Groundhog Day remains one of my favorite movies of all time. Somehow, the repetitiveness of living the same day again and again doesn’t get old for me. And I love that romance authors have recognized the movie’s greatness and drawn inspiration from it. If you love the idea of a couple puzzling their way out of a time loop, I have the titles for you. I’ve got both adult and young adult romances on this list.
While there are plenty of time travel romances and other timey wimey stories, I didn’t mess around with this list. Every one of these books stays true to the Groundhog Day premise. These characters are on a one-day loop for the duration of the book, unless/until they can find their way out. To celebrate the actual holiday of Groundhog Day, why not pick one of these fun and swoony titles up? Punxsutawney Phil would approve.
Not You Again by Erin La Rosa
Of course, a big difference between these books is what exact day the story is repeating. In Not You Again, screenwriter Carly has the misfortune of attending her father’s funeral day after day. Meanwhile, the funeral director Adam is reliving his ex-wife confessing her infidelity to him. Carly and Adam know they need each other to break the cycle, but they don’t actually like each other. Lucky for them, they have all the time (loop) in the world to seek out each other’s charms.
The Déja Glitch by Holly James
In this time loop romance, it’s a fairly ordinary Thursday playing out over and over. Gemma doesn’t realize this beyond the vague sense of déja vu she experiences when she meets Jack. Jack, however, is agonizing in the timeline, certain that getting Gemma to fall in love with him in the course of their day will be the thing that breaks them both free.
Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau
The old lady selling dumplings at the night market told Noelle the meal would give her what she needed. And now she’s living the same Friday again and again. Same Wordle and everything. She crosses paths with a handsome man named Cam several times a day. Eventually, she realizes he may be the key to solving her problem. If you want a book that spends some time with the characters out of their loop, pick this gem up.
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The Do-Over by Lynn Painter
Among young adult time loop romances, The Do-Over is a very popular choice. In this book, Emilie is stuck endlessly reliving a terrible Valentine’s Day. This is the day she has to witness her boyfriend cheat on her. There’s a mysterious guy named Nick, however, whose car she bumps into every morning. As she begins to realize the power her own choices have, her fate starts to change.
Sanskari Sweetheart by Ananya Devarajan
If Raina can win the National Bollywood Dance Circuit Scholarship, she will prove herself to both her mother and her boyfriend. When a performance goes awry, all she wants is a do-over. And that she gets! The problem is that she continues to humiliate herself day after day. This young adult romance proves that achieving perfection isn’t necessarily the thing that will solve all your problems.
It’s You Every Time by Charlene Thomas
This is a YA time loop romance that delves into grief alongside its beautiful love story. Sydney and Marcus are stuck on the day they meet each other and go on an impromptu adventure. While it might sound fun to experience the fizzy feelings of a nascent romance every day, they quickly realize it won’t make a life. Especially when the adults around them are grieving. You’ll be surprised by what these two teens have to do to break their cycle.
If you love a time loop, we have a few more time loop romances to recommend, and books from other genres that give Groundhog Day vibes. If you read them all, you’ll know every trick to keep yourself experiencing time linearly.
English (US) · 