I love books that kinda have a Freaky Friday/13 Going on 30/alternate universe plot and this book delivered it with a CD player showing an alternative universe of a what if! It was a fun book but also a serious book as there is a subplot with Sam's family/upbringing and it has parts about real life issues. I feel like Millennials and older Gen Z would enjoy this book. I would say it's cheesy at points but who doesn't like a little cheese sometimes? And for me personally the start was a bit slow BUT once I got into the book I did not want it to be over. Overall I really enjoyed the book and can't wait to read more from this author!

unfortunately didn't work for me! while it started off intriguing, i couldn't stay with it and attach myself to sam or damon. i think the pacing was a bit slow for my taste so i wasn't hooked immediately. i was waiting for something "more" to happen. unfortunately a miss!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book before publication.

This book was a wild ride for me, as someone who grew up with the songs mentioned throughout this book. Nostalgia hit hard and so did both great and awful memories from my teenage years. I think a lot of people have regrets and dreams and disappointment from their time in high school, but what I don't think everyone has is a way to process these things and find closure.

This book is about finding yourself and how the choices we make in life changes our individual path in life. The main character has been running from her past in her hometown, and when she goes back to help her grandmother she's confronted by everything she left behind.

I was not expecting a little magic that's in the book, but it made the nostalgia and hope really hit home. What if you could take a closer look at things that happened in your past and learn from them? You can't change the past, but you can use it to inform your future.

Get some tissues, get comfy, and lose yourself in this beautiful story where the main character gets everything she wants without having to sacrifice her happiness in the process.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for access to an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was my favorite Erin La Rosa book to date! Super fun and playful concept - especially for the elder millennials among us. Sam is a strong, independent female protagonist (a pilot, so badass!) who returns to her small hometown in Georgia for an extended family visit only to reconnect with an old flame and be transported back to the early aughts through a magical mixed cd walkman. Chefs kiss concept, stellar story, and I really got a kick out of the nostalgic music and other pop culture references. This was a really fun and sweet story and the grandma’s dialogue was pure comedy! A must read!

Sam Leto left her small town a long time ago, leaving behind everything she knew to become a pilot. She gave up her home on Tybee Island and her best friend Damon Rocha, the boy she knew she loved but didn't stay for. Now, she's back in town helping her grandmother move into a retirement home. As she packs up her childhood room, memories flood back, making her wonder if she made the right choice.
While going through her things, she finds an old CD player with a mixtape Damon made for her. It plays without batteries and only for her. When she listens to it, she's transported to a different reality where she sees what could have happened if she chose Damon...

This book was a joy to read. Sam is a dreamer with a touch of pessimism, and her journey is filled with relatable moments. She grows a lot, and while her relationship with Damon is a big part of the story, it's not the only thing that defines her. Her struggles with family, guilt, and self-doubt make her a complex and believable character.
I loved how the story explored the idea of right person, wrong time. Sam and Damon weren't ready for each other when they were younger, but they grew into the people they were meant to be. This added a sense of romance, whimsy, and hope to the book.

I had a blast reading this book. It took the magic from 13 going on 30 and turned it into something deeper and at times a bit painful.
Sam Leto left her small town years ago leaving everything she knew behind to pursue her career as a pilot. In her pursuit of happiness, she ended up abandoning not only her home on Tybee island but her best friend Damon Rocha, the boy she she knew she loved but wouldn't allow herself to stay for.
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.
While packing her old room, she comes across an old CD player that holds the mixtape Damon made for her when they were teenagers. Something is strange though. It plays without any batteries and will only play for her. Even weirder, when she listens to track one, she is transported into an alternate reality in which she sees what would have happened if she gave her relationship with Damon a chance...

This book was a delightful read.
Sam is a pessimistic dreamer with a soundtrack full of relatability. She grows so much and her relationship with Damon, as much as it is a main plot point, is not the only way in which she finds herself. Her estranged relationship with her mother, the guilt she feels surrounding her grandmother, and the self doubt she faces every day make her nuanced and believable in the midst of the extraordinary.
When it comes to her past and present with Damon, I loved seeing how some situations really are right person wrong time. They weren't ready when they were teenagers (as is the case with most people of that age), and they were able to grow into the people they were meant to be before committing to a life and a love they weren't ready for. This brought so much whimsy, romance, and the truest feeling of hope to the page.

I hope everyone picks this book up because it was truly delightful.

