This one was really cute! With friends to lovers being my favorite trope, it was a must read. I loved the relationships in this book and the family dynamics that ended up growing as the book went on. A cute little read for the summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc in exchange for an honest review!

1 Sentence Summary: Dixie Mulligan is in love with her best friend Sawyer, but they haven’t spoken in months—since she ruined everything during spring break; luckily, Dixie has a plan: use her Mulligan family rewind to go back in time and redo the moment that drove her and Sawyer apart.

My Thoughts: This was such a cool concept. I love realistic fiction with a speculative twist. The rewind was a little confusing and you have to suspend your disbelief a little bit, but it was well written and a fun aspect of the story.

The characters were well developed. To be honest, I cared more about Dixie’s relationship with her parents than with Sawyer. I didn’t really care if they ended up together or not. The family dynamics were really interesting, though.

There was also some interesting exploration and commentary of the movie industry and movie theaters that I hadn’t really thought about before.

Overall, this was well written and a fun read!

Recommend to: Fans of YA speculative contemporary fiction and light time travel.

(Warnings: swearing)

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for a copy of this book. This was a fun read outside of my normal genre. I found it fun all the way through with likeable characters. Can't wait to read more by this author!

That was really fun! I’ve come to love speculative fiction like this: everything is normal except one small concept. The first section was exactly as it promised to be, and then came a big twist (kind of a double twist) that I definitely didn’t see coming. Then came another twist, and I should have been ready for that one, but I was not. All the twists were very satisfying by the end of the story, and there was still a happy ending with the same kind of hopefulness I love about YA.

Dixie was a believable character. Sawyer wasn’t quite as authentic, but I didn’t dislike him. The text almost tries too hard to be contemporary; this level of casual profanity and references to Instagram aren’t going to hold up over time. One reading website has tagged this book as “queer,” which I don’t think is accurate (and that’s not a spoiler). I’d like to check out some of this author’s other spec fic works now!

3 stars – Rewind to Us is the first book by Molly Morris of hers that I have read. It is a very unusual story, and the middle of the book has a great plot twist. The book is about Dixie, who lives in NYC and just graduated from high school. During the summer before she begins college at NYU, she decides to tell her best friend, Sawyer, that she is in love with him. Sawyer lives in California in the same town as Dixie’s aunt, which is where Dixie travels every summer. Dixie is almost living two lives, and they are going to merge at some point as Sawyer is also going to start at NYU in the same major. Dixie’s family has an ability to “rewind” or go back in time for a do-over. They are not allowed to share this with anyone outside of the family and can only do it once. Dixie spends her summer before NYU trying to decide if she should use the rewind.

The premise of the book and the ability to rewind is interesting. Some of the summer drama was a bit harder to read through and detracted a bit from the romance aspect.

A big “Thank You” to NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. This independent, honest review is happily shared.

fun and cute YA romance with some good vibes! the time-travel rewinding plotline was really cool, too. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

This is a thoughtful, emotional story about friendship, timing, and what it means to finally say something out loud that’s been sitting under the surface for years. Dixie is messy and impulsive in a way that feels real, and her dynamic with Penn is full of all the tension and history that comes with loving someone who’s always been there. The rewind element adds just enough magic to raise the stakes without pulling focus from the heart of the story. I really appreciated how grounded and emotionally honest this felt. Readers who love character-driven YA will find a lot to hold onto here.

Title: Rewind To Us
Author: Molly Morris         
Genre: YA   
Rating: 4 out of 5

Dixie Mulligan only has one plan for her annual California vacation this summer – to tell her best friend Sawyer that she’s in love with him.

It doesn’t matter that things between them technically fell apart over spring break, and they haven’t spoken since – until Dixie arrives and realizes Sawyer has moved on (a fact made very apparent when she sees him kissing, um, someone else).

Luckily, Dixie and her family have each been gifted with a Rewind. All Dixie has to do is go back and redo the moment she thinks doomed hers and Sawyer’s relationship before it even began.

But when family secrets start pouring out, Dixie’s not so sure even her Rewind will be enough to save what she and Sawyer had. Is the damage already done, or can she turn back the clock and give them one more chance?

This was a really cute read! I was just as surprised as everyone else at Dixie’s big reveal—and I didn’t even catch that she was hiding something until then. Her aunt, cousin, and grandma were great characters, and I really liked them. Sawyer an all his quirks and her friendship with him were great! I enjoyed this a lot.

Molly Morris lives in the UK. Rewind to Us is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 6/18).

