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Ideal Life: A Novel
In New York Times bestselling author Evelyn Skye’s warmhearted and lightly magical novel, an opportunity to turn back time gives a scientist the chance to pursue her ideal life, only to realize it might keep her from truly living. Perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle and Taylor Jenkins Reid.
What if you could rewind the last 24 hours and perfect your life?
Talia Morgan has built her dream: a neuroscience startup poised for a $100 million acquisition that will validate years of relentless work to make the world better through technology. But when a glitch in her app leads to catastrophe, everything she’s worked for crumbles in a single night.
Then Talia wakes up with a mysterious watch that lets her rewind the last twenty-four hours. Suddenly, she can prevent the glitch, ace that crucial meeting, and savor perfect Sunday afternoons with Sam, her brilliant best friend who’s quietly loved her for nearly two decades. The watch feels like the ultimate optimization tool, a way to debug her life until every moment is flawless.
But Talia’s addiction to rewriting her past comes at a devastating cost. Each rewind pulls her further from the people she loves most: Sam, who watches helplessly as she disappears into endless cycles of perfection; Libby, her globe-trotting sister who needs support that Talia is too distracted to give; and most dangerously, from her own true, authentic self.
When Talia discovers a conspiracy to turn her life’s work into a tool for mass manipulation, she faces an impossible choice: use the watch to cheat her way to stopping it, or accept that the messy, imperfect version of her life might be the only one worth living.
From New York Times bestselling author Evelyn Skye comes an incisive exploration of ambition, perfectionism, and the modern pressure to optimize our way to happiness—a story that asks whether our relentless pursuit of an ideal life might be keeping us from truly living at all.
What if you could rewind the last 24 hours and perfect your life?
Talia Morgan has built her dream: a neuroscience startup poised for a $100 million acquisition that will validate years of relentless work to make the world better through technology. But when a glitch in her app leads to catastrophe, everything she’s worked for crumbles in a single night.
Then Talia wakes up with a mysterious watch that lets her rewind the last twenty-four hours. Suddenly, she can prevent the glitch, ace that crucial meeting, and savor perfect Sunday afternoons with Sam, her brilliant best friend who’s quietly loved her for nearly two decades. The watch feels like the ultimate optimization tool, a way to debug her life until every moment is flawless.
But Talia’s addiction to rewriting her past comes at a devastating cost. Each rewind pulls her further from the people she loves most: Sam, who watches helplessly as she disappears into endless cycles of perfection; Libby, her globe-trotting sister who needs support that Talia is too distracted to give; and most dangerously, from her own true, authentic self.
When Talia discovers a conspiracy to turn her life’s work into a tool for mass manipulation, she faces an impossible choice: use the watch to cheat her way to stopping it, or accept that the messy, imperfect version of her life might be the only one worth living.
From New York Times bestselling author Evelyn Skye comes an incisive exploration of ambition, perfectionism, and the modern pressure to optimize our way to happiness—a story that asks whether our relentless pursuit of an ideal life might be keeping us from truly living at all.
288 pages, Paperback
Published August 18, 2026
About the author
Evelyn Skye
16 books2,510 followersEvelyn Skye is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including The Incredible Kindness of Paper and The Hundred Loves of Juliet. She has also written for books for Netflix and Disney. Evelyn’s novels have been published worldwide and translated into sixteen languages.
Evelyn is a graduate of Stanford and Harvard Law School. She lives in California with her husband and daughter.
Evelyn is a graduate of Stanford and Harvard Law School. She lives in California with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 333 reviews
January 16, 2026
With a unique premise that resonates with current events, Ideal Life had a good concept, but the storylines were underdeveloped, and there were far too many things happening at once. There was a wide range of fascinating characters, however it would have been better to focus on them individually rather than create and showcase romantic relationships to delve further into any of our characters' storylines as the author did. On that note, there was an excellent plotline about language that made the novel worth it to me if you are looking for a short, introspective read. Beautiful cover by the artist, and thank you, NetGalley and Atria, for the ARC!!!
August 20, 2026
This somewhat came together in the end, but I spent most of the time wondering what the story was actually trying to be. It was all over the place. Talia Morgan's life implodes after a glitch in her neuroscience app Ideal Life causes a catastrophic chain of events. But just when everything falls apart, she discovers a mysterious watch that lets her rewind the previous 24 hours.
I loved the idea of a technology that helps optimize your choices, alongside another with the temptation of undoing every mistake, but it felt like two completely different concepts competing for attention. There's a super high-stakes opening that hooked me immediately, but it's resolved oddly quickly, and everything after that fizzled. So much of the watch's power is spent on frivolous things, like rewinding breakfast multiple times to make a different choice or going back just to watch a different movie with friends.
The scattered POV chapters were another thing. Random perspectives from side characters would pop up and add very little. I still don't understand why we needed an entire chapter about her sister getting a colour analysis done? I do think this story offers some important conversations, and I did appreciate the ending and its message about big technology and chasing perfection, but overall this was a miss for me.
(spice level: kisses only)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I loved the idea of a technology that helps optimize your choices, alongside another with the temptation of undoing every mistake, but it felt like two completely different concepts competing for attention. There's a super high-stakes opening that hooked me immediately, but it's resolved oddly quickly, and everything after that fizzled. So much of the watch's power is spent on frivolous things, like rewinding breakfast multiple times to make a different choice or going back just to watch a different movie with friends.
The scattered POV chapters were another thing. Random perspectives from side characters would pop up and add very little. I still don't understand why we needed an entire chapter about her sister getting a colour analysis done? I do think this story offers some important conversations, and I did appreciate the ending and its message about big technology and chasing perfection, but overall this was a miss for me.
(spice level: kisses only)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 14, 2026
Genuinely impressed by how many important topics she was able to squeeze into a rather short and fast-paced <300 pages book: from Asian American and immigrant representation (coming from an Asian American with immigrant parents), queer characters, female in male dominating roles and the sexism, AI and technological advancements that potentially alter ethical scenarios, etc. etc. etc. I was pleasantly so blown away and will definitely be picking up the next release!!!
My only wish is that we found out how/who put the watch on her 😭😭
Thank you Atria for the ARC copy!
My only wish is that we found out how/who put the watch on her 😭😭
Thank you Atria for the ARC copy!
February 17, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
I hate saying this, but I do think this book is written by AI or was ran through an AI program for a majority of it. I am not claiming this as fact, of course, but a lot of what I read just came off feeling like it was super robotic and emotionless. Huge use of the en dash as well, which I almost never see outside of AI text and I know that is sometimes a giveaway for AI usage.
The premise of this book was super appealing. Sounded like the perfect magical realism I’ve read in other authors, mixed with advanced technology. It sounded like something new and refreshing for the genre.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t really into this at all. The characters fell extremely flat for me. A lot of the dialogue in this book was lacking any emotion. I think a majority of the dialogue ended in “She said” with absolutely zero feeling.
When things were being described, it was either very generic or didn’t feel like it made sense. The book in general had a LOT of sentences that just didn’t make sense for the plot or even whatever random conversation was happening at any given point. The writing style really felt robotic to me, there wasn’t really any point in this where I could feel some kind of emotion that the characters were supposed to portray. It was just awkward and stiff writing.
I wish this had lived up to my expectations, but this was just not it for me.
I hate saying this, but I do think this book is written by AI or was ran through an AI program for a majority of it. I am not claiming this as fact, of course, but a lot of what I read just came off feeling like it was super robotic and emotionless. Huge use of the en dash as well, which I almost never see outside of AI text and I know that is sometimes a giveaway for AI usage.
The premise of this book was super appealing. Sounded like the perfect magical realism I’ve read in other authors, mixed with advanced technology. It sounded like something new and refreshing for the genre.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t really into this at all. The characters fell extremely flat for me. A lot of the dialogue in this book was lacking any emotion. I think a majority of the dialogue ended in “She said” with absolutely zero feeling.
