Erin La Rosa does it again *heart eyes*

I loved this "it's always been you" friends-to-lovers romance, and I was smiling from ear to ear reading this.

Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book! As an elder emo, The Backtrack was a delight to read! It gave me 13 Going on 30 vibes but for 2000s emo kids, and all of the song references were perfect. The story follows Sam Leto, a pilot who finds herself back in her hometown of Tybee Island, Georgia when she is asked by her grandmother to help pack up the house. While home, she stumbles upon her old CD player with a mix CD inside from her best friend Damon Rocha. But it's not just any CD, it's one that shows Sam the "what if" that has haunted her since leaving.

The nostalgia throughout this book was my favorite part, and I was loving all of the references to things that were part of my high school years. It read like watching a friends to lovers rom com movie, so that made this a fun journey for me (and this is a favorite trope of mine). But what I liked outside of the romance aspect was the self-discovery and learning moments Sam has. She gains so much perspective during her return home.

Sometimes I almost wanted certain things to be a little more prolonged to really build the tension between Sam and Damon, but it was still very much there regardless. Overall, this was a fun read that I think millennials will especially enjoy.

This book was cute. Who doesn’t have that “what if” scenario that the wonder if they’d made one choice differently how would it change how their life turned out.
I liked that it had a conflict outside of the relationship that gave the FMC more depth.

The Backtrack by Erin La Rosa

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

I LOVED this story and finished it in about 12 hours. The only reason it wasn’t quicker is because I fell asleep. Dang nighttime.

I was NOT an emo kid but I am familiar with most of the music featured in this book. The premise is that Sam returns to her hometown about 15 years after leaving and finds her old CD player with a mix that her high school best friend Damon made for her. while listening, she has flashbacks of alternate memories of things that COULD have happened… but didn’t.

Enter Damon now. Their friendship is rekindled. It’s confusing because of the flashbacks. At the same time, Sam is trying to go through her old room while helping her grandmother move into a retirement community.

Again, LOVED this book! I’ve been waiting for it for a while as I follow Erin on IG!

I think this is Erin LaRosa’s best book to date. I loved For Butter or Worse, and liked Plot Twist, but this one had a lot more depth and character development than her previous books. The ending was also satisfying - without spoilers there was some realism to it.

I could totally see this book becoming a movie, that’s how much I enjoyed it. I’ve already head-cannoned Lily Tomlin as the grandma, Pearl.

This was so cute and brought back so many memories of high school!! And I obviously still listen to most of this music without shame so bonus points

Oh! My! Goodness! Erin does it again! I just absolutely adored this book and I just loved Grandma Pearl. She’s not a regular grandma, she’s a cool grandma!

I was hooked by the very first page when the author named one of my favourite songs from the 2000s! My millennial heart couldn’t love this book anymore than I already do!

Sam left the town of Tybee, and Damon behind twenty years ago to chase her dream of becoming a pilot. Present day, her grandmother decided she was going to sell her childhood home and Sam goes back to Tybee to help. Sam goes into her childhood room and finds the CD player with the last mixed CD her best friend, Damon made for her. The CD player still works after twenty years and each track she listens, brings her to “what could have been” world of her and Damon.

This has 13 Going on 30 vibes and so much nostalgia (at least for me) that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I devoured it and I cannot wait to see what else Erin writes because I’ll definitely be buying it!

This book comes out July 16th so make sure to go pick up a copy because this is such a cute read! Thank you to Erin, Justine from @canaryhousepress and @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like I got whiplash reading this! As a millennial I certainly got all the early 00s music references. This was a ton of fun and great for a one sitting read.

Who doesn't love a good time swap with reality book!

Two childhood friends drift apart and one moves away from their small town, only to return many years later. She comes across an old CD player -(Do kids even know what these are now?) - and finds it only runs for her..... without batteries. Boom! She is magically transported to an alternate reality.

We all wonder what life would be like from minor or major choices in our lives. Sam gets a chance to see first hand, and maybe realizes her old friend was actually right for her.

This one is creative, fun, and mesmerizing - 4 out of 5

Solid premise, but the characters left this book with much to be desired.

