it was an ok book, not what i was expecting to be honest but i still enjoyed it. it did take me a minute to get into it tho and i felt like it was going nowhere at first. the fmc just didn't know what she wanted as she strung ollie around. i did not like ollie in the beginning but i started to like him as the story went on. there was a lot of quantum physics talk and i got lost lol.

pre-review

this book looks like my cup of tea

thank you netgalley and random house publishing group for this arc!

I've learned that SciFi in books isnt my jam. That being said, What If It’s You is a fun, if flawed, exploration of alternate realities and the power of choice. The premise of a woman given the chance to relive her life with a different partner is intriguing, and the potential for high-stakes drama is certainly there.

However, the execution is a bit uneven. The time-travel mechanics, while creative, can be confusing at times, and the narrative occasionally suffers from pacing issues. The characters, while likable enough, lack the depth to truly resonate.

While the book offers some enjoyable moments and thought-provoking questions about love, life, and the nature of reality, it ultimately falls short of its full potential.

This was an okay read. I love the idea of playing around with the idea of what if? What if I did this? What if I dated this guy? But as our main character doesn't really know what she wants. She didn't really have any strong female friends and then on top of that, I just could not get behind either of the love interests. I mainly struggled a bit reading this because I had read The Good Part by Sophie Cousens which has a similar plot/idea to it but I think was slightly done better. This was still a good read but not sure I would go out of my way to read it again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars rounded down. This was a fascinating and entertaining read right in my wheelhouse. I was raised on Star Trek time travel and "Sliding Doors" and now I read nearly 60% romance books, whereas formerly I read 60% fantasy. Also, I work in corporate marketing (formerly tech), my now-husband is a casual musician, and I have absolutely made Pro/Con lists to rule out What If? scenarios of my own.

Safe to say, I identified a bit too strongly with this book haha.

That being said, I thought the plot was nicely updated from any "Sliding Doors" comparisons. I think Laurel's concerns about financial security, repeating parental relationship patterns, and striving for creative fulfillment were valid and relatable.

I think the reality of life with Ollie and a possibility with Drew were both presented really well and I was genuinely guessing who would be the right fit. And while this is still a romance, we get a lot of self-improvement and science-y mechanics thrown in to distract from the romance.

There is cursing and a few explicit spicy scenes (no cheating, very clear on that). I wasn't a huge fan of Gagnon's bedroom descriptions, just a bit too anatomically specific for my tastes. But taste is very subjective and I do read a lot of romantasy. *shrug*

I left off half a star because there were some holes. What exactly happened with Laurel's mother and father? Why didn't we see any of Ollie & Laurel's friends? Was Laurel on any kind of birth control?

I won’t lie, this was a slow start book for me. But once I was into it, I was INTO IT. It was one of those books where you feel like you are the main character going through everything they are. I had to look at my husband more than once to remind myself I was not in fact sliding between two worlds, but planted firmly in this one!
The premise of this book is so original and the characters are relatable and easy to sympathize with. Do not give up after the first few chapters! I promise you will want to read the rest!

**Review of *What If It’s You?* by Jilly Gagnon**

*What If It’s You?* by Jilly Gagnon is a captivating exploration of love, choices, and the complex nature of happiness. Laurel Everett’s journey begins with a seemingly simple discovery—a ring in her boyfriend Ollie's sock drawer—but it quickly spirals into a fascinating adventure through alternate realities thanks to her job at Pixel and the groundbreaking AltR project.

Gagnon masterfully weaves together themes of regret and self-discovery as Laurel navigates her feelings for both Ollie and her work crush, Drew. The dual realities are expertly crafted, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the emotional stakes of each life. Laurel's struggles and triumphs resonate deeply, making her an incredibly relatable protagonist.

The pacing is spot-on, with just the right amount of suspense and humor to keep readers engaged. Gagnon’s writing is both witty and thought-provoking, prompting us to consider the choices we make and their far-reaching consequences. The unique premise adds an exciting twist to the romance genre, and the emotional depth elevates it beyond a typical love story.

Overall, *What If It’s You?* is a brilliant blend of romance, science fiction, and introspection. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a compelling narrative that challenges the notions of love and happiness while keeping you on the edge of your seat. This book is a must-read for fans of imaginative storytelling!

Book Review: What If It’s You

What If It’s You is a wonderfully written novel that captivates you from start to finish. The storytelling is smooth and engaging, making it easy to follow the journey of the characters. However, some of the scientific jargon woven into the narrative can be a bit challenging at times, which might make it hard to grasp certain aspects if you’re not well-versed in that field. Despite this, the story’s core remains accessible and compelling.

