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A review by anabel_unker
What If It's You? by Jilly Gagnon
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
When Laurel Everett finds an engagement ring hidden in the back of her long-term boyfriend's underwear drawer she feels... panicked. Which is, decidedly, not how you're supposed to feel when getting ready to start the next chapter with a person you want to spend the rest of your life with.
Right?
So what if they're wrong for each other?
Unexpectedly, Laurel is given the chance to explore that particular what if; specifically the moment she chose Ollie over her coworker, Drew. As part of her tech company's latest development into quantum physics, a quantum computer can run a specific 'this or that' scenario-- tapping into another timeline to see how life would have played out. However, what Laurel doesn't expect is to be stuck between two realities: the world where she loves Ollie, and the one where she loves Drew. Randomly switching between the two worlds, Laurel gets increasingly desperate to just stay put; but the question is, which timeline does she choose?
This book earned a whole star just for creativity. The question 'what if' has haunted many of us, and a story based on the chance to see the alternative scenario played out was intriguing. However, as many people have already mentioned, the book gets bogged down with the technical physics and theoretical spiels-- especially since I didn't pick this book up to read sci-fi, I picked it up as a romance.
The main character, Laurel, was also a whole other issue. I just didn't like her. She was whiny, obtuse, and selfish; and in both timelines she managed to bog down her partner's life without ever reflecting on her own actions. And even at the end, when she had her realization that maybe< she was the problem, there wasn't a deep enough character shift-- she literally threw scraps of affection to her chosen partner who lapped it up and claimed everything was back on track. Laurel needed to end up alone, she needed to choose herself.
When Laurel Everett finds an engagement ring hidden in the back of her long-term boyfriend's underwear drawer she feels... panicked. Which is, decidedly, not how you're supposed to feel when getting ready to start the next chapter with a person you want to spend the rest of your life with.
Right?
So what if they're wrong for each other?
Unexpectedly, Laurel is given the chance to explore that particular what if; specifically the moment she chose Ollie over her coworker, Drew. As part of her tech company's latest development into quantum physics, a quantum computer can run a specific 'this or that' scenario-- tapping into another timeline to see how life would have played out. However, what Laurel doesn't expect is to be stuck between two realities: the world where she loves Ollie, and the one where she loves Drew. Randomly switching between the two worlds, Laurel gets increasingly desperate to just stay put; but the question is, which timeline does she choose?
This book earned a whole star just for creativity. The question 'what if' has haunted many of us, and a story based on the chance to see the alternative scenario played out was intriguing. However, as many people have already mentioned, the book gets bogged down with the technical physics and theoretical spiels-- especially since I didn't pick this book up to read sci-fi, I picked it up as a romance.
The main character, Laurel, was also a whole other issue. I just didn't like her. She was whiny, obtuse, and selfish; and in both timelines she managed to bog down her partner's life without ever reflecting on her own actions. And even at the end, when she had her realization that maybe< she was the problem, there wasn't a deep enough character shift-- she literally threw scraps of affection to her chosen partner who lapped it up and claimed everything was back on track. Laurel needed to end up alone, she needed to choose herself.