This was a fun and easy read. A perfect cleanser from my typical read. Very fleshed out. Highly recommend!

This is an easy reading romance for music lovers, particularly those of us who vividly remember the "emo" and pop-punk hey day of early aughts. I would have liked a little more "current time" development of the characters' connection and relationship, but this was nicely done for the short length.

(e-galley via Netgalley. Library copy read and reviewed)

It was so easy to enjoy this narrative, the characters have personality in a way that captures you since page one. Really cute in a way that my heart felt all the good parts and loved every advance.

As a huge 13 Going on 30 fan, I was super excited to read this book. The magic cd player/mixed cd was a fun and unique vessel for telling the flashback/what if storyline. I got excited to see what happened with each new track. I liked both Sam and Damon and enjoyed watching them traverse their relationship and figure out how to fit into each other's lives as adults. I also appreciated that the alternate version flashbacks gave Sam insight not just into her relationship with Damon, but also with her mother. Pearl and her friend, Jessie, were a trip! Overall, this was a unique and satisfying story.

True rating: 3.5

Great for fans of:
- 13 Going on 30
- What if scenarios and flashbacks
- friends to lovers and second chance romance
- self-reflection and growth
- funny grandmothers with no filter

Huge thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Backtrack is a love letter to millennial girls.

If you liked Fall Out Boy, Evanescence, Death Cab for Cutie and so many more emo bands of the 2000s, you'll enjoy the nostalgia that La Rosa perfectly captures. As a teen in the mid 2000s, Sam is ME, I am Sam. However, I don't think there was enough tension for me to be fully invested into the story. Maybe it was the looking glass premise that made this story feel more reminiscent than a progressive story line.

I really loved La Rosa's two other books, but there was something about this one that ... just didn't hit.

Erin La Rosa is one of my favorite authors, and people in general, and I absolutely adored this book.

This book is truly meant for those who have ever questioned their decisions, who have ever thought, 'what if I did this one thing in the past differently?' At some point or another, we wonder if we're on the right path, if we're living the best life we can possibly live, and this book makes it clear that everything happens for a reason and that we're exactly where we're meant to be.

Sam and Damon are strong characters who complement each other so beautifully. Distance may have pushed them apart, but the moment they were together again it was like no time had passed at all. I think a friendship like that is so rare and pure magic when you experience it, and it's made even better when you fall in love with each other.

I love that Sam did what was best for her, even if it meant leaving the one person who truly knew her. She had a dream and she chased it, and I'll never fault anyone for doing that. But I also know her leaving was rooted in this deeper pain of being left by her mom and not wanting to feel 'stuck' like she did, and watching her repair her relationship with her mom was HUGE.

I also love the idea of always being meant to be together, but needing to be apart to forge their own paths and become their own people in order to come back stronger. If they had gotten together when they were younger, they wouldn't have made it, and so everything happened exactly as it was supposed to.

The emo kid nostalgia was the cherry on top of this book. Catch me listening to all the songs featured in this book on repeat for the foreseeable future!

Thank you to NetGalley & Canary Street Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars!

This book was so nostalgic & truly transportable to the early 2000s. I didn’t think I would enjoy the magical realism components as much as I did, but some of the concepts felt far-reaching, and we didn’t see much character development or background from the MMC.

Erin LaRosa’s writing is still so much fun, and playful in a way that few other authors can capture. Thank you to NetGalley for the copy!

So I’m not quite sure where to start… I do like the concept of listening to a CD and it takes to an alternative universe and you get to explore all the what ifs.

But I felt like we were missing a big part of who Damon and Sam is. I didn’t get a really good look into her character, nor did I really care for her.

I feel like characters weren’t really flushed out… They were more like caricatures or really flat.

I also didn’t like the side character, Rachel, for all that she was proclaimed to be Sam’s best friend… She didn’t really act like one.

I did like the writing style in general… It was an easy read.

Thanks to Canary Street Press for providing me with a free e-arc of this book. Here are my honest thoughts!

