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!

A science fiction romance that has the main character wondering the age old question of "what if?" Laurel works for a company that is creating a top secret alternate reality program. After finding an engagement ring in her boyfriend's drawer she starts to question her relationship. While testing out the program with her work crush she winds up in two worlds - one where she is with her boyfriend and one where she is with her work husband. Which world is the one she wants and how does she stay in that world?

This was a great twist on the typical love triangle.

Laurel is in love with her boyfriend of five years, Ollie, but she’s afraid of commitment and freaks out when she realizes he’s going to propose. She wonders what would have happened if, five years earlier, she had said yes when her good friend and co-worker, Drew, had asked her out.

What follows isn’t just a question of “what if?” but an exploration of who Laurel is and who she wants to be. It’s worth noting that both Ollie and Drew seem like genuinely great guys, but the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. As Laurel’s reality begins to disintegrate, she must be honest with Ollie, Drew, and most importantly, herself, about what she wants.

The sci-fi aspect of this was well-handled and genuinely interesting. I enjoyed all three of the main characters in this book. And I adored the epilogue.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for providing this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

My fav genres combined: Women’s fiction and romance.

Have you ever thought if you had taken that job offer? If you had decided on a gap year instead of University? If you gave that guy a chance? Like all of us, Laurel, our FMC is also plagued by those thoughts, especially when she finds an engagement ring from her bf, Oliver, in the sock drawer.

Is she going to say yes? She doesn’t think she’s ready yet. What if she had taken Drew’s —her ex work crush — offer on a date in the beginning of her relationship? Thanks to her new project at work, AltR,an alternate reality simulator powered by a quantum computer, maybe she could find the answers to the past. She puts her inflection point, 5 years ago, IF she had gone on that date with Drew, what would happen? The simulation didn’t work. A glitch. I guess that’s her answer. It’s not meant to be..

To her surprise, it did work, the quantum computer keeps calculating, giving out possibilities. Simulation becomes reality. She wakes up to Drew, not Ollie. As she is slipping between two worlds, Laurel needs to decide where she wants to be. Who she wants to be with. And, can she love the wrong man forever if she chooses wrong?

Alternate realities romance is always interesting. It gives humor to my thoughts of what ifs. It has the perfect amount of romance and fiction although i wouldnt complain for more scenes with you know who. I’m not going to spoil what reality she picks. I also love we see more physics related alternate reality romance. Usually, it’s coded in magical realism, where it’s not really explained or it’s a black hole or it’s magic. But, Gagnon dives into quantum computers and its relation to quantum physics, which i appreciate.


It comes out on May 13 2025!!!


Thank you NetGalley and Dell Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own

fun sci-fi romance with some awesome themes and some very awesome discussion of the actual way it works. both world's MLs are cool as is the FL. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I loved Jilly Gagnon's previous book and was so excited to start this one. However, this book didn’t quite hold my interest and left me feeling a bit bored, The story seemed to drag on with over the top scientific explanations that left me bored.

Laurel is panicking after finding a ring in her boyfriend's dresser. She loves Ollie but forever scares her. Her good friend and tech genius Drew asked her out just after she started dating Ollie five years ago. When Laura starts wondering if she should have dated Drew, she decides to secretly try out an alternate reality program that Drew is developing. Now she is zinging between two different realities - one with Ollie and one with Drew. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I really enjoyed this original take on 'What if?'. It took me a few chapters to get into as the set-up for the relationships and the alt-reality, but I'm glad that I continued on with the book. It is really interesting to see the changes in Laurel's life as well as the changes in all three main characters. Both Ollie and Drew are really great guys, but only one of them is the right one for Laurel.

3.5⭐️

LIKED:
- The whole premise. I am such a sucker for the trope of “seeing how your life would have played out if you had made a decision differently” and I just love the *possibilities*. I have some thoughts on the execution I’ll put in the following section, but as for ideas, I did really enjoy thai one. And the addition of the quantum computer was some silly sci-fi I liked tbh.
- I liked Laurel. I liked being in her head, following her through her decisions. I related to her a lot. I think it would have been nice to learn a thing or two more about her (what she likes, another friend, etc.) but this book had a lot it was trying to accomplish, so I get it. I just think we learn she maybe wanted to be a romance writer and then it’s a thread that isn’t really followed through with which was a bummer.
- Surprisingly, I do think that the pacing of this book works pretty well. It’s tough with a kind of dual timeline, but it never felt unbalanced in one direction or the other. It also always felt like it was barreling towards a goal, which made sense.
- The epilogue is a top tier epilogue. It was the most emotional part of the book for me and the POV change from 1st to 3rd was brilliant. It made my heart warm.
- This title really works. I don’t think it’s the most creative title on the planet but it works really well.

LAMENTED:
- Now for the execution: I think this book sold more than it could deliver. Again, the idea, the premise - so good. But…I don’t care for these men. I know that’s not the point of the book, this is Laurel’s book. But this book kind of straddles the genre line of Romance and Women’s Fiction but not super gracefully. It feels like it doesn’t fully commit to either and leaves me wanting for both. I still enjoyed it quite a bit, but I was really left wanting more.
- RE: Not caring for these men - that is what really keeps it from succeeding as a romance. Without spoiling anything, the appeal of one of these men is supposed to be greater and more evident or impactful to inform many of Laurel’s decisions and he is just…not? I didn’t really believe that they were/are meant for each other by the end that much. I can get behind it, but it wasn’t really hitting for me. And the other one just made me angry. And the two versions of him just did not match, which, again, part of the point, but it felt like there needed to be a bit more tethering between the two.
- I get why she had the communications with the MIT professor, but I don’t think she added that much to the story and could have been edited or removed entirely. Also, minor thing but…would knowing that this woman’s childhood crush was The Rock really be all that much of a key to getting to talk to her? Give me a real deep cut first celebrity crush.
- The cover is just…wrong?? Laurel is supposed to have a bob with one of these men. Change her hair! And also, if I read correctly in the descriptions of the men, in my personal opinion, the men should be flipped.