When things were being described, it was either very generic or didn’t feel like it made sense. The book in general had a LOT of sentences that just didn’t make sense for the plot or even whatever random conversation was happening at any given point. The writing style really felt robotic to me, there wasn’t really any point in this where I could feel some kind of emotion that the characters were supposed to portray. It was just awkward and stiff writing.
I wish this had lived up to my expectations, but this was just not it for me.
September 22, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed The Incredible Kindness of Paper by Evelyn Skye and her recently released novel, Ideal Life, is similar in its lightly magical, whimsical style. The magic in this story is that you can rewind your life for 24 hours and fix things, and this is Talia’s special ability. When she begins to use it too much, it’s at a cost.
I treaded lightly with Talia’s work related to AI and LOVED Sam’s work (Lighthouse Bookstore!). Overall, Ideal Life is an entertaining and thoughtful read, and I’m excited for what’s next by the author.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
I treaded lightly with Talia’s work related to AI and LOVED Sam’s work (Lighthouse Bookstore!). Overall, Ideal Life is an entertaining and thoughtful read, and I’m excited for what’s next by the author.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
February 2, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ — The Ideal Life by Evelyn Skye
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the honor in receiving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book hooked me from the very beginning and never really let go!
I loved the minority representation, and the way the FMC and MMC’s relationship developed. The character building starts subtle but grows naturally, and I was invested early on.
I especially enjoyed the magical realism elements and the girl-in-STEM FMC. Smart, driven, and not defined by romance, which is always a win. I REALLY loved the gossip-style articles sprinkled throughout, which gave it a fun, Bridgerton-esque feel.
The characters’ love–hate relationship with AI felt realistic and timely, and the book balanced real-world issues in the tech and content-creator space without becoming overwhelming.
One of the parts I related to most was the theme of living in the past or the future; worrying about creating the “ideal” or “perfect” life instead of fully focusing on the present. That really stuck with me and made the story feel personal.
I really loved the ending. Overall, this was a very easy, engaging read for me—I finished it in about 24 hours.
Highly recommend if you like smart FMCs, light magical realism, emotional depth, and modern social themes.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the honor in receiving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book hooked me from the very beginning and never really let go!
I loved the minority representation, and the way the FMC and MMC’s relationship developed. The character building starts subtle but grows naturally, and I was invested early on.
I especially enjoyed the magical realism elements and the girl-in-STEM FMC. Smart, driven, and not defined by romance, which is always a win. I REALLY loved the gossip-style articles sprinkled throughout, which gave it a fun, Bridgerton-esque feel.
The characters’ love–hate relationship with AI felt realistic and timely, and the book balanced real-world issues in the tech and content-creator space without becoming overwhelming.
One of the parts I related to most was the theme of living in the past or the future; worrying about creating the “ideal” or “perfect” life instead of fully focusing on the present. That really stuck with me and made the story feel personal.
I really loved the ending. Overall, this was a very easy, engaging read for me—I finished it in about 24 hours.
Highly recommend if you like smart FMCs, light magical realism, emotional depth, and modern social themes.
Did Not Finish
August 2, 2026DNF 35%
I just couldn’t get into it and be interested in the characters :(
I just couldn’t get into it and be interested in the characters :(
July 28, 2026
Pub date: Aug 18, 2026
Talia Morgan wakes up one day with a magical watch that allows her to rewind and redo the last 24 hours of her life. After a disaster happened with her neuroscience startup, this feels like the best tool to optimize her life. But redoing every thing that has gone somewhat wrong becomes addicting, and Talia’s personal relationships suffer as a result.
This book seems to be marketed as a romance, but it feels more like a sci-fi novel with a romantic subplot. I appreciated the realistic view of how destructive technology/AI can be to society, but it felt overshadowed by the time travel.
There are several viewpoints in this book, and while I liked the supporting characters, it became difficult to keep up toward the end and was somewhat unnecessary. The main character makes horrible choices, which can make for an interesting plot, but also meant I wasn’t super invested in the conclusion of the story. Especially since Talia’s relationship with Sam was not the most important factor, even to Talia.
Overall, it was an easy breezy quick read and I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something a little different!
Talia Morgan wakes up one day with a magical watch that allows her to rewind and redo the last 24 hours of her life. After a disaster happened with her neuroscience startup, this feels like the best tool to optimize her life. But redoing every thing that has gone somewhat wrong becomes addicting, and Talia’s personal relationships suffer as a result.
This book seems to be marketed as a romance, but it feels more like a sci-fi novel with a romantic subplot. I appreciated the realistic view of how destructive technology/AI can be to society, but it felt overshadowed by the time travel.
There are several viewpoints in this book, and while I liked the supporting characters, it became difficult to keep up toward the end and was somewhat unnecessary. The main character makes horrible choices, which can make for an interesting plot, but also meant I wasn’t super invested in the conclusion of the story. Especially since Talia’s relationship with Sam was not the most important factor, even to Talia.
Overall, it was an easy breezy quick read and I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something a little different!
August 19, 2026
In Ideal Life, we're introduced to a new technology that helps improve decision-making and impulse control. Using your body's own natural response, the tech provides real-time suggestions to help reduce anxiety, encourages you to take chances, and make healthier choices. Sounds pretty amazing, right? But this book presents the question many of us have been asking ourselves: where do we draw the line between technology being helpful vs harmful?
I was really intrigued by the premise of this book, and it didn't take long to become engrossed in its pages. I thought the progression of Talia's obsession with perfecting her life felt relatable and honest. I think many of us would be tempted to go back in time to redo an awkward moment or make a better first impression. She (almost) always had the best of intentions, but allowed her need for perfection to take precedence over her health and relationships.
This book did a lot of things really well, and I enjoyed the story as a whole. I loved seeing how the various relationships shifted throughout, but especially between Sam and his parents. It provided an argument for how technology can bring about positive change, which was an important balance among the negative impacts we see throughout the rest of the book. Sam was easily my favorite character (umm, he owns a LIGHTHOUSE BOOKSTORE!), and I was glad he got the ending he deserved. I also loved the nod to Skye's previous book, The Incredible Kindness of Paper, which I read last year and really enjoyed. The ending did leave me with unanswered questions, which was disappointing, but overall I found this book entertaining, thought-provoking, and enjoyable. 3.5 stars.
Big thank you to Atria for providing me with a gifted ARC of this magical realism novel!
I was really intrigued by the premise of this book, and it didn't take long to become engrossed in its pages. I thought the progression of Talia's obsession with perfecting her life felt relatable and honest. I think many of us would be tempted to go back in time to redo an awkward moment or make a better first impression. She (almost) always had the best of intentions, but allowed her need for perfection to take precedence over her health and relationships.
This book did a lot of things really well, and I enjoyed the story as a whole. I loved seeing how the various relationships shifted throughout, but especially between Sam and his parents. It provided an argument for how technology can bring about positive change, which was an important balance among the negative impacts we see throughout the rest of the book. Sam was easily my favorite character (umm, he owns a LIGHTHOUSE BOOKSTORE!), and I was glad he got the ending he deserved. I also loved the nod to Skye's previous book, The Incredible Kindness of Paper, which I read last year and really enjoyed. The ending did leave me with unanswered questions, which was disappointing, but overall I found this book entertaining, thought-provoking, and enjoyable. 3.5 stars.
Big thank you to Atria for providing me with a gifted ARC of this magical realism novel!
August 13, 2026
I went into this book really loving the concept, and I’m happy that the story ended up being more than just someone repeatedly going back in time to fix her mistakes.
The rewinding is obviously a big part of the story, but surprisingly, it never became annoying or repetitive for me. It was there without completely taking over everything else. I also liked that Talia wasn’t only thinking about herself when she had the ability to change things. Some of the choices she made with the watch gave the whole concept more meaning for me.
I actually ended up liking Sam more than Talia, even though she’s the main character. There was just something about him being there every step of the way that made me appreciate his character so much.