The concept of this book is definitely interesting. I really liked how music was integrated into this story and how it connected the characters together.

Second chance romance is really hit or miss for me. Sometimes it’s not realistic for the characters to get back together or try again. I especially dislike it when one of the characters has a partner that they essentially are using, because they’ve always been in love with the other person. It makes me not want to root for the main characters to end up together because it makes me question them as people. If you know you’re in love with someone else, why begin anything with someone who isn’t that person? Just frustrates me.

However, I do think this book did well with that aspect. It’s clear from early on that Damon is not in a serious relationship, and the woman he’s with is actually the one to end it with him. That made it better, but I wish he hadn’t waited so long to tell Sam he was single again. I appreciated that Sam and Marissa had that interaction at the end to clear the air too!

I like when books delve into complicated family dynamics, and this book was full of them. Between Sam’s relationship (or lack of one) with her mom to the complications between Sam, Bonnie, and Pearl, I found it extremely real. I like that there was closure and some form of reconciliation between them all. I think this book was, at its core, a romance, but the story of family was ultimately a bigger presence in my opinion.

The magical cd player showing both Sam and Damon visions of what their life could’ve been to show them how they needed to be exactly where there are now was touching. I liked that it wasn’t a perfect alternate universe. I liked that it made it clear that they needed to do what they did and make the choices they made in order to be together now.

I enjoyed this book, and it’s definitely my favorite from this author of the ones I’ve read!

Rating: 2.5 stars

The Backtrack by Erin La Rosa had an intriguing premise and a great setup for a fun adventure. While the book had its moments, it just didn’t fully resonate with me personally. The storyline follows a group of old friends reconnecting on a hiking trip, and there’s a mix of lighthearted banter and emotional moments as they face the past and present.

The pacing was steady, and the characters had some engaging dynamics, but overall, it might not have been the perfect fit for me.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Genre: Magical Realism

Sam lives in a small town as a high schooler in the early 2000's. She is best friends with a teenage boy named, Damon. One day Damon asks if he can kiss her. Sam is terrified about being "stuck" in the small town forever and makes an excuse that she isn't feeling well so she never ends up kissing him. Life goes on, Sam moves away and fulfills her dream of becoming a pilot. We flash forward where she is returning to her small town of Tybee to help her grandmother, Pearl, pack up her childhood home and move into assissted living. In the midst of packing up everything, she finds a burnt CD from Damon that had all their old favorites. Went through an emo phase in high school (the music is bands like Fall Out Boy and Blink 182). She goes to play the CD in a dead CD player and it magically works and sends her back in time to relive scenes as a spectator starting from that kiss and if she had actually said yes. She has no control over the CD player. It will only play one song at a time and each time shows her a different scene. Meanwhile, Damon still lives in town. They haven't really spoke since she left, but they are working on reconnecting.

The early 2000's vibes in this book were awesome. I also was a highschooler in the early 2000's. I wasn't emo, but I still recognized a lot of the music. But even besides that there was a lot of mentions of the fashion and trends and that was so much fun. I was not familiar with the term "aughties" to represent that time period, so I also learned something new. I did find the Groundhog Day-esque aspect of listening to the CD, playing the scene, and returning to real life over and over again a bit repetitive and even a little boring. Then Sam would even return and write about it briefly in her journal after each song and instead of just the new journal entry it had the entire journal every time. I didn't feel like that was necessary. I also felt like the relationship between Sam and Damon was just very awkward, especially for an adult relationship that stemmed from a strong childhood friendship. I didn't feel the connection while reading it. That being said I thought the plot was unique and creative and I still had fun while reading it.

Thank you to Canary Street Press and the author for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What if? What IF? WHAT if?

This took me back to my angsty emotional teen self. It's a great concept, and I like the nostalgic feel, and the quirkiness of the MC. It's a well done story that makes you think of the past and all the "what ifs" in life. Such a fun read, and I love when a book makes you think, but not too hard, I'm trying to escape and enjoy reading, not lose brain cells.

