This was a very cute Freaky Friday x Groundhog Day retelling of time loops and how to venture out of your comfort zone.

I loved the friendship that Noelle & Avery built. I also love that Noelle didn't just focus on her love life but mended her relationship with her sister, made more of an effort with her college friend, and worked on her professional life.

Cam is a dreamy guy. Easygoing and trusting. It's refreshing to read a guy like that without *too* much baggage.

This was the perfect light read, and I'm excited to read more by the author.

P.S: Be warned, you WILL be hungry and have a million cravings reading this book. The food depictions are fantastic 👌.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Emily Bestler Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I love a good take on alternate realities and time travel and as indicated by the title, Time Loops & Meet Cutes focused on exactly that along with a romance and self growth. Unique to other books I’ve read that incorporate this concept, Noelle, who is stuck in the time loop, meets someone else who is also stuck in the loop, and I enjoyed seeing her friendship grow as much as her romance.

Noelle get stuck repeating the same day in the summer after heading home (late, again) from work and stopping at a night market for some dumplings. She has no clue how to get time back on track but is willing to try almost everything, from traveling to a different time zone to getting a kiss a la sleeping beauty. This was fun, with some heavier moments that were understandable to come from repeating the same day for basically 7 months, and there were some really unique elements from the previously mentioned other person stuck in the time loop, check ins with love interest Cam as he seemed to be continuing his own life in little snatches offered to the reader in alternate while Noelle’s was on pause, and of course the idea of a dumpling doing all of that. That said, the time loop went on far too long and some of the story could have benefitted from some ‘prior to’ understanding Noelle’s background and some skipping over (repeat) days, because after a while I too felt I was stuck in a loop and was getting close to ejecting by skipping chapters.

I love a unique take on an idea I love reading about, and this was a cute take. With some fast tracking of ‘the middle’ this could be a standout for those who also enjoy this sci fi/fantasy twist to their romances.

Pretty cute! This felt like a fresh take on the time loop trope and was really sweet. I loved all the attention on the food Noelle and others ate! And that our protagonist Noelle was stuck in the loop with another woman, Avery, who becomes her best friend.

I did think Cam's inner monologues were a bit cheesy and the way he phrased his greetings to Noelle were odd but I still thought he was a nice match for Noelle.

Recommended for anyone looking for a charming romance with a magical plot.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Noelle keeps herself busy with work and she’s refuses to enter relationships because of her past heartbreak. One night she gets some dumplings for dinner, these happen to be the best dumplings she’s ever had. The next morning she’s in for a shock when the world believes it to be June 20th, the day she just lived through. Turns out she’s in a time loop and keeps reliving the same day over and over again. But now she has a chance to live her life so the things she never has time for. She also keeps meets Cam a man she keeps running into each day. She finds herself being drawn to him the only problem is that each day she has to reintroduce herself to him. She also meets Avery who’s trapped in the time loop with her. At least they have each other and can help each other experience new things and figure out how to get out of the time loop. Can they do it? Will can heal her heart? A fast read that kept me hooked! Fun and cute that reminds us all not to take things too seriously and do things for ourselves!

I read this courtesy NetGalley. In this charming, quirky story, Jackie Lau’s latest, we have a time conundrum along the lines of Groundhog Day—with a twist, and what a twist it is! With that distinctive Jackie Lau style of introducing family and friends of all kinds, we have Noelle eating what she believes are magic dumplings that have her reliving one day over and over. Is it because she has to learn something? Reconnect with her sister? Learn to live a little? It doesn’t help that the little old lady she bought the dumplings from is nowhere to be seen when she goes back to see her. Then she meets a man, and she thinks he may be the key to get her out of the loop, and she gets to know him, over and over again. Until… Heartwarming, and magical in itself, Time Loops & Meet Cutes is a wonderful read.
#TimeLoopsandMeetCutes #NetGalley

Loved Time Loops & Meet Cutes, the characters and definitely the little plot twist.
I'm a fan of Groundhog Day and this was reminiscent of that but with its own depth and breadth in the rom-com aspects.
Would 100% want to see Avery get her own story!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC.

