🎶 The Backtrack 🎶

What a delightful, nostalgia filled romcom adventure! I’ve adored Erin La Rosa’s books since for Butter or Worse and her latest was no exception!

A time-traveling adventure, we start with Sam and Damon, high-school age on the precipice of do we friends become lovers? Sam said no to that kiss and spent the rest of her life wondering, “what if?” Until her Grandma Pearl called her home to their small beach town to help clean out her old bedroom. Sam returns, runs into Damon again, and finds her old CD player, filled with the mixtape Damon made her on that fateful didn’t kiss night. What she didn’t expect is to listen to the CD and see glimpses of what could have been if she’d said yes to the kiss so many years ago.

I absolutely loved the “dual timeline” of the present and the flashbacks to a different life. Damon was such a gem, and I loved the journey Sam went through to find herself and the way they fit together.

Check this one out if you love:
🎶 90s nostalgia
🎶 Friends to lovers
🎶 Small beach town vibes
🎶 Alternate timeline

Thank you to Canary Street Press and Netgalley for this ARC!

This was a great nostalgic tribute to emo music of the early 2000s.

Sam reluctantly returns to her childhood home for the first time since leaving high school. Sam comes face to face with her best friend, Damon, and the mix CD he made for her in their senior year. Sam never listened to the mix CD then, but her lingering feelings for Damon resurface and the CD starts to show her an alternative timeline where the two started dating.

I really enjoyed how this book utilized the second chance trope, and seeing the relationship develop between Sam and Damon.

After seeing reviews mentioning the nostalgia within this book, I knew it was going to be right up my alley and quickly went to see if this book was still on NetGalley to request (despite this being released on 7.16). I was approved right away and finished this in one sitting!!

Sam and Damon were best friends in high school, but after Sam rejected Damon's advances to be something more, she moved away and fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming an international pilot. Now twenty years later, she returns to her hometown and finds a burned CD that Damon made her during their teenage years that she could never bring herself to listen to--until now. As Sam listens to each song, she is taken back to an alternate version of how her life could've played out during those years had she made a different choice. As Sam is confronted with the alternate version of her past with Damon, she must come to terms with her past choices, confront her still present feelings for Damon, and make new choices about if she wants a future with him after all these years.

This book was everything I'd hoped it would be and more. I think being the exact same age as the main characters made this an extra special reading experience as I understood every song and pop culture reference. I saw so much of my own high school experience reflected back to me in this book and just enjoyed this so so much. I wish I could go through song by song and talk about each one and why I thought it was perfect for this story, but in an effort to avoid spoilers, I won't--you'll just have to to trust me and read this. If you graduated high school around the 2010s--this book is especially made for you and I can assure you that you will likely find yourself smiling at the nostalgia as well.

I've already purchased a physical copy for my shelf and will absolutely be listening to a playlist of all of these songs on repeat (there's already playlist on Spotify btw!). Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Atypical Tale In So Many Ways Yet Everything Works Well. I'm actually listening to the playlist that plays such heavy role in this book as I sit down to write this review, and while not *everything* is to my own tastes, either back in 2005 or 20 yrs later in 2024 as I write this, the songs are not *so far* out there as to not be enjoyable, particularly given the characters in this story and where they are from. (Says the fellow native Georgian who is less than a decade older than the characters here. :D) As an example, Fall Out Boy and The Offspring? Yes please. :)

But that actually does get into parts of what La Rosa does so well with this tale - the interesting spin she puts on the now-classic "flashback" sequences absolutely work, and work to allow effectively a romance version of a "Frequency" type story. Meaning, for those unfamiliar with that particular movie (to be clear, I never saw the TV show reboot), this storytelling device basically allows La Rosa to tell a dual timeline romance... where *both* timelines are the same couple *yet*... multiverse theory. (Which, to be clear, La Rosa never mentions.)

While we do get some dramatics in the third act, they actually serve more of a women's fiction purpose that also helps to flesh out both our female lead and some of those around her a bit, and even with limited "screentime" in some instances, La Rosa manages to pack quite a bit in here in a short space. Indeed, given the book's overall just-over-300-page length, it is actually rather remarkable just how much story La Rosa manages to pack in here, particularly given how other authors even within the romance space can spend seemingly 100 pages describing the landscape around the characters.