2.5⭐️


La idea me pareció interesante, imagínate poder regresar a tu adolescencia y cambiar o hacer cosas que siempre quisiste, pero por cualquier razón no hiciste y te quedaste con el "y si hubiera". También me dio curiosidad por saber si era posible hacer que ese nuevo pasado se volviera permanentemente o ¿cuál era la finalidad de ver que hubiera pasado? Tristemente ni Sam ni Damon me parecieron personajes interesantes y me aburrieron.


Algo que me molestó mucho fue que en el presente Damon tenía novia y tanto a el como a se les olvidaba y se besaron. No me importa que en algún momento fueran los mejores amigos y que tenían sentimientos románticos por el otro, la infidelidad nunca la apoyaré. Después del beso, la novia terminó con él.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for and honest review.

I LOVED THIS STORY!!! I read it in one sitting and I regret NOTHING! The backtrack delivered ALL THE FEELS! It is by far my favorite book of Erin La Rosa. If you grew up in the 2000’s and want to bring back the Bath & Body roll on glitter nostalgic era ✨ then get this book. The story was so unique and well done! I loved how we got to experience Sam’s transformation as a character by going back in time one song at a time through her magical walkman. It had so many of my favorite Rom-Com vibes, like 13 going on 30, a bit of the Notebook with that one outdoor kiss with Sam and Damon “it wasn’t over. It still isn’t over…” Ugh, guts me everytime! 😭😭🥹
Erin La Rosa does an excellent job diving into Sam’s complicated family dynamics and relationship issues with humor from quirky neighbors or a spunky grandmother to deeply complex characters like her mother. The story does delve into depression and the effects it has on our loved ones. It brought all the feels and it did make me cry at times especially when Sam encounters her mother and the issues she faced growing up.😭 Also the story tackles the feeling of belonging. I loved this quote “It was unnerving how familiar and foreign coming back felt. To recognize the street names, but not the new stores. To have memories of walking across the concrete, but see it replaced with mosaic tile. This had once been the only place she'd known, and now she felt as if she were visiting for the first time. She no longer belonged in her hometown; she was just another tourist.”
I enjoyed every chapter and had to look up the songs she used to help immerse my experience! My one feedback would be that the author needs to dedicate one page for all the songs she uses or create a Spotify playlist for this story. 💿🎶🎸🎧
I hope you fall in love with the characters and the story like I did. I’m also crossing my fingers that this book gets picked up into a movie or TV series.

💞Second Chance Romance
💿2000's vibes
🧠Mental Health
🎭Friends to lovers
🏖️Beach Read

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Erin La Rosa for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very niche romance but as a millennial elder emo fulfilling all her high school dreams by going to see Death Cab for Cutie this weekend, I can confirm that this was a fun ride. I’m slowly picking my jaw up off the floor from how serendipitous that opening scene was for me. If you love rom-coms, indie music, and time travel, this is the perfect summer read! Although predictable and over the top with twee references at times, it’s been a while since I have flown through a romance as quickly as The Backtrack. The writing is approachable and the playlist and early 00s references transported me back to a very special time of my life. I also appreciated the complexities of Sam and Damon’s family drama and friend dynamics. They’re likable main characters that will have you rooting for them while also asking “what if” when it comes to your past!

I absolutely loved this one! Former emo best friends reunion, teen angst and pining, and answering the biggest what-ifs. The Backtrack is a sweet story, where pilot Sam learns of a new reality, one where she doesn’t leave her best friend and hometown behind, set to the backdrop of 2000s punk pop BANGERS. She tries to piece together what this alternate universe means, and how everything she’s learned fits into what she wants in the present. It starts a bit slow but really picks up as we see more of Sam’s alternate reality. I do however wish that there was a bit more of Sam dealing with her family issues as it ends up being a huge part of why she is the way she is.

The Backtrack by Erin LaRosa Sam is an international pilot who left town after rejecting her best friend Damon. She returns ten years later to help her grandma sell her house before going into a retirement home. When she packs her room she finds a CD Walkman with Damon’s last mix to her inside. As she listens she is transported to a different timeline in which she didn’t reject Damon. Which of her choices was correct for her?



This book was very cute, reminiscent of Sliding Doors. I appreciated that the flashbacks to the alt time line were short and only during the length of the song- which made the magic more realistic, if that makes sense. The descriptions of emo Sam and Damon were spot on and I could picture them listening to this soundtrack perfectly. The songs made me reminisce and picture my younger self. All of the characters were so specific, quirky, and well-drawn. Loved grandma Pearl! Great quick and easy beach read about second chances and learning how to trust your gut. This would be a great miniseries on Netflix. Good for fans of This Spells Love by Kate Robb. Thanks to Canary Street Press and Net Galley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. 4 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Erin La Rosa and Canary Street Press for an ARC of The Backtrack.

