2 Book Lovers Reviews

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This was an absolutely delightful read! It may have been my first time reading a book by Jackie Lau, but it wasn’t my first time reading a book in this trope. Getting stuck in a time loop and having to relive the same day over and over again has become a popular trope, but it’s up to the author to make it new, fresh, and give the reader something that makes it stand out from the rest of the novels. Jackie Lau did exactly that.

After staying late at the office again on Friday, June 20th, Noelle is famished and decided to grab a bite out. Stopping by the late-night market on her way home seemed like the ideal choice. Filled with different vendors selling different cuisine, she soon found herself at what looked like a make-shift food stand that sold dumplings for a reasonable price. The old woman behind the stand told Noelle that the dumplings would give her what she needed, so a full stomach was what she had assumed. She assumed wrong.

Nothing would be more frustrating than being stuck reliving the same day over and over again, even if it had been a stellar day, but for Noelle it was just like any other day. I always like to put myself in the character’s shoes and wonder how I would feel if faced with the same predicament, and I can honestly say that Noelle reacted much better than I would have. For someone who lived a structured, routine life that was steady and predictable, Noelle was naturally freaked out by her circumstances, however, she was a practical, pragmatic woman, and she was devising ways to try to escape this continuous time loop.

When she realized that everything reset when she woke up at 6:45 a.m. on Friday, June 20th with no repercussions for her actions, she began to live a little. She spent more money on frivolous things than she normally would, she called in sick to work, and she even flirted with the good-looking guy who she would run into in different locations. No matter what she did, though, everything just started over again and again, including reintroducing herself to Cam because he never remembered her name. She found herself taking chances, risks, living outside of her normal comfort zone, but there was nothing normal about this time loop.

I loved these characters. There was so much more to this story than just the romance. I felt like I really got to know Noelle, and all I really wanted for her was to finally wake up to a different day and find happiness. I wanted to know what had happened to her on the fateful dumpling night. I wanted to find out how she was going to finally break out of the loop, and what her life would become. So many questions! Of course, I did enjoy the romance between Noelle and Cam, too. How could I not.

Time Loops & Meet Cutes was an enjoyable read from beginning to end. As I mentioned, this was my first time reading a book by Jackie Lau, but it certainly won’t be my last!

*4.5 Stars