I enjoyed Don't You Want Me. It was a fun and unique read full of drama, crazy twists, and emotion. At times, it was a bit too crazy, with the results of the time travel getting weirder and wilder each time.

I really liked Lisa. She was a strong, charismatic, and complex character. I also really liked Stephanie and Emily.
The storyline was compelling and emotional, I was drawn in immediately.

While I enjoyed it, there were a few scenes that were a bit confusing. I'm not sure why the past or future was changed so much from one single jump. It felt a bit odd. Especially the part in the past with the band. I found it a bit strange and random.
There was also an error with the description of the daughters. At first, they had brown curly hair and deep brown eyes, and then they had blonde hair and blue eyes.

Overall, it was a fun and entertaining read.

3.5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley, Post Hill Press, and Derlys Maria Gutiérrez for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Regalo Press and NetGalley for a Copy of “Don’t You Want Me “ for an honest review review.

I was drawn to read this book purely on the title ,and the nostalgia of the 80s .Sadly this book just wasn’t what I’d hoped or expected .I disliked the characters and the storyline just didn’t grab my attention , and I’m afraid I gave up on the book , hence the low rating

I have enjoyed reading certain time travel romances, but this one didn’t work for me. It started off well, but I gradually began to lose interest. The time travel could have been more seamless, as it felt abrupt to me. More importantly, I couldn’t feel a strong enough connection with the characters to follow them back into the past. Additionally, the writing style didn’t work for me. Too much telling for my liking.

Thank you for the copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Regalo Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really love time travel and how it's explored in books and this one intrigued me. I didn't care at all about the characters but really loved the back and forth to the 1980's. The writing was quick and easy and the tension... oh the tension was delicious! It kept me hooked and reading as I just wanted to devour it all.

Apparently this book is based on a song? That I've never heard of or listened to! So that's intriguing.

Derlys Maria Gutiérrez's Don't You Want Me attempts to blend time travel, romance, and 1980s nostalgia into a compelling narrative. While the premise holds promise, the execution falls short, resulting in a story that may appeal to fans of light, retro-themed fiction but lacks depth and emotional resonance.

Plot Overview

The novel follows Lisa Williams, a 40-year-old woman in 2008 entangled in an affair with a married man named Adam. One evening, while waiting for Adam at a train station, she hears The Human League's song "Don't You Want Me" and is mysteriously transported back to 1982, inhabiting her 18-year-old self. In this new timeline, she meets Adam as a college student, setting off a series of time-traveling escapades aimed at altering her present circumstances.

Strengths

Nostalgic Appeal: The 1980s setting, complete with references to music and culture, provides a nostalgic backdrop that may resonate with readers who appreciate that era.

Conceptual Creativity: The idea of time travel triggered by a specific song adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, offering potential for exploring themes of fate and choice.
Goodreads

Weaknesses

Underdeveloped Characters: Lisa's character lacks depth, and her motivations are unclear. Adam is portrayed as a one-dimensional figure, making it difficult to understand why Lisa is so captivated by him.

Inconsistent Writing: The dialogue often feels flat and unconvincing, hindering emotional engagement. The narrative tone shifts abruptly, detracting from the story's coherence.

Predictable Plot: The time-travel elements, while initially intriguing, lead to a series of repetitive scenarios without significant character growth or meaningful change.

Conclusion

Don't You Want Me offers a nostalgic journey through time with a romantic twist, but its lack of character development and inconsistent writing may leave readers yearning for a more substantial and emotionally engaging story. While it may serve as a light read for fans of 1980s culture, those seeking a deeper exploration of love and time will find this novel lacking.

I had a hard time connecting with this book and finally DNF'd about 1/5th of the way in. Just not for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Definitely not for me. The timing didn’t work here age wise and the characters were abysmal. The time travel made no sense overall.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

As always my reviews are spoiler free.

3/5 for me

I loved it until I did not. I just wanted it to end.

Lisa's predicament creates very high stakes and I loved that. The time travel was also believable in the reality of the book. I truly did love being thrown back and forth in time. But then it didn't stop. And like Lisa's growing headaches, my head decided to join Lisa's pain. I couldn't wait for the book to end.

The plot and themes explored are kinda great and so are the characters but the constant travelling back and forth, that's what lead me to give this only a 3/5

Would I recommend this? To someone who loves time travel, the early 90s and a morally ambiguous characters, definitely yes. Despite me liking all the above, this book just wasn't for me.

This book was great. I love time travel books and it's not often they are done in such a feel good, lighthearted way. This is a book where I wished I could jump into the pages and live it. So so so good!

Content warnings: infidelity, infertility, death of a parent, death of a child, miscarriage, medical tests, car accident

==
In 2008, after the loss of her child, Lisa turns away from her also grieving husband, Marcus, and finds solace in the arms of a married man - Adam. Lisa daydreams of what would happen if *she'd* met Adam in college rather than his wife, Stephanie, and a freak accident sends her back to 1982 where she can do just that.

But actions have consequences, and Lisa finds herself changing the future in an attempt to change her past, and learning where hear heart truly resides.

==

I'ma a sucker for a good time travel story, and this one was complicated.

Given the initial focus on infidelity, I was tempted to DNF the book early on, but I'm glad I persevered, as the story did get better (not the people - the main characters are all pretty awful with the exception of Marcus).

The changes with each time jump were really interesting, as Lisa tried to get the perfect version of her life - and the sudden change to the past (how? Why? That jump to 1984 was never explained) threw an interesting twist into the mix.

In a speculative/magic-realism book, there were a few things I found a little too far fetched or unrealistic, (such as Stephanie and Lisa's relationship outside of Stephanie's workplace), and the additional pieces of Lisa's backstory didn't seem as cohesive as the rest of the book.