Ultimately this was a fun book that had a lot of nostalgia and several interesting spins on now-classic concepts and it used all of this well in service of the story it was trying to tell. In the end, using the elements you bring in well in service of the story you're trying to tell is really all I ask of *any* book.

Very much recommended.

#TheBacktrack:⁣
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Thank you so much @htpbooks @canarystreetpress @htp_hive for my gifted copy!!⁣
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“Emo is a state of mind just as much as it is a style.”⁣
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If you also listen to Panic at The Disco and Something Corporate on your commute to your corporate job, boy do I have a nostalgic book for you.⁣
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The Backtrack follows Sam as she goes back to Tybee to pack up her childhood room. While she’s there it’s basically 2008 all over again. She starts to get in the memories and also lives a somewhat alt-Sam reality thanks for her mix tape and CD player. (and no, it’s the not the battery acid from it being old) She sees what could have been with her bestie Damon (not a vampire) and gives hilarious commentary as she watches the scenes unfold. ⁣
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This book was made for me (and I was made for you like Jewel) if anything, it brings out my random lyrics and pop culture nostalgia to a tee. I love magical realism, especially when it’s “what could have been” and this was perfection. I loved how we got to really meet and understand Sam and Damon before we got to know the “then” them as well. It flowed so well and I did a little squeal a time or two.⁣
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Feet kicked in the air happiness engaged swoon. This is the perfect 2000s reliving romcom with second chance romance, childhood besties, and a hilarious grandma to boot.⁣
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Out now, I’m so in love.⁣
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QOTD: What’s a song that you still love after a few years?

While I love a good time twist novel, sadly this one fell flat for me. I did really enjoy the nostalgic 90s music references but I just felt the chemistry between the two MCs wasn't there. Okay on audio, this definitely wasn't my favorite by Erin La Rosa. Not a memorable read unfortunately and one you would be completely fine skipping. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

i don’t know what it was about this one— maybe just the formatting of the ARC being so bad threw me off, but i ended up dnfing it. i couldn’t connect with the characters, and just didn’t really enjoy it, even though the premise was so promising.

This was a very sweet, fairly bland love story. I enjoyed the music and nostalgia. The soundtrack was definitely the highlight here for me.

The concept - a CD that let the main character relive her past - was a lot of fun. I feel like the execution could've been better though. It ended up being a skim read because the plot/characters never really clicked for me. It was a cute story though and I recommend it if you're in the mood for one of those.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

I love Erin's books and this one was so fun! All the music nostalgia was so spot on and I loved how the songs tied into what the characters were experiencing. This is a perfect beach read!

I really enjoyed Erin La Rosa’s FOR BUTTER OR WORSE, so I was excited to read her new friends-to-lovers romance with magical realism!

For all of us who had that “one” in high school where we wondered, what if, this is the book! It’s full of amazing 2000s Nostalgia: great music, playlists, the emo scene, and with such great characters — it's just plain fun!

Samantha (Sam) and Damon are childhood best friends, but when Sam dodges a chance to take their relationship to the next level, things never quite feel the same again.

Jump ahead years and Sam is returning to her hometown to help her Grandma Pearl (what a gem) move. Of course, she runs into Damon, who is now a hot brewery owner. Have the what-ifs plagued her over the years? You bet!

Then Sam finds the old mixed CD Damon had burned for her years ago. And call it magic, fate, destiny… but, with each song, Sam is transported back to high school. She is able to see an alternate reality of herself and Damon - could this be the possible answer to her what-ifs?

This one is all about the 2000’s Nostalgia! Although I would not want to go back to my high school days, it was a blast traveling back to Sam and Damon’s alternative high school days. This time-traveling romance was breezy, funny, spicy, and a great time.

Thank you, @harpercollins and @htpbooks, for the gifted ebook via NetGalley.

A love story of and for millennials. Essentially the same concept of “the one that got away”. This story will give you flashbacks with specific toys, bands, fashion, and songs that connects the reader to the story. Essentially the MC is a millennial who was fed the same script we all were growing up of “do better for yourself and leave this [small] town” which pushed the MC to make herself emotionally unavailable to her guy friend/childhood love and of course this story is them coming back together after living two separate lives. The MC travels home to help an elderly family member, while having visions/flashbacks she connects with her hometown again.

The flashbacks are really confusing because there is a lack of transition or symbol to let you know when your back and forth. At some points the author lead that you’re there, or watching the vision but then it changes again. These are later clarified as ALTERNATE versions of flashbacks.

