Thank you to the publisher for an eARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

This was a fun, cute, magical realism contemporary romance with an interesting premise and some great characters. I thought the magical element was interesting and I loved the whole message overall: you never know what could have happened, but all you can really do is live with the decisions you’ve made and continue your path. It was a really sweet story.

This story follows a pilot returning home who plays the CD player where she gets flashbacks of her past. I read one book of Erin’s in the past, which I enjoyed, and this book was good. I loved the storyline of the magic realism book, which was fun and entertaining. I do wish we got more romance because that’s what I thought, as this book mainly follows the FMC’s character. I loved the flashbacks which gave a different setting for each of those scenes which was fun. This book is told from Sam’s pov.

Sam is the FMC, and for the most part, I enjoyed her character. She did sometimes annoy me, but for the most part, I liked her and saw the growth. Then we have Damon, who is the love interest, and I enjoyed learning what happened between them in the past. There are other side characters who take part in the story. The romance is friends-to-lovers and a second chance, which was cute, but I wish it still felt more like a romance book. I think with the themes of the story, multiple things were being balanced.

The ending was good, and overall, so was the story. I loved the entire concept, which made the story so fun. If you don’t enjoy magic realism, especially of the 2000s, then this might not be for you unless you don’t mind the time-traveling, because this is your book.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

This was a fun and easy read. A perfect cleanser from my typical read. Very fleshed out. Highly recommend!

The Backtrack is a heartfelt, music-infused second-chance romance that hits all the right emotional notes. Erin La Rosa weaves a story about love, grief, and rediscovery, following two former flames whose paths cross again on a soul-searching road trip. With La Rosa’s signature wit and emotional depth, the book delivers a poignant blend of humor, vulnerability, and sizzling chemistry.

The characters feel layered and real—especially the heroine, who’s working through personal loss and growth. The romance is tender and mature, with moments of tension that make the payoff all the sweeter.

This one had a fun setup, cute banter and good vibes but didn't totally stick the landing. The chemistry is there, but the emotional arc felt a bit surface-level, and some of the deeper themes around burnout and grief got brushed aside. I wanted more feeling, not just flirty road trip antics. It's entertaining and worth a read, I just wanted....more.

I was so excited for this book! 90's nostalgia and time travel? Yes, please. But I just didn't feel connected to this book. There was almost too much nostalgia and not enough focusing on the characters.

What do you get when you take 13 going on 30 flip it on its head and give all the elder millenials the cozy nostalgia of the bops of our time? The Backtrack.

A magical CD player and the last burnt cd mix her former best friend, Damon, made for her, Sam is transported back in time to different key moments with each song. Faced with all of the what-ifs that have passed in her mind, what really would have happened had things gone a different direction shows Sam just how much her life could have changed.

From the throwbacks to the characters to the banter and deeper themes that just melt into the story, The Backtrack was fun, relatable, and played into the questions of what life could have been.

This book was soo boring. Alt Sam? Just call her younger me or young Sam. Maybe separate them by Sam and Samantha. I think you read alt same 75 times. Just horrible.

The Backtrack is a solid pick for fans of second-chance love stories, musical nostalgia, and a touch of magic. Sam Leto, a commercial pilot, returns to her hometown of Tybee Island, Georgia, to help her grandmother sell the family home. While packing up, she finds an old CD mixtape from her high school best friend—and almost-love—Damon. When she plays it, the songs trigger vivid, alternate-reality flashbacks that show what could have been if she’d made different choices.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the ARC!

Couldn't really get into this one. I tried and then set it aside to try again later, but ultimately I just think it's not for me. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

If I were to review this book with one word it would be Nostalgic. To be able to go back and see your high school self navigate romantic relationships and life in general seems so surreal—which is what Sam experiences when she has to return to her hometown and runs into her high school crush, Damon. The plot was such a unique way to introduce a second chance romance. It led me down my own rabbit hole of memories and I am grateful that this book brought all those memories flooding back.

This book was nostalgic but the plot was missing something for me. I found it easy to put down and would often wander away. It was a great concept, but ultimately just didn't really grab my attention and immerse me in a world not my own. I did love the throwback cultural references and loved the playlist. I am not unhappy to have read this one, but it was not my favourite. My thanks for the opportunity.

This is so incredibly late but the last couple years have been insane and appartently I've just been writing reviews but not typing them up. Oops. I'm working on it.

