What If It’s You?
I love it when a book surprises me, not because it had twists and turns I didn't expect (although I'll take that, too), but when I went in without high expectations and they are exceeded. I read Jilly Gagnon's rom-com of 2024, Love You, Mean It, and I had a good time with it, but there were a few parts of it that just didn't work well for me. It was a solid read, but I didn't find myself immediately wanting to read everything by this author. When the publisher emailed to offer an ARC of this book, I hesitated, but I went ahead and read the description. I'm a bit of a sucker for time travel, time loops, and alternate realities, so I figured I'd give this a shot. It was a little more open-door than my usual comfort zone, and I can see how readers could get lost in the weeds of the physics/science parts of it (I chose not to), but honestly, I was blown away.
Laurel Everett is in a 5-year committed relationship and one morning she finds a ring in her boyfriend's drawer. She's immediately filled with anxiety and doubt about whether forever with Ollie is right for her. Meanwhile at work, her best friend/work husband, Drew, is working on a program called AltR that allows users to revisit an inflection point/decision in their lives and see what might have happened instead. Laurel becomes a test subject, and it seems the quantum computer can't complete her user profile, but of course, you know what's going to happen here. She wakes up the next morning and instead of a life with Ollie, she's spent the last five years in "World D" with Drew.
This could be seen as a book that includes a love triangle or even hints at infidelity, but I didn't see it that way. There are certainly people who are satisfied with their lives and don't wonder about inflection points, but there are others, myself included, who have a resounding voice that chants, "what if, what if, what if." The voice in my head doesn't ask about romantic partners, but it's asked many times, what if you'd chosen a different college, what if you'd moved to a different city, what if, what if, what if.
And that's why I think this book worked so well for me, because it was less about who Laurel should be with and more about who Laurel should become. She doesn't wake up in life with Drew and suddenly feel like all is right with the world. Instead, she hardly recognizes herself. Through this alternate reality storyline, I felt like this book held up a mirror and asked the question, "how are we shaped by the people we love." I know I'd be a different person without my husband or even my closest friends.
I laughed, related big time, and even shed a couple tears reading this. I'd categorize this as less of a romance and more of a coming-of-quarter age book. I appreciated Laurel's journey and saw echoes of my own. I loved the resolution and the epilogue and hope that Jilly Gagnon keeps writing books like this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the digital review copy. All thoughts are my genuine reading experience.
A few favorite quotes:
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🌶️ This book contains brief intimate on-page scenes in chapters 9, 16 + 20.