Thank yo0u NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC

this movie feels like I've read it before at times and gives me 13 going on 30 vibes we always want what we don't have kind of thing over all i just kind of wanted to get this read over with not my fave but I could see why people would like this book

I was able to get a library copy of this book. I loved the concept but for me it was just an okay book. It was a fun book that had me laughing at times and a blast from the past with the nostalgia sprinkled throughout. If you like nostalgic novels with time travel, romance and magical realism this book is made for you

This was such a fun read. The vibes give off 13 Going On 30 but make it 2000s nostalgia. I really enjoyed seeing how Sam was able to grow and see what her alternate life could've been like, and feel validated by her choices while also learning to make space to "have it all". Damon and Sam were able to see how their need to grow as adults was a positive impact for them, and that sometimes life works out exactly as it's meant to.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a childhood friends to lovers/second chance romance with a twist - when Sam Leto returns to her hometown to visit her grandmother she comes across an old CD player that was gifted to her by her best friend Damon and playing those songs show her an alternate reality where she never left her hometown and got into a relationship with Damon. I liked the other books from the author but this one was a bit disappointing with the lack of chemistry between the leads. I did like the songs and playlists though - many of my faves 🎵 but not enough to keep me invested in the relationship.

I liked this for the nostalgia and 13 Going on 30 vibes but in reverse. As someone who regularly contemplates the what ifs and the butterfly effect, the plot of this romance intrigued me. I've recently been loving a bit of magical realism in romance and the concept of travelling back to an alternate version of your past by listening to an old mixtape was a lot of fun. Each song kind of foreshadows how the memory will play out and the flashback to 2000s pop culture will appeal to any millennials. There wasn't as much chemistry between the MCs as I expected and it's not my favorite of Erin's books but it's still a quick, easy read with its own charm. And I always support a second chance romance/childhood best friends falling in love!

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press & NetGalley for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thought I was really going to like this one but it was a little too corny. I think it's going to attract a small niche of book readers. You would think I'd like it because it's music I was listening to in middle/high school & I love alternate reality books. I didn't like the whole Sam being an outcast because of the music & movies she watched. Everyone was reading & watching Twilight.... also the music was mainstream punk/pop that also everyone was listening to. I thought the Sam being a pilot was super cool so I give an extra star for that.

This story took me back to 2011 emo Wattpad times. The story follows Sam who left her small hometown the minute she could and became a pilot. Fast forward about 20 years, and she has to go back to her hometown to help her grandma move into a senior housing community. While helping to pack up her grandma's house, she finds a cd player with the last cd her childhood best friend/crush gave her. Sam always wondered what would have happened if she allowed her to date Damon instead of running away.

Somehow, when Sam turns on the CD player she finds out that it takes her to an alternate reality where she does end up sticking around in her small town and dating Damon. As she watches the things that could have been, she wonders if she made a mistake leaving the city of Tybee all those years ago.

The magical element of the story was really fun, and gave me Ashley Poston vibes. Also listening to some alternative rock songs I listened to when I was in high school was really cool. I kind of wish I got more scenes showing Damon and Sam as adults and seeing them kind of fall in love with each other again. I felt like even though they had history, we didn't get as much growth when they were adults, which made the story feel a bit insta-lovey. Overall though, I had a lot of fun with this story! 3.5 stars

Erin La Rosa’s The Backtrack is a charming contemporary romance that asks the question "what if"? When Sam has been asked to come home and pack up her childhood home to put on the market, She discovers many memories from her past. Old band posters, mix tapes that she spent hours on, Favorite clothes and even roll on glitter. When Sam plays her favorite mix tape, it rewinds time for her and she wonders what would of happened with her best friend Damon. Through these flashbacks, she sees what could of been and what could of happened if she had only taken a chance. The novel explores what it means to confront one's past while striving for a better future. For a trip down memory lane and the 2000's. I would definitely recommend you pick up a copy of this book!