The dynamic between the couple at the heart of the story is both fun and deeply intriguing. Their interactions feel genuine, and the relationship’s ups and downs add an emotional depth that really draws you in. You may find yourself resonating with their choices, conflicts, and quirks, seeing glimpses of your own experiences within the story. The novel captures the messiness of relationships while keeping a hopeful tone, making it a relatable and heartwarming read.

Overall, What If It’s You is a beautifully crafted story that combines romance with a touch of science, allowing readers to get lost in a world that feels both familiar and unique.

This is simply put- an extremely well written book. The characters felt well rounded, everything flowed well, and I felt invested in the story.
Laurel as a main character has her flaws, but doesn’t make any stupid decisions. I loved the dynamic of switching between worlds, and I know other reviews thought there was too much about the logistics- I disagree. I think that the quantum elements of the story were explained in a very comprehensive way, not too much at one time, easy to understand, and complemented the story.

ARC provided by Netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this story, this is my objective review. Laurel is a high-powered marketing exec for a tech company, and her long-term boyfriend Ollie is a struggling musician and music teacher; Laurel and Ollie are five years into a loving cohabitation. Laurel's work bestie is Drew, a handsome software engineer. Laurel and Drew's company is currently developing "Alt-R" (Alternate Reality), a way of imagining multiple universes based on changes in personal choices. As a favor to Drew, Laurel begins a profile on Alt-R as a way to help the AI learn, and asks the question: "What would have happened if I agreed to a date with Drew five years ago?" After that point, things get really *weird* for Laurel. It's an interesting premise with enough tech jargon/science sprinkled in to make it feel plausible. The story draws you in as Laurel tries to understand just what's going on and what she truly wants her life to look like. There is also some tension as Laurel tries to safely fix what went wrong and navigate her way back to the life she really wants. Definitely suspend disbelief, which if you've read the description then you probably already know to do that going in. This is an intriguing story, a bit beyond what you'd expect from a romance story. It was definitely more twisty and angst-y than I was expecting and felt a little unwieldy at times. Laurel's constant waffling was a bit much at times for me. The technical complexity of the quantum computing sets it apart from other "what if I made a different choice in love" type stories. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but there are definite moments of sweetness as Laurel figures out what's best not only for her, but for Ollie and Drew as well. And the addition of the Epilogue was perfection. This is definitely the book for you if you're looking for a deeper and more complex love story, and you'll want to slow down to enjoy it (but you'll also need to slow down to understand the events of the book as they unfold). 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

A cute and quick romance that is science fiction-ish.!

We meet Laurel (Lo) who is a rising marketing star at a tech company. Lo has a long time boyfriend she lives with named Ollie. Lo discovers that Ollie is thinking about proposing and it sends her spiraling. We also meet Drew, Lo's work husband and a genius computer programmer. Drew and Laurel have always been good friends, but there was a moment 5 year ago where they could've been more. Drew is working on a virtual reality program that shows you what your life could've been had you chosen differently when you approached a fork in the road. And so begins Laurel's journey, alternating between World Ollie and World Drew!

Never read a romance book with this type of sci-fi twistiness. I didn't mind it too much and told myself to go with it. I couldn't wait to get to the end to see how Lo's choices played out. I do wish there had been some additional expansion on her relationship with her parents as this is what was the pre-cursor to so many of her insecurities and anxiety. Low level spice, but lots of heart fluttery type moments.

I really enjoyed this book because it prompts you to think about yourself and what you need to grow and how to be the best partner. It's about give and take and understanding and seeing each other's depth.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Balantine for this ARC! Set to release in May of 2025.

Alternate Reality Romance - sign me up! I was very excited to receive an ARC of What If It's You? by Jilly Gagnon. Honestly, the physics aspect, which set up the premise, was confusing to me, and my initial attempt to understand took me out of the book. However, I decided just to "go with it" and found the book very enjoyable. The last third of the book was particularly good. Up to that point I was going to give the book a solid 3 stars, but changed to 4 stars. I look forward to reading more by Jilly Gagnon.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher and the author for the opportunity to give an unbiased review of What If It's You?

This book gave me an existential crisis and I hope that if we ever figure out how to move back and forth between universes I am not around to witness it

Laurel is so me in that she is terrified of the unknown, even if it should feel safe. Would I enter a parallel universe about it? Probably not. But the opportunity was presented to her and for that we cannot judge (she didn’t know what was going to happen and I think she has been sufficiently traumatized).

Ollie is so kind and supportive, but Laurel’s subconscious defenses have raised a cautiousness in him that has their relationship more precarious than either of them realize. Drew, comparatively, is “safe” because there is nothing really there - he is a friend and expects nothing of her. Laurel, of course, doesn’t realize this - she only recognizes her terror and wants “proof” before she makes a leap.

Unfortunately for Laurel, the quantum computer has decided that she specifically gets to go on a wild ride that will wreak absolute havoc on her psyche and also possibly her existence.

