Before I review this book, let me preface by saying I have loved all 3 Erin LaRosa books I’ve read. Within that context, this was likely my least favorite of hers. HOWEVER that’s not to say I did not enjoy it. Simply put, this is more of a departure from the books by her I’ve read in the past, and the high school redo trope is generally not one I enjoy (à la Sixteen Again, Senior Year.) Erin’s twist was clever and I appreciate that it wasn’t such a clear HEA. Ultimately the conclusion felt very adult / logical, so I appreciated that. and while the characters felt a bit 2-dimensional compared to her others, I would still love a sequel that sees how they navigate this relationship honestly

This one gave me Emily Henry vibes. A very sweet romance story, everyone should read one once in a while. Custer me smiling while reading it. The characters were so good and honestly felt realistic. I highly suggest it, will leave you with happy energy.

This book is perfect for Emily Henry lovers! Sam is such a relatable main character who is easy to root for and understand. Seeing her journey to love and accept herself, her family, and the uncertainties of life was so touching. And Damon is 10/10 the model for friends to lovers. As a duo they provide the second chance romance I was hoping and dreaming of. Such a lovely read from a lovely author!

4.5 Stars!!! I absolutely adored this story! Although these characters were a bit younger than me, their walk down memory lane was extremely nostalgic! This story is a second chance romance in a small town with some magical realism thrown in! I loved the characters (Grandma Pearl was freaking hilarious!), the setting, the conflict, the magical realism, and the conclusion. I highly recommend checking this one out!!

I throughly enjoyed this, the playlist and the pacing of the book was great and the romance was great touching on topics you dont see often in contemporary romances, reminds me heavily of Emily Henry books.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing & NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

This was a cute idea with a fun premise but I didn’t connect with the characters. There were a lot of early aught references that I identified with, likely as the target audience, but it fell short in trying to connect past emo-Sam with current pilot-Sam. I also REALLY didn’t understand why the track list diary had to be repeated so many times and how her having a Paris apartment was basically her whole personality. It just didn’t land right with me.

I think this was a case of this book just not being for me but would likely be loved by many others.

A sweet book about enduring love and the idea that if you love someone, let them go, and they will come back to you if it's meant to be.

Sam and Damon are teenagers in that strange space between friends and something more. Despite their feelings for one another, Sam feels trapped in their small island town and leaves after graduation. After nearly 20 years, she comes back to take care of her aging grandmother, and she is haunted by the ghosts of her past as shes confronted by her feelings for Damon once again.

Their past was displayed to the reader in such a unique way, and I loved the way the author wove the magical elements of their romance into the narrative. There was some good spice as well, but nothing too graphic. The other characters were enjoyable to read, and I appreciated the way Sam's relationship with her mother came full circle.

Overall, a solid read. The premise was 5-stars, but there was a lot of going back and forth with Sam that took away from the story's progression. I would definitely recommend this book to romance readers who like a touch of magic, as well as anyone who enjoys reading about the powerful pull of family across generations.

From the plot summary, there was an otherworldly/alternate reality aspect to the book that initially intrigued me. The moment Hot Topic was mentioned and that Sam was a Twilight girl, I was drawn in and hooked. Sam has a lot of what-ifs in her life, the main one being whether she should have kissed her best friend Damon in high school. And years later, when she listens to a mixed tape that Damon had made her in high school, she is able to temporarily see that what-if would have been like. It was interesting to see how Sam's alternate reality played out - it was like another storyline within the story. And the answer to her what-if was definitely not all black and white. In the beginning, I wasn't sure how Damon and Sam could ever be in a relationship that worked, given their directions and goals in life. And throughout the book, the main question is, can Sam have it all: the love of her life and her dream job?

From the book summary, it sounded very cute and rom-com vibes, but I think there are a lot of deeper themes that were central in the book that made me think and reflect on the author's message. The book explores the concept of being with the right person at the wrong time and also being able to find your own self before sharing your life with someone else, no matter how much you love them. At first, I felt like it would have been nice to get Damon's POV, but this book is really about Sam and her self-discovery. This book is a love story but also so much more.

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a book that explores love and sense of self on a deeper level and also has A LOT of 2000s nostalgia. This comes out on July 16, 2024!