Overall, though, this was a thought provoking book about the butterfly effect and finding happiness.

~This is a NetGalley ARC. All opinions are my own~

DNF @ 18%. I had high hopes for this book. The concept was intriguing. However, the writing was flat and underdeveloped. Lisa is an unlikeable character and immature forty year old. I have no problem loving to hate a character, however in this case I think I was meant to root for her.

I had high hopes for this book, and the time-travel aspect was really intriguing. The 80s setting was fun, but unfortunately, there were some major plot issues that took away from the story. I wished how the travel was explained earlier. It's a shame, because the basic concept was good. The ending felt rushed and still had me wondering what actually happened. Thank you to Post Hill Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review all opinions are my own.

Don't You Want Me is an intriguing tale of cheating spouses, unwavering friendship, '80s legwarmers and time travel. The time travel occurs each time the protagonist hears the song Don't You Want Me by The Human League playing on the radio, jukebox or on one occasion even by the band themselves in a tawdry apartment before they found fame. Lisa, the main character, has suffered tragedy in the form of losing both her parents and then losing an infant son, the latter being the final straw emotionally, which has driven a wedge between her and her husband, Marcus. When we meet her, she is waiting for her lover, Adam, whom she wishes she had met in college before he ever encountered his wife Stephanie. Lisa is convinced that if she had met him first, her life would be perfect and she would have a happy family. Her wish comes true when she suddenly finds herself time-travelling whenever the song comes on. Each time she travels, something major changes in her life, and her life becomes a hunt for what she needs to change in the '80s in order to make her present-day life perfect. The pace is fast, and the story is full of unexpected twists and turns and is never predictable. Don't You Want Me is a whole lot of fun, and I recommend it wholeheartedly to fans of '80s culture and time travel stories!

*Don’t You Want Me* is a fun, whimsical romp through time that blends humor, heart, and a little chaos. Lisa’s quest to rewrite her past and win the love she believes is meant for her takes her on an unpredictable journey full of 80s nostalgia, unexpected revelations, and plenty of self-discovery. With each leap through time, Lisa learns that love, fate, and friendship might just be more complicated—and more rewarding—than she ever imagined.

I started this book.
I read thevfirst few pages.
The first page was good, but sadly quickly the writing turned bad.
It felt like reading a bad hallmark movie.
DNF for me.

Time travel back in time?

Set to the Human League's "Don't You Want Me" this was such an interesting premise. Sign me up.
Lisa Williams in not in a good place. She magically time travels back to the early 1980's so she can meet the one before he gets married (or her, too). At times, it just missed the mark. But an interesting premise.
And come on, Don't you want me. That was such a hit.

Lisa, who happens to be an ‘unfortunate soul’, is capable of time travel and wants to stop something from happening in the past so that she and Adam can be happy.
Plot, characterisation, craft were all solid 3 stars for me whereas the concept was a 4 star.
I recommend this book if you are looking for something with time travel and nostalgia.

This plot was so intriguing!

If you could time travel, what would you change from your past? For Lisa, the answer is simple: she wants to rewrite her love story.

As my first ARC, Don’t You Want Me by Derlys Maria Gutierrez absolutely delivered! I’ve recently been in a romance fantasy black hole and the novelty of Derlys’s magical realism and plot was the breath of fresh air and reset I needed. The plot kept me guessing in the best way—at no point did I feel like I knew what was coming next, which made it all the more entertaining.

As evidence to that, despite Don’t You Want Me including tropes in which I tend to struggle, the writing pulled me in and I found myself lost in the story.

Although I found some moments a little clunky, on the whole I enjoyed Don’t You Want Me and would recommend the story for someone wanting a fun, easy read (especially if you love an 80s flair).

Don’t You Want Me is a fun premise, time travel back to the 80s to explore what a doomed relationship in the 2000s might have been had they met decades earlier. There’s a Peggy Sue Gets Married, 13 Going On 30 vibe that keeps the story light and entertaining. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of this book was intriguing, but the execution of the plotline wasn’t as engaging as I’d hoped it would be. Part of that had to do with the lack of characterization of the main and supporting characters, and the lack of concrete rules for the time travel that was portrayed in this book.

The FMC, Lisa, was probably the most developed character, but her development seemed off, especially at the end. I’m not sure what she actually learned through all of this. And I wasn’t satisfied with how everything played out.

The other characters weren’t developed enough and some of them, including Adam, seemed to simply become a caricature rather than a fleshed out and fully formed person.

In the original present timeline, Adam seems like the best guy Lisa has ever known because that’s how she presents him. And it’s that “perfect” guy that opens the door to going back to 1982. If only Lisa could meet Adam when they were both younger, her life would be so much better because in her mind, she’s supposed to be with him.

But when Lisa finally finagles time enough to shift the present timeline into something different, he becomes something else entirely. The problem with Adam’s characterization is that there is no development. We only see him through Lisa’s eyes and to say that she’s an unreliable narrator would be an understatement. But it’s up to the author to show us why Adam is a good or a bad or a neutral guy, which I don’t believe Guiterrez fully does. What happens instead is that I couldn’t imagine anyone being with Adam in the present timeline. Once you’ve seen him acting at his worst, it’s hard to forget that, and I wasn’t pleased that anyone ended up with him at all.

The shifts in time were interesting, but I don’t think all of them added up in the end. I’m not sure what Lisa was doing to change things so drastically in the present timeline, and even when she’d go back to the 80s, things were not developed to the point of everything making sense.

Some of the dialogue was clunky and boring at times as well.

Overall, I felt as though this could have used another round of edits and revisions. I did enjoy parts of the book though, but I just wasn’t fully invested in the story.