As a 37 year old Millennial, this book was written for me! I first read Erin La Rosa's Plot Twist from The Hollywood Series, and it was instant love. She writes such unique characters with plenty of imperfections to round them out as real people.

So much nostalgia, all over the place. The time hop to the past was a fun twist, and it was so great to see Sam go through her old room, and have so many familiar things mentioned from my youth. I did find some of the dialog lacking at times, and not really buying what happened in the story all the time. But that did not prevent me from enjoying this book. It was a funny, romantic good time while also tackling some heavier topics.

Nearly twenty years ago, Sam Leto left her small hometown of Tybee Island, Georgia, to pursue her dreams of becoming a pilot. While she’d prefer to keep flying away from her painful childhood memories, her beloved grandmother Pearl decides it’s time to sell the family home. Reluctantly, Sam is summoned back to pack up the house.

The 2000s nostalgia from Sam’s old bedroom hits immediately: Fall Out Boy posters, drawers of roll-on body glitter and even her favorite CD player with a mixtape from her best friend, Damon Rocha. Damon was always a safe place and Sam often wonders what if her teenage self admitted her feelings for him back then… Mysteriously, the CD player still works all these years later. And somehow it has the power to show Sam an alternate version of her life.

Song by song, Sam receives flashbacks from her past—senior prom, graduation, leaving home. But the memories aren’t as she remembers them; they show what could have been. Suddenly, Sam knows exactly what would have happened if she’d taken a chance with Damon—and she can’t help feeling she made a terrible mistake leaving Tybee all those years ago.

This was a fascinating concept. I loved LaRosa's backtracks, seeing what could have been. It took me a little while to really get hooked on this—the beginning is on the slower (read: buildup!) side, but the last half had me hooked. I felt like Damon's character was a bit flat to me, but overall, I really enjoyed this!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

The Backtrack exceeded my expectations.
I enjoyed how this story played out and found the format was authentic. The nostalgia was real! Loved the throwbacks mentioned throughout the book, from all the songs to the iconic Lisa Frank. It set the story and vibe smoothly.
Sam and Damon were all heart eyes and humor, with a sprinkle of angst. I found myself teary eyed at times reading Sam's journey of reflection and acceptance.
The side characters were a joy to read as well, they really brought the story together.
I would have loved to seen more towards the end there, when Damon experiences the CD player for himself. Felt a little fast-forward a bit.
The flashbacks were easy to follow and flowed well. It really brought to life how the choices one makes impacts their future.
An overall great read!

Oh god, this book was so cute. 😭 as an Elder Emo, the playlist, the fashion choices, the DIALOGUE had my heart in a vice-grip.

The magical whimsy mixed with very real-life situations was such a nice balance. And horny grandma’s? Can’t pass that up. 😂 I loved this book - it was so feet-kicking, giggle-out-loud good.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️From Harlequin Trade Publishing: Nearly twenty years ago, Sam Leto left her small hometown of Tybee Island, Georgia, to pursue her dreams of becoming a pilot. While she’d prefer to keep flying away from her painful childhood memories, her beloved grandmother Pearl decides it’s time to sell the family home. Reluctantly, Sam is summoned back to pack up the house.

The 2000s nostalgia from Sam’s old bedroom hits immediately: her favorite CD player with a mixtape from her best friend, Damon Rocha. Damon was always a safe place and Sam often wonders what if ...

Mysteriously, the CD player still works all these years later. And somehow it has the power to show Sam an alternate version of her life.

Song by song, Sam receives flashbacks from her past—senior prom, graduation, leaving home. But the memories aren’t as she remembers them; they show what could have been. Suddenly, Sam knows exactly what would have happened if she’d taken a chance with Damon—and she can’t help feeling she made a terrible mistake leaving Tybee all those years ago.
*********************
My review: I love this premise. Books about one decision, one choice changing everything are intriguing. Sam gets a chance to go back in small increments and witness what would have been different if she made one different decision. Fascinating, right? The book dragged some for me. Knowing that Sam's present day life was what she always wanted, then seeing her alternate high school life, the alt life seemed quite disappointing and not romantic.
So then what was the point? To validate? I'm not really sure. Things wrapped up quickly and "perfectly" and everyone learned lessons.
Grandma Pearl was flawed but funny and Damon was pretty perfect.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

Ok, this is my least favourite Erin La Rosa book. The premise was interesting, but I wanted more build up of the history of the main characters, and felt the pacing with some of the plot points with some secondary characters were rushed and glossed over. I loved her first two books, so will absolutely be reading her future books, this unfortunately was just a bit of a miss.

This is my 2nd alternate universe magical scenario read of 2024, and I greatly enjoyed this one.

Sam rejected her best friend Damon's advances back in high school in fear of ruining their bond, and now the universe is intervening to force her to address the 'what if' she's pondered ever since. Yes, it's a magic Lisa Frank CD player set to play the mix tape Damon made her back in high school filled with your favorite 00s punk/emo songs.

I love my little weirdos and their dark eyeliner and dyed tips, and now they've grown up. Sam left Tybee Island and jet sets internationally with her home in France. Damon stayed back and opened up a brewery with his sister. Now she's back to help her Grandma clean up and sell her home.

Every song gives Sam a new glimpse into how she and Damon would've progressed if they had kissed, and it proves that sometimes life is all about timing.

The alternate universe scenes hooked me as it is rare to see things not be perfect in these scenarios. I could've done without the full list of songs and scene descriptors every couple of pages but that's easy to skip over. I also appreciate the chillness of Marissa, Damon's current fling, who easily steps away from him without resentment towards him or Sam. I was worried we might have some cheating or almost cheating moments.