LONGED FOR:
- More reason to be invested in the men or the romance in general. Especially one of them.
- A cover that matches the character descriptions in the book.
- More understanding of what Laurel wanted out of her life. Both big and small.

Will I read the next one? : Maybe. Jilly Gagnon is a seasoned writer so I’ll be keeping an eye out.

This book has a very interesting, "butterfly effect" premise. I didn't initially care for Lauren who starts fantasizing about what life could've been with her friend from work, but as the book progresses and she matures, she grew on me. It was also a very satisfactory ending and that made up for some of the faults throughout the rest of the novel.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the ARC of What If It’s You? I’m giving this one 3.5 stars. I could really appreciate the ending and Laurel’s understanding that she needed a change, but as someone who isn’t knowledgeable about the multiverse and/or AI I was often confused by what was going on and some of the jargon! Overall a cute romance that my tech-loving friends would surely enjoy!

This book though might have worked great as a sci-fi fiction, it did not work well for me as a romance because of so much mind-bending science. I could not connect to the FMC and therefore this book did not turn out to be a good read for me.

I received an ARC on NetGalley and this is my review.

Y’all, this book had me spiraling in the best way! Imagine you find an engagement ring hidden in your boyfriend’s sock drawer—cue the happy tears, right? Well, not for Laurel. Instead of planning a Pinterest-worthy wedding, she starts thinking about Drew, the guy she almost dated before settling into her long-term relationship with Ollie. Enter AltR, a high-tech program that lets you peek into alternate realities. And it actually works! Now, Laurel is living two versions of her life - one with Ollie, the other with Drew. And let me tell you, the back-and-forth between realities is juicy but also had me stressing because how do you even choose when both lives feel so real?

What I Loved:
- A fresh, techy spin on the classic “What If?” romance trope.
- So much emotional tension - I was invested.
- Laurel’s journey felt real - the messy, complicated, and heart-wrenching kind of real.
- The perfect mix of romance, drama, and sci-fi vibes without being too heavy on the tech.

The dual timelines were a lot to juggle at times, but honestly? It added to the intensity. If you’re not into the whole "love triangle but make it sci-fi" concept, this might not be your jam. If you love stories that make you think while also delivering top-tier romantic tension, add this one to your TBR ASAP. Perfect for fans of The Midnight Library but with a more romantic twist!

Marketing VP Laurel has been with Ollie for five years, but the idea of becoming his wife terrifies her. When Drew, her coder friend at her tech company, offers her a chance to test out a new technology run on quantum computing, Laurel finds herself asking AltR what her life would have been like if she'd ended up with Drew instead. Suddenly, she's slipping between parallel worlds where she'd decided differently, and desperately trying to find out how to land in one for good, now that she finally knows who she wants. She just has to find out who she is to do it.

This story gripped me, in a way that I continued to think about after putting it down. It's a romance, but also a story about pursuing your dreams, and being a good partner. How to do that is the big thing that Laurel needs to learn, and it feels authentic and messy as she figures it out. A really gripping plot you won't want to put down.

This book has charm and romance throughout.

Laurel has been living in Boston with Ollie for four years; together for five. It’s their anniversary. Will he ask her to marry him? What if he does? She has her eye on someone else. This is a dreamy romance with a spark of science fiction.

It has a very strong start with the concept of quantum physics. It’s fascinating to think of parallel universes -- explained well to those of us that find it somewhat confusing. It shows how certain decisions can make a lasting impact upon a relationship. It was entertaining and quick but too easy to guess the outcome. Nevertheless, it would make a relaxing beach read.

My thanks to Dell and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this advanced book with an expected release date of May 13, 2025.

"What If It's You?" is a great twisty read that makes you consider how you would react if sliding between alternate versions of yourself. I wasn't sure which guy to root for! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5 stars but I'll round it to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My review: Things always seem greener on the other side. Laurel lives this over and over as she gets caught between two realities thanks to an alternate reality physics program at her tech company. While popping back and forth between her "real"'life with Ollie, and her "what if" life with colleague Drew, she can't seem to decide what she needs/wants. When she is in one world she wants the other and when she gets there she's unhappy.
The premise of the book was fascinating. "What if" life took a different turn? Laurel comes to realize that you can't just pop in to another reality, other choices before the "pop in" affected everyone and everything around that world. The book was interesting and definitely makes you think. But I had little sympathy for Laurel. She was kind of annoying and seemed to be hinging her happiness on one man or the other most of the time. Drew was also a a disappointment in the alternate world, he was kind of a jerk, quite the let down. Things come together at end as Laurel realizes what the reader already figured out, so overall it was an enjoyable read. Quantum physics and alternate worlds are confusing though. There's no getting around that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

Thank you to Penguin for my ARC for What If It’s You, my first quantum computing love story.

Laurel discovers an engagement ring in her boyfriend’s underwear drawer and starts to question their relationship and wonder “What If” about Drew, her coworker and friend who once asked her out. Utilizing Drew’s AltR (alternate reality- love the name) project, she attempts to see what her life would be like if she would have said yes to Drew. AltR is in early development and things go sideways, leading to a quantum entanglement that swings her unexpectedly between timelines.

I’m so impressed with how the ending ties everything together. The story explores themes of choice, identity, and the paths not taken in a meaningful yet lighthearted way. I think everyone can appreciate the curiosity of “What If”.

All in all it’s a great book. I highly recommend.