The constant name dropping is what really got me to keep going in this book from the Bath and Body Works Cucumber melon perfume, furby, my chemical romance, twilight, etc. It was really fun just to see what else the author brought in.

Towards the middle of the book it drags A LOT. Most of the middle could have been summarized. You can go from Chapter 18 to 23 and not miss anything. All fluff. Then it starts again the last 8% of the book, just constant back and forth. Interruptions of important conversations to go from Damon and Sam to Sam running home to her family or vice versa. It’s messy and frustrating writing.

The romance scene is AWKWARD, VAGUE, and UNCOMFORTABLE. The language is vague, the scene is boring, and they are walked in on by grandma. It was an all-around let down.

The ending was bad as well. 20 pages of random discussions and cliches.

I went into this book excepting more of the typical contemporary romance, like the previous two books from Erin La Rosa I had read, but I was pleasantly surprised!

I love when magical realism is woven into a romance, and the time traveling paired with early 00’s musical nostalgia was so fun to experience. Every song on the mixed tape was a revelation and really had me hooked and wondering what would happen next in the alternate reality that Sam and Damon were living.

Sam and Damon’s relationship, in both timelines, were really compelling, from dealing with family trouble, parental abandonment, their dreams, and wanting more. I really felt for them and their struggles, and I was routing for them to get together.

I didn’t expect this book to make me as introspective as it did, and I certainly didn’t think going in that the end would make me cry, but here we are!!

I recommend this read if you like:
✈️ Strong, pilot FMC
✈️ Childhood best friends to lovers
✈️ Magical realism
✈️ Time travel
✈️ Early 00’s nostalgia
✈️ “What if?” come to life
✈️ Family trauma

This is for all those who ever wonder how the “what if” situation would have been. Loved the nostalgia of the era that was represented and the small town romance x big dreams trope besides that I feel like some areas were a miss. There was a lot of back and forth with the FMC and some interactions were predictable and immature

This book is perfect for millenials whose taste in music hasn't changed or evolved from the emo phase. If that's not you it may fall a little bit flat. I enjoyed the nostalgia invoking songs but it became pretty repetitive. This is a second chance romance between high school best friends that never were. Going back home she gets to relive what they might have been if they had kissed in high school by listening to a mix CD.

Overall it was okay. Fun and nostalgic but I didn't find myself yearning to read it in the evenings.

This was cute! Reluctantly back home in Tybee Island, Georgia to assist her (absolutely hilarious) grandmother, Sam stumbles across her old Walkman still loaded with a burnt CD made by her childhood best friend, Damon.

... But when it turns on, Sam is transported to an alternate version of her life—one where she never left her small town eleven years ago. Through each emo anthem played, Sam receives a glimpse of what her life could have been, uncovering both the ups and downs of each path.

I liked that neither life was exactly perfect for Sam. In a way, it was a reminder that sometimes everything happens for a reason. The chemistry with Damon was more apparent in the alternate timeline, but I also just really loved the fun dive into pop culture during the 2000s. What a time!

A bit more palpable tension between Sam and Damon was needed in the present timeline, I think, but overall I always love the concept of “what if” explored through magical realism, and this was a very enjoyable, lightly emotional take on it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

THE NOSTALGIA of this book!! Erin, I’ve never read your writing before but I’m SOLD. I listened to the songs alongside of Sam while she listened on her “time travel” CD player and it was just the best experience, that I want every 90s baby to have 🤌🏼

Sam and Damon were best friends in high school - they used to be glued at the hip until Sam didn’t agree to share a kiss and then left town for flight school. Fast forward to today: Sam is a commercial pilot and lives in Paris, while Damon remains in her hometown USA. She is called back when her grandmother plans to transition to a nursing home. Upon returning, she finds her old CD player which contained a playlist tape made for her by Damon long ago. The twist is that when she puts on her headphones to listen, she’s transport back in time to the alternative life she would have had if she *did* kiss Damon.

I loved so much about this book including:

•slow burn romance
•small town setting
•second chance story
•mental health representation
•girl friendship
•time travel
•2000s nostalgia

PLEASE read this book and thank me later!

Thank you @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for the ARC copy of this book + and opportunity to review it early.

