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Out of the Loop
She spent two years in a time loop. Now she’s ready to solve a murder. And maybe grab a bagel.
The Seven-Year Slip meets Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers in this wholly original time loop mystery.
For the past two years, Amie Teller has been stuck in a time loop. Each day, she wakes up and it’s September 17th. Same day, same weather, same people, same conversations. Until, one day, it’s September 18th, and Amie is free.
Before she can celebrate, Amie learns her neighbor was murdered the day before—the day Amie has lived hundreds of times. Amie knows she has to help; nobody knows yesterday like she does. But acclimating to her new non-repeating life proves to be more difficult than expected. How does one resume their life after a time loop, anyway?
Assisted by an ex-girlfriend who wants to make their friendship work, and a grumpy neighbor who spends his days building Rube Goldberg machines, Amie sets out to track down who killed (and killed and killed and killed) Savannah Harlow.
Readers who love time loop novels, amateur sleuth mysteries, and original takes on classic tropes will love Out of the Loop.
The Seven-Year Slip meets Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers in this wholly original time loop mystery.
For the past two years, Amie Teller has been stuck in a time loop. Each day, she wakes up and it’s September 17th. Same day, same weather, same people, same conversations. Until, one day, it’s September 18th, and Amie is free.
Before she can celebrate, Amie learns her neighbor was murdered the day before—the day Amie has lived hundreds of times. Amie knows she has to help; nobody knows yesterday like she does. But acclimating to her new non-repeating life proves to be more difficult than expected. How does one resume their life after a time loop, anyway?
Assisted by an ex-girlfriend who wants to make their friendship work, and a grumpy neighbor who spends his days building Rube Goldberg machines, Amie sets out to track down who killed (and killed and killed and killed) Savannah Harlow.
Readers who love time loop novels, amateur sleuth mysteries, and original takes on classic tropes will love Out of the Loop.
326 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 2026
About the author
Katie Siegel
3 books255 followersKatie Siegel (she/they) is a former wannabe kid detective who eventually realized that writing mysteries was more fun than trying (and failing) to solve them. When she's not writing books, she’s either reading, listening to comedy podcasts, or playing TTRPGs with her friends. Online she’s at katiefliesaway.com, and offline she's in central New Jersey, which is real and exists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
February 16, 2026
A quick, easy read that brought together the feel of Only Murders in the Building with a Groundhog Day-esque storyline, Out of the Loop was everything I love in a cozy mystery. You see, between the amateur sleuthing and the sapphic love story, it was as original as it was fun and witty. I do have to say, though, that it was the time loop aspect combined with a murder mystery that made me pick this one up to begin with. Looking more at the aftermath of Amie’s repeating nightmare, I was delighted to find plenty of quirky elements such as out-of-order chapter numbers that endeared me to this tale. Not only did I love the lighthearted plot, though, but it was easy to fall for the memorable characters as well. David, in particular, was an utter home run and I looked forward to every scene that he was in. Gosh, I’d even like to know him for real.
The only thing that kept this book from being an absolute grand slam was the lack of an explanation behind what caused the time loop to begin with. Considering how much of a focus it was, the omission definitely left a big, glaring hole in the story. That being said, the sweet relationships—complete with giggle-worthy humor and a second-chance romance—combined with the cozy vibes meant my eyes stayed glued to the pages from beginning to end. Ultimately, though, it was how compelling the whole concept was that made this book into a one-sitting read. Unique, satisfying, and twisty, this time-travel novel has made me a fan of Ms. Siegel in no time at all. So if you like romcom-mystery mashups with a touch of humor, grab this book now. It was a clever premise that almost completely delivered by the end. Rating of 4 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
For the past two years, Amie Teller has been stuck in a time loop. Each day, she wakes up, and it’s September 17. Same day, same weather, same people, same conversations. Until one day, it’s September 18, and Amie is free.
Before she can celebrate, Amie learns her neighbor was murdered the day before—the day Amie has lived hundreds of times. Amie knows she has to help; nobody knows yesterday like she does. But acclimating to her new nonrepeating life proves to be more difficult than expected. How does one resume their life after a time loop, anyway?
Assisted by an ex-girlfriend who wants to make their friendship work and a grumpy neighbor who spends his days building Rube Goldberg machines, Amie sets out to track down who killed (and killed and killed and killed) Savannah Harlow.
