be today if I had chosen differently?”

I loved following along the MC and exploring her fictional world. I would assume it would be quite challenging to confidently and clearly walk a reader through a multiverse, buy Jilly Gagnon did a phenomenal job. It was so simple to follow along and I truly felt immersed in a new world when picking up this book. I loved facing the mysteries and challenges of the MC’s plot and the ending had me teary-eyed. It was truly beautiful and the most perfect ending. I really had no idea how it all was going to end, but the author did an incredible job with the landing, And choosing to add that lovely epilogue was perfection.

I posted a mini review to my Bookstagram stories (@mapuamade) as well, but I am telling all my friends and followers about this lovely read! Thank you again for allowing me to read the ARC of this one. Can’t wait to snag a physical copy when it releases in May!

What If It’s You? by Jilly Gagnon is a cute romance novel about parallel universes (or realities).

When Laurel’s friend and work “husband”, Drew, shows her the new quantum computers and the AltR project, which can model alternate realities, Lauren ends up split between two worlds.


Suddenly, Lauren has to find her way back to her life with her longtime boyfriend, Ollie, or stay in this new life with Drew.

While this was a quick read and overall enjoyable, I found the main character incredibly frustrating. She makes a lot of choices that make her situation worse, and she comes across as extremely self-centered until near the end of the novel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 out of 5)

What If It's You is a little bit romance, some time travel and computer quantum physics all thrown together. I did not know this book was going to deal with time travel and it's not a genre that I usually read. At times the book was somewhat silly even. I just thought the main character was a little too self centered and not very likeable. It was an easy read but this book would not be my first choice to read.

Some parts of this book were enjoyable and the plot could make for a good movie, but unfortunately it’s another where the female lead seems like a so-so catch who is juggling an barely-imperfect lover with an equally far-fetched-ly amazing guy. I guess some girls have all the luck!
It took an alt reality simulation for the lead to (spoiler alert) decide she did indeed want to marry her hot, ultra supportive bf even though he “left towels on the floor” and was seemingly unambitious (turns out he missed out on an opportunity to be a famous rockstar by dating her and supporting her ambition!).
As another reviewer mentioned, quantum physics are a little too hard to understand, and frankly, not necessary to the sort of crowd that will be reading a romcom. You can get away with loose notions and get the benefit of suspended disbelief for the plot, without a bunch of science lessons that seem to go in circles.
Not my cup of tea!

What If It's You is a genre-bending sci-fi romance where Laurel finds a ring in her boyfriend's sock drawer and wonders what if she had chosen to give her nerdy coworker Drew a shot 5 years ago instead of her musician boyfriend Ollie. When a new alternate reality program at her work gliches, it sends her slipping between two realities, one where she is 5 years into a relationship with her work-crush and the other her "actual" reality with her boyfriend.

This was like if Blake Crouch wrote a romance. Just enough science to feel exciting and whole lot of spicy, sexy, swoonworthy romance. I genuinely was left guessing how the plot would shake out. At first I thought Laurel was an unlikeable main character, but as she learns from her mistakes and grows, I was fully rooting for her in the end. The last chapter had me almost in tears. It was a beautiful ending to a fun ride. There are three open-door scenes (ch. 9, 16 and 20) if you are trying to avoid.

I'd give it a hearty 4.5 stars, even though half-stars aren't available on every platform. Highly recommend.

-What if?/second chance romance
-Parallel universes
-Quantum physics

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell Romance for this advanced reader copy. #netgalley #whatifitsyou

DNF: 57%

I know, I made it more than halfway through before stopping. Why didn't I just finish it?

It was at this point, and not a moment sooner, that Laurel thought she should talk to Ollie more seriously about her reservations regarding marriage and kids. We make it to<b>57%</b> before she considers that option.

Like I found with <i>Love You, Mean It</i>, the synopsis is interesting but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

Laurel is not a very likable character. I don't need every character to be likable, but I do need to care about them. Laurel is privileged and self-centered and boring. Since this is told exclusively from Laurel's PoV, it's a lot of waffly monologues mixed with too much description. If she would just talk to Ollie and get a lot of therapy, we wouldn't need this story.