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 17, 2025
Dixie has been in love with her best friend, Sawyer, for years but when the situation came where she could’ve told him, she got cold feet and ghosted him, leaving him confused and her heartbroken. But Dixie is a Mulligan, which means she (and the other members of her family) have the power to apply for a “Rewind”, allowing each member the oppourtunity to erase one point in their life and start over. Dixie chooses to rewind to the time in her life when she ghosted Sawyer and finally reveal her love for him, but once Dixie’s family secrets are revealed, Dixie fears that there is no going back and, Rewind or not, Sawyer will never forgive her.
“Annie LeBlanc is Not Dead Yet” author Molly Morris has crafted another deliciously quirky YA tale full of young romance and magic with her new novel, “Rewind to Us”. “Annie LeBlanc” was witty and sharp and I was a huge fan from the jump, and “Rewind” did not disappoint, either.
Dixie is a young woman, just about to start university, living two lives- the life with her parents in New York City and the life in Cielo Springs, California, where her beloved aunt, and Sawyer, live. The only thing Dixie wants is to keep her two lives completely separate from each other- and for Sawyer to profess his love for her. Dixie is charming, endearing and perfectly likable in her innocence and teenage naiveté, and she is exceptionally relatable, immediately forming a connection with readers.
Told through Morris’ spunky, modern writing, readers follow Dixie on her journey through this intense period of her life, told through Dixie’s eyes, and I found myself cheering for the main character from the first page. As sharp and witty as Morris’ writing is, “Us” strikes a deeper chord with the poignant question- if you could go back in time and change one aspect of your life, would you?
There are many questions that come into play with time travel, and time erasing, especially since only certain members of the Mulligan family are made privy to it, but Morris manages to have a believable answer to the main ones. “Us” has an emotional and sweet ending, as well, which caps off the novel perfectly.
“Rewind to Us” is an ode to movies, and the days of the movie theatre, alongside young romance and the magic that comes with it (as well as the magic that comes with altering a moment in your life). Morris’ passionate and expressive writing have skyrocketed her to the top of my “one to watch” list, and I can’t wait to see what her unique talent brings next.

There were some aspects of this story I really enjoyed! The theater settings and world-building around loving movies was super interesting. The main characters relationships were memorable as well, and the voice of the writing was strong and believable throughout. I was skeptical about the Rewind concept stuff but it was mostly really well written and I ended up sort of enjoying it. I wasn't crazy about the end at first, but I stayed with it and liked it.

I really enjoyed the idea of this plot, but unfortunately the writing style didn’t work for me. I thought the time travel element was handled too young-adult and the tone felt too immature for my liking.

This book is so much more than a sweet romance—it’s about choices, regrets, and the weight of second chances. Morris’s writing is fab- blending humor, emotion, and a touch of magic. The characters feel real, their struggles relatable, and Sawyer? His quirky hobby alone makes him unforgettable.

Rewind To Us by Molly Morris

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rewind to Us follows Dixie Mulligan as she embarks on a journey to tell her best friend, Sawyer, that she’s in love with him during her annual California vacation. Even though they haven’t spoken since spring break, she thinks that it can work. When Dixie arrives though, she realizes Sawyer has moved on. Dixie and her family have the ability to go back and redo a moment, so she decides to redo the moment she thinks doomed their relationship before it even started. When family secrets emerge, Dixie’s not so sure even a rewind will help.

The concept is super cute and unique, which makes for an entertaining story. Nonetheless, there are certain parts where the plot feels too slow paced. Dixie and Sawyer have a great dynamic and the overarching theme is good. The time travel elements coupled with the romance aspect are definitely interesting!

I am so enchanted by the characters and the plot. I wish I could be a part of this story because I felt very welcomed reading it. Definitely one of my best reads of the year. Thank you for the early opportunity. 🥺❤️

Early DNF. A promising concept, but almost TOO much world building, at least for a magical realism concept in my opinion. The writing flowed well, but I found the characters unlikeable.

This started off so strong by then it kinda lagged in the middle. I loved the basic plot premise and the supporting characters were top notch

I'm always a sucker for time travel stories and this is one of my favorites ever!

While there are elements that can be predictable for the romance genre, I was absolutely floored by the unique twist that were also thrown in along the way!

Dixie and Sawyer's friendship feels so natural and adorable that I couldn't help but cheer on Dixie's Rewind plans and wish them to get together ASAP!

The subplot of Dixie learning to accept her issues with her parents also proved a moving and sweet story to follow alongside her antics in Cielo Springs.

Consider me OBSESSED!

rewind to us by molly morris
⭐️⭐️⭐️
thank you @netgalley for this ARC! i had pretty high hopes for this book as i loved the cover and blurb. however, it was okay. i definitely did not dislike it and found the concept super cute! i feel like there was just too much going on which made the plot kind of hard to follow. i also did not love the characters. there was definitely potential and i think this is a great YA book!

I found this book to be a fun and light read. I really enjoyed the characters. Dixie is your average high school girl who has a crush on long distance best friend, Sawyer. They had planned to meet up in Central Park, however, the moment didn't go as planned. Since that moment didn't go as planned, Dixie is frustrated and wants that chance to go back in time. This story is filled with wonderful characters, hopes, strength, worry, truth, honesty, kindness and love. I'm looking forward to more of Molly Morris's work.

Overall, this book had a great lesson and interesting way of showing the what if, that we all as humans wonder about. Dixie and Sawyer have this amazing friendship, one in which they only see each other in the summer in Cielo Springs where Dixie’s Aunt Kate and cousin “Bunny” live. Sawyer and Dixie have grown into best friends over the past four years, but last spring the decided they both wanted more. With Sawyer in NYC (where Dixie lives) for spring break, he would finally see Dixie in her regular life, outside of Cielo Springs, but Dixie doesn’t show up at their meeting spot in Central Park. Dixie has kept some secrets from Sawyer over the course of their friendship, and she was to nervous to merge her summer uncomplicated life with her life in NYC. But when she arrives in Cielo Springs in the summer, she wants a due over to fix the damage she did by not showing up in Central Park to meet Sawyer, so she decides to use her REWIND. A REWIND that only Mulligans has to ability to use, to essentially get a do over of an event that you regret. Will the REWIND really fix everything over make it worse.

I loved how this book ended. The last 25% has a lot of twists and you had to really pay attention to make sure you understood what was happening, but it was really all great.

This was my first Molly Morris book and I truly did enjoy her writing style. Thank you St. Martin’s Press - Wednesdays books for the eARC in return for my honest review.