THIS BOOK.

#1 I’ve never craved dumplings more in my life.
#2 I was so obsessed that I read it in less than 24 hours. IT WAS THAT GOOD.
#3 Noelle is so relatable, her journey was amazing, her friendship with Avery gives me all the warm feelings and CAM?! Unreal.

This is for people who read Things Not Seen as teens and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue as adults. I can’t express how much I genuinely loved and enjoyed this book, it gave me so much life. Highly, highly recommend for a good romance read.

Noelle Tom really shouldn’t have eaten those dumplings at the night market. But the old woman at the stall said they’d give her what she needed most, and what Noelle desperately needed after another long workweek was food.

This is a really cute book. I would recommend it.

This book was INCREDIBLE. I loved every moment of this book! I really enjoyed the cultural aspects and the main characters were just PERFECT. Highly recommend this!

This was such a cute story!

After a long and frustrating day of work, Noelle understandably doesn’t want to cook dinner so she goes to a night market and finds the best dumplings she’s ever eaten in her life. However, she wakes up to it being the same day, June 20th. She keeps repeating the same day and finds that there’s another woman, Avery, stuck in the same loop. Together they try to navigate their ways through the repeating day and scheme up ways to try to get out of the loop. Noelle also keeps coming across this one cute guy named Cam, and maybe he’s the one who can help break the loop?

I loved the fact that despite it being a loop, each day was a little different and we were experiencing sometimes different each chapter. The story was cute and I loved it!

I received an eARC from Atria Marketing via email/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Time Loops & Meet Cute by Jackie Lau was super fun, creative, and insanely enjoyable! This book was so different upon any other book I have ever read, but like the book teaches different things can bring so much good! This story follows a woman named Noelle, an East Asian woman in her 30’s! She is a hard worker, who allows herself no free time, little enjoyment in life, and sworn off all relationships after her heart was broken by her college boyfriend. After working late at her job, Noelle decides to go to the night market, where she was greeted with a little old woman, a small booth with a little paper sign selling dumplings. Even though there was nothing about her booth to attract a bunch of customers, they were the best dumplings she had ever had! The old lady told her that the dumplings would give her what she needed the most, and that it did. When Noelle wake up the next morning,, and months worth of mornings after, she has realized she was stuck in a time loop! June 20th repeating over, and over, and over again. While taking risks like cutting her hair, not going to work, and spending crazy amounts of money knowing it would all be returned by the next day, there was one thing that was a pattern in all of her days! Cam, a nice looking Asian man who runs a brewery, was someone Noelle found herself running into quite frequently in her days stuck in the loop, different times at that. Like it was fate perhaps? Noelle then starts to think that kissing someone would get her out of the loop, so she takes a brave risk and goes on a date with Cam. Though the kiss didn’t work, she really enjoyed Cam’s company and would go on multiple different dates with him, Though it then became frustrating because he wouldn’t remember Noelle except very faint things about her. She also has found a friend within this loop who is stuck too! Avery definitely made Noelle feel less alone, and they battle to do so many things together to get out of the loop, but nothing really works. Can they ever escape the time loop?
I truly felt Noelle and Avery’s pain with how crazy long they were stuck in the loop for, and at first I thought there was no way to make it all make sense in a short period of time, but Jackie Lau definitely proved me wrong and delivered! This book really does fly, and while I wish it was a little longer, I have no complaints! I love Noelle and her growth to being more free, and Cam? Oh my goodness I love him!’ I really love this book as it teaches us to take risks, don’t take things for granted, friendship, and so much more1 Reading this book was truly a magical experience and I can’t wait to read more of Jackie’s work! Thank you so much to Atria Marketing for sending me this book, Thank you to NetGalley, and Thank you Jackie Lau for giving me an early access read to such a remarkable book! I definitely will be waiting by the bookstore on May 6th, and you should too! :)