The pacing is better here but it doesn't make up for all the other areas where it's lacking. I liked the science-y bits and didn't think they were too hard to follow. They were the single bright spot in all this.

It could be good with work. There are some great themes to explore. The pacing is solid. The AltR premise is very interesting. But as it stands now, I don't care to see how this story ends.

<i>Many thanks to NetGalley, Dell, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Time travel romance, ugh… not for me.

But! If you like either of those things, go for it! This author is fun, there were some laugh-out-loud moments, and it was much more unpredictable than I expected.

As a marketing tech professional though, I could not look past how quickly these people would’ve been fired for breaking their NDAs multiple times (in multiple timelines!).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy.

Review of Advance Reader’s Copy

When Laurel Everett discovers a ring box in her live-in boyfriend’s dresser drawer, she has a bit of a panic attack. Not quite certain that marrying Oliver Hughes is the right road to travel, she idly wonders about her relationship with her office “bestie,” Drew Bevins.

Laurel gets her chance to explore when the quantum computer at Pixel [the company where she works] immerses her in an alternate reality that might provide an answer for her.

But what does Laurel really want?

=========

This mix of a romantic tale with science-fiction alternate universes weaves a captivating tale that is unique and yet recognizable. The Alternate-Reality aspect in the telling of this tale allows readers to join Laurel as she contemplates life with Ollie and, at the same time, wonders about the possibility of a life with Drew. But the unfolding narrative is more about Laurel discovering her heart’s desire than it is about the moving between alternate universes.

The dual timeline in two different universes may be a bit jarring for readers who do not generally read science fiction, but it works well here as readers are privy to Laurel’s thoughts and interactions as she realizes a relationship with Ollie in one timeline and with Drew in another. The possibility of exploring different choices is definitely tantalizing.

Readers who enjoy romance . . . especially with a touch of science fiction . . . will find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine / Dell and NetGalley
#WhatIfItsYou #NetGalley

Loved this so much ❤️

Laurel has serious commitment issues. She has been dating Oliver for 5 years (and is currently living with him), finds an engagement ring, and freaks out. She is fine with the idea of 'some day', but the concrete idea makes her spiral into 'what if' and 'maybe there is someone better', when two seconds earlier she was happy. Commitment issues.

She is vp of a company that is working on a that is working on a top secret project dealing with alternative universes. Laurel gets the chance to test it out and ends up sliding between two worlds, with no way to control it. She now gets the chance to see if the grass really is greener on the other side.

Although there are references to quantum physics, as it is dealing with the multiple world theory, there is nothing readers can't follow as long as they have a basic understanding of alternative universes. Knowing what Schrodinger's cat would help. They do explain it in the book, so you don't need to know it beforehand, but it will help to get the jokes and references right away.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free kindle book! My opinions are my own and are freely given!

The multiverse. Love. Regret. What if’s.

What If It’s You is unlike any other book I have read. It follows Laurel, our main female character, as well as her love interests across the multiverse.

After finding (and freaking out about) a ring in her boyfriend' drawer, Laurel uses the AltR project to see what may have happened if she’d chosen differently in the past, if maybe she hadn’t chosen this man, this path. In doing so, she creates a tangle between her reality and an alternative reality where she had chosen differently. When those lives overlap, she slips between them and realizes that love and choices and everything in between… it’s what makes life worth living.

Ok, so this book? Quantum physics, supercomputers, geniuses, alternative realities, multiple universes overlapping and scrunching… I loved this book. It has smarts, it has humor. It has a low spice, but great romance. It’s a book that challenges the mind, the preconceived notions of what is and what should be. What if it’s You made me question who I was, what I wanted, and whether the choices I’d made were right. But it also showed me that those choices and decisions are what make me ME!

I thouroughly enjoyed this book. This author was new to me, and I’ve enjoyed it so much I’m looking into her other works. Bravo.