Tropes:
Friends to lovers
The one that got away

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

I really enjoyed Erin La Rosa's previous book, but I LOVED The Backtrack. It was such an engaging book, giving me the best of my favorite aughts TV - a combo of 13 going on 30 and Sliding Doors - two of my favorite movies. It has everything you could want - a VERY likeable and engaging leading couple, great emo music from the 2000's, time travel, and an adorable grandmother that you cannot help but fall in love with. I could not put this book down!

Recap:
Sam Leto and Damon Rocha are high school best friends in 2005. They are grungy. They love Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco. They are social outcasts - and they love each other. Then, Damon, after making a very personal mixed CD with his favorite songs and gifts it to Sam, he tries to kiss her- and she turns him down. Sam knows she has to leave Tybee, GA and live a life bigger than a small town. Damon loves his hometown and wants to stay. They take different paths in life and have not spoken since. Now, Sam is back in Tybee to help her grandmother move and finds herself around Damon again. Sam finds the CD Sam once made for her in her old discman - which still magically works. Now, the discman is telling Sam what could have been if she would have kissed Damon all those years ago. Would they end up together and can Sam and Damon find a way back to each other?

Review:
Everything about this book was magical - from the way I was transported with the fantastic playlist, to the angst of being around your first love, to the anxiety of wanting to know the "What If". I was so into this I cannot even explain. The story was captivating. The characters were intensely likeable and you WANT to cheer for them. The angst was palpable. I loved every second of it! Honestly, five stars. No notes.

Read if you like:
Second Chance Romance
2000's Emo Music
Best friends to lovers

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

ooooo this was interesting! i like erin la rosa's other books so this was exciting for me to read! i liked the concept, the writing, and the characters

My absolute favorite genres for romance are: friends to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, and dual timelines/flashbacks. And this book hit every single one, and perfectly. It was a unique plot, full of nostalgia and memories. The main characters were relatable and sweet, grandmas was fun and sassy, and the old ladies were so fun too! I was living for all the emo musical references! This book is a new favorite! I can’t wait to get a physical copy.

The Backtrack by Erin La Rosa is like putting on your favorite playlist into your cd player and being back in summer of 2000's.

The premise and plot of this book is clever, witty and nostalgic. It's sweet, spicy, and a bit emotional. This book definitely felt like a throwback film, seeing shorts of alternate universes and scenes, what ifs, what had I done this, etc. I think all the millennials that grew up with the alt-emo, so much feelings and music era will love this book. This book revolves around a magical cd player that transports the main character to an alternate universe where she can see what her life would have been like if she had made just one big thing differently. It was such a fun millennial throwback that felt like a movie in the 90s and gives so much nostalgia and comforting feelings being back where playlists and cd players were the trajectory of your feels and life. It's such a fun and cute book, anyone that grew up in this time will love it.

It was cute idea. In a very 13 going on 30 way Sam goes back to her home town and finds an old cd player. When she listens to the songs she is taken back to and alternate version of her teen years if she decided to kiss her best friend instead of turning him down. It was interesting at first but then I found myself a bit bored and skimming a good chunk at the end. I wanted to love it but it just didn't hold my attention.

The Backtrack is a sweet, somewhat emotional, and nostalgic read. I loved the musical elements and the relationship between the main characters was a sweet one. The old ladies were by far my favorite!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The 2000s emo girl in me is absolutely SCREAMING over this book. Every reference, especially the music because oh my gods this was my playlist as a teen, was so nostalgic and the whole thing felt like 13 Going on 30 but for the punks. And I ate. it. up.
This book follows Sam, a badass pilot who, just over a decade prior, left her small Georgian hometown and never looked back. And there, she left her home, her grandma, and the boy who she would always ask 'what if?' over. So when she is forced to come home to help her grandmother and finds an old mixtape from Damon, said boy, she listens and is transported into the past, where her questions are answered.

"They were constantly trying to impress each other through music- a kind of unspoken game of who could make the best mixes. And while Sam prided herself on finding obscure bands, Damon had the uncanny ability to put together songs that made her feel something."

There were so many things I loved about this book, from the sassy grandmother to the heartwarming character growth, and I think the author did an amazing job weaving humor and love and healing together in a book that I really couldn't put down. The brief flashbacks that you experience with Sam not only give a truly unique look at a second-chance/what if? romance book, but also have you questioning your own life, looking at moments when one decision could have changed everything. But the most beautiful part of this was the idea that even if you could have it all planned out, even if you think you know how the story ends, you are still the master of the present, and you can rewrite that which you want to.