I also really enjoyed the different POVs. At first they feel like separate pieces, but they’re still connected to the same bigger story, and I liked seeing how everything came together.
And I think my favorite thing is what the title ended up meaning to me. “Ideal Life” can mean so many different things in this story. It isn’t simply the name of Talia’s company or about creating a perfect life. By the end, I found myself thinking more about what actually makes a life ideal and whether perfect and ideal are even the same thing.
Such an interesting concept, and I really enjoyed where Evelyn Skye took it.
Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with an e-ARC.
The rewinding is obviously a big part of the story, but surprisingly, it never became annoying or repetitive for me. It was there without completely taking over everything else. I also liked that Talia wasn’t only thinking about herself when she had the ability to change things. Some of the choices she made with the watch gave the whole concept more meaning for me.
I actually ended up liking Sam more than Talia, even though she’s the main character. There was just something about him being there every step of the way that made me appreciate his character so much.
I also really enjoyed the different POVs. At first they feel like separate pieces, but they’re still connected to the same bigger story, and I liked seeing how everything came together.
And I think my favorite thing is what the title ended up meaning to me. “Ideal Life” can mean so many different things in this story. It isn’t simply the name of Talia’s company or about creating a perfect life. By the end, I found myself thinking more about what actually makes a life ideal and whether perfect and ideal are even the same thing.
Such an interesting concept, and I really enjoyed where Evelyn Skye took it.
Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with an e-ARC.
April 5, 2026
I received Ideal Life as an ARC from NetGalley (thank you!!) I really enjoyed this novel! It’s a fun read and really makes you think about what you might do with the power to turn back time and redo mistakes. The struggles with AI definitely hit close to what’s happening in our world right now. It almost felt like an episode of Black Mirror. Even though there were times where I struggled to agree with the main characters actions, I feel as though that’s the whole point of a good novel! It was gripping and engaging. I’ll definitely be recommending to family and friends when Ideal Life is released in the summer!
January 31, 2026
Ideal Life
Evelyn Skye
Publication date: August 18, 2026
Ideal Life is an artificial intelligence wearable device that helps people make better choices real time. The creator and CEO of the company, Talia, is a workaholic who spends late nights at work and barely has time for friends or dating. But Talia is looking forward to having some free time on her hands soon, as Ideal Life is being bought by a huge tech company, Omni. A tragedy that is sure to derail the Omni acquisition takes place and Talia is heartbroken and worried this event will tank her company’s reputation.
Talia falls asleep, completely exhausted in her Palo Alto office as she often does and awakes to find a mysterious watch on her arm. She soon realizes she can rewind time with this watch which she does to try and avoid the tragedy from ever occurring.
The watch seems great at first, but messing with time has some dark consequences. Her best friend Sam tries to convince Talia it’s not a good idea to use. But when Talia has been working on ways to improve the lives of others as well as her own life, it’s hard to give up.
I am rating Ideal Life a 2.75 rounded up to a 3. I really like how the author found a way to discuss AI and new tech under a more critical lens but still make the story interesting. The concept and plot for the book was very unique but it did feel repetitive several times throughout the book. I like Talia and Sam as characters but there were certainly times I was frustrated by Talia and her insistence to keep using the watch even when it was a detriment to her life. The book was told by 4 point of views Talia, Talia’s assistant Erin, Sam, and Talia’s sister Libby which I enjoyed because it helped to keep me more engaged with multiple story lines.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!
Evelyn Skye
Publication date: August 18, 2026
Ideal Life is an artificial intelligence wearable device that helps people make better choices real time. The creator and CEO of the company, Talia, is a workaholic who spends late nights at work and barely has time for friends or dating. But Talia is looking forward to having some free time on her hands soon, as Ideal Life is being bought by a huge tech company, Omni. A tragedy that is sure to derail the Omni acquisition takes place and Talia is heartbroken and worried this event will tank her company’s reputation.
Talia falls asleep, completely exhausted in her Palo Alto office as she often does and awakes to find a mysterious watch on her arm. She soon realizes she can rewind time with this watch which she does to try and avoid the tragedy from ever occurring.
The watch seems great at first, but messing with time has some dark consequences. Her best friend Sam tries to convince Talia it’s not a good idea to use. But when Talia has been working on ways to improve the lives of others as well as her own life, it’s hard to give up.
I am rating Ideal Life a 2.75 rounded up to a 3. I really like how the author found a way to discuss AI and new tech under a more critical lens but still make the story interesting. The concept and plot for the book was very unique but it did feel repetitive several times throughout the book. I like Talia and Sam as characters but there were certainly times I was frustrated by Talia and her insistence to keep using the watch even when it was a detriment to her life. The book was told by 4 point of views Talia, Talia’s assistant Erin, Sam, and Talia’s sister Libby which I enjoyed because it helped to keep me more engaged with multiple story lines.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!
August 15, 2026
First and foremost, THANK YOU SO MUCH Netgally and the author for giving the ARC of this book to me!
3.5 stars rounded up!
Review
———————————
Age rating: 14+
Language: 5/10 (Present, not too frequent)
Romance: 3/10
Violence: 2/10
I got this book approved… months ago. Although just like with everything, I procrastinated reading it lol. And so I sped through it with just a week left until it was to be published. I’m naturally a slow reader, so yes, that does mean that at some small parts I read very fast, dare I say skimmed the text, but you know what? I still retained nearly all of the information and finished 3 days before publication!
PLOT:
What if one day, everything in your life went absolutely wrong, and you wished you could redo it all? And then you woke up with a random watch one day, and when you turn the dial, you can rewind or fast forward time as much as you’d like? That’s what happened to our main character, Talia! She’s the CEO of a high tech AI business and a terrible event occurs that indirectly ties to “Ideal Life,” and therefore, Talka herself. And so, her wish comes true, and she can rewind or fast forward time as much as she wants in order to make her perfect life. However with that comes consequences, and mistrust from those around you. Do you really want a perfect life if you’re hiding secrets from those you live and indirectly affecting everyone else?
CHARACTERS:
- Talia: Main character.
- Sam: Main characters best friend since high school that hes in love with
- Libby: Talia’s sister
- Jacob: Libby’s partner
- Erin: A close coworker of Talia
- Lots more but those are the main ones I remember!
WRITING:
The writing style was good! Not the greatest thing ever, but also not terrible. Like- not as simple as Shatter Me, but not as detailed and poetic as Powerless. Just- states what is in a normal English format for today’s standards. I had no problems with it, beside a small pet peeve that whenever the word “God” was used it was not capitalized and was used in a derogatory manner. But, hey, not everyone is Christian and that’s ok! Just every time I saw it I was like- aauuhghhhhhhh it should be capitalized and it’s being used in a bad wayyy. Oh well though! But yeah writing style was standard.
OTHER THINGS:
I lowkey expected romance. Like- the main reason I requested it and really wanted it is because yes, I judged a book by its cover, it looked like a rom com, and I wanted romance. It was very much a side plot. Like- Sam was obviously so in love, and she like kinda is but has no idea, and then- some small things happen here and there. 2 kisses the whole time and one doesn’t even count. The other is at the literal last page. But it’s ok! I should’ve read the description more in depth. The ‘rewrite time and make things your way’ was what mainly caught my attention lol. Uhhhh what else?
OH YEAH a setting is the Tack Bell in Pacifica! Fun fact, I go to Pacifica and the Bay Area every 3 months! Or, I used to when I had scoliosis appointments. But yeah I’ve been there! So that was a fun connection.
One more thing I didn’t live was the high tech and AI. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ANTI-AI per se, but it was a lot in this book. Btw what I say I’m not anti ai, that doesn’t mean I’m pro ai either. I think with the right usage it can be helpful. But for stuff like writing novels for you and making AI fanart that takes away artists hard work? I don’t exactly love it for that. So yeah.
Anyways that’s about all! Thank you guys for reading this! And thank you again Netgally and the author for lending this to me. I’m so sorry that I procrastinated so much. I need to remember these ARCS are books from real people wanting feedback, not math papers from teachers who don’t care if you pass or fail.