Thank you Katie Siegel and Crooked Lane Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: February 10, 2025
Content warning: death, infidelity, panic attacks, murder, blood
The only thing that kept this book from being an absolute grand slam was the lack of an explanation behind what caused the time loop to begin with. Considering how much of a focus it was, the omission definitely left a big, glaring hole in the story. That being said, the sweet relationships—complete with giggle-worthy humor and a second-chance romance—combined with the cozy vibes meant my eyes stayed glued to the pages from beginning to end. Ultimately, though, it was how compelling the whole concept was that made this book into a one-sitting read. Unique, satisfying, and twisty, this time-travel novel has made me a fan of Ms. Siegel in no time at all. So if you like romcom-mystery mashups with a touch of humor, grab this book now. It was a clever premise that almost completely delivered by the end. Rating of 4 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
For the past two years, Amie Teller has been stuck in a time loop. Each day, she wakes up, and it’s September 17. Same day, same weather, same people, same conversations. Until one day, it’s September 18, and Amie is free.
Before she can celebrate, Amie learns her neighbor was murdered the day before—the day Amie has lived hundreds of times. Amie knows she has to help; nobody knows yesterday like she does. But acclimating to her new nonrepeating life proves to be more difficult than expected. How does one resume their life after a time loop, anyway?
Assisted by an ex-girlfriend who wants to make their friendship work and a grumpy neighbor who spends his days building Rube Goldberg machines, Amie sets out to track down who killed (and killed and killed and killed) Savannah Harlow.
Thank you Katie Siegel and Crooked Lane Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: February 10, 2025
Content warning: death, infidelity, panic attacks, murder, blood
June 10, 2026
Unique. Clever. Entertaining. Quirky.
Out of the Loop is a remarkably original time loop mystery, with a romantic sub-plot. The chapter numbers are not sequential, although it works very well with the story and the nature of a time-loop story (please read it yourself to find out exactly what I am referring to!). I also really like the inclusion of the chapter titles.
I enjoyed listening to this story as an audiobook, which is narrated very well by Krysta Gonzales. I was immersed in the mystery. I enjoyed the variety of characters depicted in this story and I found myself eager to find what would happen next. This was a fun and enjoyable listen, from beginning to end.
Out of the Loop is a remarkably original time loop mystery, with a romantic sub-plot. The chapter numbers are not sequential, although it works very well with the story and the nature of a time-loop story (please read it yourself to find out exactly what I am referring to!). I also really like the inclusion of the chapter titles.
I enjoyed listening to this story as an audiobook, which is narrated very well by Krysta Gonzales. I was immersed in the mystery. I enjoyed the variety of characters depicted in this story and I found myself eager to find what would happen next. This was a fun and enjoyable listen, from beginning to end.
June 5, 2026
a light time loop mystery wrapped in a sapphic romance.
our MC, recently emerged from a groundhog day style time loop, finds her neighbor was murdered on this day she repeated 700+ times. unfortunately she was so stuck in her wallowing routine that she never noticed (oops!).
so she teams up with her recent ex and another neighbor to try to solve the murder. in theory, i love the layers here - former lovers investigating together, trying to be friends while navigating their shifting feelings for one another.
BUT it doesn't quite work. there's weirdly little angst despite the breakup situation, which makes it all feel hollow. we see the their cute banter and tentative attraction for one another, but we never see the depth of their relationship. we don't know how long they were together, whether they lived together, or anything about their old dynamic. we don't even find out why they broke up until more than halfway into the book. without understanding their relationship and their history, it's hard to root for them or feel invested in their second chance romance.
typically i enjoy cozy mysteries and time loop stories, but aside from the romance element, this one is fairly rote and uninteresting.
plus, the pace is glacial. and we never understand the time loop or its purpose, so it feels like a gimmick.
one thing i enjoyed here is the way the story invites the reader to wonder - if you were in a time loop, what would you spend all this free time doing? would you explore and try new things, or would you stay stuck in your comfort zone?
i would recommend steering clear of the audiobook. the high-pitched narrator makes every female character sound like a squeaky quinn morgendorffer, which is unfortunate. i think her voice makes the book feel more light and vapid than it might be in print format.
our MC, recently emerged from a groundhog day style time loop, finds her neighbor was murdered on this day she repeated 700+ times. unfortunately she was so stuck in her wallowing routine that she never noticed (oops!).
so she teams up with her recent ex and another neighbor to try to solve the murder. in theory, i love the layers here - former lovers investigating together, trying to be friends while navigating their shifting feelings for one another.
