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Verdict: A sweet, feel-good YA time-loop romance: Phoebe Mendel has lived August 6th for nearly a month, desperate to reach the doctor who might take her IBS seriously, when a very mundane car crash sends her childhood crush Jess into the loop with her. Readers celebrate its disability, fat and queer Jewish representation; some wanted more plot and higher stakes.
Best for: Readers who want a warm, low-stakes YA rom-com with chronically ill and disabled leads.
Heat level: Closed door
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.0/5 — a 4.06 Goodreads average across 1,428 ratings, 4.22 on StoryGraph from 1,044 reviews, and 4.1 stars across 64 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Time loop, childhood friends to lovers, second chance, YA, disability representation, rom-com.
Time and Time Again is Chatham Greenfield’s 2024 debut, a YA contemporary queer romance with a time-loop twist, published by Bloomsbury. Every day is August 6th for Phoebe: pancakes with Mom, Scrabble with Dad, and constant research into how to reach tomorrow.
It holds a 4.06 average across 1,428 Goodreads ratings, with 76% of them four or five stars, 4.22 on StoryGraph from 1,044 reviews, and 4.1 stars across 64 Amazon ratings.
What Is Time and Time Again About?
Everything is agonisingly the same, until a car crash sends Jess, Phoebe’s childhood crush, into the loop too. Jess convinces Phoebe to make the most of consequence-free days: concert tickets, mostly harmless revenge, all-night road trips.
As Phoebe falls for Jess, she worries about what waits on the other side. Is Jess only paying attention because they are trapped together? Will her new doctor dismiss her pain? And will she ever get to find out?
What Works in This Book
- Representation: A fat, Jewish, chronically ill lesbian lead and a nonbinary, disabled love interest, discussed openly and casually.
- Feel-good tone: Readers call it charming, sweet and a book they finished in a day.
- The romance: Childhood friends reconnecting makes it easy to root for Phoebe and Jess.
- Balance: Serious issues sit alongside plenty of humour.
Book Synopsis
The same day, over and over. The same girl, who has never stopped wanting tomorrow.
Then her childhood crush crashes into the loop.
My Review
The standout is how honestly the book handles chronic illness: Phoebe’s IBS, her anxiety and her fear of not being believed by doctors, and Jess’s arthritis and mobility aids are woven into everyday life rather than treated as plot devices. One chronically ill, plus-size reader says it showed a part of her the world rarely sees. The story starts mid-loop, which one reader found a fresh take, and the family relationships get real attention alongside the romance.
The time loop itself is surprisingly inconsequential, several readers note: the leads are in no hurry to escape, and many of the events could happen in normal time. One found it repetitive and hard to connect with, one felt little else stood out beyond the representation, and one wished for chapters from Jess’s point of view.
My honest note: A gentle, affirming YA romance more than a sci-fi puzzle.
| Element | In Time and Time Again |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Phoebe Mendel (lesbian, chronic IBS) & Jess (nonbinary, arthritis, cane and walker user) |
| Core tropes | Time loop, childhood friends to lovers |
| Setting | Florida, one summer day |
| Heat level | Closed door |
| Length | 336 pages |
| Series | Standalone |
| Content notes | Fatphobia, lesbophobia, misgendering, anxiety attacks, car accident |
How Spicy Is Time and Time Again?
Closed door. It is a sweet YA romance.
Readers flag fatphobia (including from doctors), lesbophobia, accidental misgendering, anxiety attacks and a minor car accident.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want joyful chronic illness and disability representation in a YA romance. It is on our disabled sapphic romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you want a twisty, high-stakes time-loop plot.
In short: Same day, new love.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 35% five stars, 41% four, 19% three, 4% two and 1% one. On StoryGraph, 69% tagged it hopeful, 64% emotional, and 95% found the characters loveable.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Representation first. Second, the feel-good tone. Third, the childhood-friends romance. Fourth, the time loop.
What readers argue about and complain about: Low stakes, above everything. Second, repetitiveness. Third, a thin plot.
The comparison worth making first: Mooncakes, another YA romance with a nonbinary love interest and disability representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the disability representation?
Phoebe has chronic IBS and anxiety, and Jess has arthritis and uses a cane and a walker. Readers with chronic illness say the portrayal felt personal and true, including Phoebe’s fear that doctors will dismiss her pain.
Is Jess a girl?
Jess is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns; readers describe both leads as lesbians.
Is it a high-stakes time loop?
No. One reader calls it the most relaxed time loop they have read, and another describes it as a romance first and a time-loop story second, with low stakes.
Are there content warnings?
Readers list fatphobia (including medical fatphobia), lesbophobia, accidental misgendering and deadnaming, mentions of antisemitism, anxiety attacks and a minor car accident.
Is Time and Time Again on Kindle Unlimited?
Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $10.55.
If You Loved Time and Time Again, Read These Next
Try Mooncakes or Make You Mine This Christmas. Browse our disabled sapphic romance list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Time and Time Again sets out to be a warm, inclusive time-loop romance, and its representation and heart deliver. What holds it back is a loop with little at stake. A lovely, affirming debut. Check Time and Time Again on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Time and Time Again ranks as a strong disability-rep pick — warm, affirming.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ 4.06 average across 1,428 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 76% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 4.22 on StoryGraph from 1,044 reviews
- ✓ 4.1 stars across 64 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Childhood crush
- ✓ Sweet
- ✓ Rooting for them
- ✓ Banter
Characters ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Phoebe
- ✓ Jess
- ✓ Family
- ✓ 95% loveable on StoryGraph
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Humour
- ✓ Starts mid-loop
- ✓ Repetitive for some
- ✓ Low stakes
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Chronic illness
- ✓ Being believed
- ✓ Hopeful
- ✓ Affirming
Heat Level ★☆☆☆☆ 1/5
- ✓ Closed door
- ✓ YA
- ✓ Sweet
- ✓ Gentle
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Hopeful
- ✓ Standalone
- ✓ Warm
- ✓ Satisfying
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ $10.55 Kindle price
- ✓ Audiobook
- ✓ 336 pages
- ✓ Feel-good
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