This is an entertaining, high concept story with a twist on the second chance romance/ friends to lovers trope. Sam and Damon were best friends high school with lots of feelings beyond friendship on both sides. After high school, Sam left for 10 years.

When Sam’s grandmother is in an accident, she heads home to Tybee, GA and immediately feels a connection with Damon. She also find the last CD playlist he made for her that she hadn’t listened to until now. But when she starts listening, she is sent back in time to critical moments in an alternate timeline that makes her question everything she thinks she knows about love, family, friendship and her choices up until now.

I was very attracted to the premise of this book and found it very engaging. Seeing Sam’s reaction to her teenage self and teenage Damon’s antics was really powerful as was her reunion with her mother.

I don’t feel like I got to know Damon as well. I think the story would have been even better if when Damon listened to the CD, the reader was given insight into what he saw from his view.

All in all, an interesting and captivating read. This book will be available 7/16/2024.

Such a nice setup for a book, I enjoyed and it was extremely easy to follow and have fun with it, the story well done, the characters Super relatable. Definitely one to keep a eye out for

A what-might’ve-been story told through visions seen by our protagonist anytime she puts on the headphones to her magical CD player and hits “play” on an emo playlist from the early 2000s. I wanted to love this book, but struggled to like the main character. Sam makes most of her big life choices based on quick assumptions when she could simply ask questions leading to better outcomes. The book’s premise of missing out on love due to her steadfast commitment to escape her hometown solely because her mom told her not to get stuck there directly conflicts with her dedication to not follow in her mom’s footsteps. There were aspects of the story that I enjoyed, but ultimately found Sam’s motivation lacking.

this was a good read but i couldn’t connect well to the characters. i didn’t find myself fully invested into the plot or the romance. the concept was super cool and the humor was nice. it fell flat at times but still a decent story!

This was an adorable, fun story full of nostalgic references and emo heart!
Sam comes home after years away and plays a mix tape her old best friend/could've been boyfriend made her in high school.
As she listens, each sing whisks her to their high school past, only in this past her and Damon ARE together!
Damon and Sam are so cute and loveable as teens and adults...they kept alot of their personality quirks and stayed true to who they were.
I enjoyed reading them together in both eras!
I also enjoyed the side characters and plots! Overall a fun book I'd recommend!

I’ve really like Erin La Rosa’s books but while this one was not bad in anyway it also did not connect with me. I just did not feel invested really in the romance or the characters. I thought the conceit was incredibly clever ( a mix tape that song by song shows snippets of a life that might have been), and as a fellow millenial I loved the humor based on how these characters looked in 2005-2009 and what the songs actually were but I didn’t feel particularly engaged either. I really wanted to like this but just fell mostly flat.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC of The Backtrack. Sam and Damon, high school best friends, reunite after years apart. When Sam listens to a mixtape Damon made her in high school, it whisks her into a life of what if. I think this concept was very imaginative and unlike many I’d seen before. The touch of magical realism was thought out and executed well.

I liked Sam and Damon’s what if life, and I think the emo backdrop was unique and fun to read! I didn’t connect with present Sam as much as I’d have liked, nor with Damon as much, but I think Sam’s development was apparent.

Spicy:
3/5
Tropes:
Time jump
Flashbacks
Best friends to lovers
Magical realism

This book has such a cute concept: a woman named Sam is back in her hometown, discovers a mix CD made for her by her teenage best friend, and when she goes to play it as an adult, each song on the CD shows her an alternate version of her life.

The music Sam listened to in high school is the same pop-punk and emo I listened to, so I was hoping this book would be a lot of fun. I struggled to get into it, though, and ultimately wasn’t feeling any chemistry between Sam and her old best friend, Damon. The story was too slow-paced. It was also missing the spice I’ve come to expect from Erin La Rosa. As another reviewer here pointed out, the lack of spice makes sense given the flashbacks to their teen years. But as adults, there’s one sex scene, and it’s not super descriptive.

Overall, this was a okay read. I enjoyed the early aughts nostalgia and the relationship between Sam and her grandma.

This is a sidenote, but this ebook was only available as a PDF (I’ve noticed Canary Street Press does this a lot), and it had a lot of funky formatting issues that made for a difficult reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever wished you could go back in time and change things? In this magical realism tale Sam gets to do just that. Visiting home she finds an old mix CD she made with her past love Damon. Every track transports her back in time and lets her explore an alternate reality.

Honestly I struggled with this one. I thought the writing was clunky and story was slow. It was a cute idea though! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.