BUT it doesn't quite work. there's weirdly little angst despite the breakup situation, which makes it all feel hollow. we see the their cute banter and tentative attraction for one another, but we never see the depth of their relationship. we don't know how long they were together, whether they lived together, or anything about their old dynamic. we don't even find out why they broke up until more than halfway into the book. without understanding their relationship and their history, it's hard to root for them or feel invested in their second chance romance.
typically i enjoy cozy mysteries and time loop stories, but aside from the romance element, this one is fairly rote and uninteresting.
plus, the pace is glacial. and we never understand the time loop or its purpose, so it feels like a gimmick.
one thing i enjoyed here is the way the story invites the reader to wonder - if you were in a time loop, what would you spend all this free time doing? would you explore and try new things, or would you stay stuck in your comfort zone?
i would recommend steering clear of the audiobook. the high-pitched narrator makes every female character sound like a squeaky quinn morgendorffer, which is unfortunate. i think her voice makes the book feel more light and vapid than it might be in print format.
February 25, 2026
Amie was in the loop for about 2 years, when she gets out, she finds out someone was murdered every night that she stayed in the loop.
She tries to solve her murder to redeem herself. She gets help from a neighbor and old ex girlfriend.
The loop is irrelevant to the story, the murder is solved accidentally, we don’t understand why she gets into the loop, we don’t understand why she gets out of the loop, we don’t understand why the loop resets at 2:22 AM.
It is a very nonsensical story, with no beginning or end or meaning or anything. I don’t understand why GoodReads suggested it for February bookmark, maybe they get paid?
She tries to solve her murder to redeem herself. She gets help from a neighbor and old ex girlfriend.
The loop is irrelevant to the story, the murder is solved accidentally, we don’t understand why she gets into the loop, we don’t understand why she gets out of the loop, we don’t understand why the loop resets at 2:22 AM.
It is a very nonsensical story, with no beginning or end or meaning or anything. I don’t understand why GoodReads suggested it for February bookmark, maybe they get paid?
November 29, 2025
One thing I've learned about myself is that I love mysteries that include time loops. I'm not sure why, but I can think of several time loop mysteries that I've rated four or five stars, so evidently, this is a trope that works for me, and Out of the Loop is no exception.
Amie has been stuck living the same day for two years: visiting the same coffee shop that's out of her beloved blueberry bagels, witnessing the same fight between her friend David and their difficult neighbor Savannah, and attending the same "friend date" with her ex-girlfriend Riya, who she maybe wishes wasn't her ex-girlfriend. When Amie finally gets out of the loop, she's excited to return to her life, but surprise! Savannah's been murdered! On the exact day Amie has lived hundreds of times. Amie takes this as her sign that she needs to solve Savannah's murder using the unique perspective only she can have.
This was a really cute, fun mystery. I loved the relationships between the three main characters. David, in particular, was my favorite and made me chuckle a few times. I would recommend for fans of Only Murders in the Building or Catherine Mack.
Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amie has been stuck living the same day for two years: visiting the same coffee shop that's out of her beloved blueberry bagels, witnessing the same fight between her friend David and their difficult neighbor Savannah, and attending the same "friend date" with her ex-girlfriend Riya, who she maybe wishes wasn't her ex-girlfriend. When Amie finally gets out of the loop, she's excited to return to her life, but surprise! Savannah's been murdered! On the exact day Amie has lived hundreds of times. Amie takes this as her sign that she needs to solve Savannah's murder using the unique perspective only she can have.
This was a really cute, fun mystery. I loved the relationships between the three main characters. David, in particular, was my favorite and made me chuckle a few times. I would recommend for fans of Only Murders in the Building or Catherine Mack.
Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 6, 2026
Read Completed 3/5/26 | 2 stars | Book #49 of 2026
I was almost more savage in my rating of this book because I truly enjoyed no part of it except for the first 1% where we did not have to live the moments of the MC discovering they were in a time loop. That was the last time I had fun reading this book.
- First and foremost, THE TIME LOOP WAS POINTLESS. It served zero purpose except to show that when provided with endless amount of time with zero consequences, Amie does the most boring shit possible. Why include a time loop, then!? I kept hoping it would serve to be an important part of the mystery and investigation, but it *barely* meant anything except for the very end of the book where Amie picks up one inconsistency. From the two years she lived in a time loop. Cool. Great. This pissed me off to no end. Why was she in a time loop? What was she supposed to learn from it? How did she get out of it?