"Having nostalgia is romantic... It's the ability to never forget something you love."

The chemistry between Sam and Damon was so palpable, and while the man is precious and lovable, there is an edge to him that I really appreciated. He was sure of himself, grew into his dreams- just as Sam did- and I really appreciated this idea of two people having to grow apart so that one day they could grow together. He was gentle and giving and had great taste in music (if questionable taste in hairstyles), and he is yet another book boyfriend to add to the list of favorites.

"Damon bent his head slightly, and she reached up toward him. Their lips met and Sam knew he would be her home, no matter where she went."

Oh.. he also has a motorcycle. So there's that.

Overall, this book was amazing, definitely something to pick up if you are looking for a dose of romantic, heartwarming, beautiful 2000s nostalgia. Absolutely recommend and I cannot wait to have this one on my shelves!

This book revolves around a magical cd player that transports the main character to an alternate universe where she can see what her life would have been like if she had made just ONE critical decision differently.

Does this description sound ridiculous? Definitely. Did I absolutely love this book from beginning to end? YES! This gets all the stars from me. A fun, millennial romp. This would make a fantastic summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the advanced copy.

Sam and Damon were close friends in high school; Damon wanted to be closer but Sam was afraid of breaking his heart when she inevitably felt compelled to leave town just like her estranged mother. Now she's back home to help her grandmother move out of the family home, and Sam finds her old CD player with the last mix tape Damon made for her inside. Turns out it is a time-travel/possessed/haunted CD player showing Sam an alternate timeline with Damon. (Suspend disbelief, please, you'll have a lot more fun than over-analyzing why or how this is happening, especially since it's never explained.) Over time and as Sam is shown various stages of their alternate timeline romance, she realizes that she may have had a happier life if she'd made a different choice with Damon back in high school. But is that really true, and is it ever too late for happiness? I'm sure we all have those things or people we wonder "What if?" about, and I absolutely loved this concept! I also loved the idea of music being the vehicle of choice for showing the alternate timeline, and the author captured the feel of the early 'aughts very well. The childhood friends to lovers trope is my kryptonite, and it works well here. And while this isn't a second chance romance in the traditional sense I think it was close enough to make this a wonderful redemptive romance. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review! I gave it 4 stars here but it's really more like 4.5.

This book was so up my alley, it’s a bit ridiculous. The music used in The Backtrack was exactly what I listened to in high school. The nostalgia was so real.

Sam fled her hometown after high school, not wanting to get stuck there. Unfortunately, that meant leaving her best friend Damon behind. Now she has come back due to her grandma preparing to sell her childhood home. And Damon is still there. She finds an old CD player in her room. There is also a mix that Damon had made for her. When she plays the CD, an alternate version of her life starts to take place.

It was so interesting to read what was gonna happen next and which songs would be featured. I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

this book was insanely good. it was nostalgic, emotional, sweet, and spicy. i had no idea how much i needed to read this book!

thank you so much to netgalley and HTP for the arc <3

When I read the description of this book I knew I had to snatch it up. Fall Out Boy references and other emo/punk rock references from my teen years? Yeah, I’m totally there. It also had serendipitous timing as I started it on the eve of the FOB concert.

This was a really fun nostalgia romp. I loved how she didn’t have the characters grow up and become “corporate sell outs” like we would’ve cringed over as teens. They stayed true to who they were at heart. The red tips may grow out, but the emo soul runs deep. Sam and Damon were very sweet and I loved the second chance romance while also having Sam deal with her own family issues and generational healing. It’s everything you could want — nostalgia, magical elements, fantastic music, questionable fashion choices, second chances, and best friends to lovers. The perfect little millennial romcom.

I enjoyed how each song correlated with a plot point in both the present time and the alternate universe. Excellent music choices! The only part I wasn’t a huge fan of was the repetition of the entire track list and Sam’s notes as she discovered the playlist. Now I can definitely see how this is helpful if you’re taking a lot of breaks while reading this, but when you’re zooming through the last dozen chapters, it just felt a little tiresome to read the same list over and over when there wasn’t any new insight added.

Overall, the characters were fun and lovable and the plot was realistic and sweet with just a bit of mystical elements through that magical little cd player. If you want something light and fun with a the perfect hint of emotion and baggage, this is a great choice.

Thank you to Net Galley and Canary Street Press/Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.