3.5 stars rounded up!
Review
———————————
Age rating: 14+
Language: 5/10 (Present, not too frequent)
Romance: 3/10
Violence: 2/10
I got this book approved… months ago. Although just like with everything, I procrastinated reading it lol. And so I sped through it with just a week left until it was to be published. I’m naturally a slow reader, so yes, that does mean that at some small parts I read very fast, dare I say skimmed the text, but you know what? I still retained nearly all of the information and finished 3 days before publication!
PLOT:
What if one day, everything in your life went absolutely wrong, and you wished you could redo it all? And then you woke up with a random watch one day, and when you turn the dial, you can rewind or fast forward time as much as you’d like? That’s what happened to our main character, Talia! She’s the CEO of a high tech AI business and a terrible event occurs that indirectly ties to “Ideal Life,” and therefore, Talka herself. And so, her wish comes true, and she can rewind or fast forward time as much as she wants in order to make her perfect life. However with that comes consequences, and mistrust from those around you. Do you really want a perfect life if you’re hiding secrets from those you live and indirectly affecting everyone else?
CHARACTERS:
- Talia: Main character.
- Sam: Main characters best friend since high school that hes in love with
- Libby: Talia’s sister
- Jacob: Libby’s partner
- Erin: A close coworker of Talia
- Lots more but those are the main ones I remember!
WRITING:
The writing style was good! Not the greatest thing ever, but also not terrible. Like- not as simple as Shatter Me, but not as detailed and poetic as Powerless. Just- states what is in a normal English format for today’s standards. I had no problems with it, beside a small pet peeve that whenever the word “God” was used it was not capitalized and was used in a derogatory manner. But, hey, not everyone is Christian and that’s ok! Just every time I saw it I was like- aauuhghhhhhhh it should be capitalized and it’s being used in a bad wayyy. Oh well though! But yeah writing style was standard.
OTHER THINGS:
I lowkey expected romance. Like- the main reason I requested it and really wanted it is because yes, I judged a book by its cover, it looked like a rom com, and I wanted romance. It was very much a side plot. Like- Sam was obviously so in love, and she like kinda is but has no idea, and then- some small things happen here and there. 2 kisses the whole time and one doesn’t even count. The other is at the literal last page. But it’s ok! I should’ve read the description more in depth. The ‘rewrite time and make things your way’ was what mainly caught my attention lol. Uhhhh what else?
OH YEAH a setting is the Tack Bell in Pacifica! Fun fact, I go to Pacifica and the Bay Area every 3 months! Or, I used to when I had scoliosis appointments. But yeah I’ve been there! So that was a fun connection.
One more thing I didn’t live was the high tech and AI. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ANTI-AI per se, but it was a lot in this book. Btw what I say I’m not anti ai, that doesn’t mean I’m pro ai either. I think with the right usage it can be helpful. But for stuff like writing novels for you and making AI fanart that takes away artists hard work? I don’t exactly love it for that. So yeah.
Anyways that’s about all! Thank you guys for reading this! And thank you again Netgally and the author for lending this to me. I’m so sorry that I procrastinated so much. I need to remember these ARCS are books from real people wanting feedback, not math papers from teachers who don’t care if you pass or fail.
August 16, 2026
3.5 stars
“𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃’𝓉 𝓂𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓌𝒶𝓇𝒹, 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅 𝓇𝑒𝒽𝒶𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝑒𝓃𝑒𝒹. 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒𝓃’𝓉, 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓃𝒸𝒶𝓅𝒶𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓈𝑒𝓃𝓉, 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝒽𝑜𝓌 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝓊𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒. 𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓅 𝓉𝓇𝓎𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝑜𝓅𝓉𝒾𝓂𝒾𝓏𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓈𝒾𝓉𝓊𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃, 𝒯𝒶𝓁? 𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓅 𝓇𝑒𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝒸𝓉𝓊𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓉?”
A cautionary tale about the costs of always searching for the most ideal life, the performance of social media, big tech companies, and the overuse of AI.
Ideal Life thoroughly entertained me. I have read time travel books before, but nothing to the extent of this one. This was a massive undertaking for this author. Although I enjoyed the overall premise, the actual narrative felt flat at times. With four different POVs, there is a lot to flesh out.
That being said, I think the messaging is definitely deserving of the platform since it is so relevant to what is going on in today’s world.
Thank you, Atria Books, for the gifted eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃’𝓉 𝓂𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓌𝒶𝓇𝒹, 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅 𝓇𝑒𝒽𝒶𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝑒𝓃𝑒𝒹. 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒𝓃’𝓉, 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓃𝒸𝒶𝓅𝒶𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓈𝑒𝓃𝓉, 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝒽𝑜𝓌 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝓊𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒. 𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓅 𝓉𝓇𝓎𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝑜𝓅𝓉𝒾𝓂𝒾𝓏𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓈𝒾𝓉𝓊𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃, 𝒯𝒶𝓁? 𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓅 𝓇𝑒𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝒸𝓉𝓊𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓉?”
A cautionary tale about the costs of always searching for the most ideal life, the performance of social media, big tech companies, and the overuse of AI.
Ideal Life thoroughly entertained me. I have read time travel books before, but nothing to the extent of this one. This was a massive undertaking for this author. Although I enjoyed the overall premise, the actual narrative felt flat at times. With four different POVs, there is a lot to flesh out.
That being said, I think the messaging is definitely deserving of the platform since it is so relevant to what is going on in today’s world.
Thank you, Atria Books, for the gifted eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 29, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I am going to be pretty harsh in this review, and I do feel bad about that, but this was not for me.
If I would have known this was such pro AI, I never would have read it. If you dislike the use of AI as much as I do, do yourself a favor and don’t pick this up. If you like and support AI, which I don’t believe you should, you would probably love this book.
Not only that, but the plot was kind of all over the place. There were so many POVs, and not a lot of them seemed necessary.
The main character was awful, borderline evil with some of her actions. I try to be a forgiving person, but some of what she did is unforgivable to me.
Spoilers in this next paragraph for what I mean: Sam asks her to promise to never use her rewind powers on him, she promises she won’t, and guess what? She does. Multiple times. That made me so angry. She thinks, and I quote (this is the ARC version so it may not be exactly this in the final copy) “He would hate me using this on him. But he won’t know…he never does.” That is EVIL behavior. And everything is just totally fine by the end of it because she sees the error in her ways. I know people can learn from their mistakes, but that is just an awful mentality, especially to do to your so called best friend.
By the end of the novel it sort of shows how AI is bad and shouldn’t take over, but I also feel like it was just in the way the Omni was going to use it. Not AI in general. One of the characters literally thought they would rather get any and all life advice on how to do things from her virtual AI bot than deal with anything herself. That is not an okay thing to promote!
All the AI stuff aside, Talia just abused her time travel the entire time. That plot point wasn’t even interesting. I realize the point of the book was to show how she was using it was bad, but still the entire book she just kept rewinding the littlest things. It wasn’t even high stakes. She fixed the main conflict that the summary mentioned right away. I thought there would be more consequences to her time travel, but nope, none. The rest of the book was her just going back in time to re-live a dinner with her parents or to choose between a bunch of different things to watch. It was just silly! And not in the fun way.
Sam was such a sweetheart (and against AI so I loved him) and he deserves better.
The plotline with Libby became important at the end sort of, but her whole thing seemed kind of pointless to me. I appreciated her talking about the danger of showing their kids online and forcing kids to be in front of a camera for other people’s entertainment. But with the rest of the book being pro AI and having Talia make bad decisions, that was kind of overshadowed.
Again, I really do feel bad being so critical in my review. I wish I would have known what I was getting myself into, because I never would have picked this up if I knew.
This one missed the mark for me completely.
I am going to be pretty harsh in this review, and I do feel bad about that, but this was not for me.
If I would have known this was such pro AI, I never would have read it. If you dislike the use of AI as much as I do, do yourself a favor and don’t pick this up. If you like and support AI, which I don’t believe you should, you would probably love this book.
