When you read the title of the book, what’s the first thing that you think of? Is it that song by The Fray – you know the one. “Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend…somewhere along in the bitterness…” And now that will be stuck in your head. You are welcome! And yes – the title of the book is in honor of that song. With that in mind, let’s jump in.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: When I think of the song of the same title, I always am reminded of the episode of Scrubs. Have you seen it? If not, then look away, because SPOILER ALERT…

…everyone in the episode dies after Dr Cox makes the call to give people organs from someone who recently died, and they didn’t know that she had rabies. If you haven’t seen the scene, you can Google it. Very powerful scene, especially for a half hour sitcom, that makes me tear up every time I watch it. It’s moments like this that elevate the songs for me into a powerful statement. Using this song for a title of a book means that there are very big shoes to fill with my expectations.

SUMMARY: Dom is having a very bad day—one he literally can’t escape. When Dom bumps into Mia, his ex-fiancée whom he hasn’t seen in almost a decade, he believes they’ve been given a second chance and asks her out. When Mia dies tragically on their date, Dom makes a desperate wish: to be given the chance to save her life. And when he wakes the next morning to the shock that she’s alive, he thinks his wish may have been granted. But day after day, no matter what he changes about their time together, she still meets a terrible fate. Dom frantically searches for answers to save his beloved Mia and rekindle their former love. But the further he digs, the more obsessed he becomes, making him realize that slowing down time may be the only way to see things clearly. As he’s forced to confront the truth about himself and those he’s closest to, Dom vows that he’ll watch Mia die a thousand times if it means he can save her once. 

WHAT KEPT ME TURNING THE PAGES: We have a song. We have a movie – have you seen Groundhogs Day? Where Bill Murray keeps reliving the same day over and over again? That concept is what fuels this book. Dom starts to live the same day over and over again – and my daughter would be THRILLED. Why? Because the authors chose my daughter’s birthday! If she could live that day over and over, you know she would. For me? That would be my own personal hell. But I digress. Dom wasn’t having as good of a time given that every time the day starts again, he has to watch the love of his life die in many different ways. Every day, he would learn something new. Mia was hiding a few secrets. His roommate and coworker had one of his own. Dom had things he could not face. And he has to find out the truth before the next day can begin.

Not only did I have to see how Dom got out of the loop, but I got to watch Dom grow. Seeing a character change for the better is one of the best well-rounded feelings a book can share. We see Dom learn about people he never would have given a second chance to. That is what gives this book so much heart.

WHAT I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: I think this goes without saying, but there is a lot of death in this book. Both explained in detail and implied. A lot. I mean every day that Dom lives again, is a day in which Mia meets a gruesome fate. It’s never a “she never woke up” type of death. It’s always extreme. So if this is a trigger for you, then you may not want to pick this one up. But if you are just scared, then push yourself into trying it. I’m not a death fan, as I am always chasing the happy ever after vibe, but in this case, it works.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed this wild ride. I tried to guess how Dom was going to break the loop, but did not guess correctly. I didn’t see that end coming! So we have a small twist you don’t see at the end, a character who grows, side characters who you feel for that aren’t just there as a prop – it makes quite the well-rounded story!

I’ll give this one 5 out of 5 book stacks! Give it a try, and let me know what you think – did you enjoy learning more about Dom and Mia? Do you think they were meant to be?