I’m gonna be honest with y’all - I was hesitant about this one because ??? It feels like cheating to be in a monogamous relationship with two people at once even if they are in parallel universes and you are not dating both of them in the same universe. But Laurel also feels that way and is deliberate in her interactions with Drew in both worlds as a result. And it becomes clear to her early on that no matter what, Ollie is her home - she just has to hope her determination is enough to fix *gestures broadly at everything*

Laurel spirals when she finds an engagement ring in her long-time (and very sweet) boyfriend's sock drawer. She starts to wonder if the life she built with Ollie is really the one she wants, or if she missed out on something with her "work husband," Drew, several years ago. Luckily, the tech company she works at is creating an interesting program where you can see the choices you make in an alternate universe....or something like that. Honestly, the physics (quantum physics?) of it all were a little bit confusing, but I just accepted it and moved on and I don't think it hindered my enjoyment of the story.

She realizes pretty quickly what life she wants, and the majority of the book from that point is her figuring out how to keep that life.

I really enjoyed the story, and all of Laurel's introspection. Laurel's internal voice was the thing I liked most about the book. The writing was incredible, and it really shone with her.

It was sometimes hard to believe Laurel and Ollie as a couple. I didn't really feel any chemistry with them, and it seemed like the majority of their relationship was just a bunch of inside jokes.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: May 13, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

Well done! I love everything by Jilly and when I saw there was a new book coming out and I was given the opportunity to read it I was so excited. This book asks the question ‘what if’. What if you could have taken a different route, a different path, done things differently, what if—how would things be different in the present had you. We follow Laurel as she uses her employments AI program to see how different choices can have different outcomes and choices have to be made. We touch on lots of different emotions through this book, we see trauma but also we get the quantum vibes as well. I just loved the entire concept of this! If you love a good ‘what if’ read, love triangle, dashes of romance woven through the entire book then this will be for you.

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell

This was not quite what I was expecting, in a good way. Very thought provoking, lots of unexpected plot twists. All in all, a very fun read. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

I really enjoyed this romance that explored the possibility of alternate worlds. This book's premise is the what if scenario of making a different choice than the one you originally made. Laurel is afraid to commit to her longtime boyfriend, Ollie. She works at a tech company and the opportunity comes up where she can explore what life would have been like if she had said yes to a coworker instead. The problem comes when she actually gets stuck in the other life.

This type of premise is always fascinating to me and I thought this author did a great job explaining what it would be like. Laurel was an interesting character and I enjoyed reading about her choices. There were some steamy romance scenes in the book as well. I also liked the pacing of the book. I never got bored with it or lost interest. This was a solid read with a tech aspect to it that made it more interesting than just a regular romance.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for this ARC.

Such a rich, luscious, beautifully written story. I was enthralled and couldn't put this book down!! Kicking my feet, biting my nails, giggling.

I am not exaggerating when I say that this is one of my favorite books I have read this year.
Tech company VP Laurel has been with her current artsy, adventurous, free-spirited boyfriend for the past five years and she is happy - mostly. When she finds an engagement ring hidden in his sock drawer she can't help but wonder what her life might be like if she had said yes to the date her coworker asked her on five years ago. Coincidentally, she is introduced to a secret project that her company is working on that will explore alternate realities. When programming goes awry, Laurel becomes trapped in a back and forth between two realities; the one she is in with her current boyfriend, and another where she had said yes to the one that got away.
What ensues is an engaging and emotional story about love, and how we come to trust our partners and ourselves. Jilly Gagnon manages to expertly balance the scientific background of the ongoing plot with the simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming emotional introspection that Laurel experiences in both universes. Her characters feel realistic enough that they could be a phone call away.
I laughed, I cried, and I binge-read the entire book in four hours. I am also a little in love with Ollie now, too.
What If It's You? is a resounding five star book for me that I look forward to rereading again!

This is such a fun concept for a romance novel. I loved the what if factor of this book and the back and forth,

Laurel is a new VP at her tech job, Oliver, her boyfriend of five years is going to propose. Laurel isn't sure that she is ready for forever. What if she has the same doubts and fears that made her mother leave? When her work husband tells her about a super secret project the highly secret Lightening department is developing, it might just be the answer to all her what ifs. Laurel leaves her anniversary dinner and sneaks to her office to try out the new AltR project. This is where things take a turn. Laurel is slipping between her two realities, which one is the right one and how can she stay there?

This was such a fun novel. Trying to see which reality is the correct one and if she can make sure she ends up in the right one. I loved that it was a romance but not at the same time. I LOVED the ending. It was such a fun book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really wanted to love this one! I enjoyed the premise and the unique spin on the love triangle trope, but the science of it left me slightly confused. I felt like the STEM aspect was a little too in the weeds for someone that was awful at physics. I did enjoy the writing as a whole outside of the science!