Not only that, but the plot was kind of all over the place. There were so many POVs, and not a lot of them seemed necessary.
The main character was awful, borderline evil with some of her actions. I try to be a forgiving person, but some of what she did is unforgivable to me.
Spoilers in this next paragraph for what I mean: Sam asks her to promise to never use her rewind powers on him, she promises she won’t, and guess what? She does. Multiple times. That made me so angry. She thinks, and I quote (this is the ARC version so it may not be exactly this in the final copy) “He would hate me using this on him. But he won’t know…he never does.” That is EVIL behavior. And everything is just totally fine by the end of it because she sees the error in her ways. I know people can learn from their mistakes, but that is just an awful mentality, especially to do to your so called best friend.
By the end of the novel it sort of shows how AI is bad and shouldn’t take over, but I also feel like it was just in the way the Omni was going to use it. Not AI in general. One of the characters literally thought they would rather get any and all life advice on how to do things from her virtual AI bot than deal with anything herself. That is not an okay thing to promote!
All the AI stuff aside, Talia just abused her time travel the entire time. That plot point wasn’t even interesting. I realize the point of the book was to show how she was using it was bad, but still the entire book she just kept rewinding the littlest things. It wasn’t even high stakes. She fixed the main conflict that the summary mentioned right away. I thought there would be more consequences to her time travel, but nope, none. The rest of the book was her just going back in time to re-live a dinner with her parents or to choose between a bunch of different things to watch. It was just silly! And not in the fun way.
Sam was such a sweetheart (and against AI so I loved him) and he deserves better.
The plotline with Libby became important at the end sort of, but her whole thing seemed kind of pointless to me. I appreciated her talking about the danger of showing their kids online and forcing kids to be in front of a camera for other people’s entertainment. But with the rest of the book being pro AI and having Talia make bad decisions, that was kind of overshadowed.
Again, I really do feel bad being so critical in my review. I wish I would have known what I was getting myself into, because I never would have picked this up if I knew.
This one missed the mark for me completely.
August 19, 2026
DNF @ 31%. Main characters Talia and Sam are so bland.
After Talia turns back time to save her company, she uses the magical watch for the most mundane things such as eating breakfast four times or watching a movie three times.
She lacks personality outside of her passion for work, and everyone around her can see that she and Sam should be together except her. It's been seventeen years, and there's no way she's never considered the possibility of it.
Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for my digital ARC, but Ideal Life was not for me.
After Talia turns back time to save her company, she uses the magical watch for the most mundane things such as eating breakfast four times or watching a movie three times.
She lacks personality outside of her passion for work, and everyone around her can see that she and Sam should be together except her. It's been seventeen years, and there's no way she's never considered the possibility of it.
Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for my digital ARC, but Ideal Life was not for me.
September 7, 2026
I like stories that add a technology component such as the startup’s concept to modern everyday life. Whereas the characters and the storyline were original and interesting - about 1/3 of the way through a time turner watch appeared out of nowhere - and that’s when my skepticism kicked in. It was further stymied regarding the unrequited romance between Talia and Sam. After lots of rabbit holes an ending emerged. But the magic seemed out of place as a didactic element - especially given the emphasis of science in the beginning.
August 24, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
Ideal Life straddles speculative fiction, litfic and romance. It raises lots of questions about big tech and its influence/infiltration into our lives. Ultimately I feel very lukewarm about this book because the characters feel bland, we have unwinds but the stakes are never leveled up. I wanted more emotional investment/consequences.
Ideal Life straddles speculative fiction, litfic and romance. It raises lots of questions about big tech and its influence/infiltration into our lives. Ultimately I feel very lukewarm about this book because the characters feel bland, we have unwinds but the stakes are never leveled up. I wanted more emotional investment/consequences.
Did Not Finish
August 10, 2026DNF at 44%.
This book has a unique premise and definitely had potential but I wasn't invested enough to keep going.
This book has a unique premise and definitely had potential but I wasn't invested enough to keep going.
August 30, 2026
I got an arc of this book. It felt rushed and not much story to it.
August 24, 2026
Ideal Life by Evelyn Skye
Talia wakes up one morning with a peculiar watch on her wrist. It allows her to redo up the last 24 hours of her life. She uses it one time thinking she saved a life but soon she becomes addicted to it. This starts affecting her health as well as her relationships with coworkers and friends.
Original premise. Contemporary magical realism. Easy to read. Multiple POV. Great character development. There’s a couple messages/lessons to be learned from this fun read!
3.75 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thank you NetGalley, Evelyn Skye and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #evelynskye #ideallife #atriabooks
Talia wakes up one morning with a peculiar watch on her wrist. It allows her to redo up the last 24 hours of her life. She uses it one time thinking she saved a life but soon she becomes addicted to it. This starts affecting her health as well as her relationships with coworkers and friends.
Original premise. Contemporary magical realism. Easy to read. Multiple POV. Great character development. There’s a couple messages/lessons to be learned from this fun read!
3.75 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thank you NetGalley, Evelyn Skye and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #evelynskye #ideallife #atriabooks
August 13, 2026
💭: Interesting premise. A CEO finds a watch that she can reverse time with up to 24 hours. She becomes obsessed with it and it starts to wear on her, starts to strain her relationships, and she starts to change what would have been when it doesn’t work out for her. There could have been more depth and less repetition in some parts, but overall I enjoyed the storyline!
July 24, 2026
3.25 stars, rounded down. The concept of Ideal Life was compelling to me, but I had initially thought there would be a stronger focus ethics and AI. As the story unraveled, it was clear this is more of a romance at its core, which I was fine with, especially considering the corporate and workplace elements that balanced the story. This is cast with fully developed characters in Talia and Libby; I appreciated the thought Skye put into their background. It fit beautifully with how the two characters reacted and responded as a adults. The story continued to bring up existential questions. I think Skye used Talia's impulsivity to show her motivation and dedication to those around her. By the end, there were a couple of plot holes, but most loose ends were tied up through the use of multiple POV. I found this to be a unique, thought-provoking story and ultimately satisfying.
Read
May 26, 2026This book opens with a fun premise: if you could rewind time after a mistake, would you? Its light magical realism leans more rom-com than whimsical fantasy, which makes it an enjoyable, easy read in the vein of Ali Hazelwood-style storytelling.
Talia, a successful woman in STEM, is tied to an AI app that serves as the story’s “poison,” and I liked how the novel weaves in accessible themes like AI accountability, ethics, and addiction. Even so, the book tries to do a bit too much. Some side plots, especially those involving Libby and Erin, felt underdeveloped. I enjoyed Sam’s character and the exploration of otherness, immigration, and the push-pull between embracing and resisting technology, but the poker subplot did not fully work for me.
Ultimately, I think this book will appeal most to readers looking for a light, quick, and relaxing read. I would have preferred a deeper exploration of themes like AI accountability, the pressures of being a woman in tech, and Sam’s family dynamics, but there is still plenty here to enjoy.
This was an unexpected gem. After finishing a heavy suspense thriller, I wanted something lighter and completely different, and this book delivered from the first page.
The magical realism is playful without going over the top, and the multiple points of view—Talia, Sam, and Libby—work well. I especially liked the believable friends-to-lovers dynamic between Talia and Sam, which develops naturally after years of friendship. There is little romance and no spice, but I enjoyed the way the story lets them quietly wrestle with their feelings.
I flew through this book and had a great time with it. The descriptions of the watch rewinding time were especially vivid and fun to read.
Talia, a successful woman in STEM, is tied to an AI app that serves as the story’s “poison,” and I liked how the novel weaves in accessible themes like AI accountability, ethics, and addiction. Even so, the book tries to do a bit too much. Some side plots, especially those involving Libby and Erin, felt underdeveloped. I enjoyed Sam’s character and the exploration of otherness, immigration, and the push-pull between embracing and resisting technology, but the poker subplot did not fully work for me.