A magical CD player that shows a life that could have been with the one that got away? One that shows a life that isn't entirely perfect, where dreams fall through and relationships are tried, but you still have a person you love? Phenomenal. The addition of early 2000s emo music? Even better. Add in a dash of "it's always been you," and you've got a perfect recipe.

Alas, the characters were just...not it. They both fell flat to me. Maybe I've just been lucky to read so many romances with FANTASTIC character development, but it was frustrating to see such one-dimensional characters. Like, of COURSE she had to live in Paris, right? And that she was the Best Female Pilot and he was the Best Male Brewer in the Whole Wide World. They were the Only Quirky Kids to ever exist. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm not a millennial? But the side characters weren't any better, so maybe characters just aren't this author's thing.

C'est la vie. The plot device was still great. I think this would make a great movie.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. And if you excuse me, I'm going to go blast some Death Cab.

truthfully, i found this a little undewhelming—probably because my own expectations were a bit high. the premise itself was really what’d new me to request it—i mean, a cd player that transports you to an alternate timeline that answers your biggest what if? friends-to-lovers? teenage emo phase? it had all the elements of the perfect romcom. i’m a sucker for what-ifs and alternate timelines, and am one (unfortunately) to love lingering in it. however, despite how interesting the plot was, the writing was kind of difficult to engage with.

while it seemed really promising, the execution kinda fell flat. i didn’t really find myself rooting for anyone here, nor did i find myself really invested in the romance. i just don’t think the characters were fleshed out in the right way—which led to the resolution and development of the romance being lackluster. i think my biggest gripe here is how the mental health angle was played out—kind of rushed, despite it being such a major plot point, and in that sense, it felt a little insensitive and unbelievable. i think a part of me is so used to other authors being able to flesh out their characters really well that this book felt so frustrating. i wanted to know what happened next, yes, but it doesn’t mean that i was invested in the characters. some parts of it felt unnecessary too; kind of like filler scenes that didn’t merit much to the overall plot. i just feel like with such an interesting plot line and set up, this could have played out so differently.

a miss for me, granted, i think my expectations were a bit too high. if you want to explore romances with this future/alternate reality, i’d suggest reading the good part by sophie cousens instead. thank you netgalley for my arc!

I thought the overall idea was super interesting! However, the writing and characters seemed very plain. They didn't really stand out too much compared to other books. Neither were relatable either, so it kinda just seemed like a binge read.

The early 200s nostalgia, the magical realism element and childhood friends to lovers, what more could you ask for. My emo loving hear was living for all the music references as well as the clothes and makeup. Who remembers body glitter? good times! This book was such a fun read about answering the question What If? I cannot recommend this book enough!

The Backtrack was such a unique plot! As someone who went to high school in the early 00s, the music from the plot of this book really took me back to my high school days and I was living for the nostalgia of it all. Sam and Damon were so interesting as characters, but I did find that Sam’s development throughout the book left something to be desired for me. I loved that I genuinely did not know where the story was going to go and it is rare that I see it in the romance genre. Erin La Rosa will remain an auto buy author for me!

This book brought me so much joy! Where as 13 going on 30 was a welcome respite for the earlier generations loving Michael Jackson (rightfully so), The Backtrack was that for those of us who went through a hot-pink-skinny-pants wearing, sweeping bangs across the forehead, listening to Paramore on the back of the bus types. It was the perfect amount of romance with imagination! I loved it so so much!

This one didn’t work for me. The fake flashback scenes didn’t move the story along and just confused me. I didn’t connect with the characters at all. The early aughts nostalgia was fun and would, I’m sure, delight any millennial. It just wasn’t for me

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

As someone who is a geriatric millennial and a forever emo kid, this book hit me right where it hurt in the best ways possible. This is a movie in the making with all the wonderful elements of second-chance romance, a bit of magic, and a whole lot of great music.