Overall, this felt very different from Erin's past books, and I liked that. It's great to see an author can do other things, and I loved the twist of Sam realizing that when her mother told her not to get stuck, she wasn't talking about location at all, but mental health. Such a - click - moment helped Sam finally move on from the fears holding her back all these years.

I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc. I love Erin's books, they're always spicy and this one did not disappoint. If you love the movie 13 going on 30, you'l love this book. It's full of the same magic but goes a little bit deeper.

The Backtrack is such a fun, punk rock take on a time traveling romance story. La Rosa created really lovely characters, a kick ass playlist, and a story about healing past wounds and being open to new beginnings. Fans of Falon Ballard and Amy Lea will love this book. If you like books that include amazing references to the early 2000's, second chance romance, and family healing you should pick up this book!

This was such an interesting plot. It was a perfect blend of contemporary romance with a magical twist. I really enjoyed Damon and Sam’s relationship dynamic. Their friendship was so sweet and formed such a great foundation for a future relationship. My one critique is that the development and growth of the characters (mainly in the relationship between Sam, her mom, and her grandma) didn’t have as much depth as I would’ve liked. It felt like there were really fast jumps from being mad to being okay and back to mad and back to okay (etc), and it didn’t feel very relatable to me. Otherwise, I loved the book, and it really kept me hooked!

3⭐️

ARC kindly provided by publisher via NetGally for an honest review.

What in the 13 Going On 30 is this?? It should have hit all the nostalgia vibes for me, i knew every song mentioned and caught a ton of the references. Unfortunately it was just a bit too slow for me. Although we were having flashbacks of what could have been the writing felt very one dimensional. It was just interesting enough to keep me reading but not enough to have me wanting more.

I really liked the idea of this story but the execution just wasn’t quite right for me. I found myself unable to really connect with any of the characters.

The first half of the novel was too slow for me, definitely enjoyed the second half much better but again, just didn’t feel a connection to the characters.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

This one hits the feels and gives a nostalgic feeling for things that didn’t happen. It was cute and funny in some parts but also really sweet and moving.

We all have those moments or choices we look back on and think, "Did I make the right call? What would my life look like if I'd done it differently?" The characters in this book get to do what I've always wished I could: see the alternate endings of the road not traveled.

Music is an absolutely brilliant way to explore these past possibilities, because that's what music does: transports you. The emo backdrop for high school Sam and Damon spoke so closely to my heart. Teenage me feels very seen and loved after reading this book.

I think the current-timeline romance between Damon and Sam could have used a bit more development. They spend a good bit of time together, but I think Sam was in her own head for a lot of it. The chemistry was there, but I'd like to have gotten to know Damon better. I also could have done with a dash more spice.

This is my favorite of Erin La Rosa's books so far! Grandma Pearl was a scene-stealer. Also, FINALLY some accurate Southern folk representation: the hurricane party.

Thanks so much for the ARC!!!

I had high hopes.

I was intrigued when Sam was able to see back in the past when she’d play a song on her CD player…

I was waiting for it to pick up, but it didn’t. It was such still such a cute story.

I have enjoyed Erin La Rosa's previous novels, but truthfully, I probably would have DNFed The Backtrack if it wasn't an ARC I'd committed to reviewing. I enjoyed the nostalgia factor for millennial music, but I found the magical realism plot elements simultaneously slow-moving and repetitive, which made it particularly unenjoyable for someone who usually loves a magical realism bent in a romcom. I also found the characters underdeveloped, so I wasn't invested in the romantic relationship enough to root for a happily ever after.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for gifting me with an ARC to review!

The Backtrack by Erin La Rosa dives into nostalgia, regret, and the tantalizing allure of second chances. As Sam confronts the remnants of her teenage years—Fall Out Boy posters, roll-on body glitter, and a treasured mixtape from her best friend and childhood crush Damon—I was taken back with her, and the memories came flooding in.

While in her hometown, Sam finds a CD player, unaware that her world is about to be turned upside down as it becomes a portal, taking her to the past. For me, nostalgia was the best thing about this book. I enjoyed the references to the past, but the plot needs a bit more development and tweaking. Damon and Sam are okay MCs, but I would have liked to see more chemistry between them.

Overall, this is a good story with an original concept. It reminded me a bit of The Seven Year Slip, which I loved, so I'm sure fans of Ashley Poston will enjoy this one, too!

It's a cute concept but it leans very heavily on the 2000s nostalgia factor and doesn't really bring a whole lot of plot or emotional depth to the table beyond that. It was easy to breeze through and finish the book but honestly if it wasn't an ARC I don't think I would have bothered.

Sam Leto left her home on Tybee Island, GA , almost 20 years ago to become a pilot, her dream career. But, she left not only her beloved grandmother, Pearl, but her best friend, Damon.

Pearl has decided to sell her home and asks Sam to return to help her pack up things. Sam discovers her old CD player with a mix CD that Damon made for her before she left. Sam is surprised to see the player still works, but while playing the songs she is somehow transported to an alternative universe that shows what life on Tybee would have been like if she stayed.

Did she make a terrible mistake leaving Tybee all those years ago?

If you are a fan of Early 2000 EMO music, you definitely love all the references to all the songs.

This was so cute! A second-chance romance set with the background music of my youth. It was the perfect mix of laughter and steamy romance. A true “What If” story that keeps you hanging on for more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.