Ultimately, I think this book will appeal most to readers looking for a light, quick, and relaxing read. I would have preferred a deeper exploration of themes like AI accountability, the pressures of being a woman in tech, and Sam’s family dynamics, but there is still plenty here to enjoy.
This was an unexpected gem. After finishing a heavy suspense thriller, I wanted something lighter and completely different, and this book delivered from the first page.
The magical realism is playful without going over the top, and the multiple points of view—Talia, Sam, and Libby—work well. I especially liked the believable friends-to-lovers dynamic between Talia and Sam, which develops naturally after years of friendship. There is little romance and no spice, but I enjoyed the way the story lets them quietly wrestle with their feelings.
I flew through this book and had a great time with it. The descriptions of the watch rewinding time were especially vivid and fun to read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this novel!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and its message. This is a unique and smart concept for a novel. Tons of time-loop and time-travel books exist, but this one's plot seems to be an interesting metaphor for the dangers of AI. It all seems like fun and games until it drains the literal life out of you (and the planet). Talia, our MC, wishes she could turn back time to save a life and her career, and wakes up with a watch that can turn back time up to 24 hours. She uses the watch to save said life and her job, but, against her friend's warning, she continues to use it for personal gain as it slowly wears away at her, stealing time from her own energy. With such an analytical, science-minded protagonist (who asks the questions the reader would also have), she seems to abuse this power in a way that doesn't seem very smart. She repeatedly disregards her own well-being to turn back time and fix things, hurting herself in the process.
Because we time-travel with Talia, the novel gets repetitive as scenes repeat multiple times. Contextually, it makes sense, but it dragged at times. I started to feel as worn out as Talia was becoming. Maybe that was the point? :D
This novel is structurally unique because it features multiple POVs (at least four) and switches between them randomly. It felt like watching a show with an ensemble cast, rather than your average rom-com with two main protagonist POVs. Though strange, I did like following the side characters occasionally because they shed light on different kinds of technology dependence. The side character Erin had a really interesting, addictive relationship with technology. Her dependence on it felt like a reflection of the modern tech user's addiction to AI and their phones, mirroring AI's control over people's lives nowadays. This shows the good and harm that come with depending on technology for support, guidance, and advice instead of learning your own lessons and getting support from the human beings around you.
However, there are points in the book where the technology does not harm the characters and actively helps them instead. The interaction with Sam and his parents, and their being able to speak fluidly for the first time in his life, was really heartwarming and showcased technology as a help, not a hindrance, to human connection.Technology is not the evil force in the book, nor is it a black-and-white issue of how much tech is good or how much using it is bad for us all.
I finished this book feeling like I wanted to delete all my social media accounts and set all AI data centers ablaze, yet I was also in awe of how far we have come, because technology allows us to communicate with one another more easily, quickly, and better all around. This was a really fun thought-experiment of a book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and its message. This is a unique and smart concept for a novel. Tons of time-loop and time-travel books exist, but this one's plot seems to be an interesting metaphor for the dangers of AI. It all seems like fun and games until it drains the literal life out of you (and the planet). Talia, our MC, wishes she could turn back time to save a life and her career, and wakes up with a watch that can turn back time up to 24 hours. She uses the watch to save said life and her job, but, against her friend's warning, she continues to use it for personal gain as it slowly wears away at her, stealing time from her own energy. With such an analytical, science-minded protagonist (who asks the questions the reader would also have), she seems to abuse this power in a way that doesn't seem very smart. She repeatedly disregards her own well-being to turn back time and fix things, hurting herself in the process.
Because we time-travel with Talia, the novel gets repetitive as scenes repeat multiple times. Contextually, it makes sense, but it dragged at times. I started to feel as worn out as Talia was becoming. Maybe that was the point? :D
This novel is structurally unique because it features multiple POVs (at least four) and switches between them randomly. It felt like watching a show with an ensemble cast, rather than your average rom-com with two main protagonist POVs. Though strange, I did like following the side characters occasionally because they shed light on different kinds of technology dependence. The side character Erin had a really interesting, addictive relationship with technology. Her dependence on it felt like a reflection of the modern tech user's addiction to AI and their phones, mirroring AI's control over people's lives nowadays. This shows the good and harm that come with depending on technology for support, guidance, and advice instead of learning your own lessons and getting support from the human beings around you.
However, there are points in the book where the technology does not harm the characters and actively helps them instead. The interaction with Sam and his parents, and their being able to speak fluidly for the first time in his life, was really heartwarming and showcased technology as a help, not a hindrance, to human connection.Technology is not the evil force in the book, nor is it a black-and-white issue of how much tech is good or how much using it is bad for us all.
I finished this book feeling like I wanted to delete all my social media accounts and set all AI data centers ablaze, yet I was also in awe of how far we have come, because technology allows us to communicate with one another more easily, quickly, and better all around. This was a really fun thought-experiment of a book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Evelyn Skye for an advanced reader copy of “Ideal Life”. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! “Ideal Life” was a very entertaining and quick read. I couldn’t put it down, because I was incredibly invested in finding out what was going to happen to the main character and to her world.
This book takes place in Silicon Valley, deep in the tech start-up world, and I found this very interesting because it is a world I am WILDLY unfamiliar with, so it was fun and interesting to learn more about it and to experience it from the inside. However, there were times that the conversations were a little too techy for me and I had trouble keeping up or understanding, BUT I think that’s okay, because the conversations were necessary for the authenticity of the book. Also, I think quite a few of the techy conversations evolved around fictional tech, so it was perfectly okay to not understand exactly what they were talking about 😂
But more importantly, this book’s main focus is on morality as well as perfectionism.
It was an incredibly interesting concept— a watch arrives on the wrist of Talia, the main character, and it allows her to go back in time within the past 24 hours, giving her the ability to change the future by altering the past. She uses this newfound ability to attempt to create a “perfect” life— she finds herself addicted to creating the perfect outcome, and begins hyperfixating on making every interaction and action perfect, and the results of this new obsession are very interesting.
Talia, deep down, wants what’s best for the world and humanity as a whole, but the watch and the perfectionism begins to take over and alter her as a person. It is a fascinating evolution and it was cleverly done by the author.
However, I think this book loses a star for me because I found myself annoyed by the main character more often than not. Although she is supposed to be a tech and business genius, she has a lot of really silly thoughts and makes a lot of incredibly illogical choices.
I should give her a little more grace, because I don’t know how I would behave in a scenario like this, but her actions were just a little too frustrating for me.
I also really enjoyed the supporting characters in this book, but at times it felt like a little too much was going on, but somehow at the same time we didn’t get enough insight into these other characters. Like the supporting people in her life fell a little flat or felt a little two-dimensional.
I just wanted to know them better!
But all-in-all, I quite enjoyed “Ideal Life”. The questions focused on perfectionism and morality, as well as privacy and qualms surrounding big tech, led to a lot of uncomfortable but necessary introspection— this book made me think about a lot of unusual and unique topics, and I really enjoyed that.
I would absolutely recommend “Ideal Life” to my friends, because it was an incredibly interesting and thought-provoking read! ♥️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! “Ideal Life” was a very entertaining and quick read. I couldn’t put it down, because I was incredibly invested in finding out what was going to happen to the main character and to her world.
This book takes place in Silicon Valley, deep in the tech start-up world, and I found this very interesting because it is a world I am WILDLY unfamiliar with, so it was fun and interesting to learn more about it and to experience it from the inside. However, there were times that the conversations were a little too techy for me and I had trouble keeping up or understanding, BUT I think that’s okay, because the conversations were necessary for the authenticity of the book. Also, I think quite a few of the techy conversations evolved around fictional tech, so it was perfectly okay to not understand exactly what they were talking about 😂
But more importantly, this book’s main focus is on morality as well as perfectionism.