Qᴜɪᴄᴋ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴠɪᴇᴡ: ꜱᴀᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀᴍᴏɴ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴡʜᴏ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ʜᴀᴅ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ. ꜱᴀᴍ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ꜱᴍᴀʟʟ ᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴘɪʟᴏᴛ. ꜱʜᴇ ꜰᴇʟᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴏᴏꜱᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜰ ꜱʜᴇ ᴋɪꜱꜱᴇᴅ ᴅᴀᴍᴏɴ ᴀᴛ 15, ꜱʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ. ꜱᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅ - ꜱʜᴇ ʟᴇꜰᴛ, ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴘɪʟᴏᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴜꜱʜᴇᴅ ᴅᴀᴍᴏɴ ᴀᴡᴀʏ. 11 ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ, ꜱʜᴇ'ꜱ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴘᴀᴄᴋ ᴜᴘ ʜᴇʀ ɢʀᴀɴᴅᴍᴀ'ꜱ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴀᴍᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀʀᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴡʜᴇʟᴍɪɴɢ. ᴇꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ꜰɪɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪxᴛᴀᴘᴇ ᴅᴀᴍᴏɴ ɢᴀᴠᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴅ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱʜᴏᴡꜱ ʜᴇʀ, ᴇᴍᴏ ꜱᴏɴɢ ʙʏ ᴇᴍᴏ ꜱᴏɴɢ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ɪꜰ ꜱʜᴇ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ʏᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋɪꜱꜱ...

This story is told from a third-person POV and mainly from Sam's view. Sam, who was abandoned by her mother and raised by her grandmother, took everything she was told as a young girl to heart and that dictated her decisions. That trauma and hurt led her to push Damon away and focus solely on her goals. She is so relatable and I loved her journey. She not only confronts her past but also her present. It's only then she can determine her future - and if Damon, who obviously grew up to be super hot but still the loving, only has eyes for her man, can be part of it.

I loved this wholeheartedly - finished it in about four hours because I could not put it down. All the music references were on point and woven into the story so perfectly. The magical CD player kept me hooked, as I wanted to learn more about Alt Sam's storyline. It wasn't what I anticipated and that was a great thing. I don't give spoilers away so all I will allude to is that sometimes the path you choose leads you to where you should always be but it's also the path that you need to take in order to find your way back. That is at least the lesson I got from this wonderful story and it was such a delightful ride from start to finish.

Tropes & Elements:
🩷 Second Chance Romance
🫶 It's always been you
✨ Magic
🎧 2000s Emo nostalgia
❤️ Best friends-to-lovers

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and Canary Street Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to the author, Canary Street Press and Netgalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.75/5

Overall feeling: While I enjoyed the book, it was not one that immediately grabbed my interest in the plot or the characters. The juxtaposition of magical elements in a contemporary romance were initially hard for me, but I BINGED the last 50% of the book one it caught my brain.

Synopsis: MC Sam Leto escaped her small town years ago to escape the feeling of being stuck and pursue her dream of traveling the world and being a pilot. In her fleeing, she not only left her home but her best friend, MC Damon Rocha, the man she felt she could have loved.

Now, she's back in town helping her grandmother pack up her childhood home to move into a retirement facility and all of what she left behind is suddenly rushing back to her and she's left wondering if she made the right decision. She comes across an old CD player that holds the mixtape Damon made for her when they were teenagers. This CD player is the glimpse into an alternate past and will show her the 'What ifs" surrounding Damon and the choices Sam made.

Other Thoughts: This book was slower on the interest for me, but kicked up toward the end. It is full of 13 going on 30 vibes, band references I vibe with as a former Psuedo Emo high schooler. Nostalgia abounds and the writing circles from banter and fun to touching on heavy topics well. Overall, a fun read!

While the story follows some tropes that allows the reader to expect what's coming next, the chemistry between the leads keeps it afloat. It may not be in any way groundbreaking, but its light story with lovable characters

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher HTP/TheHive for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own. #HTP #HTPTheHive #Partner #HTPInfluencer #TheHiveInfluencer #HTPHive

The Backtrack by Erin LaRosa

Wow I’m not sure how I’ve been sleeping on Erin LaRosa’s books for so long! This was super cute and adorable. I devoured this book! When I say devoured I mean that I finished this book in under a day, and I enjoyed every second of it. I love a good “what if” story and this will be going on my favorites list for sure!


Tropes? Friends to Lovers

Read if you like

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Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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