From the publisher:
To break out of a 24-hour time loop, all Jack needs is for Gemma to fall in love with him in a single day. All Gemma needs is to remember him first . . .
Gemma Peters is doing fine. She’s making a name for herself in the L.A. music biz as a radio producer. She’s got a ride-or-die best friend in Lila, and she gets to come home to Rex, her loving Labrador, every night. But ever since her rock star ex-boyfriend used her to get a record deal from her rock legend dad, she’s made a “no musicians” rule when it comes to dating that’s becoming more like a “no dating” rule, period.
So, when Gemma crashes (literally) into Jack one Thursday morning, at first she feels like fate might finally be doing her a favor. After all this guy is cute and, wait, is she imagining it, or is he staring a little too deeply into her eyes? And how does he know her name? Even harder to explain is the funny feeling of déjà vu she gets every time she looks at him. It’s not at all like Gemma to kiss a man and forget him completely, so then how can she explain the dreamlike memory of his lips on hers?
The truth is this is no ordinary Thursday. Not for them. In fact, they’ve lived this day over and over for months. And while Gemma has been totally oblivious to the time loop, Jack has been agonizingly aware of every single iteration. Luckily, Jack has a theory to bring his own personal Groundhog Day to an end. And it’s simple. Before the day is over, he just has to get Gemma to fall in love with him.
“James combines humor and heart in this sparkling story of love and friendship that is sure to enchant fans of Emily Henry and Rebecca Serle. Likable characters and a charming, funny premise elevate James’ latest above the crowded pack of contemporary rom-coms.”—Booklist
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“James does a laudable job emphasizing Jack’s desperation and adoration, the sparks that fly between him and Gemma, and the way they make each other’s lives better….Readable and sweet.”—Kirkus Reviews
“With this cleverly constructed romance, James puts a fresh spin on the concept of a time loop…. This is a cute romp.”—Publishers Weekly
“Readers will love getting stuck in James’s uniquely sweet and heartfelt love story.”—Library Journal
This terrific rom-com is based on a time loop à la Groundhog Day, probably the most recognizable iteration of the concept and one of my favorite movies, so I should have been all in on this book. Except there was another book with this construct, Cassandra in Reverse, which came out in June. I was very excited to read it – it was a Reese Whitherspoon Book Club pick, and I almost always love those books. But I got about a third of the way through and had to put it down – I found it confusing, unwieldy, and tough to read. Maybe I’ll go back to it sometime, but for now, I can only say that this book was the time loop romance I wanted; I loved it.
Gemma is the progeny of Hollywood music royalty, but when her wannabe rockstar boyfriend meets her father and gets the record deal he was after, he dumps Gemma. Brokenhearted at being so used, she can’t bring herself to start dating again even though a year has passed. Until she bumps into Jack causing them both to be covered in coffee. But there’s something about him, some déjà vu-ish thing or maybe she’s just reading too much into a hot guy who seems really interested in her.
What Gemma doesn’t know is that Jack has been reliving the same day over and over again, and so has she. Jack is convinced he won’t be able to break out of the pattern until he gets her to fall in love with him – in one day. While Gemma is disbelieving, as one would be, eventually, he starts to wear her down, and she starts remembering a bit more each day.
I don’t want to give anything else away here, so suffice it to say this is a kinder, gentler version of Groundhog Day but the requisite happy ending. It is laugh-out-loud funny and sweet and all in all, a terrific read and I loved it.
8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE DÉJÀ GLITCH by Holly James. Dutton (August 1, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593471586. 352p.
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