It was an incredibly interesting concept— a watch arrives on the wrist of Talia, the main character, and it allows her to go back in time within the past 24 hours, giving her the ability to change the future by altering the past. She uses this newfound ability to attempt to create a “perfect” life— she finds herself addicted to creating the perfect outcome, and begins hyperfixating on making every interaction and action perfect, and the results of this new obsession are very interesting.
Talia, deep down, wants what’s best for the world and humanity as a whole, but the watch and the perfectionism begins to take over and alter her as a person. It is a fascinating evolution and it was cleverly done by the author.
However, I think this book loses a star for me because I found myself annoyed by the main character more often than not. Although she is supposed to be a tech and business genius, she has a lot of really silly thoughts and makes a lot of incredibly illogical choices.
I should give her a little more grace, because I don’t know how I would behave in a scenario like this, but her actions were just a little too frustrating for me.
I also really enjoyed the supporting characters in this book, but at times it felt like a little too much was going on, but somehow at the same time we didn’t get enough insight into these other characters. Like the supporting people in her life fell a little flat or felt a little two-dimensional.
I just wanted to know them better!
But all-in-all, I quite enjoyed “Ideal Life”. The questions focused on perfectionism and morality, as well as privacy and qualms surrounding big tech, led to a lot of uncomfortable but necessary introspection— this book made me think about a lot of unusual and unique topics, and I really enjoyed that.
I would absolutely recommend “Ideal Life” to my friends, because it was an incredibly interesting and thought-provoking read! ♥️
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Well... this was a bit disappointing. Ideal Life had such an interesting premise: a magical watch that rewinds time by 24 hours, paired with timely questions about AI, ambition, and the temptation to optimize every aspect of life. On paper, it sounded like exactly the kind of speculative/magical realism contemporary novel I'd enjoy. Unfortunately, it never met the expectations I had in my head.
The biggest issue for me was that the story never dug as deeply into its ideas as I wanted it to. This felt suuuuper surface level. The concept of repeatedly changing the past should create fascinating moral dilemmas and increasingly complicated consequences, but instead much of the novel focuses on Talia using her ability to perfect relatively small moments. After the initial crisis is resolved, the stakes felt surprisingly low for long stretches, and I kept waiting for something to become far more significant than anything in this book ever did.
I also struggled to connect with Talia. In fact, I never connected with Talia. I’m not really sure if I even liked her. Her obsession with controlling every outcome made sense thematically (I guess?), but many of her decisions became frustrating rather than compelling. Instead of feeling conflicted alongside her, I often found myself questioning her choices and having a hard time rooting for her. The eventual lesson about embracing imperfection was clear, but the journey there didn't feel satisfying.
The romance was another disappointment. Friends-to-lovers is usually one of my favorite tropes, but the chemistry here felt so incredibly underdeveloped. Sam was easily the most likable character, yet their relationship never carried the emotional weight I’ve come to expect from books like this. I also wasn't convinced the multiple POVs added enough to justify pulling attention away from the central storyline which is a crazy thing for me to say because I typically love multiple POVs.
The writing itself was easy enough to get through, but it often relied on explaining emotions and themes instead of letting them unfold naturally. There were too many moments of telling and not showing. Combined with several side plots that never felt fully realized, the novel ended up feeling scattered despite its relatively short length. I did appreciate the questions the book raises about technology, perfectionism, and whether constantly trying to "fix" our lives actually prevents us from living them. Those themes are timely and interesting, and I wish they had been explored with more nuance and stronger consequences. Ideal Life is a book with an excellent premise that, for me, never fully delivered. It wasn't a terrible read, but I finished it feeling like the most interesting version of this story was the one that could have been. However, I do think this will find its audience.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this eARC!
The biggest issue for me was that the story never dug as deeply into its ideas as I wanted it to. This felt suuuuper surface level. The concept of repeatedly changing the past should create fascinating moral dilemmas and increasingly complicated consequences, but instead much of the novel focuses on Talia using her ability to perfect relatively small moments. After the initial crisis is resolved, the stakes felt surprisingly low for long stretches, and I kept waiting for something to become far more significant than anything in this book ever did.
I also struggled to connect with Talia. In fact, I never connected with Talia. I’m not really sure if I even liked her. Her obsession with controlling every outcome made sense thematically (I guess?), but many of her decisions became frustrating rather than compelling. Instead of feeling conflicted alongside her, I often found myself questioning her choices and having a hard time rooting for her. The eventual lesson about embracing imperfection was clear, but the journey there didn't feel satisfying.
The romance was another disappointment. Friends-to-lovers is usually one of my favorite tropes, but the chemistry here felt so incredibly underdeveloped. Sam was easily the most likable character, yet their relationship never carried the emotional weight I’ve come to expect from books like this. I also wasn't convinced the multiple POVs added enough to justify pulling attention away from the central storyline which is a crazy thing for me to say because I typically love multiple POVs.
The writing itself was easy enough to get through, but it often relied on explaining emotions and themes instead of letting them unfold naturally. There were too many moments of telling and not showing. Combined with several side plots that never felt fully realized, the novel ended up feeling scattered despite its relatively short length. I did appreciate the questions the book raises about technology, perfectionism, and whether constantly trying to "fix" our lives actually prevents us from living them. Those themes are timely and interesting, and I wish they had been explored with more nuance and stronger consequences. Ideal Life is a book with an excellent premise that, for me, never fully delivered. It wasn't a terrible read, but I finished it feeling like the most interesting version of this story was the one that could have been. However, I do think this will find its audience.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this eARC!
August 29, 2026
*Ideal Life* by Evelyn Skye is a thoughtful, lightly magical story about perfection, regret, ambition, friendship, and the exhausting temptation to believe that life would be better if we could just get everything exactly right.
Talia Morgan is a scientist and entrepreneur who has poured herself into building her neuroscience startup. She’s driven, successful, and always looking for the next thing she can improve—which makes it especially devastating when one mistake threatens everything she has worked for. Then she wakes up with a mysterious watch that gives her an impossible advantage: she can rewind the previous twenty-four hours and try again.
At first, the possibilities seem incredible. A bad decision can be undone. An awkward conversation can be replayed. A professional disaster can be prevented. Every imperfect moment suddenly comes with a do-over.
And honestly, who wouldn’t be tempted?
What I loved most about *Ideal Life* is that the time-rewinding premise is really just the doorway into a much more relatable story. Talia’s problem isn’t simply that she has access to something magical—it’s that she already believes she should be able to optimize her way into happiness. The watch gives her the ability to take that instinct to its absolute extreme.
There’s something both fascinating and unsettling about watching those little corrections accumulate. If you could erase every embarrassing moment, every wrong answer, every uncomfortable conversation, when would you finally decide something was good enough? And if you could always try again, would you ever be fully present the first time?
The relationship between Talia and Sam gives the story its emotional heart. He has been her best friend for nearly twenty years, and their connection has all the history, familiarity, and complicated feelings that come with knowing someone for that long. I especially appreciated that their relationship isn’t treated like another problem Talia can simply perfect. Love requires vulnerability, uncertainty, and allowing another person to experience the real version of you—even when that version says the wrong thing.
This is less about the mechanics of time travel and more about what we sacrifice when we become obsessed with constructing the “right” life. Talia has to confront the difference between improving her life and actually experiencing it, and I loved the reminder that happiness isn't necessarily found in eliminating every mistake.
Warm, emotional, romantic, and quietly thought-provoking, *Ideal Life* asks a deceptively simple question: If you could redo your imperfect moments, how many would you change before you accidentally changed the life you loved?
**Review Disclosure:** I received a copy of *Ideal Life* in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Talia Morgan is a scientist and entrepreneur who has poured herself into building her neuroscience startup. She’s driven, successful, and always looking for the next thing she can improve—which makes it especially devastating when one mistake threatens everything she has worked for. Then she wakes up with a mysterious watch that gives her an impossible advantage: she can rewind the previous twenty-four hours and try again.
At first, the possibilities seem incredible. A bad decision can be undone. An awkward conversation can be replayed. A professional disaster can be prevented. Every imperfect moment suddenly comes with a do-over.