DNF at 65%

While I loved the beginning, and the way that Lau made each day interesting, and I was equally interested in the dynamic between the two women, the romance just fell flat. I think that was largely due to the male character being outside the loop, so their relationship remained superficial and didn't really develop in a way that engaged me, and I began skimming until I ran out of interest. So I won't review on Goodreads as I didn't finish; time loop stories are tough to bring off in book form, and in all other ways I enjoyed Lau's writing. As well as the friendship between the women.

this was a cute book! It was a light cozy read, not too much or nothing that was over the top cheesy. I liked this book and how the characters cared about each other. I was a fan of this book!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster and Jackie for this copy of Time Loops & Meet Cutes. This was SO cute and wholesome. Exactly the palette cleanser I needed.
I can relate to the awkwardness of the FMC, and of course I’d love to have my own sweet and thoughtful man like Cam. I definitely recommend this read for anyone who likes sweet comfy reads.

I absolutely love this book. I predict it will be a huge hit and would make an incredible Netflix series!

Noelle stops for a bite to eat after work and her life changes. She’s suddenly reliving the same day over and over. Think “Groundhog Day” but with a female protagonist meeting the same cute guy every day.

Stories with time loops run the risk of being boring or repetitive. Author Jackie Lau did not fall into that trap. This book was fun, engaging, and a quick read. I loved both Noelle and her love interest, Cam. I was also fully invested on how we were getting out of this time loop!

All the stars. Highly recommend. Instant bestseller!

Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

This was a phenomenal book. I could not get enough of this story. It was clever and imaginative, and the story is well-written and engaging. The time loop in the story is almost like a metaphor, as Noelle begins the story in a stagnant loop of her creation. She is so risk-averse she has created a life where she never steps over any line. The time loop in the story helps her step out of herself and find the Noelle she was meant to be. Not to mention Cam is adorable as the man she continues to meet over and over again. This is a story of self-discovery, for Noelle and Cam. I had such a good time reading this book, that I know it is one I will visit again and again. This is the first book from this author for me, but it will not be the last. Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

First off, this book had me craving dumplings and bubble tea like crazy! The descriptions of the food market were so vivid that I could practically taste them. I always enjoy a good time loop story, and I loved how this one was set up—it kept things fresh and engaging. Noelle’s friendship with Avery was another highlight for me; watching it develop added an extra layer of warmth to the story. Overall, Time Loops and Meet Cutes was a fun and enjoyable read, perfect for anyone looking for a charming romance with a unique twist.

this was a fun read. i had a good time with noelle and cam (and avery), and overall enjoyed the time loop shenanigans.

it may just be me, but there were some parts and explanations that almost felt too easy or accepted too quickly. but that also may be the whole point of it, and i’m just not well acquainted with the time loop trope.

but it was cute and fun and i’m always a big supporter of asian diaspora representation 💖

An enjoyable time loop romance which I admit is one of the tropes I enjoy in both books and tv/movies. It was a little different than many other iterations of the time loop idea but was an interesting concept and I quickly got over any minimal confusion and decided to go with it and let the story unfold. Definitely worth picking up if you are a fan of time loops.

I was SO SAD that this was only a three star read because I absolutely adore time loops. I'm a known hater of romance tropes, but when it comes to magical realism, I cannot stress how much I love a time loop. And perhaps that made my expectations too high for this novel.

Noelle knew on the very first loop that she was stuck in a time loop? Part of the humor and joy of a time loop is the slow recognition of the loop, the slow build of taking unnecessary risks. It just...didn't happen? The only things that really repeated were her pajama shorts and her Wordle, when a time loop is supposed to establish deep patterns. It was tragic that this didn't happen.

I loved having a friend repeating with her, the character of Avery was one of my favorite things about this story. It was super cute how they memorized each other's phone numbers. Honestly that was better than the romance itself.

The time jump was also great, but it took a looooong time to get there without all of the typical time loop fun. Such is life. It was still a lovely romance with a great side character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.