Member Reviews
This was a fun book that also would suddenly switch to serious topics. I love books and movies where people are retracing their steps to find out what happened. The reasons they couldn’t remember were a little though.
Second-chance romance meets 90s nostalgia. The Rewind is not a rom-com, there are funny moments of banter and chuckle-worthy scenes, but I found it hard to see the romance or the comedy in it.
Instead, the story stands out to me as an examination of a relationship between two people who shared a remarkable connection fueled with love and still decided to let go of each other.
Ten years later, they are forced to confront the reasons they walked away and determine if they have a future.
The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch is a perfect fit for readers who adore nostalgic, lighthearted, and emotional rom-coms that explore the themes of second chance romance, reunion, and enemies-to-lovers, and are looking for a big-hearted and feel-good story that will transport them back to the late 1990s.
I really enjoyed the concept of this book, it was different and covered a holiday that books usually don't focus on. It was fun, unique and a fresh take on romance!
Charming, bizarre and gives you the warm, bubbly feelings of a glass of good champagne!
Summary:
When college sweethearts Frankie and Ezra broke up before graduation, they vowed to never speak to each other again. Ten years later, on the eve of the new millennium, they find themselves back on their snowy, picturesque New England campus together for the first time for the wedding of mutual friends. Frankie’s on the rise as a music manager for the hottest bands of the late ’90s, and Ezra’s ready to propose to his girlfriend after the wedding. Everything is going to plan—they just have to avoid the chasm of emotions brought up when they inevitably come face to face.
But when they wake up in bed next to each other the following morning with Ezra’s grandmother’s diamond on Frankie’s finger, they have zero memory of how they got there—or about any of the events that transpired the night before. Now Frankie and Ezra have to put aside old grievances in order to figure out what happened, what didn’t happen...and to ask themselves the most troubling question of all: what if they both got it wrong the first time around?
I am a find of Scotch’s writing, but unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. I didn’t buy it as a romance and didn’t think the lead characters belonged together.
Overtime the holidays come I try to read seasonal novels. Frankie and Ezra story really surprised me. i don't know why i was expecting some sort of time travel aspect here, but it wasn't. it was about second chances in life, forgiveness, and most of all love. My heart broke for both. i had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, its narrated by the amazing Julia Whelan and it was absolutely great. truly enjoyed it.
THE REWIND is the type of book you sit down and finish in one afternoon. Being a sucker for a second-chance romance, I gave the book a try. The characters dynamic was expected and even though the author puts her whole spin on trope, I felt like I wanted more. I hate to say anything negative because I know others will love this book. It just wasn't for me.
The Rewind: a great rainy day read
I paired The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch with cozy sofa time during bad weather, and it was the perfect reading experience for this emotional story.
Second-chance romance meets 90s nostalgia
Frankie and Ezra’s whirlwind relationship ended right after graduation. They weren’t perfect together, but walking away didn’t help them move on. A decade later, their feelings for each other are still messy and raw. Although they would rather continue avoiding each other, a wedding brings them back together to the scene of their heartbreak.
In The Rewind, Frankie and Ezra wake up after sleeping together in a room at their old college dorm. They have absolutely no recollection of how they got there or why they are both wearing wedding bands. As they try to piece together their night, they are forced to confront how they each contributed to blowing up the relationship and the realization that there are still all sorts of feelings that run deep.
The Rewind is not a rom-com
Sure, there are funny moments of banter and chuckle-worthy scenes, but I found it hard to see the romance or the comedy in it. Instead, the story stands out to me as an examination of a relationship between two people who shared a remarkable connection fueled with love and still decided to let go of each other. Ten years later, they are forced to confront the reasons they walked away and determine if they have a future.
The book is written in third-person POV, with chapters alternating focus between Ezra and Frankie. It spends a lot of time looking back and explaining the heavy baggage they both carry. Maybe that is why it is so hard to think of this as a rom-com.
The Rewind is a beautiful and emotional story about humans who are imperfect but real.
This was an easy read with a fun plot device. I didn't love any of the characters. But it was compelling and made me want to keep reading.
I wanted to really like the book because I’ve loved several of the author’s previous books, but this was so repetitive. I absolutely loved the 90s era and the college location was very fun. I think a little more of a clear timeline for each section would have helped.
Thank you Berkley for the gifted book.
I immensely enjoyed ‘The Rewind’ by Allison Winn Scotch. Heartfelt, funny, and romantic, I highly recommend this one!
After multiple attempts on both digital and audio platforms I have come to realize this isn’t a good fit for me. And no matter how hard I try it’s just not going to work.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity.
Allison is an automatic buy for me. but I'm glad I was able to get the arc of this one. I loved this book. I enjoy Allison's writing style. A must read. This is a fast read and you won't be disappointed.
First off, love this cover! It instantly drew me to this book! This second chance romance has the perfect setting of NYE. Highly recommend the audio as one of my faves Julia Whelan is the narrator.
I somehow missed reviewing this book back when I read it last year, however I thoroughly enjoyed the read. This is a story that slips through time. The two main characters, Frankie and Ezra were college sweethearts, but had a bad breakup at the end of their years at college. Ten years later, they've agreed to join their old friends back at campus for a reunion and New Year's Eve bash to celebrate the new millennium. Frankie is a manager for musicians, including some of the hottest bands and lives a busy, active life constantly on the go. Ezra went on to law school after graduation but has taken his life in a different direction and is on the verge of proposing to his girlfriend Mimi.
As the book opens, they wake up together in a dorm bed wearing wedding rings and have no memory of how they got there. We know something happened back in 1989 to cause a sudden breakup, and we know that something happened the night before this uncomfortable awakening. As the couple tries to remember what happened, and retraces their steps from the night before, we also get to see into the past and into the secrets they've kept from each other from the beginning.
This is a story of two people who were crazy in love at a time in their life where they didn't know where they wanted to be. There were secrets that created a communication issue between them. There were assumptions made without talking things out. There were lots of emotions.
This is a story with nuance and humour. One that is hopeful and where the characters come alive as their stories get revealed. A great read.
I think marketing this book as a second chance love story is a bit misleading. It's more of an enemies-to-lovers story. Sure, they are ex's that get back together but it's not really a second chance.
Frankie and Ezra dated in college and then had a messy break up, mostly because they were 22 and unable to communicate like adults. They are angry at each other for a decade and then meet back up at a mutual friend's wedding on their old college campus. The rehearsal dinner features a scavenger hunt where Frankie and Ezra get paired up. They don't remember much except that they wake up the next morning together and they have to continually ask, "What happened last night?"
I think the story might have been crisper if they started with a chapter of them waking up together and not knowing why and then jumping back 14 hours and going through the whole story in chronological order. There are times when the story gives details of the past, which just showed how incompatible these two people are for each other.
The ending was predictable and cliched. It's hard to root for two people who don't communicate and don't get along.
I’ve been trying for months to read this book. I even skipped ahead to see if that helped but it didn’t work. I’ve learned over time that you don’t have to read every book so I’m letting this one go. Thanks for the advanced copy NetGalley. #NetGalley #TheRewind
I loved the first 50% of this book and then lost interest, sadly. I love a New England setting and I'm a huge fan of second chance romances, but the tone shifted after the halfway mark and I didn't feel the connection between the characters.
While Scotch's prose is beautiful and the setting is fun, this book breaks the cardinal rule of romance novels, which is that you must build chemistry between the main characters. They simply seemed to hate each other, and so it was difficult to root for their romance.