And honestly, who wouldn’t be tempted?
What I loved most about *Ideal Life* is that the time-rewinding premise is really just the doorway into a much more relatable story. Talia’s problem isn’t simply that she has access to something magical—it’s that she already believes she should be able to optimize her way into happiness. The watch gives her the ability to take that instinct to its absolute extreme.
There’s something both fascinating and unsettling about watching those little corrections accumulate. If you could erase every embarrassing moment, every wrong answer, every uncomfortable conversation, when would you finally decide something was good enough? And if you could always try again, would you ever be fully present the first time?
The relationship between Talia and Sam gives the story its emotional heart. He has been her best friend for nearly twenty years, and their connection has all the history, familiarity, and complicated feelings that come with knowing someone for that long. I especially appreciated that their relationship isn’t treated like another problem Talia can simply perfect. Love requires vulnerability, uncertainty, and allowing another person to experience the real version of you—even when that version says the wrong thing.
This is less about the mechanics of time travel and more about what we sacrifice when we become obsessed with constructing the “right” life. Talia has to confront the difference between improving her life and actually experiencing it, and I loved the reminder that happiness isn't necessarily found in eliminating every mistake.
Warm, emotional, romantic, and quietly thought-provoking, *Ideal Life* asks a deceptively simple question: If you could redo your imperfect moments, how many would you change before you accidentally changed the life you loved?
**Review Disclosure:** I received a copy of *Ideal Life* in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley, Evelyn Skye and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
What if you could just turn back time on that one mistake? Would you?
Ideal Life follows the story of Talia, a small tech CEO, on the biggest night of her career. Until a small hiccup threatens everything she had been working towards. A wish and a watch later, Talia discovers the path to undo the mistake and make her life a little bit better. But at what cost?
This book is an enjoyable way to explore scientific drive and perfectionism while the author brings forth a juxtaposition in Talia and her best friend, Sam. Talia is purely intended and means to make life better, Sam serves as a reminder about consideration for the cost of perfectionism. While the pursuit of perfection is something I felt as a reader many understand, the exploration of what it means to be perfect and the consideration of how far we as humans are willing to go was an interesting thought piece. For me as a reader, Ideal Life was not just about the characters and story alone but about what that story can reflect on us as a society as well.
The book begets many questions. When we can undo the small parts of life to make it optimized, do we really live our lives? Perhaps some people do live their life, but the lens they live through might feel tedious. The constant question of how to live the best life and from what view is the best life lived. How about fixating on the past and future, instead of living in the moment? It feels difficult not to rehash the small things and ask ourselves how we could have done better but if we spend all our time obsessing about our past and future, we don't live in the moment. If you never live in the moment, creating balance, what do we lose? For some, maybe nothing at all. For others, we miss the moments of connection we naturally make with others, the understanding that comes from communicating with the people we meet and the people we love.
The use of multiple POVs helped with these considerations. Each character was at a different point and thought process for themselves and their POV added to the story another question for life. Another person thinking about what to do with their future and their choices having impact on their life. Despite having less time than Talia, they all had purpose in their own way and benefitted the story. The magical realism of the book felt balanced for me as well. It never felt like that aspect pulled me out of the story and the writing was easy to read and follow.
All in all, I enjoyed Ideal Life. If you've wondered what you might do, what lengths you'd go to, in order to correct mistakes and live perfectly...this is the book for you to try.
What if you could just turn back time on that one mistake? Would you?
Ideal Life follows the story of Talia, a small tech CEO, on the biggest night of her career. Until a small hiccup threatens everything she had been working towards. A wish and a watch later, Talia discovers the path to undo the mistake and make her life a little bit better. But at what cost?
This book is an enjoyable way to explore scientific drive and perfectionism while the author brings forth a juxtaposition in Talia and her best friend, Sam. Talia is purely intended and means to make life better, Sam serves as a reminder about consideration for the cost of perfectionism. While the pursuit of perfection is something I felt as a reader many understand, the exploration of what it means to be perfect and the consideration of how far we as humans are willing to go was an interesting thought piece. For me as a reader, Ideal Life was not just about the characters and story alone but about what that story can reflect on us as a society as well.
The book begets many questions. When we can undo the small parts of life to make it optimized, do we really live our lives? Perhaps some people do live their life, but the lens they live through might feel tedious. The constant question of how to live the best life and from what view is the best life lived. How about fixating on the past and future, instead of living in the moment? It feels difficult not to rehash the small things and ask ourselves how we could have done better but if we spend all our time obsessing about our past and future, we don't live in the moment. If you never live in the moment, creating balance, what do we lose? For some, maybe nothing at all. For others, we miss the moments of connection we naturally make with others, the understanding that comes from communicating with the people we meet and the people we love.
The use of multiple POVs helped with these considerations. Each character was at a different point and thought process for themselves and their POV added to the story another question for life. Another person thinking about what to do with their future and their choices having impact on their life. Despite having less time than Talia, they all had purpose in their own way and benefitted the story. The magical realism of the book felt balanced for me as well. It never felt like that aspect pulled me out of the story and the writing was easy to read and follow.
All in all, I enjoyed Ideal Life. If you've wondered what you might do, what lengths you'd go to, in order to correct mistakes and live perfectly...this is the book for you to try.
July 22, 2026
This book caught my eye because it weaves in some of my favorite elements (magical realism and time travel) and is described as perfect for fans of one of my favorite authors. I was drawn in quickly, interested in how AI (created by Talia, the main character) that is intended to help people would actually have unintended consequences. I was predicting disaster, and there was indeed some disaster, but the disaster was thwarted thanks to a magical watch that can rewind time. I thought, “oh, cool, now we’ll get to see how rewinding time is actually damaging because of the unexpected butterfly effects that always happen,” which we did briefly see, once. In general, though, the one thing Talia didn’t like was changed and life went on. With every new scenario, she would think “maybe I shouldn’t do it, but this situation is totally justified, way more than those other times” and then she’d rewind time and do it over, sometimes more than once. She’d maybe feel a little guilty, but not really. Besides the disapproval of her best friend and some motion sickness, nothing ever really happened to entice her not to do moments over again until her conscience kicked in way later, which told me that she was actually more self-centered than she believed herself to be. This makes her human, and makes the very human lessons she ultimately learns more impactful for her. It makes for some fun reading.
I think the author missed an opportunity to show how Talia, who we are repeatedly told wants to make a positive difference for people, ends up changing something else in a different way. She rewinds time and prevents a murder, which is obviously positive, but in doing so, what else could have happened instead? Her friend disapproves of her use of the watch, and this creates tension in their relationship, which seems to be the only way she’s negatively impacted. I kept reading, hoping that one of her decisions would affect others in a way that seemingly doesn’t impact her at all, but comes back around to her and/or her company in the end. I think that would have been a reachable way to add more depth to the story.
Things resolve in the end (though I do still wonder where the watch came from), and Talia learns some important lessons. It’s like Feed meets The Circle, plus time travel. There are some great references to Segways and a mystery journalist that I enjoyed quite a bit. Overall, it’s very readable, current, and I like the message.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
I think the author missed an opportunity to show how Talia, who we are repeatedly told wants to make a positive difference for people, ends up changing something else in a different way. She rewinds time and prevents a murder, which is obviously positive, but in doing so, what else could have happened instead? Her friend disapproves of her use of the watch, and this creates tension in their relationship, which seems to be the only way she’s negatively impacted. I kept reading, hoping that one of her decisions would affect others in a way that seemingly doesn’t impact her at all, but comes back around to her and/or her company in the end. I think that would have been a reachable way to add more depth to the story.
Things resolve in the end (though I do still wonder where the watch came from), and Talia learns some important lessons. It’s like Feed meets The Circle, plus time travel. There are some great references to Segways and a mystery journalist that I enjoyed quite a bit. Overall, it’s very readable, current, and I like the message.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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