Sam is a pilot who wanted nothing more than to escape her hometown. When her grandmother needs help moving from her childhood home she reluctantly goes home to help and is confronted with her past in creative ways. She finds her old Discman (portable cd player) and it still has a CD she and her best friend, Damon made when they were younger. Pressing play catapults her back through time and she watches an alternate reality where she kisses Damon that one time when he asked instead of declining it like she did "irl."
 
I rated The Backtrack 3 stars purely for the nostalgia I think, My favorite part of this book is the playlist and looking at the past through someone else's eyes. It was a nostalgic ride with lots of band references. I recommend listening to the songs when appropriate. There's a playlist! Outside of that the story was a bit repetitive. It drags in the middle, I kept getting distracted because I had to make myself read a couple chapters. Also the character's past selves were more fleshed out than their present selves which made the relationship a smidge thin.

Sam's grandmother is a hilarious gem of a character. Honestly the nostalgia and Pearl were the best parts of this book.

Oh! Rachel was not a good friend btw.

SPICE: one open door scene
TW: miscarriage, cheating

TROPES:
friends to lovers
small town
second chance
alternative life
playlist

Expect 👉🏼 Magical Realism, Small Town, Secondish Chance, What If, Friends to Strangers to Lovers, 90’s music

Sam is back home in the town she left in the dust to help move her grandmother into a retirement home. It’s been 11 years since she left her best friend and crush, Damon, and seeing him again has her wondering if she made a huge mistake by walking away. Somehow an old CD player shows her an alternate universe where she stayed, kissed the guy and where here life would be if she had made different choices.

This was cute! I loved that each song represented a scene in Sam’s life. The nostalgia was strong! And I’m such a sucker for friends to lovers. Damon was so steadfast… Sam wasn’t 😅 but Damon was and that almost made up for it.

I was a little underwhelmed by the ending but it was a nice easy read.

Thank you Canary Street Press for the gifted arc.

Although it sounds like a really sweet rom-com from the book synopsis, I believe there are also some deeper themes included. The idea of finding your own self before sharing your life with someone else, no matter how much you love them, is also explored in the book, as is the idea of being with the right person at the wrong moment.

i had such a fun time with this honestly. like i looooove a magical realism romance (like ashley poston) and i ate this up. it took me a while to get to it which is my bad but it was so fun and i loved all these music recs, it was just a fun little piece of history. i'm rooting so hard for sam and damon post-novel.

3 ⭐
Sam goes back to her hometown to help care for her grandmother. She runs into her childhood best friend and slight feelings of regret surface. While reminiscing in her childhood bedroom at home, she finds a cd player with songs that Damon created for her that she never listened to. On a whim she turns it on only to be thrown back into her past and relive different decisions and memories, making it possible to change her past and future.

I really wanted to love this one, but honestly it fell shorter than my expectations. I binged the book in one day, it was most definitely a short and sweet read, but the writing was so bland. I struggled to get through it. The only thing I really loved were the throwbacks to early/mid 2000's emo kid music and media. It reminded me of my middle/high school days and it was a fun time.

However, the characters were not relatable or really anything worth it. Sam runs away from her problems and pretends everything is alright, while Damon didn't have anything going for him. He felt like your stereotypical "generic male love interest". Everything about this book was really just alright at best.

💿magical realism
💿flashbacks/time travel-ish
💿emo nostalgia
💿friends to lovers

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for the complimentary ARC of The Backtrack for an honest review.

I really enjoy this author! Her books are so wonderful and sweet! I loved the characters and story line for this one! The dynamic of the MMC AND MFC were perfect! I can’t wait to read more from her!

The Backtrack by Erin La Rosa is a fun and nostalgic romance with a bit of magical realism that really hooked me. The story follows Sam, a successful pilot who returns to her hometown of Tybee Island, Georgia, to help her grandmother. While there, she finds an old CD player that takes her to alternate versions of her past, allowing her to re-live moments with her childhood friend, Damon, and explore “what if” scenarios. The 2000s vibe and the songs La Rosa picks really add to the emotional depth of the story. The characters are relatable and well-developed, making the journey feel both touching and real. While some parts are predictable, it’s still an enjoyable and thought-provoking read, especially if you love romance mixed with a bit of magic and nostalgia.

This book was a very nice love story. The flash backs tying her to her feeling for her love interest from the past to future really helped you feel connected and feel the love she had for him. It was a cute way for the story to be written, definitely different from other arcs I have read. 4/5