If you are someone that often is feeling nostalgic about 2000's emo culture or were at one point obsessed with Twilight and Hot Topic you'll love this book! The plot is so fun! It's a second chance romance with spice and a bit of magic. It has a lot of funny moments and I loved Sam. I loved the descriptions when Sam was listening to the CD. The relationship between Damon and Sam was very sweet especially when they were in high school. There were a lot of "aww" moments! It was overall a fun read and I would read again.
Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Erin La Rosa for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Having nostalgia is romantic. It’s the ability to never forget something you love.”

As an elder emo, I felt such a great nostalgia reading this book. Music is, and always has, been very important in my life and revisiting albums from the early aughts that I was obsessed with is always great. Throughout this book, we get to see Sam revisit her favorite musics from high school while seeing an alternate version of her life.

Sam is a really great protagonist. She followed her dream of being a pilot straight out of high school and left Georgia, and her best friend Damon, behind. When she returns, so do her complicated feelings. She’s always asking the what if questions and her old cd player shows her exactly that. I really loved that this forces Sam to really inspect her current life and what she really wants. She's spent so long running and not setting down real roots that she questions decisions she made as a teenager.

On the surface, it seems like a sweet rom com, but it tackles some difficult topics really well. Sam struggles with her relationship with her mother and her regrets of the past. Her friendship with Damon was always an anchor for her, and it’s exciting when they reconnect. The alternate timeline she sees is really devastating in what could have been, both good and bad. Sam's arc is really well done, and it's satisfying to see her confront her mother, have a much needed talk with her grandmother, and decide what she feels for Damon,

Damon is so sweet and truly cares about Sam, even though they haven’t seen each other in years. He wants to help Sam in any way that he can. He's such great book boyfriend material. Also, Sam’s grandmother Pearl is an absolute delight. She is so funny and sassy, and she provides the perfect amount of levity when the subject matter gets tough. There were moments with her where I found myself laughing out loud at her snide comments. This is such a great romance, but it will really resonate for any elder emos out there!

The Backtrack is a 2000’s nostalgic hug in a book! This was my first Erin La Rosa book and I enjoyed it.

After being away for several years to pursue her career as a pilot, Sam Leto returns to her hometown to help her grandmother clean out her family home before it goes on the market. Not only is she confronted with all her 2000’s memorabilia, but she must also navigate challenging family dynamics and the “what ifs” with her high school best friend…all while a magical CD player keeps showing her glimpses of an alternate version of her life!

Similar to Sam, we sometimes wonder the “what ifs” in life the older we get. I found the concept of the magical CD player showing Sam an alternate version of her life if she had made different choices very intriguing — be careful what you wish for! I loved following each song from Damon’s mixtape and seeing how the song fit into the plot of Sam’s alternate life. As a fellow millennial with a love for 2000s emo music, this is what really made the book for me!

Going into this book, I thought it would be a fun, light-hearted rom-com but it ended up having much deeper themes. I greatly appreciated the mental health representation. The depiction of Sam navigating the challenging relationship with her mom was done really well, especially towards the end when they were setting boundaries and moving towards a path of understanding. Lastly, Grandma Pearl was a riot and should be protected at all costs!!

I liked Erin’s writing and followed it along as if I were watching a movie. (Okay, but this book should totally become a movie!) Overall, this story was a fun walk down memory lane with all the 2000s references and music!

Thank you to The Hive, Harlequin Trade, NetGalley and the amazing @erinlarosa for this gifted E-Arc. All opinions are my own.

This book is so fun! Total 2000s vibes, from the music to the body glitter, making it such a sweet and nostalgic trip down memory lane!!

Sam has always dreamed of being a pilot and flying herself right out of her tiny hometown of Tybee Island, Georgia. But when she goes back to help her grandmother sell their family home, Sam finds an old cd player with a mixed CD that was made for her by her former best friend and almost love interest Damon. Surprisingly the CD player still works but when Sam hits play it literally transports her back in time and she is able to see an alternative version of her life play out before her eyes.

The chemistry between Sam and Damon is super sweet both in the current time line as well as when they were back in high school. I loved how at first Sam is excited to see what her life would have been like if only she had kissed Damon when she had the chance but then as the book unfolds she realizes that neither path is without challenges. Everything happens for a reason and if it is meant to be then love will find a way. If you are a fan of magical realism then you should absolutely give this one a try! It is adorable!!