Once in a Timeline: A Novel by Iman Hariri-Kia (Paperback) (PREORDER)

Fiction - Romance - Contemporary - Magical Realism

RELEASE DATE: 10/13/2026 (WILL SHIP DIRECTLY FROM OUR SUPPLIER'S WAREHOUSE)

For fans of Ashley Poston and The Love of My Afterlife comes a clever and swoony novel about an aspiring New York lifestyle influencer who gets trapped in her own "day in the life" video, with only a mysterious stranger to help her break out. 

Get ready with me… to break out of the algorithm

Laia Grace is the New York City lifestyle influencer… or at least, she's determined to be. After leaving her past behind to pursue her dreams, failure is not an option.

Every day, she films her aesthetic routine ― the perfect light, the perfect latte, the perfect life. Until one morning, her day starts to… glitch. Her neighbors flicker. Her best friend loops. And Laia realizes she's no longer the creator, but the content ― and she's trapped inside of her last "day in the life" video, forever playing on an endless, infinite loop.

That's when a brooding, unshaven, decidedly unfiltered man (literally) crashes into frame. Noah's been stuck in Laia's timeline, too, and he's desperate to get them both out. Together, Laia and Noah fight to outsmart the algorithm that's captured them, uncovering secrets and confronting biases along the way. 

As they grow closer, the line between performance and personhood blurs, and Laia realizes she might have to face the one thing she's been avoiding all this time: herself.

AUTHOR BIO: 

Iman Hariri-Kia is a writer and editor born and based in New York City. A nationally acclaimed journalist, she covers sex, relationships, identity, and adolescence. You can often find her writing about her personal life on the internet, much to her parents' dismay.

" Once in a Timeline is exactly what readers expect from a Hariri-Kia romance novel: clever prose, a bold and loveable main character, and a fantastical premise that will sweep you far, far away. I loved every moment of this wild, romantic, fantastical book." -- Hannah Bonam-Young, New York Times bestselling author of People Watching

"An absolutely irresistible love story about our collective pursuit of perfection and the beauty of the unfiltered. I swooned, I belly laughed, and I loved it." -- Annabel Monaghan, New York Times bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script

"Another sparkling, heart-clutching romance from Hariri-Kia. I simply love every single thing she does." -- B.K. Borison, New York Times bestselling author of First-Time Caller

"Wicked smart, distinctly sharp, and totally subversive, Once in a Timeline is a once-in-a-lifetime read. It's self-aware, satirical, and--in true Iman fashion--wildly ambitious. It will come as no surprise to anyone that she absolutely knocks it out of the park. This book balances a unique premise, commentary on our endlessly consumptive reality, and a sweeping love story, all backed by Hariri-Kia's keen observations and unmistakable voice. I loved it." -- Lyla Sage, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Soul Searching