- The pacing was glacial in the beginning. The relationship drama takes the stage mostly throughout the beginning of the book and I could not have cared less about it. Amie has no business investigating this murder, and when she FINALLY starts looking into things, it's still pretty boring. Then things finally start to heat up maybe 70% in. How can an amateur murder investigation be boring? Put this girl in charge, that's how. There wasn't even a reason WHY she was investigating this murder. She felt responsible since she thinks she should have been able to stop it since it overlapped with her time loop, but she didn't even have clues or connections to do so.
- I did not like any of the characters. Literally not a single one. Amie was dull and yet obsessive. All she cared about was getting back together with her ex girlfriend, and now, this murder investigation. She had zero talent to take on this investigation and that was also very clear for most of the book. Ziya was annoying and she wasn't even very good to Amie. She said some mean stuff to her and even told her she's the most boring person to waste a time loop. It felt like a very mixed message that Ziya was pushing Amie to do things for herself, but she was also pushing her. Hey, some people like a quiet homebody life too. These two just felt like VERY different personalities and sometimes that just doesn't work. I get the point -- she just wanted Amie to take a chance on herself and take some risks to make her life better. But it also felt pretty judgy towards people who aren't traveling to Iceland and going out to bars. I just didn't like the way that half of that message came off. David was supposed to be the fun sidekick, but he was kind of a just a mush of random "old people" concepts put together and didn't feel like a real person. And every single smaller character was over the top and stupid.
- The audiobook narrator made everyone even more annoying. The voice was high and kind of young, so everyone felt even more immature than they already were and I couldn't stand listening to Amie and Ziya go back and forth all the time. Her voices for the other characters weren't great and her mispronunciation of a few things was frustrating.
I guess this was not the book for me. Sadly, I didn't really enjoy any of it. It's not a garbage book, but it's very in the cozy mystery vibe, playing up the romance as well. It felt young, immature, and inexperienced. I just am baffled why the author included a time loop and did not incorporate it more into the story. There could have been so many opportunities to tie things into together and it was just not used well at all.
I was almost more savage in my rating of this book because I truly enjoyed no part of it except for the first 1% where we did not have to live the moments of the MC discovering they were in a time loop. That was the last time I had fun reading this book.
- First and foremost, THE TIME LOOP WAS POINTLESS. It served zero purpose except to show that when provided with endless amount of time with zero consequences, Amie does the most boring shit possible. Why include a time loop, then!? I kept hoping it would serve to be an important part of the mystery and investigation, but it *barely* meant anything except for the very end of the book where Amie picks up one inconsistency. From the two years she lived in a time loop. Cool. Great. This pissed me off to no end. Why was she in a time loop? What was she supposed to learn from it? How did she get out of it?
- The pacing was glacial in the beginning. The relationship drama takes the stage mostly throughout the beginning of the book and I could not have cared less about it. Amie has no business investigating this murder, and when she FINALLY starts looking into things, it's still pretty boring. Then things finally start to heat up maybe 70% in. How can an amateur murder investigation be boring? Put this girl in charge, that's how. There wasn't even a reason WHY she was investigating this murder. She felt responsible since she thinks she should have been able to stop it since it overlapped with her time loop, but she didn't even have clues or connections to do so.
- I did not like any of the characters. Literally not a single one. Amie was dull and yet obsessive. All she cared about was getting back together with her ex girlfriend, and now, this murder investigation. She had zero talent to take on this investigation and that was also very clear for most of the book. Ziya was annoying and she wasn't even very good to Amie. She said some mean stuff to her and even told her she's the most boring person to waste a time loop. It felt like a very mixed message that Ziya was pushing Amie to do things for herself, but she was also pushing her. Hey, some people like a quiet homebody life too. These two just felt like VERY different personalities and sometimes that just doesn't work. I get the point -- she just wanted Amie to take a chance on herself and take some risks to make her life better. But it also felt pretty judgy towards people who aren't traveling to Iceland and going out to bars. I just didn't like the way that half of that message came off. David was supposed to be the fun sidekick, but he was kind of a just a mush of random "old people" concepts put together and didn't feel like a real person. And every single smaller character was over the top and stupid.
- The audiobook narrator made everyone even more annoying. The voice was high and kind of young, so everyone felt even more immature than they already were and I couldn't stand listening to Amie and Ziya go back and forth all the time. Her voices for the other characters weren't great and her mispronunciation of a few things was frustrating.
