What a thoroughly fun read!

It’s a thought we’ve all had - if I had just done this one thing differently, how would my life have turned out? Well, what if you had a magical CD player and a thirteen-track mix tape to show you?

If you are at all familiar with the indie/emo music scene of the mid-00s, I think you’ll find this book enjoyable based on that alone. BUT the book doesn’t solely rely on this cutesy plot device - there is some real depth to the story, and it delves into intergenerational dynamics, mental health, and abandonment. I found most of the side characters to be enjoyable. Sam and Damon are good together, even if she is a bit hard to take at first. (Someone who has spent so long running from her problems is bound to have some stuff to work through.) Not to spoil anything, but I especially loved how things turned out with mixtape, the idea that things work out as they are meant to.

There are laughs. There’s angst. There’s a great soundtrack. This was a great light read, and I look forward to reading more from the author.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

"The Backtrack", by Erin La Rosa, is about Sam (Samantha) and Damon who were once childhood best friends and are now reuniting. Their teenage friendship was about to become romantic when Samantha pulled back out of fear that she would never leave her small hometown if she began a romantic relationship. Now, years later, she returns back home to care for her grandmother and runs into Damon, who is happy to live in a small town and work with his family. One of the things that has always bonded them is their love for music, so when Sam finds a mixtape he had given her while in high school, she begins to listen to it. But something strange happens every time she listens to the music -- she starts to see what her life could have been if she had chosen to get serious with Damon. Sam's always wondered if she made the wrong choice, and now she gets to see what would have happened if she had chosen differently.

I thought this book has a very original storyline, and I really enjoyed reading about Tybee Island as I've visited there in the past. I also appreciate how La Rosa tackled some tough topics without sacrificing the romance. However, I just couldn't see Sam and Damon lasting long-term and I didn't feel any chemistry between them. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Erin La Rosa envelops me into her environments like a warm hug in while wrapped in your favorite blanket. The Backtrack blends music, the early 2000's, magical realism, and rom-com in a way I didn't know that I needed. Perfection. That's the one word that keeps coming to mind as I think through The Backtrack. This is everything you would want in a rom-com. Perfectly adorable, lovable, and fun to read. I did receive a free advanced readers copy of this book, but the opinions shared here are my own.

Thanks again NetGalley for another ARC!! I love me a good time travel/time loop story and this one was great!! A solid five star idea that was executed in a 4 star way, still a solid read.

A unique take on second chance romance and time travel

The nostalgia was crisp and perfect

Shifting through trauma, insecurities, and what-ifs to the soundtrack of early 2000s emo rock.

This book was a cute and fun read that you will enjoy if you too were an alt/emo teen between the years of 2005-2010.

The book follows Sam, who is in her early 30s, and has to return to her hometown to help her grandmother clean out her house to sell it before moving into a retirement home. Sam is a pilot and has not set foot in her hometown since she was a teenager. When she gets there, she has to face her former best friend/crush from her teen years that she essentially rejected romantically and ghosted for the next 10 years. In very early 2000s fashion, she revisits a CD he burned for her with all their favorite songs of the time. With the help of some fun magical realism, her old CD player starts giving her visions of what her life would have been like if she didnt reject/ghost her former best friend.

Overall I enjoyed the idea of this, but the execution left something to be desired in a few spots for me. The two main characters were a bit flat, and a few times (adult) Sam gave me the "I'm not like the other girls" vibes (which is fitting for looking back on the 2000s female teenage experience, tbh).

I did like the way that the dynamic was captured between several generations of women in a family, and how it was fairly female centric (not one father/husband was even mentioned and I was actually so okay with this). I also liked reading about a female pilot and copilot, which I personally havent seen much of in either fiction or reality.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read the advanced copy!

This book was so much angst and perfection, I can't even 😭 it's a second chance best friends to lovers romance in a small town where one of them returns after a long time, AND there's an element of time travel-y magic thrown in, it's absolutely amazing <3

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I picked this book up loving the idea of a magical CD player that could show you alternate versions of your life and I wasn't disappointed! Read it for the magical realism, read it for the best friends to maybe more potential, and if you're a millennial read it for the NOSTALGIA! I had so much fun reliving the emo song tracks the author picked in the book and the descriptions of the early 2000s. Great fun summer read!

I loved reading The Plot Twist, and I was excited for The Backtrack.
After years a part, Sam comes back home to help her grandma Pearl clean out house before moving into a retirement home. And also to hopefully rekindle her friendship with her former best friend Damon.
While cleaning her room, she stumbles on her older cd player and the last mix tape Damon made for her that she never listen to.
During each track she is thrown into an alternative reality on what would have happened to her life is she let Damon kiss her back when they were 15.
I enjoyed everything back this book. Especially Grandma Pearl. And the the nostalgic play list, sure did brink me back. The 2 things I would of liked is a dual pov, a more or a little more back story on Damon, he characters just fell a little short for me.
4.25 stars.

3🌟
.5/5🌶️
Even though it was boring I binged the last 50% of this.
ෆPlot
Sam is going back to her home town to basically take care of her grandmother and help her out. While she's there she runs into her childhood best friend/crush, Damon. While she's there she discovers a CD player full of songs that her and Damon created. Whenever she plays a song however she is transported back into the past and it shows her basically if she made a different decision at some point in life how her life would have turned out.
ෆCharacters
Damon - honestly he gave nothing I didn't find him attractive or different than any other basic white boy.
Sam - she's the type to avoid her problems and just pretend they don't exist. Again I didn't really feel a connection to her.
ෆWriting
The writing was very bland like plain rice cake bland. But luckily the last 50% of the plot kept me engaged enough to give this 3🌟.

The Backtrack by Erin La Rosa Arc I got this read this advance reader copy of this book through Net galley app. It was so addictive and sweet I love the storytelling and the characters were so great and a joy to read I couldn’t stop once I stared. It was so amazing and fun. So in this story we meet Sam Leto who is returning home after all these years to her past she rather leave behind some painful memories. She return to take care of her sick grandmother. Where she run into her past in the form of her childhood best friend Damon who was alway her safe place and she begin to who what would have happened if she admitted the feeling she had for him and was afraid to take the next step. Then nostalgia and maybe so kind of magic take place though the use of a old cd player and a mix tape Damon made her she is able to have vision of the past see what would have happened if they had acted on there feelings for each or other. Song by song she get glimpses of a different life and different future with Damon . She has mixed feelings about whether she made the right choices all those years ago. Now she has to decide what to do with this knowledge and can make the right choices for the present and her future with Damon? I thought this was so such an adorable adventure it has so emotional moments but over a great story love the plot and character so much. I also love the music playlist they having though the book and how it affects the characters life was so cool. I definitely recommend reading this book was great ! we wonder what if in life if we made different choices this definitely give a few of that and so times thing happened they way they are supposed to do in the end. This book comes out July 16 so go give it a chance!

Life, rewound…

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.



IT'S AN ENJOYABLE READ

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!