This one, just like part of the title, was so cute! The themes were well done, the romance was fun, and the overall story was beautiful.

In Time Loops & Meet Cutes, we follow Noelle, a woman in her early thirties living in Toronto, who has pretty much sworn off love ever since her boyfriend of five years broke up with her. One night, after working long hours, she visits a night market and orders dumplings from an old woman who tells her they’ll give her what she needs most. Without thinking much of it, she devours them, and of course, they’re amazing. But when she wakes up the next morning, her phone still says it’s June 20th. Wait… what?! June 20th was yesterday.
Now stuck in a time loop, Noelle is desperate to break free. But how? The mysterious dumpling shop has disappeared, another woman, Avery, seems to be experiencing the same thing, and a stranger named Cam keeps appearing in different places, almost like he knows Noelle but forgets her every day. Heartbreaking.

Determined to figure out what’s happening and find a way out, Noelle’s journey is so entertaining that the pages flew by. We learn a lot about her, but also about Cam, who has his own POV. Noelle was easy to connect with, her life felt real, her struggles were relatable, and I was rooting for her the whole way through. She was funny, down-to-earth, and her introspection was so well done that it even made me reflect on some of the questions she asked herself. And all her interactions with Cam? Adorable. I giggled so many times #bookboyfriend.

Beyond the time loop, which was such a fun and unique concept, the story also revolves around friendship, identity, happiness, taking risks, and learning to appreciate both love and life’s little moments. While the repetitive nature of the loop could’ve felt tedious, I was actually impressed by how much we learned from each cycle. Growth takes time, and so does figuring out what we truly want. From Noelle and Avery’s evolving friendship to Noelle and Cam’s relationship, the book captures how mistakes, lessons, and small changes shape us. It was engaging, fun, and well-written. I highly recommend it.

That said, a couple of things didn’t fully land for me. The logic behind the time loop felt a little too simple or underdeveloped, I wanted to know more about it (give me more page of this beautiful story ahh!!!) but I still loved the idea and how the author executed it. My main gripe was with a conflict that didn’t add much to the story in part two. I won’t go in too much details but it felt like adding a new twists that wasn’t really part of the original storyline, and even if it makes Noelle reflect on herself I think she actually learn a lot during these numerous time loops, so in my opinion and totally by preference, I didn’t feel the need to add it. Overall, this was such a fun, heartwarming read, and I really enjoyed it.

This was my first book from this author, and certainly not the last.

What a fantastic novel by Jackie Lau. I’ve never read a time loop book before, but since I’m a huge fan of Jackie Lau’s previous novels, I had to give this one a try. I'm glad I did as this is my favourite Jackie Lau novel to date! After eating some scrumptious (and magical) dumplings at a night market, Noelle finds herself stuck on June 20th, a day that repeats over and over again. Fortunately, she's not stuck alone in the loop. She soon meets Avery, who's also experiencing her own time loop, and the two women form a strong bond, trying to find ways to break the loop. One of the ways Noelle tries is to create meet-cutes with Cam, the cute guy she saw by the dumpling stand, hoping a kiss from him would break the loop — but no luck.

I absolutely adored how Noelle’s character grew throughout the story and the close friendship she developed with Avery. The romance with Cam was so sweet (and steamy!) — their chemistry was incredible. I also loved the dual POV with Noelle and Cam. The ending was just magical and perfect. Definitely a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

What an absolutely charming time loop romance!
After eating some delicious (and magical) dumplings, Noelle finds herself reliving the same day over and over again. Noelle tries to create meet-cutes with Cam, the guy she saw near the dumpling stand, hoping a kiss from him would break the cycle (to no avail). Luckily she’s not alone in the loop — she shortly meets Avery who also seems to be living a real life Groundhog Day, and their friendship soon blossoms.

Time Loops & Meet Cutes has great characters, good friendships, and lots of meet cutes. I really enjoyed that the setting was in Toronto as well!
Definitely recommend this light hearted rom com for people who like magical realism, good chemistry and finding the magic within yourself!

This was such an interesting premise! I liked the unique twist on a “Groundhog Day” of repeating the same day over and over. Noelle and Cam had great chemistry and I enjoyed all of her “meet cute” attempts. Avery was also a great character and I was so happy with how things turned out for her. A fun read with a magical realism flair!

Noelle ate some dumplings at the night market and the seller promised that they will give her what she needs. But she ends up reliving the same Friday until she meets Cam in mulitple places....

Love the groundhog day vibes. Noelle and Cam are interesting characters that are likable as well. Really enjoy the fun and humour.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.