I guess this was not the book for me. Sadly, I didn't really enjoy any of it. It's not a garbage book, but it's very in the cozy mystery vibe, playing up the romance as well. It felt young, immature, and inexperienced. I just am baffled why the author included a time loop and did not incorporate it more into the story. There could have been so many opportunities to tie things into together and it was just not used well at all.
March 3, 2026
this was going to be a five but i didn't like the way the romantic element was resolved. probably full review later because i thought what this book did with its premise was suuuper interesting.
January 15, 2026
3.5 stars
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.
There were things I loved about this and things that just didn’t work for me.
I loved having a story set AFTER being stuck in a time loop and all the small ways that’s overwhelming. It felt so realistic that, after such a long time of experiencing the same day, experiencing things you could no longer anticipate would be incredibly anxiety inducing. I thought this was explored so well.
I also thought the mystery and the way Amie’s changes in the time loop could have changed the outcome for certain suspects really interesting.
It was the characters and the romantic relationship that didn’t work for me. I really liked David, the friend and neighbour, but Amie was a very frustrating MC and her sort of, sort of not ex girlfriend was even worse. They were awful together. Every other character felt like caricatures. I honestly forgot the actual murderer was even a character when they weren’t actively on page.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.
There were things I loved about this and things that just didn’t work for me.
I loved having a story set AFTER being stuck in a time loop and all the small ways that’s overwhelming. It felt so realistic that, after such a long time of experiencing the same day, experiencing things you could no longer anticipate would be incredibly anxiety inducing. I thought this was explored so well.
I also thought the mystery and the way Amie’s changes in the time loop could have changed the outcome for certain suspects really interesting.
It was the characters and the romantic relationship that didn’t work for me. I really liked David, the friend and neighbour, but Amie was a very frustrating MC and her sort of, sort of not ex girlfriend was even worse. They were awful together. Every other character felt like caricatures. I honestly forgot the actual murderer was even a character when they weren’t actively on page.
May 27, 2026
this made more sense than expected?
March 6, 2026
weak mystery, weaker characters, weakest ship (which is crazy bc do u know how much i'll overlook for a sapphic ship)
April 8, 2026
DNF at 20%. Time loop idea is cool but I guess I didn’t look closely enough at the synopsis to realize it’s another damn murder mystery. No thanks.
March 20, 2026
3.5 rounded down for this frickin app that will not let us have half stars ffs ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️
This was a super interesting and original concept and plotline. I can tell you with my whole chest that I have certainly never read anything quite like this. The whole time loop thing was very fresh and I liked how it fit into the story. David was delightful and by far my favorite character, I would have put myself in harms way to clear that man's name too, bless him and his trinkets. I was invested in the mystery and the comical journey to finding out who did the damn thing. Some points in this book literally had me chuckling (my husband was quite alarmed, yep.) Overall this was a fun and easy read.
The reason for the lower rating is that I just was not in love with the romantic subplot. I didn't like how it wrapped up and all the half baked pining between our gals was killing my vibe. If romance is your vibe, you will probably like this more than I did, because a timeloop mystery with humor and romance is very likely up many people's alley. This was very close to being a 4 star read, its literally the last 2 pages that made me be like "girlies wtf."
This was a super interesting and original concept and plotline. I can tell you with my whole chest that I have certainly never read anything quite like this. The whole time loop thing was very fresh and I liked how it fit into the story. David was delightful and by far my favorite character, I would have put myself in harms way to clear that man's name too, bless him and his trinkets. I was invested in the mystery and the comical journey to finding out who did the damn thing. Some points in this book literally had me chuckling (my husband was quite alarmed, yep.) Overall this was a fun and easy read.
The reason for the lower rating is that I just was not in love with the romantic subplot. I didn't like how it wrapped up and all the half baked pining between our gals was killing my vibe. If romance is your vibe, you will probably like this more than I did, because a timeloop mystery with humor and romance is very likely up many people's alley. This was very close to being a 4 star read, its literally the last 2 pages that made me be like "girlies wtf."
March 11, 2026
Been a while since I read a book in one day, but I burned through this on a plane trip and was really glad I did. The premise is fantastic, a young woman stuck in a time loop for about two years comes out of it to find that someone she knows was murdered, and now she’s wondering if that is why she was in the time loop and wants to solve the crime with two years of one day memories and the help of her mystery novelist neighbor and her ex-girlfriend, who she very much wishes wasn’t her ex. Great characters, a really well-developed mystery and a really clever twist on the time loop formula, I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author.
March 1, 2026
The premise sounded really cool but the book just didn’t do it for me. Amie, fresh out of a 2 year time loop, living the same day over and over again, wakes up to discover she’s out of the loop, only now the murder of her neighbor, Savannah, has occurred. Since Amie has lived the murder day so many times, she enlists her ex-girlfriend, now friend, Ziya, and no-nonsense neighbor David (my favorite character) to help her solve the mystery of who killed Savannah. I found the book to be lacking something and it just missed the mark on a cool idea. It had some brief moments where the story flowed and it was fun but otherwise it was a bit confusing and mostly kind of boring. Also, I just felt like I wasn’t getting the clear picture on why Amie was in this time loop and what caused the sudden freedom from it. This made the rest of the book just lackluster for me.
Still, a big thank you to the author and publisher for this gifted copy.
Still, a big thank you to the author and publisher for this gifted copy.
April 11, 2026
The MC was stuck in a time-loop for 2 years. Did nothing new, like get a hobby, develop a new skill, or even the mundaneness of picking up running or hitting the gym.
Instead, they wallow in their small town, around the same blocks, people, and obsess about their ex. They go through a multitude of scenarios with community members in the loop, which one would think would be helpful to figuring out a murder, since you stayed and observed and interacted with everyone. For a story about a time-loop, a murder, and the ability to have known intimate information about that fateful day, this amateur sleuth is shit. And boring. And why did the storyline just focus on the 'will they-won't they' aspect of the exes?
Time-loop and murder and murderer running loose be damned, because they apparently were secondary plot points.
I thought this was a murder-mystery, not a boring romance with a character that is so bland I'm surprised their ex still had interest in them. It took a while to get through the book, and at times I wanted to DNF.
Instead, they wallow in their small town, around the same blocks, people, and obsess about their ex. They go through a multitude of scenarios with community members in the loop, which one would think would be helpful to figuring out a murder, since you stayed and observed and interacted with everyone. For a story about a time-loop, a murder, and the ability to have known intimate information about that fateful day, this amateur sleuth is shit. And boring. And why did the storyline just focus on the 'will they-won't they' aspect of the exes?
Time-loop and murder and murderer running loose be damned, because they apparently were secondary plot points.
I thought this was a murder-mystery, not a boring romance with a character that is so bland I'm surprised their ex still had interest in them. It took a while to get through the book, and at times I wanted to DNF.
April 13, 2026
it was fine but easily predictable at points and didn’t necessarily captivate me
February 18, 2026
This book was so disappointing. When I read the premise I was immediately intrigued, but all I got was three disjointed plots barely held together by a string. The time loop played way less of a part in the solving of the murder, it was literally just something that happened to Amie. Then there was the whole separate will they won’t they romance plat with Amy and her ex girlfriend.
For the first half of the book wanting to at least solve the murder was enough to keep reading, but the second half of the book was completely slowed down and full of unnecessary filler. 2.25 🌟
For the first half of the book wanting to at least solve the murder was enough to keep reading, but the second half of the book was completely slowed down and full of unnecessary filler. 2.25 🌟
February 27, 2026
Look, I love a time loop, I love a mystery, this is a book For Me. But also, I thought it was really well done! There's a time loop, which I know is divisive, but it's over and it's more worldbuilding than actual plot device. There's a mystery, and it has the requisite number of twists and red herrings. There's a bit of a romance and the characters talk to each other or at least know they're doing a bad job of talking to each other. There is a daring Ferris wheel escapade! If you like any of those things you should definitely check this out.
February 7, 2026
This was really enjoyable and a different take on the time loop concept! There was a bit more focus on the romance than I expected but I didn’t really mind by the end. I might’ve enjoyed more scenes from the time loop itself but a book set mostly after the person is out of it was a unique idea. Funny characters and a good ending overall.
February 21, 2026
Interesting concept. Easy read.
April 28, 2026
Fun take on a time loop: after 700 days of reliving the same day, the protagonist wakes to find a murder was committed on the day she looped!
March 30, 2026
3.5 stars
Loved the coziness and humor, a lighthearted mystery. Even though I read a lot of mysteries, I keep saying to my reading buddies: I'm glad I'm not a detective cause again I didn’t work it out. It’s even worse: the chapter where it’s all explained, I didn’t fully grasp, even after listening to it twice. Probably because it’s more difficult for me to process information adequately when listening instead of reading, especially if it’s not in my native language. I liked David and Amie (her friend not so much tbh, she started to get on my nerves lol). Very much enjoyed it though yes, I think they could’ve done more with the concept. This is a true 3.5 star book so it's very hard to rate it as GR (still) doesn't allow for half star ratings...
Characters 7
Atmosphere 7
Writing Style 7
Premise 8
Plot 7
Pace 7
Length 7
Structure/Setup 7
Enjoyment/Engrossment 7
Narration 7
Loved the coziness and humor, a lighthearted mystery. Even though I read a lot of mysteries, I keep saying to my reading buddies: I'm glad I'm not a detective cause again I didn’t work it out. It’s even worse: the chapter where it’s all explained, I didn’t fully grasp, even after listening to it twice. Probably because it’s more difficult for me to process information adequately when listening instead of reading, especially if it’s not in my native language. I liked David and Amie (her friend not so much tbh, she started to get on my nerves lol). Very much enjoyed it though yes, I think they could’ve done more with the concept. This is a true 3.5 star book so it's very hard to rate it as GR (still) doesn't allow for half star ratings...
Characters 7
Atmosphere 7
Writing Style 7
Premise 8
Plot 7
Pace 7
Length 7
Structure/Setup 7
Enjoyment/Engrossment 7
Narration 7
June 13, 2026
I read this book in both physical and audio format interchangeably and I do think that it hindered my enjoyment. Do NOT listen to the audiobook, the narrator sounds like the voice I make when I am putting on a stereotypical valley girl persona while reading to children. It was GRATING. But I needed an audiobook to get through my chores. Fire her!
As for the book itself, I don’t think that the author did enough with the concept. And it is SUCH a good concept. I love time loop stories, especially time loop mysteries. I love the idea of someone coming out of a time loop and having to reacclimate to life with consequences. I also enjoyed the question this book poses: if you had infinite chances, how would you spend your time? Our protagonist doesn’t stray too much from her routine, that’s kind of her thing.
However, I think that the story kept getting distracted from the mystery it was trying to solve by shoehorning in a very VERY bland romance. Maybe I hated Ziya because the audiobook narrator’s horrible, awful, valley girl voice increased TEN fold and included slurred “s”s as though she was drunk. Or Maybe it was because Ziya was kind of obnoxious. Either way I did not like her, and found her to be extremely wishy washy. Their third act reunion and immediate break up was soooo stupid that I physically groaned and rolled my eyes when I got there.
Would the book have been four stars if the author had omitted Ziya and focused on what makes this idea so interesting? We will never know because unfortunately, the author does not get an infinite amount of days to try again.
As for the book itself, I don’t think that the author did enough with the concept. And it is SUCH a good concept. I love time loop stories, especially time loop mysteries. I love the idea of someone coming out of a time loop and having to reacclimate to life with consequences. I also enjoyed the question this book poses: if you had infinite chances, how would you spend your time? Our protagonist doesn’t stray too much from her routine, that’s kind of her thing.
However, I think that the story kept getting distracted from the mystery it was trying to solve by shoehorning in a very VERY bland romance. Maybe I hated Ziya because the audiobook narrator’s horrible, awful, valley girl voice increased TEN fold and included slurred “s”s as though she was drunk. Or Maybe it was because Ziya was kind of obnoxious. Either way I did not like her, and found her to be extremely wishy washy. Their third act reunion and immediate break up was soooo stupid that I physically groaned and rolled my eyes when I got there.
Would the book have been four stars if the author had omitted Ziya and focused on what makes this idea so interesting? We will never know because unfortunately, the author does not get an infinite amount of days to try again.
April 30, 2026
2.5 stars
This felt very much like a YA novel, but it’s meant to be an adult novel. I had to keep reminding myself that the main characters were adults and not high schoolers because their dialogue and actions felt very adolescent. The author’s writing style doesn’t feel strong enough to write strong adult characters. The actual murder mystery also felt very PG-13 and boring. I love a time loop story but this one just fell flat. I felt like the time loop was just an added plot point that wasn’t really even necessary to tell the story the author wanted to tell.
The best part of this was the very relatable romance between Amie and Zia. It felt almost TOO real listening to the two of them figure out how to be friends (or more) “3 months” after breaking up for reasons that felt TOO similar to my life!!!!
This felt very much like a YA novel, but it’s meant to be an adult novel. I had to keep reminding myself that the main characters were adults and not high schoolers because their dialogue and actions felt very adolescent. The author’s writing style doesn’t feel strong enough to write strong adult characters. The actual murder mystery also felt very PG-13 and boring. I love a time loop story but this one just fell flat. I felt like the time loop was just an added plot point that wasn’t really even necessary to tell the story the author wanted to tell.
The best part of this was the very relatable romance between Amie and Zia. It felt almost TOO real listening to the two of them figure out how to be friends (or more) “3 months” after breaking up for reasons that felt TOO similar to my life!!!!
June 19, 2026
I wanted to like this more, since I've been following the author of TikTok for awhile and I LOVE time loop books. The problem with this one is that the MC is the worst person to get stuck in a time loop. For two years, she barely alternated her routine. Idk what level of homebody autistic this is, but it's her one defining trait and it got old pretty quick. Even though we don't stay in the loop very long, all of those chapters are repetitive. (And yes, I realize time loops are repetitive in nature, but she doesn't deviate in any crazy or meaningful way. One day, the loop just ends). There was a murder the day of the loop that she doesn't realize has happened until the next day and then spends the rest of the book trying to solve the murder with terrible investigation skills, while also super awkwardly trying to win back her ex-girlfriend.
Read by Krysta Gonzales. #booksin26
Read by Krysta Gonzales. #booksin26
June 6, 2026
1.5 stars, with the only redeeming factor being that I can see other people maybe like it.
I am so dissapointed in this book. The premise was so interesting, but instead of focussing on the time loop and murder the book 90% focussed on the amies and ziyas love story. The murder was a afterthought, the loop mainly background. I mean we never even find out anything about the time loop and why??? Amie was 28/30, but continiously acted like a 15 year old at best, especially the way she was like "oh I hope she kisses me then id have no complaints". I unfortanetely really did not like amie.
It was going to be two stars, but then at the ending the book also tried to teach me to love myself and now Im really pissed off.
I am so dissapointed in this book. The premise was so interesting, but instead of focussing on the time loop and murder the book 90% focussed on the amies and ziyas love story. The murder was a afterthought, the loop mainly background. I mean we never even find out anything about the time loop and why??? Amie was 28/30, but continiously acted like a 15 year old at best, especially the way she was like "oh I hope she kisses me then id have no complaints". I unfortanetely really did not like amie.
It was going to be two stars, but then at the ending the book also tried to teach me to love myself and now Im really pissed off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2026
3.5 🌟
This was so cute. Very easy (and fun!) read, elements of romance, elements of mystery and thriller, slice of life vibes, very Only Murders in the Building-like. I especially enjoyed how all the characters were well defined, despite this book not being that long. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing, altho I was left disappointed with there being no actual explanation of the time loop (yes, I clocked the emotional reasoning behind it). The ending also felt a little rushed and like some things were left unresolved (Amie and Ziya's relationship just took a huge leap, for instance), and those two points stopped me from scoring this higher. Very enjoyable otherwise.
This was so cute. Very easy (and fun!) read, elements of romance, elements of mystery and thriller, slice of life vibes, very Only Murders in the Building-like. I especially enjoyed how all the characters were well defined, despite this book not being that long. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing, altho I was left disappointed with there being no actual explanation of the time loop (yes, I clocked the emotional reasoning behind it). The ending also felt a little rushed and like some things were left unresolved (Amie and Ziya's relationship just took a huge leap, for instance), and those two points stopped me from scoring this higher. Very enjoyable otherwise.
May 25, 2026
cute! a light, enjoyable read!
really love the concept of a time loop and how it affected every aspect of the story + character dynamics. i liked MC amie and her squad of random crotchety neighbor and ex-gf who she's not quite over.
the solving of the crime was less satisfying than i'd hoped, almost felt like an afterthought. i also take issue w z's reasoning to break up w amie in the first place but c'est la vie
really love the concept of a time loop and how it affected every aspect of the story + character dynamics. i liked MC amie and her squad of random crotchety neighbor and ex-gf who she's not quite over.
the solving of the crime was less satisfying than i'd hoped, almost felt like an afterthought. i also take issue w z's reasoning to break up w amie in the first place but c'est la vie
February 17, 2026
A pretty good twist on the time loop trope... there are a lot of Groundhog Days out there, but very few that focus on what happens AFTERWARD. Suddenly you don't know what people will say in every conversation, traffic isn't predictable, everything you do suddenly has consequences... it was an interesting take. Throw in a murder and you've got a well-done addition to a well-tread genre.
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